Six Weeks of Seduction by Ellis O. Day

CHAPTER 75:  NICK

Nick was calling it a day. It was early but he didn’t care. Today had been a disaster. First, there’d been that almost-fight with Sarah. He was losing patience with her. It’d been two weeks since his sister’s party and she still hadn’t told him the real reason she’d passed out or about her doctor appointments. He’d tried on numerous occasions to get her to let him tag along with her on her “errands” or “meetings” as she called the appointments, but she’d always refused, using one excuse or another. To say their relationship had been tense was an understatement. He kept trying to get her to trust him enough to tell him she had a problem and she kept trying to sidetrack him with sex. To be honest, it worked. Tank had gotten used to them fucking and nothing was being held back. They did lock the dogs out of the bedroom when they were going to get rough or use restraints.

Sometimes, when she screamed Tank would trot over to the bedroom, his toenails clicking on the tile and then he’d sniff along the bottom of the door for a few minutes before leaving. Her damn dog trusted him more than she did.

He would’ve had it out with her this morning, but she’d still been on the phone when he’d left. His day had gone downhill from there. He’d had to cancel one of his contracts with a customer and even though it was unpleasant, he always did that in person. The guy had argued and then pleaded, but the man refused to follow his advice and even though it’d cost him a small fortune to back out at this stage, he refused to have his name associated with a failing business. Then, he’d met with two different business owners Tommy had found. He’d have to talk to that kid. Tommy was smart and ambitious but the kid promised more than they could deliver. Both businesses had expected miracles without any work. Basically, it’d been an expensive, wasted day. All he wanted was to go home to Sarah and lose himself in her softness.

He turned down her street. The neighbor’s car was in the driveway and that was odd because Maisie was the only person who had visited Sarah while he’d been staying there. He parked the car and walked inside the house. He’d been wrong. It wasn’t the neighbor’s car. He’d only assumed that it’d belonged to a neighbor because he’d seen it on their road several times over the past few weeks. Obviously, the old adage about assuming was excruciatingly accurate because he’d certainly been played for an ass.

Sarah sat at the table with her ex-boyfriend. Tank and Sweetie trotted to the door, tails wagging.

“Nick, you’re early.” Her eyes were wide and her face had paled. It was clear she hadn’t expected him home.

He patted the dogs and walked toward the kitchen. He was surprised his legs were working because his body was numb which was good for her little-dick boyfriend because otherwise he’d kill the guy.

“Hi, we haven’t officially met.” The ex stood and held out his hand. “I’m Peter.”

Nick was going to punch the man in the face. He’d wanted her to fire him but that was a lawsuit waiting to happen so he hadn’t even suggested it. He stared at the ex’s hand for several long minutes. He should shake it. Act like nothing was the matter—be sophisticated—but he felt anything but cool and calm about Sarah. She was his.

“May I speak with you for a minute?” She touched his arm.

He wanted to slap her hand away, but nodded instead.

“I’ll be right back.” She smiled at her ex.

Nick wanted to shove the guy through the door and then shake her or tie her up. She belonged with him.

“Ah…that’s okay. I should go. I have to get Kyle anyway. We can finish this tomorrow,” said Peter.

“Are you sure?” She asked. “This will only take a moment.”

“He said he had to go.” Nick’s words were short, static bursts of anger. “And, just so you know, I’ll be here tomorrow. All day.” He wasn’t giving them another moment alone.

“Okay. Great.” Peter glanced at Sarah confused.

She closed her eyes as if she were barely keeping her temper. Nick almost snarled at her. He was the injured party, not her.

“Tank, Sweetie, come.” He headed for the backdoor, the dogs following. As soon as Limp-Dick left, they were going to fight. The dogs didn’t need to hear it. He let them out and returned to the living room. Peter was gone and Sarah was standing near the table, her hands fidgeting at her sides.

She looked like a little girl, lost and scared. Some of his anger dissipated. “How long have you been seeing him behind my back?” He poured himself a hefty drink, not bothering to fix her one. She could get her own. He tossed back half of it.

“I haven’t.”

“Don’t lie to me. He’s been here before. I’ve seen his car on the street.” The fact that she’d been sneaking around, even if it were only for business tore him up. She could’ve seen the asshole when he was home.

“Yes, but—”

“I get that you may have to see him from time to time, but you didn’t need to wait until I was gone.” He didn’t want to ask. Shouldn’t ask. But he had to. “Did you sleep with him?” He could swear his heart froze, waiting for her answer.

“What? No. How can you even ask that?”

His heart started beating again. He could work with this. This he could salvage. He finished his drink and poured another. “I can ask because you didn’t tell me he was coming over among other things. How many times has he been here in our house when I was gone?” He strode toward her.

“It doesn’t—”

“Answer me.” He was close enough to smell her now and his cock hardened. Fuck, he wanted this woman. Even if she’d cheated on him, he’d want her and that scared the hell out of him.

“I don’t know. I haven’t counted.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But if—”

“That many.” His head almost exploded. “You’ve been lying to me this entire time.” About everything. Her lover. Her health. Every fucking thing.

“I haven’t lied to you.”

“You did.” He stepped closer wanting her to see how much danger she was in, how close to losing control he was. “You invited him over when you knew I’d be gone. Why? So you could flirt? Fuck?”

“I get why you’re mad.”

“Oh great. That makes everything all right. You validate my anger. Fabulous.” He strode back to the bar afraid that if he stayed near her a moment longer he’d either hit her or fuck her and he never, ever hit women.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Do you want to be with him? Are you counting the days until this is over between us?” He poured another drink. He’d thought they’d been doing well. Sure there were some issues but nothing they couldn’t work out.

“No. Damn it Nick, let me fin—”

“I don’t want him here. I don’t want him in this house unless I’m here.”

“Peter is not my boyfriend.” Her voice was whisper soft. “He’s Maisie’s husband.”

“You were sleeping with your sister’s husband?”

“No. God, no.” She walked over to him and held her hand out, slowly placing it on his cheek as if he were a wild animal and right now he felt that way. “Peter was never my boyfriend.”

“But…you said.” He couldn’t stop from resting his face in her hand.

“I know and…I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

She dropped her arm and poured herself a drink, tossing back half of it. “I didn’t want you to know that…”

“What else are you lying to me about?” This was it. She needed to come clean. Tell him everything. “You can trust me, Sarah.”

Her eyes met his and he almost drowned in her green depths. “Nothing. I swear. I wanted to tell you. I almost told you that first night but…I was embarrassed.”

“About what?” His hands caressed her shoulders.

She gulped down the rest of her drink. “I didn’t want you to know that there’d been no one since you.” She lifted her head, chin out. “I didn’t want you to pity me or to gloat.”

“Really?” He wanted to beat his chest like a caveman. He captured her face, staring into her eyes for the truth. “Don’t lie to me about this. If you were with someone else before we got back together that’s…fine.” It wasn’t but he’d deal with it.

“There’s been no one but you.” She smiled sadly. “As you now know, I don’t get out much.”

“Is that why you didn’t move on…because you don’t like to go out?” Once again, his heart waited for her answer. This was it, the perfect opening for her to tell him everything.

“No.” Again it was a whisper of a word but this time it carried so much hope and promise.

“Then why?” His thumb caressed her chin. “Trust me.” He was begging.

“I was busy and I…I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” She kissed his hand and then his lips, pressing her body into him.

“I’m glad, I am but…” She was rubbing his cock and he was losing focus and interest in this conversation. He grabbed her fingers, stopping her from moving but he didn’t pull them away from his dick. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?” He kissed her. “I’ll understand. I swear. Trust me.” He kissed her again, this time deeper.

“No.” Her eyes searched his. “There’s been no one but you.”

He stepped away from her, his temper starting to replace his lust. “I’m not talking about other men. I’m talking about you. Us.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Her eyes were wary now like a cornered rabbit.

He could go in for the kill. Tell her he knew everything but that wouldn’t make her trust him. “You need to stop lying to me.”

“I’m not lying.” She moved toward him and grabbed his hand. “I swear. I don’t know what you want me to say. I haven’t been with another man. I don’t want another man.”

“This isn’t about other guys.” He jerked his hand from her. “I believe you about that. This is about you not trusting me.”

“I…I do.”

“Now, you’re lying. Again.”

“I’m not…I’m trying.” Her eyes were huge in her pale face.

“Are you? You had weeks to tell me about Peter and you didn’t. If we were still going to my place to fuck, you’d still want to drive separately because you don’t trust me to get you back here in time for Tank. You won’t even let me help you with your business.” He wanted to shake her, to hug her, to wrap her in his arms and protect her but she refused to let him.

“It’s my business.”

“And you don’t have to take my fucking advice but you could talk to me about it. Jesus, it’s what I do. I’ve made a god damn fortune helping small businesses but you won’t even talk to me about yours.”

“I…I didn’t know it meant that much to you.”

“You’re my girlfriend. Of course what you do, your life, matters to me but you don’t see that because you’re so sure this is going to end.”

“You can’t tell me it won’t.” Now, she was getting mad. “You can’t promise me that.”

“No, but you can’t promise me it will.”

“I…I…”

“Except, you’re doing everything you can to make sure that you’re right. That this does end.” He was tired of fighting with her, tired of her pushing him away. He needed to get out of there. “I know why you passed out at my sister’s party—the real reason. I’ve been waiting weeks for you to tell me the truth, but you never did. You’re killing this. Us.” He felt like someone was tearing his insides out. “You know what? You win. I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.” He strode to the door and left.