Author's Note: This is a short chapter but I was in a fluffy mood. 😘 It's not just a book of smut but also of real love and acceptance. I've established that Harry and Nikki are very sexual and open and comfortable with each other but I get pushback from some readers. Those same people keep on reading, though. 🤔🤔🧐 There are many different stories out there if you don't like this one, just saying. 😘
"Malibu" - Miley Cyrus
Harry's POV
October 2, 2016 (Los Angeles, CA)
"Remind me to kill my new PR team." Nikki was visibly shaking when she got into the SUV waiting for us. I gripped the seat, wanting to cover her hands with mine, but when she's this pissed I know not to touch her.
We were swarmed by screaming fans and paparazzi when we landed at the airport in Los Angeles. It was both a rush and a nightmare. Of course we love our fans but for the past couple of months we got to be normal and I momentarily forgot that we were famous.
The paparazzi welcomed us, shouting in our faces, "How does it feel to be the new power couple?! Move over Jay-Z and Beyoncé!"
Nikki's hand had tightened around mine. I could tell she wanted to defend Bey since they're good friends, but that would be giving the paps what they want—a reaction of any kind.
I bit my tongue and let her cool off. Anyone could've let slip that we were coming. Our relationship alone is going to cause chaos wherever we go. How on earth do we balance our life? It's not that I've never thought about it, but I hoped to God that our whirlwind of a life won't end up snuffing out our relationship.
"I love you." I feel the need to remind her because it's only going to get crazier.
She doesn't respond at first with her eyes hidden behind my dark Saint Laurent sunglasses that she snubbed from bag. They look better on her anyway along with one of my Gucci button downs that's practically a dress on her. She cinched it at the waist with one of my silk ties—the same tie I had bound her wrists with the other day. Her thigh high boots have had me squirming the entire flight. She also had on the tiniest white shorts. Was this fashion suicide? Not on Nikki Samson.
Her wearing my clothes was sending a message. She's mine. Should I have made a statement in one of her Alexander McQueen dresses? At least it would've made my now grumpy girl laugh.
"Nikki..." I pry. No more silent treatments, woman.
"I love you. I just hate LA." She leans into me and intertwines our fingers. We proudly wore our rings for each other. I had to cough a few times at the airport to hide my smile when we were asked several times if we ran off and got married. Our glowing tans sure made it seem like we were coming home from a tropical honeymoon.
"We have this evening free. Tomorrow is your big day, but right now we're going home." I blink slowly, the corner of my mouth twitching at her confused hum.
"Home? I thought you sold your house and we were staying with James?"
"I did a thing." I smile widely. I just had to wait a little longer. I was terrible at keeping secrets when I was excited. More often than not, I get too excited watching my mum unwrap gifts that I get for her and if she takes too long I blurt out what it is.
Spoiler alert—it's almost always a handbag. She's an avid collector.
This particular surprise might be a bit much, but I plan on keeping this angel forever. I wanted to prove it. I wanted to show her.
"Harry, we're leaving LA...what's happening?" Nikki takes off her sunglasses, well they're mine, but what's mine is hers.
"Be patient. and you'll find out. Oh, and I need to borrow this." I untie my tie from her waist that she's using as a belt and turn it into a blindfold. So many uses for one tie, but wait until she sees my custom Gucci handcuffs.
No, that's not the surprise, but perhaps for another day.
"Harry! I can't see!"
"That's the point. Trust me." I laugh.
Due to the congested traffic out of LA, it took over an hour to get to our destination. Nikki and I had dozed off after a long flight. She was in quite a deep sleep when the car came to a stop. I suppose her blindfold was serving as quite the sleep mask, blacking out all the light.
"Angel, we're here. Wait here and I'll come around and help you out." I kiss her forehead as she yawns sleepily.
I took a deep breath when I got out of the car. She has to love it. She's gonna love it. Yeah. A tapping on the window of her side of the car interrupts my nervous bouncy dance.
"I'm waaaaiting!" She giggles from the backseat. "I also need to wee. Is there a toilet?"
I ignore the overwhelming wave of nausea and open the car door. I'm more nervous now than I've ever been before a performance. It's not too soon for this. We're ready.
"Sorry to keep a queen waiting. Watch your step, sweetheart. Hold onto me, lovie."
"Ok, something big is happening. You're calling me every pet name in the book and—ooh! That's the ocean!" She giggles excitedly at the sound of the waves. I feel her little body inhale the salty ocean breeze. "I already miss Jamaica. And I miss being stupid and having sex in weird places."
Her adorable candidness makes me cup her cheeks and kiss her. At the same time, I untie her blindfold. I appreciate finding her eyes closed.
"You can open your pretty eyes now." I mumble against her lips then move out of the way.
Nikki opens her eyes, seeing the ocean first with a beaming smile. My baby loves the water and I took that into account when deciding on the perfect location. She turns slightly, still oblivious to what was actually happening.
"This is lovely! Whose house is this?" She plays with the ring on her left ring finger—the one I got her for Valentine's Day this year. It's an absent minded fidget much like how I am with my own rings, but I imagined a wedding ring on her dainty finger instead. She's the only person I've ever had these little thoughts about.
"It our home in Malibu. We both will be here a lot for work. I know you hate being in LA, but, erm. you have a soft spot for Malibu and I, uh, wanted us to have a place." I scratched my head. Her full lips were 'O' shaped as she took in the scene before her.
Our house was by the ocean and yet also hidden amongst the trees for extra privacy. Nikki loves being in nature and I wanted it to be an escape for her. I wanted her to enjoy being out here as we mostly split our time between here and London when we're not on tour.
The house was newly built and by far the most expensive purchase I've ever made outside my collection of cars. There's a separate driveway to the garage I had custom built for my other babies. I might've also bought her a car even though she told me to never do that because I bought Taylor one when we were dating. Ehh, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
"You bought us a house?! Monkey! This is too much! A house like this in Malibu costs an arm and a leg—"
"Darling, money isn't an issue. I can only imagine how much you have in savings with how frugal you are." I laugh at my humble rockstar. "Let me show you the inside!" I take her hand and try to be mindful of my long legs versus her teeny tiny legs as I make my way up the stone steps.
"This is gorgeous! When did you have time to do this?!"
"I work in mysterious ways." I smirk then stick the key in and open the door. She goes to take a step inside but I pull her back into me. "I have to carry you over the threshold! Rotten luck if I don't..."
She's light as a feather when I pick her up bridal style. Our giddy laughter echoes throughout the house once I walk inside. Setting her down, the excitement is forgotten for a moment as she kisses me until I'm desperate for air.
"Too good to me." She sucks on my bottom lip and coyly turns to explore our home. I need those thigh high boots wrapped around me while I fuck her on every surface of this house. Fuck.
I'm the luckiest guy in the world.
Nay, I'm the luckiest guy in the universe.
"Harry! All of my stuff is here! What?!" She bounces from room to room. Squeals, gasps, and words of praise have me sighing in relief.
Nikki had sold her house in London while we were in Jamaica. I took that as the perfect opportunity to get a place that was ours. She thought her belongings were in storage, but I had her manager send it all to California.
I already had my heart set on this house all the way back in January. Nikki was still in the hospital and I was on a business trip. I retracted my offer to buy after we broke up. By blind luck it was still available several months later. I'm sure the steep price had a lot to do with it.
I watched as she stood in front of the panorama window in the living room. We have the perfect view of the ocean. The sun was setting on the sparkling water and in the glow of it all, she appeared to be an actual angel.
I stood behind her, simply admiring the love of my life inside of our new home.
"The view...woah. Harry. I'm actually speechless." Her hand covers her mouth in awe. My arms wrap around her waist from behind.
"It's all for you." I whisper.
She turns in my arms. The way she looks at me reminds me of the first time she truly gazed at me with adoration at the 2013 VMA's after party and I felt it without her having to tell me.
"I love you so much. Thank you. Words are never enough."
This time I could feel it in the silence, in the way that one look said everything we needed to over the years. I could feel it in her racing heart as I held her to me. She could feel it in my own heart when her hands brushed up my stomach to my chest to feel my heartbeat mirroring hers.
What we have is real and she is the most precious part of my life. It's something money can't buy and the words fell from my lips, natural and true, but certainly unplanned.
"Marry me."