Chapter Twenty-Three
Leah
We stumble into Nick's apartment, leaving the light off as we venture into the messy space. The sun is setting outside, casting a beautiful pink glow through the windows. We stomp all over books, bags, papers, and pens as we make our way to his bedroom, our lips never separating.
I had texted my brother on the walk over, letting them know where I would be. I told him they could go back to the hotel without me. Isaiah responded with a thumbs up and a smiley face. I love how supportive they were about everything.
I had already messaged Carrie before we arrived in town. She told me to meet her at Torchy’s only a few minutes ago, and I knew the instant I saw Nick on that street corner waiting to cross, that she had set me up to cross paths with him. Isaiah and Mackenzie had given me the whole, “As long as you’re happy,” spiel when I’d confessed to them I wasn’t exactly over Nick yet.
Seeing him brought those emotions flooding back into my system. Giving me room to breathe in a way I hadn’t in months. Yes, I could survive on my own and make a life for myself, but everything is simply brighter when Nick’s around. That’s not something I’m willing to give up.
Nick and I tumble onto the bed, giggling with our mouths tightly pressed together. His hands roam down my body, exploring, squeezing, and caressing every inch he can reach. My fingers get caught in his hair, smoothing down his cheeks to cup his face and hold it to mine. I nip at his lips, and he moans before sucking my bottom lip between his, making me groan in return.
His lips trail down my jaw to my neck, leaving a scorching path behind. It’s then that I remember the original reason we came back here. To talk. It’s my own damn fault for kissing him in the hallway once he’d opened the door for me, but now I have to switch gears again.
My hands are on his chest, weakly attempting to push him back even though he feels so good in my arms. "Nick," I whisper. His teeth graze my skin. "We still need to talk…” I moan as he bites my shoulder. "Please, I don't want any more misunderstandings."
Nick pulls away from my neck and cups my cheek as he looks deep into my eyes with his beautiful brown ones. His gaze is so intense it makes my brain turn to mush. "Okay, talk." He kisses my nose. "Whatever you say won't change how I feel. I'll still love you."
My breath catches as he says it. The words I’d been so desperate to hear when I showed up at his hotel that night. I was ready to never hear them from his lips again, but it isn’t too late for us. He kisses me once more, lingering for a moment before he pulls back. "I’m sorry for how I left things between us,” he says. “I want to make it up to you."
His hand slides from my cheek down the front of my body, between my breasts, down my stomach, landing at the waistline of my jeans. He’s doing an excellent job of distracting me from what I want to say. I clear my throat. "You were an asshole."
He nods but doesn’t smile. "You’re right. I ruined my chance with you then, and I don't deserve another one. I don't deserve you, and I'll never stop re-paying you for that night. I’ll never hurt you again. I can promise you that. What can I do to prove it to you?"
My eyes slam shut as I let his promise wash over me. The way we ended things was rough and terrible, but we survived. It gave me room to think. Room to grow on my own without believing I was doing it for him, because I was doing it for myself.
He kisses my eyelids after a quiet moment, then my cheeks. A relieved sigh leaves my lips as I open my eyes again and look into the most mesmerizing ones I've ever known. I’m giving in. I know no matter what happens from here on out I can stand on my own two feet again. I want Nick, but I don’t need him. I don’t need anyone.
"You can start by taking off all our clothes," I whisper with a small smile.
He bites back a smile of his own, looking so damn sexy and cute. "Yeah? I can do that."
His eyes stay on mine as he grabs the hem of my sweater. I lift my arms as he slides it up my body and over my head, throwing it onto his dirty carpet. He bites his lip as he pulls down the straps of my bra, exposing my breasts to him. He groans as he looks down at them before taking a nipple into his warm, wet mouth.
My eyes flutter closed as I give into the sensation. Nick sucks gently, grazing his teeth against my skin before moving to the other nipple. His fingers slide down my stomach, caressing my skin until he meets the waistband of my jeans. He pulls the button undone like it’s nothing, then lowers the zipper. His fingers slip in the front, finding how ready I am for him.
He moans. "Fuck, Leah, you're already so wet." I nod, unable to form words as he rubs circles around my clit. "You feel so good, baby," he whispers, laying kisses all along my chest and down my stomach.
I lift my hips as he grabs my jeans and panties, rolling them down my body and onto the floor. I hoist myself onto my elbows, so I can look down at his beautiful face, his big lips curl into a breathtaking smile. His eyes drifted down my body to my private lips. My legs spread open for him, wanting to feel his mouth on me again.
"Please," I whisper, catching his eyes again. They stay trained on mine as he leans forward and closes his lips over me. A gasp escapes as I push my hips up and he meets them with his eager mouth. His tongue works its way through my folds to find my clit. His lips clamp down on it, sucking so hard I can’t hold back my groan.
"Fuck," he breathes out, licking and sucking again. His eyes pin shut as he places one forearm over my pelvis, holding me down. Two fingers of his other hand find their way to my entrance before he plunges them in, making me buck off the bed.
My body turns to fire. Every inch of my skin screaming for his touch. I’m already so close to coming undone. I want him inside me as I fall apart. "Nick," I plead, making his eyes fly open. "Inside. I want you. Inside."
He pulls back, his lips and chin glistening, fingers still moving in and out of me. "Come for me, baby."
I shake my head. "No. Inside. I want you."
He bites his lip before pulling his fingers away. I lean forward and rip his shirt up and over his head, making him chuckle. He unbuttons and zips down his jeans before throwing them and his underwear to the side. He climbs on top of me, keeping eye contact as he covers my body with his.
One arm balances his weight next to my head as the other guides his dick to my entrance. He rubs it up and down, wetting the tip, teasing me as I sigh and squirm. "You're so fucking sexy," he whispers, watching me as he finally forces himself inside, all the way to the hilt.
A loud groan rushes through my lips as I wrap my legs around him. His arm joins the other near my head as he thrusts out then back in. We both moan, staring into each other's eyes, then he covers my mouth with his.
We move together, kissing the life out of one another. My fingers scratch his back, pull at his hair. He licks all inside my mouth, pulling away enough to nip at my neck before returning to my lips again. He grinds his hips against mine, tingling my clit with his pelvis. I love it all so much. I still love him more than anything. The months away hadn't changed that.
I cry out against his lips. He pulls his head back and watches as I lose myself, coming all over his cock. Moaning, groaning, and shuddering under his body. "Fuck," he breathes out before his mouth gapes open and he follows right behind me. His shoulders shake as he emptied himself into me with a loud groan.
Our lips are rough as they crash together again, Nick milking himself with a few more thrusts. Our breaths are heavy as we pull apart, hands on cheeks, eyes intense. "I love you," he says, so clear and sure.
"I love you too," I say with equal conviction. "What does this mean?"
He doesn’t skip a beat. "This means we're gonna make it work." He pulls out of me but stays hovering over my body, keeping hold of my face in his hands. "Tell me everything. Whatever you want. Whatever happened over the last few months, and I'll listen. I'll listen to anything and everything, and I'll love you for it. You're here, and I don't want to lose you ever again."
I keep nodding at his words, holding back my stupid tears. "I'll never keep anything from you again. I'll continue to be better. I want to make this work, and I wanna be good enough."
"You were always good enough. You deserve better than me, and I'll spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I need you. You're everything to me, Leah."
A tear finally breaks through. "I've never been someone's everything before," I whisper.
He smiles. "There's a lot of things you've never experienced before, and I’m gonna make sure you experience it all."