CHAPTER 11
NOW
DAPHNE
“There’s my girl!” Shannon abandons whatever she’s chopping on the cutting board and rounds the island to embrace me. Jesus, her hugs make everything more bearable. Two seconds in her arms, and I instantly feel lighter. “To what do I owe this surprise?”
“I was in the neighborhood.” I smile, returning her squeeze before releasing her and taking a seat at the counter.
“In the neighborhood.” Shannon snorts, making her way back over to resume whatever she was prepping. “We live in a private community.”
“What do you want me to say?” I laugh as I lean across the island to snag a cucumber slice from the cutting board.
“The truth. That you missed me.”
“I always miss you, Ma. You know that.”
“And you know you don’t need excuses to come visit me.” My best friend’s mother pins me with a pointed stare. “This is your home, Daph. If anything, I’d like to see you around more often.”
“Oh, yeah?” I chuckle. “And what am I supposed to tell my fiancé when he wonders why I’m suddenly not at home?” Like I’d have to tell Luc anything. The only time he’d miss me is when he realized I wasn’t in his bed to fuck in the middle of the night.
“Tell him—” She places the knife off to the side as she sweeps the contents of the cutting board into a salad bowl. “—that we called dibs on you many years ago, and he simply needs to know his place. He has a problem with that, you can send him my way.”
“Uh-oh. Mama Conners gettin’ territorial!” I clap my hands to each word for dramatic effect.
“Only with my babies.” Grabbing hold of the bowl, she heads in the direction of the dining room, lightly gripping my chin as she passes. “And you’re one of mine.”
I smile, blinking to disperse the moisture attempting to pool in my eyes.
“You staying for lunch?”
“If you’ll have me. You know I can’t turn down one of your homecooked meals.”
“Good. Grab the chicken over there and follow me.”
Hopping down from my stool, I quickly retrieve the platter before following her to the dining room. Placing down the dish, I notice the table’s already set for two.
“You need me to grab another plate? I don’t want to steal Mitch’s seat.”
“No. No. Sit. He called earlier to say he was getting stuck at the office.”
“Well, then.” I plop down, shaking out the linen napkin at my setting. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Shannon chuckles, placing a piece of rosemary chicken in front of me before grabbing a helping for herself. “So,” she begins as she sits, “how are classes? Last semester. You’ve got to be excited.”
“So excited.” My eyes widen at the prospect of being done with school and finally getting my degree. “If I never sit through another class again, it will be too soon. Although, I will admit, I’ll miss being able to play with paint whenever I want.”
“I’m sure.” She laughs. “And how are plans for the interior design business coming along?”
The utensils I’m currently maneuvering to cut my chicken come to a halt as I glance across the table at the woman who is, for all intents and purposes, the closest thing I have to a mother.
My freshman year of college, I decided to take some art classes to piss off my actual mother and ended up really enjoying them—so much so, that I ended up majoring in Art. My mother was so pissed over my “poor life choices” that she didn’t speak to me for a month.
Most peaceful month of my life.
Do I want to be an artist? Absolutely not, but it was amazing to spend four years having the space and freedom to express myself while exploring my creativity. Plus, the experience provided me with endless inspiration for the business I’m currently working to establish as an interior designer. I think it’s something I could really excel at.
Knowing the backlash I’ll face from my parents, I’ve been keeping my post college plans pretty quiet. I think I maybe mentioned them to Shannon in passing once.
“I love you.”
My sudden sentiment catches her off guard, drawing her gaze up to mine. “Oh, honey. I love you, too. You okay?”
“Yeah. It’s just… You remember everything I’ve ever told you. Every dream. Every goal. You’ve never judged me or made me feel like what I wanted in life was stupid or inadequate. You always check on me and ask about my life. Thank you. Thank you for letting me into your family and treating me as your own, even if it meant putting up with those terrible excuses I have for parents all these years. I love you so much, Ma.”
Shannon puts down her silverware and extends her arm across the table. My palm slips into hers, and she squeezes me as she takes hold. “We didn’t let you into anything. You belong with us. We were always meant to find you, Daph. Belinda Burke may have birthed you, but like I said, you’re mine. And I am so thankful for you every single day.”
My tight-lipped smile widens as I fight to hold back my tears.
“Now,” Shannon releases me, resuming her lunch, “tell me about the business.”
“It’s coming along. I should have everything set to launch right after graduation.”
“Graduation. And from Vassar, no less! I’m so proud of you, Daph. And I want to be your first client. The house could do with a makeover.”
“Ma, please.” I roll my eyes. “You have impeccable taste. This whole place looks like something out of a magazine.”
“The bedrooms upstairs haven’t been redone in years. Seriously, I’ve been meaning to get on them. And if you won’t take the job, then I’ll have to pay a stranger that’ll probably overcharge me and screw it all up anyway.”
“Fine!” I laugh at her pleading puppy dog eyes. “Fine. I will do the bedrooms, but you will not pay me. I will happily do it in exchange for the reference and pictures for my portfolio.”
“Deal!” Shannon squeals in excitement. “Gotta love having successful kids. I get to reap all the perks!”
She smiles wide, her eyes brimming with pride. I love this house. It harbors all my good memories. I shudder to imagine the person I’d be today if I didn’t have the love and support of the Conners family. Meeting Joanna Hunter was the single greatest thing to ever happen to me.
“Ready to talk about why you’re really here?” Shannon takes a sip of her wine, eyeing me knowingly.
Busted.
“Please tell me you’re going tonight,” I plead, my bottom lip jutting out in a pout.
Shannon snickers. “Don’t do the face. You know that doesn’t work on me.”
I stick my lip out farther, batting my eyes for added effect.
“You look like you’re having a seizure. Knock it off. Yes, I’m going. It’s one of the few charity events that can convince me to tolerate the stuck-up snobs of this city for a night.”
“Yesss!” I hiss, shimmying my shoulders in celebration.
Every February, the wealthy elite of Queen City gather for a benefit to raise money for sick children. This year, they will be donating the proceeds to the pediatric cancer ward of the local hospital. Few actually give a shit. It’s just an opportunity for them all to dress up and have an extravagant night out while they try to one-up each other in the silent auction.
“How’d you get roped into it?”
Reaching for my glass of wine, I sigh. “My dad backed out last minute. Some work-related thing. And God forbid my mother have to attend solo. Whatever would everyone think?” I gasp, feigning a look of horrified shock.
“Mitch isn’t looking forward to it, either. He’s definitely hoping I’ll let him off the hook, but if I have to suffer, then so does he.”
“That’s right, Ma. You tell him!” I giggle, toasting her with my wine.
“Who we telling what?” The deep voice rolls through the room like a wave, sweeping me up in its current.
My body tenses, the shock of his unexpected arrival causing me to almost drop the long-stemmed glass I’m holding.
Nicky C.—my own personal brand of kryptonite—comes strolling in wearing a royal blue suit like he’s doing it a favor. His jacket hangs open, exposing the rich dark fabric of his black button-down beneath. The image he exudes is one of power, a deadly combination of confidence and rebellion, gift-wrapped in red flags. The room threatens to collapse on me as he enters, the walls unable to bear the weight of the history we share.
It’s unnerving, the physical reaction his mere presence invokes within me. He’s still the only man to ever make my heart race, which is ironic considering how many times the asshole has shattered it. And yet, no matter how much time or space is forced between us, the hold he has over me remains unwavering. I haven’t seen him since we locked eyes at Savor last month, and I typically prefer it that way. While out of sight doesn’t equate to out of mind when it comes to him, it does at least allow me the ability to function.
“Hey, sweetie!” Shannon’s face lights up. Holding her arms out wide, she beckons him to her. “Two of my kids in one day? What did I do to deserve this treat?”
Nicky bends down, planting a kiss on her cheek as she pulls him in for a hug.
“Hey, Ma.” He stands back to his full height, his six-foot-four frame towering over us before he drops into the seat at the head of the table. He leans back, like a king lounging on his throne, as his gaze shifts my way. “Daph,” he acknowledges me. Nicky’s eyes lazily roam the length of my body, and even though my entire lower half is concealed by the table, it still feels all too intimate.
Memories deluge my mind, some so vivid it feels as though I’m transported back to specific moments in time. Nicky beneath me as I ride him. His large hand reaching up to wrap around my throat, fingers tightening against my pulse points.
“That’s it, dirty girl. Ride me. Fuuuuck, the way you move those hips is fucking obscene.”
I quicken my pace, grinding my clit against his pubic bone, his cock buried to the hilt as I continue to roll my hips. “Jesus, I love the way you feel inside me,” I pant.
Nicky releases his hold from my throat, moving to my hips. He grips me, fingers digging into my skin with bruising force.
“Yeah?” he asks. “You like the way my dick feels pounding into you?” The muscles in Nicky’s corded forearms flex as he holds me in place. He begins punching his hips upward, each powerful thrust catapulting me closer to my impending orgasm.
“Oh, fuck,” I moan. “Nicky, I’m gonna come.”
“Do it. Come, baby. I’m right there with you.”
“Let me hop off. I want to swallow you.”
“Fuck that.” He flips us, his weight suddenly pinning me to the mattress as he begins to rail me with reckless abandon. “You’re gonna come all over this cock.” He reaches down between us, his thumb drawing swift circles overtop my clit. “Then I’m gonna empty into that perfect fucking pussy.”
My legs start to quake just as my eyes roll back into my head. Oh, shit. I’m gonna explode.
“And then,” he continues, “you’re gonna lick me clean, aren’t you?”
I gasp, my response coming in time with his thrusts. “Every. Last. Drop.”
“Who’s my stunning little slut?” Nicky fucks me harder.
“I am.”
“Who?” His hand returns to my throat.
“I AM!” I scream as I proceed to do exactly as he predicted and come all over his dick. “I’m your slut, Nick.”
“Fuck yes!” He roars, emptying inside me while squeezing the slender column of my neck. The pressure cuts into my air supply, prolonging my orgasm while Nicky continues to fuck me through it. “Tell me who you belong to.”
“…tell me…”
“What?” I snap to attention, breaking free of my memory’s chokehold.
Nicky chuckles, finding humor in my momentary aloofness, yet the way he’s currently appraising me with his gaze makes me worry what I may have muttered while lost in my stroll down memory lane.
“I said, are you going to tell me what you two are talking about?”
“Oh.” Setting my wine glass back on the table, I reach for my fork, stabbing a piece of chicken. “Ma was just telling me how your dad’s looking forward to the annual Valentine’s charity ball about as much as a colonoscopy.”
“He’s been giving me lip about it all week.” Shannon shakes her head as she rises from her seat. “Let me get you a plate, baby. You should eat.”
“Thanks, Ma!” he calls after her before returning his attention to me. “You’re going?” He looks surprised. “With Luc?”
“Luc and charity?” I have to stop myself from laughing outright. “You’d have an easier time marrying oil and water. No, my mom’s making me go with her. Actually—” I stand, pulling out my phone to check the time. “—I should probably head out to start getting ready.”
“You haven’t even finished your food.”
My eyes squeeze shut as the deep breath I inhaled expels slowly through my nose. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not doing anything. Don’t run out on my mom just because you’re too immature to sit in a room with me.”
My lids snap open. “Fuck you,” I hiss through my teeth.
Nicky’s voice shifts several octaves lower. “Sit down, demon.”
My brow arches, fixing him with a pointed stare. “That’s cute. Keep thinking you’re the boss of me.”
The air charges between us, his eyes sparking with a flash of mischief. Nicky nips at his lower lip, drawing it in against the scrape of his teeth. “I could bend you over this table and show you who’s the boss by spanking that attitude right out of you.”
Heat floods my core, my pussy involuntarily responding to his filthy mouth like a conditioned response. His unexpected proposition somewhat rattles me, though the anger it rouses within surges beyond any desire I feel. Fuck him and his arrogant ass. I cringe with the knowledge that once upon a time I all but begged this boy to love me. Pleaded with him to admit he was affected by me in the slightest, the way I was consumed by my obsession with him.
Nicky’s standpoint was very clear. While I was a sufficient enough fuck buddy, I didn’t rate high enough to warrant any kind of commitment beyond that. And where exactly did I rate? Oh, he was kind enough to break it down for me once on a scale of one to ten.
Less than three.
The ghost of those words haunts my memories, cutting just as deep as the day he said them. The scars they branded upon my soul serve to stoke the defiant fire within me. Steadying my features, I offer a contemplative stare, feigning consideration. Engagement aside, it would be easy to resume our toxic cycle. Perhaps more natural than taking my next breath. It’s how I’ve ended up in the same predicament time and time again.
Not this time, though. This time will be different. I promised myself when I accepted Lucian’s ring that no other man would ever share my bed. It’s a promise I’ve upheld despite my fiancé’s whore antics, a plan I have no interest in deviating from. Especially not with Nicky. Because with us it always ends the same, and my heart almost didn’t survive the last time.
I push in my chair to take my leave, pausing beside him as I pass. Bracing one palm on the table, I lean forward until we’re eye to eye, allowing him a generous view down the front of my blouse.
“Nicky.” His name slips from my tongue a soft whisper. “How many times has the sting of your palm been imprinted on my ass?”
His eyes darken with desire, causing his impeccably impassive fa?ade to momentarily slip. “Enough that I know the force of my hand turns your silky skin the exact shade of red as your hair.”
“Mmmm.” I hum, tracing the tip of my nose along his cheekbone as I position my lips next to his ear. “And yet after all those spankings, my attitude remains intact. I think it’s time to consider the possibility there’s something lacking with your technique.”
Nicky pops up, arms encircling my waist and pulling me into him. At this proximity, it’s impossible to miss the vibrations of the nerve I’ve struck… or the swiftly hardening bulge pressing against my stomach.
“Lacking? Have you forgotten how quickly I’ve had you coming undone? What’s my record? Two minutes?”
“A well-placed vibrator could do it in one.” I reach atop my head, sliding my shades down into place. “Stop acting like you’re anything to write home about.”
“Sorry!” Shannon shouts as she approaches the room. The sound of her footsteps has a sobering effect on Nicky, who promptly releases me from his grasp. “Your dad called, and I took a minute to talk with him. Oh, honey, are you leaving?” She frowns when she enters, taking in the sight of my impending departure.
“Yeah, Ma.” I turn to her, a perfectly crafted smile plastered across my face. “I’m sorry. But I’ll see you tonight, okay? Thank you for lunch!” I call out over my shoulder as I flee toward the foyer, unable to share the space with him a moment longer.
I may have been able to secure my resolve in his presence, but I’m in no hurry to test the limits of its strength.