Behind the uncompromising grip held over her mouth, she swallowed and managed a tiny shake of her head.
His eyes left hers and fell to her breasts before lifting again with a new, sensuous light. "More times than I can remember. I knew every inch of that room. I could picture you there, sad and all alone. I wanted to comfort you then, but I guess it's no secret why I couldn't take the risk." Courtney felt his stance become even more rigid as he admitted, "You do shit to my insides that nobody else has ever come close to doing, you know?"
She stared unblinkingly into his compelling brown eyes as she listened to his words.
"It's been a long time, Courtney. It seems as if I've waited for you for a lifetime." His chin dipped as his eyes pierced her. "But now the waiting is over, understand?" His tone became clipped as he went on, "I let you go to school all those goddamn miles away when it nearly killed me. I waited for you to finish grad school and God knows, that almost buried me. I even held my damn tongue while you went back to Florida for Garrett's bullshit when you could have been in California with me. But understand me when I tell you that I'm done waiting. Got me?"
What could she say? He still held his hand over her mouth. She couldn't have answered him even if she'd known what to say. She tried to convey her feelings with her eyes but she had no way to know if it was working.
His fingers in her scalp became unyielding. He leaned in and removed his hand from her mouth but before she could say anything, his lips landed there with forceful intent. He thrust his tongue in her mouth and began kissing her as if doing so were the most important thing in the world to him. Stars began exploding in her head. God, she'd waited for him, too. Her entire life. She'd never cared for anyone the way she cared for Nick. She loved him so much she couldn't see straight.
She began kissing him back. His lips slanted over hers and it was as if he was slaking a thirst long denied. She was just as thirsty. She moaned softly from her throat and at the noise, he lifted his head and studied her. "I know you want to be with me, too," he stated adamantly.
"Yes," she said quickly, butterflies flurrying in her stomach.
"So what's it going to be? I have to admit, I kind of like the idea of cementing our relationship upstairs in that particular bedroom."
Unease filled her. "Not with the party going on. Please, Nick--"
His features softened. "That's fine, baby. You want to go back to the penthouse?"
"I want to stay until the party's over so your mother doesn't ask a million questions."
He shook his head. "We're leaving. But go make your excuses. Tell her you have a headache--"
"You are a headache," she said with a glimmer of a smile.
He narrowed his eyes, acknowledging her teasing tone. "Tell her you're going to the penthouse for some quiet. She doesn't know I'm back in town; she'll never question you for wanting to get away from the noise. Besides, since Damian brought a date, if you leave it'll make her numbers right again."
"She won't care about that. She'll worry-"
His thumb stroked her chin. "Baby, she always worries about one of us."
Even as those words left his mouth, Courtney watched as his face darkened with a scowl. She realized he'd just grouped her in with Justine's children, with him and his siblings, and it was obvious that he didn't like the fact that he'd done it. He'd always had a problem with that, but what could she do about it? His mother had raised her during the last of her teenage years; Justine was Courtney's godmother and had been her guardian as well. There wasn't a damn thing Courtney could do about those facts and she couldn't help it if it made Nick feel guilty.
But there was one thing that she did know. Nick was right. The time had come. She was as tired of waiting as he was.
"I'm going to get my bag and I'll tell her I'm leaving. I'll follow you to the penthouse, okay?"
Chapter Five
Nick didn't really want Courtney to follow him. He wanted her strapped inside his vehicle, sitting next to him. He wanted her without transportation to leave his penthouse if he inadvertently did something that would upset her or piss her off.
He just wanted her. What the hell was wrong with that? "I'd rather you ride with me, but your car needs to be gone from here so no questions are asked." He studied her intently, trying to gauge what was going on in that brain of hers. He was sick of the subterfuge. He wanted everything out in the open but he didn't want Courtney upset. "You don't want any questions asked, right?"