Page 21 of Catch Me

I blink too many times, breaking the stare between us, the one that’s forcing me to acknowledge that fluttering of my heart every time he looks at me like that.

Nick forces my chin back up and dips his forehead to touch mine. “Did you kiss him?” He whispers and my chest tightens along with a swell of tears that climbs up my throat. Why is he even asking that? He knows I didn’t want anything from Connor.

“So what if I did?” My voice snaps a little with frustration at his question and I pull back from his touch. But when I look up at him again, I see the hurt in his eyes, the betrayal that I even went on a date with someone that wasn’t him. I feel like I'm trying to read his mind all the time, never knowing how he feels about me or where I stand with him. But I guess deep down I'm just swimming in a river of denial, because the soft, pained look in his brown eyes right now tells me exactly how he feels about me.

“Answer the question Lois, please.” He croaks and I can hear the bubble in his throat, the one he quickly swallows down when I shake my head.

“No, I didn’t.”

Nick nods once and pulls me back to him, our noses brushing. “Good,” he presses a tight, long kiss against my lips and I allow myself to melt into him. I forget everything that happened tonight when he kisses me, I can let go of all of it.

His hand brackets my jaw, the warmth radiating all the way down to my toes and that’s when I open my eyes and remember that Nick just vanished for over an hour. I take his hand in mine and turn his palm over to see his battered knuckles. My heart beats hard as I twist his hand in mine, peering at his wounds with squinted eyes. Really I'm trying not to let any tears form as I assess the several bloody gashes across his already purpling knuckles. I wish I could look at them and not care, but the lump in my throat says I do. I care way more than I should for someone I’ve known properly for only a few weeks.

Nick shakes his head a little and pulls his hand away from my gaze. “I’m fine, honestly.”

“Let’s clean you up,” I say quietly, taking his none bloody hand and pulling him towards the bathroom behind me. The dorm is still, silent with everyone else sleeping and it feels like there’s no one else in the world right now other than me and Nick.

He closes the bathroom door behind us and I twist the tap on, dipping my finger into the stream of hot water until the steam is rising to the ceiling. His hands snake around my hips, making my skin tingle with desire. His cold fingers climb up towards my waist and his biceps wrap around me, squeezing me tightly as his chin lands on my shoulder. A smile tips my lips when he kisses my neck lightly, his strong aroma all around me, making me dizzy. I let out a breathy, barely audible laugh and spin around in his arms. His lips immediately find mine in a soft kiss. He grins down at me and lifts me by the back of my thighs, dropping my ass onto the bathroom counter. The water is still gushing so I dip a clean wash cloth into the hot stream and pull his hand into mine. His face is plastered with a cocky grin and I momentarily consider slapping it off. What can I say? It’s a reflex from growing up with an older brother who’s arrogance is staggering 99% of the time.

I keep my eyes on his hand, dabbing the dried blood away. “I’m not going to ask what you did to him, because I can pretty much gather from the bloody hand.”

Nick’s fingers tuck a loose curl behind my ear and I glance up at him.

His eyes are soft, yet serious when he says, “I did what I needed to do.”

I don't even give myself a chance to properly process his words, I don’t need to, they hit me like a bulldozer right in the chest. I drop the wash cloth and wrap both legs around his waist, pulling him to me. My hands sink into his hair and I smash our lipstogether hungrily, I want him, right now. Everything he said was so sweet, so caring, so storybook perfect I can barely articulate a response in my head let alone out loud. So instead I show him how I feel, how grateful I am for everything he’s done for me tonight and how I understand what he’s trying to say without words. He cares about me, I know he does, I see it in his eyes when he breaks the kiss right now and holds my waist.

“Lo…we don’t have to, not tonight I—” he scratches his jaw before bracketing mine with both hands and bringing his face close to mine. “I didn’t beat the shit out of Connor so you’d have sex with me tonight.”

“I know, but I want to.” I whisper, my breath tickling his lips as his tongue darts out to wet them. He wants this, I know his does but he’s battling himself, not wanting me to believe he went through all of this tonight just to get into my pants. I don’t believe that for a second though, what he did tonight is one of the most genuine, caring things anyone has ever done for me. It’s opened my eyes to what I could have with him, what I desperately want and have wanted since the moment I met him but never believed I could have with someone like Nick. He exudes this arrogant, uncaring, fuck boy bravado to the outside world but I know him better than that now. I know he craves connection, to be seen, to be wanted for him and not just for the character he portrays himself to be.

Nick’s eyes drop to the exposed slit of my stomach and his fingers hook under the waistband of my shorts. “You sure?”

I nod eagerly and our lips connect again in a breathy kiss. I lift his t-shirt over his head in one swift motion, scanning his taut, rippled stomach. The colours meander across each ab, an array of ink swirling and looping everywhere. My gaze lands on the number ’33’ on the lower left side of his stomach and I slowly trace a finger over each digit. He watches my movements, his eyes following my fingers like he’s in a trance.

“This is new,” I say quietly, kind of to myself but Nick’s hand grips mine, stopping my tracing of his new ’33’.

Our eyes lock and surprise is evident in his. “How do you know that?”

I bark a laugh and Nick’s eyes immediately soften with a smile. “Because my tongue was on that ab last week and there definitely wasn’t a ’33’ there.” I pop a light shrug. “I know what your body looks like.”

Nick pauses, staring at me with what I can only describe as awe. “Wow,” he breathes, “you really do.”

His hands are on the back of my thighs in a heartbeat and he’s lifting me off the counter. My legs are around his waist, fingers tangled in his thick brown hair, gripping and fisting it hard. He presses my back against the bathroom door, my mouth opening on a gasp that can’t escape because Nick’s tongue is swiping against mine again. I hear his trousers drop to the ground but I don’t bother to look because I'm so fucking obsessed with his mouth on mine and it's all I can focus on. He leaves my lips for a moment, kissing a path down my neck and sucking at the sensitive skin there, making me squirm. He pops the buttons on my top, flinging it over his shoulder and devouring my breasts. His tongue flicks out to wet each nipple, rolling them between his lips and I think I might orgasm just from watching him. His trail of sloppy kisses continues down my bare stomach and he yanks my shorts down, watching them pool at my feet. He’s on his knees, fingers sinking into my ass cheeks as he admires the view in front of him.

He peers up at me, hungry, desperate. “Open your legs.”

I do as I'm told without question and Nick lifts one of my legs to rest on his shoulder. His mouth descends on my pussy, sucking my clit between his lips, rolling it between his teeth. I can barely stay upright, but Nick steadies me with his free hand, using the other one to plunge two fingers deep inside me, finding thatsweet spot that sends me into orbit almost instantly. He takes a slow lap up my throbbing clit as I force my fingers deeper into his hair, almost pulling it from the roots as my grip tightens. The tingling at the base of my spine is building heavily, warning me of what’s to come.

“Nick I-I—” I gasp, head thrown back against the bathroom door, both legs quaking as he curls his fingers inside me and rolls my clit between his teeth again.

“Good girl, come on my tongue.” He rasps and I'm fucking gone, explosions blurring my vision as I scrunch my eyes so tight shut I worry I might go blind. I cry out and Nick’s warm palm covers my mouth tightly. As I slowly come down from my high Nick gets to his feet, swiping the back of a hand across his moist lips. His grin is megawatt, blinding and so fucking sexy that all I can think of is getting a taste of my own.

I take his hand in mine. “Come on,” I coo, pecking his still wet lips and earning myself another bright grin.

I pull him with me out of the bathroom, both of us completely naked and creeping across the hallway, praying Molly or Anais don’t appear in the doorway of their bedrooms. The second we’re in the safety of my room I shove Nick to the bed, dropping to my knees. It’s my turn to make him feel fucking fantastic and my god do I intend to blow his damn mind.

He knows what’s coming, I see it in the way his jaw tightens, his hands in his hair, blowing out a puff of air as he watches my tongue tease his tip. I take his length into my mouth, unable to fit everything he has but trying my best. He’s so big it’s kind of intimidating, but I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge and I don’t intend to start now. I suck softly, letting his cock hit the back of my throat and he groans loudly, gripping the bedsheets in his fists. I’m only taking him into my mouth for a few moments before his hand squeezes my shoulder to stop me.

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