I Choose You Read online

  He was one sexy man.

  When the band began to play a slower song, Kent gathered her into his arms and they swayed to the music.

  Nicole’s head rested against his strong chest, and she enjoyed the feel of being in Kent’s arms.

  They danced for hours, and didn’t end up leaving until the band started to pack up at the end of their set.

  They rode back to Nicole’s apartment in a comfortable silence, and Nicole replayed the evening they’d just spent together, over in her mind.

  Nicole came back to reality when they pulled into her place and Kent said softly, “We’re here.”

  He walked her to her door, and they both paused before she went inside.

  “I had a wonderful time. Thank you so much for everything,” Nicole said as she looked up at him.

  “It was my pleasure,” Kent replied as he reached a hand up and gently touched her hair. “You’re so beautiful.”

  Nicole felt her face grow warm with pleasure and started to deny his claim, but stopped when he reached his other hand out to touch the side of her face. He leaned in slowly to taste her lips with his.

  Nicole felt like she’d been waiting for this moment for months. Without thinking, she reached her hands up to pull his head in closer, moaning softly as she opened her mouth and greedily invited him in.

  Kent paused for a moment, shocked at her response, then his instincts took over and he pushed her up against the door. His hands moved lower to explore her body, and they both got swept away in the moment.

  When his hand brushed the underside of her breast, she turned her head to catch her breath, causing him to stop and back up a step.

  “Sorry,” Kent said quietly. He ran his hands over his face in an effort to gain a semblance of control. “I didn’t mean to move so fast.”

  Nicole smoothed out her dressed, then looked up at him with a smile. “You don’t have to apologize; I enjoyed every bit of that kiss.” With that said, she gave him an embarrassed smile, then leaned in to give him one more quick kiss on the lips, before opening her door and going inside. “Goodnight.”

  “Night,” Kent replied as she shut the door.

  He stood there for a minute, his body screaming out at the loss. Taking it slow with Nicole was going to be harder than he thought.

  He was going to have to go home and take a cold shower.

  Chapter Seven

  Nicole and Roni decided to have a small housewarming party, and invited everyone over after work. They didn’t want anything big, just a small gathering with drinks and appetizers.

  They cleaned up and prepped everything before work, so they would just have to come home and get changed.

  Nicole finished getting ready first, so she was setting the food out on the counter when the first knock sounded on their door.

  She tucked a stray stand of golden hair behind her hair, and opened the door. She was caught off guard when Kent swept her up and kissed her until she was breathless.

  When he put her down she was laughing.

  “What was that for?” She asked.

  “I missed you today,” Kent said softly, as he bent to plant a kiss right below her ear.

  Nicole shivered slightly and admitted, “I missed you too.”

  He pulled away and smiled into her eyes. “Good.”

  “Really?” Roni asked incredulously as she walked out of her room. “We’re about to have our first party, Kent, it’s not make out time.”

  Kent wiggled his eyebrows at his sister.

  “Oh, it’s always make out time.”

  He grabbed her by the waist and started to pepper her face with kisses. Roni broke out in laughter, and yelled, “Uncle.”

  Nicole smiled and felt a moment of envy at how close the twins were. Her family seemed so cold in comparison.

  Kent released Roni when there was another knock on the door. Roni tried to smooth out her hair and clothes before she opened it.

  “Hey,” Kara said, giving Roni a quick hug as she and Pete came inside. She held out a bottle of wine and said, “This is for you guys.”

  “Thanks,” Nicole said, as she walked over to hug both Kara and Pete. “Thanks for coming.”

  She was showing them to the kitchen when some more people from work showed up at the door. Roni greeted their guests, and Nicole began to make sure everyone had a drink.

  Kent came up behind her in the kitchen and thanked her when she handed him a glass of crown and coke.

  “How’d you know this is my drink?” He asked her when he took his first sip.

  “I pay attention,” She responded with a sly smile.

  Kent leaned over and nuzzled her neck.

  “You’re a good hostess.”

  “Oh, my momma made sure of that,” she replied wryly.

  He watched her as she passed out drinks to her guests and wondered about her comment.

  Kent moved to the couch and started a conversation with Pete about football. He enjoyed talking with the other man. Pete always had a kind word for everyone, had a good sense of humor, and was a killer poker player. He was one of the people in town that Kent could really call a friend.

  As they talked, Kent watched Nicole work the room, and wondered again about her earlier statement. It was obvious from the way she carried herself, that she’d had a very different upbringing than he had. He couldn’t imagine his mother ever being so at ease entertaining in her home. He found himself comparing his life with Nicole’s. He was sure that they were from different worlds and wondered what she would think of him if she knew where he came from.

  When he saw her slip into her room, he excused himself from his conversation with Pete and followed her.

  Nicole grabbed the lip gloss off of her dresser and applied it, before turning to go back into the living room. She stopped when she saw Kent enter the room.

  He stepped inside and closed the door, leaning against it as he smiled.

  “You sure know how to work a room. I don’t know why, but the way you move is really hot. I’ve been waiting for the chance to get you alone,” he pushed up off of the door and walked over to her, offering her the glass of wine he’d poured for her.

  “Thanks,” Nicole said as she took a sip of the chilled wine. “Mmmm, that’s good.”

  “I noticed you were so busy serving everyone else, that you never had a chance to enjoy a glass yourself.”

  “Well, a good hostess has to make sure her guests are happy.”

  Kent looked at her quizzically. “That’s the second time you’ve made mention of that. Tell me.” He said simply, and gestured for her to sit.

  She looked at the closed door, then back at him. “I guess it’s okay to disappear for a minute.”

  Kent chuckled at her response as he settled on the bed next to her.

  Nicole knew that she would to have to tell him about herself eventually, and figured now was as good a time as ever. She hoped it wouldn’t totally change the way he saw her, and that he would still want to date her once she told him everything.

  She took another sip of wine, then took a deep breath, before looking at him and saying, “I grew up in Dallas, as you know. My parents are very wealthy and enrolled me in private schools. They are very active in the church and had high expectations for me and my future.”

  Nicole figured it was best to tell him everything at once, but felt the nerves bouncing in her belly in anticipation of his reaction. She really liked him.

  “What kind of expectations,” he prodded.

  “They wanted me to go to SAGU, study Youth Ministries, get married, and start a congregation with my husband as the minister.” She spit it out quickly, in one breath, then took a sip of wine and looked at him over her glass.

  Kent brushed her hair back in assurance, then asked, “Did they have the husband picked out?”

  “Yeah, Jake,” She felt a small pang in her heart when she said his name. He’d meant so much to her for so long, she found that she missed the friendship they’d shared.


  “We started dating in high school, and he fit the mold perfectly. We were engaged for three years and everything was going according to plan until I got to school.”

  “What happened at school?”

  “It was my first time being out on my own, away from my parents, and I began to realize how controlling they were and that their dreams weren’t necessarily my dreams. I changed my major to English without telling them, and I fell in love with my creative writing courses. As I got closer to graduation, I began to understand that Jake’s dreams mirrored my parents, not my own, and that I didn’t love him in the way a woman should love her future husband.”

  “Wow,” Kent said, taking her hand in his. “How did they take the news?”

  “Well, I haven’t spoken to my parents or Jake since the day I told them that I no longer wanted to get married or work in the church, so I guess they didn’t take it very well,” Nicole said with a dry laugh.

  “I think it’s admirable that you were strong enough to give up everything you knew to start fresh and do what you want,” Kent said, his finger caressing the top of her hand.

  “There’s something else you need to know,” Nicole began, a little more confident after his easy acceptance of what she’d shared so far.

  “What is it?” He asked, curious at what else she could tell him about her past.

  “Well, I said my family is religious, and they raised me with strong Christian values, which I still live by.” Nicole stopped, suddenly overcome by nerves at the thought of his rejection.

  “Go on,” Kent prodded.

  “I was raised to believe that sex should be shared between a husband and a wife. I’m a virgin… and I’ll remain a virgin until my wedding night.” Nicole spit it out as quickly as she could, then watched Kent’s face for his reaction.

  His finger stilled on her hand, and his facial expression remained frozen as he processed what she had just told him.

  A virgin.

  Kent looked at her stunning face, surrounded by her beautiful long blonde hair, which currently covered the most stunning pair of breasts he’d ever seen.

  He felt suddenly bereft at the realization that no matter what kind of relationship he strove to have with Nicole, he would probably never get to have sex with her.

  He’d seen what an unhappy marriage looked like, he’d grown up in the middle of one, and he’d always told himself that marriage was probably not in his future. He didn’t want to take the chance of ending up like his parents, and he knew that he had to keep Roni as his number one priority. No woman he knew would ever accept coming in number two to his twin.

  Kent cleared his throat awkwardly, as he thought about what to say.

  Did he want to get to know Nicole better?

  Yes.

  Did he think she was funny, beautiful and fascinating?

  Yes.

  Did he think they had the potential to have a good relationship?

  Yes.

  Could he spend the unforeseen future with Nicole, and not have sex with her?

  Not have sex with anyone?

  “I know it’s a lot to take in in one night,” Nicole started. Her stomach dropped at his silence. She needed to let him off the hook and get some space before he could tell she was upset. “You don’t have to say anything. I get it. You’re a very good-looking, single man, and you didn’t realize that sex was off the table when you asked me out. Don’t worry about it; let’s get back to the party.”

  In that moment he realized that, yes, he could handle it. She was worth the nights of torment that he was sure to have.

  He put his hand out to stop her from leaving when she rose.

  “I hope you don’t think so little of me, to believe that I’d run off because you’re a virgin. I think it’s great that you have such strong beliefs, not many people do nowadays.”

  A smile broke out across her face, leaving Kent momentarily breathless at her beauty.

  “Really?” She asked slowly, to allow him the chance to change his mind if he wanted to.

  Kent stood up and pulled her into a hug.

  “Yes, really. You’re an amazing woman, Nic, and I want to continue to spend time with you.”

  Nicole pulled back and smiled.

  “I’m so happy to hear you say that,” She admitted.

  “We’d better get back to the party.” Kent said, picking up their glasses.

  “Okay,” Nicole replied, and took the hand he offered to escort her back out into the living room.

  Chapter Eight

  A couple days after their housewarming party, Nicole got up early to meet Kent for a hike on the outskirts of town.

  She had worked the last few nights, and he had deadlines to meet, so they hadn’t been able to find any time together.

  She was excited to see him again, but couldn’t help but be a little worried. The last time she’d seen him was when she’d told him she was a virgin. They’d talked and texted a couple times over the past few days, but he’d seemed a little distant.

  When the knock came, she was in the living room ready to go. She let him wait a few seconds, so she didn’t seem too eager, but her heart leapt when she opened the door.

  Kent’s work-out clothes accentuated his well-defined muscles, and showed plenty of tanned skin.

  When Nicole’s eyes finally made it Kent’s face, she smiled brightly at him.

  “Hi.”

  “Hey, Nic,” Kent returned her smile. “You ready?”

  She turned to grab her water bottle, and he groaned at the site of her perfectly rounded ass in her spandex shorts. He felt his body tighten in response, and wondered how he was going to make it through the day.

  Nicole walked out, leaving him to shut the door and follow her down the stairs.

  Her hair was swept up in a high pony tail that swung back and forth. Kent tried to focus on her hair, rather than the sway of her other body parts as she bounded down the stairs.

  The drive to the trail was a short one, but it gave them enough time to catch up on their days apart.

  “Kara asked me if I want to go with her to Austin this weekend to see Bree and Colin. We have the same days off this week, so we thought it would be fun to go and see their new place,” Nicole said.

  Kent was silent for a moment, then replied, “That’s cool. I’m sure you’ll have fun. Austin’s a great city.”

  “I’ve never been there, and I’ve always wanted to go, so I’m excited. Plus, I really want to see Bree again.”

  Kent just nodded. Nicole figured she’d better change the subject. “How’s your week been?”

  “My boss has actually been talking about retiring. I don’t know what his plans are for the paper, but I’m going to approach him about taking over the paper myself. I know I don’t have a lot of experience, but I think I can bring a lot to the table, and I have a vision of where I want the paper to go.”

  “That’s wonderful, Kent,” Nicole hoped that meant that there was a chance he would stop looking for jobs in other places, but she didn’t feel confident enough to ask him. She didn’t want it to look like she was pressuring him.

  He parked his Mustang and they got out and began to stretch. Kent tried to focus on something other than Nicole as she bent and flexed her limber body, but he couldn’t stop his eyes from taking in the sight of her. He closed his eyes as he finished warming up.

  “Ready?” He asked once they’d stretched for a few minutes.

  Nicole smiled and nodded.

  Kent motioned to the left, to indicate what direction the trail began, and they took off at a brisk pace to begin their hike.

  Kent cleared his throat and tried to will the fog in his brain to fade away.

  “So, Nic,” He began, “You said that you’re a writer, what do you write?”

  Nicole stumbled a bit and felt the heat begin to rise up her neck. She hadn’t been kidding when she’d said she’d never told anyone that she wanted to write. She knew she could trust Kent, but she was wor
ried that she was falling too hard, too fast.

  “I write fiction, Horror actually.”

  Kent stopped walking, causing her to stop and turn to look at him.

  “Horror?” He asked, looking slightly amazed. “You are full of surprises, aren’t you?”

  He started walking again and she fell into step behind him, her face flush with uncertainty.

  “Is that a good thing?” She asked.

  Kent grinned down at her, “With you… Yeah, it’s.”

  Nicole couldn’t help but return his grin.

  They picked up the pace as they started up an incline.

  “Have you finished anything?” He asked.

  “Yes, actually, I have,” Nicole admitted. “I have finished the first draft and I’ve been editing it.”

  “Is that what you were doing on your computer when I brought you the flowers?”

  “Yeah,” She said as she smiled at the memory. “I was so focused that I didn’t know it was you that came in my room.”

  “That’s amazing, Nic.” Kent replied. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re going after your dreams. You’re very focused. I think we have that in common?”

  “Oh? Why do you say that?” Nicole asked him.

  Kent figured after everything she had told him about herself, he needed to open up a little bit as well, no matter how much he hated talking about his personal life.

  “Well, I’ve always known that I didn’t want to live the way my parents did, so I’ve worked my whole life to make sure that didn’t happen.”

  He stopped and offered her his hand, then helped her over a small crevice in the path.

  “How do you mean?” Nicole asked, intrigued to learn something new about him.

  “My parents never saved a dime and we were always scraping by. My dad couldn’t hold a job, so my mom would get odd jobs cleaning houses or babysitting, meanwhile, Roni and I would go days without eating. When I got old enough to start mowing lawns, I vowed that Roni would never go hungry again. I also promised myself that I would be smarter with my money, and I would never be worried about where my next paycheck was coming from.”

  Nicole slowed down and took his hand in hers. “I think the way you look out for Roni is wonderful, and I’m amazed at the strength you had at such a young age.”