Six Weeks of Seduction by Ellis O. Day

CHAPTER 50:  NICK

Nick sat in Ethan’s office, sipping his third drink.

“I told you to leave her alone.” Ethan was sitting at his desk planning the seasonal parties.

“I couldn’t. I can’t.”

“Nick, she’s been hurt enough.”

“I know.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Why do you think I’m here and not with her right now?”

“Because you had a fight.”

“No, shit. I told you that.” He grabbed the bottle and filled his drink. “Usually, we fight and then fuck. Even with that stupid-ass dog of hers.” He smiled. “He’s actually a great dog. He protects her and…” He shrugged. He liked dogs, always had. “If only he’d let me touch her, he’d be perfect.”

Ethan burst out laughing. “You can’t touch her and yet you’re living there, sleeping with her and not fucking.” He laughed harder. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Terry about this.”

“Ha, ha, very funny.” It was official. His friends were dicks.

“It’s a great story. Nick, the man who can’t go a day without fucking, went four months waiting for the elusive, magical pussy. He’d tasted it once and couldn’t get hard without it.”

“Shut up.”

“Then,”—Ethan continued—“he found it again and now he can’t touch it, tap it or taste it.”

“Shut the fuck up. I’m warning you. Sarah is more than a pussy.”

“They all are.” Ethan sobered. “I just didn’t think you knew that.”

“Of course….” He paused. He had thought of the women as conquests. He was good to them. Made sure they enjoyed themselves but he never cared about any of them. Never thought about them except as someone he could fuck.

“Unbelievable. I think you’re finally growing up.” Ethan clapped his hands slowly a couple of times. “It’s about time.”

He deserved this. He’d hunted, dated and fucked his way through a lot of women. Many were here for only that reason and they understood what he’d been offering but others had liked him, a lot, and he’d hurt them.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.” He took a large gulp of his drink. “She said something that bothered me. She said that as soon as she gave me what I wanted, I’d move on.”

“She’s a smart woman.”

“I…The way I feel about her…”

“That’s your MO, Nick. It always has been even in business.”

It was true. That’s why what he did suited him. All the work was temporary. He moved in, helped a floundering company and then he was done. He continued to collect royalties but he didn’t do any more of the work. He moved on to another company, another challenge. “I don’t want it to be like that with her.”

Ethan sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you. You’re going to have to figure this out on your own, but don’t hurt her any more than you already have.”

“I haven’t hurt her.” He’d die first.

“If you end it today, you think it won’t hurt her? She told you what’d happened to her.”

“That’s the problem. She keeps sticking her past in our way. I’m not that cock-sucker, Adam. I wouldn’t dump her at a party—pregnant and alone.”

“From what I understand, Adam didn’t know she was pregnant and she wasn’t pregnant until after that party.”

“Whatever.” Okay, so he had his facts a little jumbled. The truth was he was worse than that asshole. Adam had moved on because he’d fallen in love with someone else, whereas he moved on because he was bored.

“Do you want my opinion?”

“Yeah.” He wasn’t sure he did.

“I’ve seen you chase women before. I’ve even seen some get away. You never, ever went to these lengths.” Ethan’s eyes sparkled. “Are you really living there and not having sex?”

“We have sex. It’s just…quiet sex in the shower and very quiet sex in bed.”

“Oh, this keeps getting better and better.” Ethan roared with laughter again. “By quiet sex, you mean—simple, boring, non-kinky, quiet sex.”

“It’s never boring.” Even quiet sex with Sarah was better than the best sex he’d had with someone else. “And it won’t be forever. The dog’s getting used to me.”

“Right.” Ethan didn’t sound like he believed a word of that. “The point is…Is there any other woman you’d do this for?”

“No.” It was like a vice was removed from his chest. He did care for her.

“I think that answers your question.”

“Good. Now, the next one is how can I get her to trust me?” He couldn’t live his life with her pushing him away. He’d grow tired of it eventually, but he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. “She keeps me at arm’s length.”

“Apparently, you have the dog to thank for that.” Ethan chuckled.

“Emotionally. Not physically.” He’d said it before and he’d say it again. His friends were assholes.

Ethan sobered. “Give her time, Nick.”

“I have. I mean what else do I have to do? I moved in. Uninvited, by the way. I’m putting up with vanilla sex and not as often as I’d like. She refused to meet my family.” If he mentioned that she’d finally agreed to go to his sister’s party, Ethan would tell him again, to give her time and he didn’t want to hear it. “She also refuses to meet my friends. Shit.” He grabbed his phone. He’d forgotten to tell her about next weekend.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” He texted her that Patrick and Annie were coming by Saturday for dinner and that Annie was bringing the food. He put his phone down. She’d be pissed but she should be somewhat over it by the time he got home.

“What you need to do is be there. Every day. Always. Give her more time. It’s only been a week.”

“Yeah. I guess.” It felt longer because he’d been in a relationship with her for his four months of celibacy. Those same four months she’d been fucking that ass-wipe Peter.

“I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone.” Ethan took a big breath. “When I go into a store—grocery, department, any kind of store—especially one I’ve never been in, my blood pounds. I break out in a sweat. I look for exits and possible places of ambush. I’ve been out of the military for years and I still go through this. I know that the odds of someone shooting at me are slim to none. I know that the chances of stepping on an IED are basically nonexistent, but my body doesn’t listen. It reverts back to survival mode.”

“And you’re saying it’s the same for Sarah?”

“Same? No. Similar? Yeah, I think so.”

He stared at his drink. Ethan might be right. She’d freaked out that one time he’d tried not to use a condom and when he’d given her the facial. She could need to talk to someone professionally, but he couldn’t broach that subject if she didn’t trust him.

There was a knock on the office door.

“Yeah,” yelled Ethan.

Mattie opened the door. “I heard you were here.” He strode inside, nodding at Ethan.

“So, Ethan ratted me out.”

“You looked like you needed a drinking buddy and I can’t be him today.” Ethan tapped the laptop in front of him. “I have parties of debauchery to plan.”

“Come on, I’ll buy you a drink,” said Mattie.

“I think I got most of everything figured out.” He tossed back his scotch. “Thanks, Ethan.”

Ethan nodded, but his eyes were already locked on the computer. “Still gotta figure out what to do about that dog.” He looked at Mattie, his lips twitching with amusement. “Your brother has been forced to have quiet sex in the shower and sometimes in the bed, in order to not get torn apart by his girlfriend’s dog.”

“You have a big fucking mouth.” He’d never live this down. Never.

Mattie’s jaw dropped open for one second before he laughed. “Oh brother of mine, you need help. You’ve turned into as much of a pussy as Patrick.”

“I should’ve gone over there.”

“You should’ve,” grumbled Ethan. “Actually, go now.” He waved his hand. “I have work to do.”