Page 50 of Breaking the Ice

He thought about the pretty date who’d been getting friendly with him on his couch when Samantha had called and therewas no comparison. He’d been trying really hard to get into the action but it just hadn’t been working for him and he’d been about to call it a night when hisneighborly emergencyhad cropped up. Nick had jumped at the excuse to discontinue and had zero regrets about hurrying her out of his apartment.

Which probably made him a real dick.

Nick’s gaze drifted to her mouth, soft and pink. Like it had been in the alley that night when he’d lost all sense of time and place. He’d been aware of only her.Samantha.Her mouth and her soft body pressed against his, her arms around his neck urging him closer, deeper.

Her perfume. Her essence. Her deep, contented sigh as she’d opened to him.

And even when they’d drawn apart, the rough pant of her breathing had gone directly to his groin.Hehad done that to her. He had made her sound breathy and sexy and he’d wondered how in the hell he was ever going to keep his hands to himself.

Sure, he’d managed it. They’d talked about putting the alley behind them and he’d agreed. They had very different life goals, so complicating their relationship with sex would be just plain dumb. But hell, if he didn’t think about it.

A lot. Too damn much.

Picking up the Orgmaster, he strode to the fishbowl to find the fattest goldfish he’d ever seen.Okay… not the fishbowl.Godzilla was bizarre enough without adding a twelve-inch phallus to the mix.

Locating her bedroom next, Nick crossed to a bedside table and stashed it right at the back of the drawer. Who knew, maybe she’d thank him for it one day? She might feel embarrassed about her purchase now but at some point, she might change her mind.

Mission accomplished, Nick made his way back to the living area. Samantha was still sleeping and, spying a mohair throwon the back of her couch, he covered her up. Dithering for a moment, he wondered if he should get a vomit bucket or stay for a bit longer in case she… aspirated? Or something?

Undecided, he sat on the floor, his legs out in front of him, his back supported by the squishy arm of the couch. Amidst the debris of condoms scattered across the nearby coffee table, sat a half-empty bottle of vodka.

Yep, that’d do it.

Beside it sat a single Oreo which Nick grabbed and absently bit into as he contemplated whether to stay or go. His chewing, loud in the silence of the apartment, must have disturbed Samantha because there was some rustling behind him.

“Thank you, Nick,” she murmured.

Nick half-turned, tucking his knees up, to find her looking at him, their heads tantalizingly level. He smiled. “What are friends for?”

Friends, douchebag.Friends.

Except she was looking at him intently. Like she had in the alley. A look that made him want to throw all caution to the wind and just explore the possibilities. Her gaze dropped to his mouth and Nick’s stomach fell away as if he’d just fallen from a great height.

“Nick?”

“Uh huh.” His eyes went to her mouth, her lips so close and inviting. Full and lush and pink and he’d be lying if he didn’t admit to the blinding need to taste them again.

“Did you really mean that thing you said about your 100 per cent success rate?”

“Uh huh.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her mouth.

“Wanna prove it?”

Nick closed his eyes and quashed the mad stirrings of his body. One kiss in an alley had blown his mind – what would sexdo? He let himself go there for a few seconds but already knew it would never be that simple.

She reached behind her back and retrieved a foil packet, brandishing it between them. “I have plenty of condoms.”

Nick’s gaze traveled from her mouth to the silver packet and back to her mouth. He’d never been more tempted in his life. He looked at the condom again and licked his lips as he imagined ripping the foil open and plunging into her. He wanted it so badly he could almost feel her around the painful erection that was straining against his zipper.

“I thought you just wanted to be friends?” His pulse was loud in his head as he swallowed against his suddenly parched throat.

“So…” She frowned. “You don’t want to?”

Nick almost groaned out loud. Of course hewantedto. He’d been thinking of little else since that kiss. But… there was that half-empty bottle of vodka.

Taking the packet from her, he stared at it longingly for a second. “More than anything,” he sighed as he tossed it on the table. “Knock on my door one day when you’re sober.”

For a moment, he thought she was going to protest but instead she smiled a serene sort of smile, her eyes fluttering as if too heavy to keep open. “Oh, I will, Nick, I promise.”

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