Silent No More (12 page)

“For three hours?” I question, not believing him.
Who in the hell watches someone that long, and why?

“No, only about half an hour.” I can tell he’s not
joking. It’s a bit weird. I don’t think I’ve ever just watched someone. Then
again, I’ve never been around someone this beautiful, so maybe I’ll give it a
try. Yeah, probably not. I just don’t get it.

“Glad I could be your entertainment,” I say. I
turn on my side and wrap my arms around his waist. I snuggle into him and get comfortable.
His body is hard and his arms wrap around me tightly. I know he’s only
squeezing me a fraction of his strength, but it’s like he’s holding me and
never going to let go. I don’t want him to.

“Oh, I’m always entertained when you’re around,”
he says, kissing the top of my forehead. “So what’s all the stuff on the island
about?” he asks and I glance over the couch to the kitchen.

All the dog stuff I bought is laid neatly out,
covering the entire kitchen island. I rise up off Nick, get off the couch, and
walk into the kitchen. “I’m sorry. I probably should have asked first. I really
didn’t think when I bought these.” I say apologetically.

He walks up behind me, wrapping his around arms
around my neck, looking down at everything. “It’s fine. I’m just not sure why
it’s all needed,” he says, gesturing to everything.

I pick up the large black dog collar and fiddle
with it. “I walked past a dog store and decided to go in and buy treats. Then I
remembered Charmin isn’t wearing a collar, and Niko’s is a bit old, so I bought
them. Then when I passed the beds, I remembered I didn’t see any in your
bedroom and got those too.” I say, taking the tag off.

Touching one of the pillows, Nick laughs a little.
“They’ve never complained about the carpet in there,” he says. He seems amused.

"Now they never will,” I reply with a smile
as Nick removes the tag from Charmin’s collar.

“Pink…not exactly the color I would have picked
out,” he says sarcastically as he walks to the living room where the dogs are
still on the couch.

I follow, taking Niko’s collar with me. “She’s a
girl,” I point out. “The color will stand out next to her white fur. She’s
going to look pretty,” I say.

“Yeah, well, now she is officially your dog. I’m
not claiming her while she’s wrapped in pink,” he says seriously while
fastening the collar around her neck. She jumps off the couch and starts scratching
at it. She doesn’t like it.

I laugh at her. She looks so cute trying to get it
off. “She can’t be taken away from Niko. He loves her.”

“She’s not going anywhere.” I look up at his
remark. What does he mean by that? He couldn’t possibly be insinuating I’m not
leaving either. No, that’s crazy.

I change the subject. I don’t want to get into
this, nor think about what I think he means. “I’m going to get my pajamas out
of my car.” I grab my keys from the counter.

“You pajamas aren’t in your car. They’re in the
bottom drawer of my dresser,” he says casually. Did he just fucking move me in?
No, he wouldn’t; he couldn’t.

I turn on my heel to face him. “What else did you
bring in?” I place my hands on my hips waiting for his answer.

“Everything that was in your car,” he says as he
walks to the refrigerator and gets a beer out. After opening it, he tosses the
top in the trash and takes a long sip.

Does he not realize I’m going to have to repack
everything in a few days when I move into an apartment? Perhaps a condo? An
investment isn’t a bad idea while rates are so low.

“Nick, I didn’t want to repack everything next
week.” I sound a little harsh.

“Why would you have to repack anything next week?”
He takes another long sip and finishes his beer. Tossing it in the trash, he
gets another one.

“Bringing all my stuff in your house was pointless.
I don’t live here. I have to find an apartment on Monday.” I pass by him, going
to the refrigerator. I need a beer after this conversation.

“Now you do,” he says, opening his second beer; he
tosses the cap in the trash. I freeze for a moment, standing in front of the
refrigerator with the door open.

“Now I do what?” I ask not so sure I want his
answer. Shit, I’m pretty damn sure what he is insinuating, but I have no idea why.

“Now you live here, so go shower and change. The
pizza I ordered while you were asleep will be here shortly.” He takes another
sip of his beer. He looks a little annoyed that I’m questioning him.

“Excuse me?” It’s all I can manage to say. He’s
lost his fucking mind. That has to be it. Why would he move me in? We’ve known
each other for two seconds.

“Shannon, I don’t want to argue. Just go shower or
change, or do both, but hurry up.” He is definitely annoyed. This is too much,
but I’m too tired to fight him on it. I want normal, sexy Nick back, not crazy,
sexy Nick.

“Fine, I’ll be back in fifteen minutes,” I huff as
I exit the kitchen walking to his bedroom.
 

The shower was needed and felt so good on my tired
body. Walking out of the bathroom into his bedroom, I head for the dresser to
retrieve some clothes.

I open the drawer and pull out my black Victoria’s
Secret crop pants that have PINK spelled out across my butt in the color pink
and a plain racer-back pink tank top. I find my underwear in the top drawer. I
let my towel pool to the floor and I dress, but I don’t bother with a bra. I
hate wearing them at night and I want to be comfy.

Hearing the doorbell, I assume the pizza has
arrived. I walk back into the bathroom and brush my hair into a ponytail,
wrapping a band around it. All my bathroom products have been put into their
place. I’m still in shock. I just don’t understand the man.

Nick is calling my name as I make my way to the
kitchen. As I enter, Nikki and Jase are both sitting Indian-style on top of the
granite island. Jase is taking a sip of a beer and Nikki is taking her first
bite of pizza. Suddenly, I remember I’m not wearing a bra. I grab my boobs.
“Oh, shit,” I say announcing my arrival. They both turn to look at me as Nick
is walking in the back door.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize other people were here.
I’m going to go put on more clothes.” 

“Don’t change on my account. I think you look
great,” Jase laughs out. I hear Nick curse under his breath, but loud enough
for everyone to hear. I turn on my heel and head back to the bedroom,
embarrassed.

Walking into the bedroom, I quickly grab my only
bra out of the top drawer and put it on. I walk into the closet and find a pair
of flip-flops on the shoe rack.

Walking back into the kitchen, I head straight for
the pizza. I’m hungry. Once I take my first bite, I get a beer out of the
refrigerator and hand it to Nick to open. My hands are full with my pizza and I
have no intention of setting it down. Yum…mouthwatering.

“I thought you were going to put on more clothes,”
Nick says, eyeing me up and down. He’s barking up the wrong tree if he thinks
I’m going to change to appease him. If there was approved attire for hanging
out, then he should have told me his best friend and sister were coming over.

“I did.” I take my beer from him and take a sip.
Nothing is better than pizza and beer. I stand in front of him and he wraps his
arm around my shoulders. The tension I felt from our earlier conversation is
gone. It feels like heaven when his skin is touching mine.

“Get off her case, Nick. She looks hot.” Nikki
kicks his leg from the granite island where she is sitting. She barely grazes
his.

Jase hops off, tosses his empty bottle of beer in
the trash, and grabs another from the refrigerator. “Dude, let’s go play pool.
I owe you an ass kicking.” He walks out of the kitchen.

Nick releases his arms from my shoulder, leans
down and kisses my neck. “Come watch?” It’s more of a question than a demand.

“She’s staying with me. There’s finally another
girl that I want to be around. You and Jase run along.” Nikki is shooing her
brother out of the kitchen with a hand motion.

Nick laughs as he walks down the hall. Damn, he
has a fine ass in those jeans. Maybe I could watch a person for hours, if that
person is him. I smile as he rounds the corner and is out of my line of sight.
I take another piece of pizza from the box. The pepperoni and cheese melt into
my mouth.

“So, has he moved you in yet?” I stop mid chew and
look at Nikki. She is crossing her legs Indian-style on the island counter top
and looking at me with a devious wide smile.
  

I finish chewing my pizza and swallow. I know my
face must match the color of my hair. Does he do this often with women he’s
sleeping with?

“No, of course not. I have a couple of
appointments next week to look at apartments.” This is a lie, but I don’t want
his sister thinking I’m some kind of leach. Come Monday, I will be looking for
a new place.

I grab my beer and down the rest of the contents
in one gulp. I must steer this conversation in another direction. I think she
senses the awkwardness in the room. 

“So I hear your second book will be out soon,” she
says while hopping off the counter top to grab the pizza box; she tosses it in
the trash.

“There isn’t a release date yet, but it’s complete.
 
I turned everything in yesterday.” How
does she know about my book?

Nikki and I continue talking. I have a great
conversation with her. We learn that we’re both addicted to Starbucks. We share
the same love for music. Papa Roach being my favorite band and Metallica being hers.
We both agree
Pulp Fiction
is the
best movie ever made. But my fun mood is short lived.

“What the hell is this?” Nick asks as he’s walking
back into the kitchen. I look over at him to see he’s holding something small and
thin in-between his fingers. It looks like a card. As he nears, I see it’s the
business card Jeffery gave me earlier today.

What the hell!

It seems like he blows a fucking gasket every time
I turn around. Apparently,
Sparky
is making another appearance. He holds
the card out and in front of my face. “It’s nothing,” I tell him. And really,
it’s not, or at least it’s not really his business. “A client of mine gave it
to me earlier today.”

“Jeffery fucking Chaney is a client?” His voice is
one of disbelief.. “And why the fuck did he need to give you his cellphone number?”
Nikki’s eyes widen with concern when Nick pronounces Jeffery’s name, making me
curious about Nick’s beef with the man. Nick is furiously mad. I can see
written on his face. The veins in his neck are straining against his tight
olive skin. I’m hoping this is about Jeffery himself and nothing more. I won’t
deal with a jealous man.

“Nick, calm down. It’s nothing, really. He was at
the gallery when I stopped by today. He noticed I wasn’t wearing an engagement
ring any longer and asked me to dinner. It’s not a big deal.” His eyes darken
and he crushes the card in his hand.

“What the fuck did you tell him?” He steps closer,
caging me in with his arms. He places both hands palms down on the granite
behind me and looks down at me. He’s searching my eyes for something.

“I politely turned him down. There is no reason
for you to get this mad.” Nikki hops off the counter giving me a sympathetic
look. Jase walks in the kitchen and grabs Nikki by the elbow.

“Nikki, I think we should go.” Jase is lightly
pulling her by the arm.

“Geez, Nick, maybe you should just let this go.
Jeffery isn’t worth your time of day.” Nikki tells him while yanking her arm free
from Jase’s grasp. She glare’s at her boyfriend briefly before turning her
attention back to Nick.

“And maybe you should do what your boyfriend says
and get the fuck out of my house.” Nick doesn’t look at his sister as he says
this. He continues to stare down at me. His eyes are full of anger.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that to me and
leave, jerk off.” If eyes could throw daggers, Nick would have plenty in the
back of his head the way Nikki is looking at him. She storms off past Jase, and
I hear the door slam a few seconds later.

“There is no reason to get this mad,” I repeat.
What’s his problem with Jeffery?

“Oh, I’m far past mad right now.” He takes a half
a step back and reaches into his pocket pulling out his cell.

“What are you doing?” I’m pretty sure I know
exactly what he’s about to do, and I can’t let him do this. Jeffery is a
client, a really good client, if I ignore the “too friendly” side of him.

“I’m taking care of this. He needs to know who the
fuck you belong to.” He is dialing the number already. 

Oh, no he didn’t just go there.

Now, I’m way past mad. Who the fuck does he think
he is! “I’m not a piece of property, Nick. You don’t own me.” I try to reach
for his phone, but it’s useless. He holds me back.

“It’s Lockhart. Stay the fuck away from Shannon.
Is. That. Fucking. Clear?” His breathing is heavy and his eyes widen. I can’t
hear the other half of his conversation.

“Because she is mine, so stay the fuck away from
her, Chaney.” He ends the call.

Shocked doesn’t even begin to cover what I’m
feeling. I don’t know what to say or do. What the hell was that about? “You
care to explain that?”

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him,
waiting for an answer. I take a couple calming breaths. Maybe there’s a
reasonable explanation. I’m not seeing one at the moment, but I’m going to give
him the benefit of the doubt.

“Because you are mine, and if he comes near you
again, I will break his fucking neck.” He slams his phone on the counter and
storms off to his bedroom.

Yep, still standing here in shock. What the hell
just happened? This is beyond crazy. This is something completely different.
I’m not sure I want or need to be around this man. I hear the water from the
shower come on as I make my way into his room. The bathroom door is closed so I
don’t see him.

Should I stay, should I go? I could go to Stacy
and Katelyn’s, but I don’t know where he’s put all my things, and by the time I
pack, he will probably be out of the shower. I need time to think, and I can’t
think here with him.

I grab my tennis shoes and decide to go for a
walk. Walking or running always clears my head. I so need a clear head right
now.

* * * * *

By the time I make it back, I know I’ve been gone
awhile, maybe even an hour. The walk helped calm me down, but did nothing to
help me decide anything about Nick’s behavior. The only thing that will help
that is talking with him, but I have no idea what to say.

I walk in the front door and come face-to-face
with a hole the size of a fist punched in the wall in the foyer. Oh. My. God.
Did he seriously do that? A shit load of red flags go up.

I shut the door and I turn to see Nick walking
from the living room to where I am. He looks panicked and worried. Guess I
should have left a note.

“Where have you been? I’ve been going out of my God
damn mind for almost an hour. I called your cell, but it was here. Your car is
here. Everything is here, except you.” He grabs me, pulling my head to his
chest and takes a deep sigh. It’s like he’s relieved.

“I just went for a walk to think and clear my
head.” I wrap my arms around his waist. I know I should be mad at him, but when
he’s holding me or touching me, I just seem to relax; this is where I want to
be. I don’t know why that is. I’ve known him less than a week, but I don’t want
to leave. I’m letting myself grow too accustomed to him and his damn touch.

“Please don’t leave without telling me where
you’re going. I was worried. Really. Fucking. Worried.” He tightens his hold on
me.

“Did you punch a hole in the wall because you’re
mad at me?” Please say it wasn’t me, but even I know that’s wishful thinking.
He loosens his grip and places his hands on both sides of my face. He leans
down and kisses my forehead.

“Yes, I punched a hole in the wall, but I’m not
mad at you. I came out and I couldn’t find you. I thought you left and the wall
was there. I’m sorry. I
−
”

“It’s okay.” No it’s really not okay, but I cut
him off anyways. I don’t want him to finish explaining. What the fuck have I
gotten myself into?

“Why don’t we go to bed and forget this happened? Deal?”
I ask, sighing. I look up at him, waiting for a response. He takes a deep
breath.
  

“Sure.” His lips turn up in a small smile, but it
looks forced. He grabs my hand and leads me to his bedroom. The talk I want to have
really isn't much of a talk at all. I walk to the closet and remove my bra,
tennis shoes and socks. 

Walking back to the bed, I remove my sweatpants
and climb in. Nick is already in the bed naked; I realize when I lift the
covers, sliding under. He grabs my waist, pulling me closer to him so my back
is to his front. He slides his arm under my tank top, but doesn’t move further
up than my ribs. He kisses my ear lightly while holding me tightly against his
chest.

“I know I overreacted and I’m sorry.” He tightens
his hold on me and inhales a deep breath in my hair.

I hesitate for a second, not sure I should push
him, but I want to know why. “Why don’t you like Jeffery Chaney?”

He’s quiet for a long time, and I don’t think he’s
going to answer my question. “I’ve known him a long time. He’s a fucking
lunatic.”

“Meaning what exactly?” I ask.

He’s quiet again, but after a few seconds he sighs
deeply. “Just let it go, and promise me that you will not see him again. I
don’t care that he is a client.”

“Nick, you aren’t telling me anything. I can’t
just drop a client. I mean, it’s not like I’m a friend of the man. This
shouldn’t be a big deal."

I can feel his body go tight. He doesn’t like what
I said, but he isn’t telling me why he has a problem with Jeffery. I don’t want
to argue again. I need to distract him so he will let this go. I rise up on my
hands and knees, and then crawl on top of him. He places his hands on my hips
and gives me a sinister look.