Domino Effect (Effect 2)

For a second, I remembered someone was in the room with us. But when our tongues met, it was only Brandt and me. He pulled back. “Have fun. Adam and I will figure out dinner.”

“I will.”

I had butterflies in my stomach. The remaining pieces of ice around my heart began to melt. He gave me a smile before giving me one last hard kiss.

Ainsley tried not to laugh. I looked toward her. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. I can’t wait.”

We were walking to the back of the house when I heard Adam tell Brandt, “Welcome to the pussy-whipped club. It’s a great place to be.”

“Hell yeah, it is. I’ve missed it.” Brandt sounded proud.

Ainsley and I looked at each other and laughed as we said, “Men.”

IT WAS FEBRUARY second. Today would have been the day, per the Blue Balls Timer, I would have been allowed to start seducing Nikola if we hadn’t had sex yet. Thank fuck we hadn’t waited. We’d agreed that not having sex put us more on edge. In the end, we wanted the same thing—each other.

Quentin had asked if I wanted to meet to catch up, and I did. A lot had happened since I’d left the diner to get Nikola back after our alcohol argument. I felt centered now, even though I was spread a bit thin between the long hours at the club and spending so much time with Nikola. That was what had driven me to try cocaine before. But this time, the fear of losing what I loved would keep me from going back to drugs. I’d find a healthy balance. Nikola had been traveling. She’d stay some with me and some with Anne. I wanted her with me all the time, but that would come eventually.

I was on my way to Anne’s. She’d invited Nikola and me over for dinner. Nikola had gone over there earlier to spend some time with her. After landing the Livingston Cleaning Products account, life had been busy. She and Ainsley would work at Anne’s a few times a week together. Nikola kept saying that she didn’t know what she would have done without Ainsley. The girls were a good fit and were becoming closer.

Parking in the driveway, I shut off my vehicle. Through the dining room window, I could see Anne and Nikola cooking. Nikola talked animatedly while wearing a blue-and-white-checked apron. Anne stirred something as steam rose from a pot on the stove. I got out of the car and headed to the door off the carport. I was family again, and it felt fucking great.

Opening the door, I walked in. “Honey, I’m home!”

Anne turned and winked. “I think you’re a little young for me. Don’t they call that a cougar or a lion or something?”

The aroma of dinner cooking assaulted my senses. Ham sizzled in the frying pan.

I gave Anne a kiss on the cheek while she continued to stir. “You’ll never be too old for me.”

Nikola called from behind. “Hey, what about me?”

I picked Nikola up and twirled her around. Little sounds of joy emitted from her as her green eyes sparkled with happiness. Nothing would ever sound better to me than Nikola’s happiness. Stopping before I became too dizzy, I set her down and let her slide down my body.

“You’re my ultimate. I missed you.”

She stilled as I bent down and gave her a sweet kiss. Nikola whispered against me, “I missed you, too. Supper is almost ready. Go wash up.”

“It smells incredible. I’ll be right back.”

Being back here, like this, was perfect. It let me leave the pressures of life behind me.

Full from dinner, I pushed back my chair. “Anne, I missed your fried okra and cornbread.”

“Well, keep coming by and you’ll keep getting it.” She gave me a pat on the back as she made her way to the kitchen. I followed with my plate and the platter of ham. “Nikola says you guys are going to your mom’s house next week.”

I put the ham on the counter as I responded, “We are. Mum’s on a cruise with her friends for two weeks. We’re going over the day after she gets back.”

Anne started storing the leftover food in the fridge. “That’ll be nice. I know Nikola has always loved your mom.”

“My mum feels the same way about her.” Nikola was the daughter that my mum had never had.

Nikola called from the dining room, “I’ll be right back.”

I loaded the dishwasher with dishes from the sink.

Anne deposited more dishes in the sink. “You and Nikola seem happy.”

Stopping, I gave Anne my full attention. “We are. It finally feels like things are how they should have been all along if I hadn’t fu—I mean messed it up.”

Anne smiled with her warm blue eyes. “Brandt, sometimes it takes losing what’s important to put it in perspective. You will always know what it feels like to not have each other. For many people, that knowledge happens too late, and their life turns into a list of regrets. It’s through regret that we find our true north to guide us through storms.”

“Thank you.” I hugged Anne tightly to me.

Nikola came into the room and caught my eye. She was my air. I needed her in my arms to know I wasn’t dreaming. Over the last year, there’d been many nights I’d dreamed we were together, only to wake to the harsh truth of losing her. I brought her to me and hugged her. She must have felt the need to connect, too, as I felt her fingers dig into my shirt. There was no way I’d ever let her go again. Anne quietly excused herself.

Nikola pulled back. “Are we still going to the club tonight?”

So far, Nikola and I hadn’t visited the sex club side of Club Envy. We’d only been to the bar side. The raw passion between the two of us was ready to ignite. When Nikola had suggested us going to the club, I’d made all the arrangements. I wasn’t sure how this would go, or if the club scene was still us. We’d changed a lot, but something still hummed between us.

“Yes. Whenever you’re ready, we can head that way.” I gave her a quick kiss.

“Grandmama asked if we’d be up for a round of Rook tonight. I said yes. Let’s play one game, then we can be on our way—if that’s okay.”

Rook was a game we used to play with Nikola’s grandfather. After he passed, we created a version for three players. I’d never played before meeting Nikola. Anne was a hell of a player—she’d wipe the board clean almost every time.

I grazed Nikola’s nose with mine. “Sounds good. How about we make a bet?”

Her eyes lit up. “What are the terms?”

“If I beat you, I want you to do a striptease for me tonight.” I raised an eyebrow.

A spark ignited in her eyes. Nikola loved a challenge. “If I beat you, you have to use my Magic 8 Ball for one question of my choosing.”

I hated that damn thing. We stared at each other, contemplating the bet. Nikola held out her hand and cocked her head. Her auburn hair was piled up on her head.

We shook and both said, “Deal.”

I stood tall as she called, “Grandmama, are you ready to play? I have a bet to win.” She turned to me. “You don’t intimidate me with that look. Sexy, but ineffective.”

I slapped her ass, and she yelped.

Anne called from the other room, “Oh dear, not this again. I’ll get the cards.”

Spinning Nikola around, I cornered her against the wall and gave her another kiss. “Start preparing your routine, baby. I want it hot. I seem to recall you lost our last bet.”

She nipped my lip. “I hope you’re not a sore loser. I can feel the cards are going to be in my favor.”

Anne hummed in the other room, and Nikola giggled, ducking under my arms to get to the card table in the far corner of the living room. We sat as Anne started coughing. I knew Nikola was concerned about her. Whenever Anne was sick, Nikola would worry.

Nikola got a glass of water from the kitchen. “Grandmama, we’re going back to the doctor next week. I thought this was supposed to be cleared up.”

Anne took a sip and got the coughing under control. “I get this bronchitis every winter, and you’re always concerned. It takes it a while to go away. Remember?”

“Yes, but I always make you go back to the doctor.?