Sapphire Universe (29 page)

“I trust Nick and honestly I would feel more comfortable with someone I know.”  I answer truthfully and Nick smiles at me.

“Alright then.  I suggest following her to and from work.  You’re teachers right?  I don’t see these people coming after her in public.  They sent someone last time and since it didn’t work, my guess is they will want to do it themselves the next time. So you shouldn’t need anyone to stay with you at work unless you want them to.”

“Yes, we will be heading back on Monday and I think a tail to and from the school is more than enough.”  I say and Connor turns to give me a stern look.  I ignore him and he turns to the detectives and nods once. 

“Okay we’ll keep in touch with you.  You guys know the drill.”  Wheeler and Gasner rise.  We walk them to the door and Wheeler turns and gives me a fatherly look.

“I’m glad you’re okay Nina.  Your man here did a real number on Rodney.  He’ll be in the hospital for a while.  Stay close to him and I have a feeling you’ll be fine.”  He says kindly, then turns and follows his partner to the car.

“So
, back to work tomorrow?  You were attacked and almost kidnapped by a man who would have done God knows what to you Nina, you can take a few days off of work you know.”

“I hate to get involved but I agree with him.  You should lay low for a little while.”  Nick interjects.

“Then don’t get involved Nick!”  I shout, pissed off at being teamed up on.  Nick holds his hands up and walks away.  I turn to do the same but Connor cuts me off.

“We are only trying to keep you safe Princess.”

I sigh at him and start walking back to our room to make the bed.  Connor follows and when he puts himself in front of me again and crosses his arms I mimic his stance and glare right back.  “Don’t give me that look Connor Sebastian Wright!  I am not intimidated by you, or Rodney Clark, or Lucas what’s-his-face, or Maxwell freaking Holden!  I’m going to work tomorrow.  I can’t sit at home all day.  I’m fine!  Now move your ass!”  I stick my finger in his chest and he grabs my hand and lifts me by the waist one armed and tosses me on the bed.

“Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.  I told you what I would do if you called me by my middle name Princess.”  Oh shit.  “You really need to pay more attention.”  He starts to crawl menacingly towards me.

“Connor! Connor don’t you dare!”  Oh but he does and I’m squealing and giggling so hard I can’t breathe before he lets me go.  I grab my pillow and start to hit him with it and he laughs at me. 

“Pillow fight?  There will be no lesbian make out scene so you can just forget about trying anything Nins.”
I sit up when I hear the familiar sarcasm and Lo is leaning casually against my door frame with Nick standing behind her and she’s holding four Starbucks coffee cups.

“LO!  I run to her and snatch my Carmel Apple Cider from the drink carrier and move past her to the living room to curl up and drink the elixir of the Gods.  “Mmmm ambrosia.”  I say when the sweet hot liquid runs down my thr
oat.  The three of them laugh.

“Yea bitch it’s nice to see you too.  I’ll let it slide this time since you’re an almost kidnapping victim and all.”  She says and I turn to Connor surprised.  He shrugs and I huff out a breath of air blowing the hair from my face.

“I was going to call you…”

“Shut your face Nins.  Connor called me so it’s all gravy.  I know you have had a lot going on so you get a free pass from my bitching on this one.  I just wish I could do something to help.”  Now
, Lo has never been a coward a day in her life.  I’ve seen her sad, weary and even heartbroken, but the fear I see in her eyes is something I have never witnessed in my best friend.

“Stay and watch a movie with us.  We haven’t spent a whole lot of time together and I miss your crazy ass.”  I set down my cup and give Lo my best puppy dog face.  It works, it always does.

“I can do that.  Do you mind if I invite Drake over.  I was going to go out with him tonight but I’m sure he won’t mind staying in.”

“And on that note, I think I’ll head out.  I love you guys but there is no way I’m staying for a couple’s movie night.”  Nick stands and grabs the keys to his rental.  “Call me if you need me.”  After the door closes behind him I answer Lo.

“Of course you can but only if you tell me what’s going on between you two.”  Lo wrinkles her nose at me.

“It’s nothing serious.  He’s an alright guy and he’s good in the sack so we have an arrangement.”

I look over to where Connor was sitting and notice he has conveniently left the room.  “So you’re like friends with benefits?  I ask her and she laughs at me.

“What do I look like a twelve year old?  No Nins, we’re fuck buddies.  We have really hot sweaty sex and keep each other company when we go out so we don’t have to deal with the drunks trying to get lucky.” 

“Oh.  Well I see.”  I say awkwardly.  “Yay for the great sex Lo, but you know these things never work out right?” 

“Nina don’t give me one of your “Don’t fuck with the Universal plan” speeches okay.  It’s nothing.”

“Alright I’ll drop it, but when this blows up in your face I’m SO going to say I told you so.  I owe you about 15 hundred of them.”  I hop on the phone and order some take out.  Drake shows up about 30 minutes later and I notice the looks they give each other when they think the other one isn’t paying attention and they are not looks of casual sexual attraction.  There is more to it than the no strings attached situation Lo described so I’m wondering if she is holding out on me, or if she’s just clueless to her own feelings.  I think about Connor and I when we first started out and I smile around a mouthful of shrimp scampi.  She has no idea what’s in store for her.

Lo and Drake leave around nine and when Connor turns around after closing the door behind them, I see a look in his eyes that immediately makes my body start to tremble.  He walks forward to me and strips his shirt over his head.  I watch the muscles in his incredible body flex and ripple with his movements and it takes me a moment to clear the fog from my brain. 

When I can finally think straight, I turn towards the bedroom and leave a trail of clothes behind me without looking back to see his face, but I can feel his need.  It’s like a tangible thing that makes my blood burn with want and my heart beat with love for him.  I get to the bed and feel him come up behind me.  Connor brushes the hair off of my neck and kisses my ear, then licks a path to my shoulder and continues down my spine making me arch into him.  He surprises me by pushing gently in the middle of my back until my chest is on the bed.  I hear him suck in a breath when he reaches between my legs to feel me. 

“I haven’t even touched you yet?”  He says circling his fingers around my opening.

“All you have to do is look at me Connor.  I always want you.”  Connor grabs my hips and enters me swiftly on my last word.  I gasp out the word “you” and grab a hand full of the comforter to hold on as he thrusts into me.  He starts circling his hips with every thrust till I’m pushing back against him.  When my legs start to shake, he reaches around my hips and uses his fingers to send me over the edge.  I scream into the mattress and Connor keeps on pumping harder and deeper. 

Suddenly, he pulls out and I know he wasn’t finished so I’m
a little confused until I feel him drop to his knees behind me and grab my thighs to spread them open wider.  He shoves his face between my legs and I cry out as a second orgasm tears through me.  When I come down to earth, I’m on my back and Connor is inside me again grabbing the headboard and using it as leverage. I think he’s going to go on forever and a part of me hopes he does, but he stills in the next moment before pushing in one last time and groans, dropping down onto the mattress next to me.  I’m so out of it that I barely register when he pulls the covers over us and draws me into his arms.  I’m out in seconds.

The next morning I’m woken up to my stomach churning.  I scramble out of the bed holding my hand to my mouth and run to the bathroom to throw up violently into the toilet.  Damn rotten shrimp.  Connor comes in behind me and rubs my back.  “Are you okay Princess?” 

“Yea I thought the shrimp tasted funny last night but it looked fine so I ate it anyway.  It must have been rotten.”  I wipe my face and grab my toothbrush. 

“Do you need to stay home today?  Food poisoning can be rough.” Connor grabs a wash cloth and sticks it under the cold running water, then wrings it out and starts dabbing at my neck.  I realize then how unattractive I must look butt naked and bruised all over, throwing up with my hair stuck to my face and goose bumps breaking out all over my skin.  I reach over to the hook on the door and shrug on my robe.

“No I feel a little bit better.  Must have just needed to get it out of my system.”  I rinse my toothbrush out and turn on the shower. 

“Okay well we have 45 minutes before we have to head out the door.  Do you want me to make you breakfast while you shower?” 

“Better just stick with toast this morning just in case.”  I reply and Connor kisses my cheek.

“You’re probably right.  I’ll stick the bread in when you’re out of the shower.” 

“Thanks baby.”  I say to his back as he walks out of the bathroom.  I step in the shower and it’s the most amazing shower I have ever taken.  I just stand under the spray for a while letting the water warm my body and relax my stiff limbs and feeling like I could sleep for a year.  I hear the door creak back open a while later.

“Nina?  Are you okay Princess?”  Connor says looking at me worriedly from the parted curtain. 

“Yea I’m just getting out now.  You must have really worn me out last night.  I’m exhausted.”  I say teasingly and Connor’s eyes fill with regret.

“I’m sorry baby.  I don’t know what came over me last night.  I can’t believe I acted…”

“Connor Wright shut your mouth right now.  I loved what you did to me last night so don’t even think about apologizing.  I’ve made it through plenty of school days with a lot less sleep so I’ll be fine.”

Connor smirks at me and pulls out a towel when I shut off the water and step out on to the rug.  He opens the fluffy white towel up and holds it out for me.  I step over to him and he wraps the towel around me and presses a kiss to my temple.  “Okay baby but you need to hurry, we only have ten minutes now, you were in there a long time.  Nick is waiting in the living room to follow us.” 

I rush to the bedroom and throw on the first outfit I find.  Braiding my hair is the only way I’m going to get ready on time so I gather it over my shoulder and pleat it in a long thick braid to the side then swipe on some mascara and a layer of blush.  That will have to do. 

“You’re looking good for someone who was an almost kidnapping victim.”  Nick says with a smile and I flip him the finger.  Connor chuckles as he hands me my toast on the way to the door and holds it open for me.

“A word of wisdom my friend.  Do not mess with this one in the mornings.  She may look like an angel but she’s more likely to throw her harp at you than sing you a song.”  I look at Connor like I’m two seconds away from said harp throwing and he just smiles at me. 
Jackass!

“I caught that.”  Nick replies and opens the door to his car while Connor and I get into his truck.

As it turns out the day was pretty uneventful.  In our case, however that was a good thing.  Nick is in the parking lot after school and follows us home but takes back off as soon as we’re in the door.  After dinner Connor and I decide to switch it up with some cards.  About halfway through “Go Fish” since that’s all I know how to play, I almost crack my jaw in half with the biggest yawn of my life.  Connor chuckles at me and sets his cards down.

“Come on sleepy head, let’s get you into bed.”  He stacks the cards and puts them back into the box and helps me out of the couch.

“Sorry baby, the last couple months must be catching up with me.”  I say through another yawn and slip into the covers. Connor brushes my hair off of my forehead and presses the back of his hand to my skin.

“I hope you’re not getting sick.  Maybe you should take some medicine.”  I yawn again and snuggle deeper into the warmth of the bed and close my eyes.

“I’ll run to the store on the way to work in the morning and pick some up then if I’m still not feeling good.”  I mumble, only half awake now.

“Okay we might have to drive separately then, I have a meeting first thing with the head of a Dojo here in town.”

“Kay.”  I hear his chuckle again and his lips against mine.

“Sleep well Princess.”  And I do.

The next morning is exactly like the first.  I puke my guts out within seconds of waking up and decide that along with eating rotten shrimp I probably have a virus or something.  I’m not surprised with everything that’s been going on, because stress has always affected me physically.  I brush my teeth again and go out into the kitchen to find Connor making some cider.  “Morning baby.  Do you feel better?”  He hands me my cup and adds some coffee to the brewer.

“Not really I threw up again just now.  I think I might have something.  I’ll grab some cold medicine on the way home.” 

“Okay baby Nick will follow you to the store and then to work today.  The dojo isn’t very far and I’ll take my pistol with me.”  He says while rubbing my back.

“Are you sure Connor?  I don’t know about that.”  I say nervously.

“I’m positive.  And besides you are the one they threatened.  You’re also the one that they hired someone to nab so I think out of the two of us you need the most protection.”  I know there is no way he’s going to budge on this so I give in.