Broken Handcuffs [III]

xix.

With the two women splitting the six hour drive to their hotel, Leah bought the dinner which was Chinese food and some ice cream they picked up from the gas station nearby. Nicole had a bit of the jitters, being alone with Leah but if Leah felt anything remotely like anxiety she didn't show it. She was very calm and natural about things. It made Nicole want to relax, but if she did she didn't know what she would do.

After dinner was finished and 2AM was rolling through, Leah got up and announced she was taking a shower and heading to bed. It was a nice night overall, Nicole showered as soon as they came in and they both ate, laughed and watched movies on Bayley's Netflix that Leah was freeloading off of. Now that it was much later, Nicole couldn't help but feel the butterflies swarming in her chest. She'd been so close to Leah but never noticed until she was gone. Leah told her about her childhood and growing up in a "big Italian family" with stories that made her laugh and tear up a bit. Nicole even shared the story about the 2006 Diva Search, which was her true debut with the WWE.

Nicole gets so immersed in her thoughts that she zones out.

"Nicole. Nicole?" Leah waves a hand in her face. Nikki looks at Leah, from the damp wavy tresses of her hair to her makeup free face, down her lovely neck and the juts of her collarbone to the glowing skin of her chest before she shoots her eyes back up to her lips. Her pink, plush lips... She takes a deep breath and Leah doesn't disappoint with that intoxicating smell that's always over her.

Oh cloudy feeling, how I've missed you so.

She has the overwhelming urge to just pull Leah closer and kiss her for everything she's worth, for everything she truly means to her, for the love she has for her.

"I love you too, Nicole." Leah smiles, "I'm in love with you too." And Nikki doesn't know when the hell she said it but she was so glad it was out there in the universe and that Leah loved her back. She questioned nothing, she said nothing in response and just kissed Leah.

It strangely felt like...home.

It was like flames meeting paper, slowly starting at a corner and spreading out until the entire material reduced into ashes; Nicole felt the liquid lava enter her by way of Leah's tongue and it sparked into roaring flames by the time she bit Leah's lip. The responding grunt was just like gasoline. Instead of pulling Leah down Nicole gets pulled up, right into Leah's warm embrace when Leah locks her arms around Nicole's waist. (bars???) Nikki had one hand buried in Carmella's blonde hair, mostly cradling the back of her skull while the other hand was at the side of her neck directing traffic with the way they kiss.

Leah hesitated before moving back to get some air, still holding Nicole close. This was something she was afraid of— that if they stopped kissing Leah would get some sense and stop what they had again. It was inevitable and Nicole prepared herself for the incoming rejection.

"Take these fucking clothes off," is what's said instead and Nicole actually recoils a bit.

"I'm sorry... you want me to what?" She had to have it repeated to make sure she heard right the first time. "It sounded like you just told me to take my clothes off."

Leah nods, "Because I did."

Nikki makes a face, blinking, "Yeah, can you just say it one more time for me?"

Leah does her one better. "Take," Nicole jumps at the sudden sting on her butt, "these," and another, "fucking," there it goes again, "clothes," what did she expect, "off." And Nicole moans at the last hit which was substantially harder than the others. "I want them off Nicole."

And this is news to the woman, seriously. They've been alone a few times before, almost had sex a couple of those times and now, when things are going well with her and AJ Leah wants to capitalize? Nikki gives Leah another kiss. "What about all the stuff you said about AJ? Giving up because you can't win?"