Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Nick
The doorbell rang, and Lucky jumped up his cat tree, already annoyed we were having guests. He’d warm up, though, especially once he saw who was here.
I’d promised to show off all my sex equipment and the house forever ago, but we were only just getting around to it. It was good, though, because it’d taken me a while to make the place look more like a home.
Honestly, it was still empty.
The problem was, it was a big house. Too big for just me and Lucky. But it’d be nice for me and three other people one day, maybe . . . Hopefully.
Even Austin had agreed to come over, which I took as a win. Yes, yes, we hated each other—but maybe he’d change his tune once he saw the space.
As good in bed as I was, I still felt nervous any time it came close to real emotional intimacy.
I didn’t know how to do this part of the whole dating thing.
For years, I’d fallen in and out of relationships that lasted a few months here, a few months there.
But even with the tension between Austin and I, it felt like we were building something.
The schematics kept changing, yeah, but I had hope that we were laying the foundation for something beautiful.
“Okay,” I exhaled. “I can do this.”
I opened the front door, and all my nerves were smoothed by Evie and Matthew’s smiling faces. Even Austin’s scowl brought me joy.
“Hi,” I said. “Come in before you melt on my doorstep.”
“I need to meet the baby,” Evie said. She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed me before rushing inside, eager to find Lucky.
“He was on his cat tree,” I called.
A few seconds later I heard her cooing and chuckled. Matthew winked at me as he came in, and Austin lingered—always fucking stiff and awkward. Eventually, he’d relax. Especially once we started going . . .
I shut the door and locked it, watching as they shucked their boots off. Why was I so fucking jittery?
“Do you want water?” I asked. “Or sparkling water? Or tea?”
Matthew raised a brow at me but didn’t comment on my nerves. “Water is just fine.”
“I’d take sparkling water,” Austin mumbled. “Hopefully Lucky doesn’t kill me.”
I laughed. “Well, don’t be a dick, and he’ll warm up to you.”
Matthew chuckled and grabbed Austin’s hand. “Come on. He’ll like you this time, I’m sure.”
I winked at Austin, because why not? Winks all around. All the flirting with the guy I sort of hated and sort of didn’t hate. He blushed as Matthew dragged him toward the sounds Evie was making in the living room, and I stood there, soaking it all up.
I really wanted a family. That hit me hard. And I wanted them to be my family. Really, really fucking bad.
I’d never had one. Not really. My mother did her best, and while I still had a lot of pain from my childhood, I still didn’t blame her completely. But she was out of my life now, and I’d been alone for so long. It’d just been me and Lucky since he clawed his way into my life.
Deep breath. I rounded the corner to the living room and froze in the doorway, a grin tugging at my lips.
Evie was sprawled out on the rug in the center of the room, sunlight pouring in from the windows.
Lucky was sitting on top of her making biscuits on her stomach, and she kept giggling.
Matthew was sitting cross-legged next to her, and Austin stooped over, attempting to slowly reach out and pet Lucky.
My shoulder bumped against the frame and I crossed my arms, watching as he slid his hand over Lucky’s head. Lucky leaned into him, arching his back, purring. Content.
Tears blurred my vision. I turned and darted to the kitchen for drinks.
All I could think about was how I was being too sappy as I poured a couple glasses of water and grabbed a can of sparkling water. They were here to have sex. Kinky, naughty sex. Not watch me come apart just because I’d never had someone who cared about me in my home—
“Hey.”
I jumped and spun. Matthew was right there, then his hands were on my hips, tugging me to him.
“Hi,” I exhaled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I swallowed hard. “It’s just that everything is right.”
His deep-brown eyes softened and he leaned up, kissing me until I melted against him. It was like a Band-Aid over a cut, except it actually healed me. I was breathless by the time he drew back, my heart pounding in my chest.
“You’re such a softie,” he whispered.
“I am not.”
“You are. Completely. It’s very cute. Adorable, even.”
I leaned into him, my face pressing against the curve of his neck. But this time, I bit him. He started laughing as I bit him harder, until his grip on me tightened and he spun me around, pushing me hard against the counter. I gasped as he bent me over the smooth top.
“Nick, I swear,” he growled.
“Yes, Daddy?”
He leaned over me. “You can’t keep using sex to run from intimacy.”
I absolutely fucking could. I pushed my ass back, grinding against the bulge starting to harden in his pants. “Remember when you didn’t even know how to handle me and Evie together? What happened to that shy guy?”
“That shy guy learns fast, and that shy guy discovered you’re a brat.”
“Yeah, sure. What are you going to do about it?”
A presence stepped into the kitchen, and when I looked up, it was Austin. His eyes widened. “Jesus, are we starting already?”
“Nick is being a brat, that’s all,” Matthew sighed.
He pulled me back up and kissed my cheek in a chaste way that promised he was absolutely going to fuck me senseless in just a little bit.
“Take this water to Evie and drink it. Austin said he made her squirt, and I want her hydrated so we can try again.”
Well, fuck. My cock was hard too now. I shot him a look and grabbed her glass, adjusted myself, and went to the living room where she was currently trying to coax Lucky out from under the sofa.
Which meant her ass was facing me. The skirt of her dress was hiked up the back of her thighs, and she’d worn sheer tights with black lines down the back of her legs.
I set the water down on a small side table and knelt on the floor between her ankles. She squealed as I covered her with my body, pinning her beneath me.
“Nick,” she laughed.
“You know,” I said in her ear. “I really fucking love the tights you’re wearing.”
“Really?” She rocked her hips and a hot, heavy need rushed through me. “That’s good, but I was hoping you’d want to cut them off.”
Fuck.
I groaned and slid back off her. “Drink your water. Matthew wants to make you squirt.”
Evie blushed as she sat up and I handed her the glass. Her hair tumbled down her shoulders, and my gaze kept dipping to the V of her dress. I loved all her dresses. I loved her.
Austin and Matthew joined us in the living room and as Austin sat down on the edge of the couch, I noticed the bulge in his jeans. I shot him a smirk, enjoying the way the blush in his cheeks turned his neck red too.
“Are we officially at the show-and-tell part of our day?” I asked.
“Yes,” Evie said.
“Yep, I think it’s time,” Matthew chuckled. “I think Lucky is happy in his cat tree, too.”
We all looked over at it, and sure enough, my green-eyed boy had climbed to the very top to lord over us, as was his right.
“I love him,” Evie whispered.
“I do too,” I said.
Lucky stared directly at Austin, then opened his mouth to chirp.
“What does that mean?” Austin asked.
“I think you’re being summoned,” I teased.
Austin sighed and stood up, going to the tree and holding out his hand. Lucky butted him with his head, and I watched Austin’s shoulders visibly relax.
Evie smiled at him, her expression dreamy. I was weirdly, maybe, a tiny bit jealous. Not because she was looking at him that way, but because I kind of sort of possibly wanted to look at him that way too.
What a dick.
I got to my feet and stretched. I’d already set up one of the rooms with everything kinky. All of the equipment, along with a king-sized bed.
“How much fucking money do you make, Nick?” Austin asked, still petting Lucky as he looked around the house.
“I’ve made some good decisions the last few years,” I said. “And I was lucky. We can thank my cat for that, he’s my charm.”
Austin shook his head. “Wild. Is the build going well?”
“Yeah,” I said, surprised he’d asked. “I thought you were gonna fight me about it.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s fine.”
I fought a smile, and ignored the way Evie and Matthew were staring at us.
“The zoning and everything was approved faster than I expected,” I said. “So right now, we’re still in the planning stages. We’ll really start in about seven months, and then it’ll take another year or so after that.”
“That’s so long,” Evie said. “I didn’t realize it would take that long.”
“Yeah,” I said. “It’ll be worth it, though. But check on me in like a year and a half, I may be losing it.”
Matthew laughed. “You’ll be okay. It’ll be fun. I’m sure people will be excited.”
“I hope. The building models look great.”
“Okay, wait,” Evie said. “I want sex show and tell, but I also want to see that too.”
“Me too,” Austin said. “I’ve never built something like that, obviously.”
“Obviously,” I muttered, thinking about the hotel roof. “You shouldn’t be building anything.”
He snorted. “I’d like to never touch a hammer again, frankly. I would rather just run the hotel and help people. I like working in the community.”
“You’ve done a lot,” Evie said. “Have you . . . thought about how you’re going to take breaks?”
Austin’s expression tightened. “A little. I did talk to my mom. And I just need to talk to Dallas and Avery about a few things. I’ll get to it.”
The three of us exchanged glances, but Evie clapped her hands together. “Show and tell, Nick. It’s time.”
“Yes, and Austin is supposed to barter with you for some wax play items.”
I wiggled my brows. “Oh, really? I think an arrangement could be made.”
“See,” Matthew teased him. “I told you.”
“You said a lot of things,” Austin mumbled.
God, it was painfully cute whenever that man blushed. I stared at him for a few seconds longer, then blinked, shaking myself out of the trance.
“All right, you three,” I said. “Show and tell. Follow me.”