Yours Book 2: Gaining Experience (Yours Series) (8 page)

S
ephora

I have never ever seen Lucian cry. Never. Not even at our father’s funeral. I don’t think there was a time he cried when we were younger. Watching my big brother fall to his knees and cry before Kimmie will be something that I don’t think I will ever forget and it will be a long time before I can shake it.

I hurt for both Kimmie and Luke. I can’t begin to imagine what really happened that night. Nick has always taken such good care of me when he takes me into his world. I can’t imagine him losing control to the point that he could hurt me or not see me.

I know it is a misunderstanding and a really bad situation. I didn’t miss Kimmie’s silent flinch when Luke first went to touch her. She covered it well or at least it didn’t seem that Luke noticed.

I just pray that they can fix it for the sake of the baby. I can’t believe I am going to be an auntie. So much has happened in the last few days I am still trying to wrap my head around it all.

I am still processing it all as Nick places me in the middle of the bed and moves to his nightstand. I pull my knees into my chest and rest my cheek on them as I think about the little life Luke and Kimmie are bringing into the world.

If I didn’t know it before I know it now, Luke is crazy about Kimmie. He wouldn’t or couldn’t take his eyes off of her all night. I was sure he was going to figure things out the way he watched her like a hawk. His eyes were narrowed on her as she refused wine with dinner and spent more time pushing food around her plate then she did eating it.

I am still thinking when the bed dips and Nick crawls behind me, caging me in between his legs as he puts one on each side of me. He brushes my hair aside to gain access to my neck, brushing a soft kiss along my skin.

“They will be fine. His intentions were never to hurt Kimmie. I believe that is one of the reasons he tried to avoid a relationship with her. Well, that and her age,” Nick chuckles.

I pout knowing Kimmie and I are the same age, as are Nick and Luke. I turn slightly to look up at him. Nick pecks me on my lips and gives me that amazing, breathtaking smile of his.

“Has my age ever been a problem for you,” I ask.

“Not in the way you are implying. I wouldn’t have tried to date you when we first met. I think at that time you did need a few years to mature, but as far as the gap is concerned now, I think we are perfect for each other psychologically, so chronologically it is of no consequence,” Nick shrugs.

“I love you,” I beam up at him.

“I love you, too,” he says as desire fills his eyes. “Now, turnaround and lift your hair.”

I lift a brow at him, but I do as he asks turning and lifting my hair up. I smile when Nick places my necklace back around my neck. I run my fingers across it and finger the butterfly thinking of locking it into place.

“Not yet, my butterfly, but soon,” Nick whispers in my ear, ever the mind reader.

I let my hand fall into my lap. Once again Nick’s words ring in my ear. ‘
No, not now. When you lock this collar there will be no me letting you go. I need you to know all of me before you make that decision. You are not ready for that, Baby.’

“When will I know all of you,” blurts from my mouth before I can stop the words.

Nick sighs and cages his arms around me. “Very, very soon,” Nick says with his voice filled with remorse. “Don’t run from me.”

“I won’t,” I whisper.

S
ephora

I
t has been
two weeks since that night Nick promised to reveal himself to me fully. I’ve been distracted with working from home so I haven’t mentioned it again. You would think working from home would be easier, but it’s not.

I feel like I have twice the work to do, but my team is the best and they have been handling the transition well. Today was the first day Nick actually let me go into the office. However, he has been stuck to me like glue. He only allowed me to go into the office because we would be attending the same meetings.

I am not complaining. Nick gives me more breathing room than I can say Luke gives Kimmie. Luke has practically moved into our house. Nick says it is because he is still feeling too guilty to be alone with Kimmie without us there for a buffer.

They don’t even share the same room. Lucian has been staying in the guestroom next door to Kimmie’s. Honestly, I think Kimmie is just as afraid. I asked her why she hasn’t gone back to our place. She and Luke can have separate rooms there. She made up something about being close to me since security is on high alert. Something about Winston being able to keep a better eye on us if we are in the same place.

Sure Kimmie.
I don’t know who she thinks she’s fooling, yanno. I haven’t said a thing. It is cute to watch Luke dote on her. I think he is really happy about the baby. They haven’t told anyone yet outside of Nick and myself. Luke said he wants to wait until after Ettie’s wedding.

The wedding is in another five weeks. Kimmie will be almost five months by then. I don’t think they will be able to hide much longer than that.

“Sephora, let’s go,” Nick calls from inside the bedroom.

“I’m coming,” I call back.

I know he is frustrated with me. I have been taking way too much time getting ready for our date. He won’t tell me where we are going so I have no idea what to wear. It is his fault I have changed a million times already.

I freaked out when he changed into a simple pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. I wasn’t expecting him to be so casual. I finally decided on a short purple circle skirt and a grey thin strap tank top. I was going to go with flats, but I know how much Nick loves when I wear heels and they help in the height department when I am standing next to him.

I decided on a pair of grey high heel ankle sandals. I step out of the bathroom after swiping on some lip gloss. The reaction on Nick’s face says it all. His jade green eyes darken as he looks me over head to toe.

“You are so fucking gorgeous,” Nick breathes. “I love your chocolate skin. I just want to lick every inch of you. I already know you taste sweet; it just makes my mouth water even more to have you.”

I walk over to him and place my hands on his chest. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I purr.

Nick places his hands on my hips, before dipping his head to kiss me. I am floating by the time he pulls his lips away. His tongue has just thoroughly fucked my mouth and left me panting for more. I can feel my soaked thong riding up as I wiggle my hips against Nick’s roaming hands.

He squeezes my behind as he nuzzles my neck and inhales deeply. “God, I love you,” he growls into my neck.

“I love you too,” I giggle.

“Come, let’s go before I call this night off and tie you to the bed,” Nick groans.

I blush and kiss him on the cheek. Nick places his hand on the small of my back and guides me in front of him out of the room. When we reach the door Nick calls my name.

“Sephora?”

I turn, looking back and up at him. “Yes.”

Nick licks his lips as he stares down at my legs. “I’m going to have those heels pinned above your head before the night is over. Just a warning,” he says and winks at me.

I decide to be a little cheeky. I smirk and look up at him through my lashes. “As long as I’m screaming your name while they are up there I don’t mind,” I say breathily.

Nick’s mouth drops open before a huge grin spreads across his face. “Touché, butterfly, Touché,” Nick chuckles. “My girl is learning quickly, I see. Careful what you wish for Princess. I will always give it to you.”

Nick swats my butt and nudges me out of the door. We fall into an easy banter as we head to the garage. I am surprised when he opens the passenger door to a vintage muscle car. It looks brand new and fully restored. I look around as Nick round the car to get into the driver’s side. Another surprise. Since I have known Nick he has never driven us. We are always being driven wherever by Winston.

I have to admit I like the look of Nick behind the wheel of a car. There is just something sexy about his tanned arms on the steering wheel and shifting gears. I don’t even realize I am biting my lip watching him until he turns to smirk at me.

“What are you staring at beautiful,” Nick smiles and reaches to place his hand on my thigh.

“You, you are just gorgeous,” I say as he starts rubbing mind numbing circles on my thigh.

“I think that is my line,” he looks over to me and smiles, giving my leg a gentle squeeze.

“Maybe, but it works when looking at you,” I say placing my hand over his and moving it further up my thigh.

Nick glances from the road once again quickly. I see the smile that forms on his lips before he turns back to the road to give it his full attention. He shakes his head and pulls his hand away, placing it firmly back on the steering wheel.

I poke my lip out in protest, but Nick ignores me. I should have known he would. Cars are a no go for him when it comes to being lax in my safety. Ever since that night in the Bentley, Nick always makes sure I am secure in the car, seat belt and all.

We make it to the restaurant with no further incidents. Nick seems to be preoccupied with his own thoughts and I sit content just watching him. I have to say that I am excited. This is our first real date, just me and him.

I love that he hasn’t picked some over the top restaurant. This place suits me. It is trend and low key. I’m not worried about my charm school manners kicking in. I think I fall in love with Nick a little more for choosing this place.

I am amused as Nick places my order for dinner, just like he did for lunch that time with my family. I don’t mind because as always Nick is right on point with his choice for me. Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorites.

Nick looks across the table at me with serious eyes. I know in an instant that this date is not just for us to get out and have a good time. I hold my breath, hoping that this is the moment I have been waiting for.

Nick thinks that I am going to run from him once he tells me his secrets. I have to admit that I am afraid of what he just might reveal. What if it is more than I can handle? What if BDSM is the least of my worries? I don’t want to lose Nick, but I fear his secrets and his past. Something tells me that that file Kimmie and I found has skeletons that I just may not want to know about.

“I want to start with my childhood. I have to start there for you to understand it all,” Nick finally says and I release the breath I am holding.

“From as far back as I can remember I was my parents’ pride and joy. They were loving parents that doted on me. I loved my Mom and Dad. I never wanted for anything, especially not their attention.

“There was this side of my mother that she only shared with me, something I would learn later in life. I knew her to be full of laughter and happiness. I remember being a little boy and hearing her sing through the house. She would make me laugh when I fell and scraped my knees. I remember being happy then.

“I would later learn that my mother, she was an interesting woman. To the world she showed a stern exterior. Everything about her was calculated. She was the perfect wife for my father. In business he was ruthless and demanding. My mother helped him get to what he wanted to be.

“When I turned seven my father insisted I spend more and more time with him. The more time I spent with him the more I began to see that my parents were different people when it came to me. They waited so long to have me in their lives, I guess they spoiled me to no end because of that.

“I was never on the receiving end of the word no,” Nick pauses and snorts. “My father spent his time grooming me to take over the business. I listened, but my mind just didn’t work like his. I used to see everything differently. My father saw his workers like slaves doing his bidding. I always thought he would get more from them if he tried to be more fair.

“The more I learned the business the more unsure I became about the future, he and my mother had mapped out for me. I was a bit relieved when I was shipped off to boarding school. I know my parents did everything they did for me out of love, but I just wanted to have a moment to breathe without having to worry about my future and taking over the family business.

“It is funny how I am now doing exactly what my father wanted. The Lincoln legacy meant everything to my father. His father passed it down to him and my great grandfather passed it down to my grandfather. I was destined to follow in their footsteps. I just changed the direction of the legacy once I got it in my hands.

“Once I was in boarding school, I made friends with Kevin and Lucian. Or at least, I thought it was my choice to make friends with them. My father had Kevin placed as my roommate for my security without me knowing.

“At some point, my father had an interest in your family’s business and some joint ventures with your dad. My dad pulled a string here and another there and Luke ended up my other roommate. I’m still not sure what my father hoped to accomplish. He was a strategic man so I know it had an end result,” Nick pauses and frowns as if his words are taking him in the direction of another train of thought. I watch as the wheels turn and his green eyes become unfocused for a bit.

When his eyes become clear again, they focus on my face. He starts once more. “But I have always been a planner. I have always looked at the future for answers and ways to do things better or to my liking. It was something my father adored and hated about me. I had plans to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I had planned to make my father so proud he would understand that I needed to make my own way.

“I watched for years as my father played puppet master in my life. I was also determined not to dance to his strings. It seems Luke and Kevin felt the same way about their own dads.

“Little did we know our fathers were pulling strings together and we’d been dancing right to their tune all along. I guess the one thing our fathers didn’t expect was that we would all bond over the fact that we didn’t want to run the families’ businesses.

“At the time, I didn’t know what Kevin’s family did. I only knew that Kevin would rather cook than anything else,” Nick pauses as the waiter arrives with our food.

We begin to eat in a comfortable silence. I am processing the information that Nick has already given me. I know that my dad was hard on Lucian. He had plans to have Luke take over the business until the messy divorce he and my mother started.

My parents had fallen out of love a long time ago. The divorce only became messy because my mother was embarrassed by my father’s affair. Bianca became public knowledge before Faraz knew of her. It was a mess. Daddy was caught in video and photos with Bianca in Belize on a private vacation.

Let’s just say the photos and video that surfaced were very compromising and not for my tender seventeen-year-old eyes. They bickered for two whole years before things just turned nasty. After that Luke barely spoke to our father. He was so angry with him.

Nick looks at me with a wistful smile. “Do you know why I understand you so much,” he asks with a sparkle in his eyes.

I shake my head and cover my mouth. “No,” I reply after chewing and swallowing my food.

“I used to be just like you. I was so shy. I may have wanted to rebel against my dad, but I still wanted to please him and my mother. Much like you and Faraz. When I learned that there was nothing wrong with me. I learned that they were the ones with hang ups and that you can never make those types of people happy, I stopped trying,” Nick says as he looks me deep in the eyes.

“What made you change,” I ask.

Nick breaks eye contact with me to look away. He looks anywhere, but into my eyes. I start to squirm in my seat because I can feel this is the part I have been dreading.

“Would you like to stay for dessert or I was thinking we could take it with us. I have someplace I want to show you,” Nick says with the mind scrambling smile.

I know what he is doing, but I allow it. Honestly, when he smiles at me the way he is doing right now I don’t even have a choice. I love the way his lips are glistening from the butter sauce on his pasta. I want to lean in and suck his full lips into my mouth to clean them.

“We can take it to go,” I say coyly and bat my lashes.

Nick chuckles and shakes his head at me. I know I am playing with fire. When he does get his hands on me he is going to make me pay for all my teasing, but it will be worth the price I will pay.

Besides, I am liking this new me. I feel free and something tells me that Nick likes it too. Being flirty is making me feel sexy and confident. Being with Nick makes me want to come out of my shell.

We finish the rest of dinner and Nick requests a chocolate with raspberry and red wine cake. We climb back into the car and head for wherever it is Nick wants to take me.

Nick turns on the radio to fill the silence in the car. I think it is more so I won’t ask any questions before he is ready. Again, I watch him as he maneuvers the car. Nick just oozes sex. My hands itch to reach over and run through his hair so that is exactly what I do.

Nick reaches for my hand and brings it to his lips to kiss my palm, never taking his eyes from the road. Warmth spreads through my belly from his one simple kiss. I sigh contently and nestle back into my seat, looking out of the passenger window. I don’t know where we are going, but I would follow this man to the ends of the earth without question.

“Don’t fall asleep on me, Baby,” Nick says as he looks over at me.