My heart stopped when he spoke his next words.
“Gabi, I’m falling so damn hard for you.”
Thud.
Butterflies jumped into action in my stomach as I gazed into his beautiful eyes.
I opened my mouth to speak when I heard a key slip into his front door lock. We both turned and looked at the door. My chest squeezed at the thought of who could have a key to his condo.
“Fuck.”
The feelings I was experiencing were throwing me off. Was it another woman? Why would another woman have a key to his place? Cole maybe?
“It’s my mother.”
Okay, I was not expecting that.
I was positive my expression turned to pure horror. Pushing Nic off of me, I dropped to the ground and frantically started to pick everything up off the floor.
“Please don’t do this to me, God! Please,” I chanted as Nic dropped to my side and began cleaning up.
“I changed the locks the other day so something like this wouldn’t ever happen.”
Stopping, I turned to him. “Really?”
A smirk appeared on his face. “Because I really didn’t want my mother walking in on us while we’re fucking.”
My cheeks burned. “That wouldn’t be a very good impression.”
He laughed, “No, it wouldn’t.”
“Nicholaus! My key is not working!”
Nic’s phone started to ring, and we both chuckled.
After getting everything looking somewhat normal, he reached for my hand and kissed the back of it.
“Well, looks like you’re being pushed into the lion’s den earlier than we hoped.”
I tried to appear calm as I shrugged and winked. “I’m ready.”
Bullshit.
I was terrified. Sick to my stomach. I’d just had sex with Nic, I was sure my hair was a mess, and I had no panties on.
This is not happening.
“I’m heading to the restroom, what will you say?” He smiled a wide breathtaking smile. He’d shaved two days ago, but his scruff was back, not enough to hide those dimples though. My stomach dropped.
“I’ve got this. Go on.”
I nodded. “But, Nic?”
“Yeah?”
“Button your pants back up.”
He looked down and quickly buttoned up while I rushed to the bathroom to freshen up. On my way, I dashed into Nic’s room. Opening his top drawer, I smiled and grabbed what I needed before slipping into the bathroom right as Nic opened the door for his mother.
I had used the hall bathroom, so I heard every single word.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
“Why does my key not work?”
I covered my mouth to hide my chuckle.
I cannot believe his mother had a key to his place.
After taking a close look at myself, I couldn’t help but smile. I for sure had a just fucked glow to my cheeks. Pulling my hair up, I looked around for something to keep it up. I opened a drawer on the vanity and my heart seized as I stared at the pink makeup bag in front of me. It had a huge white S on the top of it.
How old was it? Who’s was it? Why was it in this bathroom? And who was S?
Nic and his mother’s voice mixed in with the questioning voice in my head.
“Who is here? Is there a girl here?”
Nic laughed. “Yes, Mama. There is a girl here, she’s in the bathroom.”
I should have been nervous as hell. Nic’s mother was on the other side of the door, but all I could think about the bag in front of me. A woman kept a spare makeup bag at Nic’s. The only good thing about it was it was in the spare bathroom and not his bathroom. But why had she left it if she hadn’t intended on coming back? A random hook-up wouldn’t leave her makeup bag behind unless she knew she would be back. Nic said he didn’t date.
Confusion swept through my mind.
Opening the bag, I peeked through it. Whoever she was, she liked expensive makeup. Then I found a piece of paper. My hands shook as I opened it.
Scarlet,
Meet me at my place at ten. Don’t wear panties.
~ Nic
I dropped the note and stumbled back. Covering my mouth, I turned and threw up in the toilet.
A light knock at the door startled me.
“Gabi? Are you okay?”
Tears streamed down my face, but I needed to get my shit together. I had no idea how long that had been in here. The thought of Nic being with another woman doing exactly what he had just done to me made my stomach turn again. I leaned over and threw up again.
The door opened, and I cursed myself for not locking it. Nic stepped in and looked at me, then over to the open drawer with the bag and note sitting on top of it. His eyes widened in horror.
“It’s not what you think, Gabi.”
Standing, I grabbed some toilet paper and wiped my mouth.
“What in the world happened in here, Nicholaus? It looks like you danced on the table,” Nic’s mother called out.