Nicolette – Six Weeks Later
“Come here,” Charlie whispered. His cast grazed my thigh as he slowly dragged his fingers over my legs. “I miss you, Nicolette. It’s been weeks.”
“Isabelle’s asleep, shhh,” I whispered. “We could go in the other room.”
Charlie slid an arm under my body and scooped me up, carrying me off toward his bedroom. Well, it wasn’t really his bedroom anymore. It was our spare room. Ever since Charlie and I had come home from the hospital, he and I had slept together every night.
Isabelle had a little crib to the side of my bed. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye as Charlie carried me swiftly down the hall. Her cute little face was relaxed and slack, and she was sleeping with her lips slightly parted.
Sometimes, I joked that we’d won the baby lottery. Isabelle was so good. She almost never cried or fussed, and spent most of her time feeding and sleeping. My breasts were so used to pumping milk that they were swollen whenever I wasn’t feeding her. As Charlie slid a hand down my body and fondled me through the loose sweatshirt I wore, I felt my heart begin to race with excitement.
He gently set me down on the bed. As we kissed, I took the time to explore his mouth – letting my tongue run over his, searching all the hidden places. He tasted smoky and musky, like a real man. Like home.
“God, Nicolette, I’ve missed you so much,” Charlie whispered. He slid his hands under my sweatshirt and pulled it up, tossing it to the side.
I snuggled against his bare chest, moaning at the sensation of my stiff nipples rubbing against his soft skin. Before I could stop it, milk spurted out from my breasts. I cried out in embarrassment, pulling away from Charlie and burying my face in the sheets.
“Nicolette, don’t,” Charlie said gently. He trailed a hand down my back. “You have no reason to be self-conscious. I promise you, babe. I love you just the way you are. You’re perfect.”
I moaned softly. “It just feels so weird,” I mumbled into the covers. “I know that shouldn’t happen when you touch me. It just feels so gross!”
“It’s not gross, it’s you,” Charlie said gently. When I felt his lips and tongue on my bare shoulder, I shivered with desire. “And you know I love you, no matter what. So come here and kiss me.”
I didn’t have to be asked twice. As Charlie wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer than ever, our lips met with a burning spark of lust. I groaned softly into his mouth as Charlie began to nibble and suck on my lower lip. Between my legs was a wet mess of arousal. I grabbed Charlie’s wrist and slowly pulled it down my body until his fingers were between my thighs.
“Dr. Collins just cleared me for sex,” I whispered into Charlie’s ear. “He said I’m all good to go.” I bit my lip, suddenly nervous. We hadn’t been together since day. “Charlie, I’m scared.”
Charlie pulled away. His deep green eyes stared into mine. I swallowed hard, trying to get over my fright. “Babe, what’s wrong?” Charlie kissed me softly. He pulled the sheet over our bodies and twined his arms around my neck. “Are you afraid of Jack?”
“I don’t know,” I said softly. “I’m afraid things are going to be different now, that we’re not going to be like we were before.”
Charlie laughed quietly. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that. But yeah, Nicolette, things will be a little different around here for now. That’s not all bad, you know. We have a baby now. We’re parents,” he added meaningfully. “Of course we’re not gonna be like we were before.”
“And Jack?”
“He’s going to jail for a long time,” Charlie said. He grinned smugly. He’d made friends with one of the local cops, and they’d confided to him that Jack didn’t have a chance in hell of getting out any time soon. Between the drug and assault charges, he was looking at fifteen to twenty years.
“Good,” I said softly. My heart was pounding in my chest. “I think…I think I want to try again, Charlie,” I said softly. “Come here.”
Charlie crawled between my legs, kneeling on the bed and pulling me close. He wrapped his arms around my neck and our lips met. I tasted salt on his lips and gently tongued my way into his mouth, licking his tongue and savoring the taste of him so close to me. Charlie groaned. He bucked his hips against my body and I could feel that he was stiff and hard under the fabric of his jeans. A bolt of lust went through me and I fought the urge to shiver. Calm down, I thought as we moved together on the bed. It’s just Charlie. It’ll be just like before.
Charlie crawled down my body, hooking my sweatpants with his thumbs. He tugged them down my hips and tossed them to the side. I looked down, trying to get used to how differently my body looked now that I’d given birth. Losing most of the pregnancy weight had been easy – breastfeeding really helped with that. But my hips were noticeably wider than they had been before, and the stretch marks on my lower belly were still a glaring, angry red.
“You’re beautiful,” Charlie said slowly, as if reading my mind.
I blushed hotly, arching my back and letting my head recline in the pillows. As his rough fingers trailed their way down my sensitive skin, I let out a low moan of pleasure.
His touch felt so good. I couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to be held and stroked and petted by the man I loved. As his fingers slid between my legs, I moaned and spread my thighs. Charlie’s thumb brushed against the crotch of my cotton panties, gently rubbing circles around my clit. I was soaked, and the feel of the wet panties rubbing against my skin felt like the most delicious kind of torture. As I moaned softly, Charlie growled low in his throat.
“I have to have you, Nicolette,” Charlie purred. He lowered his head to my belly and kissed the angry, red stretch marks covering my skin. His tongue against my sensitive tummy was enough to send me over the edge. Before I knew it, my fingers were tangling in his hair and yanking at his head, while I moaned and writhed on top of the mattress.
He slid the crotch of my soaked panties to the side. He slid a finger inside of me and I gasped – I was much tighter than I had expected. Charlie’s finger slid along the smooth, wet muscle of my pussy and I moaned softly as he rubbed my G-spot with the tip of his digit.
“I love seeing you like this,” Charlie growled. The sound of his voice made me blush even harder. “I love driving you wild. I love making you need me the same way I need you.” He slid another finger inside of me and slowly began pumping them in and out of my body while he used his thumb to rub my clit.
The sensation was exquisite, and I arched my back as a wild cry of pleasure escaped my mouth. “Take me,” I begged. “Please, Charlie. Please take me. I need you!”
Charlie grabbed my panties and tugged them off so fiercely I thought the material would rip. He unfastened his belt and let his jeans fall to the floor. When I saw him naked, I gasped. He was so beautiful – his thick cock was sticking straight up in the air and I shivered when I realized how it would feel when he entered me for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
Charlie steadied himself against my hip and pushed the tip of his cock inside of me. Pain mingled with pleasure and I cried out.
“Are you okay?” Charlie stroked the side of my face. “Am I hurting you, Nicolette?”
I shook my head. “No,” I said quietly. “I’m fine. Just go slow, okay?”
“I don’t know if I can,” Charlie groaned. He slid farther inside of me and I bucked my hips up to meet him. “God, you feel so good.” Charlie dug his fingers into the soft flesh of my hips and buried himself inside of me to the hilt. Our bodies began to rock and sway together in the most sensual kind of rhythm. After a few seconds, the pain eased and gave way to the purest pleasure I’d felt in weeks.
“This is the best you’ve ever felt,” I whispered to Charlie. “I’m not worried about anything. It feels so good,” I added, moaning softly into his ear and biting the lobe with my teeth.
“Just relax,” Charlie whispered. He snuggled close and rocked his hips gently in and out. Soon, we were moving together to the time of our breathing. I closed my eyes and saw golden-red fireworks of pleasure as the gripping, orgasmic sensation started to build in my lower belly. Charlie slid a hand between our bodies, down my slick belly, until he was rubbing my clit with each thrust. It felt heavenly and I cried out loudly as he began to rub me faster and faster. My little bud was swollen and hard as Charlie rubbed me, and I could feel myself approaching a tidal wave of pleasure.
“God, baby,” Charlie groaned. “I would wait for you, but I don’t think I can.”
“Harder, please,” I begged, wrapping my arms around his neck and pushing my body against his. I put my legs around Charlie’s waist and squeezed, then began to move my pelvis against his cock until his pubic bone was rubbing my clit with each thrust. When I felt like something was gripping me tightly between the legs, I cried out and buried my face in Charlie’s neck. Holding my breath made my orgasm more intense than ever, and I was crying out and tearing up by the time it had finished rocketing through my body.
Charlie groaned. He yanked my legs away from his waist and began driving me hard into the mattress, pushing against my body with each passing second. When he cried out, he buried his hands in my brown hair and yanked my head back as he came. I felt his cock pulse and twitch inside of me, gushing cum.
A few seconds later, my ears were filled with Isabelle’s crying.
Charlie began to laugh. “I’m so sorry, babe,” he said, sliding out of me and wrapping a sheet around his waist. “I should’ve been a little quieter.” He snickered. “You want me to get her?”
“I’ll do it,” I said. I reached over and squeezed Charlie’s hand. “That was incredible.” I blushed. “I really missed you.”
“Definitely the worst thing about being a new parent,” Charlie cracked. He handed me my sweatpants and I yanked them on as I climbed off the bed and went into the next room to soothe my daughter.
Fifteen minutes later, Charlie, Isabelle, and I were all seated on the couch. Isabelle was nursing – she seemed more content than ever. Her round head swiveled at my breast, as big and pink as a grapefruit. She still had her masses of brown hair, but her blue eyes were starting to change into the same brown as my own.
“She’s like your mini-me,” Charlie said softly. He reached out and stroked her head. “She’s so perfect.”
I nodded. “She really is,” I said softly. “I’m so happy, Charlie.”
Charlie cleared his throat. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” he said slowly. “And I hope you’re not going to get mad.”
My gut iced over and I stared at him. “What’s that?” I asked slowly. Horrible thoughts started running through my head. Jack was out of jail and on the loose. Charlie wanted to leave. Charlie had lost his job. Jack and the rest of the Steel Gods were coming to kill Charlie and kidnap me and Isabelle and—
“Nicolette, relax!” Charlie reached out and stroked my hair. “It’s nothing bad. I just…” He trailed off lamely. “I had an idea, and I was hoping we could talk about it.”
“Oh,” I said softly. “What’s that?”
“I want you to think about visiting your parents.”
My jaw fell open. “What?”
“I want you to think about visiting your parents,” Charlie said again, softer. “I know they miss you, Nicolette. And they’d love to meet their grandchild. I know they would.”
My eyes filled with hot tears and I looked away so Charlie wouldn’t notice. “I can’t,” I said quietly. “I can’t go back there. I can’t look them in the eye again. Not after what I did. Not after how much I hurt them.”
Charlie sighed. “Nicolette, I think you need to do this,” he said. “To get closure.”
“I can’t,” I argued. I stood up. “I just can’t bear to do it, Charlie. I can’t look at Mom without thinking about how I lied to her and ditched her for Jack! For a guy who beat me and treated me like an animal! And I didn’t even call home, not once! I didn’t want them to know how badly I was hurting!”
“That’s why you have to do this now,” Charlie said quietly. “Nicolette, if you don’t do it now, you’re going to spend years wondering why. And if they’re anything like you, they’re good people who want to forgive you.”
A tear rolled down my cheek. “They are good people,” I said. “And they were wonderful parents. But how do I just show up and say, hey, sorry I fucked up so badly? What if they don’t want to hear it? What if they throw me out?”
“They won’t do that,” Charlie promised. “Nicolette, I promise you – they won’t do anything to hurt you. I’m sure of that.”
I glared at him and held Isabelle close. “How do you know that?”
“Because,” Charlie said. “I already talked to them about it. And they want us to come for a visit.”
I stared at him, too shocked to say anything. Warring emotions filled my chest and I was tempted to cry, laugh, and scream all at once. How dare he do something like that? Go behind my back and try to make contact with the people I’d left! Because he loves me, I realized. Because he knows how empty my life is without my parents, and he wants to help me get that back.
“Okay,” I said softly. “We’ll all go see my parents.”