Imperfections (31 page)

I roll my eyes.

"If he weren't my cousin, I would pay to see that spectacle. Hot sex between two good-looking people, hell yeah."

"I think we would be able to control ourselves. He asked me to meet him for dinner tonight."

"Good."

"I don't know, I don't think I should go."

"Stop thinking so much. You're going to be sitting here thinking while your life passes you by. Go live it, experience it, so you'll have a great story to tell when you're an old woman."

She gives me a hug. Ava is the best friend I could ever ask for. I hope I'm as good a friend to her as she is to me.

I didn't know that night would be the start of the best two days of my life, and the worst days afterward.

Earlier, Nick sent me a text to tell me he made reservations at an exclusive restaurant that just opened near his apartment. Exclusive must mean dress to the nines because they cater to very rich people. I still haven't completely unpacked but the dress I'm wearing isn't in my bags. It's hanging in my closet with the rest of my dressier clothing. I put on my black-and-red dress with symmetrical lines crisscrossing around my breast down to my waist. It gives an illusion of being nude between the lines. It's fitted to the waist and floats off into an A-line skirt at the top of my knees.

I straighten my hair and let it fall back over my shoulders with a part at the side. My makeup is light as usual. I put on my three-inch black strappy heels and my diamond stud earrings.

It's like I'm on a secret mission as I leave the house so no one sees me. Since Kate has moved in I feel like a fugitive on the run trying not to get caught by the authorities. I'm trapped. I'm a prisoner in my house trying to avoid persecution at the hands of my family.

I get out of the cab in Chelsea in front of Nick's building and ring the bell. I've never been to his apartment before while sober. The only thing I really remember is his bedroom. I ring again but no answer. Did he forget the time? I hope not; my cab left and it's freezing out here. My phone alerts me I have a message. It's a message from Nick.

The door is open come in.

Maybe he's still getting dressed. I hope he has all his clothes on. I don't have the strength or the willpower after today. I clutch my purse in my hand and open the door. I walk into a spacious hallway and walk up a flight of steps to another door, there is an elevator but I need the walk for my nerves. There are two doors; I choose the one in front of me. I choose right as it's open. I walk in to a state-of-the-art kitchen that was built for a master chef. Even with the enormous stainless steel fridge it doesn't feel cold.

The living room is as nice as the kitchen. His furniture is the same shade as in his office. Hard wood floors, a large plush wool area rug in the center of the living room and a gigantic floor-to-ceiling window on one side of the room overlooking the city skyline and the water. "Wow, it's spectacular."

"Yes, it is."

I spin around at the sound of his deep voice. He walks over to me and takes my hand. He's wearing dark blue jeans and a white button down shirt out of his pants. He looks fresh and clean I want to run my fingers through his thick black hair. That one thought brings back memories of me on his desk and my hands in his hair holding him to me, and I feel my cheeks growing warm.

"Why aren't you dressed? Am I overdressed, I thought you said we were going to an exclusive restaurant you made reservation for?"

"Relax, you're not overdressed. We're going to an extremely exclusive restaurant." He winks at me and I pull my hand away from him. He takes my hand again with a mischievous smile. "Don't be shy, now. Follow me."

"Where?"

"Don't worry. I want to show you something."

"Don't worry? Easy for you to say. Hard for me not to do."

"Trust me, you'll like it, I hope."

He leads me into an elevator in the kitchen. He pushes a button, neither one of us says anything as we go up in silence. I wish he would let my hand go, I'm so nervous my hands are starting to sweat. I wonder if he can hear my heart beating out of my chest, it's so loud in my ears. He squeezes my hand and pulls me closer to his side without looking at me.

"Relax, trust me."

I don't say anything I keep looking at the door.

The elevator stops. The door opens and my mouth drops open with it. It's beautiful. I walk out of the elevator on to a rooftop garden. Half of it is covered by clear glass with a clear ceiling. I'm surrounded by roses of every color and little twinkling lights that look like stars in the sky and droplets of rain resting on the petals. I can't believe it, it smells and looks incredible. There's a table in the back covered with a lace French white tablecloth. On it, there's a bottle of pink champagne with two crystal flutes and two plates covered with silver lids.

"Nick, it's breathtaking."

He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me against his rock hard warm body.

He leans down to my ear. "You're breathtaking."

"Why did you do this?"

"I wanted to surround you with the stars above and below. Stars are points of light; if you find the right one, it will always lead you back home with the brightness of its illumination. As long as they're there you will never be lost when the night comes and you're cast into darkness. You're my star."

I really like this Nick. "I don't know what to say."

He turns me around. We look deep into each other's eyes. He unbuttons my coat, I let him slide it down my arms, and he throws it on the chaise. Taking my hand he leads me to the table. Pressing a button on a remote, a song starts to play. "Dance with me," he says.

Sade, "By Your Side." I like this song.

Putting my hand in his, he looks down at me, I lay my head against his chest and listen as we move in each other's arms. I feel like I'm in a dream; a dream I never want to wake up from. This is what I want, to be here with him, by his side, to have and to hold. To be loved. He wants me, I want him. It's as simple as that. That's enough for tonight, it's enough for now.

I lift my head up to him and my hand goes around the top of his head. Running my fingers through his hair, that's as black as the night sky, his eyes are as clear and warm as the summer sky in June. Our lips meet and fuse together in a kiss so tender and slow filled with so much emotion it steals my breath away. He takes my breath away from me like a cloud of mist leaving my body, only to be replaced by his kiss over and over again. There is no word to describe what I feel in this moment.

"Make love to me, Nick."

These words tumble out of my mouth like a woman held captive by frustration, guilt, and fear. Held way too long against her will. I'm ready to give in and surrender in a warm rooftop garden surrounded by fragrance and beauty of every color; on a clear bitter cold November night. Stars bright above and around me, the man of my dreams makes love to me like we are the only two people in this world. I let him without hesitation, fear or guilt; we are joined together as one. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. It moves me the way he touches me. The way he lays me down and takes me in his arms.

Telling me how much he cares for me and only me. I am the center of his universe with every pull, push, lick and taste; touch, feel, thrust, cry of passion, explosion of hot flowing heat. I am his. This is truly, my first time.

When it's over we sit at the table with me in his lap, wrapped in a blanket. He feeds me and I feed him. We drink from the same glass. We talk and we laugh. He lifts me up in his arms and carries me to his bed. We touch, kiss, and explore with our hands and mouths for hours, in complete darkness. Only the sound of sighs and moans of two lovers in perfect harmony.

This is the happiest I have ever been. I don't want to leave. I know it's almost time for me to go. We lie facing each other on his bed. Nick's leg between mine, mine over his, the sheet wrapped around us. Our hands intertwined, his head is on his arm. He looks at me and brings our joined hands to his lips kissing my fingers.

"Stay with me. Don't leave tonight."

"I can't. I didn't tell anyone I wasn't coming home. I didn't even tell them I was going out."

"Are you going to make me beg?"

"Maybe, I've never heard you beg before. You've made me beg more than once today, it's only fair."

"I will for you. If it will get you to stay. Stay."

"That didn't even sound like begging, only you can make begging sound like a demand."

He moves the sheet down to my waist bending his head to take my nipple into his mouth and my hand goes to the back of his head rolling me on my back.

"Say you'll stay. Please."

I arch my back off the bed, my fingers fist into his hair. He moans, I moan back. His hand crawls up my leg.

"Ni-ick."

"Say yes."

I say the only word I'm able to say with his mouth on me and his hand in me.

"Yes."

I send Chris a text telling him to tell Mom and Dad I'm spending the night at a friend's house. I spend what is left of the night in Nick's arms; tired and completely blissfully satisfied in strong warm arms wrapped around me with a smile on my face.

I wake up with a bright stream of light in my face by myself in his huge bed. I didn't notice how big it was last night. I didn't notice much of anything last night. Now that I'm thinking about all of it I'm smiling from ear to ear. I put my hands over my eyes and shake my head, God, it was good. I want to replay it over and over and over again in my head.

"Hey, you."

Nick strolls into the room in a pair of blue washed jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt. Why does he still look so good in the morning? I probably look like a roughed up mess.

"Hey, you." I self-consciously run my hands over my hair to smooth it down.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I slept so good I didn't hear you get out of bed, take a shower, dress and eat breakfast, leaving me all alone in bed looking a hot mess."

He plops down next to me and kisses me on the forehead. "Don't worry about it. I forgive you for not looking your absolute best for me at all times."

"You jerk! You should totally come in here with breakfast on a tray made especially for me."

"I'm sorry, I must have left my manners in bed with you when you begged me to stay last night."

"What!" He tries to kiss me and I put my hand over his mouth and push him away. "Don't even try to kiss me." He playfully bites my hand, pins me to the bed and kisses me anyway.

"You were so cute curled up in my bed sound asleep I didn't want to wake you up. I decided to make a few phone calls before you woke up. That way I can spend the rest of the day giving you my undivided attention."

He rubs his unshaven face against my cheek. I make a face at the rough stubble scraping my skin. "Well I'm up now and I'm hungry, are you going to feed me or what?"

"I have a gourmet breakfast waiting for you in the kitchen, madam. Toothbrush and anything else you need are in the linen closet in the bathroom."

"Thank you. Where is the bathroom again?" Vaguely remembering from the last time, he smiles.

"Right through that door across from the bed."

"Was I that drunk? I don't remember it being in here."

"That was the guest bathroom."

That explains it. I sit up with the covers covering me. I'm waiting for him to leave so I can get up. He stares at me with a silly grin on his face like he's daring me to get up. I laugh, he laughs and shakes his head.

"If you don't get up, how are you going to eat?"

I bite my lip and shake my head. "I'm not getting up with you watching me. I know it's stupid after last night and your office."

"No, it's not."

"Then why are you laughing at me?"

"I'm not. It's refreshing. I'm going to make a quick phone call."

"What's so refreshing?"

"Modesty."

I hop out of the bed when he leaves. He wasn't kidding; this bathroom has everything you could want. It's a regular bed bath and beyond. He has a glass shower with five shower heads, complete with his and her seats that fold into the wall. I've never seen that before, I'm not surprised to see it's glass. I don't remember him having a thing for glass before but he does now. I'm gonna luxuriate in this bad boy after I eat. I find a big, white fluffy robe to put on and leave the bathroom when I'm finished.

He's sitting at the table waiting for me. He puts his phone down when I take a seat next to him. "You made all this for me? Pancakes, scrambles eggs, bacon, strawberries, raspberries, French toast, orange juice, and coffee. All my favorites."

"I know they are. Eat up."

"I wish you would join me."

"I'm good. I thought I would be finished by now, but I have to make a couple more calls. I usually work from home on Saturday. I'm rearranging a few things."

"You don't have to do that. You're busy, I'll go."

"No, you won't! I'm going to make these calls and be right back. Sit here and enjoy your meal. You better not leave. This time I'm going to come after you and drag you back to my bed."

"That doesn't sound too bad."