Wilted (26 page)

That’s it. I can’t hold on any longer. Desperate to come, I push my hips up and feel the orgasm as it overtakes me.

“Mmmm,” I roar into the tape on my mouth, slamming my head back against the rocker.

Kylie screams her own release and I feel her come.

“Holy shit,” she says, turning back to look at me. Standing, she leans in and kisses me once more on the tape.

“Ready?” she asks, grabbing the side at the corner of my mouth. But before I can nod, she rips it off.

“FUCK!” I scream. I think she’s ripped two layers of skin with it.

“I’m sorry, baby. Next time, I won’t use tape.” She laughs and cuts me free from the tape with some of her scissors.

I stay quiet once she sets me free and her laughing ceases.

“Nik? I said I was sorry. You’re not mad, are you?”

With an angry face, I charge after her. She screams and runs into the bathroom down the hall. I push past the door and shove her back into the shower. Turning the water on, I give her a sly grin before turning her around. Bending her over the shower bench, I grab her ponytail and waste no time reminding her who’s really in charge.

KYLIE

“They’re on their way! Hurry up and move this over by the wall,” I order as I scurry around the nursery before darting out to the porch. I’m so excited for Skylar to be coming home. The doctor says she has to take it easy for a while just to make sure the baby keeps on doing all right. I have no doubt everything is going to be terrific.

Standing on the front step, Nik comes and wraps his arms around me.

“Stop worrying. She’s going to love it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I predict tears. Lots and lots of happy tears. You women cry over everything, anyways.”

“Smart ass.”

“Hey, now. You know I get turned on when you call me names.”

“Everything turns you on.” I laugh, earning myself a slap on the ass and a passionate kiss.

“Here they’re,” I say, breaking away from him.

Just as I’m about to run down the steps to meet them, he grabs me by the waist and spins me to him. “You and I will be finishing this up soon, little lady. Our bathroom, thirty minutes.” The authority in his voice makes me wet.

“Make it twenty,” I return with a wink as I rush down to meet them.

NIKOLAS

Swallow your pride, Nik, and stop being a wuss.

Seven times, I’ve circled this street. By the eighth, I know it’s now or never. Pulling into the driveway, I can’t help but smile when I see the two of them. The Reynolds are extraordinary people. They kind of have to be in order to have the daughter they do. Mr. Reynolds is taking a tall glass of lemonade from his wife’s hand just as I shut the door to my Jaguar.

They greet me with bright smiles and wave me over to where they are. Even though Kylie and I have been back together for a while now, I’ve never sat down and talked to her father man to man.

I greet her mom first. She smells like fresh chocolate chip cookies. No doubt, she’s been baking again. I still have no fucking clue how she can whip up anything to eat, and yet Kylie can’t boil water. Let me rephrase that. She
can
boil water. She just burns whatever she puts
in
the water.

“Nik, my boy. What brings you out here?” Mr. Reynolds says, slapping me on my back and bringing me in for a hug. Since my father never showed me affection, this is super awkward for me.

“I thought we might have a talk if you’re not too busy, that is.”

“Not at all. I was just taking crossing off some honey do’s from the wife’s list. She’s a real slave driver, ya know?” he teases.

“Oh, hush up, you!” She slaps him playfully on the arm and he smiles in return. I watch the way he looks back at Kylie’s mom and I see it.
Love
. It’s exactly how I feel about his daughter.

“Why don’t you two sit on the front porch, and I’ll bring you some lemonade, Nik.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

When she returns with the glass, she doesn’t stay. Instead, she leaves the two of us alone.

I take a sip of the lemonade and play with the design etched in the glass.
Any day now, Nik.

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it, sir?”

“First of all, Nik, I told you to please call me Steve. Secondly, I don’t think you came here to discuss the weather. Am I right?”

I nod and lean forward to put the glass down before I end up dropping it.

“Relax, Nik, and tell me what’s on your mind?”

“I guess I don’t know where to begin, really. I mean, Kylie and I have been back together for a while now and well… I feel like I owe you an apology for everything I put you guys through. I know you two were there for Kylie when I was too stupid to see how much I needed her in my life.”

“Nik, what happened between Kylie and you is none of our business. You don’t owe us anything. She’s our daughter. Of course, we’re going to be there for her.”

“But I do owe you. I owe you everything, Mr. Reynolds… Steve,” I correct myself. “I love your daughter more than life itself. And by some miracle, she’s forgiven me. I will never be able to get back the time we lost, but I promise you this, I will never hurt her like that again. She’s my everything, and I will never let a day go by that I don’t prove that to her.”

He smiles knowingly as tears form in his eyes, the same eyes his beautiful daughter has.

Taking another deep breath, I continue to ask the one question all fathers of little girls dread. “May I have your blessing to ask your daughter to marry me?”

Watching a strong man struggle to contain his emotion is hard to witness, but at this moment, there is no embarrassment. Instead of an answer, he stands and moves towards me. I stand in return, uncertain of where this is going. With one swift move, he wraps his arm around me and pulls me in for a hug. Unlike all the others, this one feels different.

“Welcome to the family, son.”

Son
. Maybe it’s the relief and emotion of what just happened, but I give in and allow myself to absorb it all.
He’s welcoming me into his family.

“Just one more thing.” he says, slapping me on the back again.

“Anything.”

“Take care of my baby.”

With the love I feel for his daughter, he never has to worry one moment about that.

“You have my word, Sir.”

KYLIE

Life is so unpredictable. A year ago, I never would have been able to guess that my best friend would be married with a baby on the way, nor that I’d ever say the words I love you to a man. So much has happened in these past twelve months that it makes my head spin. Through everything, I’m not the same girl I once was, and that’s not a bad thing. We grow, we live, and we learn… But most of all, we love.

Love is the glue that holds life together. Everywhere I look, I see it. Funny how being in love does that to you. I find it in places I never dreamed. Maybe all this time, I’ve been blind. Love is in everything… even hate. Hate is only a scorned love. One has to fully have it, feel it, and lose it to appreciate what it does to you. Love is taking chances and believing in yourself because someone believes in you. Love is why I’m making this call.

“I appreciate everything you have done for me by allowing me the opportunity to work with you at Telko, but I just don’t think it’s the place for me.”

“Ms. Reynolds, I assure you, if it is about money, we can match any competitor who may have approached you.”

“This isn’t about money. It’s about happiness.”

“You’re giving up a very viable role to change careers. Are you sure this choice makes you happy?”

“For the first time in a long time, I can honestly say yes. Yes, it does. “

“Well then, we wish you all the best, Ms. Reynolds.”

“Thank you, again,” I say, placing my phone back on the counter. I stare at the paint on my arms and hands, and grin at how wonderful this feels. Everything is falling into place and I’m no longer scared of it all crumbling, because true love doesn’t allow for that to happen.

I take a deep breath, but I shouldn’t be nervous at all. With a gentle pat on my hip, I melt into the glorious god beside me. I look up at him and smile, remembering all too well that my heart belongs only to him. Once again, our names are called, and I turn my attention back to where the shouts are coming from. The thing is, he doesn’t. When I look back up, he’s never taken his eyes off me. That smoldering look has me breathless in front of all of these people. I squeeze my legs together to appease the throbbing of my clit.
Fuck, I want him.

Bright lights flash around us as the paparazzi takes our picture against the media wall at the opening of our new restaurant,
Hype
, in Dallas. The turnout has been absolutely incredible. Everywhere I look, celebrities of all sorts make their way into the place.

When Nik told me he had a surprise for me, I certainly didn’t expect this. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw my paintings hanging up in each corner. The moment I laid eyes on this place, I had so many ideas for it. What I couldn’t believe was that Nik remembered every single one. It was as if he’d brought my vision to life, so to speak.

It broke my heart when he told me how he’d thrown his time, money, and energy into this because it made him feel closer to me after we’d broken up. The place has been ready to open for a while now, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it without me. It’s why I know fate has worked magic, once again, in our lives. The mistakes we’ve made? We’re stronger now because of them. And tonight, it’s time to celebrate it for the world to see that, no matter what, we’re a team.

“You’re the fucking sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. Dear God! Your body in that dress is killing me,” he whispers in my ear as he slides his hand down the opening in the back of my halter dress.

The combination of his touch and words makes me instantly wet. Lucky for him, I’m not wearing anything underneath it. With us, you never know when the need may arise.

Placing my hand on his chest, I ignore the cameras around us and lean in to speak against his mouth. “Relax, Mr. Thorne. You can tone down the compliments. You’re definitely getting laid tonight,” I reply, placing a tender kiss on his lips. “Oh, and, by the way, I’m not wearing anything underneath this dress.” I return his heated glare.

Without warning, he grabs my face and deepens the kiss, leaving me breathless and horny as hell.

“I’m going to take your hand and lead you inside, but we’re not stopping to talk to anyone. We’re going straight to my office. I’m going to fuck you before I lose my goddamn mind.”

Fucking hell, this man can make me blush! I can’t wait for him to make me come.