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  “Not yet.” He scraped his teeth across her shoulder, and when he moved inside her again, it was with two fingers. The sizzling friction along her walls created a new sensation of deliciousness. “When I make love to you, baby, it’s going to be for hours.”

  She’d heard that before. But it had never happened with Anthony. Given that she was not disappointed to have spent time with Anthony, but their love making was not a marathon session, he tired quickly. With Nick, she believed he’d follow through.

  She wiggled her backside against him as he pulled out of her, dragging two fingers back and forth until his thick fingertips were seated deep within her folds on either side of her womanhood. His touch was confident and shot zings of excitement to her core.

  When Nick’s touch eased, the extreme pleasure faded into something deeper and more widespread, something that made Lincoln want to ride his hand. But she was afraid to move, not prepared for another electric shock of ecstasy. Her muscles went soft, and she let her head fall back against him. “Holy crap.” She breathed the words on a whisper.

  She crooked her arm around his neck drawing him down for a kiss while his fingers continued their exploring. Then he made her forget all about control with the slightest movement of his fingers. The gentle slides, tender tugs, slight pulses tantalizing the places hidden deep in her womanhood. Something that had always been there, but Anthony had never found. Something even Lincoln had never explored. Yet, something the sexy Nick used to drive her to the moon.

  He chuckled in her ear, dragging her down from the stratosphere and shooting tingles along her skin. “God, I love the sounds you make,” he murmured, adjusting the angle of his arm and pushing deeper between her legs. His fingers squeezed just a tiny bit more, and Lincoln lost herself on the very edge of orgasm. But Nick immediately eased his touch. “No, not yet. Hearing you ache for me turns me on.”

  Her mind wasn’t working. She couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. And he was moving again, his fingers searching until Lincoln gritted her teeth and groaned. But the moment he’d found his mark, fireworks of pleasure shot through Lincoln’s body. She dropped a hand to his forearm, digging her nails into his thick muscles.

  He released his hold on her and turned her on her back mounting her. He pinned her small frame beneath him. She was panting with excitement glad of the pleasure from his fingers but finally happy to have them replaced with his throbbing erection.

  Lincoln couldn’t have held still even if she’d tried. Her hips lifted and rolled automatically, easily syncing with Nick’s expert movement. She braced herself with one hand flat on Nick’s arm. She felt her orgasm build from her center out, rolling through her pelvis, filling her belly. “Oh, my god…”

  She became frantic, pushing down on his hand, and it must have driven him over the top because he released her and said, “I can't wait.” He adjusted his erection pushing against her stomach. He spread her legs, and brought himself to her opening. He pushed the head of his penis inside and lifted her chin with one finger. “I’m ready to make love to you, baby.”

  She sucked in an excited breath as her eyes roamed over his naked body. Nick was generously proportioned. His length was impressive, but the girth was even more so. His erection had a slight curve that caused the smooth domed head, to point towards the ceiling. The sight of him caused another surge of heat to pulse through her body, and she began to feel another arousal seep onto her inner thighs. “I want you,” she breathed, shuffling her legs further apart.

  Nick guided his member towards her entrance and drew the tip over her swollen nub, prompting a muffled sob of delight from her. Then he slowly slipped between her outer lips.

  “Nick,” she begged, her nails almost puncturing his skin. “Make love to me now,” she whimpered, trying to edge her hips towards him. He flashed a quick grin, before sliding forwards.

  His entry was slow, inching into her tight passage until he had to pause only halfway inside her. “Damn, baby,” he hissed.

  “Oh, God,” she panted, feeling her body stretch almost painfully with each inch he penetrated.

  “Are you okay,” he moaned as he edged deeper still.

  “Yeah,” she gasped. “It’s just been a little while.” Her inner muscles fluttered and spasmed, slowly stretching her to accommodate him.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  “No, and don’t stop” she quickly responded, as discomfort began to give way to intense pleasure.

  Convinced by the desire in her voice and unable to hold back any longer, Nick plunged forwards, burying himself to the hilt. Their hips came together hard and the rough.

  “Yes,” she squealed, thrilled with the sensation of fulfillment once again.

  “You’re so tight,” Nick wheezed. “Feels so damn good,” he added, almost incoherently, as he drew his hips back. There was no long, slow slide into her warmth this time. The need to return was too great, and he slammed deeply within her.

  Lincoln moaned her pleasure, when he thrust once more, his weight pressing her back deep into the mattress.

  Nick’s lower half moved like a jackhammer, slamming her against the bed with each thrust. Lincoln could feel the tightening in her stomach and sucked in a breath as she waited for the wave to break.

  “Come with me, baby.” His voice was dark in her ear. His body wrapped around her as he drove deeper. The last sensation floated through Lincoln’s mind was one of being completely taken over yet in a caring way.

  The slightest change in his touch released a lightning-bolt orgasm, and the shaft of pleasure ripped through Lincoln. She lost control of her body. Her muscles contracted, released, flexed.

  Nick’s murmur slipped in and mixed with all the excitement, his voice thick, darkly sexual. “Yeah, that’s it. Soak it up. I’m with you, baby.” Another deep thrust, and Nick spilled into her.

  The rapid, uneven motion of his hips prompted a warmth in Lincoln’s abdomen, and she felt the world melt away. “Yes, yes, yes,” she sobbed, the orgasm intense and seemed to roll on and on for what felt like hours.

  He rested his weight on his forearms. Lincoln stroked his wet hair as their rapid breathing took its time slowing. “Lincoln,” he said lowly.

  Her mouth was dry as she swallowed. “Yes. I know you broke the code, and it was worth it to me.”

  He lowered his body to rest on top of her. “Not that, baby. I fucking didn’t wear a condom.”

  She lifted his head off her shoulder. “I’m on the pill and I haven’t slept with Anthony in ages.”

  “That good to know but I always protect my boy. You made me lose control.” He grinned down at her. “Ant is a fool to let you go.”

  “Nick, do you really want to talk about that because I’d rather bask in the aftermath of the best sex I’ve ever had.”

  His toothy grin widened. “The best sex you’ve ever had?”

  “Yes. I safely can say that.”

  “Give me ten minutes to recoup and the next round will put you in a coma.”

  She raised her arms over her head as he hugged her body to him. He felt good on top of her. “I can’t wait.”

  *****

  They made love twice more before emerging from the bedroom to get on with their day. After showering, Lincoln threw together a quick meal of cheeseburgers and fries that they enjoyed in front of the television.

  Lincoln munched on a pickle. “Tell me about your family, Nick. Do they live in Cleveland?”

  Nick’s stomach instantly knotted. He was hoping to avoid the questions regarding his family but now that he’d been intimate with Lincoln, he would have to fess up. This conversation could be the last they would have once she learns about the Barona clan.

  He chewed the food in his mouth and swallowed. “Nah, they moved back to Queens years ago. I’m here by myself as far as family goes.”

  “I guess that could be a plus in a way. Are any of the brothers as handsome as you?”

  He joked. “Why? Are you ready to dump me alr
eady?”

  “I’m curious, Nick. We’ve shared an intimacy that we can’t take back. I want to know about the man that has seen me naked.”

  “He wiped his hands on a paper towel. “Okay, that’s fair. Of course, I’m Italian-American. My birthday is the first day of March, so I’m a Pisces. And I’m the youngest of six kids that consist of three older sisters and two older brothers. My mom and dad are still married.”

  “Wow, you have a large family. Do you want a large family of your own one day?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I never thought about settling down again after I ended my first marriage. I think it started again after my injury. I thought I would never walk again or have a chance to live a full life. When I fully recovered and changed my lifestyle, I regretted a lot of shit I did. One was not being a father to a child I promised to be there for.”

  Lincoln tucked her legs under her. “First, I want to say you’re lucky to recover from such a severe accident. I see why you’re so grateful for every day you wake up. Second, you have time to make it up to your child.”

  He caressed the part of her leg nearest to him. “Nah, that ship has passed. I don’t know where my ex-wife is, and her son wasn’t my biological child. She had every right to keep him away from me. I hate to say this, but I was more like my father back in the day than I care to admit. I didn’t give a damn about people or who I hurt.”

  “I guess I’m lucky I didn’t know you then.”

  “Okay, enough about me, what about you? What do you want out of life? Do you want kids or marriage? I meant to say that differently. Naturally, you would want marriage first and then the kids. That is unless I screwed up big time,” he said with a crooked grin. “I’m certain we have no need to worry. And, I do want to get married one day. I want to have at least one baby before my eggs dry up and disintegrate.”

  “You wanted that with Ant, huh? He really fuck’d up—excuse my English.”

  “No, he's gained everything, Nick. I’m the one that was a fool. I had the feeling that Anthony wasn’t completely over that woman, but I fell in love with him anyhow. When I saw that little boy, and how he interacted with him, I knew it was over.”

  He rubbed her leg. “I’m sorry he hurt you, baby. You are one hell of a woman.”

  She smiled. “I am a good woman. I put my heart and soul in that relationship. The sad thing is he still denies a relationship with her.”

  “Let me ask you this. If Ant had admitted he had an affair, would you forgive him?”

  “No. Anthony used me as a placeholder until Melanie returned. He knew she would come back for him. He might not have known about the kid.” She rubbed her hands down her face. “I wouldn’t have begrudged him a relationship with his son. I would have been a great step-mother, too.”

  He saw the hurt creep in her eyes. “I bet you would be a great step-mother but not for Ant’s kid. He and Melanie have a bond that can’t be broken for some reason. You’re better off without him, Lincoln.”

  “That’s what I’m hearing. Oh, well, starting over when social media is the wave will be hard for me. I’m not into computer dating and with my luck I would meet a serial killer.”

  “Whoa, are you saying I’m a serial killer? And I’m not into that social media crap either. Have you been paying attention to me, Lincoln? I have not touched my phone once.”

  She raised her brow. “Um, I wasn’t talking about you. I’m talking about getting out there and having to learn the traits and bad habits of another man.”

  “You know about my past bad habits and you’ll learn any new bad habits in time. I don’t keep a neat house, and I tend to leave milk in the fridge past the expiration date…”

  She nudged him on the shoulder. “Nick, what are you doing?”

  He turned around to face her on the sofa. “Lincoln, I broke the code, and I want to see where this goes with us. Ant’s loss will be my gain. I’m not good at expressing my feeling as you can see. But damn I’ve had it in for you since I saw you at Red Lobster.”

  She got off the sofa and walked to the window. “Oh, I feel the strong attraction between us, no doubt. But I didn’t think you’d be interested in dating me.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? You’re beautiful, smart, independent, and not to mention; you know how to hold it down in the bedroom.” He sighed. “Are you letting what I just told you about my previous marriage weigh on your decision to be with me?”

  “No. People have a past, and no one is perfect. Nick, I have never dated a White man, and you have never dated a Black woman. If we pursue a relationship, it will be a lot of work. I mean we’ll have to grow some tough skin to deal with the hate.”

  He got off the sofa and joined her at the window. He embraced her from behind. The smell of her body drifted in his nose. She smelled of lilacs, and he wanted to fall asleep to that smell every night. “Baby, you are worth the fight and more.” He rocked her in his arms. “I will protect you from harm even though I know you’re strong enough to handle it yourself.”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder. “What about your family? Will they approve of me?”

  He nuzzled the top of her head with his chin. “I’m not going to lie to you. My old man is a fucking bastard and hates Blacks, Jews and anyone, not like him. But I don’t have a relationship with him either. I saw myself becoming him, and that accident was a wakeup call for me to get my shit together. My job is to save lives, and I can’t pick and choose the lives I save. And when my ass was in trapped in that fire, it was a Black man that saved me.”

  She squirmed in his arms, and he tightened his hold on her. “Nick, maybe we should think about it and not jump so quickly.”

  “I don’t wanna think about it. I want to do this, Lincoln. Thinking about it will only lead to overthinking and eventually us walking away from one another.” He hands slid down to caress her belly. “If there is a chance I got you pregnant, I want to be a good father to our baby. God knows I won’t be a bastard like my old man.”

  “Stop saying that before you jinx us.” She turned around in his arms. Her gaze locked with his. “We need to work at getting to know one another before starting a relationship, Nick. Just because I can talk about Anthony without breaking down, doesn’t mean I’m completely over him. I don’t want you to think I’m using you to get over him either.”

  “I’m okay with that. My one request is that if you feel your love for Ant won’t let you feel anything for me, is that you tell me. I can handle the truth, Lincoln.”

  “I promise to do that. So we won’t say anything to anyone. We are keeping this between us, right?”

  He kissed her forehead. “Right. We’ll continue to do what we’ve been doing.”

  She traced a finger up his bare chest. “One last thing, what about the women you have on speed-dial? If you stop being ‘Nick, the ladies’ man,’ the guys at the station will get suspicious.”

  “I’ll take care of them. Plus, I’m not attached to any of those women in any way, Lincoln. We…ya know…”

  She shook her head and went back to the sofa to finish her burger. “I get it.” She shot him an evil eye. “Make sure they’re out of your system too.”

  He kept his giddiness under control and folded his arms across his chest. “We’re going to make this work. You’re skeptical about it, but I will make you forget Anthony Jenkins ever existed.”

  She winked, and he felt the warmth fill his heart. “I’ll be forever in your debt if you’ll do that for me,” she said.

  They never did make it to the Go Kart center as planned, but this was better. They were able to discuss where the direction their relationship was headed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Several Weeks Later

  Lincoln hurried to get out the door for work. She wouldn’t be late if she left the apartment in the next five minutes. She should’ve known better than to have Nick stay over on a Sunday night. Sleeping was only a term when he stayed over. They never actually slept more than the few
hours it took to recover from the vigorous rounds of sexual pleasure they bestowed on one another.

  Shaking her head, she looked on the table for her purse and briefcase. It was time to rush out the door and begin the work day. A day that would be hard to keep her concentration. This coming Saturday was Regan’s bachelorette party and she still had a million things to do. She had proposed the idea to Nick to do a gag appearance at the party and pretend to strip for the women. He didn’t agree or disagree but said he would think about it.

  She smiled as she thought about him. It was getting hard for her to keep their status to herself. She wasn’t in love with him but extremely attracted to him. She missed him when he had to work or had other obligations to tend to. When her sister’s asked what new was going on in her life, she wanted to blurt out Nick’s name and take the wise-cracks from them, but they weren’t ready to announce it just yet.

  Lincoln didn’t want to call what they were in a relationship, but more of a trial-run at a relationship with sex included. Also, she didn’t dismiss the notion that she could not fall in love with him, but Anthony’s deceit had hardened her somewhat. She refused to give her heart away again so easily. Because of that, Nick or any man would have to pay that price and work to get her heart.

  Finding stuff, she ran out the apartment and came to a screeching halt.

  Her face turned inside out as she laid eyes on Anthony leaning against her garage door. She hit the button to open the garage not warning him first. The movement caused him to jump away. “What are you doing here?” she asked walking inside the garage.

  Anthony shoved his hands inside the pocket of his jeans, following behind her. “We need to talk, Lincoln.”

  “We don’t have anything to talk about and I’m late for work,” she said throwing her stuff inside the car.

  “Have lunch with me today, then.”

  “No thank you.”

  He grabbed the edge of the car’s door so she couldn’t close it. “Lincoln, I’m trying to be civil, the least you can do is meet me halfway.”