A Safe Pair of Hands (9 page)

Had he just been flirting with her?

Sadie realised that she had been standing in the bathroom for
several moments with her toiletries bag clutched to her chest like
a child’s teddy bear.

Nick would start to wonder what she was doing in here, if she
loitered for too long.

She put her bag on the counter next to the sink, and slowly
and with trembling hands she began to undress.

She stood under the shower for several minutes without soap or
shampoo as she tried to compose herself.

This playful side of Nick was a dangerous thing; this was the
side of him that she had met three years ago, when she thought that
she had found her soul mate.

She knew that it would be a simple little thing, to fall for
him – as she had three years ago.

Sadie gave a watery little smile as she stood under the
running water. Who was she kidding?

She had fallen in love with Nick three years ago, and she had
never fallen out of love with him since.

He had been her soul mate then, she had been sure of
it.

He was her soul mate now.

And he always would be her soul mate.

Now all she had to do was to convince him of that!

She grabbed the soap, and began to wash herself with a new
sense of purpose.

She soaped and shampooed and then rinsed off and wrapped the
thick fluffy towel around her torso as she switched off the
water.

It was only after she had towelled herself dry that she
realised, in her haste to leave Nick, and his flirting, she had
forgotten to bring fresh clothing in with her.

She now had two options.

First she could put her slightly grubby travelling clothes
back on.

Or she could go back into the other room, wrapped in just this
rather small fluffy white towel, and fetch her fresh
clothing.

And Sadie was more than a little bit disconcerted to find that
the second option appealed a lot more than the first – and it was
not because the clothes were a bit stale!

Chapter Nine

Nick had finished apologising to Mr Redding – even though the
apologies were not necessary since that man had also been stranded
– although he had been fortunate enough to be stranded at his own
home.

They had decided to postpone their meeting until the New Year,
and Nick found himself whistling happily as he sorted through his
clothes, he felt free now to do as he pleased, and he had Sadie
with him as well.

He had heard the shower running for a little while and then
silence.

Now as the bathroom door opened, he glanced up with a smile,
and then froze, as Sadie – beautiful, adorable, sexy Sadie stepped
into the room.

She was wrapped in a little white towel, and her hair was a
mass of damp strands hanging down her face and her back.

She had obviously dried herself when she had stepped out of
the shower, but even from across the room, Nick could see the
places that she had missed.

He stepped around the bed, almost without noticing, and moved
across the short distance, until he was standing directly in front
of her.

He slowly lifted a hand, to gently brush at her
shoulder.

“
You missed a spot,” he whispered huskily.

She did not flinch.

He had noticed how she stood waiting for him to get
closer.

She had looked a little nervous, but she also looked excited,
and he could see it in her eyes now, as well.

She wanted this.

Almost as much as he ached for her, Nick suddenly realised
that she wanted him too.

He gently tilted her chin, so that he could stare into her
beautiful grey eyes.

“
I want you so much,” he murmured. “I always have.”

Sadie smiled up at him, and her eyes dilated.

“
Good,” she whispered, as she reached up and wrapped her arms
around his neck, to pull his head down, so that she could kiss
him.

Nick simply savoured this surprised pleasure of a kiss that
she had instigated. For long moments he simply savoured her, and
her warm contact.

For long moments he allowed her to keep control.

But it could not last. He could not hold back.

With a soft groan, he scooped her up into his arms, and gently
placed her onto one of the beds.

He sensed that she was still nervous, and after everything
that she had been through – in her marriage, he could hardly blame
her.

He knew that if he hesitated, then she might reconsider, and
oh how he hoped that she would not change her mind.

Even as he placed her on the bed, he followed down after
her.

She was wrapped in just a short damp towel, and he was fully
clothed, but even so he felt right to her.

This whole situation felt right to her.

She wrapped her arms back around his neck, and pressed her
lips to his, and she felt the tremble that rippled down
him.

He was nothing like Rick. Nick would never do anything to hurt
her. She smiled softly. “I love you,” she whispered against his
mouth.

*

Her words had been like magic to Nick; and the rush of emotion
which he had felt when she had whispered those three little
words.

His eyes had flown open to look deeply into hers.

His lips had stilled against hers for a moment, but only for a
moment.

He pressed his mouth harder to hers as he pulled off his
clothing. A new sense of urgency seemed to possess him, as he
tugged her towel from her, and began to kiss her skin. His naked
flesh was rubbing against hers, and he could hear the soft groans
that bubbled at the back of her throat.

He knew that she was as excited as him, that she was as ready
for him as he was for her.

“
I'm sorry, I just can't wait for you any longer,” he muttered
as he gently nudged her legs apart.

“
No,” she murmured, and for one awful moment he thought that
she was refusing him, rejecting him, but her eyes opened wider as
they fixed squarely onto his. “No, don't wait; I don't want you to
wait either, Nick!”

*

Making love to Sadie was the most amazing thing that Nick had
ever experienced. She was warm and sensual, and so incredibly
responsive to his touch.

When he had first entered her, sliding in with one easy
thrust, she had stretched and then closed around him in a warm
embrace.

She gave a soft gasp, and Nick paused with concern, had he
hurt her?

But her arms wrapped around his neck as she smiled up at
him.

She lifted herself up to kiss him, and her hips rose as well
to draw him deeper into her.

“
I won't break, Nick... I want you too much, so don't be timid
with me.”

Her challenge went straight to his groin, wiping away any
thoughts and concerns, but seeking only gratification, for him as
well as for her.

He had ached for Sadie for too long to be able to take things
slow, and her words told him that she didn't want it like that
either.

He began a steady thrust and draw back motion, which had Sadie
bucking her hips in unison.

The motion picked up speed and intensity very quickly though,
and as Nick lowered his shoulder to the bed, so that he would not
crush her, his free hand began a fevered exploration of her
body.

He stroked and squeezed, and finally as his hand brushed
against her nipple, he moved enough so that he could draw it into
his mouth.

Sadie went rigid beneath him. “Oh Nick!” she gasped as she
shook and trembled through her first orgasm with him.

It was enough to send Nick over the edge as well, as he pushed
deeper into her, and then held himself there as his warm fluids
flooded into her.

Sadie did not think that she would ever feel cold
again.

As long as Nick was close to her, she would always be warmed
by him, by his touch, by his smell – by the very idea of him in her
life, she would never feel lonely, never feel cold
again.

**

They went down to the hotel restaurant a little later, and
anyone looking at them would have seen a young couple, deeply in
love.

Nick helped her into her seat, and sat across from her, where
he simply watched as she self consciously picked up her
menu.

“
A bottle of white wine, please,” he requested to the
waiter.

“
I hope that white is okay with you?” he asked as the waiter
left them to peruse the menu whilst he sorted out their
drinks.

Sadie smiled in reassurance. “Yes, I do enjoy a glass of wine,
although I have never been fond of red.”

“
Good,” he looked positively relieved, and Sadie felt a rush of
affection for him.

He was her boss, and he had become a good friend, and now her
lover as well, and so she thought how wonderful it was that as well
as loving him, and being physically attracted to him, she liked him
very much, as well.

It brought a glow to her cheeks and a shine to her eyes that
had Nick not being able to look away from her.

“
Have I told you yet – how absolutely stunning you look
tonight?” he asked gruffly and Sadie nodded with a shy little
blush.

“
As a matter of fact, yes you have... but I don't mind if you
say it again – I don't mind at all!”

He laughed huskily, and Sadie shivered in response.

He was just too sexy for words right now!

“
Well you do – you look absolutely amazing!”

It wasn't true really, Sadie thought that the silky blouse, in
a deep purple colour was pretty – that was why she had purchased it
in the first place, and the long black skirt with silver thread
running through it, made her feel a little glamorous, her hair was
swept up, to show her long slender neck, and she had dabbed on a
little purple eye shadow, which had done the most amazing things to
her usually grey eyes.

She had been happy with the results as she had stepped into
her spindly black sandals, just as Nick had stepped out of the
bathroom, and stopped dead in his tracks as he looked at her in awe
and wonder.

“
Amazing!” he had muttered. “So beautiful...
stunning!”

She had smiled with pleasure, and Nick had pulled her into his
arms to kiss her passionately.

Things would have gone further – had Sadie’s stomach not
suddenly decided to voice it needs for food, with a loud grumbling
noise.

Nick looked at her in shock for a moment, and the colour
flooded her cheeks as a sense of mortification swept over
her.

“
I am so sorry!” she stuttered feeling appalled at her own
body. “I am so sorry for killing the mood like that!”

Nick tipped back his head and laughed.

“
My darling girl, don't you ever apologise again, for being
hungry!”

*

The meal was probably delicious, but for the two people eating
it, it might as well have been bread and water.

Sadie couldn't remember later what she had eaten, or even if
she had eaten. She was vaguely aware of the moment that Nick asked
for the bill, because she suddenly had a sense of anticipation. And
then after he had paid, they left the restaurant without so much as
a backward glance.

All that she was aware of now, was Nick, and the way that his
hand was resting lightly on her arm.

They stepped into the elevator and she drew in a quiet little
breath, taking in the scent of him as she did so.

He smelled so good.

Of soap, and aftershave, and the muskier smell of his own
personal scent, just underlying the other two.

And she knew that he was aroused, as aroused as she was,
because of the shine in his eyes, and the way that he stood over
her, in that little metal box that carried them up to their
room.

He stood close, but not enough for them to touch, and oh how
Sadie wanted him to touch her.

She ached for him to take her in his arms again, to kiss and
caress her.

“
Stop it Sadie,” his voice was like a bucket of ice thrown over
her, as her bewildered grey eyes flew to his tortured brown. “If I
touch you now, then I don't think we will make it out of this
elevator... and we need to get out, we need to get back to the
room, so that I can...”

The elevator jolted them as it came to a halt and the door
slid open, to reveal an elderly man and woman, who looked in at
them suspiciously.

“
Good evening,” Nicked smiled coolly, as the two of them
stepped back to make room for the older couple.

They stepped in with a polite nod, and the doors closed again
to carry them up to their floor.

As the doors slid open again, the older couple shuffled around
a little to allow Sadie and Nick to get out.