Page 37 of Unwrapped

I blush at the thought of us together in his shower. The minute we stepped inside and closed the glass door, something came over him and he ordered me to get on my knees. The minute I did, he was hard and ready, tapping his stiffness against my lips. I did the only thing I could do and let him in, but instead of finishing in my mouth like I hoped he would, he pulled out and ordered me to stand and turn around. As soon as I did, he had me bent over and was sliding into me within seconds. With both hands on my hips, he had me screaming his name in no time. The orgasm ripped through me, surprising me with its intensity. If not for the strong hands holding me in place, I know I would have fallen. He wasn’t far behind me. He let out a growl as he thrust one last time, emptying inside of me.

“Come over afterward,” he says. He puts me on hold, and I hear him respond to someone’s question. His voice is rougher than normal, and his words are clipped. I know it’s this situation that’s giving him a short temper. “Sorry, sweetness. No one can seem to do anything right today. I’ll prepare us a late supper. You can sit on my lap while I feed you, or we can order in. I miss you.”

I can imagine it now. He’ll pounce on me the minute I walk through the door. He promised me dinner two nights ago too. It was the last time we saw each other, just two days after declaring our love. It was the first day we’d been apart since the night of his dinner party and had only been away from each other for a few hours. The minute I walked through the door, he kissed me. We didn’t make it to the couch this time. We found ourselves naked, writhing on the floor like animals while he fucked me senseless.

“I can’t.” The words hang heavy between us.

“Because of your guests?” I can hear the disappointment in his voice, and even though I can’t see him, I know he’s frowning.

“The guests. My brother. We have a house full of people, and I can’t get away. Some of the neighbors are coming by tonight too.”

“I could come to you if we had come clean to your mother like we talked about Friday night, Miranda.” I lean against the wall in my bedroom as I feel the weight of his words.

Talk about the best-laid plans. Sunday was the day we planned on telling my parents, but fate had other plans. First thing Sunday morning, the ringing of my phone woke me up. I was wrapped in Nick’s arms, our naked bodies practically intertwined when the phone started going off. I woke up, dazed, confused, and unwilling to extricate myself from my lover’s arms. Relief took over when the phone stopped ringing, but my irritation returned when it started again.

Reluctantly, I reached to the nightstand and picked it up, only to have my mother telling me to come home because my brother just walked through the door. I felt guilty leaving Nick so early. When he walked me to his garage to get my car, he held on to me longer than usual. His kisses were hungrier. It was as if he wanted to savor me until we could be together again.

Mona Moore was an emotional mess when I finally walked through the door, still smelling like Nick. Thankfully, she was too busy holding onto my brother to notice what I looked or smelled like.

I still wanted to tell her the news, but she hadn’t seen my brother in person in over two years. Even my father, who is usually stoic, cried at the sight of both of his kids together. Instead of what I had planned, we spent our day talking while my dad cooked Andrew’s favorite foods.

I was fine to push the reveal a day, but that same night, just twelve hours after Andrew came home, my dad’s youngest sister showed up with my three little cousins because her husband had walked out on her. Again.

“I’m sorry, but I had no idea this is how this week would turn out, Nick. This is not what I want. I thought we would have told them by now and the worst would be behind us, but it’s like the universe is conspiring against us.”

“This is why I wanted to go public right away. This is our first Christmas together. I’m not going to spend it without you. That’s not happening.”

My stomach sinks at the thought. With his mother and Becker in Ireland, Joe spending the holidays in Fort Lauderdale with his son’s family and his brother out of town with his in-laws, I can’t imagine Nick at home alone on Christmas while I’m surrounded by my family.

“You won’t. I promise. Can we meet for lunch? I have work at two, but I miss you so damn much. I can be at your place in twenty minutes.”

He sighs and I imagine him leaning all the way back in his office chair.

“I wish, but I can’t. I’m meeting with a developer about a project in an hour.” I resist the urge to stomp my feet.

“I was really hoping to see my Stinky Nicky.” A snort follows laughter, and for the first time since getting on the phone with him, I feel a sense of relief.

“I’m not stinky.”

It was the morning after the Christmas party. I woke up with a pounding headache. I searched the bed for him, only to find it empty. He showed up a few minutes later. I was still in bed, holding my head in both hands when he handed me a glass of cold water and two Advil. I think I was still drunk when I muttered, “Thank you, Stinky Nicky.” He laughed so hard, he almost dropped the mug of tea he had waiting for me.

“I love you.” I can practically see him smiling through the phone at my words.

“Maybe I can—” Whatever he was going to say gets cut off. He mumbles for me to hold on, but then he comes on and whispers, “Mona’s here with a budget, pretty girl. I’ll call you later. Love you.” He ends the call, and all I feel is rattled and disappointed. Rattled at how closely he works with my mother, and what her reaction to the news will be. Disappointed because I can’t see him today. To make matters worse, we have no set plans as to when we’ll see each other next.

For the rest of the morning, I walk around in a fog. I’m grateful that my brother, aunt, and cousins were out visiting other family members so I can mope in peace. Not even the Christmas carols I put on or the sight of the little Christmas tree he got me for my bedroom cheered me up. All I could do was think of the real tree Nick has at his house, and the tinsel fight we had when we were decorating it. I don’t remember what came over me, but as he was bending down to pick up an ornament, I put silver tinsel on his head. He hadn’t realized it until I pointed and laughed at him. From that point on, the tinsel fight was on. He complained about finding tinsel all over the house for days.

A few days later, he caught me going through and shaking the presents under the tree. He didn’t say a word, but I noticed his smirk as he shook his head. When I shrugged my shoulders at him, he slapped me on the ass and kissed me senseless.

“How did I get here?” I ask myself a few hours later when I’m leaving for work. I didn’t even know this man until a few weeks ago. Now, I can’t go a few days without him.

Me: Miss you.

Nick: Me too.

Me: Love you.

Nick: Love you more.

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