Falling for Nicole: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Angel Book 8) Read online

  My response is cut off when he pulls me up into his arms and carries me to the master bedroom. It didn’t occur to me as to why we were bothering with the effort of trying to get there because the house is empty, but as he opens the door, I see a large bed in the centre of the room. I’m more than grateful when he throws me down on it that I had a soft landing. All thoughts of beds and furniture are completely forgotten when he demands I get on my knees. He licks at me a couple more times from behind before I feel him push into me as deep as he’ll go. My pussy contracts around him with my impending orgasm.

  He thrusts a couple of times but as soon as I feel his palm connect with my bare arse cheek, I fall into mind numbing pleasure as he continues to find his own. I’ve just come down from my high when I feel him harden even more before he fills me.

  After a few seconds, he falls down onto his back beside me as he pants out his breaths. The silence allows my brain to return and I’m instantly hit with thoughts of how reckless we’ve been.

  “You’re clean, right?” I ask the ceiling, too embarrassed by my stupid actions to look at him.

  “Of course. I wouldn’t touch you bare if I weren’t.”

  “Good. Me too.”

  “I didn’t doubt it. You’re on the pill as well, I presume?”

  “Yes.”

  “Perfect. We’re all good then.”

  Sitting up I look around the sparse room and then to the sheetless bed we’re currently on.

  “You planned this, didn’t you? You knew if you could get me here, you’d get your way. That’s why the only piece of furniture in this house is a bed.”

  “No, actually. I didn’t have anything to do with the bed. That was Lilly. She thought you’d want to move in straight away and knew the only thing that might stop you was not having a bed. I came up here so none of the nosey neighbours could watch through the windows. I hadn’t even thought about the bed.”

  “Really?” I ask, still sceptical.

  “Really. I don’t want anyone else seeing what’s mine.”

  “You think I’m yours?” I can feel my previous anger resurfacing at his assumption.

  “I know so, Gingernut. Now come back down here.”

  Declan

  I can tell by the look in her eyes that she doesn’t believe me, but I really had no clue the bed had already been delivered. Lilly said it would be this evening.

  “You hungry?”

  “Starving,” Nicole agrees, downing the last of her champagne. “I need something to soak this up.” Hiccupping as she puts the glass down, I can’t help but agree.

  “What do you fancy?” I don’t miss her eyes drop to my stomach, which she seems to have a fascination with—not that I’m complaining.

  “Chippy?”

  “Sure. I need to shower first though.”

  Georgia came up trumps with this place. Not only did she manage to reduce the rent significantly, but she also had the whole place cleaned and updated ready for Nicole to move in. Of course, she has no idea it’s for Nicole—even a blind man could see they have a serious dislike for each other—so I knew mentioning it wouldn’t do me any favours. I told her it was for family, which is kind of true.

  Stepping into the bathroom, I find the bath spotlessly clean, the chrome taps polished within an inch of their lives. It’s almost a shame to ruin it.

  “Wow, it’s even more stunning than the photo.” Nicole’s eyes run over every inch of the room as I do the same to her. She’s right. Even more stunning than any photo could portray.

  Her cheeks heat when she realises I’m watching her.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Getting in?” I hold out my hand, tug her into the bath and pull the curtain around us both.

  After washing off, we both drip dry before pulling our clothes back on. I think Lilly might have been wrong, Nicole could do with a few more things as well as her bed to move in with.

  “How about we go shopping after we eat? Get you some towels and stuff.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” Nicole says as she fights to get her denim shorts up her damp legs.

  “Where the hell are we going?”

  Carrying a bag of fish and chips in one hand and holding Nicole’s in the other, I take her to my second favourite place in this little seaside town: the highest point on the cliffs that overlooks the bay below and out to sea. It’s the perfect spot.

  “Wow. How did you find all these places?”

  “I did a lot of walking when I first found the town. I wanted to know everything about it before I set up the business.”

  “This is really stunning,” she says as she unwraps the paper containing our dinner. “How much is the rent on that place?”

  “Four hundred a month.”

  “Fucking hell, she really did owe you a favour. What the hell did she do to get it for that price?”

  “It’s probably best we don’t ask.”

  “Okay then.”

  “But…” I see her look over at me, questions and concern filling her eyes. “You don’t have to pay anything for the first three months.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I’ve covered it.”

  “No. Declan, you don’t need to do that. I’ve got money, I was just being a cheapskate.”

  “No, I do. It’s the least I can do. I know I’ve been nothing but a dick to you since you moved here, and you’ve done nothing but help with the shack. Consider it a bonus.”

  “I thought the orgasms were a bonus.”

  “Yes, but they’re not something I offer all my employees.”

  “Good to know.”

  By the time we come down off the cliff, the sun is starting to set. We’ve left it a little late for shopping so the only place I can really offer to take her is our out of town 24/7 supermarket. I feel like a bit of a dick offering to take her to get stuff and ending up here, but she doesn’t seem to care as she stands and debates the best colour of towel.

  It’s gone midnight by the time we get back to hers after stopping at Lilly’s to pick up her stuff. The look on my sister’s face when we turned up and left together was something to behold. I could see her years of dreaming about us getting together running through her head as she smiled at us. I’d hate to burst her bubble so I refrained from telling her this was just a bit of fun. Because that’s what this is. I decided years ago that all that marriage and kids bullshit wasn’t for me. I want money and a successful business or two—that soppy shit is for other chumps. Plus almost everyone I know, apart from my parents, ends up falling out, divorcing and hating each other, or one of them dies, leaving the other wishing they had, too. Why risk that by settling down? I want to enjoy my life. It doesn’t mean anything that suddenly a certain redhead keeps tainting my vision for the future. I tell myself that’s just because I seem to be a little obsessed with her at the moment. I’ve absolutely no reason to believe that feeling is going to last beyond the summer, let alone the year.

  “Do you…uh…want to stay?” Nicole asks when we’ve finished making her bed with the sheets she picked out earlier.

  I stare at her, then glance over her shoulder to her very inviting bed. I was up before dawn this morning so I could catch some waves before work, and I’m whacked. My previous thoughts come back to haunt me. I’ve never spent the night with a woman before. Once we’ve done what we intended to do, I either get up and leave or she does. Not once in my life have I actually slept with a woman.

  Then, a thought hits me.

  Fuck.

  The other night at the shack, I slept with Nicole. I spent all night with my arm around her waist, and when I woke, the first thing I did was look over and watch her sleep.

  My heart starts to race and my palms begin to sweat.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I uh…just realised something.”

  “What is it? Can I do anything to help?” I presume the panic on my face makes her think it’s something bad. Well, it is, I guess. Or is it?

&nbs
p; I continue staring at her as she waits for my answer. The longer I look into her eyes, the more I feel myself start to relax, and the idea of waking up to her in the morning starts to feel right.

  “Sure, I’ll stay.” I pull my t-shirt off and throw it into the corner of the room. The rest of my clothes soon follow, and Nicole’s join them.

  I feel eyes on me when I wake. Cracking an eyelid open, I find a mop of red hair looking down at me.

  “Mornin’,” I croak.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Why?”

  “I never thanked you for all this last night.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, Ginge, you did plenty of thanking.” Her cheeks blush and I fucking love it. “So you’re accepting it then? I was worried you were going to tell me where to go.”

  “I considered it at first, but I love the place too much. So thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, but I still expect daily blow jobs for the foreseeable future to show your continued gratitude.”

  She pulls a serious thinking face.

  “What?”

  “Just wondering if I should kick you out of my bed now or after you’ve made me come.”

  “Come here.” I tackle her down to the mattress and show her she doesn’t have a choice.

  Chapter Ten

  Nicole

  Once Dec gets a chance to look at the time, I can see the shock on his face. “I haven’t slept this late for years.”

  “The bed is pretty comfortable,” I agree.

  “I don’t think it was the bed, Gingernut.” He walks over to where I’m still sitting on the edge, watching him get dressed, and he kisses my temple. The move is so romantic that I’m lost for words as the feeling of his lips makes my skin tingle. What we’ve done so far has been intimate, yes, but that one kiss felt completely different—like it had actual meaning and feelings behind it. I’m pretty sure it should scare me, but all I currently feel is butterflies fluttering around in my belly. “What time are you in later?” Dec asks as if nothing’s just happened, but I swear I felt my world twist.

  “I’m working the night shift so I’ll be in sometime after lunch. Dec, I think we should—”

  “Keep it professional at work, yeah, I agree,” he says, finishing my sentence for me.

  “Okay, good. I’ll see you later then.” I follow him silently down the stairs and to the front door. I expect him to open it and disappear but he surprises me when he spins and pulls my body flush against his. “Don’t be late. I hear your boss is a right wanker.”

  “Yep, I hate him,” I mutter against his lips. I feel his twitch up into a smile before they press against mine.

  Once Dec’s gone, I wander though my new, empty house. The sun’s shining through the French doors so when I get over, I pull them open and allow the chill of the morning air to engulf me. Movement catches my eye by my feet after Bailey has rushed out, and looking down, I see a single white feather by my foot. Tears instantly sting my eyes. Mum had this fascination with white feathers. She read somewhere that they show your guardian angel is with you, or something along those lines. I never really believed in all that stuff, but when she died and I suddenly kept seeing bloody white feathers everywhere, I couldn’t help but find it reassuring that she could still be there with me. I haven’t seen one for a few weeks, and although I hadn’t really acknowledged it, standing here now staring at one makes me realise how much I’ve missed them.

  Sitting down on the bottom step, I pick it up and twirl it around between my thumb and finger. I’m once again filled with such a huge amount of loss that it threatens to break me. The final images of Mum suffering in her hospital bed in our tiny living room are the only thing I can see. I’ve been told that over time those will fade, and when I think of her I will immediately see all the good stuff we shared together. I can’t wait for that time to come, because I’d quite happily never see her in that much pain ever again. My strong, independent mother was utterly broken by that vile disease. We had plans for our future, things we wanted to experience together, and that’s all been ripped away from us.

  Bailey must sense my turmoil because he comes over and places his large head in my lap.

  “Hey, boy,” I whisper, my voice cracking the second a sound comes out. “She’d have loved it here. Being by the sea was always her favourite place.”

  Bailey stands there while I cling to him and cry for everything I’ve lost. After long minutes, that changes, and my emotions are fuelled by my confusion with everything going on with Dec. There are so many questions I need to ask him but I’m too scared to find out the real answers. I try to keep thinking that what’s between us is just a bit of fun, that in a few weeks or months, if I’m lucky, he’ll get bored of me and move on to his next victim. I try to tell myself that I’m just Georgia’s replacement, even if that does leave a bitter taste in my mouth. There’s no way this can be anything more than a physical thing. All the energy we used to put into pissing each other off has morphed into the need to expel it through sex. That would all be fine if I felt like I was just putting my body on the line. The problem is that my heart seems to be following it—and following fast.

  I thought keeping what’s going on between us quiet at work was a good idea. Part of me wanted us to go back to the way we were to give me some kind of sense of normality that I’ve been craving for a long time, but it turns out I don’t like it. Not one bit. I hate the way female customers’ eyes wander over to him, and I hate the flirty look he gives them back, so much so I want to walk over and slap it off his face. I know he’s not doing it on purpose—well, I hope not. I still have this little voice in my head that keeps telling me this is all one big joke. That he’s going to tell me he never liked me and it’s not real. My head is trying to remember this, but my heart seems to keep running away with itself. I really need to rein that bugger right back in. Falling for Dec won’t do me any good because if one thing is guaranteed in life, it’s that he’ll break my heart.

  By the time the customers start leaving, I’ve just about had enough. What’s turning out to be quite a bad jealous streak is really starting to piss me off. I hoped he would disappear at some point, seeing as he’s been here all day, but nope. I swear it’s like he’s trying to torture me, like he always has…it’s just different now.

  “This isn’t going to work,” I announce, walking into his office when we’re the only ones left.

  “What isn’t?” He looks up from his computer with his brows drawn together.

  “This. Me and you.”

  His mouth drops open in shock. “But—”

  “I can’t cope with keeping it a secret,” I say, cutting off whatever his argument was about to be.

  “Okay, whatever you want.”

  “Really? You’re okay with everyone knowing?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” He gets up from his chair and walks over until there are only inches between us.

  “Because it’s me,” I whisper, hating how vulnerable I sound.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” His hand comes up to push a loose strand of hair from my face. The intensity in his eyes holds mine captive when all I want to do is look away, embarrassed.

  “You don’t like me, remember?” Flashbacks play out all the things he’s done to me over the years. They’re mostly from our childhood, but a few are more recent.

  “I’ve never not liked you.”

  “So what the hell was all that about?”

  He shrugs and steps away, essentially putting a barrier up between us. “You just annoyed me, but I’ve always liked you.”

  “Okay,” I whisper, because there’s so much more to this that he’s not telling me right now, and it’s left me more confused than ever. “But you’re okay with telling people.”

  “Sure, if it’ll make you happy. Put that little jealous streak you have to bed.”

  I open my mouth to respond but no words come out. He stands there cocky as you fucking like with a smirk playing at hi
s lips.

  “Don’t look so surprised. You think I haven’t been watching you giving out death glares to any woman who looked my way, or the fire that lights up your eyes when you see me acknowledge them?”

  So much for trying to play it cool, then.

  “Don’t look so embarrassed.” He steps back up to me and places his palms on my heated cheeks. “I like having how you’re really feeling written all over your face like that.”

  “But…I…” I try to argue, because while he might be enjoying all this, I still have no idea where I stand with him. Is this just a stupid fling, or is he feeling the same way as me? My thoughts are eradicated the second I feel his lips against mine.

  “Are you done so we can get out of here? We’ve got much better things we can be doing.”

  “Almost, I need about twenty minutes.”

  “You’ve got ten.”

  I run out of his office the second he lets me go so I can crack on. I turn the music up as I walk past and lose myself as I sing along.

  I feel his stare long before he says anything, but I refuse to turn around. I’ve already shown him too much tonight, he doesn’t need to be aware that I know the second he’s walked in a room.

  “Get up on stage and sing for me,” he demands.

  “No…I…”

  “I dare you.”

  “Dec…I can’t.” Images of truth or dare games as kids fill my mind and the stupid stuff we did back then.

  “You never step down from a dare, Nicole. You know it, and I know it. Now get up on stage.”

  Damn him, why the hell does he have to know me so well? Suddenly his earlier words that he’s always liked me feel that little bit truer. I’ve not noticed it before. But there’s so much he does know about me and remembers from our past—maybe he didn’t hate me so much.

  “I’ll do it…if you do something for me.”

  “Name it.”

  I hesitate, because I know what I’m about to ask is going to make me look like a crazy jealous girlfriend. “I don’t want you to see Georgia again.”