The Wicked Bad (Crimson Romance) (4 page)

The time was close to nine o’clock when they arrived at a small piece of beach not far outside of Easton. Nick removed a blanket and the basket from the back of the bike.

“Don’t get any ideas about me. I saw it in a movie once, I’m no romantic,” he said.

Veronica had to admit, she was having a nice time. She enjoyed sitting behind him on his bike as he raced up the highway. Her arms clung to his broad, muscular back and chest. Feeling the powerful bike vibrate under her and feeling Nick vibrate next to her was a total turn-on. Touching and holding on to him sent such waves of pure, raw heat through her body. Though at first, she was scared to death. Before they left, Nick instructed her on how to be a passenger. Lean into the turns when he did and don’t clutch him too tightly. Veronica knew she shamelessly felt him all over as he drove. Nothing prepared her for the rush of excitement, not only being curled against all that male muscle, but the feeling of driving fast on the open road with the wind whipping around her body. She wished she could’ve taken the helmet off and let the wind take her hair skyward. The sensation was incredible, a real rush.

She followed him toward the beach. The shoreline wasn’t very big, but private, as you couldn’t see the road or much else from their vantage point. Wonder how many other women he brought here, she thought cynically.

He spread the blanket and assisted her in sitting down. Again, the touch of his hand made her face flush as well as parts further south. Nick sat next to her with one leg bent and he rested his arm on the top of his knee. They sat quietly and gazed out over the water. The waves caressed the sand with a serene almost hypnotic sound.

“I saw you talking to that wuss, Jake Spooner, as I left the other day. I can imagine what he said about me,” Nick said in a voice so soft, she hardly recognized it as his.

Veronica cleared her throat uncomfortably.

Nick laughed. “I see. Go on, amuse me, what did he say?”

“Um, he said you were in prison — ” she began.

“Jail. Not prison,” he retorted.

“There’s a difference?”

“You’ve got the cop for a brother, you tell me,” Nick snapped. He shook his head, more gently he said, “Sorry. It’s a touchy subject. City jail, for assault and destruction of property. Prison usually means a state or federal beef. Mine was local and a long time ago. I did my time and it’s over. I don’t like talking about it.”

“He called you a thug and said you deal drugs among other things.” She shouldn’t be telling him this, but the words tumbled out of her.

“Really? And still you went out with me? Are you some thrill seeker, one of those good girls eager to rub up against some wicked bad? Is that why you’re here? I’ll be as bad as you want, just say the word.”

His voice grew tight and edgy. Barely restrained anger simmered below the surface, she could hear it.

“I’m just telling you what Jake said, you asked.”

Nick stared at her for several moments. “Yeah. I did. Sorry. I haven’t been out on a date in awhile.”

“You haven’t been with any women … ”

“Oh, I didn’t say I haven’t been with women, just haven’t been on a date.” One corner of his mouth twitched in what Veronica supposed was amusement.

Veronica laughed out loud, she couldn’t help it. Nick smiled broadly in return. He could be funny. How wonderful.

He opened the basket and lifted out a couple of candles. Reaching in his pocket for a lighter, he lit them and buried the large pillars in the sand.

“No breeze tonight, perfect.” Next, he brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses. “A Riesling, hope you don’t mind a little more wine.”

Veronica couldn’t believe this. She watched as he skillfully removed the cork and poured the wine in the crystal U-shaped goblets. Nick handed the glass to her. Reaching in the basket again he came out with a rose, the most perfect red rose she’d ever seen. He handed the flower to her.

“For you.”

Veronica wanted to cry. Literally bawl her eyes out. There wasn’t a long list of men she’d dated. Besides William Titus, she’d only slept with three other men, only dated two of them seriously. None of them did anything like this. Not even close. Veronica brought the flower to her nose and sniffed, the rose smelled glorious. She glanced at Nick framed in the moonlight. As he sat and watched her, she couldn’t help but compare him to a Roman god. The temptation to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him senseless was potent. Not romantic.
Right
.

“Thank you, Nick,” she whispered softly.

She had to fight the tears from collecting in her eyes. Beautiful man, beautiful gesture.

The mood changed as they drank the wine, they became more relaxed. Nick opened up a little more. He volunteered there were drugs around his place, but he didn’t deal them. He had a rule, not in his bar. Outside in the parking lot was their business. He admitted to smoking weed now and again. When in his early twenties, he tried more hard core drugs though he didn’t volunteer which ones and she didn’t ask. Nick seemed to like she didn’t pry.

Veronica found herself fascinated by this man. The statement he made about her being a thrill seeker still resonated. Did she want to rub up against the wicked bad? Nick had grown quiet. She saw those amber eyes of his darken. He was going to kiss her.

His knuckle lifted her chin. Nick leaned in and brushed his lips softly against hers. The feather-like touch seared and sizzled. A deep rumble came from Nick’s chest. The sound started from his toes and shook his whole body. Out of the corner of his mouth snarled a sexy, animal groan of pure longing.

Before she knew it, Nick pulled her on top of him. He lay back on the blanket. Veronica could feel every hardened edge of him. Nick was aroused, how could she miss it? He grabbed either side of her head and held her still while he plundered her mouth. Nick tasted every inch and his tongue worked magic and ignited the simmering flame within. Never, ever had she been kissed like this.

• • •

Nick couldn’t hold back any longer. She tasted of a delightful mixture of wine, sugar, and cinnamon. Her tongue met his at last, enthusiastically meeting his thrust. He was ready to go off like a roman candle. With Ronnie, he wanted to go slow. Why, he wasn’t sure. He was never known for taking things at a deliberate pace with any woman.
Slam, bam, thank you ma’am,
had pretty much been his credo since his teens. There were times he could be considerate and see to a woman’s needs. He just made damn sure he saw to his first.

His hands moved downward and gripped her luscious ass and he brought her in tight against his throbbing cock. She gasped briefly, but then ground her hips into his aching prick. Ronnie pulled away, sat up, and straddled his hips. She continued to move hers in a slow, sensual grinding motion. Ronnie’s eyes were closed. He grabbed her hips and thrust upward. Sex without the penetration. Nick watched her expression, she hid nothing. Christ, she was going to come right here just by rubbing against him. Her head dropped back and she cried out and shuddered. Ronnie’s whole body trembled in release. Nick almost spilled himself in his jeans right then and there. Never saw anything so sensual as Ronnie climaxing merely by rubbing against him. He sat up and kept her firmly straddling his erection. If it was hard before, now it was beyond. Damned cement.

In a deft movement, he removed her sweater and tossed it to the blanket beside them. Damn, her breasts. This woman did not need extra padding or one of those push-up jobs. He laid soft kisses across the top of her cleavage then cupped one of her breasts. A handful and then some, for Nick didn’t have small hands. Squeezing gently, his thumb flicked the already hardened nipple. He reached and pulled the strap down off her shoulder and the breast popped free. Nick lowered his head and captured the nipple in his mouth, laving, licking and sucking. He pulled the nipple gently with his teeth. Ronnie groaned and squirmed setting him on fire.

“Ronnie,” he rasped. “Don’t — don’t move so much, I’m losing control … ”

“I can’t help it!” she cried.

Ronnie lowered her other strap, and released the other breast. She held them both up to him as if she were offering them as a gift or a delectable dessert.

“Suck them hard — please.”

That did it. The barely concealed control he hung from disappeared. He climaxed right there spilling himself as a randy teenage boy. Christ, how embarrassing, never did it before. He’d never been whipped into such a sexual frenzy either without actually having sex. He twitched and shuddered as his cock continued to spurt his release.

She knew.

Nick couldn’t look at her. He bit his lip to try to keep from moaning, but it was no use. His whole body trembled from the intensity of his release. Ronnie had secured her breasts back in her bra. She still sat astride him and hadn’t moved. Cupping his cheeks, she forced him to look at her.

“Nick,” she said softly.

She kissed him, tenderly and with a slow gentleness that took his breath away. Oh god, his cock hardened again, he wasn’t finished. Ronnie no doubt felt his hardening prick because a smile curled about her lips as she kissed him.

“That was intense for both of us,” she whispered. “I wonder what sex itself will be like?”

He couldn’t. As much as he wanted to take her right now and grind her into the soft sand, he couldn’t. Nick was a damned mess, emotionally and physically. In all his many sex encounters, nothing had been this intense or all encompassing. He felt out of control and he didn’t like it. The notion of seducing her caused his dick to throb. She was more than willing. Every fantasy he ever had could be realized, and then he could take her home and move on with his life.

However, Nick realized having sex would only percolate his interest more. He didn’t want to go down that road. Dating, sex with one woman and engaging his unused heart.

“I didn’t bring condoms with me.”
You liar.
He had two in his wallet and more in the storage box of his bike. He kissed her again. “Guess we’ll just have to make out.”

Wouldn’t this just stoke his fire more? The truth was he didn’t want to leave yet. Even though embarrassment seeped from every pore, he wanted to stay. Kiss her. Hold her. Talk about confused. Nick rolled her under him and she squealed and then laughed. He rolled her again, off the blanket and into the sand and kissed her, deeply and thoroughly.

“Oh Nick,” she breathed, her voice sexy and husky.

It went on, for how long, Nick had no idea. He never kissed a woman like this. This resembled a scene out of an old movie,
From Here to Eternity
with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr rolling around in the sand and surf. Nick also loved classic movies.

“Nick!” Ronnie squealed. “The tide’s coming in and we’re getting wet!”

He smiled wickedly. “It’s only a little water. Won’t hurt us, unless sugar, you melt in water? Better tell me now.”

• • •

“No. I don’t melt.”

Well, that wasn’t quite true, she melted in his arms. The best make out session she ever had. Nick could kiss. Veronica kissed him with everything she had which caused her glasses to steam up. She rubbed herself against him again — against
the wicked bad
.

A low, languid moan escaped from Nick. The noise rumbled up from his toes and shook him. Let the tide come in and drown them, as long as she was here — with him. Veronica reached under his sweater as her hands explored and roamed all over his taut body. His muscles bunched and flexed at her touch. Her hand met the crisp hair on his chest and she ran her fingers through it.

“Off,” she snarled as she pulled at his sweater.

Nick grabbed her hands, stilling them.

“We’d better not.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s past midnight. We still have a half-hour drive back to Rockland yet.”

Flustered, she rolled away, and with trembling legs stood and reached for her sweater. Nick stood behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck. Moving her hair, he began to lay hot, searing kisses on her shoulder and down her arm.

“I’d better stop or we’ll be watching the sun rise.”

Why this turned into the hottest make out session in her life was a puzzle. Veronica moved away from him and pulled her sweater over her head. She leaned down and reverently picked up the rose.

“Thank you, Nick. For this, for everything.”

He smiled briefly, quickly gathered up the wine, glasses, candles, and shoved them in the basket. “You’re welcome.”

They didn’t speak the whole way back to Rockland. He walked her to the door of her bakery. Taking her hand, he laid a brief kiss on it.

“Thanks, Ronnie.”

Nick sprinted down the steps without another word and without looking back, climbed on his bike and roared off into the night.

Two in the morning, and Nick stood in the shower. The ice cold water pounded his body and pounded the part of him that wouldn’t calm the hell down. He even took care of it as soon as he walked in the door, but he just stayed hard. Nick leaned against the tile with one hand, the shower head pointed straight at his unruly, hard cock. Maybe he should call that 1-800 number,
if you’ve had an erection for more than four hours
— but he wasn’t taking any of those prick pills. Twenty-five years from now, who knows? He smiled wryly. It was obvious he didn’t need them now. How in hell could he sleep in this condition?

More importantly, why back away from Ronnie’s obvious invitation to explore every part of her body? He wanted all that, didn’t he? To bury himself into her softness right to the hilt, pound away until she was wiped away from his dreams and desires. What must she think of him? Coming in his jeans and trembling in her arms like a damned fifteen-year-old boy. Then to drop her on her doorstep and run off like a thief in the night, without a word or a promise to even call her. Nick had no idea if he would call her again, not if he was going to react like this. He slammed the water off in disgust and reached down to fist his stiff-as-a-pike cock, his hand moved up and down the length.