Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
NICK
I pull nearly all the way out and sink back in slowly, savoring every bit of it. How snug she feels around me. Her soft moan as I fill her. And the way she’s looking at me, as if maybe I’m the answer to all her wishes, too.
I hitch her leg over my hip, increasing the pace, watching her breasts bounce, building the both of us up over long minutes until sweat blooms on our skin. We’ll need another shower after this.
A tingle races down my spine, signaling I’m close. I need to switch positions or this is going to be over before I can make her come again. Besides, I made a promise to her in the shower.
“You ready for more?”
Her eyes widen. “More?”
“You said you wanted it rough.”
A shiver of excitement passes over her as she nods.
I pull out of her and flip her onto her stomach, positioning her at the edge of the bed with her ass tilted up. She looks over her shoulder at me as I rub my dick along the seam of her pussy from behind, then plunge in.
She groans into the comforter. “Oh my God, Nick. Yes.”
My palms squeeze her ass, then settle on her hips, holding her in place as I fuck her, keeping at it until her legs are shaking and I suspect she’d collapse if I wasn’t supporting her.
I’m doing everything in my power to hold on just a little longer, resisting my orgasm until she comes, too.
Bringing one hand around to her pussy, I rub her softly, at odds with the slap of flesh on flesh that fills the room as I pound into her.
She tightens against me as I find her clit, teasing at first, then increasing the pressure.
“There,” she chokes out when I’m nearly at the edge of my control. “Right there.”
It breaks the dam, and I do my best to keep the same rhythm for her as I come, my hips bucking with a mind of their own.
“Fuck, Rachel. Yes.” I bend over her, my lips brushing along the salty slick of her back as waves of pleasure wash over me. “You’re incredible.”
She’s twitching, too, her hips out of sync now, lost in her orgasm. I wait until she stills before pulling out and turning her over to face me.
Her cheeks are flushed, the baby hairs around her temple curled with sweat, and I’m reminded that we never shut the door to the bathroom, steam escaping into here.
I kiss her gently, loving how soft her lips are. “Give me fifteen minutes and we can go for round two.”
She makes a sputtering noise. “You think I can come three times?”
I can’t help the devilish grin I give her. “Only one way to find out.”
She shakes her head, even as she returns my grin. “To be honest, I’ve only ever come twice with you.”
Pride fills me. “You’ll need to get used to it.” I give her one last kiss and get off the bed, heading to the bathroom to clean up.
“Oh my God,” she laughs from the bedroom. “My wet hair soaked the comforter.”
I can’t remember if she even squeezed the water out of it in our haste to get to the bed.
“I have an extra blanket in the closet,” I call out, disposing of the condom.
“I’m going to take another shower, too.” I’d gotten distracted washing her earlier and hadn’t done anything to myself.
“You want to join? For real showering this time.”
She doesn’t answer, and I poke my head around the door frame. She’s staring at something on the bed, the comforter on the floor. “Rachel?”
She looks at me, distress all over her face. “What is this?” she asks in a shaky voice.
“What’s what?” I cross the room, finding what she’s pointing at. It’s a pair of sexy red underwear, stark against the white sheets. My first thought is that she was going to dress up as a surprise for me, but based on her expression, I don’t think that’s right. “It’s underwear.”
Her brows lift, as if she can’t believe my response. “And?”
I stare at them, not sure what she’s asking me. “Aren’t they yours?”
She huffs, the sound full of disbelief. “No, they’re not mine.”
“Oh. Then I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” There’s a beat of silence, and when I don’t respond, she repeats, “You don’t know how this lingerie got in your bed?”
The skepticism in her voice is clear, along with a touch of anger, but I’m not sure what else to say, confused as she is. What the hell is going on?
“You took off the covers and they were there?”
“Yes,” she says, as if I’m simple. “Whose are they?”
“I don’t know,” I repeat.
When she just stares at me, waiting for me to say more, I pause. “Wait. Do you think I had another girl over here or something?” I laugh, but she doesn’t join in, her expression stony. I quickly stop, clearing my throat. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Then how did they get here?”
My teeth grit, this bizarre situation spiraling out of control. “I don’t know. How many times can I say that?”
Her stoic face gives way, and it punches me straight in the gut. There’s anger and disappointment and devastation, each one cutting me. She turns and moves to the dresser, opening the bag she brought with her and pulling out clothes.
I approach her, reaching a hand out, but don’t touch her, afraid she might shake it off. “You believe me, right?”
She slides a new pair of underwear on, then a bra.
“Rachel,” I say, firmer. “You believe me.” I don’t make it a question. She has to believe me. This whole thing is ludicrous.
Tugging a shirt over her head, she says, “There’s lingerie in your bed. I don’t know what to believe.”
I quickly open my dresser drawer and grab a pair of boxers to put on, very conscious now that I’m naked and she’s not. “There’s no other woman. I wouldn’t even think about someone else. You know that.”
Her head lowers and I move to her side, turning her to face me. There are unshed tears in her eyes and she quickly turns, wiping them away.
“I’ve told you before. I missed all the signs with Kyle.
I…” Her voice catches, and she pauses for a moment until she’s under control.
“Of course I want to believe you. But I can’t trust my instincts when it comes to stuff like this.
Especially when there’s stuff like that.
” She gestures to the panties, still on the bed.
Panic touches me for the first time. She doesn’t believe me. And what is there to believe, exactly? There’s damning evidence of… something right in front of her and I don’t have an explanation.
What the fuck is going on?
“Rachel.” Her name comes out rough, like my throat is full of gravel, and I don’t mean for it to sound like a plea, but desperation is closing in. “What are you saying?”
Now it’s her turn to say, “I don’t know.” She doesn’t meet my eye, only grabs a pair of jeans from her bag and puts them on. Her hands are shaking, movements rigid. “I need to think.”
“Think about what?” My voice cracks and I take a step toward her, then stop myself. I don’t want her to bolt. “There’s no possible way I could cheat on you. You’re it for me.”
Her eyes squeeze shut, shoulders taut, as if braced for a blow.
My heart is in my throat, pounding roughly, choking me with its intensity. I swallow past it, pushing out the words before I lose the nerve. I need to lay it all out on the line. “I love you.”
It’s not the romantic confession I wanted it to be, with hurt and misunderstanding caught between us. But this feels like my only shot to make her see how real this is for me.
She shakes her head, looking stricken. “You can’t say that to me right now,” she says in a low voice, as if I played a dirty trick.
“That I love you? It’s the truth.”
“Nick.” She wipes at her eyes again. “I need to go.”
She grabs her bag and I stop her, my hands on her shoulders.
“Listen. We’re both on edge. I don’t know what the fuck is happening or why that’s in my bed.
I’ll do my best to figure out how it got there but I need you to trust me.
You mean more to me than anything else. Anything ,” I emphasize. “And I would never jeopardize that.”
She sways in my direction, a battle waging over her face, but as she squeezes her eyes shut, I’m afraid it wasn’t in my favor.
“I want to trust you,” she whispers. “I did. I do. I don’t know.”
My mouth goes dry, the room seeming to tilt as my mind grasps for some logical thread to pull, some way to prove this isn’t what it looks like. Whatever this is.
But there’s nothing. Just red lace and Rachel’s shattered expression.
“I can’t think straight right now,” she says, pulling away from me. “I’m going to go home and…” She takes a deep breath. “Maybe we can talk more tomorrow.”
“I’m working,” I respond numbly, feeling her slip through my fingers. I hardly had her and somehow I already lost her.
“Monday, then.”
I hate this helplessness coursing through me, my hands twitching uselessly at my sides. I told her I’m innocent. What else can I do? How can I prove myself?
She leaves then, and I stare aimlessly at the door, my stomach churning, barely drawing breath into my lungs. I knew it was too good to be true.
A shudder passes over me, then another and another, emotion breaking through even as I will it to stop. How could she rip my heart out so goddamn easily?
No, that wasn’t easy for her. Not with how destroyed she looked. And if I want her to give me the benefit of the doubt, I have to do the same. I have to remember that she’s been betrayed before. That she has trust issues.
This isn’t the end. It can’t be. Even as I wonder how we’ll ever come back from this, I commit to discovering the truth.
Maybe Tanner brought a girl home and they used my room? The idea is far-fetched, especially considering he doesn’t sleep around and was at the cookoff with us, but I have to start somewhere.
Maybe he pulled a prank putting them there, though he knows I’d never forgive him for messing with Rachel, knowing how important she is to me. I can’t see him doing that, either.
Maybe a fucking raccoon dragged them in, I don’t know. Anything is possible.
But I’m going to figure this out. I promised Rachel I would earn her trust, and I’ll continue to do that.
There’s no other option.