The Leaves 03 (Nico) (13 page)

218/510

“Do you want me to help you rinse your hair? Then I can move you to the couch where you’ll be more comfortable? And warmer?” I raised one brow and looked down at her.

“Can you be bothered? I don’t think I’m gonna be much help.”

“You just sit there and look pretty.” She smiled with her eyes closed. Poor thing, I’d never really dealt with a drunk chick. Not like this. When they were this far gone, I put them in a cab. Jesus, my life was different now. The bathroom wasn’t all that big. Mine was much bigger, but so was my place. Hers was a small one-bedroom cottage with a huge closet. Since they were so close to each other, I filled the sink with warm water, and sat her on the toilet.

“I have to pee,” she said.

“Okay.” I looked away casually and lifted her up just enough to pull her yoga pants down. She was going commando tonight, 219/510

God bless her. I handed her a wad of paper and when she moved her hand between her legs… well, the sight of her light brown, neatly trimmed pubic hair gave me a raging erection. When she was finished, I continued to untie the end of the braid and rinsed her hair, she could wash it tomorrow when she was feeling up to it.

Suddenly, the top of my waistband was tugged down and her lips were on my dick. It happened so fast, I almost dropped her head on the side of the counter.

“Ah!” I hissed out. But that quickly changed into a moan because it felt so fucking unbelievably good. “What are you doing, babe?”

Her lips popped off the end of my dick, and I looked down to see she hadn’t pulled up her pants yet. Both her hands grabbed my hips while I took the weight of her head and gripped the top of the braid as she pushed her mouth down almost my entire length.

220/510

“Unbelievable,” I said, my head falling back. Then reality hit me. I pulled back, fuckin’ almost killed me, but I had to stop her. “No, babe. Not like this.” Her shoulders slumped as she said, “Just go, Nico.” I pulled her pants up, moved her out of the doorway so I could pick her up and carry her to the couch.

“What are you doing?” she demanded as I set her on the couch.

I arranged the quilt and another thick, knitted throw around us, “It’s warmer here.” I laid flat behind her, her head in the crook of my arm, her body pressed against mine, and a large towel on the floor just in case she felt the need to puke again. Her damp hair soaked through my sweatshirt and tee underneath, but I ignored it. I pulled her into me, not remembering a single time in my life when I had ever felt like this next to a woman… except for one.

221/510

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, fighting sleep.

“Because I like you,” I said gruffly into her hair.

“You just rejected me. Again.” Her voice was sad, like she was on the verge of tears.

“Lark…” What was I supposed to say? I went with honest. “I haven’t held a woman in my arms… ever.”

“Really?”

“Really, and for the record, I didn’t reject you. Let’s call it taking a rain-check.”

“I don’t know if I can.” I felt her breath catch and knew she was crying. Then it was all clear. I didn’t know what had happened to warrant her bad-day-drink-fest. Whatever it was, she was feeling it.

“Do you want to elaborate on that?” I asked.

“I don’t know if I’m… ready. For anyone, not you, anyone.”

222/510

“Are you still in love with him, Lark?” There was really no point if she was. I had just worked it out. Just my fuckin’ luck; I find a woman that feels great, fits with me great, I can have easy conversation with, and takes my fuckin’ breath away… but I swooped in, more like barged in to her life.

She wanted me to knock that day and she wanted to suck my dick not two minutes ago.

But that didn’t mean she wanted anything else from me. A few years ago… hell, a few months ago, I would’ve had no problem just letting her blow me or give her a fuck. I didn’t want that anymore.

She sunk closer to me. “Chances are, tomorrow, you’ll wake up and wonder why you bothered to come keep me company.” I was contemplating what to say in response when she continued. “The story is, Nico, I was engaged. For six years, I had this whole other life. I had a big ring and even made my own dress in secret because I wanted it to be a 223/510

surprise for the man I loved. And now it’s in my closet with some pretty wine glasses. But he didn’t love me. I don’t even think he liked me. He just found someone that complimen-ted him better. I was nothing more to him than an accessory.”

I brushed her bare arm with my fingers.

She should have been freezing in that little tank top, but I was grateful to touch her skin.

“I used to be fun. Me and Dee, my cousin, the two of us…” She stopped talking for a while. “I lost myself for him, and I don’t know how to get her back. I wasted the years when I should have found someone that wanted me for me, wanted to marry me, have a family with me… someone who made me feel… balanced.”

Everything stopped for me when she said that.

Her brown eyes were swollen with a combination of exhaustion and regret as she took my hand and laced her fingers with mine. I 224/510

put my lips to her cheek, kissed her softly, and stared right back. There were no words, and as I watched her drift to sleep, I kissed her forehead and assured, “I’m gonna help you find her, Lark.”

“Who?” she asked sleepily.

“That girl you lost… I saw her tonight, I’m sure of it. I’d like to spend some time with her.”

“She’d like to spend some time with you, too.”

I listened to her breathe, watched her body relax tucked into mine, and fuck if I wasn’t reminded of Dish. But I’d tell her all about Lark Andrews asleep in my arms tomorrow.

Chapter 10

Dear Dish –

She wants to take things slow.

I’ve never done slow. I’ve never done

“this” whatever “this” is.

I just know it’s right.

I’m not going to fuck it up.

N

Over the next few weeks, Lark and I became inseparable. We walked to my favorite café together a few days a week, went out to lunch, I held the door open for her, and carried her groceries from the truck to her cottage. She cooked for me when I was working and brought a plate down to the shop, and 226/510

each one had a note folded and taped to the top.

It was her idea as a way to get to know each other better. She asked me a question, and I asked her a question. It could be about anything from favorite food to favorite sexual position, and, if it was reasonable, we answered. She also created what was called a

“white flag.” If there was a question she or I didn’t want to answer yet, we used our white flag and moved on to something else.

So far, neither one of us had used it.

Every night, she slept in my bed or I slept in hers. We did nothing but kiss. I never crossed that line, because I knew, if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

I had called Pop on the Friday of the first week with Lark and told him I was coming to dinner… and I was bringing a date. I knew in my gut, Lark was special, but the real test would be my folks. She already knew Mom 227/510

so that would take some of the pressure off of an already nervous Lark.

“Son, you know we love you,” he said. “But please, don’t bring that Barbie-doll here. I’ll have to hear about it from you mom for months. I’m begging you-”

“No, Pop.” I laughed. “I ended it with Tawn. This is a new girl. You’ll like her, I promise.”

“You sure about that? Not sure if I can trust your judgment anymore, Nicolas.”

“Pop.” I was at work at the time, so I walked outside as cars rushed past in afternoon traffic. “She knocked the wind right outta me.”

There was a long pause before he said, “I’ll tell your mom to make a pie.”

***

shirt, and a black wool coat. I knocked on the door and heard, “Just a minute!” She flipped the lock and disappeared back into her bedroom. “I can’t find my other boot!” she yelled out.

“You want some help?” I asked, amused that she was nervous.

“Got it!” she said, walked into the living room, and tugged it on.

“Damn, Lark!” She wore a pencil skirt, grey suede boots with a high thin heel, and a thick black and grey knitted sweater with a large collar.

“Do I look okay? Should I change?” she said as she brushed her hands over her skirt… and her perfect round ass.

“Get in the fuckin’ truck.” I grinned.

“What?” she asked in that small voice.

“Babe, that outfit? I gotta be honest. Not only do you look beautiful—because you do—it’s gonna be difficult to keep my dick down all night.”

229/510

She gave me a huge smile, and it was almost as beautiful as she was. “Get your bag, babe.” I chuckled as she handed me a large square box.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Pie,” she answered.

“What kind of pie?” I grinned.

“Cherry pie. I make the filling when it’s in season and freeze it. Made the crust, too. I’m ready,” she said, her bag thrown over her shoulder with such force, I felt a rush of air hit me.

The entire drive over, I contemplated telling her that my mom had probably made cherry pie, as well. It was one of her specialties. Not only that, she also made the crust from scratch and her own filling. Instead, I decided I’d have some fun with that little piece of information when the time was right.

We pulled into their long drive, only the ten or so feet in front of the truck were 230/510

visible. In the winter and spring, the fog would settle out here, which made it spooky, horror-film dark, but I didn’t mind it. After all the time I’d spent up at the cabin now, I felt comfortable in even the darkest, most dense, deep woods. I thought I’d share the story with Lark to break the ice.

“I have a cabin. Did I tell you that?” I pulled the truck up slowly to the house.

“No, you didn’t tell me that,” she said nervously.

“The darkness out here reminds me of the forest around it. One day, early afternoon in summer, I followed a small path. I thought it was a path, but now I know better. It was a dry stream made by run-off from the melting snow. Well, I followed it and followed it then thought I better start making my way back. I had a backpack with food and water, so I sat and ate. I’d been out there hours already, just listening. Then the sun was starting to set below the trees. Lucky I had summer 231/510

daylight on my side, but still, it had to be close to eight. So I followed this ‘trail’ back, and everything became denser and denser, until I knew I was lost. But I just relaxed and kind of felt my way through, and, before I knew it, I was on the other side of the property, at the back of the cabin.”

“And you’re telling me this because you want to go hiking? I better buy a compass,” she teased.

“I was trying to distract you. You’ve met my mom and pop before.” I put the truck in park and left the engine running.

“Only your mom, and not like this, Nico.

This is a test.” She opened her bag and dug around until she found her compact and lipstick.

“Lark?” I asked and waited for her to finish dolling herself up unnecessarily.

“Yep,” she answered and smacked her lips together as she threw the compact and lipstick back into her bag.

232/510

I cut the engine, turned my body toward hers, and unclicked her seatbelt.

“What are you doing?” she asked, a little bit of mischievousness in her voice.

“Well, I’m gonna mess up your lipstick, get you hot and bothered, then I’m taking you to meet my parents… kinda.” I grinned and leaned down taking her chin in my hand and giving her a slow, deep kiss until I heard her moan.

“Hey, you kids!” My pop pounded on the hood of the truck and began to laugh his ass off when we both jumped.

Lark screamed into my face and almost bit my tongue. I couldn’t stop laughing while Lark tried to gain her composure, but she still couldn’t resist the laughter all around.

“You’ll get used to it.” I grinned, grabbed the cherry pie, and let my pop escort her from the truck.

233/510

“You didn’t say she was beautiful. You should’ve said she was beautiful.” Pop smiled and walked with Lark’s hand on his arm.

“Yeah, I did.” I stated proudly.

“No, you said she took your breath away.

You didn’t say she was beautiful,” he corrected.

Dick.

She stopped in her tracks and looked over at me, “You told your dad I took your breath away?”

I stopped, as well, and looked at her.

“Yeah.”

“You told your dad I took you breath away?” she asked again, I assumed for clarification.

“Actually, I said you took the breath right outta me,” I replied and closed the small space between us.

“Don’t be long, you two.” My pop let out a hearty laugh and continued to do so all the way into the house.

234/510

I reached up to move her hair behind her ear. “Babe? You all right?”

“I think so. I mean, are you for real? Seriously?” Her brow furrowed with worry.

I wasn’t really sure what was going on.

“Lark—”

“No, I mean… hang on a minute. I know about you, your reputation with women, and I don’t care about that, but you’re not playing me, are you, Nico? I need to know.” I was still holding the box which I now put down on the gravel drive beside my feet and pulled her close. “I wanna take you to my cabin, Lark. I’ve never taken another soul there. I’ve had it over three years, and it’s only ever been me. When I take you there, you’ll understand the significance, and you’ll know, without a doubt, I am not playing you.”

I held my arms around her waist and waited while she mulled over what I’d just told her.

235/510

“I’m not sure what you just said. All I got from that is you have a Unabomber cabin in the woods.” She smiled.

“Well, so we’re clear, I don’t contemplate blowing shit up when I’m there.” I let her go, picked up the box, and led her toward the house.

“What do you do when you go there?” she asked.

“I listen,” I answered.