No Bad Days Page 7

  “Can I take my shirt off, or will that make you uncomfortable?” he asked before flipping off the bathroom light.

  Is he serious? “Nothing about you makes me uncomfortable, Nick. You can take it off.”

  Without another word, he peeled off his shirt and tossed it on the floor before crawling over me to get on his side. Once he was under the covers, chills raced through me, even though his body heat warmed every inch of my exposed skin.

  “Jess.” From behind me, he breathed my name against my neck, his lips near my shoulder.

  I realized that if I turned to face him, we’d be practically mouth to mouth, but the way he said my name sounded so earnest, so sincere, I couldn’t resist. When I rolled over to face him, we were so close we shared the same air, and I tried to steady my racing heart. Even in the dark, I could see where he focused his gaze.

  “I like you,” he said, his gaze drinking in my lips.

  “I like you too.”

  That little affirmation was all Nick needed, and he reached for my hip at the same time his mouth brushed against mine.

  “Is this okay?” he whispered against my lips.

  When I nodded, trying not to tremble, his fingers deepened their grip on my hip as I moaned against him. His body was like fire, it was so hot, and hard in places I never realized that bodies could be hard before. Nick had muscles everywhere, and I liked the way they molded against all the softer parts of me.

  I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling at his hair and deepening our kiss. It was emotional, filled with desire, want, and need. But I wasn’t ready for anything more than kissing, and I knew instinctively that Nick wouldn’t push it.

  In that moment, I realized that I trusted him. After everything that had happened tonight, Nick had earned my trust faster and more completely than anyone ever had before.

  We held hands as we kissed, linking our fingers as we held on to each other as if we were afraid to let go. When we finally did break apart, I blinked hard, trying to steady my heart. There were no words for kisses like those; they were intimate, conveying a depth of emotion that forged bonds between us.

  I was afraid to say anything, not wanting to break the spell, hoping that if anyone broke the silence, it would be Nick. His breathing echoed my own, rapid and shallow.

  “Jess?” He said my name softly, giving it an unspoken question that floated between us in the darkness.

  “Yeah?” I inhaled deeply, trying to slow the breaths that still came out in quick bursts.

  “That was really nice.”

  I smiled, so glad he couldn’t see the blush I knew was creeping into my cheeks. “It was something, all right, but I’m not sure I’d call it nice.”

  Nick laughed and leaned forward to press his lips against my forehead. “I don’t know what else to call it without ruining the moment.”

  He was probably right. Calling it hot wouldn’t have fit, nor would anything else I could think of. Nice would have to do.

  “Good night, Jess.”

  “Good night, Nick.”

  He sighed as he wrapped his arms around me, and I closed my eyes and dreamed of him.

  I woke up the next morning emotionally spent, yet also refreshed. It was a contradictory feeling that I didn’t understand at first until memories of every moment from last night hit me at once.

  How would I ever be the same after everything that had happened? Not only because of the altercation at the party, but because of how Nick handled it, how he handled me. I’d never been in that kind of situation before—thank God—so I wasn’t sure what other guys normally did. But I was pretty certain that almost strangling someone with your bare hands probably wasn’t the most normal reaction. Then again, what did I know about guys and their tempers?

  I felt connected to Nick now. He’d comforted me, taken care of me, fought for me. He made me feel safe, and I never knew before last night that a guy could make you feel like that. Honestly, I never knew before last night that I wanted to feel that way.

  Focusing my sleepy eyes on my bedroom wall, I’d almost forgotten that I’d asked Nick to stay with me until I rolled over and practically crashed into his hard stomach. His arm moved around me and he pulled my body against his. I was certain he was still asleep until his lips curled into a devilish smile.

  I swatted at his chest. “Nick, are you awake?”

  “If I say no, will you stay like this?” he asked, knowing damn well what was currently pressing against my thigh.

  Smiling, I tried to pull away from him, but he held me in place. “Nick,” I said with a groan.

  “Jess.” He groaned back, mimicking me.

  When his eyes opened and he stared at me, drinking me in, I wasn’t sure how I stopped myself from quivering, because that look sent a fire through every part of me.

  “I’m going to kiss you now.”

  It wasn’t a request, yet it wasn’t a demand either. Nick’s words were simple, direct, and non-negotiable.

  My eyes closed instinctively as I parted my lips and waited for him. The bed moved under me as Nick got closer. His thumb stroked the length of my cheek before brushing across my lips.

  “Do you know how beautiful you are?”

  I dipped my head but said nothing, squeezing my eyes shut a little tighter. I wasn’t great at accepting compliments, and this was no exception. His breath was closing in, I could feel his exhale around me, and yet I still waited for the feel of his lips. When his hands moved away from my face, his mouth was suddenly there, meeting mine.

  God, his lips were soft. So soft.

  We kissed until we found our rhythm and fell into it, our bodies coming together, touching and stroking as we explored each other, everything working in unison as if we were made for each other. Kissing Nick was like eating your favorite ice cream on a hot summer day—taste-bud overload and way too good to stop.

  His hands threaded through my hair as my fingers found themselves firmly embedded in his shoulder blades. Our movements were sensual, slow, and passionate, both of us taking our time to explore the kiss, the curve of each other’s back, the hardness of muscle. I squeaked when he accidentally bit my bottom lip, and he pulled away, a smirk on his face.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, practically out of breath. “But we should probably get ready for class.”

  His grin stayed put as he glanced between us, his gaze roaming the parts of me that weren’t covered by my sleep attire. “Mind if I shower?”

  I caught my bottom lip between my teeth and bit down. “Go ahead. There’s an extra towel under the sink.”

  “Extra toothbrushes, extra towels . . . I almost think you’ve done this before,” he said playfully as he headed for the bathroom, and I blushed at the thought that he might actually believe that.

  “I’m kidding,” he said.

  When he closed the door behind him and turned on the shower, I reached for my pillow and squealed into it, trying to hide the stupid excitement I felt at Nick Fisher being naked in my shower.

  A light knock on my door startled me. Rachel must be home.

  “Come in,” I said softly, not wanting Nick to hear.

  Rachel poked her head around the door, her eyes wide as she scanned the room. “Is that Nick in the shower? I saw his truck outside.”

  I smiled. “He stayed the night.”

  “I can tell that, dummy. Oh my gosh, he loves you, doesn’t he?”

  “Shut up. He took me home after something happened at the party.” I swallowed, realizing that my best friend didn’t know yet.

  She sat down and stole a quick glance at the bathroom door, which was still closed. “I knew he took you home, but what do you mean, something happened? What happened?”

  “This guy attacked me at the party. I mean, he didn’t really attack me, but he sort of did. I don’t know.” I shook my head. “He wouldn’t let me go, and he tried to kiss me. It sounds so stupid when I say it out loud.”

  Rachel gave me a concerned
look. “It does not sound stupid. Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “Nick stopped him.”

  “Really?”

  “I thought he was going to kill him.”

  Her lips curled into a snarl. “Should have let him.”

  “I’m serious.” I swatted her shoulder.

  “So am I.”

  The shower turned off and Rachel hopped off the bed. “I’ll go. I’ll talk to you later. You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “I think so,” I said right as the door opened and Nick stepped out, drying his hair.

  Gossip and Girls

  Jess

  Nick held my hand as we walked from my dorm toward the tall white buildings in the distance. When I shivered in the cool morning air, Nick pulled me against him, our bodies fitting side by side as if they were made for each other.

  Once the campus sidewalks were more crowded, he held on even tighter. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it wasn’t that. I sort of figured that once other people came into view, he’d let go of my hand. But I was wrong. And if I thought that last night was a one-time thing or a fluke, he was proving otherwise with every step we took.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  I nodded, a small smile playing on my lips.

  I was more than okay. What had happened at the party had rattled me, but it could have been so much worse. And it had been for other girls; I knew that for a fact. But right now, being with Nick like this made everything better.

  Two guys that Nick apparently knew fell into step beside us and said hi to me before asking Nick what happened to him last night.

  He shrugged. “I took Jess home and stayed with her.”

  They whooped and hollered before offering him high-fives. He shrugged at me before giving in to them with a shit-eating grin on his face.

  “Um, hello! I’m standing right here.” I pretended to pout, so the guys turned to me and offered me high-fives as well. I laughed as I slapped their hands in quick succession.

  “Idiots,” Nick said as they walked away in the other direction.

  “But they’re your idiots.” I leaned into him.

  “So are you,” he said, and I smacked his shoulder.

  “I’m not an idiot,” I said through my laughter. “Well, I am holding your hand right now, sooo . . .”

  “So that makes you the smartest girl on campus. Obviously.” He pulled my hand toward his mouth and planted a quick kiss on the back of it.

  Whispers swirled around us as we walked, and I couldn’t help but notice the looks we were getting. People seemed to be noting our locked hands, not that this was unusual for Nick, but it still tended to attract unwanted attention. I tried to pretend that no one else was around, but it was hard to ignore the death stares.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Nick asked as my body tensed.

  “It’s just the girls. They’re all staring.”

  “Let ’em stare.” He stopped walking and pulled me against him. “Or we can really give them something to stare at.”

  “Stop,” I said, unable to stop smiling.

  “I think you’re embarrassed to be seen with me, Jess Michaelson.”

  “Well, you are wildly unattractive.”

  He choked on his laughter as he dropped my hand, and I almost started running away from him, but quickly realized that he’d only chase me if I did that. Running from Nick wouldn’t be a good attention-avoiding tactic.

  Nick stood in place and pressed a hand to his heart as I started walking again toward our class. “You wound me, Jess.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’ll recover,” I shouted back at him, and he jogged to catch up. “See? All better.”

  His smile seemed to grow even wider as he raced ahead to reach the building’s door before I did. He pulled it open and waved me inside.

  “Such a gentleman.”

  He cleared his throat. “It’s knight in shining armor, thank you very much.”

  I huffed out a quick laugh. “My bad. I forgot.”

  We took our regular seats as Professor Manal started his lecture, his fingers weaving through his long dark beard while he talked. Nick rested his hand on top of my knee.

  How was I supposed to concentrate on anything with him touching me like that? I turned my head to glance at him, but he was staring at me.

  “What?” I whispered, feeling the heat rise into my face.

  “Nothing,” he whispered back. “You’re fun.”

  The professor cleared his throat, and I glanced up to find him glaring at us . . . again.

  Crap.

  Nick squeezed my knee, his lips pressed together as he tried not to laugh. I was too scared to do anything, but he leaned toward me. “You heard me, right?”

  “I heard you. You’re fun too,” I whispered back.

  Professor Manal hopped down from the small stage he lectured on and immediately headed our way.

  “Ten.” Frowning, he stalked toward the last row where Nick and I sat. “Nine. Eight. Seven.” He pointed at the two of us and then at the door, all while continuing the countdown.

  Confused, I turned toward Nick, mortification flooding through me.

  The professor rapped his knuckles on my desk and pointed at the door once more. “Five. Four. Three.”

  After grabbing my bag, I rushed toward the door and left the classroom just as Professor Manal called out, “One!”

  Nick burst through the door right behind me, and I exhaled a relieved breath. We waited for Professor Manal to come out of the classroom and give us a lecture, or yell at us, but he never did. We stood in the hallway outside the classroom and waited a few seconds more.

  “Did we just get kicked out of class?” Nick asked.

  “I think so. Who gets kicked out of a college class? I didn’t even think that could happen.” I started pacing back and forth, trying not to freak out.

  “Well, shit. Breakfast?” he asked before tossing an arm around my shoulders.

  “I guess so.” I didn’t really think I could eat, but what else was I going to do?

  We walked like that toward the student union, his arm draped across me, until Nick burst out laughing. I stopped walking to just smile at him, unable to help myself.

  “I can’t believe that just happened,” he choked out, still laughing. “I know everyone in that fucking class. I’m going to get so much shit later.”

  Frowning, I folded my arms over my chest. “Well, maybe you should learn how to behave.”

  “I think it’s your fault we got kicked out. I’ve never been kicked out of a class before, and I’ve been here two years longer than you. So by deduction, this is all your fault,” he said, pretending to be serious.

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I’ll take the blame. I can handle it, since you obviously can’t.”

  “You’re so mean to me.” He jutted out his bottom lip, and I fought the urge to attack it with my mouth in public.

  “You like it,” I teased, and forced myself to look away from his mouth.

  “I might.” He dropped his arm from my shoulder and reached for my hand, pulling me into the student union.

  Sitting across from Nick a few minutes later, I watched as he inhaled a plateful of eggs, bacon, and hash browns.

  “Sure you’re not hungry?” he asked as he swallowed.

  “I’m sure,” I said, eyeing the separate plate of toast he hadn’t touched yet.

  After taking another bite, he shifted in his seat and looked at me. “What?”

  “Just wondering where it all goes,” I said without thinking.

  He winked. “I’ll show you sometime.”

  “Gross.”

  “Kidding.”

  I pushed out of my seat and stood. “I actually should go to the library. I need to research a paper I’m working on, and you’re distracting.”

  “Really? I haven’t even tried to distract you yet.” He gave me a cocky smirk as he took a bite of his toast.

  I waved my hand toward him. “Your whole being is distra
cting.”

  “My whole being?” He laughed. “So is yours. Come on, I’ll walk you.”

  He stood up and took his leftovers to the trash, dumping them in the appropriate receptacles. The library was right next door to the student union, so it seemed like we arrived there in two seconds.

  We stopped at the entrance, and Nick seemed different. Something odd suddenly filled the space between us, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked, wondering what had just happened.

  He shifted his weight. “Yeah. No, it’s nothing. I’ll see you later, okay?” He leaned over and planted a quick kiss on my lips.

  “Are you sure?” I felt uneasy, like there was something he wasn’t telling me, but I had no clue what.

  Flashing his trademark smile, he said, “Sorry, I just remembered something I had to do. It’s no big deal.”

  Confused, I murmured, “Okay.”

  “I’ll talk to you later,” he said as he walked away.

  I watched him go before I turned and walked through the library doors.

  I stayed at the library until my next class, and once that ended, I headed back to the library. My professor had insisted that we use actual books for reference on this paper, not just the Internet. Admittedly, I sort of loved that we had to do that. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone into the library to do actual research. It was pretty cool.

  By the time I got home, it was dark. Rachel was already in the shower, prepping for Friday night.

  Rubbing my eyes, I pulled a premade salad out of the fridge and headed for the couch, where I plopped down.

  “Jess?” Rachel shouted my name from her bedroom. It almost sounded like a question, as if she wasn’t sure if I was home.

  “I’m here,” I said, not wanting to move from my comfortable spot in the living room.

  She came out of her bedroom, holding her cell phone, and stopped just outside her door. “So,” she said, then hesitated.