AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHERYL
Mortification isa tame word compared to what I am feeling right now. “Nolan?” I touch his shoulder hesitantly; not really sure he won’t turn on me. I don’t know who he is right now. Who is this man, chest hulking up and down like a fire-breathing dragon, muscles practically bulging out of his t-shirt, standing over another man who, by the way, I was positive up until this moment was bigger than Nolan? “Nolan, what…?”
“Doll, don’t touch me right now. I am too worked up. You touching me might not end the way you write in your books, babe. Not when someone who has no right to be touching you, had his grimy fucking paws on you, harassing you. I am not in control of myself right now, Cheryl.” Oh my. Is my body supposed to be responding to the edge in his voice and the force with which he put this man to the ground trying to protect me?
“Are you saying you would hurt me, Nolan?” I know the answer instinctually, but it is the only way I could think of to make him forget about the guy grunting and holding his arm on the ground. As I expected, he whips around, facing me like a fierce lion. His face changes from deadly to lustfully drunk. I don’t know what is happening, but I can feel the adrenaline in him whirling around us, closing us in our own cocoon at this moment.
His hand lifts and touches a lost hair, and heck, I feel it in my veins. He licks his lips and runs his fingers down my neck over the column of my throat. “No, baby. I would never hurt you. Not in the way you’re thinking, doll.” He moves so close that if I sneezed, he would inhale it like a night in the rain. My eyes become heavy, sniffing his scent. There is something primal about the way he smells. Like the confrontation produced its own pheromone. “But if you touch me now, I will throw you over my shoulder, take you home with me and not let you leave until my baby is inside of you, love.”
“What… what are you saying?” I can’t breathe each time he rocks away from me. I lean further into him, feeling like I need the space between us to be nonexistent. My brain is starting to kick in, telling me to run. Reminding me we have literally gone from zero to five million in the span of a punch, and the in-between is missing and something I believe in, but God, I want him to finish that statement.
“I am saying I am done being patient with you. I have tried dropping hints, sending messages, and taking it at your preciously innocent pace, but what did that get me, huh, baby? What did I get for trying to be patient?” He turns back towards the man on the ground and kicks him, which, crazy enough, starts eradicating the fog, and then I remember people are still staring at us. “Someone else thought you were free and clear, and you’re not. Are you, doll?
My mouth moves up and down, words failing me, and then my alarm goes off, and I send up a silent prayer of thanks. “Uh, I have to go pick up Rose at the airport.” Without another word, I flee like the confused coward I am. The truth is, I am so inexperienced with anything having to do with guys that all of this is overwhelming.
The drive to the airport is short, but it does nothing to help my anxiety. By the time I make it to Rose, I am a wreck, and she can see it. “Hey. You are supposed to be happy to see me. This does not look happy,” she says, trying to lighten the moment. Guilt mixes with the events of the day, and I sort of fall apart. “Cheryl, what is going on?” she asks, hugging me. I hold on to her, hiccupping like a lunatic, trying to catch my breath and unsure why I am so out of sorts. Sure everything that happened was shocking and unexpected, but I wasn’t hurt, and actually, the guy at the booth was starting to freak me out when he wouldn’t leave me alone. Nolan saved me, and I owe him.
Going over everything again, I realize what is really wrong with me is that I have no clue what the hell I am supposed to do and how I am supposed to feel. I have spent the last week hoping and praying the gifts were from Nolan, and even though he hasn’t said it, I am pretty sure I can be certain, and now that I know, I am lost about what comes next.
Wiping my face, I look at her and try to smile. “I’m sorry Rose. I am happy to see you. Especially now. I am so far out of my depth. So much has happened in the last hour or so and I think I just needed a moment to process it.” I wipe my face and grab one of her bags.
“Oh, this sounds like it is going to be good.”
“Yeah, I have no idea how to classify it,” I say, telling her the truth, we continue walking to the car.
“Well, did we have plans for the night?”
“We were supposed to go and visit my parents and have dinner with them and my brother. They haven’t seen you since the last year in school when you came home with me for college.”
“True. I do miss your mom’s sweet corn muffins. But, I am going to be here for a while, Cheryl. Why don’t we put on our pjs, grab two pints of ice cream that I know you have in your freezer, and you tell me all about your day. How does that sound?” Sighing, I release the tension in my shoulders and look at her with all the relief I feel.
“That sounds perfect. I need advice, and I need it now.”
“Girl, I can’t wait to hear this.” Shaking my head, I laugh. Yeah, I need this more than I knew.
An hour later, we are in my living room with a pint of cookies and cream and a pint of vanilla, and I have officially spilt my guts. “And then I ran to get you.” She looks at me with her mouth open, unsure what to say, and then she falls over on the couch, holding her stomach, laughing like a hyena. “Why is this funny?”
“I am picturing your sweet little self being turned on by him knocking that guy out. I mean, girl, damn, nothing about what you said sounds anything less than hot as hell.” She has no idea. “So we have all been right this entire time. Nolan has been into you.”
“Yeah, I just don’t know how I missed it,” I tell her, shaking my head in disgust at my own naivety.
“Cheryl, I love you, but sweetie, you would give a nun a run for their money. I would have been shocked if you would have picked up on it ever without this exact type of thing happening.” My face feels like it is being burned in a fire right now. I drop my head, knowing she is right. It’s freaking embarrassing. “So, when am I going to meet him, and have you found any guys for me?”
“What is your hurry?”
“I am planning to lose this V-card while I am on vacation. I need to get laid. Unlike you, I have been having the desire and everything else for years, but I needed my career to be my focus. Now, I just need a fling with a hot guy I will never see again.” This girl will never change. We both start cracking up, and I have to give thanks; she never will. She is one of my best friends for a reason.
While laughing, I hear my phone vibrate on the table. Before I can check it, she snatches it up and looks at it. “Who is it?” I ask her, not really worried about it.
“Nolan,” she says, giving me her mischievous look. I try to take it from her, but she jumps off the couch and across the room. “He wants us to go have dinner with him and his brother tomorrow who is in town visiting.” He has a brother? I didn’t know that. No, wait. Who cares about that?
“What are you texting him?” I ask her when she starts clicking away on my phone.
“Nothing, just telling him we will be there. Who knows, maybe his brother will be cute enough to give me the orgasm I so desperately need.” She giggles and tosses my phone on the couch. I swear you would never know she is a virgin. Tomorrow is going to be interesting.
CHAPTER10
NOLAN
