Chapter 9
As the night rolled in, they were all singing Christmas carols, the tree was decorated and Tommy had warmed up the leftovers from the day before. Marti loved having Nick all to herself for a moment, and his mamá, well, she was beautiful and warm and Marti was falling for her. Mamá Lupita was a wise, wonderful mother-in-law and Marti could tell Nick had the utmost respect for her. Then it dawned on her that she forgot to tell Nick that Ellie had called.
“Crap! Nick I forgot to tell you, The Bitch called and said it was important.”
Nick quickly glanced at Marti, “What? Who? Why must you talk like that?”
Marti’s eyes darted to him. She cocked her head. “Excuse me?” With attitude, she replied, “Eleanor called, said it was very important. Why is she calling me? Doesn’t she have your number?”
“When did she call?” His voice sounded concerned. He stood up, hitting the speed dial as he walked outside.
Marti slumped back in her chair. “Once again that bitch has come between us. Did y’all see that? That’s exactly why I can’t stand to be there. Crazy bitch calls and he jumps.”
She crossed her arms and pouted. One more time she thought that she and Nick could make something out of their marriage and one more time, she felt like an outsider.
“Chiquita, he has a business to run, if Eleanor said it was important, maybe it is important. I promise you, hija, he would not let work ruin another day with you if he didn’t have to.”
Just as Nick walked in, Marti stood up from the table, “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“No, everything is not okay. Big problem at the warehouse.” He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled. “Mamá, we need to get back to Memphis.”
“So soon?”
“Yes, soon, we should get packed up and on the road. Marti, are you coming home?”
Marti squinched up her face, puzzled, “Home? I am home. Why y’all gotta get home so fast?”
“Remember the huge mix up on the tanker truck I told you about? Well, it has come down to all of the bottles of salad dressing are being recalled.
Salad dressing, oil, vinegar, we didn’t catch it in time.” He ran his hand through his hair, huffing in desperation.
Tommy looked up from his plate, “Salad dressing? Y’all make salad dressing?”
Nick turned to him, “Yes, we have quite a few accounts with food manufacturers here in the States and one of Vargas’ employees that run the tankers wasn’t paying attention and the idiot loaded a truck full of vinegar instead of oil. We thought we caught it in time, but…unfortunately, he wasn’t truthful and there are thousands of bottles on their way to the stores and it’s our responsibility to stop them and issue a recall.”
He turned to Marti, “Honey, I have to take care of this, smooth it over, take care of the driver and the customer accounts. Are you coming with us? I don’t have time for your silly games.”
“Uhmmm….” glancing at Mamá, then Annie and back at Nick. “Well, I - I,” shaking her head, “I don’t think so. I’ll just hang here with Annie and Tommy until you get this squared away. I really don’t want to intrude.”
She faked a smile. There was no way she was going back to the hell that Ellie put her through. No way.
He ran his fingers through his hair, and desperately let out a long exhale “Vamonos, Mamá, let’s get going. We need to be there by morning. I hope this weather holds out. Roads should be clear, but if we get another snowstorm…”
Tommy pulled his phone out of his pocket, sliding his thumb across the screen, searching for the weather app. “Don’t y’all think it would be better to leave in the morning, you’ll be driving all night and we don’t even know if the mountains are passable. Maybe you should check the weather first? Y’all sure don’t need to be getting stuck up in those mountains.”
Mamá piped in “Hijo, he’s right. There is nothing you can do right now and we can get a fresh start tomorrow morning.”
Nick paced the kitchen, running his hand through his hair and then he stopped. “Fuck! Oh…sorry, Mamá. Let me think…” looking up, mumbling to himself he turned to his mother, “You are right, I can’t do anything and it would be stupid for me to think I can cross those snowy mountains in the dark. We will leave in the morning, very early. Mamá, you okay with that?”
She smiled, grateful that he decided to stay till it was safer. Nodding in agreement, “Si, hijo, I will be ready to go in the morning.”
Tommy stood up, “Well, that’s settled. Now y’all know you are more than welcome to stay as long as you want. Nick, can you take care of the salad dressing from here?”
“Salad dressing, yes. Idiot who screwed it up in the first place, no. I really need to get home for that. I just pray to God there are no lawsuits.”
Marti slowly looked up. “Uhm…Nick? I’m sorry. Sorry that you had to come down here to see me.” She lowered her face. “I’m sorry.” She touched his arm, “I’m going upstairs. Good night, y’all.”
“Good night, Marti. Holler if you need anything.” Annie looked at her longingly, something was going on with Marti and she didn’t know what. She would have to talk to her in the morning. Marti wasn’t being the Marti she grew up with, not the girl she knew.
Marti sadly trudged up the stairs; he would be up soon enough, if he came up at all. She hoped he would. A million thoughts were running through her head. Should I go back to Memphis? Should I stay here? If I stay, will he be with Ellie? Has he ever been with Ellie? Do I really even care? I barely know him and he hasn’t been Mr. Knight in Shining Armor lately. Shit!
She changed into a big T-shirt and crawled up under the covers. The room was chilly and she didn’t want to put her sweats on, in case he did come up to her room. Pulling her Kindle out of the nightstand drawer, she started to read. A steamy romance that she just couldn’t get into. The book was good; her head was just not into it. Not while her thoughts were spinning out of control.
After about an hour, she heard footsteps on the stairs. Her heart skipped a beat. Finally. She heard the banter of goodnights and Nick came in her room. She lay her Kindle to the side and looked up at him. “Hey.”
“Hey. You’re still awake?” he asked as he kicked off his shoes and sat on the side of the bed.
“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.” She reached out and rubbed his arm, hesitating for a moment, waiting for his reaction. There was none. “I’m sorry about the tanker.”
“It’s not your fault. I’ll get it handled.” He paused, looking down, picking at a pine needle on his jeans. “So…Ellie was a little harsh with you?” Reaching over, he caressed her hand, tangling his fingers in hers.
“Yeah, but she always is. No biggie.” She played with his fingers, not knowing what to expect. At this very moment, she had no idea where they were headed but she did know something was going on between her heart and her head like two wild animals fighting for their life. Even now, feeling him next to her, she was at war inside herself.
He leaned over her, sliding up on the bed, reaching his hands up to her face, caressing her cheekbone with his thumb. He looked into her dreamy eyes and leaned over to kiss her, tickling her bottom lip with his tongue. Her body shivered as his soft lips met hers, she breathed him in, his kiss made her spine tingle, his manly scent filled her senses and her tongue could taste a hint of whiskey.
Her breathing increased and her breasts heaved up and down, she felt her panties moisten; she wanted him with all her being. Her hands traced along his body, feeling his taut muscles, caressing his shoulders and she sighed. “Honey, are you sure you wanna do this? I mean…with all the stress and holidays, you don’t have to.”
Sliding his fingers up her gown, cupping her heavy breast, “Ahh, Preciosa, I always want to hold you, touch you and feel your beautiful body. You are my Princesa, I will love you and hold you till the day I die.”
Marti was speechless. After the bullshit fight and her stomping around like a two year old, all she could think was. “Wow.”
He trailed kisses across her neck, while his hand caressed her tummy and up to her breast. She reached for his shirt, unbuttoning it and sliding it off his shoulders. Her mouth and lips gently nipped at his neck while he slid his pants down. The fire that built up inside when they were together was insatiable.
Her shirt came off and they were both naked, crawling under the covers. His hand went to her thighs and caressed the moist folds of her sex. “Princesa…” he breathed, “you make me so fucking crazy.” A finger slid inside and then back out to caress her clit, slicking it up for his thumb. She moaned, he was an amazing lover; there was no doubt about that. She trembled as his kisses moved down her belly, landing on her soft fur, his fingers gently sliding in and out, his thumb tantalizing her nub. She could feel his hardness on her thigh. She wanted to grab it and suck it, but his hands wouldn’t let her.
“Nick,” she whispered, feeling her heart beat in her loins as he kissed her slit, licking and sucking on her clit. He placed his hands on her thighs and spread her legs, moaning as her pussy drenched his face in wetness. His hand moved up to play with her nipple, his other hand holding her lips apart, his tongue circling her clit, before darting it inside.
She felt like his hands were everywhere, on her breasts, her clit, her vulva, he rose up to her face, his mouth covered in her wetness. “Marti,” he breathed, “I can’t stand this, I need you. I’ve got to have you.” He grabbed both her hands in one of his and lifted them over her head.
Sliding his hips between her thighs and with a loud moan, he thrust his thick cock into her. “Fuck!” She cried out, her pussy was drenched in her own wetness, she paused for a sweet moment to accommodate his size, and he plunged into her again. She lifted her legs, her pussy wide open and he thrust again, pounding into her, the sweat building up on his face and chest. She hadn’t had Nick like this since the trip to Las Vegas and his animal grunts and moans made her body burn with desire.
The other hand slid under her leg as he brought it up over his shoulder. He was wild, pounding his cock in and then withdrawing it, only to thrust again. She loved it when he fucked her like this.
Pure. Animal. Lust.
His sweat dripped down onto her chest, his cock thrust deep inside her, her head rolled from one side to the other. “Nick…fuck…” she panted, her words coming in spurts, he grabbed her hip and thrust again… and again… and again.
The room spun as her mind went black, she grabbed his ass and pulled him close into her, her hips bucking against him as she cried out, “Nick!...Fuck! Fuck meeeee!” Burying her fingernails in his ass cheeks, she pulled him in deeper and deeper, her whole body thrashing, holding tight to his through the waves of their animalistic pleasure. There was nothing in the world right now that mattered except the pure ecstasy that was screaming through their bodies.
“Ahhhh, Dios!” He grunted as his muscles tensed and his body shuddered, he grabbed her ass tight with both hands as he pummeled into her burying his whole length inside. He quickly withdrew only to plunge it into her again. His cock throbbed with each spurt of cum inside her pussy. His strong body trembled. Moaning, she arched, reaching for his body, grinding her pussy onto him. He thrust again, his cock bursting once more with hot, sticky cum, as he buried it deep inside her.
As their moans gently subsided, he fell on top of her, panting, his heart pounding on her chest. This is the Nick she knew, the Nick she married. They lay there together for a moment, breathing, feeling the heat of each other’s bodies, spent, motionless, speechless.
He rolled off of her, sliding his cock out of her and lay beside her. “Marti, what am I going to do with you? What am I going to do?”
She turned to him, snaking her hand across his chest, her leg across his. “I don’t know Nick,” she whispered. “I really don’t know.” A tear fell down her cheek. He was an amazing lover, a fucking sex machine. But would that be enough? He was leaving in the morning and that would give her time to think and to shut off the fucking noise in her head. She couldn’t think straight when he was there. She needed some time for herself.
In the morning, he was gone. She finally had time to exhale.