01. Chasing Nikki (16 page)

“So what did
you bring to eat?” Nikki asked, trying to peer into the basket after I placed
it in the middle and lifted the lid.

“I have no
idea, but there were good smells coming from the kitchen earlier, so it’s bound
to be awesome.”  I lifted a baggie with napkins in it, and a large plastic
container.  “Looks like fried chicken.”

I passed it
to Nikki while I got out a couple of plates and set them down. “And we have
potato salad, as well as nacho flavored chips, and a container of mixed fruit.”

“My mouth is
watering,” she said, and her comment made mine do the same, for an entirely
different reason.

“I can help
you with that, you know.” I captured her chin in my grasp and planted a kiss on
her.

She sighed
against me, and I chuckled when her stomach growled loudly.

“Okay,
okay.” I released her.  “I get the message.  I’ll feed you first.”

She
blushed.  “Sorry.”

“Nothing to
be sorry about.”

We dished up
our food and dug in.

“Mmm, this
is so good,” Nikki groaned, mumbling over a mouthful of chicken.

“And
greasy,” I replied, handing her a napkin and taking one for myself too. I found
myself eating slowly, more intent on watching her, until she noticed my perusal
of her.

“What?” She
lifted the napkin to wipe her face.  “Did I miss something?”

I shook my
head.  “Not at all. I just like how shiny your lips look while you’re eating
that.”

“Be
serious,” she said, as she playfully pushed at my shoulder.

“I
am
being serious.” I set my plate down before I tackled her and tossed her back
onto the blanket.  “It’s totally inviting.”

I leaned my
head in real close to hers, until we were only a hairsbreadth apart.  “Did you
get enough to eat?” I searched her eyes and she nodded.  “Good.” I closed the
rest of the distance.

Her lips
parted in invitation, and I took full advantage, sinking my tongue deep inside
her mouth—stroking and tangling in the sweetness I found there.

“You taste
so nice,” I said, leaving to kiss her cheek.

“So do you.”
She lifted her fingers to trace around my mouth.

I captured
one of them with my teeth and sucked on it gently, teasing the tip of it with
my tongue as I held it.

She shut her
eyes and a small sound escaped her lips—lips I had to devour again and again,
until I slid to explore other locations. I moved to the hollow of her throat,
nipping at her collarbone as I passed to place soft caresses against the skin
exposed by her neckline of her shirt.

She arched
against me, running her hands down my back, drawing me closer.  Her light
perfume filled my senses, driving me crazy with a desire for more.

“Nikki,” I
whispered against her, before sitting up slightly to look at her.  My gaze
moved down from her somewhat messy hair, to her swollen mouth, continuing to
trail a path down her body, until it stopped where the hem of her shirt rested.
It had gotten pushed up a bit and was revealing her belly button.

I couldn’t
resist, and I flashed a wicked look before I placed my lips there, feathering
her with tiny, light pecks.

She gasped
in surprise, and a grin crossed my face.  “You like that?” I spoke, blowing my
warm breath over her.

“Yes.”

I barely
heard the word.  I noticed she was trembling, and faint goose bumps rose on her
flesh.

“Are you
okay?” I looked up, seeing a moment of both fear and longing, followed by
indecision, cross her features.

An image of
that jerk, Jeremy, attacking her flashed through my mind.

I released a
sigh and flopped over onto my side, propping my head up with my hand so I could
continue to stare at her.

She was
breathing heavily, and glancing at me with heavily lidded eyes.  “Why’d you
stop?” she asked.

“Because
you’re nervous, and we can’t have that.”  I took my finger and began tracing
where my lips had just vacated  her stomach.

“That feels
good,” she said, relaxing backward, staring up into the trees above us. 

She started
laughing. 

“What?” I
asked.

“Are you
writing your name on my stomach?”

“Wow, you’re
really good.  And yes, I am.” I leaned over and kissed her one more time
there.  “I want you to remember who this stomach belongs to.”  I jumped to my
feet and offered a hand, pulling her up.

She wrapped
her arms around my neck.  “So if my stomach belongs to you, then who does yours
belong to?”

“Careful
now,” I warned.  “You’re getting me all excited talking about body parts like
this.  Maybe we should save this discussion for our next make out session.”

I rested my
forehead on hers.

“
I’m
getting
you
all excited.  Sure I am.”

I chuckled. 
“You have no idea.  I’m trying to be a good kid here, and you just keep pushing
me to my limits.”

She snorted
and shoved away.  “You’re a dork.”

“Yep,” I
replied grabbing her back to me and kissed her again, while I walked forward,
until she was pressed against the side of my truck. 

We broke
apart and watched each other for several seconds.

She bit her
lip and looked away for a moment.

“What?” I
asked.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“So there is
something,” I goaded her, and she exhaled in exasperation.

“I was just
going to say … I like you.”

“I already
knew that.” I smirked, but immediately noticed her crestfallen look.  I dipped
in next to her ear.  “No worries, Nikki.  I more than like you.” I quickly
pecked her cheek again before she could respond to that remark and then took
her hand and dragged her away from the truck.  “Come on.  It’s time to throw
some rocks.”

“Rocks?” she
questioned, completely flustered.

“Yes.  We’re
moving on to stage two of the date—skipping rocks across the water.”

“Okay,” she
replied, drawing out the word like I was crazy, and I was beginning to think
maybe I was.  But it was time to cool down and keep things easy.  I was
determined to catch this girl and hang on to her.

“So how have
your cheer practices been going?”

I bent to
examine some of the stones by the water’s edge, and she did the same.

“It’s been
all right.  We have a lot of new girls trying out to fill the spots the seniors
are leaving.”

“That’s
good,” I replied even though I didn’t really know anything about cheerleading,
but if it interested her, it interested me.  “How long have you been doing it?”

“Since
junior high … for the school teams.  I cheered for the local Pop Warner
Football teams before that.”

“Wow.  So
you’ve been at it for a while.  I bet you’re awesome.  I can’t wait to watch
you.”

She
laughed.  “Sure you can’t.”

“I’m wounded
that you don’t think I’m serious.” I clasped my hand to my chest as my eyes
drifted over the length of her.  “Show me something right now.”

“Not a
chance.” She smiled, and that sweet blush stole across her face.

“Why not?”

“I don’t
know.  Just because.  It’s embarrassing.”

“You do it
in front of hundreds of people.  It can’t be that bad.”  I skipped a rock
across the water and turned to look at her again.

“It’s
different with just you watching.”

“I
disagree.  This is your biggest fan right here.  I think that deserves a
private showing, don’t you?”

She turned
and tossed her stone.  We both laughed when it sank immediately.

“Well, I
suck at this.”

I scanned
the ground, finding and picking up a smooth flat rock. 

“Like this.”
I turned her around, so her back was against my chest.  I placed the rock in
her hand, and curled mine over her fingers.  “Now move this way, keeping the
stone even with the water.  And when you toss it, give it a little flick with
your wrist.”

I dropped my
arm away from hers, but continued to hold her.  She did as I instructed and the
rock skipped once this time before sinking.

“See. 
You’re a natural.”  I kissed the top of her head before moving my mouth down to
feather more on her neck.

She shifted
to the side slightly, giving me better access, and I traced the area with the
tip of my tongue.  I felt her shudder, and I smiled against her skin.  She tried
to face me, but I kept her pinned in place, so she leaned back against my
shoulder.

“You taste
nice,” I whispered in her ear before I nipped at her earlobe.

“You’re the
first person who’s ever said that to me,” she said with a quiet laugh.

“Good,” I replied,
and I meant it.  I wanted to be the only one saying that kind of stuff to her. 
She was mine.  “I think we should make our relationship exclusive.”

“You mean we
haven’t already?” She lifted her hand to rub it over my cheek.  “I haven’t seen
either of us chasing after anyone else.”

“I know, but
I want to put it out there.  You know, make it for real.” I couldn’t believe
how quickly she’d hooked me.  I never remembered feeling this way about another
girl.

I loosened
my hold on her so she could turn.  

“I’ll be
your girlfriend, Chase, if that’s want you really want.  I mean you have slept
in my bed and everything.  I guess we should make it official.” She bit back a
grin.

I tucked a
stray hair behind her ear.  “I want that too.  To sleep in your bed for
real—with you,” I added, emphasizing my meaning.

She
swallowed hard and cast her gaze away nervously before looking back at me.  “I
know you do.”

“I’ll wait, you
know.  Until whenever it is you decide you’re ready.”

“I’ve had
guys tell me that before.  It was never true.”  She stared at me with hurt, sad
eyes that were almost my undoing.

I placed my
hands on either side of her face.  “None of those guys were me, Nikki.  I mean
it.  You’ll control that part of our relationship.  Nothing will happen between
us until you’re sure.  And when you are, you’ll have to tell me.  I won’t
assume anything.”

She nodded.
“Okay.” She glanced down.  “What if I’m never ready?”

I grunted. 
“Then I guess I’ll have to become a priest or something.”

She
laughed.  “Chase the priest? I don’t think that is even in the realm of
possibilities.”

 “Why? Don’t
I come off as even the tiniest bit religious?”

“Not
really,” she replied, and I appreciated her honesty.

“Well,
you’re wrong.  I know there’s got to be a God somewhere, because he sent you to
me, right when I needed you most.”

“Oh, Chase,”
she whispered, moving to caress my face.

I kissed
her, and I vowed during every second of it I would keep my word, even as my
body raged in protest over it all.  It was so difficult to do.  I wanted her. 
If I were to do what was best for us, I’d walk away from her this second and
quit placing myself directly in front of the bus that was threatening to run me
over.

I did the
opposite though.  I ran my hands down her back, cupping her hips and pressing
her against me as our mouths explored each other.

Her fingers
tousled through my hair as she tried to pull me even closer, and I ravaged her,
unable to get enough as the fire she caused started storming through my veins. 
I didn’t want to stop, and she acted like she didn’t either, wrapping herself
around me even tighter.

Groaning, I
untangled myself from her and took a step away.  I could hardly stand to look
at her, seeing my desire mirrored in her eyes.  All she had to do was say the
words, and I’d sweep her off her feet and carry her over to the blanket.

But the
words didn’t come as we both stared at each other, trying to slow our
breathing.

“Nikki, I
apologize for cutting our picnic short, but I think I need to take you to the
house.  My mom wants to meet you.”

I could see
she understood what I meant, and she gave nod.  “Okay.  I’d like that.  She
sounded very nice on the phone.”

I smiled. 
“Mixed company would be a very good thing for us right now, I think.”

We loaded
our things and headed back.  Halfway there she slid over and placed her hand on
my knee.

I stopped
quickly and threw the truck into park, right there in the middle of the road,
and attacked her mouth again.

She let a
squeal of surprise, but kissed me for several long moments until I wrenched
away from her.

“If you
don’t want your first time to be right here in the front seat, I suggest you
slide over there and stay there.” I pointed to the passenger side.

She didn’t
say a word, but moved over as I’d suggested, and neither of us spoke for the
rest of the drive.

Chapter Fifteen

I grabbed
the basket with the remainder of our picnic in one hand, before taking Nikki’s
in the other, leading her toward the house.

“Grandma?” I
called out when we entered.

“In here,
Chase,” she replied from the rear of the house.  “Are you back already?”

I followed
the sound of her voice into the spacious country kitchen, finding her kneading
some dough in a giant stainless steel pan.

“Is Mom
here?  I didn’t see her car outside.”

“She ran to
town to get a couple of things from the grocery store for dinner.  She should
be back soon.  Hi Nikki, how are you? I’d shake your hand, but …,” she trailed
off and she glanced down to her work.

“No
worries,” Nikki replied.  “I’m good, thank you.  Your home is very lovely.”

“Well, I’m
glad Chase has decided to start bringing some of his friends here.  It’s nice
to have young people around the place again.”

“If you keep
cooking food like you have been, I wager we’ll have the whole school showing up
at our door, Grandma.  Thank you for the amazing lunch.” I went over and set
the basket on the counter and gave her a kiss on the cheek.