NO STRINGS ATTACHED

NINETEEN

         
                      Abby was just topping up her mug with coffee when her buzzer sounded. She frowned. The little boy on the 18th floor had a tendency to open the security door to whomever he pleased; she'd have to speak to his parents about the matter. Again.

She could see her mother's big plastic grin in her head as she went to the door. She peered through the peephole. A habit Milan had instilled in her.

The mug jerked in her hand, spilling coffee on her already stained shirt. She looked down at herself. Bare feet, a small gash on her knee, cut off shorts and Milan's very oldest, extremely oversized, shirt which had a button missing in a rather strategic place.

Nick was standing in the hallway.

Let him see her as she was. That should scare him off. She pulled the door open. His hair was plastered to his skull, his raincoat and umbrella was dripping water and his grey eyes more grey than she remembered.

He was carrying a rather disorderly bouquet of tulips and roses. Wine in the other.

She went on the attack. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Dinner, remember?" He simply says.

"How did you get in?"

"A kid with bright red hair, lots of freckles and a mouth full of bracers. You should complain about that."

"I have, his parents thinks he's a little angel who couldn't possible break the rules." Abby rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you going to let me in?" Nick smiled.

Her heart was bouncing around inside her chest, she thought she'd have a heart attack any minute now. Her mouth had suddenly gone dry and her knees felt drained of its energy.

Too much adrenaline, Abby thought clinically. "Give me one good reason why I should." Arms folded she took a stance.

"Because you want to," Nicki says. Simply.

She wanted to kiss him senseless, that's what. If only she had gone to Stacey's instead of fussing over the coffee pot. "You're wet." She said bluntly.

"It's raining. Or haven't you noticed?"

Abby decided on what to say next. You can come in if you promise to stay six feet away from me. "I'm cleaning," she decided. "I'm a mess. Or hadn't you noticed?"

Nick looked her up and down, taking his time about it, laughter lurking in his slate grey eyes. "You must be last on the list. I can help with that."

A warm color crept into her cheek. He eyed the mug in her hand. "I like coffee."

She stared at him. "Give me your coat, I'll hang them up."

Once she'd done so, he handed her the flowers. He crossed the living room glancing around.

"I'll get you coffee."
Abby fled to the kitchen, where her unwashed dishes were heaped on the counter. She filled a second mug and went back to the living room.

Nick was looking round, admiring the place as he dwarfed the room; and looked very much at home. He gave her a warm smile and Abby's warning bells screamed danger in her head.

"You're playing games with me, Nickel." Abby blurted out.

                                ☀️☀️☀️

Nicki stared at her as she padded into the kitchen. He followed her. If she'd thought he'd dwarf the living room, he almost filled the kitchen.

"Thanks for the flowers, they're lovely." She mumbled, smiling.

He put the glass down on the counter. "Okay, I'll get to it. Do you know why I'm here?"

She looked at him warily. "Because you're insane."

"I'll tell you." He began. "I've thought about you since you left me standing there back at the cabin. Night and day. I thought that if I came here tonight that, I'd realise that you weren't anything special, that it was all in my head."

Abby looked down at herself with a shaky laugh. "You've got your proof, in spades."

"It wouldn't matter who you were before or where you came from." He was struggling. "The moment you answered the door, I knew nothing had changed."

He was gripping the edge of the counter with enormous strength, mostly to keep himself from pulling her into his arms and kissing her senseless until neither of them could breathe.

"I won't bother you about your past, I didn't read the check, shredded it then burnt it actually and I'm sorry about what happened at the ceremony, but you have to believe me, none of whatever Chelsey told you wasn't true, Abby."

Abby nodded. She didn't believe Chelsey but he didn't tell her the truth either.

"What exactly are you saying?" She said carefully.

"Hell, I don't know." He ran his fingers through his damp hair. "I'd still want you even if you were still whoever you were back then in those folders ... I guess that's what I'm saying."

The intensity in his face made her tremble. "You didn't read it." Her lips trembled.

"No I didn't, honestly I'd be lying if I said I didn't want too, you wouldn't let me in and I wanted to know so much. I still wanna know everything about you Abby ... But I've decided on doing it the old less invasive way. By asking, waiting for you to open up." He pulled her, gripping her cheeks tightly.

She closed her eyes. She closed them to everything except his presence and the longing in her stomach.

"Abby, I'm sorry ..." He whispered in a strangled voice.

Her arms went around him. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his masculine scent. Then, of her own will, she looked up, took his face in her hands and kissed him full on the mouth.

"Make love to me, Nick. Now." She was panting.

"There's nothing I want more in the world." He said, kissing her back with blatant hunger. He picked her up in search of her bedroom. "Don't kick the coffee."