"No, man. I still haven't heard from him," Brian said into his cell phone. "He's obviously not talking to anyone. But, you know how Kevin is. He will probably hide for a while and then he'll be totally apologetic. I'm sure there's a good explanation for his behavior."
"There damn well better be," Nick stated. "Besides, I'm not the only one who is pissed at him. I'm sure AJ is livid by now, and he holds a grudge a lot longer than I do. Kev's got his hands full with him."
"Speaking of AJ....," Brian started. "Have you talked to Destiny about him?"
"I'm doing that this evening," he answered checking his watch. "I guess I'd better go. I'm not getting anything done sitting on my ass talking to you on the phone."
"Oh, so you've got a special evening planned?"
"Well, first I'm gonna open up and tell her everything. You know, kinda clear the air. And, if things go like I'm hoping they will, then, yes, I do plan to make up for some lost time," he answered with a scheming grin.
"You mean as long as she isn't sleeping with AJ?" Brian teased.
"Exactly, asshole," Nick laughed. "As much as I enjoy this cheerful banter, I DO have a date.... something you old married folk wouldn't know anything about."
"You just keep believing that, Nicky boy."
"See ya, man," he laughed, hanging the phone up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After showering, water droplets still covering his broad shoulders, Nick stood in his massive walk in closet, flipping through shirt after shirt, looking for the perfect one. He finally settled on a pale green button up shirt and a pair of baggy white shorts, which complemented his tan skin so well.
Once dressed, he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, rubbing styling gel through his golden hair, and racking his brain for the words to tell Destiny about his past.
"Try the truth, Carter," he said to himself.
If their relationship was to work, he knew honesty had to be a priority. Without honesty, there could never be any trust. And without trust, there could be no relationship, period. He just hoped she wouldn't freak out when she heard the truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As she drove closer to Nick's house, Destiny grew more and more nervous. He'd said that he wanted them to have a serious talk. She'd almost driven herself crazy trying to think of what he had on his mind. Oh no, she thought, a sinking feeling in her stomach. He's breaking up with me! She came to a sudden stop as the thought lingered in her mind. Only when startled by another car horn did she begin to roll again.
"No!" she tried to tell herself. "He has no reason to break up with me. Unless..... he's found out I lied to him." She knew that was a distinct possibility. With everything else that had happened recently, it certainly wouldn't surprise her.
"Stop it!" she said sternly to herself. She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying her hardest to maintain her composure. The words 'serious talk' don't automatically mean something is wrong, she kept telling herself. Think positive! Things are gonna be just fine!
Meanwhile at Nick's....
Nick was arranging a huge bouquet of freshly cut flowers in a vase positioned between two rose scented candles when the doorbell rang. He felt his heart rate increase as he made his way toward the door. Taking in a deep breath, he finally opened it.
"Hey there, beautiful," he said, giving a nervous smile. God, she looks even hotter than usual, he thought as his eyes scanned her delicate frame.
"Hey, yourself, handsome," she returned the smile, standing on her tip toes to place a light kiss on his lusciously full lips.
After allowing her sweet kiss to sink into his now tingling lips, Nick led Destiny to the couch. He then turned to face her, taking her hand in between his.
"I have something I need to tell you," he started. "Something I should've told you from the start."
"Ok," she said. "But, first, I need to tell you something." She had finally decided she had to tell him she'd lied. It had been eating her up inside.
"Des, please, let me say this," he pleaded. "If I don't go ahead and get it all out, I may chicken out."
"Ok, sweetie. Go ahead," she concurred. P>Taking in yet another deep breath, Nick prepared to spill his guts.
"About four years ago, I began dating this girl named Caitlyn," he said, pausing afterward as if to get a response from Destiny.
"Ok," she said, waiting for the rest of the story.
"We became really close really fast," he started once again. "Before I knew it, I was head over heels in love with this girl.... the first real love of my life." Once more, he paused.
Destiny wasn't sure she liked where this conversation seemed to be going. But, still, she nodded and tried to prepare herself for what she felt sure Nick was getting ready to tell her. He was still in love with this girl, she thought.
"Well, to make a long story short.... we dated for several years. The relationship was great, even though I was gone so much. She was very supportive of my career. But, that's not the point," he said, shaking his head.
"Ok," Des said. "So, what IS the point?"
After a long, heavy sigh, Nick began to speak again.
"A little over a year ago, she called me and told me she was pregnant."
Destiny felt her heart sinking, and her face must've shown her emotion.
"You alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she nodded slowly. "Go ahead."
"Well, I freaked. I was young.... we BOTH were. My career had just exploded. Things were going so well for me. A baby just didn't fit into my life anywhere right then. So.... I told her I didn't believe it was mine, and that she was just trying to trap me."
Again, he waited for Destiny's reaction. When she said nothing he continued.
"We didn't speak again after that," he said, his big blue eyes looking watery. "About two months later, I came to my senses. On a break, I went to her house, prepared to propose. She was gone. Her dad was more than happy to tell me she'd moved away with a new man she'd met and they were planning to get married. I was too late."
Destiny sat there, allowing the information to sink in. No wonder he has been so distant, she thought.
"So, you have never seen the child?" she asked, not really knowing what to say.
"No. I haven't," he answered sadly. "I've thought a lot about it. Maybe a little too much, I think."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there have been a couple of times that I thought I saw her. Once I stopped a jogger because I was certain it was her. But, when she turned around, it wasn't."
"I'm so sorry, Nick. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you."
"So, you're not gonna turn and run?" he asked, surprised.
"Turn and run?? Of course not," she said, reaching out and placing her soft hand against his cheek. "I want to help you. If you have a problem with something, I want to be the one you turn to. I won't run."
"I was so scared you'd be freaked out," he said.
"So, you think you were just seeing things?" she asked. "Or do you think you have really seen her?"
"I don't know, to be honest. I really don't. I'd like to try to find her though. Not for any kind of rekindled romance, but the simple fact that I may have a child I've never seen."
"I understand. And, I will do everything I can to help you," she said.
Nick looked into her sparkling eyes, so thankful to have her. He hadn't expected her to be so understanding. He felt almost guilty for not having enough faith in her.
Destiny pulled back a little from Nick, and said, "Ok. My turn."
"That's right," he said. "You had something you wanted to tell me."
"Ok. Here goes. Remember a while back when I laid out of work and came for the 'grand tour'?"
"Yeah. I remember," he smiled. "You had me so hot, and then up and left."
"About that," she said hesitantly. "I know you thought I was going to work. But.... the truth is.... I mislead you on that."
"I know," he said.
"You know?" she asked, shocked. "How did you know?"
"Oh, I didn't know it then. I happened to come into that restaurant and saw you and AJ there together," he said.
"Why didn't you say something?"
"Actually, I was afraid to," he admitted. "I was afraid to hear that you'd rather be with him than me."
"That's why I didn't tell you I was meeting him. I knew you'd think something like that. But, Nick, sweetie, you have nothing to worry about. I don't want AJ. I only want you," she smiled.
"It's ok," he returned the smile. "I know nothing is going on. I trust you. You are allowed to have friends, after all."
"I'm sorry I lied. I should've told you the truth."
"Tell you what," he smiled. "I could probably be persuaded to forgive you for a small fee."
"Fee? What kind of fee?"
As he leaned closer, bridging the distance between their faces, she realized just what kind of fee he meant. And she was more than willing to pay up. Feeling his soft lips on hers sent a tingle down her spine. She slowly parted her lips, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. As the kiss deepened, soft moans escaped their lips. Destiny could feel herself letting go.... giving in.... just as Nick was pulling away.
Taking her hand and standing up, he said, "Come on. I want to show you something."
He led her up the steps, down the hall and to the door of his bedroom, stopping just outside the door. Before opening the door, he put his hands over her eyes from behind her and slowly led her in.
"What's the big surprise?" she asked.
"Shhh...," he whispered. "You'll ruin the mood."
"Sorry," she whispered with a laugh.
His hands still over her eyes, Destiny allowed Nick to steer her into the middle of the room. Finally, he stopped her and uncovered her eyes. He had taken the time to set up candles all over the room. There were flowers in vases on the nightstand and dresser. The room smelled of roses, and beside the bed in a bucket of ice was a bottle of wine.
"What's all this about?" she smiled, turning to face Nick's gleaming face.
"I was hoping that once we got things cleared up, we could maybe make up for lost time," he smiled shyly.
"Sure of yourself, aren't you? You went to all this trouble not even knowing how I might react?"
He simply nodded, raising an eyebrow, as if to say 'Yeah, I guess I did'.
She slowly looked around the room, taking in all his efforts. She was genuinely touched by his thoughtfulness. She turned slowly to him, a huge smile forming on her lips.
"I love it," she whispered. Looking up at his gorgeous face, Destiny could see the desire in Nick's eyes. The way he looked at her said volumes without a single word spoken.
He gently took her hands in his and slowly guided her backwards until she was against the opposite wall. She could feel his strong body pressing against hers as his mouth came down to capture hers once more. His hunger was very evident in his actions, in his sensual kiss.
To Nick, it felt as though he couldn't get close enough. He reached around behind her, between her back and the wall, grabbing her well rounded backside with both hands and lifting her off the ground slightly. As she wrapped her legs around his waist, he pressed even closer to her, pinning her to the wall, holding her up with his hands. He could feel her desire as her legs tightened around him, her hands in the back of his hair. He knew he couldn't take much more of this.
"I .... want to.... make love.... to you," he muttered, through ragged breaths.
"Oh, yes, Nick. I want you so much," she replied.
That's all he needed to hear. Nick turned Destiny around and carried her to the bed, her long legs still wrapped around his body. As he gently laid her back on the bed, and Destiny felt his hard body coming down on hers, she looked up and saw the look on his face. It was one of desire.... erotic, arousing, sensual, passionate. In that moment, she wondered what had taken her so long to see this before. In one quick movement, she rolled to the side, pulling him down under her, her coming to straddle his waist. As her fingers went to work on the buttons of his shirt, he let out a soft sigh as the feel of her fingers on his chest sent what felt like shock waves through his entire body. Once unbuttoned, Destiny opened Nick's shirt, exposing his gorgeously chiseled chest and abs. Scanning over the tanned flesh, she inhaled the erotic scent of his skin, leaning to trace circles around his belly button with her tongue. Nick closed his eyes, allowing the ecstasy to overtake him. He was no longer in control.
Having him raise slightly, Destiny discarded his shirt and began to work on his shorts. Having unbuttoned and unzipped them, exposing his boxers, and revealing his ever growing hardness, Destiny reached over and took a few pieces of ice from the bucket. She tantalizingly began to suck on the pieces before putting them into her mouth. She could feel Nick's approval underneath her. Allowing the ice to melt slightly, she bent and covered his nipple with her mouth, the ice coming in contact with the flesh, immediately making it erect.
"Ooooh," he moaned, as he squirmed underneath her.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked slyly.
"Not a damn place," he smiled.
"Good boy," she purred, moving on to the other nipple, performing the same job she had on the first one.
"You've gotta stop that," he whispered. "I can't take it."
"Sure you can," she smiled, and reached to take the bottle of wine from the ice bucket.
She ran the cold glass bottle down the middle of his chest, over his tight abs, and as far down as his boxers would allow. She then opened the bottle while allowing the water droplets from the bottom to drop onto Nick's sensitive skin. He watched her, his blue eyes shining, as she tilted the bottle slightly and let a few drops of wine pour onto his skin and begin to roll south. Before the wine made it to his boxers, she had set the bottle down and licked up the mess, stopping just short of his 'hot zone'.
"That's no fair," he pouted.
"Oh really?" she smiled evily. "And just what are YOU gonna do about it?"
Before she knew what was happening, he had turned the tables. Now, it was Nick who was on top and in control. As he pulled her shirt up over her head and unclasped her front hook bra, Destiny shivered as his hands brushed her skin. He had the softest touch, so delicate yet so manly. She watched as he reached for the ice bucket, for she knew exactly what she was in for.
Nick took one piece of ice and rubbed it gently, slowly over her nipples one at a time. When she began to squirm he took her hand, pinning her down, and teasingly flicker his tongue over her already achingly hard nipples.
Once he was sure she couldn't take much more, as he couldn't either, Nick took the bottle of wine and filled her belly button full. Smiling down at her, he made his way with his tongue down her chest, between her perky breasts, down her flat belly and sucked every drop out of it. He slowly unbuttoned and unzipped her shorts, pushing the fabric aside as he continued to trace the edge of her panties with his hot wet tongue.
Nick, please.....," she pleaded.
"What is it, baby?" he smiled wickedly. "Tell me. I want to hear it."
"I want you, Nick," she whispered. "I want you now!"
Without another word, he stood and pulled her shorts and panties from under her. Once rid of those, he stood, facing her, and discarded his own. Standing there in all his luscious naked glory, Destiny smiled to herself, realizing for the first time just how breathtaking he was.
His eyes never leaving hers, once again, he lowered his body onto hers, entering her gently as their skin began to touch. Destiny's breath caught in her throat as she felt more and more of his hardness invading her soft warmth. She was pleased to see him taking it slowly. Where most men would've just 'driven it home', Nick was slow and steady, sensual, erotic. Total ecstasy.
After a few minutes, however, Destiny felt her passion overtaking her and wrapped her legs around his body, pulling him in deeper, causing him to quicken his pace. As the strokes became faster, harder, the moans and cries of passion became louder, stronger. Nick lowered his head, Destiny feeling his hot breath and soft tongue along her neck. After planting several kisses and tracing circles on her neck, he raised once more, giving her a chance to return the favor.
Raising to meet him, she began to run her tongue along his jawline, down his neck and as far down to his chest as she could get, given the position she was in. Feeling her warm soft lips on his bare tanned shoulders, Nick picked up the pace even more, causing both of them to suddenly reach their climaxes simultaneously.
"OH.... MY.... GOD!!!" he screamed.
"Yes.... OH NICK!!" were the words that escaped her lips.
The way he moved sent sensual bolts of lightning through her body. The way his manliness touched every single erotic spot inside of her. The way he held her, kissed her. The way his skin tasted, his lips, his mouth. The sweat dropping off of his luscious body onto her own. All this was more than she could take. Obviously, Nick had the same weakness. His body trembling, he collapsed in her arms, his energy spent, his appetite completely satisfied.
Through his shaky voice, Destiny heard Nick speak the last words she'd expected.
"I love you," he whispered.
As soon as she heard the words, she realized that she, too, somewhere down the line, had fallen in love with him as well.
"I love you, too, Nick."
Lying there in his big strong arms, Destiny felt a contentment she had never known before. Yeah, she thought with a smile. Things are gonna be just fine.