Ample Delights (21 page)

“I understand, but I’m not happy about it.”

Terrah knew he wouldn’t intentionally try to hurt her. There was no way he could look at her the way he did and not care for her. His hands slipped from her face, and Terrah averted her gaze from his.

“What will you do if the baby is yours?”

Nick exhaled. “If it is… I’ll make sure I’m a part of the baby’s life.”

Terrah nodded, still unable to look at him. She’d expected him to say nothing less.

“This isn’t how I imagined becoming a father.”

“
If
you are.”

“If I am.”

She lifted her face to his as he glanced at her, and the stress of the situation was evident on his handsome face. Terrah forgot about her anger and disappointment. She slid her hands around his torso and hugged him. The scent of his cologne enraptured her as he held her close.

“So are you going to tell me now we can no longer see one another?” Nick asked as he looked down at her.

“No.”

There was no way she could walk away from him at this point, and Terrah was willing to bet he knew it.

“Does this mean you forgive me for not sharing this with you?” Nick asked as he looked down at her.

“It means I’m ready to go to dinner.”

“All right, then. Shall we?”

Terrah grabbed her purse off the bar counter. “Yes, we shall. As long as you understand this is the
last
time you’ll ever keep a secret that affects us both from me.”

Nick held her gaze as he spoke. “Understood.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

She led the way to her front door with a myriad of emotions clouding her thoughts. Relationships were complicated enough without the extra drama she was going to have to deal with regarding Nick and Jocelyn’s situation. As much as her heart wanted her not to, Terrah wondered if she’d made a mistake by not ending things with Nick.

* * * *

Terrah walked out of Barneys humming a love song with packages in both hands. She was happy. The past month had flown by, between work assignments and spending time with Nick. He’d been in the States for the past two weeks and they’d made the most of their time together. Most nights they hadn’t even gone out, and Terrah hadn’t minded. She simply enjoyed spending time with him, wherever they were.

Not even the media’s focus on Jocelyn’s pregnancy or Terrah’s weight and involvement with Nick could bring down her mood. She’d stopped watching the news, avoided the talk shows and ignored the tabloid magazines in the grocery store. Her feelings towards Nick were real and, more than anything, Terrah wanted to tell him how she truly felt, but the timing always seemed off.

Terrah put on her shades and acknowledged to herself that timing had nothing to do with why she was holding back the ‘L’ word from Nick.

She was scared.

What if uttering those three little words changed everything between them?

Her cell rang and Terrah sighed. She shuffled her bags to reach into her purse and answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Hey, babe, it’s me.”

Terrah smiled as she always did when he called her. “Hey…I was just thinking about you.” She waited for him to say his usual, ‘What were you thinking?’, but there was only silence. “Nick, what’s wrong?”

“Jocelyn just called to tell me she miscarried.”

Terrah stopped walking in the middle of Madison Avenue. “Oh, wow. How are you?”

“You know, I’m sorry for her. She put up a cool front, but I could tell she was upset. I didn’t even know if the baby was mine, but…”

“But?” Terrah prompted when he fell silent.

Nick cursed. “I can’t help feeling relieved and that makes me feel guilty as hell. I don’t know what to do here.”

The angst in his voice made her wish she were with him.

“You did what you were supposed to do, Nick, given the circumstances. Where are you?”

“Finishing up a shoot. I really can’t talk much longer, but I wanted to let you know.”

“Nick, it’s okay to feel what you’re feeling. I know you didn’t want this to happen to Jocelyn.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you still want to keep our dinner plans for tonight?”

“Yes. I’ll send a car for you at seven.”

“Okay…and Nick?”

“Yes?”

I love you.

“I can’t wait to see you.”

“You, too, baby.”

“Bye.”

Terrah ended the call, surprised by the tears in her eyes. The inner turmoil she could hear in his voice bothered her. She was going to wrap her arms around him the moment she saw him and tell him she loved him.

Tonight, Nick would know he had all of her heart.

* * * *

“Did I tell you how gorgeous you look tonight?” Nick asked Terrah, loving the way her full lips curved into a sexy grin.

“Only about
twenty
times.”

Soft light from the tapered candles on their table seemed to dance in her eyes. Nick’s gaze drifted over her cleavage, displayed in a stunning red dress that was damn near daring him not to behave like a gentleman in public. Unable to resist touching her, Nick reached under the table and squeezed her thigh. He was rewarded with her sexy laugh as he continued to stroke her leg beneath the silky material of her dress, mesmerised by her beauty. His gaze slipped from her face to the graceful line of her neck, which was exposed, since her curly hair was tamed into a low side ponytail he couldn’t wait to pull free.

“I’m glad you love my dress.”

That’s not all I love.

“That dress is designed to distract and enchant men.”

“It’s definitely working on you.” Terrah tilted her face up to his with that teasing smile he adored.

Nick bent his head and kissed her. “Babe, I can’t wait to show you just how well it’s working.”

Terrah placed her hand on top of his. “Mmm…I can’t wait either, but it would be a shame not to finish our dessert, here.” She looked at the huge aquarium in front of them. “I still can’t believe you did all of this…setting up a special dinner in the hotel where we had our first kiss and sending the limo—very romantic.”

“I wanted tonight to be as memorable for you as that night was for me.”

“You’ve succeeded, but you should know that night was very memorable for me, too.”

“Oh, yeah? Was it the kiss by the fish?”

Terrah giggled. “Yes.” She paused for a moment. “I’m glad we’re ending this day together after the news you got.”

“Me, too.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her wrist. The familiar, intoxicating scent of her perfume filled his nostrils, making him want her even more. It was important to him she knew how much he needed her in his life, too.

“I want to thank you for not giving up on us when you first found out about Jocelyn. I know you considered it.”

“I’d spent too much time in the Hawaiian sun with you to just walk away.”

Nick smiled. “Let’s get dessert to go.”

He wanted her all to himself…no interruptions, no distractions.

“To go? What about your suite here?”

“We’re going somewhere else.”

Terrah frowned. “Okay…”

“So we’re going to get our dessert to go and then I’m going to whisk you away to a secret location.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. Does that sound good?”

He nipped her wrist with his teeth as Terrah nodded with a grin.

“Let’s get out of here, then.”

Nick signalled James, their private waiter for the evening, who came over instantly.

“James, we’ve decided to take the dessert with us.”

James smiled with a slight nod of his head. “Of course, Mr Tasso. I’ll have it boxed and ready to go immediately. I’ve been informed that there are some members of the press milling around in the lobby, hoping to catch a glimpse of you two together.”

Nick glanced at Terrah, who had stiffened in her chair. “Great.”

“If you wish to avoid them, I can show you both out through another exit.”

“Thanks, James.”

Nick waited until James had taken their dessert and walked away from the table. “We’ll get out of here without the press knowing.”

“I hope so. We haven’t given them any new photos to splash all over for a few weeks now.”

He could see the tension in her body as she took her napkin off her lap and placed it on the table.

“I know how you feel about having those pictures of us in Hawaii used as the subject of discussion on that morning talk show.”

Terrah gave him a bright smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Did I tell you I gave up morning talk shows?”

“No.” Nick stroked his thumb over her pulse. “We can avoid the press right now, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to in the future. This thing with Jocelyn is going to break as big news again.”

“I realise that. I just don’t want to deal with it tonight if we can avoid it.”

In the future…

The last three words of his sentence rattled in his head as she held his gaze.

He wanted a future with her, and hoped like hell she did with him. Terrah had all the qualities he could’ve ever hoped to find in one woman. He loved her caring spirit. He loved being around her. She was beautiful, smart and down-to-earth, plus the sexual chemistry between them was amazing. But, most of all, he loved how they could talk to one another. She wasn’t awestruck by his job and she understood the modelling business and all that came along with it.

Later tonight, when they were finally alone, he’d tell her exactly how he felt about her.

“Ready to make a break for it?”

Terrah nodded with a wry grin as James approached their table with their coats, and two neatly wrapped boxes tied with purple ribbon.

“Is there anything else I can get either of you?”

Nick glanced at Terrah who shook her head. “No, I think we’re good.”

“Thank you, James. Please tell the chef the lobster… Everything was delicious,” Terrah said as she stood up.

“Yes, send my compliments along as well.”

James bowed slightly. “Will do. Just follow me and I’ll get you guys out through the east exit. The limo should already be waiting.”

“Perfect. Thanks, James.”

“No problem.”

Terrah slid her hand into Nick’s as they followed the waiter through the dimly lit room, past a door labelled ‘Hotel staff only’ and into the hallway. James held the door open and they stepped outside. The night air was warm, carrying the sound of wailing sirens off into the distance. 

“Here we are. Hmmm… The limo’s not here yet,” James said with a frown, and lifted his walkie-talkie to his mouth.

Nick turned to Terrah as James inquired about their limo. “Which dessert do you want to try first?”

Chapter Twenty

“Mmm…the crème brûlée.”

Nick pretended to be shocked. “What? Not the devil’s food cake?” He wrapped his arms around her as she laughed.

“I want to taste them both”—Terrah rose up on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear—“but not half as much as I want to taste you.”

Her words ignited the flame of desire he’d been trying to keep tamped down all night. His cock stiffened as Terrah kissed his chin.

“I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“I’m counting on it.”

James cleared his throat and they both turned to face him. “I apologise for the wait, but the limo should be here in a couple of minutes. Do you two want to wait inside until it gets here?”

“We’re good, unless you do?” Nick looked at Terrah.

“We can wait outside—it’s a beautiful night.”

James nodded. “All right, well, just knock on the door if you need me. I’ll be close by. Have a good night, you two,” he said, opening the door again.

“We will.” Nick handed the waiter fifty dollars as James stepped back inside the hotel. “Goodnight.”

“‘Night.”

The door closed and they were alone in the alley.

“Can you wrap me back in your arms?”

Nick grinned as he pulled her close. “Of course. I love having you in my arms. You feel so good, Terrah, and you smell delicious.”

Terrah giggled as he breathed in the scent of her perfume. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

“Likewi—”

“There they are!”

Nick cursed as two members of the paparazzi appeared around the corner of the building, illuminated in the headlights of the limo pulling up from the opposite direction. The two men rushed forward as he guided Terrah towards the approaching limo.

“Mr Tasso, have you spoken to Jocelyn since you learned of her miscarriage?”

“No comment.” He barely glanced at the reporter asking the question as the limo came to a stop and the driver got out and opened the door for them.

How the hell had they found out about
that
already?

“Is it true you dumped the supermodel to pursue a relationship with Ms Bryant?”

Nick resisted the urge to snatch the guy’s camera, knowing his reaction would be caught on film. He took hold of Terrah’s arm. “Get in.”

He helped Terrah into the back of the limo when another photographer snapped off a few photos. It took all of his control not to punch the guy upon seeing the anger in Terrah’s eyes. He slid into the leather seat and cursed again as another flash from the photographer’s camera momentarily blinded him.

“Perhaps Ms Bryant would like to com—”

Nick closed the door hard, effectively ending the barrage of questions coming his way. “Drive.”

“You got it,” the limo driver said, pulling off within seconds.

He waited until the partition was up between them and the driver before turning to Terrah.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Terrah said as the limo pulled into traffic. “I thought we’d escape that circus this evening.” She took in a deep breath, still seeing bright spots from the camera flashes.

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

She turned her face to his, noting the hard look in his eyes. “How are you? I know you wanted to deck that guy.”

It was obvious he was just as frustrated as she was about what had happened. “I did. I didn’t want you to have to deal with that crap tonight.”