30. Don’t Apologize to Me
CHAPTER 30
Don’t Apologize to Me
Henry
Nikki curled up next to me on the bed, a long leg thrown over mine, while her head rested on my shoulder. The rays of the afternoon sun shone through the window and touched the edge of the bed. We’d been like this for hours. Every time she moved, she clung tighter to me. The nightmare was truly over.
I never thought I’d ever be back in this room. The last time I was here, I spent days locked up. At the time, I didn’t care. Not after Nikki left me. Not after I thought I’d lost her. Jonathan and Francesca won ten years ago because Nikki and I hadn’t fought back. I’d been in so much pain then. I had no idea what was really at stake or why Jonathan needed me far away from this place.
After last night, I finally understood why wouldn’t have us run away together. He knew that eventually we’d figure out what he’d done to Mom and Dad. And all for a woman who only cared about herself, what she wanted, and what Dad couldn’t give her. How could Jonathan spend his life with someone who was in love with his brother? Did he hate himself that much?
Nikki stirred in her sleep and adjusted her body, pressing her breasts against my side. There was no other place I’d rather be than here. I kissed her forehead and her soft hair while my fingers kneaded her hip.
“I’m sorry I pushed you away, Henry.” Her raspy voice broke the silence. Her lips on my chest made my cock react. “I’ve been alone for so long?—”
“It’s done.” Now that I had her here, whatever pain I felt before when I thought she had left again was gone, as if it never existed. “I’m sorry I scared you last night.”
She winced. “For a moment, I thought you were going to kill him.”
“For a moment, I did too. I lived with that part of me for so long. It blinded me to everything else. I promise you all of that is gone.”
“I know.” She pressed her lips to mine. I shifted my weight to face her. She sighed and pushed on my shoulder. “As much as I’d like to stay in bed all day, I’d like to see Tessa. How is she doing?”
I dropped back on the pillow, blowing out a breath as I reached over the side of the bed to pick up my old high school T-shirt. The one she’d been wearing when I walked in earlier today. God, the sight of her had stopped me in my tracks. I had so much I needed to say to her, but the second she raised her arms and flashed me that pretty pussy of hers, I forgot about everything else. I planted a wet kiss on one nipple and then the other before I gave her back her top.
“Here. If you want to have a conversation with me, you need to put those away.”
She let out a sexy sigh and slipped the shirt over her head and chest. “So how’s your mom? ”
“Bullet went straight through, no nerve damage. So she’ll be fine, though the doctor was concerned about…” I took a deep breath and waited until the slow burn in my stomach subsided. I needed to let go of that anger too. Jonathan and Francesca would spend the rest of their lives in jail. They’d gotten what they deserved. We had to move on and live our lives. “It seems Mom’s addicted to whatever painkillers Francesca was using to sedate her. But Mom’s willing to do everything she can to kick the habit.”
“She will.” Nikki placed her hand on my chest, flashing me her signature smile, the one that made me feel as if anything was possible. “She survived Francesca. She’ll survive this too.”
“For now, she needs to rest. But we can see her tomorrow.” I squeezed her hand.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I also talked to Dom. I can take over the Manor immediately. The rest will take a few more days.”
Smiling, she sat on her heels next to me. “So you’re a proper Cavalier again?” Her blue eyes surveyed my face as her fingers outlined the edge of my jaw. “The Prince of Paradise is back.”
“Don’t call me that.” I groaned.
“Okay.” She put up her hand. “From now on, you’ll be the hot construction worker I met my first day back, stubborn?—”
“Architect.” I chuckled.
“Whatever.” She gave me a one-shoulder shrug and straddled me, dropping her bare ass on my stomach.
I cupped her face and captured her mouth. My pulse quickened when her tongue slipped past my teeth.
“Move in with me,” I whispered.
“What? Here?”
“Unless you want us to live at the hotel. Though this place is way nicer. Lisa can stay here too. She can have her own wing of the house.” I kissed her neck .
“Lisa.” She pushed at my shoulders again. “I need to call Dom. He said?—”
“Relax.” I wrapped my arms around her to keep her in place. “I took care of it.”
“What does that mean?” She peered at me.
“It’s a surprise. All I can say for now is that Lisa is coming home.”
“Really?” She laughed, a carefree and loving sound that made me feel ten feet tall. I finally could give her everything she wanted. She cupped my face. “And we can both live here with you?”
“I refuse to spend any more time away from you.”
“Thank you,” she said on my lips.
“If you really want to thank me…” I slipped my hands under her top. Her smooth skin made me want to forget about the world.
She giggled again, getting out of her T-Shirt in two blinks. As soon as she did, I had my mouth over her hardened nipples.
“You are so beautiful.”
“How much time do we have?” she asked in between uneven breaths as she reached over for her emergency pack on the bedside table, where she kept condoms, of all things. No doubt stuffed right next to her gun and cable ties.
“We have to be at the hotel in two hours.”
“Then hurry up and make me come.” She rolled a condom over my erection and guided me inside her.
“Christ, Nikki.” I sat up and kissed her.
Since the day I met her so many years ago, I fell in love with Nikki’s free spirit, and the way she saw the world through rose-colored glasses despite all the bad in her life. Over the years, no matter how hard I tried to hate her, my love for her never wavered .
“I don’t want to spend any more time away from you, either. I want to live here with you.” She rolled her hips.
A slow buzz washed over me as she pushed me closer to the edge.
“Henry.” Her fingernails dug into my shoulder.
My name on her lips was my undoing. I craved it. I lived for it. And there it was again, the all-consuming orgasm that sent us to a place where only Nikki and I existed. Her breathing, her heart beating were the only things drumming on my skin, the only sounds I could hear.
“Oh my God, Henry.” She clung to me, riding out the last waves of sensation.
“I know,” I whispered.
We sat in the middle of the bed, tangled in each other’s arms. I didn’t want to move and break the connection between us. I’d come so close to losing her. It would be a long while before the feeling that we were living on borrowed time would go away. I scooted off the bed with her legs wrapped around me.
“Where are we going?”
“Shower.” My feet slapped against the cool floor as I carried her to the clawfoot tub. “I’ve always wondered what you’d look like wet.”
“Henry.” She let out a sexy laugh and dropped her head into the nook of my shoulder.
Two hours later, I parked my truck outside the Cavalier Hotel. Nikki wore my jersey and a pair of sweatpants we found in my closet. It didn’t matter what she wore. She still looked hot as heck.
“What happened to all your clothes?” I asked .
“I packed them and left them in your room, under the bed. I figured that would be the last place you’d look.”
I shook my head and climbed out of the car. “Go on and get dressed. Looks like the surprise is almost ready.” I stood in the middle of the lobby and watched Nikki rush upstairs.
As much as Mrs. Blaine hated to be doing this much work for Lisa, she just couldn’t say no to me, especially after Russ made sure everyone in Paradise Creek knew that I was back at the manor, a proper Cavalier, as Nikki had put it. I had money again, and to Mrs. Blaine that was all that mattered. It was why she agreed to cater Lisa’s welcome-home party. I wanted everyone in town to know Lisa was innocent.
“What do you think? Is this what you had in mind?” Mrs. Blaine placed a tea candle holder on one of the round tables. Just the way Mom used to do it when she’d hosted her parties at the hotel. The band had already set up on the top of the grand staircase and were tuning their instruments.
“It looks great. Thanks.” I nodded.
“The food will go over here, opposite the bar. Since you didn’t give me a menu, I just brought some of my most popular dishes and…” She did a double take, her mouth slightly open.
I turned around, knowing full well who I would find. I could spend the rest of my life just standing here, watching Nikki come down the stairs in whatever bombshell dress she chose for the day. For tonight, she’d gone with a royal-blue dress. One of Mom’s diamond necklaces completed her outfit.
“She was always very pretty,” Mrs. Blaine said.
Nikki was drop-dead gorgeous, and Mrs. Blaine knew it. I took a deep breath and let it go. It would be a while before Francesca’s influence on this town went away completely. For now, this was a very good start.
“The room looks beautiful,” Nikki said when she joined us. Her eyes sparkled under the twinkling lights of the chandelier. “ Just like I remember it. You even replaced the mirror.” She pointed to the wall behind the bar.
“Hipolita.” Mrs. Blaine cleared her throat. “I wanted to apologize for the way I treated you when…you know. It was unfair.”
Nikki’s face went pale. She squeezed my shoulder for support as she beamed at Lisa. “Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her.”
Mrs. Blaine opened her mouth to speak, but Nikki was already gone.