Wine and Whiskey (Surviving Absolution #1) (9 page)

An hour later, the buzzing of his phone
interrupts their slumber. Fishing it out of his pocket, his stomach tightens at
the number scrolling across the screen before he puts it to his ear. “Give me
two minutes.”

He hits ‘end’ as she stretches her arm
across his chest and points her toes before looking up at him and smiling.
“Hi.”

Even with messy hair and sleep-heavy eyes
she’s beautiful. And, thankfully honest. No sneaking off, at least not this
time. “Hi.” He smiles and cups her cheek. “I’m sorry, sweetness, but I need to
make a call. Can you give me a few minutes?”

“Sure. I’ll see you inside.”

Waiting until the door clicks shut behind
her, he climbs out of the hammock and dials the number. “Make it quick. Is it
done?” Silence answers him back. “God damn it, I’m tired of your constant fuck-ups.
Fucking take care of it and call me back.”

He slams the cell against the railing and
takes a deep breath, trying to calm his irritation before returning to Shae. This
stupid idiot won’t ruin his time with her, not after she’s given him a little
more of herself as well as her entire day.

Inside the kitchen, she stands at the
counter slicing strawberries. Oranges, peaches, and cherries line the edge of
the cutting board. He wraps his arms around her torso and nuzzles her neck.
“What are you making?”

She leans back against him, but continues
working. “Sangria. Nathan usually has to work weekends, but he’s off today so
Carrie and I are making enchiladas for dinner. I thought it would be fun to
have a festive cocktail to go with them.”

“Can I help?”

“Of course.”

He releases her waist and heads to the
sink to wash his hands. Returning to the work area she has set up, he slowly
slides his fingers down her arms, covering her hands with his own. Rubbing the
top of her left ring finger, he takes a deep breath. His plans will have to
wait until she’s ready. After what happened last night, it’s going to be a
while.

“Is everything okay? You sounded upset
when you were on the phone.”

He stills. The last thing he wants is for
her to be thinking about his job. Releasing her hand, he places his finger on
her lips. “
Shhh
.
No talking about work.”

Her kiss on his fingertip makes his pulse
quicken. He must return the favor. “Do you ever wear your hair up?”

“Sometimes. Why?”

Sweeping the long strands to the side, he
places kisses along her shoulders and neck. “It makes it easier to do this.”

Her body shivers in response, and she
drops the paring knife. “I thought you were supposed to be helping.”

“What? This isn’t helpful? Okay, I’ll be
good.”

She begins slicing again as he rests his
chin on her shoulder, his left hand splayed on her belly, his right resting on
hers as it moves up and down. She lays down the knife again and picks up a
strawberry, bringing it to his mouth. “Do you want to taste to see if it’s
ripe?”

He glides the tip of his tongue over her
thumb and each fingertip before biting into the fragrant fruit. “It’s good.
What do you think?” He picks up another one and rubs it across her bottom lip.
She licks her lips before fully opening her mouth. The graze of her tongue
against his finger explodes like a grenade to his groin. He steps backward and
makes a T with his hands. “Time out, sweetness. We’ve got to stop, or I won’t
be able to help myself.”

Leaning against the countertop behind
him, he blows out a long breath. She turns to him, feigning innocence with wide
eyes but a sly smile. Pressing her hands against his chest, she leans forward,
her lips only a few inches from his mouth. “Don’t you want to taste any more of
my fruit?”

“Shae…” He issues a warning. He’s willing
to wait, but his resolve is no match for this kind of temptation.

“Nick?” She extends an invitation, as
well as her hand.

His pulse screams through his skin as she
leads him down the hallway and into a yellow bedroom with a white, four-poster
bed covered by a colorful quilt. Dropping his hand, she closes and locks the
door behind her.

Fighting the desire to scoop her up and
carry her to the bed, he sits on the side and lets her take the lead. Every
ounce of his willpower tested, not to slide those delicate straps off her
creamy, soft shoulders and follow the path down to everything good she wants to
give him.

“Do you know what I do with the fruit
after it soaks in the alcohol?”

Mesmerized by this playful sexy side he’s
never seen before, he can only shake his head, fearful the wrong word will
break the spell she weaves around them.

She walks toward him, stopping just
inches from his spread legs. “I light it on fire, and when the flames subside,
I drizzle it with melted chocolate. Sometimes, it gets messy, and I have to
lick—”

Unable to resist any longer, he grabs her
around the waist and pulls her down onto the mattress with him. She laughs and
reaches out to caress his cheek. He puts his hand on top of hers, needing to
confirm the trust she places in him. “If you get scared or change your mind,
tell me, and we’ll stop.”

The huge smile illuminating her gorgeous
face would bring him to his knees if he wasn’t already defenseless from her
gentle power. She gives herself to him, trusting him with her body and her
heart. He lifts up her hand and presses his lips onto her palm, kissing the
inside of her wrist, the crook of her arm, across her shoulder, and up her
throat. Her skin is like the softest silk as his fingers glide over her,
wasting him even more with her stunning beauty.

Supporting his weight with his forearms,
he lowers himself on top of her. He finds her mouth as her soft body lifts up
to meet his, throbbing with need from her breathless moans around his thrusting
tongue.

He trails kisses down her neck before
reaching the barrier of her dress. Her hands slide underneath him, pulling it
up and off before doing the same with his shirt, her fingers scorching his skin
as they run down his back. Following the same path, he kisses down her throat,
to her lacy bra, her nipples straining against the sheer pink fabric.

She entwines her fingers in his hair as
he releases the clasp between her soft mounds and begins to stroke the hardened
nub with his thumb. Her back arches as he nips it with his teeth before
providing the same undivided attention to her other breast.

Lava races through his veins at her hands
sliding down his stomach and unzipping his shorts. Rising up on his knees, he
pushes them and his boxer briefs off before nestling between her legs. He
whispers in her ear, “I love you seducing me, but you caught me off guard. Do
you have a condom?”

She stiffens, and her hands fall to her
sides. He lifts his head to find her staring at the wall.

“I got caught up in the moment.” She
tries to roll away from him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a tease.”

His stomach knots at her unease, and he
presses down to keep her from moving. The last thing he wants is for her to be
embarrassed or ashamed. “Don’t. You’re not a tease. I got excited too.” He cups
her chin, turning her face back to his, and smiles. “I’m not giving up that
easy. We can still have some fun.”

He begins a new trail, kissing and
licking between her breasts down to her belly button. His tongue glides over
her hip bone. A shudder rocks her body as he repeats it on the other side. As
his kisses trail lower, she tenses, her legs squeezing his torso. “Nick, I’ve
never…”

Her voice fades as he warms the skin
under her panties with his breath. Relaxing her legs, he pulls off the cotton
bikini and tosses it aside. Alternating kisses on each thigh, he moves higher
until he reaches her soft folds. At the first flick of his tongue, she gasps.
He gingerly kisses her before pushing farther into her wet core. Discovering
her special spot, the one that takes her over the edge, becomes his mission.

He sucks and grazes with his teeth as her
hips lift up to drive him deeper. Slowly, he caresses her nub in tandem with
his thrusting tongue. Her breathing turns into panting as she fists the sheets.
He leads her to the brink before pausing, looking up at her closed eyes and
tongue-licked lips, pink and swollen from his earlier ravishing.

Just as her hands start to relax, he
strokes his palm against her while curling two fingers inside. They slide in
and out in rhythm with her writhing hips. She whimpers as they brush against a
particular spot deep inside. Letting the tension build, he rubs against it
several times before pressing firmly with the pads of his fingers.

Trembling, her body convulses as she
cries out his name. Her rapid breathing becomes the only sound in the room. Goal
achieved. He prays Carrie’s book is right, and now she’ll truly be his. He
crawls up her body and places his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arm around
her waist to wait for her racing pulse to return to normal.

His body flexes at her soft voice. “My
turn.”

A deep groan rumbles from his chest as
she rubs her hand down his stomach to his treasure trail. Her finger swirls in
the curly hair, making his hips involuntarily jerk forward. Just as she strokes
him with her first feathery touch, she sits up and gasps. “I don’t know what I
was thinking!”

His stomach clenches as she climbs out of
bed, and he reaches for her. “Shae, no! Please don’t run.”

“I’m not, I swear. I just remembered
something. I’ll be right back.”

Reluctantly, he releases her hand. He’ll
chase her through the house naked if it stops her from leaving him. She wraps a
pink, silk robe around herself and races out of the bedroom. Sixty seconds,
that’s it. Otherwise, he’s out of this bed.

Footsteps echo from the floor above him.
A minute later, she runs back in, her face glowing. “I found these in Carrie’s
room.”

Holding up two foil packets, she jumps
onto the mattress. He can’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. “Two? We’ll be in
here all afternoon.”

She winks at him as she unties the belt
on her robe and lets it fall open. “Unless you have something else you would
rather do.”

He grabs one of the wrappers and rips it
open. “Hell, no.”

Her eyes twinkle as she resumes her
previous position and runs her fingernails down his length. Putting his hand on
top of hers, he shakes his head. “That’s round two. Right now, I need you.”

Lowering himself on top of her, he
cradles her head with his hands, eyes locked with hers as he thrusts into her,
almost exploding at his name crossing her lips, welcoming him into her heart.
He rises on his elbow, his gaze roaming from her beautiful face, over her
throbbing breasts and stomach to where their bodies have become one, her
delicate softness pressing against his restrained hardness.

She has to know what giving herself means
to him. He may have fucked other women, but he’s never made love to anyone but
her. He meets her burning gaze again, a soft smile gracing her mouth. “I love
you, Shae.”

She nods before pulling him back down to
her.

Chapter Five

Two weeks ago she was alone, maybe not
even really cognizant she was lonely. Of course, she has Carrie, Nathan, and
Jason. They love her, and she loves them, more like family than friends. Yet,
Carrie and Nathan are getting married soon, and Jason is busy running the gym
and building a life together with his partner, Stephen.

If she’s honest with herself, her
loneliness is of her own making. She shelters herself from life in the
so-called fast lane, trying not to get caught up in the antics destroying other
musicians’ careers. Heeding her mom’s warnings, she shies away from men who show
interest in her. One or two dates maybe, but never more. Evan earned a chance
because of his friendship with Nathan, yet even that relationship succumbed to
her mother’s never-ending need to protect her from a broken heart.

Now, this wonderful, gorgeous,
intoxicating man sleeps next to her. He’s generous and protective, making her
feel like no other man has before. In return, she acts like an irrational
tease. One who pulls away any chance she gets. For some unfathomable reason, he
still loves her, although she gives him every reason not to.

Her mother would hate him. He’s too rich,
too handsome, his proclamation of love too soon and intense. But her mom is
gone, and she won’t have to choose between them. The guilt weighs on her,
almost suffocating in its enormity. And, if he leaves, it’s because of her
alone. She can’t blame anyone else but herself.

In the mid-day light, she studies his
profile, the stubble on his jawline and chin barely visible. His chiseled chest
rises and falls, his hand covering hers as it lies over his heart. Even in his
sleep, he holds her close and makes her feel loved. The desire to do the same
for him overwhelms her. She smiles to herself. That’s her new plan—to make him
feel happy and loved.

She slides her fingers out from under his
and rolls away. His hand on her waist stops her. “Where are you going?”
Insistent fingers pull her back into bed.

“I was going to take a shower. I’m sorry
I woke you.”

“I’m not. It killed me to wake up this
morning and find you gone. I didn’t want it to happen again.”

They lay side by side, their faces only a
few inches apart. The doubt in his eyes pierces her heart. The only time she’s
faced the result of running away, the first time she sees beyond her own
heartache to his pain. She wraps her hands together and tucks them under her
chin. “I know. I’m sorry. It hurt me to leave you. I just panicked.”

He’s silent, perhaps waiting for more.

“Instead of relief, all I felt was fear.
I realized I’d made the biggest mistake of my life, and I was scared I would
never see you again. It wasn’t until you showed up at my door I knew you really
loved me.”

“Why did you finally believe it then?”

“Because you still wanted me even after I
left you.”

He reaches out and caresses her cheek,
his soft touch granting her the forgiveness she seeks for hurting him. “I will
always want you. Until you look me in the eye and tell me it’s over, I will
follow you no matter where you run to.” His declaration is simple yet powerful,
his voice strong and emphatic.

The certainty of his feelings bewilders
her the most. How can he be so sure?

Sliding his hand down her arm, he lays it
on top of her curled fingers. “But what I really want is for you not to run at
all. What can I do to keep you from leaving me?”

If only it could be that easy, that she
could be as confident in herself as he is. She shakes her head. “Help me not
feel guilty about betraying my mom.”

“What makes you think you are?”

Love for her mother outweighs all the
other emotions she feels for her. Yet, her stomach tightens at the shame of
talking about her insecurities, the irrational tangents that hung over their
lives, never allowing them to experience contentment together. “She wouldn’t
have liked us being together.”

“I can be pretty charming when I want to
be.” He flashes his sexiest smile, making her body tingle despite her remorse.
“Maybe I could have convinced her.”

His bravado makes her laugh. “If anyone
could do it, it would be you.” She wraps her hands together again and snuggles deeper
under the covers. “It’s sad, really. She always had this melancholy nature
about her. It would disappear sometimes when things were going well, like my
first recording session or when I bought her this house. But it always came
back. I don’t think she was ever really happy.”

“Why not?”

“She was lonely. My father broke her
heart, and she never trusted anyone again. I can remember her going on a few
dates, but not many. She was so fearful of getting hurt, she never took a
chance. According to her, I should never take one either.” She lays her hand
against his open palm resting on the pillow, smiling as his long fingers
instantly curl around hers. “I was lonely too until I met you.”

“Me too. I guess I had given up without
realizing it. I just worked and hung out with Max.” He winks at her. “I mean I
like Max and everything, but he’s not really my type.”

“I like Max too.”

“Should I be jealous?”

She giggles at his teasing, some of her
tension from earlier dissipating from his humor. Naked and honest, yet she
doesn’t feel vulnerable. Only safe and content. “You know what I mean. He can
be a little intimidating at first, but I think he’s a softy underneath.”

Now it’s his turn to laugh. “Don’t let
him hear you say that. He thinks he’s perfected the badass image.”

She leans into his hand on her cheek.
“I’m glad you have each other. I know he’s your Director of Security or
whatever his title is, but he seems more like your friend.”

“I guess it’s morphed into that over the
years. We were working all the time, and it made it easier for him to stay at
the house. Once he moved in, we became friends. He’s a good guy.”

“He has a good boss.”

His hands glide over to her naked body,
drawing her closer. Her heart skips a beat at his strong yet gentle touch, his
desire for her evident as his body responds to her pressing against him. “Are
you trying to butter me up, Miss Armstrong?”

“Well, Mr. DeMarco, I need to take a
shower and thought you might help me wash my back.”

“I’m at your command.” He stands and pulls
her up, holding her against him. Shivers trail her neck from his fingers
running through her hair. “I like it when you flirt with me. Your playful side
is very sexy.” He nuzzles her ear and begins to kiss down her throat. “I’d like
to see more of it.”

“You bring it out of me. I can’t help
myself when I’m around you.” She steps back and smiles at his exaggerated frown
from her wiggling out of his embrace. “Give me one second. I want to get
something.”

Kneeling down on the floor, she slides
out a box from underneath the bench at the foot of her bed. “I didn’t think
you’d want to smell like orchids or lilacs, so I have this unscented soap for
you.” She smiles up at him and winks. “Now I can wash your back…” Her voice
fades at the hollowness of his expression, the turmoil swirling in his eyes.
“Nick?”

Suddenly, his fingers clench her
shoulders, and he pulls her up to him. He wraps his arms around her, almost
crushing her. His heart pounds against her cheek.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. I had this weird déjà vu
flashback or something.”

They hold each other until his heartbeat
calms, but his face remains pale and drawn. Sitting side by side, he presses
her fingers flat between his palms. Lost in his thoughts, he stares at their
coupled hands.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

A few minutes pass before he responds. “I
think I was in second grade. I came home from school and walked into the
kitchen.” Goosebumps cover her arms and legs at his voice, so distant and lost.
“My mother was kneeling on the floor, rocking forward, holding her head. I
guess he had hit her. He was standing over her screaming, calling her names. I
was paralyzed. So scared I couldn’t move.”

Nick shakes his head and stands up,
staring into the distance at something only he can see. She wraps her arms
around his waist and lays her head on his back, needing to keep the connection
between them as he trusts her with his heartbreak.

“Then, he was quiet. I thought he was
leaving. I thought it was over. But it wasn’t. He reared back and kicked her
hard in the stomach, and she went flying across the tile. I tried to go to her,
but he pushed me away, backhanded me across the face. Screamed at me to go to
my room. I was too scared to do anything else, so I ran to my room and locked
the door. I laid on my bed until morning. No one ever came for me.”

The lump in her throat strangles her
voice, and she can barely push the words out. “I’m so sorry.”

He entwines their hands and takes a deep,
shuddering breath. “It all came rushing back, seeing you on the floor in front
of me. I think it’s the last time I ever saw her.” He brings her hand to his
mouth and kisses her knuckles. “I’m sorry if I frightened you.”

Heaviness fills her heart. Amidst his own
suffering, he still takes care of her. Regardless of her uncertainty about his
job, his love for her remains clear. “No, you didn’t. I was just worried about
you. It breaks my heart both of you went through that.”

“She’s been on my mind a lot lately,
since meeting you.” Turning around, he cups her face before kissing her softly.
“I’m on the Board of Directors for the L.A. chapter of the Domestic Violence
Foundation.”

Her stomach twitches at his comment. He
doesn’t know she researched him and learned about his involvement with the charity.
Knowing the reason behind it intensifies her guilt even more.

“Their annual gala is this Saturday, and
I want you to go with me.”

“Of course. I’d be honored to be your
date.”

“Thank you.” He strokes her hair, as if
comforting himself as well as her, while his brow remains furrowed. “I’m sorry
you didn’t get your shower.”

“It’s okay. If you stay with me tonight,
I’ll need another one anyway.” A little bit of spark returns to his eyes at her
naughty comment. “Are you hungry?”

He nods. “Starving.”

“Come on, then. Let’s go find something
to eat.”

* * * *

They peer into the refrigerator. Yogurt,
carrot sticks, cottage cheese, and white wine. “I guess it’s kind of girl food,
isn’t it? How about I order a pizza?” She smiles at him and wrinkles her nose,
adorable in her unnecessary embarrassment. The rattle of the garage door
interrupts their discussion. Her face lights up before she pushes against the
handle. “That’s Carrie. The birthday party for Nathan’s grandma must be over.”

Carrie walks into the kitchen carrying a
stack of white boxes. Winking at Nick, she smiles. “I thought that might be
your sweet Audi in the driveway.”

He returns the sentiment before taking
the packages from her and setting them on the counter. “Hi, Carrie.”

She begins opening them, revealing an
assortment of sandwiches. “Are you
guys
hungry? We
have tons of leftovers, so eat up.”

The enticing combination of fresh-baked
bread and spicy mustard makes his stomach growl. Not having eaten since last
night, he’s ravenous.

Nathan walks in carrying two bags of
chips and a carton of bottled beer. He adds them to the spread on the counter
and offers his hand. “Hi, I’m Nathan.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Nick.”

Glancing at her watch, Carrie pats Nathan
on the butt. “Look, you’re even home in time to watch your precious game.”

“Yes!” Nathan walks into the living room
and flips on the TV. Carrie and Shae both laugh as he sinks down onto the sofa,
mesmerized by the screen. Without taking his eyes off it, he yells back toward
them, “Hey, Nick. Come and check out the game.”

Shae smiles and nods at him. “Go on. I
need to work on the Sangria.”

Another reason he loves her—easy-going
and good-natured with her friends and him. He kisses her on the cheek and takes
his plate of sandwiches to the sofa.

Carrie shakes her head. “What the hell?
The men are lying in front of the TV, and the women are in the kitchen cooking.
Is this not the twenty-first century?”

Nathan leans over and nudges him. “This
will really get her riled up.” Their playful banter makes him smile. Shae’s
lucky to have such good friends. Carrie’s a handful, but it looks like her
fiancé can keep up. Nathan yells back over his shoulder again, “Woman, bring us
some beers.”

Nick coughs with laughter, almost choking
on his sandwich. Carrie grabs two bottles and walks into the living room. Her
sweet smile to Nick contradicts the fire burning in her eyes at Nathan. He
tries to keep from laughing as he accepts the beer from her. “Thank you,
Carrie.”

She stands in front of Nathan, blocking
his view. Unscrewing the top, she lowers herself down to straddle him. “You
want a beer, baby?”