Page 19

W hen they reached the dim, shadowy retreat of his bedroom, Celia pressed closer. As Nick let her slide down his body, she loved the hardness of his muscles. His thick cock that was exactly where she needed it. Easing her to his side, Nick twined their fingers together and led her toward his huge bed. Celia swallowed hard and gripped his hand more tightly. She moved closer to him, and Nick immediately let go of her hand and curled his arm around her shoulders. “Sure you’re okay with this?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Celia said without hesitating. “To be honest, I really, really wanted to jump you that first night when you came up to my apartment.” She cupped his face with her palms. Smiled as she let her thumbs brush his mouth. “After six months of pent-up desire, that was all I could think about. After living in the same house, wanting you the whole time, I really struggled to keep from dragging you into my bedroom.” Twining her hands behind his neck, she tangled her fingers in his hair. “But I knew we had lots of stuff to hash out. And I didn’t want to just hook up with you. I wanted something that would last. Something that would be based on respect for each other and knowing each other.”

“These last couple weeks haven’t been easy for me, either,” Nick said. “But I didn’t want to push. Because I want the same thing you want -- a relationship that lasts.” He studied her for a long moment, then smiled. “I don’t want to freak you out, Celia, but I need you to know -- you’re it for me. I’m happy to spend as much time as you need getting to know each other, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“Neither am I, Nick,” she said, smoothing one palm over his cheek, loving the rasp of his whiskers against her skin. “That’s why I wanted to wait before I dragged you into my bed. So I could look at you and tell you I was yours. Until I could hear you say the same thing to me and not freak out.”

Nick stared down at her, then lowered his head to kiss her. She was sure he’d intended to take it slow, to savor her as she wanted to savor him. But the moment his mouth touched hers, every molecule in her body lit up with desire. Need. Urgency.

“Nick!” she cried into his mouth. “My God, Nick. It’s like I’ve never kissed anyone before you. Never wanted anyone besides you.”

“Same here,” he groaned. “There’s nothing and no one in my head besides you.”

Celia tugged at his suit, trying to rip the jacket off his shoulders. “I need to feel your skin against mine,” she said as she focused her trembling fingers on the belt he wore. “I need your clothes off. Right now. Or I’ll rip them off your body.”

“Rip away,” he said. He let her go and unbuckled his belt. Left the ends hanging as he unzipped his pants. His hands shook so much that he could barely pull them down his legs. He kicked them away, then began working on her jeans. His hands were hot against the skin of her belly, and they shook as much as her own hands had shaken. “Faster,” she panted. She tugged at the shirt she wore, trying to undo the buttons. But her fingers wouldn’t work, and she ended up yanking the shirt over her head. In her need to get naked, she barely noticed the plink of buttons hitting the hardwood floor.

Nick picked her up and laid her on the bed, then began dragging her jeans down her legs. “I love these jeans,” he said, his voice throaty. Dark. “Love the way they hug your ass. But I’m ready to cut them off.”

Celia shoved her hands into the waistband and pushed them over her hips. Nick lurched backward as the jeans came loose. He dropped them on the floor and stumbled toward the bed. Celia grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto the bed beside her.

“You’re over-dressed,” she said, reaching for his dress shirt. When she couldn’t push the buttons through the buttonholes with her shaking hands, she ripped the shirt open and tore it off his arms.

Both of them finally naked, Celia threw herself at Nick. Slid up his body until her breasts flattened against his chest, then pressed her mouth against his. His cock was just where she needed it, and she moaned into his mouth.

He devoured her mouth as his hands roamed over her body. Everywhere he touched, his fingers lit fires beneath her skin. Just the sensation of Nick’s skin against hers had her ready to explode, and they’d barely touched each other.

“I’m not going to last long, Celia,” he said as he drew her nipple into his mouth.

“Me, either,” she said. “I hope to God you have condoms. Because if you don’t, I may have to kill you.”

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve got us covered.”

She snickered at his pun. “Thank God,” she panted. “I didn’t even think of it.” She surged against him, desperate to feel him inside her. “Now would be a good time to take care of that. Because I can’t wait a moment longer.”

“You and me both,” he groaned as he reached for the drawer in the night table beside the bed.

He fumbled a condom out of a box, managed to rip open the package and slide it onto his cock. As soon as it was seated, Celia dragged him over and pulled him on top of her. “Now, Nick,” she said, her voice thick. “I need you now.”

“I haven’t done all the things I’ve dreamt about,” he said, running his hand from her breasts to the space between her legs. “I want to touch you everywhere. Kiss you everywhere.”

“Next time,” Celia said. “Right now, I want you inside of me.”

“You sure?” he asked. “You don’t want me to make sure you’re ready for me?”

“Trust me, Nick. If I were any more ready, I’d have orgasmed already.”

When he slid inside her and began moving, Celia moaned. “God, Nick. Nothing has ever felt this good.”

“For me, either,” he said, pressing a kiss against her lips. “Afraid I’m not going to last very long this time.”

“I’m not, either,” she said as she lifted her hips into him.

Nick cupped her face with both hands and stared down at her as he began to move. She curled her legs around his waist and moved with him. Lifted up to press her mouth against his as she felt her orgasm building.

“I’m going to come,” she murmured against his lips, her hips pistoning against his.

“That’s good, because I’m not sure how long I can hold off,” he said, moving his mouth over hers.

Moments later, her release crashed through her and she screamed with the intensity of it. Nick kept moving inside her until he stilled. Gripped her more tightly, then groaned.

After a long moment, he collapsed on top of her. Immediately rolled over, so she was on top of him. Celia buried her face in his neck and inhaled his scent. Savored the salty taste of his skin. The pressure of his hands on her back, warm and possessive.

After a long time, she murmured into his neck, “I don’t ever want to move again. I want to lay here with you, relishing the feel of your skin against mine. Inhaling your scent.”

“I want to do this all over again,” he said, and she heard the smile in his voice. “Maybe take it a little slower this time. I want to memorize every inch of your amazing body. Taste every inch of it.”

“We have all night,” Celia said. “I plan on wearing you out before we’ve even had dinner.”

“Impossible,” Nick said, running his palm down her back, loving the shiver that rippled through her. “You couldn’t possibly wear me out. I’ve waited for you for far too long. I can go all night.” He lifted his head and grinned down at her. “Assuming you don’t need any sleep tonight.”

“Sleep? What’s that?” she said as she cupped his face in her hands. “Who needs sleep when I feel as if I’m flying?”

They didn’t fall asleep until early the next morning. Celia had just enough working brain cells to set an alarm on her phone before she dropped into sleep. When it went off in the morning, she groaned into her pillow and tried to slide out of bed without waking Nick. But as soon as she moved, his eyes opened and he pulled her more tightly against his body.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

Celia closed her eyes and burrowed more deeply into his side. “I have to cook breakfast this morning. And it’s gonna take me a while to wake up and get organized.”

Nick brushed the hair out of her face. “You doing lunch, too?”

“Yeah,” she said. “But Annie has dinner tonight. So I’ll come over and we’ll eat that steak and potatoes and salad for dinner.” She hesitated. She didn’t want to assume they’d be connected at the hip from now on. “If you don’t have anything else going on and that’s okay with you?”

“Of course it’s okay with me,” Nick said. He brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and kissed her. “My everyday life is working. Getting some exercise, and meeting you at The Trailhead after you’re finished working.” He nuzzled her neck. “From now on, you’re at the top of that list. Everything else is secondary.”

She sucked in a breath. “Wow,” she whispered. She smoothed her mouth over his. “Just so you know, you’re at the top of my list, too.”

He smiled against her mouth, and she really, really didn’t want to get out of his bed. But she knew she had to.

As if tearing off a bandage, she slid off the bed, landing on her feet next to the bed. “Okay,” she said. “I’m going to miss you all day. I’ll be counting the minutes until I’m back here with you.” She bent over, giving him a deep kiss. When he tried to draw her back into bed with him, she backed away. “I’ll see you for dinner.”

She threw on her clothes, tucking her buttonless shirt into her jeans, bent to kiss him one more time, then exited the apartment, moving too slowly toward the door. The last thing she wanted to do was leave him. Go to work. But she didn’t have a choice.

He’d already given her a key, so she locked the door behind her and ran down the stairs. Walked over to The Trailhead in the early dawn light and ran up the stairs to her apartment. She took a quick shower, put on clean clothes and hurried down to the kitchen. By the time Hiram arrived, she’d already gotten the breakfast essentials together and was eating an omelet and a few slices of bacon.

“We missed you and Nick last night,” were the first words out of Hiram’s mouth.

Celia shrugged. “We missed you guys, too, but Nick’d had a rough day, talking to the FBI,” Celia said after she swallowed a mouthful of omelet. “I fixed dinner at his apartment and we talked.” For a few minutes, anyway.

Hiram studied her. “That what the cool kids are calling it these days?” he finally said.

Celia felt her face heat. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Hiram.” God save her from her nosy boss. What had happened between her and Nick last night was… special. Private. And she’d like to keep it that way, at least for a day or two.

Hiram nodded at her breakfast. “You’re putting that food away as if you haven’t eaten in a week.” His eyes twinkled. “You must’ve burned a lot of calories last night.”

Managing to keep a straight face, Celia shrugged. “You know how talking can eat up the calories.”

Hiram finally smiled. “Indeed I do. Your sister used to inhale breakfast when she started spending time with Noah.” He shook his head. “The way she chowed down in the morning? I almost went broke.”

“I bet you’re glad she’s eating breakfast with Noah now,” Celia said with a nod.

“Hell, yeah,” Hiram said. “I was ready to take out a loan to pay for the food she gobbled down in the morning.”

Celia continued eating, and Hiram finally said, “Good thing you and Nick didn’t show up last night. That FBI friend of Noah’s stuck around all evening. Noah couldn’t pry him loose with a crowbar. We all pretended that we stayed, too, because of him.”

Celia nodded approvingly. “Pretty slick, Hiram.”

He nodded, a tiny smile tugging at his mouth. “Yeah, I thought so, too.” Then he frowned. “He somehow found out that Olivia was working for Blackhawk Security. Said he was looking forward to catching up with her.” Hiram shook his head. “Noah wasn’t happy about that.”

“How come?” Celia asked.

Hiram shrugged. “No idea. But I’ll get it out of Noah today.”

Celia nodded at her boss. “You’re gonna share it with me, right?? I love good gossip.”

“You can ask your sister.”

“She’s not gonna spill the beans on her husband.” She nudged Hiram with her elbow. “I rely on you for the good gossip anyway.”

Hiram’s mouth twitched. “You work your wiles on poor Nick, too?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Celia said primly.

That got a laugh out of Hiram. “I’ll talk to you after the breakfast rush,” he said.

As she watched Hiram amble away, Celia finished eating, then poured herself another cup of coffee. She slid into the desk chair and pulled out her phone, checking it for the latest headlines. By the time the first breakfast order arrived, she’d finished setting up for breakfast and was ready to go.

Celia’s stupid heart skipped a beat several hours later when Hiram came back with an order slip and handed it to her. “Nick’s here for lunch,” he said. “Figured you’d want to know who you were cooking for.”

Holding the order in her hand, Celia narrowed her eyes at Hiram. “Are you implying that I’ll be more careful, more attentive to an order for Nick than I’d be for any other order?”

Hiram shook his head. “Hell, no,” he said. “Wouldn’t even occur to me. Just let you know in case you wanted to talk to Nick. Unless you talked all you needed to last night.”

Celia bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Yeah, I’ll probably say hi to him.” She glanced at his order. A BLT. “I’ve got this, boss. Does Nick have a waitress?”

“Not yet. I took his order myself.”

Celia narrowed her eyes at him. “Fishing for information, boss?”

“Hell, no,” he said. “Fishing ain’t my style. I prefer to outright ask.”

Celia laughed. “Did Nick satisfy your curiosity?”

“Huh,” Hiram grumbled. “That boy is as tight lipped as a priest after a shift in the confessional.”

“I’ll get busy on this sandwich,” Celia said, trying hard not to grin. “I’ll deliver it myself.” She shrugged. “Save you some steps.”

“You’re not fooling anyone,” Hiram said.

“Wasn’t trying to, old man,” Celia shot back.

Hiram studied her for a long moment. Finally he shook his head. “You’re so much like your sister that it’s scary.”

“Best compliment ever,” she called after Hiram.

And if she put an extra slice of bacon on Nick’s sandwich, no one would ever know.