"The point is," he said softly, "we've established we get it. There are lines we don't cross. We both know why. We both got s.h.i.+elds up to protect ourselves and each other from the s.h.i.+t in our lives. But that doesn't mean we can't give a s.h.i.+t and that doesn't mean we can't be decent to each other when the need arises."

"I...I..." I didn't know what I wanted to say, so I finished weakly, "I actually am fine, Sebring. I have some things on my mind but I'm fine."

He scowled at me.

I wanted to shut this down. I wanted to stop myself from feeling what I was feeling because it felt too good.

But he was right.

We got it.

And if that was true-and he believed it was-and if I could convince myself of that-then we did get it.

So I could have it.

"However, if needed, I'll be certain to get s.h.i.+tfaced safely with you or..." I shrugged, "other."

"You do know you can be cute," he remarked curtly.

I could?

"No," I told him.

"And it's f.u.c.king annoying," he declared, sounding like it was far worse than that.

I had the deep desire to smile.

Instead, I pressed my lips together.

His eyes dropped to them and he suddenly looked well beyond f.u.c.king annoyed.

His gaze came back to mine.

"And, just sayin', in a perfect G.o.dd.a.m.ned world, I'd know who taught you it wasn't okay to be happy, not even for the length of time you'd give yourself to smile, and I'd f.u.c.k them right the f.u.c.k up," he declared, his words and their tone proving he was definitely beyond f.u.c.king annoyed.

But still, I liked he had that emotion for me.

And liking it, I felt my body melt on his as I whispered, "Sebring."

"Now," he rolled me to my back, "with all that s.h.i.+t, I'm not fine." His mouth came to mine. "So we're f.u.c.king until I feel better."

"Okay," I agreed, sliding my arms around him, perfectly fine with giving at least that to him.

So I did.

We f.u.c.ked.

And by the time he walked me to my car, I didn't know how much better Nick felt.

But outside of leaving him, I felt great.

Chapter Twelve.

Rearview Mirror Olivia 5:26 Sat.u.r.day Evening My phone rang, I looked at it and didn't bother fighting it.

I answered it.

"Hey," I greeted.

"Hey," Nick replied. "Got somethin' that came up. Can't do dinner tonight."

My heart sunk.

"Text you when my s.h.i.+t's done. You can come over or I could come to you," he finished.

My heart got light.

I wanted him to come to me. I wanted his presence in my house, the memory of him in my bed.

But I did not want anyone who might be watching to see him come to me or see his Jag in my drive.

"Text me," I said. "I'll come to you."

"Right, later."

"Later, Sebring."

We hung up.

I finished what I was doing at David's office and headed home because I had to make myself dinner and then be ready for Nick whenever he was ready for me.

11:38 Sat.u.r.day Night When the text came from Nick (that text being, I'm home), I should have let it go. It was late. Much later than I expected. Too late and thus rude to be texting a woman who you want to come over so you can f.u.c.k her.

I should absolutely not let him think I was up, waiting for him.

And I should never give him the impression a late summons such as that would get me in my car, driving the streets of Denver just to get a dose of him.

What I should do was answer it the next day, saying I'd gone to sleep and missed his text.

Or better yet, not answer at all and make him communicate with me.

I knew all of that.

However, the only thing I could muster was allowing twenty minutes to pa.s.s before I checked for signs anyone was watching the house and then I went to the garage to take the tracker off my car and I headed out.

I felt slightly better when I was barely on my way before another text came in from Nick.

You awake?

I didn't text him back and not just because I was driving.

I went to his house. I parked. I walked up the iron stairs.

He had the door open by the time I made the top.

I barely walked through before he slid the door to at the same time he shoved me to the side.

He pushed me against the wall.

I was about to push back when I froze because Nick didn't go for a kiss.

Or he did.

But he went for a different kind of kiss.

He dropped to his knees in front of me.

I drew in a sharp breath as I felt my hips jolt when he yanked my jeans and panties down to my thighs.

I dug the back of my head into the brick of the wall when I felt his tongue dart out, forcing itself into the tight juncture between my legs.

And I felt my jeans bite into my thighs as I automatically tried to force my legs wider to give him more access.

Nick didn't need more access. He was doing just fine thrusting his tongue into my close wet.

Yes.

Oh G.o.d, yes.

He was doing just fine.

"Sebring," I breathed, and lost his tongue as he surged up.

But I got his eyes and I got his finger as his gaze caught mine and he shoved his finger tight against my c.l.i.t.

My eyes closed and my lips parted.

That was when Nick finally kissed me.

1:02 Sunday Morning "f.u.c.k," Nick grunted.

I'd had my bare a.s.s to the top step to his bedroom, my legs had been around his hips as I took his c.o.c.k, but I'd pulled off, squirmed up, turned to crawl out from under him to force him to follow me to the bed.

He didn't follow me to the bed.

He wrapped an arm around my belly and yanked me back, pulling me between his legs. My thighs pressed together but bent at the hips, he rammed back in.

I moaned and pulled forward against the strong hold he had on me but only to drive myself back.

I heard his noises, thick and deep and greedy, mingling with my own, which were soft and desperate, and a wave of wet hit between my legs as a shaft of electricity shot from c.l.i.t to nipples.

I drove back harder.

Nick thrust in faster.

I was close and I wanted it to happen together.

I tossed my hair to look over my shoulder at him.

"Come," I ordered.

His liquid blue eyes came to me as he kept f.u.c.king me. "Do not come."

"Come," I hissed.

He pulled out.

"No!" I snapped.

He straightened, taking his feet and taking me with him, my a.s.s in his hips, my back to his front.

I tried twisting in his arms.

Instead, I fell forward to the bed as Nick fell with me.

I tried to regain my knees and add my hands under me.

Nick used his weight to subdue me, his strong thighs to push between mine, and then he was filling me again, thrusting deep with me on my belly.

I stilled just so I could fully experience that beauty.

He didn't still but shoved a hand under me, straight down, finger to my c.l.i.t.

"Now you come," he demanded in my ear.

I lifted my hips to get more of his c.o.c.k at the same time I undulated them against his finger.