Page 21 of Don’t You Dare Marry Me (Love in Massachusetts #3)

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“You had no right!” Nicola’s voice reverberated through the library, startling Abagail.

She hadn’t even realized that Nicola had come back to the house. She’d figured she’d left for good. Pulling off her reading glasses, Abagail set them carefully on the small table next to her and set her book down slowly.

Abagail would do her damnedest to keep as calm as possible. She’d had enough of the anger when Nicola left, and she didn’t want to deal with it again. She wasn’t here to play games. She was too old for that line of bullshit.

“I had no right to do what? Read a book in my own house?” Abagail spread her hands out around her to show off the room.

“To pay off my debt.”

Abagail detected a wobble in Nicola’s tone just under the anger. But she had no idea what was causing it. Standing up slowly, Abagail put her hands on her hips and walked toward Nicola. “Don’t think anything of it.”

“Don’t think… Don’t think!?” Nicola screeched.

Abagail looked over her shoulder and walked out of the library. “I told you that I’d pay you.”

“Pay me?” Nicola’s voice cracked. “Is that all I am to you? Some piece of ass that you can pay to fuck and pay to go away?”

Abagail faltered in her step, stopping in the middle of the hallway and turning to face her. “No.”

“No! No?” Nicola’s anger hit a wall, and it had nowhere to go.

“No.” Abagail took a step closer to her. They were toe to toe, but she had to lift her chin up to look into Nicola’s eyes. “I don’t think of you like that at all.”

“Then what am I to you?”

Abagail had no idea what to say. She hadn’t even thought about that.

In fact, she’d taken great pains to avoid thinking about it.

She clenched her jaw tightly, the muscles in her body rippling with tension, and stayed right where she was, stunned into silence.

She couldn’t honestly remember the last time that had happened.

She was never at a loss for words.

But right now she couldn’t find a single one.

“You don’t just go and pay my debt, do you understand?” Nicola bent in closer. They were nose to nose. “I pay my debts.”

“That’s not a debt you should have to pay,” Abagail whispered, her heart thundering. “It’s not a burden that you should have.”

“Burden?” A deep line formed in the center of Nicola’s forehead. “Who said my sister was a burden?”

“No one.” Abagail dashed her tongue out, trying to find any words that might make this better, that might actually explain whatever it was she was feeling. Not that she could manage that. She didn’t even understand it. “No one said that.”

“Then why would you assume that?”

“I-I shouldn’t have.” Abagail’s fingers itched. She wanted to move, to do something—anything. But she had no idea what that should be. “But it shouldn’t fall to you.”

“But it does,” Nicola answered sharply. “And you can’t buy me. I’m not for sale.”

Nicola took a sudden step backward, her nostrils flaring. Abagail couldn’t have that. She shot her hand out, grasping Nicola’s wrist and tugging her straight back.

“I’m not trying to buy you.” Abagail’s breath left her.

How could Nicola think that? After everything they’d done together, after all the time—she stopped that thought.

They hadn’t really gotten to know each other.

Not yet. “I’m trying to give you the chances and opportunities that you never had.

Because you deserve them, Nicola. And life dealt you a shitty hand, one you didn’t deserve.

And if I can make just one damn thing right for you, then I will. ”

“I don’t need you.” Nicola stepped in close, turning Abagail so her back was pushed against the wall. She breathed deep, pressing her nose against Abagail’s neck. Abagail’s pulse raced under the tender touch.

What was happening right now?

Abagail couldn’t stop herself from moaning. Nicola pressed her thigh between Abagail’s legs, pushing hard against her and sending pleasure throughout her body in waves. Gasping, Abagail grabbed hold of Nicola’s hips and held on because she was pretty damn sure that her knees were going to give out.

“I want you,” Nicola growled the words, her lips moving against Abagail’s neck.

The groan that left Abagail’s mouth was guttural. She tossed her head back and dropped her body down to grind against Nicola’s thigh.

“I choose to be here.” Nicola scraped her teeth across Abagail’s neck.

Abagail shuddered in response, digging her fingers into Nicola’s sides to keep herself upright.

She’d do anything that Nicola told her to do right now.

Whatever wall she’d held between them before was smashed under their feet.

Nicola held all the power, all the control.

And Abagail was ready to give it up to her.

Nicola pressed her palm fully against Abagail’s breast, squeezing hard enough to cause a bit of pain.

Abagail’s underwear was soaked through. With her lips parted, she opened her eyes.

She wanted to see Nicola, to know what this full power looked like on her.

Would she be drunk on it? No, Abagail didn’t think so.

She’d have it tightly controlled, wrapped around her fingers to pull the strings one by one.

“Grind me,” Nicola commanded. She used the flat of her tongue, sliding it up Abagail’s neck and across her jaw. “Come apart.”

Abagail scrunched her face up.

“I own you.” Nicola bit the underside of her jaw.

Abagail cried out, pushing her pussy harder against Nicola’s thigh. She trembled, her entire body coiling up and waiting for the match to be lit. And Nicola held the match between her fingers, poised and ready to strike but only when she wanted to.

Rutting her hips against Nicola’s thigh, Abagail held on with everything she had.

She wanted this to last. She fought her body tooth and nail.

She wasn’t going to let Nicola be in charge…

not just yet. Shuddering, Abagail clenched her eyes shut tight and shook her head.

She had to stop. That wasn’t what she wanted.

She wanted Nicola to consume her, to surround her, to control her.

Abagail cried out loudly. She gasped. She reached up and wrapped a hand around the back of Nicola’s neck and pulled her in as tightly as possible.

Abagail couldn’t let go. She didn’t want to.

She wanted Nicola to keep her there, pressed against the wall, against her, flying high on the pleasure that only Nicola could pull from her body.

“You’re mine.”

Her orgasm consumed her. Abagail’s entire body tightened, her breath rushing from her lungs.

Nicola pressed their mouths together, tongues tangling wildly in a brutally uncontrolled kiss.

Abagail clutched onto her, her head spinning from the pleasure that filled her entire body and took hold of all her senses.

She lost all track of time. When Abagail finally started to come to, Nicola was still kissing her, but it was gentle and soft, against her lips, on her cheeks, her forehead. Abagail relaxed, her eyes fluttering open, and she looked directly into those blue eyes—the ones that held her so firmly.

They stared. Long and deep. Abagail’s heart thudded loudly, her entire body tightly wrapped and holding on to Nicola. What was happening? She didn’t understand it. She breathed deeply, moving her hand to press her palm over Nicola’s heart, feeling its thundering response to the gentle touch.

I’m yours .

The words rolled around in her head. They tasted sweet on her tongue. They coated her throat.

I’m yours.

Abagail opened her mouth, ready to say them, ready to let Nicola hold all the cards for the first time in her life.

She was ready to let someone else be in charge for just this once.

Or maybe even longer. Abagail raised her hand to just under Nicola’s chin, pressing her thumb and forefinger so she could hold Nicola close.

She breathed slowly, the world slowing down.

She could say those words, couldn’t she?

She could speak them into existence and Nicola would savor them.

Leaning in, Abagail kissed her tenderly.

There was no heat in it this time. It was nothing more than comfort and connection, and something stirred inside her, something she’d never felt before.

“I’m yours,” Abagail whispered against Nicola’s lips, not sure she could stand to look her in the eyes when she said this. “I’m yours.”

Nicola wrapped her arms around Abagail’s back and hauled Abagail against her.

She started to walk, moving Abagail backward.

Abagail pulled at Nicola’s shirt, tugging it over her head and dropping it at the bottom of the stairs.

She wrapped Nicola up for another kiss before breaking it and walking up the stairs with Nicola only a step behind her.

When she reached the top of the stairs, Nicola slid her hand into Abagail’s and laced their fingers.

Abagail stumbled. Nicola caught her. She glanced down at their joined hands and felt the warmth of the touch seep through her skin and into her body.

Nicola started toward the room they’d shared before, but Abagail stopped her.

“No, this way.” Her voice was gentle as she spoke, and she tugged lightly. Abagail led the way down the other end of the hall to her bedroom. She shut the door behind them.

Immediately, their mouths were pressed together.

Abagail ran her fingers over Nicola’s bare back and flicked the clasp of her bra.

She felt the weight of Nicola’s small breasts against her palms, the hardness of her nipples, the suppleness of her flesh.

Nicola hummed, her nimble fingers working at the buttons on Abagail’s blouse.

“Just rip it,” Abagail murmured.

“Really?” Nicola asked, pulling back slightly in surprise.

“Yes.” Abagail kissed her hard. “Yes.”