NEW CHAPTER
17.
"I'm not wearing one of them." Nick looked to me with disgust evident on his face. As I held up the small bandage, Nick was visibly hating on the thing.
"Why not? Your hands look battered." They were bloodied and bruised from the impact of Nick's strength. It amazed me just how physically strong he was and how willing he was to keep me safe.
"There just a few scratches, babe." He mentioned. He sat before me, his legs spread wide and his body now one of calm and relaxation. I stood before him, dangling the bandage in front of his face.
"Stop being a baby." I muttered. I went to grab his hand but he moved it out of reach. I huffed. It did nothing to stop him from smirking my way, his chest moving slowly up and down as he watched me with darkened eyes.
"Drop the bandage and sit on my lap."
"Excuse me?" I spluttered. The small demand had my heart racing. I'd sit on his lap any day of the week. His muscles were just too strong and muscly to resist.
"Drop the bandage." He demanded slowly, his tongue forming the words so seductively.
I couldn't help but drop the bandage right to the floor. I stood before him waiting for my next command. This was a thrilling game, one he knew so well to play.
"Come here." His voice was rasping as he patted his thigh. I didn't waste another second as I scrambled in to his legs. Once I was straddling him, I laid my head against his heart. He was so tall, I fitted him like a glove.
His arms came around my body, his hands rubbing small circles in to my back. I had chance to finally let out the breath I was holding. He was the most intense man I had known to date, it didn't help that he liked to beat up everything in his way for me. I relished in the feeling, even though it was quite a scary thought. What if one day he really hurt himself? I couldn't live with myself if I knew it was because of me.
"You're a stupid man." I said in to his chest. He continued to rub circles on my back. He let out a shaky breath.
"Tell me about it."
"No, I'm serious Nick. One day you're going to get yourself seriously hurt. Couldn't you have just talked, man to man, face to face?"
"Men talk with their fists." Nick stated.
"Do they?" I questioned sardonically. "I don't think they always do."
"Well, I do." He replied. "I'm not saying sorry for protecting you and I never will. The prick deserved it and I'd rather make sure you're safe, that's the most important thing to me."
"You're a brave, stupid, stupid, man." I breathed.
"And you're my woman." Nick replied. "Fuck trying to be civil and talk like men. I'll fight for what's mine, I'll show everybody in this place exactly who is off limits."
"Nick-"
"I'm not arguing about this." Nick injected. "I'm not arguing about how I'll protect you. I'm doing it my way, I'm doing it the the only way I know how."
"Fine." I huffed. I got up to look at him, his stormy eyes caught me off guard. "You know I'm still grateful, right? For everything you've done for me in these last few months."
"You better know I'm grateful, too." Nick smiled, his pearly whites on display for everybody to see. It really did knock me for ten.
I snuggled back in to his chest. We stayed silent, basking in each others silence and company for as long as possible.
It wasn't long before Emily was bounding in to the room again with Xavier right on her heel. I smiled at the sound of her calming but bubbly voice. She reminded me of the girl I used to be, before everything had changed my life for the worst.
"I swear I was there for decades trying to rub the blood up from the kitchen floor." Emily huffed. "Yeah, that's fine Nicholas, punch the guy and then sit on your arse like a king. Your peasants will do all the hard work."
Nick chuckled beneath me.
"My hand hurts like a motherfucker." He stated. "But thanks for doing my dirty work."
"It looks sore, mate." Xavier said as he sat on the sofa beside us.
"I tried getting him to wear a bandage." I heard a loud laugh in the distance. Emily looked to me with one of hysterical humour and pity.
"You won't get any one of them boys to wear a bandage, it's like satan in their eyes."
"Just let the air get to the wounds instead of fussing." Nick rolled his eyes as he stated his words. I looked to him and copied. Nick smiled my way and I couldn't help but smile back.
"You guys make me sick." Emily said, but her face said otherwise. "You're like love sick puppies."
"As if." Nick scoffed. I half expected him to comment on the 'love' part, however, he didn't. "I'm too manly to be a puppy."
"I like puppies." I replied.
"In that case, I'll be a puppy." Laughter erupted around us. Nick chuckled, but he looked my way, his eyes crinkling with happiness.
I took him in, all of his beauty and more. He was enchanting, he really was. And yes, he had a ruggedly handsome face and an amazing body, but there was just so much more beneath him that pulled me to him. I had never felt anything like this, he brought feelings I had never experienced.
The topic of conversation changed quickly before I had chance to catch up. I could stare at Nick all day, but I'd never get anything done.
"How's that death trap of yours?" Xavier asked, his attention moving from the TV to Nick.
"I love the death trap." I jumped to its defence. It was rattly and rusty, but it worked like a dream. The way Nick drove it, too, was enough to really get my body going. He handled the van with so much power and authority, I just couldn't help but keep looking.
He made it look so easy.
"You do?" Nick questioned.
"I do." I nodded. "I think it would be fun to drive."
"You want to drive it?" Curiosity peaked in his eyes.
"I do, actually." I shrugged. "I've never driven a truck before."
"Neither have I, actually." Emily said. "It does look fun." She smiled my way. I nodded.
"It's just like driving a normal car." Nick chuckled. "You women have weird fantasies."
"And you men don't?" Emily scoffed. "Double standards."
"Nick, I wouldn't wind her up tonight, you know she shouts at me." Xavier said, his voice full of humour but still serious, too.
"It's fine, Cathy and I are a team." Emily stated. "We've finally balanced the ratio of men to women."
"You know damn well that Cathy is on my team." Nick replied.
"Like hell."
The arguments and banter went back and forth as the night progressed. It was a few minutes passed midnight when Nick decided it was time to head home.
"I hope you both come up to see us extra soon, it's been so fun having you along." Emily took me in to her arms. "I've left my number on a piece of paper. Just ring me if you ever need to." She smiled as she handed me the piece of paper. I took it gratefully.
"You'll be hearing from me."
She turned to Nick as I hugged Xavier goodbye.
"Hate you." Emily said to Nick. He moved out of the threshold of the front door.
"Hate you more." He stated as he walked to the van on his drive. Emily laughed as she watched us.
We both clambered in to the van and Nick got the van in to motion. We waved out the window and made our way out of the drive way. It only took a few more seconds before we were heading home.
Nick turned the radio up as we sped down the country lanes. He looked relaxed as he took us home. I looked out of the window and hummed quietly to the songs I knew.
I loved Emily and Xavier. It was easy to see that Nick was close with both of them and that they all adored each other dearly. It was amazing to see Nick so relaxed and calm in the presence of others. I loved seeing Nick so happy and content.
Just as I thought we had to go straight to go back home, Nick turned right, until we were driving up narrower country lanes. My head snapped his way.
"I think you went the wrong way." I stated. Nick smiled.
"No, I didn't."
"Then what are you doing?" I asked.
"Making your little dreams come true."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked again. He looked amused as he stopped the calm in the middle of a dirt road track.
"You said you wanted to drive the truck." He shrugged.
"What? Here?" I questioned, worry setting in. Only because he was a cop, didn't mean I thought we were safe from getting in trouble. "I don't want to ruin your truck."
"I wouldn't let you ruin it." He said with a smile. With a smile of my own, I didn't even have to think anymore as excitement bubbled through my veins.
"Are you sure now?" I asked again. I didn't want him to be gutted if I actually did ruin his beloved truck.
Without another word, Nick picked me up until I was in the drivers seat and he was in the passengers seat. Nick buckled me up tightly.
"I haven't driven a normal stick for years." I said as I fondled the steering wheel.
"Well, biker girl, lets see how well you do."
With that, I started the engine, put the stick in to gear and revved. I smiled devilishly his way. I opened our windows all the way to let the cold night air in, and released the handbrake gently.
To get used to the truck, I started off slow and steady. After a few minutes, I was ready. With a small smile, I put the accelerator to the floor and watched as the speed of the truck grew fast.
" 'atta girl." Nick smiled my way.
My hair whipped across my face as I sped through the dirt road track and got to a field so big I couldn't see anything else around us. I sped on the grass, the mud flicking upwards behind us.
I screamed with joy as the truck sped faster and faster by the second. The wind was refreshing against my skin. I was loving every second of this.
Adrenaline sped through my veins but peace over came my every feeling.
This was being adventurous, this was being the old me.
I welcomed back the old me with a new perspective. Nobody could bring me down again, not when I had Nick by my side.
NICK
I couldn't take my eyes off of her.
It didn't matter what she did, she did everything so sexily. I had never seen anyone drive a truck so amazingly in all of my life.
My heart felt like a fucking rocket.
Her hair whipped across the truck but what really got me was the smile on her face. Not the flirty smile, or the shy smile I had gotten used to seeing, no, this smile was made of pure happiness and joy.
I would walk across hot coal to see that smile again. If I could see that smile every day of my life, I'd be a very, very happy man. It made me feel so intensely, but joy and pleasure was not something I was used to feeling.
Now, I welcomed it with every fibre in my body.
"Fuck." I said as the truck sped across the field beyond.
"Cathy." I tried to grab her attention. She couldn't hear me, she was in her own world as she handled the vehicle we sat in.
Feelings over took me so strongly I couldn't think straight.
Would it always be like this?
I only had to look at her and I was a done man. I would do anything she asked me to, just to see her happy. I would put my own life on the line because that was how much I wanted to see her happy and smiling.
I was fucking whipped, but I couldn't give a shit.
I had never wanted to say the L word. I hadn't since I was a few years old to my parents.
But this, this was all too much. Her scent drove me wild, and my throat was having a hard time keeping the words in.
I wanted to shout it. I wanted the whole world to know it.
I wanted to know if it was killing her like it was killing me.
"Cathy." I tried to get her attention again, my heart beating fifty miles a second in my chest.
She shouted in joy as she spun the car around.
"Fucking hell." I whispered as she laughed.
There was no doubt in this world that this woman was for me. My heart would tear out of my chest if she left me now.
"This is so fun." She giggled like a little school girl. Everything went hard. My world stopped.
"Keep going, baby." I said, even though I was sure she couldn't hear me anymore.
"Nick!" She screamed my name as she turned on the grass again. We skidded a little, and she laughed.
I groaned at the pain I felt. All these feelings, all too soon. So intense, too much for me to handle. I didn't know how she felt about me, but I knew exactly how I felt about her. It didn't take a genius to know it when you felt it.
My fucking God did I feel it.
"For fuck sake." I groaned. "I love you."
The words escaped my lips so fast I couldn't stop them.
She didn't hear me, but she looked to me once I said them.
Her eyes were bright as the car kept moving.
I had fallen in love.
And she smiled as if she knew it, too.