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  Nick arrived at Lincoln’s in less time than he had indicated. The light traffic trimmed off ten minutes. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. A line of scruffy hair filled his face where he usually shaved, and he looked as tired as he felt. When he blinked, an image of the dead man’s eyes flashed quickly before him. He shook his head and chalked it up to being overworked.

  He got out the truck and Lincoln opened the door before he could knock. “How did you know it was me?” he asked.

  Her smile was welcoming and warm. She was a sight for his sore eyes. She ushered him inside and said, “I know the sound of your truck and no one comes and goes this late in this complex. Make yourself comfortable on the sofa and I’ll get your food. I heated it for you already.”

  He sunk down on the soft sofa. The comfort of it felt good against his back. “You’re going to spoil me this way. I’m not used to being fussed over.”

  She came back in the living room carrying a tray table with a plate of food on it. Placing it in front of him, she said, “It doesn’t take much effort to put a plate in the microwave and push a button. What would you like to drink, beer or soda?”

  “I would love a glass of cold water.”

  “Cold water it is.”

  As he ate, he told her as much as he could about the accident without becoming emotional. People tend to believe firefighters or other rescue personnel were void of emotions or were able to turn them off instantly when, in fact, they suffered the most. Nick dealt with his emotions by working out and keeping busy on his days off.

  When he finally put his fork down, he’d cleared the plate piled high with food plus the dessert. He settled back on the sofa and patted his stomach. “That hit the spot. Now I’m ready to sleep like a fat cat.”

  “You weren’t kidding,” she joked. You were starving.”

  He stood up and stretched. “Yeah, I was. Well, thanks for thinking about me. I’m gonna go so you can get to bed. It’s damn near 4:00 in the morning.”

  She grabbed him by the wrist. “Stay with me, please.”

  He looked down at her hand encased around his thick wrist. The warmth of her fingers sent a chill down his spine. “What?”

  “I asked you to stay. We can hang out tomorrow if you want. I have tickets to that new Go Kart place that opened in Medina. I’ll drive.”

  Nick felt his face grow hot. She’d asked him not to go. What was he supposed to do now? Stay and pretend nothing intimate will happen between them? It was a one-bedroom apartment, so where would he sleep? “Um, Lincoln, are you afraid to be alone tonight? Did something happen?”

  “Nothing has happened, Nick. I just want you to stay. I’m not asking you to do anything but sleep here.”

  He raised his brow. “The last time I stayed…well, you know what happened.”

  She took his hand and he followed behind her. She’d wrapped herself in a purple short silk robe. Even in his tired state, he couldn’t help but notice her long legs and bare feet as she padded down the hall to her bedroom where she drew the curtains and folded back the bedspread.

  “We’re adults and can share a bed, Nick. I promise I won’t jump your bones while you’re asleep.”

  She dropped the robe to reveal a matching but shorter nightie. Nick stepped backward feeling like an intruder caught in the pool of moonlight that streaked through the thin curtains.

  Thankful the dimness of the room hid his initial shock, he said, “Lincoln, I’m tired as hell but I’m still a man. This could end up being one hell of a big mistake if I get in that bed with you.”

  “Nick, you’ve had death surround you tonight. Don’t you want to feel life next to you for a while?”

  “I do.”

  “Alright, I’m getting in the bed and will turn my back so you can undress. I can keep my back to you all night if you prefer or we can hold each other. I need to someone to hold me, Nick. Just to hold me so I can sleep through the night.”

  Nick unbuttoned his shirt watching her as she slid into bed. Pulling it off, he tossed it on the floor. “I’ll be back after I jump in the shower, wait up for me?”

  “I’ll wait up for you,” she said propping herself up on pillows.

  *****

  When Nick entered the bedroom after his shower, she turned her back as promised. She felt the bed sink from his weight as he stretched out. At that moment, in the middle of the night in a place where she knew for certain, that she could still inspire passion in a man by one touch, she didn’t. These few hours before daylight broke were not about sex, but closeness. If she could be close to Nick and not cry for Anthony, then she knew life without him would go forward.

  His fresh showered scent was intoxicating. Her mind flashed with scenes she couldn’t quite grasp, then she heard his deeply melodic voice whisper, “Turn around.”

  She obeyed. The moonlight made patterns on their faces and her heart beat like a wild caged animal in her chest. Her eyes traveled up to rest on his face. His face was astonishingly handsome, with bedroom eyes that were staring deeply at her. He was magnificent, with fine chiseled features so rugged and an untamed masculinity that caused an ache deep within her. It was all she could do not to take his hand and place it over her unruly body. She could already imagine the intimacies they would share. She burned with desire as his hand went to her cheek and his fingertips traced her skin, moving over her lips and down to caress her smooth, graceful neck.

  She heard the savage noise come from her throat and blushed, but was beyond caring if he noticed or not. He was on a mission of his own as his mouth consumed hers. Her hands rested on the hard muscles of his chest, then moved lower to feel his warm skin. As the kiss went on, she realized she’d never experienced such an immediate sensation of raw passion and desire with Anthony.

  Nick broke their kiss but drew her close to him. He let his fevered cheek rest against her forehead. His hands tenderly moved over her back and circled her waist holding her body firmly to his. She let her hands discover the planes of his face and he kissed the tips of her fingers when they lingered on his lips. Her eyes searched his, desperate to know if he was consumed with the same emotions that had her reeling. She was sure he felt it but was cautious about moving too fast or breaking the damn code.

  He whispered lightly. “Tonight is about holding each other, am I right?”

  “Yes,” she whispered as she nestled her head on his shoulder. She felt safe, relaxed and that befuddled her. Was she falling for Nick or was she using him as a crutch?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nick awoke with a heavy feeling in his chest. He moved, and an arm tightened around his collarbone. He cracked his eyes open to see Lincoln sprawled across his body, still asleep. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he tucked her back into his arms. He didn’t think it was possible to be happy with just intimacy and no sex. The two usually went hand-in-hand. In his case, he did without the sex and was slap-happy with the intimacy he received from Lincoln.

  Lincoln moved against him. The soft material of her nightie ignited a spark in him. Her thigh inched up his body to touch him in that personal place, and he instantly sprung to life. He was wide awake now and had to get her to roll over. He shook her lightly and whispered, “Wake up, sleepy head.” She stirred again, and wisps of her hair tickled his nose.

  “Morning,” she moaned as her hand moved down his body to rest dangerously close to his growing erection.

  He shifted his body on the bed to separate them, but she moved with him, apparently mumbling in a sleep-like state. Her hand accidently brushed across his erection, and he rolled over on the bed and fell to the floor.

  The thud from his body hitting the carpeted floor woke her up. “Nick?” She leaned over the edge of the bed and with half-hooded eyes, looked down at him. “What are you doing down there?”

  He reached for his crumpled shirt to cover his nakedness. “I don’t know. I misjudged how far from the edge of the bed I was and fell.”

  She moved her hair away from
her face. “If you say so. What time is it?”

  His watch was on the table and out of his reach. “My watch is on the table, but I’m not in a position to move right now.”

  Her lips curled into a slow grin. She slowly licked them as her eyes rested on his midsection “Oh, so I see. I have you at my disposal, don’t I?”

  “Uhhh, yeah, and it’s not funny. Turn around so I can get up.”

  “Just get up. I’m not ashamed of my body. Are you ashamed of your body?”

  “Hey, I’m proud of what I have to show off but not to you.”

  She sat up on the bed and let her long legs dangle over the edge. Those long legs that felt as smooth as the silk nightie she wore were close to his face.

  “I’m a woman that appreciates a man with a great body.”

  “Oh, yeah,” he blushed. “I got the goods, but you’re Lincoln and I’m Nick and…”

  “And you have that silly code standing in your way. Nick, you kissed me and held me last night. Thanks to you, I haven’t thought about Anthony once in days. I am going to be bold and say I am attracted to you. However, I’m not going to pursue anything because I want to keep you as a friend. If I run you away, I wouldn’t be able to deal with that.”

  He leaned back supporting the weight of his upper body on his elbows. “I’m very attracted to you too, Lincoln. It will take a lot for you to run me away.”

  She let the strap of her nightgown fell over her shoulder. “Why are we playing games, Nick? Have you ever imagined us together sexually?”

  He pulled at his ear. He was not against discussing sex; it was just different talking about it with her. But he confessed. “Yes, I’ve thought about it a lot actually,” he said looking at Lincoln with tanked-up, lust-filled eyes.

  She sat on the floor beside him and pressed her lips against his. She slipped her tongue past his lips and into his mouth. Her mouth was warm and extra wet as she took her time exploring Nick’s mouth. They shared a long and passionate kiss for several minutes before Nick stopped and pulled away.

  “What’s wrong?” Lincoln was looking at him with those sexy brown eyes of hers.

  “This is wrong, Lincoln. We should think about how this will affect everyone. You’re Ant’s former girl.” He started to get up off the floor, but Lincoln pulled him back down and began kissing him again, this time with more aggression.

  Her hands roamed freely underneath the shirt that covered his lap, and the ache in his groin intensified. As her hand worked on his shaft, he wanted Lincoln’s warm mouth and tongue on him, as well.

  Her light kisses trailed from his chest. Her tongue circled his nipples; her teeth nibbled softly on his pale brown nipples. He closed his eyes as her lips moved down his washboard stomach and lower. His heart sped up as his wish came true. He gasped as her luscious tongue trailed the length of him before her mouth closed over him. “Jesus,” he mumbled as his head dropped back to enjoy the pleasurable treatment she was giving to him.

  His hand guided the motion of her head as she worked her magical tongue along his shaft, bringing him to the brink and releasing to start over. He had to stop her, or this would be over before it started. Before he did that, he couldn’t help but think what an idiot Anthony was.

  He had a beautiful sexy woman who didn’t have a problem with oral sex. He opened his eyes, and the view with her on her knees giving him oral sent a flash of desire through him.

  Lincoln continued to seduce him until he was moaning and closing in on that pivotal moment.

  He pulled her head up to look at him. Her eyes were full with a naughty lust. If she was using sex with him to get back at Anthony, he didn’t care. That was pretty much what he did with the women he casually dated. It was all physical and nothing deeper. But he did care how this might affect Lincoln later. She was in a fragile state of mind, and using sex to cover her pain would tear her down emotionally. He asked in a ragged voice, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “God, yes,” she answered as she teased him with the tip of her tongue.

  Her eyes told the story, and he smiled confidently. He’d lit a fire inside her that engulfed her entire body, and he did not see any revenge in her eyes for Anthony. He pulled her up, so she was next to him. He brushed his lips along the spot behind her ear and whispered, “Can I feel you? Can I feel you everywhere so I can create you in my mind?”

  She replied with a breathless, “Yes.”

  Nick gently laid her back on the floor. He lifted the nightgown over her head and gently slid off the bikini panties to expose her body to him. She was his first, the first African-American women he’d make love to. He took the time to admire her body, to sink in the beauty of the goddess that lay before him. He saw the difference between the two races. Lincoln’s body was small, but her hips were a tad wider. He loved the thickness of her thighs and plumpness of her small round buttocks.

  The sight of her golden-colored skin, down to the black patch of neatly trimmed hair that covered her womanhood and her small breasts with brown pebbled nipples, jutted him to a painful erection.

  Gently, his hand slid up her body, covering her entire flat belly. His long rough fingers stretched over her soft skin. “Mmm,” he hummed in approval as his hand moved down the front of her thigh, avoiding her throbbing sex.

  His naked body held tight against her as he lay atop her. He kissed her eyes, cheeks, nose, and the tip of her chin. She let her head recline so he could kiss her neck, biting his way down and across her shoulder, her silky hair caressing his face along the way. Lincoln’s murmured sounds of pleasure inched his body temperature up.

  Lincoln pushed into him and rocked her hips, enticing and urging, but he didn’t fall prey to her protests. He slid both hands to her breasts and squeezed hard. His fingers pinched her small nipples that hardened more under his touch.

  He lowered his head and sucked on each breast, drawing a low groan from him and her. Using his tongue, he teased her nipple, pulling and tugging until she cried out. The feel of her breast in his mouth was unbelievable. If he didn’t control himself, he would lose control and take her then. He didn’t want to do that. Lincoln was worth taking his time. He wanted to enjoy her and have her enjoy every inch of him.

  Her chest heaved as she begged for more. He obliged and covered her mouth, taking everything her generous tongue offered as he explored the deep sweetness of her mouth. He pushed a hand between her legs to edge them wider. Her hand rested on his hips, as his finger settled between her legs and slowly entered her. Her body lifted from the floor.

  “You like it?” he asked, in a rough voice.

  “Yes, I love it,” Lincoln panted with her eyes closed.

  Nick eased his weight off her as he kissed down her chest until his face was even with her womanhood. He massaged her slick opening with his thumb, and she shivered. “I want to taste you.” He pursed his lips and blew gently on the over-sensitized flesh before he flicked his tongue over the swollen nub trailing down to dip inside her womanhood. “You taste like heaven.” He pushed her thighs wider apart and licked again. A deep groan vibrated from Lincoln’s throat—the sexiest sound Nick had ever heard. He continued to slide his mouth over her, dipping his tongue lower. Lincoln gasped. Intrigued, Nick licked her there again and again, eliciting almost frantic reactions. He felt her tight muscles quiver; her hands fisted in his hair, and a high-pitched sound gurgled in her throat.

  “Oh, yes,” she whispered as if she were on the edge of an impending explosion. “Do you like that?” He did it again. She gasped, her fingers knotting the carpet. The area between his thighs throbbed, engorged with too much blood. Gently, he stroked his tongue between her swollen outer lips and felt her instantly jerk beneath him.

  She whimpered as Nick continued to explore her womanhood. He opened his eyes and saw she tried to keep her upper body up, resting on her elbows. However, as he moved to her swollen nub and began focusing his attentions there, Lincoln’s strength abandoned her, and she flopped back onto the
floor like a rag doll. When his two, strong fingers entered her, she began writhing against his tongue, her eyes closed to concentrate on the pleasure.

  He felt her thighs tighten around his head and her breathing increase. He knew she was close and lapped ferociously and firmly at the nub as he unhurriedly thrust back and forth with his index and middle fingers of his right hand. She erupted, her body lifting to hold an intense orgasm and then relaxing as the orgasm exited her body.

  She cupped his head with her hands and said, “That was amazing.”

  “I’m not done yet.”

  *****

  Nick picked her and laid her on the bed. She did a half-roll exposing her backside to him.

  The heat from his touch grew stronger as his hand made a pass over her hair, pushing his fingers in and combing it. Her scalp tingled. The sensation traveled down her neck to her spine and tightened the skin of her chest and puckered her nipples. Lincoln never knew such a simple touch from a man could be so sexual.

  His hands closed on her waist. Heat shot in both directions; into her breasts and her core that ached painfully for him. Nick’s hands slid up her sides, creeping between her legs. The rough skin of his fingers parted the smooth folds of her womanhood slightly.

  With his hot palm heavy over her sex, one finger pressed past her folds and dipped inside. Perfect,” he moaned with a growl as his teeth sank into the curve between her neck and shoulder.

  Lincoln couldn’t believe Nick was going to make love to her. The reality thrilled her to ridiculous levels. If she had time to think about it, her fears would have washed back in, and she wouldn’t be enjoying his touch. But Nick didn’t give her time to think; she was glad for that.

  His chest pressed against the back of her shoulders as he pushed his finger in deeper. His mouth was on the side of her neck, as a growl of pleasure, vibrated in his throat. He did something inside her when he moved his finger. It created a delicious pressure. She arched, wrapped one arm up and around his neck again, holding him tight. “Nick,” she whispered, panting. “Make love to me now, please.”