Page 54 of Don't You Dare Marry Me

Nicola’s heart snapped in two. “You didn’t say anything, I promise. It’s not… it’s not that.” She dragged in a steadying breath. This was it, wasn’t it? This was the decision that she had to make about whether or not to share more than they’d already shared. “I’m not someone who experiences a whole lot of kindness.” There. She’d said it. Nicola wasn’t even sure she could raise her gaze to look up into Abagail’s eyes and see the reaction.

“Kindness,” Abagail repeated, the word sounding somewhat odd on her tongue, like it didn’t quite belong, or perhaps that it did but that it wasn’t used often enough to be comfortable. “The world can be a cruel place, especially for young women who are left in shambles after a death and are the sole responsible members of their family.”

Nicola’s eyes locked on Abagail’s then. Something in the way she said that… “You, too?”

Abagail gave a short curt nod. “The world isn’t built for women like us, and we have to make kindness whenever and wherever we can.”

Nicola’s eyes watered. No one had ever said something so generous to her, something that so succinctly put in place whyshe felt the way she did or how much she’d truly struggled over the years. Because it wasn’t just taking care of Alanna and dealing with the grief of losing both of her parents in one fatal car accident. It was this. The upward battle that she’d have to fight no matter what the circumstances were.

“I don’t want to tear you down, Nicola. I never want to do that.” Abagail reached up and cupped Nicola’s cheek. “I want to build you up with everything I can possibly do for you.”

Nicola surged forward and pressed their lips together. She scraped her dull nails against the nape of Abagail’s neck. She parted her lips and slid her tongue out, begging for Abagail to touch her in the same way. She wanted this more than she wanted the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. She’d always wanted something like this.

Abagail hummed, leaning down and pressing Nicola heavily into the mattress. Nicola wrapped her arms around Abagail’s back and pulled her closer. She needed this—true connection and understanding. Why had it taken her so long to find it in someone? And of all people, it was Abagail.

Aunt Abagail?

No, that didn’t have the right ring to it anymore.

Nicola nipped at Abagail’s lower lip and hummed, pushing her hips up into Abagail’s body as she completely melted for this woman. Someone who was willing to give her kindness when she didn’t deserve it. No, maybe she did deserve it, and she just hadn’t found anyone who was willing to give it to her before.

This was Abagail, a woman who had made her own way in the world, who actually enjoyed working even though she didn’t have to. Someone who was doing her damn best to take care of the people she felt responsible for.

Not unlike Nicola.

They weren’t all that different. Despite the wealth gap, the age gap, the life-experience gap—she and Abagail were sosimilar. Sliding her hand against Abagail’s back and pulling her blouse up so that she could touch skin, Nicola said the only thing she could think of because all other words escaped her.

“Make me come for you.”

twenty

For you.

Those words rippled through Abagail’s body, straight from her ears down between her legs. What was Nicola doing to her? Because this was so much more than just fucking for fucking’s sake. And Abagail never did anything more than that. But each time she looked at Nicola, she saw a younger version of herself, someone who just couldn’t get her feet under her no matter how many times she tried, and damn it, Nicola was tenacious when it came to that.

Abagail allowed Nicola to pull her blouse over her head, their mouths finding their way back together in an instant. This house was so much warmer than her house outside of Boston. That’s all this was, right? The space was built for romantic encounters and lazy days

The latter was one of the reasons Abagail loved coming out here. To get away from the hustle and bustle that was work and the city—this was the perfect counter to that.

For you.

Those words rang through her ears again. What had Nicola meant by them? Nothing about their fucking so far had been soft, and most often, it was Nicola attempting to make Abagailorgasm so many times that she was ready to pass out or her knees gave out. Abagail trailed kisses down Nicola’s neck over the top of her chest and down to the thin line of skin that was exposed between her pants and her shirt.

Abagail kissed her there—hot skin against cool lips. Nicola’s fingers never stopped against her hair, sliding through the short strands and tugging every once in a while. Abagail pressed the flat of her tongue against Nicola’s skin and tasted her. Salty at first, but then filled with a sweetness that Abagail never wanted to lose.

For you.

Well, Abagail would be damned, but she was going to make every second of this encounter count. She’d sort out the rest later. Pushing Nicola’s shirt up slowly, Abagail followed the edge of the fabric with her tongue and with kisses and with gentle scrapes of her teeth. Her heart raced when she reached Nicola’s breasts, when she had Nicola sit up slightly so they could remove the fabric entirely from her body.

Abagail was left with Nicola’s hardened nipples on her small breasts, and her chest rising and falling as she lay back and waited with open expectation on her face for whatever Abagail had in store for her next. Abagail didn’t immediately touch her there though.

She took the tips of her fingers and as lightly as possible trailed them down Nicola’s chest from shoulder to hip before sliding them to her side and moving them back up. Nicola shuddered, and her breathing increased. Abagail kissed her neck with an open-mouthed kiss and then did it again and again. She settled into this moment, realizing far too quickly just how much they both needed it.

Whatever had happened downstairs, while it had seemed so benign at the time, wasn’t. Abagail could see that now whereas twenty minutes ago, she’d been completely oblivious to it. Nicolawasn’t just asking about work. She was diving deeper into who Abagail was, what made her the woman she was today and how she functioned in the world.

And Abagail had to dig deep to find the answers to Nicola’s questions—truthful answers—and ones she normally would avoid giving. Pressing her lips to Nicola’s left nipple, Abagail gave her a gentle kiss before moving back down her body. Something in her told her to get Nicola as naked as possible as quickly as possible. She wanted Nicola underneath her, writhing because of her, sliding against her.

For you.

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