One Simple Step (Journey #3)

He trailed soft kisses down my jawline until he reached my neck, blowing a warm breath across the sensitive skin before sucking lightly. Something between a moan and whimper escaped my lips, and I clenched my legs around him, my hands knotted in his hair.

His mouth finally landed on mine, and it was what I had been waiting for all along. Things with us had been strictly friendly since that first day at the resort, and I had been savoring that kiss ever since. When his tongue finally entered my mouth, I sucked it deep and reveled in the taste, shivering from the overwhelming feelings running through my body.

Nick pulled away all too soon, and grabbed each of my hands, kissing both of them. “Let’s get you inside, I’m pretty sure you’re freezing, I can feel the goose bumps all over your body.”

I didn’t tell him that those were from him. We could pretty much be swimming in Alaska right now, and I don’t think the freezing water would have bothered me as long as I had Nick there, and he was doing what he was doing to my body.

I nodded my head in response, and let him carry me out of the water, my legs locked around his waist the whole time. He walked us through the house, flicking on lights along the way, until we ended up in the bathroom attached to his bedroom. He sat me on the countertop, and moved to the shower, the tiny space quickly filling up with steam.

“Here, let me help with these so you can get warmed up.”

All of a sudden, I felt like an awkward, prepubescent girl again when he stepped in front of me, and his fingers landed on the bare skin underneath my t-shirt. “Um...” Any other words caught in my throat as he slowly peeled my shirt up and over my head, and I mentally thanked God that I had worn a sports bra underneath it.

He remained silent as he stared at me, his eyes filled with a look that I hadn’t seen before, before he quickly shook his head, backing up a step. “Towels and washcloths are under there.” He pointed to the cabinet that I was sitting on. “And I’ll throw one of my t-shirts in for you. Need anything else?”

You. At least that’s what I wanted to say.

But instead, I shook my head and he left, closing the door quietly behind himself. Well, that was confusing. I felt a mixture of disappointment and relief, which was a pretty odd combination. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that next step, with Nick or anyone at this point.

I actually felt thankful to Nick for not attempting to take it further, when he most certainly could have. I don’t think there was a question as to what would have happened, seeing as how my mind had been a giant blob, and I turned into mush whenever Nick touched me.





Chapter 10


Nick



It took everything I had in me to leave Ally sitting half-naked on my bathroom counter.

She looked gorgeous, her hair dripping wet from the water, and her clothes clinging to her body. Lucky shirt.

Her blue eyes widened as I helped strip off her clothes, my fingers lightly sinking into her smooth skin, being electrified by every simple touch.

Well, most of her clothes.

If I had helped with those tiny ass shorts of hers that hugged every inch of her curves, I probably wouldn’t have been able to stop myself. And I could tell that Ally had been having pretty much the same reaction. I think I even heard a tiny moan escape those plump lips of hers that were still swollen from our little make out session.

I hadn’t had one of those since high school, but with Ally, I could do it every damn minute of the day.

What I really needed right now was a cold ass shower, but I guess I was just going to have to find another way to deal with my problem. Think about…football. Yeah, I guess that could work.

I stripped out of my wet clothes and threw on a pair of pajama pants, thinking the issue had been taken care of, until I stopped outside of the bathroom door and heard Ally singing loudly through the door, something about ‘putting it right there’. Damn, what in the hell was this girl trying to do, make me explode in my pants like a twelve-year old boy?

And I thought I was gonna end up having a shitty night after the phone call I got earlier.

Yeah, I really couldn’t think about that right now, especially when I saw the door swing open and Ally standing there in my t-shirt, looking sexy as hell with one hand on her hip.

“Do you really expect me to get back to Remy’s in only this?” She pointed at the shirt, the only thing I had tossed in there for her, and raised her eyebrows at me.

“Hell, no. I would have to beat the shit out of every guy you walked past, then. I figured you could just stay here with me for the night, that’s why I just gave you a shirt.” I bit my tongue, waiting for her response.

I think we were walking a very thin line right now, between the friends and the maybe someday more. Or maybe that line had become blurred out in the water, because friends most certainly didn’t do that. Unless, I guess, they had some sort of friends with benefits thing going on, but I didn’t want to give Ally that kind of impression because that definitely wasn’t what I wanted.

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