The Deal (12 page)

I put my mouth next to her ear, placing a kiss over it before I begin to let her know just how pissed I was this morning. ”Why did you do it then, Nic? I had to make up a bullshit excuse about my nan being in hospital.” I murmur, “and last night too, with you running out on me. Mrs Thomas, you really have been a bad girl.” As I say that, her head whips around to face me, and I just smirk at her.

“And now, did you think to tell me about this Jamie guy or were you just hiding him from me? He is just someone you are stringing along until we are over?”

She narrows her eyes at me and withdraws her arm from around my neck. I know she wants to get up and storm off, Hell, I know she wants to shout at me, but this is why I chose to ask her like this. She's stuck but she wants to be feisty. I tighten my hold around her torso, making it damn well hard for her to even wiggle away. Her gaze is piercing into me and I can see just how pissed off she is from my comment.

Good, now we can have fucking great angry make-up sex!

“Are you for fucking real, Craig?” She seethes, her breathing running raged. “Jamie is my friend. He hardly knows anyone in Swansea so I invited him out. I'm sorry, was I meant to bypass every single friend of mine past you first? My bad, I'll make sure to do that next time I make a new friend.”

Yupp, Nic is definitely pissed off. Her fists are clenched in her lap, wound so tightly that I’m afraid she's going to turn around and punch me square in the face. Her cheeks are rosy, passion is burning in her green eyes. I do the only thing I can think if at that moment, I kiss her. With my arms wound around her waist, keeping her in place, I lightly brush my lips against hers, waiting with baited breath for her to pull back and scream at me. But to my surprise she doesn’t and I know for a fact that that is an invitation.

The kiss doesn't last long, in fact it's over before it really started as Nic realises that she's given in and she pulls back and swivels around on my lap so she is facing away from me. I can feel her heart beating fast while she tries to calm herself down and engage in the conversation that the other three are in. I don't want her mad at me so I whisper that we'll talk about it back at home and in response all I get is a shrug of her shoulders.

Oh hell no, she did not just brush me off!

I sit there, with Nic still firmly attached to my lap and try to think of ways to punish her, Cocky Craig definitely needs to make a fucking come back. He's faded into the distance for far too long and tonight...fuck yes, he is coming back.

Chapter Eleven

Nic

FUCKING WANKER!

Fucking dickhead.

I cannot believe he asked me if I was just stringing Jamie along so I could get with him after our deal is up! Okay, so I get that he has the right to be angry...most of all over this morning, but I have done nothing wrong with bringing my
work friend
to our drinks. Fuck, he doesn't know anyone and I just wanted him to meet the people I constantly talk about, meet my so-called husband and at least have some guy friends around his age, but no, Craig had to become all fucking cave-man and jealous at the first meeting.

I'm not stupid, I knew the kiss was a dominance thing, I knew the playing with my hair was a territorial thing and I knew that he wanted to claim his fucking stake on me. But what for? We aren't real, we aren't in love....okay,
I am
but his 'fuck off, mate, she's mine' attitude needs to be toned down a notch.

So now I’m stuck on his lap, his arms in a vice-like grip around my stomach and I have no way of getting him to let me go. I know my shrug pissed him off, I felt him tense underneath me and I definitely know he is not going to let that go at all. It will kick off and I know for a fact that it's going to be HIS arse out on the sofa tonight.

I sag my shoulders as I know that we need to talk about last night and this morning. I'm going to make sure it's a short conversation though as I really don't want a full-blown argument tonight. Work was stressful enough without a shouting match between Craig and I. I just want a bath, my kindle and a good nights sleep without any drama in between.

“So what do you think, Nic?” I hear Kelsie ask me and I literally don't have a clue what the hell she just asked me. I stare at her blankly before she laughs and retells me about inviting Tammy, Sophie and a few of the guys to the night out, to make it a proper piss-up. I place a wide grin upon my face and nod.

“Yeah, Kels, that sounds good to me. I miss Soph and Tammy,” I say, “Maybe we can get them to come shopping with us on Friday?” Once I say this, I feel Craig dig his fingers into my stomach, but I push that aside. He is not coming with me shopping, and if he thinks he is he has another thing coming.

“Well duh! I know they will be up for it, they always are.” She winks at me and I definitely know that there is a hidden meaning behind that comment. Tammy and Sophie are known as 'the maneaters' in our group. Every time we went out in university, they needed the attention of a guy on them and then they needed to take them home and shag them. No guy equals a bad night and you can guarantee they will be depressed until the next weekend. As much as Kelsie and I love them, they are a handful and can only be managed in small doses.

“Oh, we all know that!” I roll my eyes, “But perhaps one of them will catch the eye of old Jamie boy here.” I raise my eyebrows and smile at him. He creases his and I let him know just who they are. He rubs his hands together and a mischievous glint appears in his eyes.

“They sound like my perfect women. I'm not looking for a relationship, just some fun, and maybe I can get them both in on the fun.” He lightly chuckles and I shake my head and laugh at him. I'm pretty damn sure those two have been in threesomes together – I definitely wouldn’t put it past them.

“You have no idea what they look like though!' Rob butts in, “They could be utter mingers and you have just said you would shag them.”

“If they are anything like Nic and Kelsie then I know they aren't minging.” He winks to both of us. I feel Craig tense beneath me and to cool him down, despite being annoyed at him, I enclose my hands over his and smooth the skin of his hand with my thumb. He lets out a deep sigh and snuggles into my back. I glance at the clock above the window which sits at just gone six and I know that despite wanting to be spend time with my best friends, I just want to go home and relax and get this godforsaken argument out the way.

“Smooth talker hey, Jamie? You'll fit right in with us, won't he, Craig?” Rob smirks and takes a glance over to Craig who is hiding behind me, his head resting on my back.

“Yeah, we are right dickheads in this group.” Craig mutters and I elbow him in the stomach.

“They really are,” Kelsie agrees, “But they're our dickheads and we love them no matter what.”

I catch the look Kelsie throws at me and my heart skips a beat. I weakly
smile
back and fake a yawn, hoping to God Craig gets the hint and makes an excuse for us to leave.
I look up at him, my eyes begging him to make an excuse and he slightly smiles and nods so none of the others catch it.

“Right guys, me and Nic are gonna head off. We have a lot to do tonight.” Craig says while I try to hide my smile and I lift myself off his lap and stand up, stretching to click out the aching of being sat upon his lean thighs. Jamie looks a bit upset that I am leaving but he seems to be getting on like a house on fire with Kels and Rob, so I am more than happy to leave him. Kels gives me a knowing look, as though she knows what shit is going to go down when we get home and Rob smirks at Craig, quite possibly giving each other an internal high-5 over what 'a lot to do' means. I roll my eyes at Rob and he blows me a kiss to which I throw back at him.

“Well have fun with your 'a lot to do tonight' and give me the gossip tomorrow.” Kelsie smiles, standing up and walking around the table to hug me. “Don't give up on him, Nic, he wants to know as much you as you don't. Don't start to push him away.” She whispers before kissing my cheek and letting me know she will talk to me later.

Next up is Jamie who picks me up and tightens his hold on me. I laugh and throw my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. This is not going to bode well with Craig and his bloody jealousy issues. But fuck that. “See you tomorrow, Chicken Tikka,” he says, when I’m back on home ground. I slap his chest and turn to fist-bump Rob, who already has his fist ready. Doing our little explosion at the end, we laugh and I shake my head at the silliness of us. That has been our little goodbye greeting since the very beginning and every time Kelsie and Craig want to join in, we gang up and tell them they can't. So they have their own little handshake, a bit like the one from the Parent Trap – yes they actually bump hips and it makes Rob and I wet ourselves every time they do it...albeit, they don't do it so much in public...shame really.

“Make sure Kelsie buys something so sexy on Friday, that I can't concentrate,” Rob says.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll try my hardest.” I wink back, catching Craig's hand in my own, “But really, I just need a bath and my kindle right now, so before you stop us going, I am going to drag us out.”

I begin to pull Craig away from the table and we shoot out of the front door before any of them can begin another conversation with us. Although our hands are entwined, the tension is rolling between us both and I have no idea what to say to Craig. He doesn't seem to know either and taking a quick glance at him, his jaw is wound tightly and I know as soon as we set foot inside our flat, shit is going to hit the fucking fan.

Yippee, I can hardly fucking wait.

Chapter Twelve

Nic

We both enter the flat, the silence has been deadly the whole walk home from the pub. I let go of Craig's hand and walk straight into the kitchen not giving the bloody idiot a second glance. I'm waiting for his outburst, not knowing if it's going to be now or later on when we have this slanging match. I'd rather not have it at all, I am shattered and all I want to do is relax. I pull out a bottle of water from the fridge and lean my head on the door when I close it. I heard Craig head towards the bedroom, but he has ninja techniques and I’m afraid he'll be behind me when I spin around and then I have to square up to him and let my anger out. I shake my head and open the bottle, chugging the contents until it's nearly finished and my headache is a notch down from pumping and taking my eyeballs out of my head.

I put the water on top of the fridge and turn ever so slowly to see if my husband is inches from me. I breathe a sigh of relief to find he isn't, but find him as soon as I step into the living room, he’s sprawled on the sofa staring daggers at the television. I glance at him then make my way into our bedroom, getting everything ready so I can lock myself away in the bathroom and get away from all this tension surrounding us both.

As I gather up everything I need, I keep shooting glances at Craig, to see if he has moved from the sofa yet. It's unnerving me. He's unnerving me. Normally he'd be shouting at me by now, but this guy, this guy who is just sat, breathing heavily and not saying a Goddamn word? This is not Craig at all. He talks, or shouts things to sort them out and damn straight I give as good as I get.  When I have everything, I take a final glance to find Craig blocking the exit; his jaw is ticking, the vein by his temple pulsating and his arms are across his chest. I take a gulp but try not to show how much he is intimidating me. I tilt my head to the side and lift up an eyebrow. Gathering my items I move towards him, hoping to God he moves out the fucking way. He doesn't. He does take my items and throws them back on the bed though, before backing me towards it too until I hit the edge. His face stays poker and I mimic his posture, arms crossed, pout going on. If he wants to play this game, he can bring it the fuck on. I am not in the mood right now.

“So, Jamie huh?” is the first thing that comes from him. I have the urge to roll my eyes and laugh over this but instead I just shrug which causes him to narrow his eyes.

“Problem with my friend, Craig?” I reply, my gaze holding his and a flicker of jealousy, I think, sails across his blue orbs. As much as Craig likes to think he's good at hiding his feelings, these small flickers surely show that he sure as hell isn't so great at the hiding part.

“Just wondering why you've never mentioned him before then suddenly he's hijacking our night.” He says calmly, a shrug thrown in for good measures. I break eye contact with him and turn around to pick up my towel and kindle before stepping around him walking out of the bedroom door, Craig hot on my heels. “Nic, answer me.”

I spin around and glare holes into his face.

“I didn't know I had to tell you about every friend I make at work. I'm sooooo sorry. Well there's Jamie, the one you are jealous of, then there is Jane, you'd like her, she's quite busty. Super model face too. Maybe I can hook you up.” I throw my towel and kindle on the sofa before taking hold of my boobs. I pull them up, making a point. “Hmm then there is Paul, pretty sure he wants in my knickers... oh then there is Niall, oh bless Niall, he is a cutey. Looks a bit like Tom Hardy? It's those muscles he has...and that beard.” I am on a roll here, and I know for sure that I am pushing Craig to his limit. His face is red hot in anger, his glare is stony and I can see him clenching and unclenching his fists. I widen my eyes and gasp before proceeding to tap my lips in mock thought. One more guy in this game wouldn’t hurt. . .