Chapter Eleven
Nicole shook as they stepped out into the warm summer air. That asshole had been asking for it for some time, and it had felt so good to let him have it. Although she was sure she’d hear from Frank later, she doubted he would even care that much. He wasn’t much for his deputies going and stirring up trouble, and given what Ted had been saying earlier about going to visit Joran’s people, the deputy would be lucky if he could escape without a write-up.
Not really paying much attention to where they were walking, she was surprised when she found herself standing beside a car she’d seen around town. Nicole looked over to Joran, but his face was shrouded by darkness.
“Where are we going?” she asked with a frown. She’d lost control of the situation.
Joran opened the door of the car. “To your place.”
A small shiver swept over her body from the authority in his voice. No one talked to her like that, and there was something almost thrilling about it.
“I...took a taxi here. I’ll have to call one.” She’d worried about drinking too much, and it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Joran pointed to the car. “No need.”
Of course. That make perfect sense, but it was hard to concentrate with Joran so close and everything that had happened.
Nicole pushed down the little voice inside of her telling her this wasn’t such a great idea and slid into the car. Even if she could handle Ted by herself, Joran had stood up to the man, despite knowing the deputy had it out for him and his friends.
Joran got in, started the car, and pulled away from the bar. It took a moment for her to realize that she hadn’t given him her address, and yet they were headed in the right direction. Cop instinct flared again. Something didn’t feel right.
“You know where I live?” she asked.
Joran shrugged. “It’s a small town. Everyone knows where everyone lives.”
He wasn’t wrong, but there was something about it that just seemed a little strange. Like maybe he knew more about her than she did about him, and that didn’t sit well with her.
It didn’t take long for them to end up parked outside of her apartment. Joran hadn’t said much else on the ride over, and the longer they went without talking, the more nervous she grew. Here she’d spent all this time getting ready for the date, and maybe she’d just ruined it all by decking a man twice her size.
Though the question remained of what she’d ruined. Half the point of the night was supposed to be getting more information out of Joran, but now she found herself more concerned about what he thought of her.
Nicole rolled her eyes as Joran made his way around to her. Of course, seeing his date punching someone would be off-putting to any man. No man wanted to see his woman doing something so uncouth. She should have just ignored Ted. The scumbag would have wandered off eventually.
Joran opened her door and held out his hand. She placed her hand in his and hissed. It was already starting to swell. She took some small pleasure in realizing that Ted must be feeling more than a little pain.
Her date frowned a little as he took her other hand.
Nicole slowly made her way to the door and turned to tell him goodnight. They had just started to make headway before she ruined it all. The best thing to do now was to cut her losses before she embarrassed herself more.
“Thank you for tonight.”
Joran frowned and moved past her. “I’m not leaving until we take care of that hand.”
Nicole watched in surprise as he made his way into the kitchen. She closed the door behind her and stepped inside.
A moment later he was back with a frozen bag of peas in hand. Joran motioned for her to sit on the couch. Not really knowing what else to do, Nicole complied. It’d be petty to complain about him helping her out.
“Put this on your hand,” Joran said gruffly.
After handing her the bag of peas, he disappeared back through her bedroom to the bathroom.
She was confused and left with no choice but to listen, especially now that her hand was starting to throb. On her swelling and bruised knuckles, her skin had split.
Nicole kicked off her heels and tucked her feet under her on the couch. No need for pretenses considering everything that had happened.
Her thoughts drifted back to her date. She couldn’t figure out Joran. He was so intense most of the time, but there was still an almost playful nature about him.
More and more she found herself drawn to him. When he’d held her hand, she had felt the connection, a sort of zing that shot all through her. There was something going on between them, and it was curiosity about something he might be hiding.
She nearly didn’t catch him come back into the room until he was standing next to her.
“Jesus!” she yelled.
Joran knelt by her on the couch and at least had the decency to look a little sheepish.
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m used to being light on my feet. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is like that.”
Nicole stared at him for a moment. It was a strange sort of response. On more than one occasion, she’d noticed the way he answered her only seemed to bring about more questions. What made it worse was that he didn’t even seem to realize just what it did.
Nicole jumped when he reached forward and carefully took her poor battered hand into his own. She winced as he took off the peas.
“Doesn’t look broken,” he said as he moved her hand carefully. “Just want to make sure we clean up the cuts. No telling what that asshole has.”
Nicole noticed the venom that leaked into his voice as he spoke about Ted.
“I really shouldn’t have hit him,” she said quietly. “It’ll probably cause trouble for me. Frank likes me, but he doesn’t like people making waves.”
Joran took out some cotton swabs and patted them gingerly on the cuts. The peroxide fizzed there.
“I’m sorry I put you in that position,” Nicole added.
Joran turned his blue eyes to her and stared intensely into her face. “I’m only sorry you beat me to the punch.”
The corner of his mouth turned up a little. All this time he’d seemed so angry. Maybe she’d been mistaking just who the anger was meant for.
He wrapped her hand carefully and placed a piece of tape on it. His hands were warm and calloused. The kind of hands of a man who worked hard. There was something very sexy in that thought.
Joran finished his work but didn’t let go of her hand. She wasn’t feeling the need to pull back.
Nicole looked over at him. His eyes were such deep pools of blue. A vision of the man from her dreams flashed through her head.
His eyes had glowed. For a moment the other night, she’d almost been certain that Joran’s were glowing as well. Of course that was silly.
Without even thinking, she leaned in until they were nearly touching.
“They are so beautiful,” Nicole whispered.
His eyes dipped down to focus on her mouth. “I was just thinking the same.”
Joran leaned in between them and closed the distance, his mouth sealing her own with a kiss.
Nicole moaned at the contact and wrapped her arms around his neck, not even thinking of her once sore hand.
The kiss was so familiar, like they had known each other for ages. Maybe all this time she really had been waiting for him, and that was where the dream version came from. But in the moment, she didn’t really care. All she could think was how long she’d been waiting for this in reality.
The kiss was hot and demanding. It was hard to say just who was more demanding. It seemed like for everything she gave, he returned it tenfold.
His tongue moved along the seam of her mouth, and she opened to him, sliding her tongue along his as they twined inside.
She could feel the low, deep rumble that came from Joran, and it only made her more excited.
This was real. It wasn’t a dream. More than anything, she wanted him.
Nicole shifted her body slightly, helping to press him between her now spread knees. Joran pulled back from her lips, mouth open as his chest rose and fell.
“I want you,” he said. “I just don’t want to move too fast.”
Nicole groaned loudly. “Why do you always have the same response?”
Shit. This wasn’t some man from her dream, but she’d acted like he was.
It wasn’t a rational statement. Nicole knew it even as she said it, but it was the only thing she could think of past her frustration. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice or react to the odd statement.
She leaned in closer, pulling his hips directly between her legs, his hardness against her heat there.
“I want you,” Nicole whispered. “Now are you going to fuck me, or do I have to beg?”
She could hear her idiot neighbors above them going at it like rabbits once again, and she swore that if she didn’t get laid, no one could.
In one swift motion, Joran lifted her into the air. Her legs wrapped instantly around Joran’s hard thighs. She needed this. She wanted this.
Joran smirked. “Well, it sounds like we’re going to have to be extra loud in order to show up those neighbors.”
A wide grin split her face as he carried her into the bedroom.