CHAPTER 29
NOW
DAPHNE
The steps leading up to Nicky’s front door may as well be Mt. Everest in this moment. I stare up at them with hesitation, as though they pose some hidden treachery. Steeling my spine, I initiate a step, only to spin away and stare off toward the tree line in an attempt to calm my racing heart. I repeat the process several more times before I consider abandoning this plan entirely and running home with my tail between my legs.
“You’re wearing a path in my driveway, demon,” Nicky’s voice calls out from my left.
I spin as he rounds the side of the house, shirtless with splatters of mud plastered to his chiseled torso and face. His long strides eat up the distance between us until he’s a mere ten feet away.
Eight.
Five.
Three.
I take a step back, the motion halting his advance. We remain unmoving, staring at one another tentatively, until he breaks the silence. “You look good.”
“I know,” I assert, trying my best to at least give the illusion of confidence. The truth is I changed my outfit four times before I ran out of time and was forced to commit to my basic ensemble of jean shorts and a cream-colored cami.
Nick’s face splits into a wide smile, chuckling as the sight of his bright white teeth contrast against his mud-stained skin. The image damn near knocks the wind out of me. Even covered in filth, he’s still the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.
I cough to stop myself from gaping at him, forcing my eyes to break away from his. “You look like a mess.”
“Yeah.” He shakes out his hair, the dirt loosely concealed within the thick blonde strands tumbling freely to the ground. “I was out back on the track.”
That pulls a smile from me. It’s nice to know he still makes time for the one thing that brings him so much joy. Though, perhaps he should’ve managed his time a bit better today. “Well, go hurry up and change. I’ll keep J and Caleb occupied ‘til you’re ready.”
“They won’t be here until five.”
My head snaps back up to him, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. “You texted me four.”
“Did I?” His brow arches in a suggestive stare as his eyes continue to peruse my form.
“Unbelievable,” I mutter, annoyed that I even put myself in this position in the first place. This is what he does. Time and time again. I don’t know why I thought this would be any different. I scoff, shaking my head in disappointment before turning to head back to my car.
Nicky’s footsteps quicken against the asphalt behind me, his palm encircling my arm, pulling me back toward him. “Hey.”
I swat at him, simultaneously ripping my arm from his grasp. He releases me, tossing his hands up in submission while taking a giant step backward. “I only want to talk.”
My scowl must have bullshit written all over it, because Nicky responds like I’m a dog about to attack. He takes another step back, bending slightly so his eyes are level with mine while maintaining a calm even tone.
“I mean it. No funny business. I just want to have a conversation.”
“And this conversation couldn’t happen in the presence of Jonsie and Caleb?”
“I mean…” He shrugs. “It could. Though they might get a bit uncomfortable when I get to the just because you’ve bounced on my cock doesn’t mean we can’t be friends portion of the conversation.”
“Jesus Christ, Nicky.” I bury my face in my hands, the heels of my palms digging into my eyes as I try to banish the image of me riding him from my brain. “Could we maybe not phrase it like that?”
“I don’t know, demon. That’s one of the more PG renditions of what we’ve done. I suppose we could go with just because you’ve called me Daddy while—”
“In the house!” I snap, shoving him toward the stairs as he snickers in amusement. “Now. My God, you’re fucking impossible.”
We ascend the stairs in silence, save for Nicky’s fading chuckles, until we’re suddenly standing in his foyer, cut off from the outside world.
“The boys here?” I glance around, scanning the area for Rico and JP. The latter normally annoys the hell out of me, but I’d welcome his smartass sarcasm right now. Anything to serve as a buffer for the tension threatening to asphyxiate me as the memory of the last time I was here plays out in my mind—the night I ran from him after he rejected me again.
“Nah.”
Of course not. God’s never thrown me a bone before when it comes to Nicky C. Why start now? Even in this massive foyer, the walls somehow feel as though they’re closing in. I don’t know why I thought I could handle this. My arm crosses over my midsection to grip hold of my opposite elbow, my teeth worrying my bottom lip as I shift my weight uneasily from one foot to the other.
“Breathe, Daph,” Nicky commands, his gaze locking with my own. “In.” He draws in a breath, setting the pace as we inhale deep in unison. “Out.” We expel the air from our lungs, repeating the process two more times. While I don’t relax completely, it sure as hell helps.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m not trying to make it awkward. I swear.”
“I get it. Trust me, I was stressing this a bit, too. Hence, the track.” He gestures to the mud heavily caked on his pants and boots, evidence of his own personal form of therapy.
“You said you wanted to talk?”
He nods, eyes still trained on mine. They’re hypnotizing, almost as though he’s coaxing the soul straight from my body.
“Well?” I bristle, fighting to shake free of their hold. “Talk, then.”
“Now that your hip attachment—AKA my sister—is home, we’re going to find ourselves in a lot more situations together. I’d really like it if we could coexist. Like it used to be back in the day.” The sincerity with which he speaks works to soothe some of my apprehension, allowing my shoulders to relax a fraction.
My eyes, which had dropped to the floor in a show of avoidance, slowly lift to find his. “Anything else?”
Nicky smiles, his expression an equal mixture of playful and mischief. “Just because you’ve bounced on my cock doesn’t mean we can’t be friends?”
I snort, the snicker bubbling up out of me so suddenly that I can’t contain it. Once the first chuckle slips free, I’m a goner. The resulting laughter echoes off the marble of the floor, intermingling with Nicky’s, who’s lost it right alongside me. Nicky initiates a step, reaching out his hand to swipe at the tears that have slipped free. My laughter settles when his thumb makes contact, brushing along the curve of my cheekbone, leaving a trail of sparks in its wake.
My lashes flutter, mouth running dry as I force a swallow. “And you’ll be okay with that?” My breath hitches as he takes another step. “With us just being friends?”
Nicky issues a slight shake of his head, the corner of his mouth curling up into a subdued smile. “Fuck no. But after three months without you?” His hand slides back to the nape of my neck, fisting my roots and pulling my forehead to his. “I’ll find a way to make do.”
I should push him off me, begin laying the much-needed groundwork of establishing the boundaries we require. But I don’t. Instead, I linger a moment longer, breathing in the scent of rich earth, sweat, and gasoline that sticks to his skin. Nick’s grip on my roots tightens, my mouth parting on a gasp as he angles his mouth toward mine.
“You need to get in the shower.”
He stills, resigning on a sigh and reluctantly releasing my hair. Slipping away to make his retreat, he reaches the base of the stairs, climbing about halfway up before pausing to glance back at me.
“Tell me he’s at least been better. He hasn’t pulled anything since…”
“No,” I answer honestly, quick to reassure him. “No, he hasn’t hit me since you took care of it.”
Nicky offers up a slow nod, his grip on the handrail seeming to loosen. “I gotta admit, I was a little shocked he let you come tonight. I figured he’d give you shit.”
Yeah, about that.
“He, uh… he doesn’t really know I’m here.” Nicky’s head tilts to the side, his arched brow emphasizing his inquisitive stare. “I was going to tell him. I mean, Caleb’s his best friend and he knows I’m coming, so obviously it’s not a secret. It’s just he told me yesterday he’d have to work late today, so I decided not to ask permission and just deal with it when I get home.”
“Bold move.” A mischievous smirk kisses his lips, though its short-lived appearance is too soon replaced by a darkening expression. “He ever puts hands on you again—”
“He won’t.”
“But if he does… you run straight here. To me. You hear me?”
I nervously nip at my bottom lip, acknowledging his demand with a subtle dip of my head.
“Say it, demon,” he commands, the deep bass he injects into his tone causing my quivering legs to clench with desire.
“I’ll run to you.”
***
Dinner with Jonsie and Caleb flies by, and before I know it, we’re packing up To-Go containers of the Chinese take-out we ordered way too much of and bidding one another goodbye.
“Call me in the morning and let me know what time we’re meeting up.” J pulls me in tight for a hug, and I lean into her embrace. She promised she’d come with me to the caterer tomorrow to help me finalize the menu for the rehearsal dinner. With my maid of honor away at school, my mother essentially commandeered the entire planning process. Realistically, she would’ve done it either way, but now that J’s home, maybe I can actually enjoy what little is left to do.
I caught her up to speed on most wedding-related news, including how her ex will be in attendance. I must say, she handled it with more grace than I would have. Especially considering I’m fairly certain he’s only coming to see her. If he plans on making a play to get her back, that man’s got an uphill battle to climb. Not to mention, there’s the issue of the C-U-Next-Tuesday he’s supposedly still dating. The wedding will be interesting, if nothing else.
I can’t believe in just over two months, I’ll be Mrs. Lucian Devoreaux. A strange sense of foreboding settles deep in my stomach, while my brain repeats the familiar mantra that this is simply cold feet.
“I will.” I smile, releasing her and turning to the man at her side. “Caleb, Luc left a key with the doorman for you.”
“You’ll probably beat me there since I have to drop Joanna off first.”
Caleb and J’s apartment won’t be ready for three more weeks, so he’s going to be crashing with us while she’s staying with her parents. While I wouldn’t normally be excited by the prospect of a houseguest, I’m actually thankful for his visit. I’m hoping his presence will help mitigate any stormy feelings Luc may have after I share about our little dinner party tonight. That, and the fact that I saved him food.
“Actually, I think I’m gonna run some leftovers to the office so Luc can get some food in him. We’ll see you back at the apartment.”
“Sounds good.” Caleb presses a quick peck to my cheek. “Drag him out of there if you have to. He works too much.”
I promise to do so as Jones and Caleb bid Nicky goodbye. He wraps his sister up into his arms, enveloping her in his embrace where he holds her a second or two longer, slow to let her go. He’s so happy to have her home. J’s the one thing Nicky loves more than anything in this world—his living proof he has a heart.
“What do you think of Caleb?” I ask after they’ve gone and I’m retrieving my Tupperware from the counter.
“He’s a tool, which tracks considering who his best friend is. My sister’s out of his league.”
I accompany him to the door, choosing not to acknowledge the first two parts of his statement. “I won’t argue the last part. She’s the coolest person I know, but she claims she’s happy.”
“J hasn’t been happy since…” Nick catches himself at the last minute, allowing his voice to trail off, though I know what he was going to say.
“He’s coming to the wedding, you know,” I share as we exit the house and descend the front steps. “Elliot invited him, given he’s a client and all.”
“Yeah, I figured that’s the same reason I got an invite.”
I may not know specifics, but I am aware that the money Nicky and Mav pay Elliot is a substantial sum. Lucian was drunk one night and let it slip their accounts alone make up more than half the revenue of the entire firm. Safe to say, they get preferential treatment.
“I was kind of surprised you RSVP’d yes.”
We finally reach my car. Nicky opens the back door for me, taking the containers from my hand and placing them on the backseat. He shuts it, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he looks down at me.
“I’d never miss your wedding, Daph. Even if I disagree with your choice in groom.” He adds on the last part like he’s trying to be funny, but I know the sentiment rings all too true for him. “I’d never miss a milestone.”
“Thank you for coming to my graduation. You didn’t have to do that. Seriously. Especially after I never called for your birthday. And the business cards, Nick. They’re so beautiful. Not to mention, the unicorn. I still can’t believe you remember something so ridiculous after all these years.”
“I don’t know. A little girl in a funeral home once told me unicorns aren’t ridiculous.” He leans in as though sharing a secret. “They’re magic. I’m kind of inclined to agree with her. After all, I made a wish and voila, you’re here.”
I glance down, toeing a small pebble as I fight to control my smile.
“And as far as the birthday goes, forget about it. Twenty-six isn’t even an important one.”
“All of your birthdays are important, Nicky. I’m thankful for every year you’re alive.” I look up in time to catch his Adam’s apple bob in his throat while his eyes seem to shimmer in the glow of the fading light.
“I, um… I should go.” My hand grips the door handle, pulling it open to make my escape, only to be prevented when a wall of muscle presses into me from behind. Nicky’s arm tightens around my midsection, pinning my back to his front.
“What are you doing?” My body trembles within his grasp, the walls of my resolve beginning their familiar quiver, threatening to crumble entirely.
Nicky’s face presses into my hair, his chest expanding as he inhales deep. He holds it for a moment, then turns his face to the side, resting his cheek atop my head as he releases a slow exhale. “Making do.”
He backs away, leaving my body swaying in his absence, mourning the loss of his touch. Slipping my eyes closed, I whisper to the tree line before me while he remains stationed at my back. “Goodnight, Nick.”
I dip into the car, yanking the door shut as I slide inside. Risking a glance out my window, I manage to catch him silently mouthing his farewell.
“Night, demon.”