Chapter Sixteen
Nick woke slowly, disoriented for a few seconds as his eyes adjusted and focused. In his haze, the unfamiliar room threw him. The walls were pale green, sunlight streamed through gauzy, feminine curtains . . . and there was a warm, soft, naked female body tucked against his back. Ahhh, yes. Smiling, he rolled over to look at Amanda, careful not to wake her. She slept soundly, her dark blond hair tangled and hiding half her face. Tenderly, with delicate care, he swept her hair back so he could gaze at her.
She wasn’t a typical cookie-cutter beauty, but he thought she was absolutely beautiful. Something about her just hit him in a sweet spot. She’d told him she was an “Irish-Polish-Russian combo plate,” which had made him laugh. Now that he had a chance to openly study her face, he did so with pleasure.
She looked so peaceful, and that made him happy. Not just because he knew his taking her all night long was the main reason she was sleeping so well, but because she’d been so tense for the past few days. He knew she’d been stressed about her work. Now, her features were relaxed; there was no little crease between her brows like he’d seen, or troubled look in her eyes. Seeing her at peace like this soothed and pleased him.
He pressed a featherlight kiss to her forehead. He suspected her job, though she loved it and rarely complained, brought her satisfaction and fulfillment but very little peace. He knew what that was like. All too well. It made him want to pamper her.
Her creamy skin was so soft, and so pale next to his. Her long lashes fanned out and her lips were slightly parted as she breathed slow and deep. Those lips . . . those gorgeous pink lips had wreaked havoc on him all night long. Memories of what she’d done to him with that mouth made his cock twitch and rise.
He trailed his fingers gently along her silky hair, the arch of her brows, her cheek, her neck, down her arm and back up again. Unable to help himself, he pulled the blanket down just enough to expose her breasts.... His mouth watered. He wanted to close his lips over her nipples and suck and lick them until she woke up. He wanted to hear her sigh, whimper, and moan. Just thinking about it had his morning hard-on ready to rock. He pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat and kissed her skin lightly.
Shit, did he even have time to wake her the way he wanted? He lifted his head to glance at the clock on her nightstand. It was a few minutes before seven. He worked backward mentally. His flight was at two, which meant he had to be at the airport at noon, which meant he had to leave his hotel at eleven-thirty, which meant he had to have the rental car back . . . shit. He had to leave her apartment by nine at the latest if he was going to get his act together.
He didn’t want to leave her bed. He wasn’t ready for this to end just yet.
His eyes drank her in as she slept. She was so damn pretty, even with bedhead after a long night of hot, crazy sex. Flashes of their night together went through his mind. How they’d talked in bed and ate M&M’s as they cuddled . . . how he’d been unable to keep his hands or his mouth off of her and gone down on her until she screamed his name, then pulled her on top of him. . . . She’d ridden him, looking down at him all gorgeous and sexy and taking control until he’d exploded.... They’d kissed and chatted and kissed some more until they drifted off to sleep sometime around midnight.
It’d been the best night he’d had since . . . God, really, had he ever had a night like that? Amanda was amazing. Yes, she was great in bed. So responsive, so passionate, willing to let him be in control or eager to take control herself, depending on the minute. She was right there with him at every beat, open and lusty, just plain fun.
His breath hitched. It was more than those things.
It was the way she’d looked into his eyes when she’d been on top . . . meeting his gaze directly as she moved like a fluid, seductive goddess, grinding into him and drawing him deep. He’d been unable to look away. Like she’d hypnotized him. Like she could see into his soul and felt the same connection he did. He wondered if she felt that too.
And not only could he talk to her with ease, but they laughed a lot, something he hadn’t even realized he needed until he started spending time with her. His job was serious, his personal life had been blown apart and become serious . . . and she was really funny. She was a quick-witted smartass; it was like trading wisecracks with Darin or the guys at the station, but better, because he found her sexier with every comeback. She was also caring and grounded. She grounded him whenever he was with her. That was it—that was the draw. His life had become a swirl of chaos, but she made him feel steadier, supported, understood.
Finding her was like a lifeline, and he didn’t want to let go.
But he had to. His flight left in just a few hours. Back to his real life.
He lowered his head to rain gentle kisses along her face, her jaw, down the side of her neck. His greedy hands skated possessively over her body. Damn it all, he’d have her for as long as he could, as much as he could get, down to the last minute.
She stirred slightly and her hand lifted to sift through his hair. So he kept going, kissing his way down her throat, over her chest, until his mouth closed over her nipple. She let out a little whimper as his teeth scraped the bud and his arm slid beneath her, around her, pulling her closer and holding her in place.
“Good morning,” she whispered as her hands smoothed over his shoulders.
He hummed a response against her skin, making her suck in a sharp breath.
Her leg inched up so her thigh could brush his erection, sending heat through his whole body. “Mmmm.” Her morning voice was deliciously ragged. “Is that for me?”
He lifted his head to look at her and grin. “Hell yes.”
“Oh, good.”
He moved to her other breast to lavish it with equal attention. Catching the tip in his mouth, he swept his tongue over her nipple before scraping his teeth gently and sucking. She arched her back and purred with satisfaction. He loved the erotic sounds she made, loved that she wasn’t shy with him.
He shifted his position, rolling slightly to hold her with both arms. She sighed with pleasure as her hands traveled along his body. “You have more muscles than I know what to do with,” she murmured. “It’s fabulous. It’s also . . . a little intimidating. There, I said it out loud.”
That made his head snap up. “What? You’re not intimidated by me. Come on.”
“I’m not intimidated by you as a person, no,” she said. “But your body is a goddamn work of art. You’re ridiculously cut. I’ve never been with such a gym rat before. Makes me feel soft in all the wrong places.”
“Not true.” He squeezed her breast and smiled. “You’re soft in all the right places. Believe me.”
She smiled and rolled her eyes. “Okay, Captain Beefcake.”
He barked out a laugh. “Look, I need to stay strong and fit for my job.”
“I’m sure you do. But you’re freakin’ ripped, dude. Which means you also do it because you’re one of those freaks who actually gets off on exercise.”
He laughed again. “Guilty as charged. Uhh . . . I’m sorry?”
“You’re not sorry,” she accused, grinning back. “And I’m sure not sorry. I get this hot bod in my bed. You look like a Greek god, and you damn well know it.”
“Whaaat?” He couldn’t help but smile. “You think I look like a Greek god?”
“You know you do. Knock it off, don’t be coy.”
“Hmm. A Puerto Rican god, more like. Are there any of those?”
She pinched his ass, making him yelp and laugh.
He kissed her mouth. “What you said is very flattering. Thank you.”
“I should be thanking you. I get to use your body like a theme park. I win.”
He laughed again, then lowered his head to kiss the top, rounded, fleshier part of her breast. “I love looking at you too, you know. And touching you. You’re beautiful, Amanda. You really are.”
She smiled but didn’t say anything, just pushed his head back down to her breast with soft insistence.
His arms held her tighter as he sucked on her nipples for a while, one then the other. His hands ran along the sides of her breasts, down to the curve of her waist and back again.... She writhed against him sinuously, clearly enjoying him. Together, they slowly brought the heat from a simmer to a bubbling boiling point.
He savored the feel of their naked bodies aligned . . . she felt so right against him. Desire coursed through him, needy and insistent in his blood. But when he finally moved to kiss her mouth, she turned her face away.
“Ack!” she yelped. “No! I haven’t brushed my teeth!”
“I don’t care,” he said on a chuckle.
“I do. Ick. Let me just—”
She tried to roll away to get out of bed and he locked her in his embrace. “No way. Don’t even think of getting out of this bed.”
“But I—”
“Nope.” His hands gripped her at the waist and flipped her over onto her stomach, bringing a shocked gasp from her. He swept her hair aside to kiss the back of her neck as he repositioned himself over her, pressing the length of his front along her back. He ground his hard-on into the back of her thigh, right below the soft curve of her ass, and growled softly into her ear, “Now you don’t have to worry about morning breath. I’m gonna take you this way instead. Yes?”
“Yessss.” Her moan made his whole body pulse. It was a guttural, passionate moan, wicked and wanting, firing his blood through his veins with a rush. She wriggled her ass against him and said, “God, yes.”
His mind reeled, red-hot lust overtaking his senses. He kissed and licked and bit at her neck, her shoulders, her back, running his hands all over her as he ground his erection against her thigh, whispering dirty things in her ear that made her whimper and moan. Fueled by sensation, he reached over to grab the strip of condoms, tore another from the strip, and rolled it over his cock, already rock hard and straining.
She moved up to her hands and knees, and he let out a little groan at the sight of her. Wanting to make sure she was ready to take him, he slipped a finger inside her. Hell yes, she was ready, so wet and warm; she moaned and dropped her head.
Jesus, he needed to be inside her, all over her, now.
With a low growl, he gripped her legs and pulled her back further, pushing her thighs wider apart with his knee. Then he rose up and slid into her with one easy thrust. His eyes closed at the incredible feel of her and they groaned together.
He started to move, gripping her hips as he thrust in and out of her. She pushed back against him, meeting him stroke for stroke. Her erotic sighs and moans drove him crazy. He couldn’t get enough of her. He leaned over her, his chest against her back, so he could reach around and squeeze her breasts as his hips pumped faster. Her fingers twisted in the sheets, grabbing at them.
“God,” she panted, “you feel so good, Nick. Soooo good.”
“So do you, mi reina.”
He thrust harder, faster, the sounds of their heavy breathing and skin slapping filling the room. With one hand still on her breast, he moved the other down to rub her clit as he moved inside her. Her moans turned into wild cries, letting him know how close she was.
“That’s right,” he growled in her ear. “Give it to me, all of it.”
“Take it,” she breathed. “Oh, God, take it. . . .”
He pounded into her, no holding back, and her steady cries let him know she loved it. He felt his whole body surge with heat, close to the edge. He couldn’t hold back much longer.
“Let go now, baby,” he said, voice thick. “Let it all go. Come with me.”
Her body obeyed his gruff command. She grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it to scream out her release. The sound and feel of her pushed him right over the edge along with her. He thrust as deep as he could one last time and his climax hit, making him buck and grunt like an animal. His fingers dug hard into her skin, holding on fiercely as his body quaked and emptied inside her. The sensations slammed him, flooding him, bringing ecstasy and relief.
They collapsed onto the bed together in a panting, sweaty tangle. He rolled onto his side, still holding her close, spooning her as they fought to catch their breath. She was limp in his arms, slick with sweat, eyes closed. He nudged her hair aside with his chin and licked her skin, lapping at the curve of her neck with possessive sweeps of his tongue, sipping with his lips. She pressed her back into him, her hands on his forearms, and smiled. Her smile made him smile too.
“That was insanely good,” she whispered, her voice raw and rough. “And hot.”
“Sure as hell was,” he murmured back, his own voice coming out hoarse like hers. Kissing her neck once more, he withdrew slowly from her body but held her for another minute, bathing in the afterglow and savoring it as they regained their minds.
“I wish I didn’t have to leave soon,” he said quietly. “But you know I do.”
“I know.” Her voice was just as low and quiet as his. She caressed his arms, still locked around her. “But that was a hell of a send-off, Miami Vice. Daaaamn.”
He laughed and dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “Yes. It. Was.” Rolling away carefully, he said, “Gotta clean up. I’m going to take a quick shower, if that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay.” She flopped onto her back and smiled up at him. Her face and chest were still flushed pink, her hair sweaty and tangled, her sky-blue eyes sparkling and sated. She was so gorgeous it stole his breath. “You have several tattoos,” she said as her eyes ran over his body.
“Well, yeah,” he said, amused. “You didn’t see them last night?”
“It was dark in here, I couldn’t see them well. Thought you only had the one on your shoulder. . . .” She studied him now, her gaze focused. “They’re hot. Like you.”
He laughed. “Thanks.”
“I don’t have any.”
“I noticed.”
She gave a little sigh. “You think I’m vanilla, don’t you?”
A wolfish grin spread on his face. He leaned down, gently grasped a handful of her hair, and took her mouth with a firm, commanding kiss. “Nope. I can think of a lot of words to describe you, but after last night and this morning? ‘Vanilla’ isn’t anywhere on the list.” He moved his lips to her ear and nipped at the lobe, making her breath catch.
She drew in a shuddery breath, met his eyes . . . and smiled with a devastating mixture of triumph, satisfaction, and sensuality. God, he wanted to take her again, just from that look on her face.
But she said, “Towels are in the linen closet, right next to the bathroom. Whatever you need, use it.”
The only thing I need is more time with you. The thought was so instant and hit him with such a pang, it made him shiver. Oh, shit. That’s . . . shit, that’s not good. He pushed the thought and feelings away. “How about you join me in the shower?”
Her eyes lit up and she smiled again. “I could do that. It would save us time. . . .”
* * *
Amanda loved the feel of Nick’s hand in hers as they walked through the lobby and outside. It was a beautiful spring day—bright blue skies and sunshine, a light breeze, not too warm and not too cool. Her favorite kind of weather. Why did it have to be so perfect when she had to say good-bye to him?
They’d shared a deliciously sexy shower, making sure to be quiet so they wouldn’t wake Gretchen. Her door was closed and the red scrunchie was on her doorknob; Amanda explained to Nick that was their signal to each other that she was home after a night shift and sleeping.
He’d pulled on his clothes from the night before and his button-down shirt was rumpled, making him adorable. Amanda had pulled her damp hair into a ponytail, quickly dressed in a royal-blue long-sleeved T-shirt and gray leggings, and tried to act casual. She’d scrambled some eggs and toasted whole-wheat bread while he’d used the Keurig to make coffee for both of them. As they’d sat and ate together, they kept looking at each other and grinning, but didn’t talk much. It hadn’t been awkward or uncomfortable, but clearly neither one of them was sure of what to say that didn’t lead to good-bye.
Now, as they reached his car, he pulled her into his arms and laid a long, deep, toe-curling kiss on her. Damn, she’d miss him. She really would.
He looked into her eyes as his lips curved up. “This was amazing. You are amazing.” His thumb caressed her cheek. “Thanks for a great night. And morning. And breakfast.”
Delight and something stronger seared through her, and she couldn’t hold back her smile. “Back atcha. Everything you said.” She pressed her lips to his for another kiss. “Safe travels home, Officer.”
“Thanks.” His eyes shadowed a bit at the mention of home, and he drew a deep breath. “Things are so different now. Gonna be interesting to go home and . . . figure things out. New job, new relatives . . .” He shook his head. “Back into the fray. No more avoiding some things.”
“Well,” she said, caressing his shoulders, “if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me.”
He peered into her eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I mean it.”
His dark gaze lowered to her mouth for a second. She saw the flash of hunger there before he looked into her eyes again. “What are we to each other now, Amanda?”
The exact question she’d been asking herself all morning. “I’m not sure what we are,” she said softly. “We don’t need to label it. Let’s just take it as it comes. Yes?”
“Yes.” He stared at her for a long beat, caressed her cheek. “So I can text you?”
“You better.”
“Can I call you?”
“I’d like that too.”
“Amanda . . . this was . . . you’re really . . .”
Her heart stuttered in her chest, and she didn’t move, waiting to hear what he was trying to say. The look in his warm brown eyes was so . . . longing. It seemed like longing. Or was she imagining that because she wanted to?
“Back atcha,” she finally whispered, saving him with a soft, sweet kiss.
His mouth curved up. “I’ll text you. We’ll talk. Promise.”
“Okay.”
He didn’t release her. She was glad; she loved how he felt. “Also, I’ll want updates on Myles. Are you allowed to tell me things?”
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Usually, I’d say no details. But these circumstances are so unique. Do you want me to ask Charles?”
Nick hesitated, then shook his head. “You don’t want him to know we’re involved, remember?”
She winced. “True. Right. Um . . .”
“I’ll get detailed updates from him,” Nick said, rubbing her back. “You can keep things vague when I ask you. And I’ll try not to ask you too much, okay? I don’t want to put you in a position that compromises you.”
“I believe that happened about two hours ago,” she joked.
He chuckled softly and grinned. “Hell yeah. And I loved it.”
“So did I.” She winked, trying to keep things light, so he wouldn’t know how this was affecting her. How she was already aching because he was leaving.
He nodded again, then lowered his head to take her mouth one last time. Their arms wrapped around each other as they shared deep, slow, sumptuous kisses.
Finally, he pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers. “Take care, mi reina.”
“You too,” she whispered, her heart squeezing in her chest.
She watched him get in the Porsche and zoom away. A light breeze stirred the ends of her hair and caressed her face. The street was quiet and still in the way it always was on a Sunday morning. Amanda wrapped her arms around herself and drew a long, deep breath, letting it out slowly as she closed her eyes and tipped her face up to the sun. She recalled the delicious tone of his voice and look in his eyes when he called her mi reina, like it meant more than just an endearment.... She licked her lips to savor the taste of him that lingered, then turned to go back inside.
The day would feel lonely without him, but she had incredible images to hold on to and replay all day long. They’d sustain her as she relaxed and enjoyed a lazy Sunday, and they’d sustain her in the long weeks ahead.