Finally His (3 page)

“Was it?” He shrugged and strode to her. “Where’s your suit?
You should come down and have some fun.”

“I don’t want to.”

“So you’re going to hide in here all evening?”

“Yes.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Not that
it has anything to do with you. Just leave, why don’t you? Go back to your
women and leave me alone.”

Instead, he turned and opened the first drawer on his right.
“Nice,” he commented as he grabbed a pink lace bra and held it in front of his
face.

“Nick! For pity’s sake.” She rushed him, but he put his hand
up over his head.

The lacy underwear dangled between his fingers, taunting
her. He laughed. “You should see your face, baby.”

“It’s not funny! This is my bedroom and you’re not supposed
to be in here.”

“You’re not supposed to be hiding either, but no one’s
stopping you. Well, apart from me. So, where’s your suit? I know you have one.”

“I don’t want to go outside and you can’t force me. Give it
back!” She leaned on her toes and, pressing her palm against his chest, tried to
pull his arm down.

He rocked back on his heels, but didn’t let go. “Nope. Not
until you’ve changed.”

“That’s not a bikini top, dumbass.”

“I know.” His eyebrows rose, then he fingered the soft lace
between his fingers. “I’d like to see this on you.”

“Huh?” She blinked. What the hell? “What are you doing,
Nick?”

“I thought it’d be evident.”

“No, I don’t mean that. I mean…the flirting.”

Something flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t respond
straightaway. Instead, he put her bra back into the drawer and pawed some more
through her underwear. When he picked a corset with lace garter straps hanging
from it, a growl rang deep in his chest. “Have you worn this before?”

“Sure. You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Would you wear it for me?”

“Seriously, Nick, have you gone crazy or something?”

He sighed and let the lingerie flutter back down. Striding
to the door, he said, “If you’re not outside in your swimsuit or bikini or
whatever in ten minutes, I’ll come back and undress you myself.” With those
parting words, he left her room, and it took her a few minutes to realize he
still hadn’t answered her.

Damn it!
She lay down on her bed and stared blankly
at the ceiling. What the hell was going on? Why was he acting like this, almost
as if he wanted a repeat of what they’d done on the hood of his car? Maybe the
sex had been so good he couldn’t help himself? She snorted. “Yeah, right.”

Who was she kidding? This was Nick Santos, the town’s
sexiest bachelor. Sure, he held that title with her brother, the both of them
forces to be reckoned with. Every woman in the whole county wanted to hang out
with them. Every single one of these women thought they’d be the one to make
either man fall into their clutches, get married and have his babies. Not a
single one had succeeded, though. Oh, some of them had been girlfriends for a
few months even, but it never really ended well. They pushed for more and soon
after the relationships ended. She didn’t know how many times she’d heard her
brother or Nick say they were too happy with their lives to risk messing them
up. They weren’t meant to settle down, not now anyway. These were just words
though.

She knew her brother wanted more from life even if he didn’t
show it. She knew him as well as she knew herself. She let out a heavy breath
at the thought of her twin. He was the other half of her soul, the joyful
partying one. He had the same coloring as her, even their faces looked alike,
but on him it fit. He was handsome like the devil, all brown hair and dark
eyes, tall and built like a bull. She was built like a bull too, if the bull
had too-big hips and breasts.

She turned on her side and stared at the open drawer and the
lingerie peeking out of it. Nick had seemed to like it. Even better, he’d
seemed to really enjoy her body that one time. It still surprised her that she
hadn’t been afraid then. She’d taken her clothes off in front of him and she
hadn’t cared, probably because Nick had never seemed to mind the way she
looked.

She’d often wondered if it was because he’d known her
forever or because he’d been scared Alex would smack some sense into him if he
ever did say anything. But then she’d seen the girls he’d dated over the years
and they’d all been different physically. He didn’t seem to have a type and the
women in town loved him all the more for it. Anyone could make a pass at him
and hope he’d respond. Look what she’d done with those blind dates! She wasn’t
any better.

That night was still crystal clear in her mind. The way his
eyes had lit up when she’d leaned back against his car… He’d kissed her.
Caressed her. Made her come. Shivers ran up her spine just as her bedroom door
opened once more.

“Are you gonna hide in here all evening?” her brother asked
from the threshold.

“Isn’t that what I always do?” she shot back as she sat up
and crossed her legs, slightly weirded out he’d stumbled upon her right when
she’d been fantasizing about his best friend.

“Please, Luce. Just this once.”

She rolled her eyes, hating the way he suddenly grinned.
Damn twin connection from hell!

“See you soon then.” He closed the door behind him, already
knowing he’d won.

Lucy knew she could have told him no. Alex would have pouted
but he’d have understood. She could feel how unhappy he was, however. He didn’t
show it, probably hoping she didn’t know what was going on inside him. But she
did, and because she already owed him so much, she’d promised herself she’d do
whatever she could to make him happy again. Her brother deserved it.

She grabbed her black-and-white tankini from her closet and
swiftly changed into it. Ignoring her mind and its sneaky little comments about
her weakness for Nick and his blond good looks, she stepped out of her
bedroom…and let out a shriek.

“Nice.” The man in question was leaning against the opposite
wall, his legs crossed at the ankle. His gaze took a long and lazy detour of
her barely covered body. “Let’s go,” he finally said, offering her his arm as
she walked past him.

She shook her head and went outside of her own volition,
shading her eyes with her palm as she walked down the steps leading to their
back garden. They’d bought the house just for this, really. The swimming pool
took nearly all the space, but it was perfect. It had a Jacuzzi on one side and
steps on the other, sparkling white in the late summer evening.

Women sporting tiny bikinis were playing volleyball against
sun-kissed men with wide smiles. It was noisy, the iPod dock she’d bought Alex
for Christmas on a nearby table playing summer anthems. There was alcohol and
cocktail glasses, but no food. It was a party like all their other parties, the
in-crowd having fun like only it could.

She stopped short when she realized she didn’t know where to
go or what to do. Oh, they accepted her. After all, this was her house too. But
she usually didn’t spend time with them, knowing far too well it was only
because of Alex that she was on speaking terms with most of them.

God, this was awkward. She should have stayed in her room
after all.
No, no, no!
She was better than this. So what if she had more
curves than any other women present? She was still attractive in her own right.
After all, hadn’t Nick admired her breasts just the night before?

“Guess you won’t be doing laps tonight,” the man in question
said behind her.

She turned and looked up at him. “How do you even know about
that?”

He smirked and took her hand, leading her to the pool steps.
She followed him, all the while wondering what else he knew about her. Sure, he
was her brother’s best friend and spent most of his time hanging around the
place, but she never went outside if she knew he was there. She loved nothing
more than to do laps at night, when the neighborhood was quiet and the water
still warm. It was peaceful, her one escape from reality…and now he knew about
it.

He pulled on her hand all of a sudden and sent her toppling
into the water, her scream cut short when water rushed over her head. He was so
going to pay for this!

Nick stared at the woman who’d been occupying his thoughts
for far too long. She was standing only inches away from him, her chest heaving
from the massive tickle fight they’d just had. And yet she was grinning,
looking as if she’d completely forgotten about her earlier reluctance to join
them outside. He watched as she shook her wet hair down her back, then started
walking toward him with her hands raised in front of her, water splashing her
sides. He smirked. If she thought she could take him, she really had another
think coming.

“I don’t think so,” he taunted her, taking a step sideways,
leading her away from the volleyball game.

“I’m gonna get ya,” she called out, her eyes sparkling.

His dick twitched inside his shorts and he forced himself to
stop staring at her so intently. She was just so…luminous. So damn nice. Cute.
Sexy.
Yes, definitely sexy, he added inwardly, recalling how wet she’d been around
his pounding cock.

He’d never thought she’d take the initiative, that she would
take her clothes off just like that. It’d blown his mind. He could still see
her tits bouncing with his every thrust, hear her throaty moans as she fell
apart in his arms. She’d been amazing, as good as he’d fantasized, and wasn’t
that a kick in the head?

His mind elsewhere, he didn’t see her propel herself toward
him. He fell back into the water with her on top of him, the others’ laughter
meeting them when they finally emerged spitting water. They looked at each
other and started giggling.

Life was very good indeed.

* * * * *

Lucy was thinking of the night before as she spread
chocolate icing onto the cupcakes she’d just baked. She should have let them
cool down a little, but she was tired and wanted to go to bed. It was warm in
the kitchen, perspiration clinging to her forehead, her cheeks, the back of her
neck. She thought of the pool outside and how nice it would feel to be in it
right now. Instead, she focused on the little cakes and kept at her task.

The pool party had been a revelation. One, because no one
had commented on her or the fact she was wearing a swimsuit…or the way she
looked in it. Two, because she’d had fun. She’d dunked Nick, had been dunked by
him. Then Alex had joined the melee and soon everyone had been in the pool,
splashing each other. They’d come out and had ordered pizzas, people sitting
wherever they could. They’d chatted, talking about everything and anything, and
it’d felt good to be included. She’d had fun. Who’d have guessed?

“You’ve got chocolate on your chin.”

She jumped at the unexpected male voice, groaning inwardly
when she recognized it. Was he stalking her now? “What are you doing here?”

“We just got back. Lex sent me in here for beers.”

She gestured to the fridge. “Then get them and leave.”

He tsked. “Lucy, come on.”

“What?” She looked back down at her cakes, frowning as she
spread icing as smoothly as she could.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?”

He grunted. “In this heat?”

“No choice. There’s a farewell party at work tomorrow and I
said I’d bake cupcakes.”

“You could have bought them instead.”

She shook her head. “Nah. They’re not complicated, just time
consuming.”

He watched her in silence and she wondered how long he’d
stand there. Probably until her brother got impatient and called out for his
beer. Turned out she was wrong. Before she could guess his intentions, his
fingers found her chin and nudged her head up. “You’ve got chocolate on your
face,” he repeated, his gaze intense on her.

“Nick?” she whispered. Too late.

His face lowered, his lips brushing her cheek seconds later.
His mouth glided down to her chin, then back up again, licking her bottom lip.
She stopped a moan from escaping her throat, but he wasn’t finished. His hands
spread over the back of her head, fingers clutching her hair as he pushed her
face into the position he wanted. And then with a low growl, he took her mouth
for a deep, hard kiss.

This time she moaned. She couldn’t help herself. Nor could
she help her arms from looping around his neck, her body from swaying into his.
The kitchen counter was hard against her hip, but she didn’t care. She was too
busy kissing him, enjoying the way he seemed to know just how to tangle his
tongue around hers. When he pulled apart, they stared at each other, both
panting a little.

“Whenever you want, bro!” Alex’s voice rang from the den.

Nick opened the fridge behind her and took out two Buds,
popping the caps and dropping them into the nearby trash. “I gotta go.” He squeezed
her shoulder as he walked past her and she watched the door swing shut behind
him.

What the hell? Again? She groaned and rubbed her face.
“Cupcakes,” she reminded herself. Yes, she had work to do. She’d think about
the enigma that he’d suddenly become later.

Much later…

“You do know that if you hurt her, I’ll have to hurt you
too. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s going on, Nick? I thought you weren’t going to act
on this.”

“I’m trying,” he bit out, his gaze stuck on the movie they
were watching. “You’re the one who set us up on another date.”

“She begged me, okay? Try having your twin beg you and we’ll
talk about it.”

“I don’t have a twin.”

“My point exactly.”

“Fuck,” Nick swore. He raked his fingers through his hair
and added, his voice low, “I don’t want to hurt her. I just… Something happened
the other night and she… Hell, I don’t know how to explain it.”

“You promised you wouldn’t make a move on her,” Alex
reminded him, as if he’d ever forget.