Imperfections (51 page)

"Daddy, no one's looking at me."

"I beg to differ, I can point out at least five men whose heads have not turned away since you came over here."

"The only reason they're probably looking over here is because Nick is over here. His mother is on the board for this charity and his legal practice is well known."

"Yes, Daddy, I'm sure that's it. Cat is right; no one is looking over here at her. I'm sure it's Nick they're impressed with."

I look at Kate and try to suppress the urge to roll my eyes. Nick doesn't say a word to her. He takes a sip of his champagne.

"Nonsense, Kate. Look around. Nick, it looks like we're going to spend the rest of the night being her bodyguards. What do you say, are you up to protecting my girl from these guys with one thing on their minds?"

This is beyond awkward and embarrassing. "Dad, stop it!"

Nick turns his head to me. He gives me a devilish grin that makes my pulse race, and I feel the heat rising up in my cheeks. He tips his head to my father to answer his question, he thinks it's funny.

"Yes, sir. I am up for the challenge."

Kate and my mother stare at me like I did something offensive. She puts a hand on my father's chest and fixes a smile on her face.

"William, stop, you're embarrassing her." She looks at my dress again. "Darling, you look lovely."

I wait for the "but" I know is not far behind the compliment. She points to my dress and here it comes.

"This dress might be a bit much or not much at all for this particular gala."

And there it is. "No, Mother, I don't think so."

"Of course you wouldn't," Kate says.

"No, Kate, I wouldn't." I swirl the little champagne left in my glass. She's not going to get to me. "Silver and gold 'tis the color of the season along with everything else that sparkles," I tell her.

"I have to agree with your daughter and husband, Mrs. Reed."

"About what, Nicholas?" My mother looks at him then at me.

"She is stunningly beautiful tonight."

Tipping his glass to me our eyes meet, I look away quickly. His eyes are my weakness as usual, my kryptonite. If I stare too long my father, anyone, and everyone will see exactly what I feel for him. I can't let that happen, not tonight.

"Thank you," I say, suddenly feeling shy.

"If you will excuse me, I see a business associate of mine I need to have a word with." He takes two steps past me and turns around. "Mr. Reed, let me know when you need my services. One look at the back of this dress from the men in here, I can see you're right. She's going to need a bodyguard." With a lopsided grin he spins back around.

I look at my dad who is a step behind me now looking at the back of my dress. He doesn't look too happy. I think it's time for me to break away from this little group before I get an earful. I turn around to face my father. I hear an intake of breath from Kate when she sees the back of my dress. I better move before they decide to tag team me again and roll me out of here like the trash they think I've turned into.

"I'll be back, I see an old friend over there. I haven't seen him since high school." I make my fast getaway with their eyes laser beamed to my back. I'm glad Jay and Vanessa couldn't make it because Sasha wasn't feeling well. I hope the little munchkin feels better soon. I think she has a case of too much everything to eat including an overdose of birthday cake, gingerbread cookies, and peppermint candy canes. I'll call to check on her tomorrow, she should feel better by then.

I spend the rest of the night trying to stay as far away from Nick as possible, which doesn't work because we are all seated at the same table. Luckily he has to speak to a lot of the guests, taking over his mother's duties since she couldn't make it because she wasn't feeling well. Kate took every chance she could when Nick and my father weren't at the table to insult me and remind me of her pregnancy. How could I forget?

Near the end I was ready to leave. I'd had enough of Kate, and my mother's disapproving look whenever she looked at me. I was feeling a little self-conscious, it felt like most of the men were looking at me and the women they were with were giving me dirty looks. I had to turn down a couple of guys who asked me for my number, they were clearly married, but I'm not surprised, their wives remind me of Kate and my mother.

"Well, guys, it was a fun night, but I'm going to call a cab and head home."

My dad asks if I'm sure because he'll give me a ride home. I'm sure I don't want to wait another hour for a ride home with Kate and my mother. No, thank you. I say my goodbyes and go to the front to get my jacket and stand by the doors for my taxi. I look behind me and I see Kate heading my way. The night is over; I wish she would give it a rest already.

"What do you want, Kate?" She rubs her hand over her burgeoning stomach that's barely noticeable under her dark blue chiffon dress. Soon, she won't have to keep rubbing her stomach every chance she gets to tip people off that she's pregnant.

"Nothing, I have everything I need to get me what I want."

"That's good for you. Excuse me, I'm going to wait for my cab outside. The air has suddenly become rancid in here." I try to move around her and she shifts to the side.

"You're excused, Cat, after you hear what I have to say. You need to listen and listen well. I will always be a part of his life. I'm the mother of his son, his first born child. If you have any ideas of getting back with him, I want you to know I will always be here in everything you do. This baby will forever be your reminder he had me first, he chose to be with me first.

"If there's a choice to be made between spending bonding time with me and his new born child or spending time with you to reassure you that you come first in his life, what do you think he's going to do? You already know of course, he's going to spend time with me and his child. Let me paint a clear picture for you, I'll be breast feeding our child in the crook of my arms while he watches tenderly as I take care of his son. Don't be a fool. You will not come first in his life, you already know that."

I hate her right now. I feel sorry for this baby and Nick. "Good night, Kate."

"Good night, Aunty Cat."

Aunty Cat my ass. She's going to use this baby to try and manipulate Nick every chance she gets.

I take the elevator up to our apartment. I'm ready to dive into my bed and throw the covers over my head. Kate was a bitch and my mother was her usual disapproving cold self toward me since we had the argument. Nick…barely spoke to me. What was I expecting? I told him we should be friends. I thought there was a moment between us though, when I looked into his eyes. If there was, it's not like we could act on it. It's better this way; that we stay apart.

I push my key in the door and turn on the light. I stop and my heart beats wildly in my chest. He's sitting in a chair looking directly at me. Stepping inside I close the door behind me. What is he doing here? I lean against the door and watch him stand up. His tie and jacket are off lying on the back of the couch. His midnight black hair is a sexy mess. He's barefoot and his shirt is pulled out of his pants looking nothing like the well-groomed, sophisticated man I saw an hour ago. If it's possible, he's even sexier. I push myself off the door and walk to him. We meet in front of the fireplace on Ava's fluffy white sheepskin rug. I look up at him but I don't have far to look with the gold stilettos I have on.

"How did you get in?" I ask quietly, still a little stunned at seeing him here.

"I have a key for emergencies. Ava gave it to me before she left."

"Ava, of course she would. Is there an emergency?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"I missed you," he says with all seriousness.

"How do you know I won't tell you to leave?"

"I'm taking a chance; I'm guessing you missed me as much as I missed you. Did you?"

I should lie to him and tell him to leave for both our sakes. I can't do that. One night, I need one night. One more night won't hurt. I need this. I need him.

"I missed you too."

He looks down into my eyes, all I see is heat and want, the things I want to do to him and the things I want him to do to me.

"I watched you all night in this dress." He runs his finger down the front of my dress. "The view from the front is spectacular. The view from the back is even better."

"Is it?"

"I would say so. The only drawback was I wasn't the only one enjoying it."

"That's not a problem now. I can guarantee you will be the only one enjoying the spectacular view and much more, from the front and the back."

"Thank God for that."

"Thank God."

His lips touch mine and the warmth from them runs through me, warming me from inside out. His large muscular arms go around me and mine around his neck. This is what I've needed. This is wrong but it feels so good it must be right. My fingers run through his hair and I kiss him with all the weeks of longing pent up inside me. He moves his head back and I move forward and try to kiss him again.

He looks at my hair and shakes his head, no.

"What?" I say breathlessly.

"This looks very nice. Take it out. I want to see you the way I've always seen you when I see you in my bed with your legs wrapped around me."

I take my hands from around him and as fast as I can I pull the pins out one by one. I watch him walk around me and place little wet kisses along the back of my neck. I sigh at the feel of his lips against my heated skin and bite the corner of my lip. My hair falls down around me and he brushes it to the side. His rock hard body presses up against my back, his large hands run down the sides of my arms intertwining his fingers through mine. Holding on tight I try to steady my breathing and the need rising in me. Placing a kiss on my shoulder he licks around the edges of my dress driving me crazy. His low husky voice floats up to my ear.

"Can I take this off?"

In a low hoarse whisper I say, "Yes."

His hands come back up at the same time and slide each side of my dress down off my shoulders. I press back against him even more and wrap my hands around his firm ass and rub my body against him. My head falls back against his shoulders, eyes close and his tongue slides up the side of my throat leading a white-hot wet trail to my ear. Moving back he pushes my dress down my arms. It drops to the floor, I hear his sharp intake of breath as he gets the most spectacular view of all, from the back, when he sees I'm completely naked. Except for the three-inch gold stiletto platforms I'm wearing. Spinning me around, he pulls me up against his chest, in one fluid motion my arms lock around his neck, my fingers are buried in his thick hair like silk sliding between my fingertips.

"Fuck, Cat!"

His hand runs down my back over the curve of my ass, lifting me up into his arms as if I'm weightless, floating in midair. His lips close over the tip of my nipple and he starts a slow torturous swirling movement with his tongue. "Oh. My. God." My head falls back. I'm done thinking. The need for him to be inside me hits me hard right to the center of my core.

"Nick." I moan his name long and hard.

"Mmm." The sound vibrates through my entire body with his mouth on me making the most sensitive part of me wetter than a pool of water. My body arches back into his steel-like arms. Without missing a beat he lays me down in front of the fireplace on the white rug. He releases me, putting his arms on either side of my body without touching me, my breast still being sucked into his mouth. I feel like he's going to swallow me whole, he's sucking on my nipple like it's a candy coated lollipop and I can't stop the sound flowing out of my mouth. Pulling back from me he releases my nipple with a pop leaving me writhing on my back with need. My knees bend, thighs rubbing together and I feel the sharp point of my stilettos graze against the inside of my legs. I open my eyes; the way he's watching my every move, with eyes intense and not of this world, beautiful. One hand above my head the other on the side of his face I hold his gaze.

"You are gloriously magnificent." He puts his hand over mine placing a kiss in the palm of my hand. "The best thing to ever happen to me." I sit up, our eyes still locked on each other, neither one of us breaking the trance, only the sound of breathing in the room. I unbutton his shirt and he pulls it off dropping it to the floor. Without looking away I slide my hands down his bare chest undoing his button, sliding his zipper down. Putting my hand in his pants on either side, I pull them down. He stands and steps out of them. Our eyes never part, locked in a heated conversation deep and intimate without words.

I lie back and wait for him as he kneels down to place a feather-light kiss on the inside of each of my ankles before he slips my gold stilettos off. He parts my legs, running his hands down the inside of my thighs. Watching his head between my thighs, his tongue runs a wet hot path up from the middle of my entrance, over my stomach, between my swollen breasts to my lips. Sweet gentle warm kisses, his hands on my thighs his stomach pressed harsh and firm against my wet spot. My legs open wide, they ride up high around his thighs. He nibbles on my lips causing a tingling thrill of pleasure and swipes his tongue against mine. Love play and love bites. My hands stroke up and down his broad muscular back savoring the feeling of smooth satin over steel against my fingertips. His thumb brushes past my swollen bottom lip when his brilliant aquamarine eyes look into mine. And I have to tell him.

"Every time I've made up my mind to stick to the decisions I've made concerning us you make me crumble like a sand castle being washed away by crystal blue waters. The waves are washing over me when I look into your eyes. You make me weak."

"I would never want to make you weak. I want to share my life with you every minute of every day."

God, I love this man. I feel him shift between my legs, the tip of his thick, hard, pulsating dick teasing me. The velvet smooth head presses into me slightly covered by the wet slick fold of my opening ready to be washed in the pooling liquid warmth he's created inside of me.

"Nick, I need to feel you inside me."