Page 45 of Bad Boy Next Door
Fifteen
Jade
On the way home, our driver was chatty, and I sat in the front seat of his SUV, happy to have an excuse not to talk to Nick, or sit too near him, or even see him. If I got too close, I might crawl into his lap and try to fuck him again right there in the car. Or even worse, I’d confess that I liked him. Liked him so much, way too much.
I couldn’t risk that kind of pain. If I’d learned anything in my twenty-two years on this earth, I knew that sooner or later he’d disappoint me, just like everyone else.
He’d looked so worried after I’d stopped the sex, and so hurt when I said I wanted to keep things casual. I was starting to question myself.
Deal or no deal, I liked this man, he liked me, and the sex… The sex was hot. Maybe it was time to open myself up to the possibility of an actual relationship.
We barely knew each other, yet I had a sense that Nick might be the best thing that had ever happened to me. Seriously great. But that feeling was hard to trust.
A sharp ripple of hope traveled through me. Maybe Nickwouldn’tdisappoint me. At least not in any big way we couldn’t get over. There was no way to be certain, but I’d never know if I didn’t give him the chance.
Nodding and half-listening to the driver, I watched Nick from the corner of my eye. His body was hunched to fit into the backseat, his legs spread wide to accommodate their length, and I wanted to reach back to make a connection. Even just a finger on the fabric of his jeans would be enough. But I didn’t dare.
I’d treated him horribly tonight, and yet it seemed he’d forgiven me, further evidence that Nick might be different.
Sure, I wanted to fuck him again, but even more than that, I wanted that sense of ease back between us. I wanted to fix what I’d broken. I wanted us to be friends.
The car pulled in front of Shady Oaks.
“Thanks, man,” Nick said to the driver as he pried himself out of the backseat behind me.
I opened my door. The SUV was high off the ground, and Nick reached out to help me down, but then dropped his hands quickly and turned away.
Shit. I’d really done a number on him tonight. I wasn’t good with apologies, unless they involved making food, but I knew when I owed someone one. And if I’d been in debt to Nick before, tonight that debt had quadrupled.
He held open the gate to the complex, squishing himself back against the concrete arch to give me lots of room to get through the door.
“Breakfast?” I asked as we walked past the poor excuse for a pool.
“Okay,” he said tentatively. “Sure. Good. I need to talk to you about something.”
“No need,” I said. “I mean”—I tried to laugh—“that is… I want to talk to you, too. Can I go first?”
“I guess so.” He took the stairs two at a time, and I did the same, even though I was in no hurry to face this difficult conversation. Apologies weren’t exactly my thing, relationships weren’t, that was for sure, and I hoped I could make him understand how hard it was for me to trust men, trust anyone.
“You going to shower first?” I asked.
“Nah. I think I’ll wait.” He stopped by my door. “Unless…” He glanced down toward his armpit.
“You’re good,” I laughed. “Besides, we both smell like...”
“We sure do.” His voice was deep and luscious.
“I wonder if the Lyft driver noticed?” I unlocked my door and went inside.
“That depends.” Following me, Nick closed the door behind him.
“Depends on what?” I tossed my backpack onto the crappy sofa.
“On whether or not he has a sense of smell.”
Chuckling, I smiled back at him, and the impact of his grinning expression went straight to my belly. I’d like to blame my fluttering stomach on hunger, but there was no denying its true cause. I liked this man. Really liked him. My heart and mind liked him as much, maybe more, than my lady parts liked him. And boy, my lady parts liked him a lot.
Thinking back on how I’d felt when he’d been inside me—how he’d looked at me like he saweverything, saw all the things I never showed anyone—I grew wet, my pussy pulsing and crying out to be filled again. Filled by Nick. And even more, I wanted to be wrapped up in his arms, pressed against his hard body, enveloped in his embrace.
