“I couldn’t. I didn’t want Maya and Joshua to remove me from Piper’s detail. I couldn’t be away from her. The last fifteen months, two weeks, and five days I’ve only lived half a life without her in it. If I couldn’t be with her and knew another man was guarding her, I’d lose my mind. I’m surprised I haven’t. I wake up every day and look for her. I go to sleep every night worried about her.” The pain in his words washes over me and I move toward him. I wrap my arms around him.
“I’m sorry, Luca. I’m so very sorry. Please don’t leave. We can look for her together.”
“You better be hugging her as a friend or I’m going to break your arms.” Zach’s voice comes from behind me.
Luca’s arms drop and he chuckles. “Dude, she’s all yours.” He reaches down and lifts my chin. “Nikki, I’ll stay but only if you can work with me. I can’t live like this anymore.”
“I can. I will. I’m just a crazy woman right now. It’s his fault.” I throw my hand out and smack Zach in the chest as he chuckles.
“This was all her idea. But if she gets pregnant, we better double down on our efforts to find Piper. I’m not having my kid born without my name.” Zach laughs harder and I look up at him. “Maya said go home and get in a better mood or you’re fired.” I take his hand and we turn to walk away. I stop and turn back to Luca.
“Luca, I’d trust you to be my guard any day.” I sniffle as Zach lifts me up into his arms and walks toward his Bronco.
When we get back to our house, Zach proceeds to make love to me until I’m in a better mood. Well, sort of, I’m exhausted and asleep before dinner.
4
NIKKI
Another week has gone by, and I’m trying not to think about what my body is going through. That I’m ovulating right now. Jen said to let her worry about it, not me. She doesn’t want me to put that stress on us. My hormones are still out of whack; however, I pause before I say things now. I also have been going to the gym and working out with Maya and Dani regularly to vent my emotions. They are both very close to me and are helping me get through all this craziness my body is going through.
My mom and I have mended the hurt I caused last week. And tonight I need to let the man I love know he will always be the man I love. That I won’t hold up our lives any longer. My mom was the one who talked me into it. She even took Dane for the night to give us privacy.
Right now I’m waiting in our room until Zach comes home, which is any minute now. His favorite meal is keeping warm in the oven. I’m a bundle of nerves as what I have planned tonight is completely crazy. How do men do this?
“Nic, I’m home. Where are you?”
I peek out the partially open bedroom door. “I’ll be out in a moment. Why don’t you take the casserole out of the oven?”
“Damn, it smells so good in here.” He moves toward the kitchen, and I step out of the room when I’m sure his back is to me. He opens the oven. “Ooh my favorite. What’s the occasion?” He turns toward me. I’m standing there in a white tulle and lace nightie. It’s sheer and see-through, and he can clearly see I don’t have panties on underneath. The front is in a halter style that ties at the back of my neck in a bow.
“What the fuck? Baby, what are you doing?” He turns and sets the casserole on the counter before shutting off the oven. When he turns back toward me, I’m on my knees waiting for him.
Zach moves to stand in front of me. I pull the champagne glass I have hidden from behind my back and hold it up to him. In the bottom of the glass, shining bright with bubbles around it, is the groom band that matches the engagement ring he put on my finger. I moved the promise ring he gave me at eighteen to my right ring finger. He looks at the band and then at me.
“Will you marry me?” I say.
He tips his head to the side as he looks down my body. “I asked you first. You already said yes. Are these hormones making you forgetful?” He chuckles as he takes the glass from my hand. Our fingers brush, and just like always, my skin lights up with need for him. My breath catches in my lungs, and I almost forget to answer his question.
“I want to marry you next week.” I smile at him.
He gulps the champagne down, and I watch as he cringes when the bubbles tickle his nose. He sets the glass down on the table next to me, then pulls the ring out and slips it on his finger. He then reaches down and lifts me up from under my arms. He pulls me up his body, and I wrap my legs around his hips. My bare core presses against his length through his jeans.
“Next week? What about Piper?” His voice is filled with emotion and desire.
“I can’t put our lives on hold for her. We can do a renewal of vows when she comes home.”
“Yes,” he growls right before his lips take mine. I open and his tongue slides into my mouth. I taste the alcohol on his tongue, and I get lightheaded from the desire coursing through me.
My back hits the bed; I didn’t realize he moved us to our room.
“Do you like this?” He waves his hand, indicating my nightie. I shake my head, and he rips it from my body. The delicate material tears as he pulls it away. His mouth descends on my aching breasts, and I arch my back wanting him to take them deeper into his mouth. When he bites down on my nipple, it’s almost too much, and I cry out. He pulls away and stands, watching me as I writhe on the bed with need for him. He strips and is over me before I can get up and help him.
“Nic, baby, I’ll marry you whenever you want.” He slowly pushes his thick cock into me, and I arch again as he goes deep, forging us together.
He slowly makes love to me. Worshipping my breasts, neck, and lips with his mouth as he moves in and out of me. My orgasm is building. Zach pulls out and flips me around and slams back into me. I come hard, screaming his name. He moves in and out of me, over and over, prolonging my orgasm until he pulls me up to his chest by my hair. The pain in my scalp ignites another orgasm, and I finally feel him come too. We collapse on the bed in a tangled heap of limbs and sweaty bodies.
5
