The Beginning

Tess

Nicky's broad chest stabilized me. One domineering hand anchored to my wrist, the other sunk into my hip. Through pleated black slacks, I felt the length of him solid along my back. I remembered the delicious stretch I felt as he entered me.

I couldn't help the way my breath quickened nor the way my pulse raced. This guy had a direct line to everything that made me tingle and tremble. It didn't matter how often I told myself that I didn't like him, I wanted him regardless.

My brain drummed up the awful feeling that washed over me when that technical caller threatened me. "Stop." I whimpered helplessly more than I commanded. His intense grasp softened, and his arms dropped. Nicky's fingers slipped into my palm. The instinct to grab them was immediate and unplanned. His face dropped into my neck. I winced as he nudged my fresh bruise.

"I want to see it." He reminded me.

"You like it." I accused. "You did it on purpose." I turned on him.

Nicky's nonchalant demeanor remained unshakeable. "He grabbed you." He replied as if that were all the explanation needed.

"You don't get to do that, Nicky. You're not mine and I'm not yours. It's been two days since we met and I can tell you, the thirty years that I took care of myself weren't wasted. I had it handled, and I can continue to handle myself, thanks."

"You could be mine." His left cheek dimpled as he took his bottom lip between his teeth. His fingers reached out to brush my arm. I dodged the touch, knowing full well I'd feel it in my clitoris.

"Yeah? Out of how many?"

"Excuse me?" I'd found the button. His brows drew toward the bridge of his nose. Nicky's gentle green eyes hardened. He'd found it hilarious when I accused him earlier, but this must have been different. Was it in my tone or his?

"You lied to me when you told me that you weren't from here." I guess I wasn't over it. "Then Victoria..."

"Veronica," he corrected, "And I explained to you—"

"That was not the first time she's caught you doing something like that." Veronica wasn't shocked when she saw us, she was disappointed.

"No, it's not. She is the closest person to me, and she doesn't knock."

"Do you have a habit of visiting small towns and big cities, Nicky?" I spat his name like a curse word. If I could get him to dislike me, perhaps even hate me, I could push him off onto the next girl and get back to my regular life. Until then he'd be stuck in my head.

"I do travel a lot."

"And I'll bet you like to keep a girl in every place, don't you?"

Nicky already stood taller than me, and not by much. Defensiveness straightened his spine. I felt as though he towered closer to the ceiling than to me. His chest expanded. His lips twisted into a snarl. Even when he was relaxed, Nicky's figure dominated all those around him. I was reminded of his actual mass when he stood tall and proud. It wasn't often that I felt as small as I had right then.

"I don't treat women like that." Broken pieces of his heart showed themselves in his firm tone. "I told you that I wasn't from here so you weren't shocked when I asked you move back to Riverside with me."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." As intimidating as he was, that ridiculous request, even in theory, was met with disbelieving laughter.

"You're right. That was a lot. We'll just go on a date. Tomorrow."

Hit with a brick of nostalgia, I tried not to giggle. It was something we used to do as kids. Tell our parents something was way scarier than it was, then tell them the truth. The truth, though occasionally near dire, didn't ever sound as bad and they were more affable.