Their Second Chance (3 page)

“Why didn’t you tell me you felt this way?”

He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “What was the point? You were consumed with your grief.” And he’d been consumed with work. “For a while when you finally got the first positive result, things seemed to have looked up.” Everyone always told him that there’s always calm before the storm. That had definitely been the case with them.

She licked her lips, but didn’t look away. “When I came out pregnant?” He heard the tremble return to her voice. After all this time, it was still hard for her to say the words.

“Yes. For those four months, it all felt so good again.” It really had. Like their life was back on track. Everything was going the way it was supposed to and their marriage had withstood a difficult moment. She’d been over the moon, and he was glad to see her smile again.

“Until I started to bleed,” she whispered and took a step in his direction, closing the distance between them.

He nodded. “It took years off my life to see you bleeding and in so much pain.”

She winced. “I didn’t realize—”

“That it would hurt me to see you like that? Have I really been that much of a jerk to give you that impression?”

At her quick shake of her head, some of his tension drained away. “No. You weren’t ever uncaring. I was so consumed in my own loss that I didn’t realize it hurt you too.”

He’d never be able to close his eyes and not see her tears or screams when she’d realized what was going on. It would haunt him forever.

The ground shook again. Ari
didn’t think twice. Instinct pushed her to him when he held out a hand for her. This time when he held her, she was much more aware of his body heat surrounding her. His scent—pure male with a hint of musk she’d always identify as him—ignited a small flame inside her. He still wore the same cologne she’d favored.

More bits of plaster fell from above. She glanced up and gasped. There were cracks in the ceiling. The building swayed around them. Anxiety curled around her stomach with a wild, terrifying grip.

Her gaze met his. They’d been through so much and were at the verge of losing it all. Tears gathered in her eyes, turning her vision of him hazy.

She’d always loved Nick.
So much. So hard. When she’d miscarried, she’d felt so alone. The pain from losing the baby had been excruciating.  She’d lost an ovary, had to have a surgical procedure to be scraped internally, and their chances at having another baby had disappeared. She’d been warned about her low chances at conception. At the time, her whole world seemed to have crumbled and stopped. Nothing mattered anymore. She couldn’t be the wife Nick wanted.

“We should have tried adoption,” she murmured, glancing up at him. His features were haggard. Nick hadn’t had it any easier than she had.

He pushed her hair over her shoulder, holding her close to him. “We should have. Why didn’t we? Whenever I brought it up, you seemed so…unsure about it,” he said softly.

She cleared her throat. “Grace kept saying that all I had to do was
keep trying. Do IVF or try some other treatments. That an adopted child should have been our last recourse.”

His brows flew up. “You let my mother’s thoughts sway you?”

She glanced away. She’d been weak at the time. Wanting to give him what Grace said he desired so badly.

“I thought you wanted biological children more. That’s how she made it sound.”

“God,” he groaned and cupped her cheek. “Any child, biological or adopted that entered our family would have been ours. One or the other didn’t matter.” 

“I’m sorry, Nick.” Regret for their relationship pierced her heart. The mounting sorrow she’d felt before only increased knowing that he too had been hurting. “I’m sorry for my selfishness.”

He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. What he did next, she’d never forget. He dropped the harsh mask that usually covered his features and allowed her to see. She saw the torment he suffered over their failed relationship, the sadness and the loss. Their inability to conceive had been devastating for him too. Once she’d had the miscarriage, she’d pushed him away. He was right. She’d stopped talking to him.

For the first time in all the years they’d been together, she truly felt connected to him. They were grieving together, for the mess their once beautiful marriage had turned into. She remembered how he’d been the only man who’d done everything and
anything to make her happy. The man who’d loved her and who she’d loved. The man she
still
loved. He slid a thumb over her cheek, removing the tear marking its way down to her jaw.

His head lowered, tentatively, almost as if he were afraid she’d reject him, until their faces were mere millimeters from each other. She held her breath and waited…and wanted. Oh God how she wanted. Her body silently begged for his caress. Hunger sparked in his eyes and turned his already handsome face into a decadent treat. It had been so long since they’d even done something as simple as kiss. Already her lips tingled, and he’d yet to touch her. Their gazes still locked, he nuzzled her lips, caressing hers with his own. She sighed and shut her eyes.

“I’m sorry too.” His voice was low, raspy. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Her heart flipped and butterflies took flight. Their lips met in a soft kiss. A different emotion than grief filled her heart—a longing for the man she’d loved and lost. The kiss deepened into a sensual mating of their tongues. He pulled away. His gaze sent waves of heat in her direction, the same kind she’d missed and desperately wanted back. He kissed her again, harder and more demanding. The feeling of his tongue sliding in and out made her body shudder. She moaned. Intense arousal flooded her core and expanded to each of her limbs. He nipped at her lips. Each small nibble dragged her further from reality and into the realm of need.

It became a mental strain to focus on anything other than him, his hands, and his lips and oh yes…his body. Since the first time she’d seen him, his body had done the unbelievable—it turned her hormones and sharp mind to mush. She’d missed him so damn much. The memories of the many lonely past months tugged at her heart. If only they could go back and change things.

He held her tighter to him, pressing his erection into her belly. She whimpered and shut down all thoughts. Only her need for him expanded in her mind. Her brain tried to tell her to stop, to think about what was going on. They were about to get a divorce, yet all her body wanted was to be filled by him. She almost growled when he pulled away from her.

Suppressed desire filled his gaze almost devouring her with its intensity. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Her nipples pebbled tight under her thin dress. If he’d asked that question a day before, or even a few hours back, she would’ve said no. After the things he’d shared, it was as if a new door had opened. She had no idea what this meant. With the situation at hand— a building falling around them —she didn’t want to think too much.

“Yes. I-I’ve missed you too.”  She’d more than missed him. Her world had fallen askew from the moment she’d left and had yet to right itself. She’d been half living knowing that her heart was still in tatters over the failed marriage. The failure she’d been to him as a wife. His mother had always condemned her for being a part-time wife. Her career should have come second to making a family. The idea had rooted in Ari’s brain and taken hold.

A rumble sounded outside the room. Somehow knowing he was there with her, it no longer upset her. Instead, it filled her with peace. If this was the end, then she was happy it was Nick who held her for these last few moments.

She wanted to feel his lips kissing her, his hands touching her, and his body possessing her, and she didn’t want to wait until the building fell around them. “Make love to me.”

Apparently that was all he needed to hear. With one swift move, he lifted her to the table. Blood thundered in her ears and made it hard for her to hear anything.
Only the pounding of her own harsh beats. His intense gaze ratcheted the tension in her core until electric currents ran down her body and pooled between her legs.  She trailed her fingers down the cotton T-shirt. While the soft material felt nice under her fingertips, what she wanted was his skin, his hot muscled skin. She slid her hands under the fabric and sighed.

For a second, time stopped.

Arousal flared bright, like the first time he’d touched her, growing to uncontrollable proportions.

He gripped the T-shirt, tugged it off his body, and revealed all the skin she’d loved to kiss. Her gaze slid over each bulge, ripple, and bulky muscle until she knew her arousal dripped on the table. Oh, boy. It was getting harder to think. She caressed his
pecs and his small tight nipples with her thumbs. He shuddered.

She glanced up, caught him biting his lip, and couldn’t stop herself. Leaning forward, she curled her nails into his biceps. The lovely muscles contracted. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear she was gripping steel. First, she rubbed her nose over his chest, inhaling his scent. He smelled so damn good. He’d been the only man who made her lose her ability to think since their first date. His was the first and only gaze that turned her body into an orgasm waiting to happen. 

“Oh, baby.”

Nick’s moan was a dose of kerosene to her already raging fire. Her pussy throbbed in need. She swiped her tongue over his chest. The hunger for him flourished into monstrous proportions. She had to have him. Twirling her tongue over his nipple, she licked and laved the little bud. His taste exploded on her tongue, hot sex and candy wrapped in warm caramel.
Delicious. Her body buzzed with happiness when he inhaled sharply and groaned. Good. Let him feel some of the desperation she felt. She grazed her teeth over his nipple, nibbling on the puckered flesh.

“Ari, baby... What are you doing to me?”

She wiggled on the table. What was she doing to
him
? How she wished it were that simple. He was the one that played her body with those magical fingers as if she were a musical instrument. Their lips met in another mind-muddling kiss. A more intense, hungry, and overpowering kiss. He lowered the straps on her dress and grazed his lips down to her chest. Each stroke with his mouth was a burn, a new brand he made with his lips, reclaiming what was already, and would always be…his. She wanted to tell him how much she’d missed him. How much she wanted him. How much she loved him still. All that came out was a soft whimper.

He continued to kiss and lick her chest while his hands lowered the zipper at her spine.  The fitted material slid down, releasing her breasts from its firm hold. Her lungs
quaked with each inhale. Taking a breath was nearly impossible when all she wanted to do was to stop and revel in the feel of his lips on her breast.

“Oh, Nick.” He probably didn’t hear her soft whisper. She could hardly hear her thoughts over the raucous hammering in the building. Or maybe that was her heart thumping the beats in her ears and fighting with her whimpers for the title of the loudest. He sucked her nipple into his mouth and flicked his wet tongue over it. She swore bright stars exploded behind her lids.

“
Yesss.
”

She was glad for his hand on her back when she arched her spine and pushed her breast deeper into his mouth. How her fingers ended up gripping his hair, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was that the soft strands in her fist increased the excitement buzzing in her blood.

“Please!” Sparkles of lust heated her to the core.

He kissed his way to her other breast, leaving a trail of licks along the way. Her body yearned for more.
For everything. It had been grueling when she left him. Her heart was still in a sad state of disrepair.  Now that he was once again bringing her to the heights of pleasure, everything felt lighter. As if a weight had magically lifted and things could somehow fix themselves.

We shouldn’t do this. We’re getting a divorce.
The thought broke through her hazy desire and tried to sober her into full mental consciousness. She pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on the here and now. He moved his hands to her knees, trailed his way up her thighs, and slowly lifted the skirt of her dress in the process.  Her breath hitched. He yanked the dress over her head and left her spread open and panting, wearing only the wet gold panties.

He fingered her over the damp material at her crotch. A shudder racked her when he rubbed the wet satin panties on her clit. Her legs shook, and minor explosions went off in her core.  Her lids fluttered closed.

“Fuck! Baby, you’re so hot. So wet.” He groaned into her swollen breast and grazed his teeth over her nipple. “I missed your sexy body doing this for me.” He sucked her and rubbed her pleasure nub harder. “Do you know how hot it was to feel your slick body gripping my cock while I drove into you?”

She was going to come. And she didn’t care how pathetic that made her look. His words were like the playback button on a DVD. Each of them turned into a visual of the things they’d done. Of every kiss, lick, and suck he’d ever given her.
Of his hands caressing her pussy like he was doing then. Of him driving deep and hard into her, making her knees shake and her body soar. He continued to rub her over the soaked material, over and over, until she was begging for more.

“Oh my—” She groaned. Her sex throbbed, desperate to be filled. Finally, when she swore she could take no more of his delicious torture, he pushed the wet satin to the side and dipped his calloused digits into her pussy, her muscles immediately flexing around his fingers.

Liquid lava spread through her body, scorching her blood with fervent need. She jerked her eyes open and glanced down. He drove her crazy with those possessive looks. An invisible bond linked them again. Silent tremors shook her and turned her blood to scorching fire. She tugged on his short hair and made him look up at her. Thick passionate energy swirled in his gaze.