Chapter 12

Nicole

I watched him walk through the door with a shy smile, thinking how handsome he was. No, not handsome. Hot. He walked over and handed the keys to me, telling me to get something to wear as he searched my face. I grabbed my purse and headed to the garage, looking over the shiny SUV for a moment. I got inside it and put the key into the ignition before opening the garage and starting it.

There was something comforting about backing out of his garage and into the road. It oddly felt like home, and I pressed on the gas pedal to drive across town to the apartment. I knocked on the door because I was too excited to search for my keys, and Noelle answered before she pulled me inside for a big hug.

“What are you doing here?”

“This is my place,” I reminded her. “Allen wants to take me to dinner. I need a dress.”

We didn’t have much in the way of clothes, but she followed me to the bedroom and sat on the bed as I pushed through the hangers.

“Are you okay here alone?” I asked her as I glanced back, seeing her smile.

“Now that I know you’re safe, yes.” She looked at me.

I pulled out a light green vintage dress that we got for nothing before moving here and held it up in front of me in the cheap mirror that we hung on the wall. “What do you think?”

“It brings out your eyes,” she told me.

“I wonder if he’ll like it.” I twirled around and smiled. “I think he’s so hot. I think I might sleep with him.”

“Wow. Because you want to and not the money, right?”

“Of course,” I said.

“What about getting married?”

“Oh, I don’t know. We need to talk and get to know each other,” I insisted as I hung the dress on the door. I sat down and lay back on the bed. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. Guess what? I have an interview for a bigger show tomorrow!” Noelle clapped her hands, and I hugged her again.

I left after talking to her for half an hour and then drove back to the house with the dress carefully spread across the back seat. When I pulled into the garage and walked in the house, Allen was walking out into the living room in slacks and a blue dress shirt that brought out his eyes. I stopped to look at him, glad that I took a bath in his fancy tub earlier today.

“You look good,” I said.

He glanced at the dress in my hands before looking into my face. “Thanks. I have reservations in an hour if that’s enough time?”

“Yeah. I’ll be ready.” I walked to the guest room and closed the door to slip into the dress, zipping it up as far as I could before I fixed my face with light makeup. I slipped my feet into the black heels that Bennett gave me and took a deep breath.

I walked out to the living room and asked him to finish zipping my dress for me, feeling the heat from his fingers as he brushed my skin.

“You look beautiful. This dress makes your eyes so green.”

I smiled, knowing that happened from emotions more than clothing. Was I happy?

We left to go out to eat, and Allen drove me to the strip.

“There are some great places to eat along here, you know,” Allen said as he shot me a look.

“I know. Noelle and I have been wanting to try them,” I said.

He drove into a parking garage and handed his keys to the valet before we hopped out. Allen offered me his arm, and I took it with a smile as we walked down the street. I looked at every building as we passed it, taking it all in. I didn’t come here too much with Noelle after the first week, but I wanted to. Maybe we could use a little of that money to go out to dinner or something.

Allen led me through some heavy glass doors into a restaurant with low lighting and candles. I looked around with a smile. He told the pretty brunette hostess his name as I listened closely.

Rogers. That could be my name.

We were led to a table in a corner, and he helped me into my seat before taking his own. He asked me if I liked wine, and I nodded. Allen ordered a bottle of the house wine as I picked up the menu to look at it, raising my eyes at the prices.

“I can afford it,” he told me when I glanced at him with flushed cheeks.

“What do you do?” I asked.

He hesitated before speaking. “I work in an office. Investigation firm.”

I nodded as he asked what I did.

“I have always done odd jobs and taken care of Noelle, but when we moved here, I took on a few freelance writing jobs. It’s fun, and I might do something with it. Noelle wants to choreograph, so that’s why we’re here,” I said. “We’re still getting settled.”

“Do you have a lot of family?”

“Nobody that we miss. Our parents weren’t present in our lives, and the other family members who took us in thought we were a burden. I got out of town as soon as Noelle was ready.” I felt sad as I thought back to when we were younger.

“Are you okay being away from her?” he asked, reaching across the table and taking my hand.

“Mostly. I just worry about her but you paid for this. I figured I should give it a go.” I looked into his eyes and licked my glossed lips while feeling the heat from his touch.

“How did you end up in that club?” Allen asked, his voice serious.

“I met Ricky online, but he was posing as a younger guy. He acted the part well.” I felt stupid as I glanced up at Allen.

The waitress came by, and we ordered our food as Allen added wine to our glasses. After he set the bottle down, he held my hand again.

“Anyway, we were to meet for a date at a certain bar. When I got there, some older man came over to tell me that the Rick I thought I was supposed to be meeting was in a different club next door. They ended up dragging me to the other club before I could even text Noelle. They held me down in a chair and wouldn’t let me leave. It was then Ricky admitted he was the man I’d been chatting with and told me he wanted me to take part in the auction.” My eyes teared up as I remembered that moment. “I needed the money so badly. He knew it, and he knew I was in Vegas with my sister trying to start over. He knew everything about me to get me to agree to it.”

“Asshole. I’m so sorry,” he said squeezing my hand.

“Thankfully, I’m not there anymore and am with you instead. I’m probably going to meet a better fate than some of the others.” I smiled at him as he nodded and took a drink from his glass.

We kept talking over dinner, and I found myself liking him a lot. I felt safe with him and trusted him as he revealed small bits of himself, and he made me laugh. We left the restaurant, and he took my hand as I looked over at him. I knew that I was buzzed since I didn’t drink too often, but I was growing more attracted to him.

Before we got to the parking garage, Allen stopped us and looked into my face. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes,” I replied after a quick intake of breath.

He pressed me against a wall and leaned down to brush his lips against mine. I pressed up against him as it deepened and pulled him down to me for a longer kiss. We made out like teenagers for a few minutes until he pulled away and told me that he wanted to get me home.

We hurried to the car, and he drove us home. I looked him over as he drove, taking in his strong chin and full lips.

He grinned. “See something you like?”

“I like kissing you,” I said.

“I like kissing you,” he responded as we both smiled. At the next red stoplight, he turned to stare at me with his smoldering blue eyes until the car behind us honked when the light turned green.

Allen drove faster. We reached his house, parked in the garage, and closed the door. He walked around to my side and pulled me down into his arms as his mouth claimed mine. We kissed hungrily in the dimly lit garage until he moaned and led me into the house, locking the door as he pushed against me to kiss me again.

I’d never felt this kind of heat. I clung to him, gripping his hair with one hand and his strong shoulder with the other as our tongues met hungrily. Allen moved his hand to unzip my dress and slide it down as I stepped clumsily out of it. I’d chosen the bra and panties set that Bennett had given me, and he looked me up and down in the light of the living room. He took my hand and led me down the hall to the bedroom, pausing before the bed as he leaned down to kiss me again.

We ended up on the mattress once I ripped off his shirt and loosened his pants, too aroused to stop. Allen pressed into me and kissed the sensitive part of my jaw slowly as I moaned his name, feeling the liquid heat pooling in my lacy panties. He moved his mouth to my neck and sucked gently before dragging his teeth across my skin. I pulled him closer, and he moved back up to my mouth.

He unclasped my bra and pulled it off before his warm hand cupped one of my full breasts. I arched my back, and he kicked off his pants as his hard cock pressed against my leg. I wanted him to touch me everywhere, and Allen kissed me as he gently slipped a hand between my legs. I’d confessed at dinner after an extra glass of wine that I’d never had an orgasm. I felt something stirring deep inside me as he stroked me over the lace, pressing down as I jerked against him.

“Feels so good,” I told him as he grinned and slipped his finger under the material. “God, Allen.”

He moved his fingers deftly over my folds, dragging the moisture through as he hit a sensitive spot. I yelped as he rubbed around, making me wet everywhere while I writhed against him. Allen moved his mouth further down my body and kissed around my hard nipples as I bit my lip. Between his hand stroking me and his mouth close to my nipple, I was ready to explode.

He sucked me into his mouth as a finger eased gently into me, still stroking me on the outside. “Your clit is so hard for me.”

“Is that what that is?” I asked, and he chuckled against my skin before sucking my nipple between his teeth. “Ohhhhh.”

He tugged off my panties, then he moved deeper into my wet core as I rocked against him, needing more. He manipulated my body with his hands and mouth, skillfully while he brought me closer to the edge. I cried out when he kissed down my stomach and then pressed his tongue between my legs, licking me firmly. It was slow torture, and I gripped his hair tightly as I rocked against him.

Everything felt so good, and I knew that I was going to give myself to him. I knew that Allen was going to be my first and maybe more. I had feelings swirling inside of me with the need and emotions that made me cry out as he drew me between his teeth gently.

“Tell me if anything is too much,” Allen said softly before he started stroking my clit with his tongue. I rocked with him, and I felt something breaking inside of me.

“Allen, I want you.” I cried out as he slipped his hands around my thighs and dragged his tongue through my folds. “I need you.”

“I want to be inside of you. I’ll be gentle, baby,” he promised me.

I nodded, feeling him kiss his way up my body and find my lips with his mouth, covered in my juices. He moved between my legs, pressing against me as I whimpered his name.