I Choose You Read online

  Overcome by need unlike anything he’d ever know, Kent watched as Nicole bucked against her hand and came apart in front of him.

  Her head was thrown back, eyes closed, and her face was full of pleasure.

  Nicole was breathing heavily as she slowly still, brought her head down and opened her eyes. She smiled shyly at him and leaned in to kiss him with her swollen lips.

  When their bodies touched, she realized that he was still rock hard. His hands were red and taunt as the struggled to keep his hands where he’d promised, but he’d never been so close to the insanity he felt at that moment.

  “Touch me,” he said softly, his voice strained.

  Nicole paused momentarily, before she moved her shaky hands to the front of his pants and undid the button of his jeans. She unzipped them slowly, the hiss that exited his mouth matching the hiss of his zipper.

  She looked up at him again, for affirmation, then eased her hands into the opening in his boxer briefs.

  Kent’s breath caught as her smooth hand touched his pulsing shaft. Her touch was gentle and unsure, the combination of which drove Kent crazy. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for his release. Kent was amazed at the pleasure he experienced at her touch, but was relieved to finally be satiated.

  They both laid back, struggling to catch their breath, both of them smiling, before Kent reached out and pulled Nicole to him. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her, before running his hands up and down her body.

  “God, I really wanted to touch you.” Kent admitted as he smiled against her lips.

  “I trust you, Kent. You don’t have to be afraid with me,” Nicole said as she lay back down and rested her head against his chest, his arms cradling her.

  Kent didn’t say anything, he just ran his hands through her silky hair, as he realized that he’d never felt about anyone, the way he felt about Nicole. He couldn’t help but worry that someone like him had no right to be with someone as pure as her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  When Kent woke up the next morning, he could still smell Nicole’s shampoo on his pillow. He inhaled deeply and smiled, moving his hand along the sheet and opening his eyes when he realized he was alone.

  He turned to lie on his back and stretched as his eyes began to focus and he became fully awake.

  He heard sounds coming from the kitchen, and started to catch the faint smell of bacon drifting from beneath his bedroom door.

  He swung his long legs over the side of his bed and ran his hands through his hair to try and tame it a bit before reaching for his jeans and pulling them up over his body.

  He opened the door and paused, taking in the site of Nicole working in his kitchen. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she was wearing the t-shirt he had given her to sleep in last night.

  It came to just above her knees.

  She was fresh-faced and singing along to a song on the radio that was playing softly in the kitchen.

  She looked amazing.

  He walked up behind her and kissed her softly on the exposed side of her neck.

  Nicole paused and turned into him, allowing him to take her in his arms, and turned her face upwards for a kiss.

  Kent bent and kissed her softly, closing his eyes briefly to enjoy the sensation of her lips against his.

  “Good morning,” He said against her lips and he pulled slowly away. Reveling in the feel of her lush body pressed against his.

  “Morning,” she replied with a smile. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  She turned back to the pans on the stove, flipping the bacon and scattering shredded cheese over the scrambled eggs.

  “Starving,” He responded, nuzzling her neck one more time before moving to the coffee maker. “This looks great.”

  He poured himself some coffee, then leaned against the counter, watching Nicole plate their breakfast as he drank it black.

  “Can I help you with anything?” He offered.

  “You can help me carry the stuff to the table,” she replied, gesturing towards the condiments she had available on the counter.

  They took everything over to the table, then sat down to enjoy their breakfast.

  Nicole smiled at him over the rim of her coffee; the look in his eye caused his heart to thump loudly in his chest.

  He took a few bites and grinned back at her.

  “Delicious!”

  “I’m glad you like it,” she admitted.

  They ate in a comfortable silence, until Nicole said tentatively, “Kent?”

  “”Something on your mind, Nic?”

  “Well, I know it’s kinda soon, but I got a text from my mother this morning,” She began, then stopped mid-sentence to gauge his reaction. He nodded slightly, indicating she should go on. “Her forty-fifth birthday is next weekend, and she’s throwing herself her usual self-indulgent party. She wants me to come, and since I haven’t been back home since I walked out and moved here, I feel like I should at least show up. You know, to see if I can salvage our relationship.”

  “Yeah, I get it,” Kent replied. “You should go and celebrate with your parents.”

  “The thing is… I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go with me.” This she said with a shrug of her shoulders and a hopeful smile.

  Kent felt his stomach begin to knot as her request sunk in. He didn’t do well with parents, and from everything he’d heard about hers, he doubted that he was the type of guy they had in mind for their celestial daughter.

  “I don’t know, Nic,” He replied, trying to figure out how he could get out of this without upsetting her. Lord knew he hated the thought of spending time with his own parents, let alone meeting hers.

  “Please?” Nicole pleaded. “I wouldn’t ask, but I’m, terrified of going by myself. I haven’t seen my parents since I ruined their dreams for me, and I’m sure that she will invite Jake in an effort to get us back together. I’d be able to handle it a lot better if you were there with me.”

  His stomach turned at the mention of her ex, and he was torn between the fact that he really, really, didn’t want to go, and the possibility of her parents or ex upsetting her.

  “I don’t know that my being there will make things easier for you, Nic.” Kent reasoned.

  “It will, truly.” Nicole promised.

  Kent could only imagine the kind of people that would be at her mother’s party… The kind of people that would have looked at him and his family with pity and contempt.

  As uncomfortable as he knew he would be at the party, he looked at her sweet face, so full of hope, and couldn’t bring himself to deny her request.

  “Okay,” Kent said reluctantly, smiling when she let out a squeal of delight. “But we’re just going there for the party and coming back. I don’t want to stay for the entire weekend.”

  “No problem,” Nicole agreed, jumping up from her chair and settling on his lap. “Thank you so much! This means the world to me.”

  She peppered his face with kisses, causing him to chuckle, then grasped his face in her hands and deepened the kiss.

  His arms came up around her, holding her tightly to him, as the need began to build within him.

  Nicole pulled back slightly, smiling down at him, her hands caressing the hair at the nape of his neck.

  “I’m going to owe you big time for this,” She said with a devious grin.

  “I’m sure I can think of a few ways you can repay me,” Kent countered. He lifted her easily as he stood, and carried her back to his bed, as she nibbled softly on his ear.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nicole turned to wave at Kent as he drove away. She opened the front door and was surprised to be met by a blast of music.

  She looked around when she walked in, and was surprised to see the living room furniture pushed up against the wall and Roni dancing fluidly around the room.

  Nicole stopped and watched, unaware that the door was still open, or that she’d dropped her purse to the ground.

  Roni was an amazing
dancer.

  Nicole was swept away by the emotion of the music and the gracefulness of Roni’s movement.

  She was speechless.

  When the music ended, Nicole eyes filled. She was so moved that she sniffed, as her nose began to run, causing Roni to turn to where she stood.

  “Hey,” Roni said, breathless. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “My gosh, Roni, you’re amazing,” Nicole gushed. “How come you never mentioned that you were a dancer?”

  Roni picked up a towel from the table and wiped her brow as she walked past Nicole to shut the front door.

  “I haven’t danced in a few years,” Roni admitted. “Hank wanted me to stop, so I did. I realized how much I missed it, and decided to give it another try.”

  Roni sat on one of their chairs at the table, drawing her knees up against her chest, and looked at Nicole with a smile of pure pleasure.

  “It was even better than I remembered!”

  Nicole pulled out a chair and sat down facing Roni.

  “You’re very talented.”

  “Thanks,” Roni replied as she took a drink from her water bottle. “I’d always dreamed of become a professional dancer, but then I met Hank in high school.”

  “What happened?” Nicole asked encouragingly.

  “I fell in love,” Roni said mockingly. “I was stupid… I don’t know what Kent has told you about our childhood, but it wasn’t ideal. When Hank started talking to me in high school, I was swept away. I couldn’t believe that he actually liked me.”

  Roni paused and took another drink, as if she needed a moment before she could finish her story.

  “Kent has always been there for me, but I knew he was leaving right after graduation. He wanted me to go with him, but once I met Hank, I couldn’t imagine leaving him behind. Kent wasn’t happy about it, but he respected my decision, so he went off to school, and I stayed back with Hank. Once I graduated, my parents said I had to get out of the house, so Hank and I got married and moved into a little trailer in Detroit.

  Just a JP deal. He made me quit dancing almost immediately. He said it was too much money and it took me away from him and the house, so I quit. I really wish I hadn’t.” Some of the joy left Roni’s face, and she started to peel the label off of her water bottle.

  “What happened?” Nicole asked, curious, but reluctant to pry.

  “Let’s just say he wasn’t the man that I thought he was. We were together for about three years, then I finally worked up the courage to call Kent and tell him what was going on. He came to get me right away. I thought he was going to kill Hank when he got there, but I didn’t want them to fight, I just wanted to leave.”

  “Oh my gosh, Roni. I’m so sorry that you had to deal with that. I’m happy that you were able to get out when you did.”

  Roni looked down, then shook her head as if trying to regain her composure. She looked back up and looked Nicole in the eyes.

  “I’ll never let a man control me like that again. When we were dating, Hank said all the right things and I was sure he was the love of my life… I won’t make the same mistake again.”

  Nicole nodded and stood up to walk around the table and give Roni a hug.

  “You’re amazing,” Nicole said as she held Roni tightly. “Please, never stop dancing again. You have a gift.”

  “Thanks,” Roni replied, looking up over her shoulder with a sheepish smile.

  “What are you thinking of doing?” Nicole asked as she sat back down across from Roni. “Are there any dance studios in town?”

  “No, I looked,” Roni replied. “That’s why I rearranged our living room. I looked online and was hoping there would be a place nearby that I could join, but there isn’t anything in town. The closest studio is in Austin.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” Nicole responded thoughtfully. “Well, feel free to rearrange the living room however you’d like. We’ll have to be on the lookout and see if there is a better place in town for you to get back into it full time, if that’s what you want.”

  Roni smiled at that and replied, “Well, I’m a little old now to have a professional career, but I definitely want to train again.”

  “Whatever you decide to do, I’ll help in any way I can.”

  Roni smiled, then looked unsure before asking, “So, what’s up with you and my brother? Please, no details or anything, because that would be gross, but… Are you happy?”

  Nicole couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face at the mention of Kent.

  “Yes, I’m very happy. Your brother is wonderful and I can’t believe he hasn’t been scooped up by someone by now.”

  “Kent has been very wary of any girl that looked like she wanted something serious, other than you and Bree, of course.”

  When Nicole’s smile fell a bit at the mention of Kent and Briana’s relationship, Roni bit her lip and apologized. “Shit, I’m sorry, Nic. I shouldn’t have said anything about him and Bree. You know their relationship was never serious.”

  Nicole tried to smile back at Roni, but didn’t quite pull it off. “That’s okay. I was there; I know he really liked her, even if she didn’t feel the same way. I just have to believe that our relationship is different. He agreed to go home with me for my mother’s birthday party next weekend.”

  Roni’s feet hit the floor with a thump, and she leaned across the table, an incredulous look on her face.

  “Seriously??? Kent is going to meet your parents? This is HUGE!”

  “No, it’s not a big deal. I don’t want to face everyone alone, and he said he would come with me as back-up.” Nicole explained, trying to play off the situation.

  “It’s a big deal,” Roni argued. “Kent never meets the parents. Like, ever! Did he really say he would go with you?”

  Nicole laughed at Roni’s expression of disbelief. “Yes, he did.”

  “Wow,” Roni leaned back with a baffled smile. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that party.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kent took his time getting ready the morning of Nicole’s mother’s birthday party.

  He laid out his favorite suit and spent extra time grooming. He paired a pale blue tie with the charcoal grey suit and white dress shirt.

  He hated the nerves that were plaguing him and wished like hell that he’d never agreed to go with Nicole.

  He grimaced at himself in the mirror as he finished styling his hair, then he recalled how excited Nicole had been when he’d agreed to go, and how grateful she’d been since, and he vowed to be on his best behavior.

  When he couldn’t delay any further, he headed out to pick Nicole up at her apartment.

  He knew he’d waited too long when he pulled up and saw her waiting outside.

  She was breathtaking.

  Her blonde hair flowed freely in waves around her shoulders, and the form-fitting black dress was deceptively simple. His body tightened at the way her curves were showcased in the material.

  He hopped out and kissed her on the cheek.

  “You look amazing.”

  Nicole flushed with pleasure.

  “Thank you. My mother gave me this dress for graduation, so I figured it would start us off on the right foot if I wore it.”

  “She has perfect taste.”

  “That she does,” Nicole said with a nervous giggle, as she followed him around to the passenger door. She thanked him again when he opened the door for her, and waited for her to be settled inside before closing it.

  Kent looked up and saw Roni peering out the window. They waved at each other, and Kent knew by the look on Roni’s face, that she understood the turmoil that was building in him.

  As they headed towards Dallas, Nicole placed her hand softly on Kent’s knee.

  “Are you okay?”

  Kent looked briefly at her, then back at the road. “Yeah, I’m fine. How about you? Nervous? Excited?”

  “I’m a little nervous.” Nicole admitted. “It’s been a while and they weren’
t pleased with me last time I saw them, so I’m not quite sure what to expect.”

  Kent just nodded as he wondered what her parents would think of the newest development in her life.

  Him.

  Nicole pulled him from his thoughts when she said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you, I saw Roni dance the other day. She’s so amazing.”

  Kent couldn’t help the smile that formed at her words. He’d been hoping that Roni would start dancing again.

  “She is, isn’t she? She has loved to dance for as long as I can remember. Becoming a professional dancer was always the only thing she wanted to do, then she met that Asshole, Hank, and she totally lost her focus. I’m so happy to hear that she’s getting back into it.”

  They rode in silence for a while, as memories of Roni as a little girl flashed through his mind.

  When he was eight years old, he’d started mowing lawns in the neighborhood to pay for her dance classes. He remembered the look of pure joy on her face when he’d come home with a well-worn tutu that he’d found at the Goodwill. She wore that thing to every lesson.

  His heart ached when he thought of the way she’d always scanned the crowd before a performance, hoping to see their parents, and smiling bravely at him when she realized that once again, they hadn’t showed.

  He felt the familiar stirrings of anger and despair, that occurred anytime he thought about his parents, and knew it stemmed from the impending introduction to Nicole’s.

  He tried to shake it off as the city came in to view, but he couldn’t quite let go of the bitterness in his gut.

  Nicole gave him directions, and his trepidation grew at the site of the mansion that she led him to.

  He pulled up to the gate and entered the code Nicole gave him. The gates opened slowly, and the massive house seemed to grow larger as they inched along the circular drive.

  He parked behind a silver Bentley and exhaled slowly as he pulled the key out of the ignition.

  He turned slightly and noticed that Nicole was wringing her hands nervously as she looked out the window at her parents’ house.