I WAS GOING to kill Charity.
Kill. Her.
I couldn’t believe she had said that in front of Nic and packed an overnight bag for me. Why didn’t she just put whore on my forehead?
Of course, after how sweet Nic was, the only thing I could think about was having sex with him. What he would feel like inside me. Was he gentle or a little rough? Did he take his time or was he the type of guy who didn’t care if the girl was pleasured or not?
No. Not Nic. I could tell already by the sweet things he said to me he would be the type to take care of me first then him.
My heart raced the more I thought about sex with Nic. I needed to stop now. This is what happens when you go so long without sex.
Of course, it wasn’t lost on me that Nic picked up my overnight bag. Truth be told, I was hoping our hike would lead to his house, which would lead to a shower, which would lead to other things.
Stop it, Gabi! Focus!
“We’re almost there,” Nic called back. “Just around this switchback.”
I breathed in a deep breath. The air up here was amazing. It felt so pure. But at the same time, it was kicking my ass. I needed to get back to the gym. As I came up behind Nic, I gasped at the sight before me. The grassy meadow was unlike anything I’d ever seen. “Wow.”
“It’s called the Garden of Eden.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Nic turned to me. “I can’t believe you’ve lived here for so long and never been on any of the hiking trails.”
With a weak smile, I didn’t want to tell him I was afraid of being alone. That I craved the peace, but feared someone was following me.
“Charity isn’t much of an outdoor kind of girl. Even though she made me buy everything clothes and shoes wise to go hiking.”
He took my hand in his as we walked across the meadow. “I love being outside. I’ve hiked all over these hills. It helps me find the inner peace I crave so much.”
“I bet you need that with your job and all.”
“Yeah, my job can get pretty intense.”
I kicked at a rock while drawing in a breath. “And dangerous.”
Nic came to a stop and squeezed my hand as he turned to me. I could get lost for days in those eyes.
“Yes, but that’s why we train as much as we do.”
Running his finger along my jaw, I saw the excitement cross his face when my body reacted to his touch. “Does that scare you? My job?”
I thought for a moment. It didn’t feel like it was too soon to be having this conversation. There was no doubt we were drawn to each other, and I was positive more dates would be in our future. I got the feeling this was new to both of us. The last time I had a serious boyfriend was six years ago and even then, I wasn’t drawn to him like I was Nic. What started out as an attraction soon led to something far more dangerous.
“It scares me, but not in a way that would scare me off. Does that make sense?”
The corners of his mouth rose and a hint of his dimples showed through where he had trimmed up his five o’clock shadow. “That makes perfect sense. It also makes me happy.”
The way his green eyes lit up had my heartbeat racing. I’d never been so drawn to a man’s eyes. Or ever felt this way about a guy before. It was as if I couldn’t get enough of his smiles, kisses, and his touch. Lord knows I wanted more of his touch. I got the feeling Nic felt the same. We were both guarded, but curious as hell. Each time he touched me my body trembled, and I knew he saw it. You could see in his eyes he liked to see what his touch did to me.
“I’ve had fun today,” I said as I leaned against his body. He gently spun me around, wrapping his arms around me. It felt so natural. Like we’d been seeing each other for months. Like we fit together like two puzzle pieces.
He leaned over and whispered against my ear, “I’ve never brought a girl up here before.”
His confession thrilled and stunned me all at once. Looking up at him, I watched while he looked straight out over the meadow to the distant mountains. Like his statement was hard to admit.
“Why not?” I asked.
He held me tighter. “I’ve never wanted to share it with anyone before.”
Turning, I placed my hands on his chest, “Why share it with me?”
When his eyes met mine, I felt the air leave my lungs. I’d never had anyone look at me the way Nic did. Like he was searching deep within my soul.
“I don’t know. There’s something about you that draws me to you. Then last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about you and that sweet wet pussy of yours, aching for me to make you come.”
Oh. My. God.
I never in my life thought I would like a guy talking dirty to me. But I sure as hell liked Nic talking to me that way. My panties instantly were wet, and I longed for him to pick up where he left off.
He then added, “I can’t help the way you make me feel. The things I long to do to you.”
My teeth sunk into my lip as I grabbed his T-shirt and lifted to the tips of my toes. “You do things to me too, especially when you talk naughty like that.”
He smiled. “Oh yeah? You like it?”
Nodding, I felt my cheeks heat. “I do, and that surprises me.”
Nic ran his fingers down the side of my cheeks. “You look beautiful when your cheeks get flushed. When I talk to you like that, they turn a beautiful pink.”
I dropped my gaze.
“Don’t be shy, Gabi. A nice girl can have a little bit of naughty in her too.”
My head dropped onto his chest and I felt his body rumble with laughter.
When I finally gained the courage I need, I dropped my head back and looked up at him.
“I’ve only ever been with one man. And even then it was a . . . forced relationship.”
Nic frowned. “He didn’t . . .”
I shook my head. “No, no, nothing like that. We were friends and our families thought we needed to be more. He never hurt me, but he certainly didn’t care how I felt about things. If that makes sense.”
There was no doubt that was anger I saw in Nic’s eyes. Maybe I needed to think about getting into a relationship a little harder. No. No I’ve waited long enough and I’d never felt like this with anyone else before.
The deal I made when I went into this was to wait three years before I became romantically involved with someone. It had been six.
There was only one thing I was unsure of though. Did I want a relationship built on a lie? The truth hidden deep within me and the fear it could show its ugly head at any time.
If Nic ever found out the truth . . . the thought made me sick to my stomach. He would hate me.
Bending down, his finger lifted my chin. “Hey, are you okay? You’re shaking.”
Forcing a smile, I nodded. “Yeah, just a little chilly with the wind up here.”
He didn’t believe me. When he looked like he wanted to press me for more information, I stepped away and walked a little further into the meadow. My arms wrapped tightly around my body.
I had only known Nic two days, and I was already longing to tell him everything. I was greedy though. The longing for happiness outweighed the need for the truth.
“Gabi, you can talk to me, you know that, right?”
Smiling, I replied, “I know. I’m just taken by how beautiful this is and how I’ve been missing out on it.”
“I’ve got so many more places to show you if you want.”
In that moment I knew what I wanted. It was time to move on and leave the past in the past. I’d go to Italy, do what I needed to do and then never look back. It would destroy both me and my family, but the only way to be truly free was to break the tie.
Nodding, I softly replied, “I’d like that very much.”