Chapter 25 My Girl

Allie

As I laid there in Nico's arms trying to catch my breath, I couldn't believe how good that had been. Nico pulled away from me with a kiss to my temple.

"I'll be right back, I need to go take care of this," he said, carefully removing and tying off the condom before getting out of bed. He walked into the bathroom, and I almost drooled at the sight of his bare ass flexing with every step. I heard a cabinet open and close, the sound of the faucet running. "I'll bring you a warm cloth, Sunshine," he called out.

"That's OK, I'll get one," I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. It was sweet of him to offer, but there are some things I'd rather take care of in private. I snatched his T-shirt off the floor and slipped it on over my head. I wasn't quite brave enough to parade around naked in front of him. He walked back into the bedroom and came to a sudden stop when he saw me standing there.

His eyes roved over me, stopping on my chest, and then focusing on my bare legs under the hem of the shirt. It hit me mid-thigh, so I was decently covered. "I love seeing you in my shirt, sweetheart, but you didn't have to get dressed on my account," he smirked at me.

I brushed by him on my way into the bathroom, and he made a grab for my ass under the shirt. I squealed and jumped out of the way, then darted into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Spoilsport!" he hollered through the door. "I'm going to grab us a couple of waters. Do you want anything to snack on?"

"Nope, I'm good," I said absently, as I took in my flushed cheeks, wide glassy eyes, and just-fucked hair in the mirror over the sink. I hurried to use the restroom, then used the washcloth he'd left out for me to do a quick cleanup of all the important bits. Tossing the washcloth in the hamper, I ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to tame it a bit, then opened the door. I could hear Nico coming back up the stairs, so I hurried to the bed and got under the sheet.

He walked in with two bottles of water, a bowl of grapes and my purse. He set the bowl down on the side table along with one of the bottled waters and handed the other to me along with my purse.

"I thought you might need your phone out of there," he said, nodding toward the purse. I fished it out of the side pocket and set it on the table on my side of the bed, then tossed the purse down next to it. I opened the water bottle and took a big swig as he climbed back into bed. I had worked up a powerful thirst a few minutes ago.

"Are you not worried about the cameras getting a shot of you walking around naked? I'm pretty sure that pic would be worth a hefty payday for one of them."

He sighed and shook his head. "No, but I made sure all the blinds are closed and curtains are drawn. I miss the natural light that normally floods this place, so hopefully they won't hang around much longer."

I really didn't want to spoil the mood by talking about the media coverage, but we couldn't just ignore it. "Do you really think they will go away soon?"

He shifted closer to me, and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and pulled the bowl of grapes onto his lap. "Honestly, I don't think they will until they get some photos of us together, or a statement or something. Right now, they all want to get the scoop about us, so unless somebody famous dies or really fucks up, I think they'll keep hanging around." He popped a couple of grapes in his mouth, then held the bowl out for me in invitation.

I grabbed one out of the bowl and asked, "Has Lana said anything about what we should do?"

"I haven't spoken with her since the flight back from New York. She did try to call me earlier, but I was getting ready to pick you up, so I didn't answer her."

Munching on the grape, I reached for another one, then said, "Well, we should probably talk to her sooner rather than later."

He climbed out of bed again and walked over to scoop his discarded jeans from the floor by the door. He grabbed his phone out of the back pocket, tapped the screen a few times and walked back toward the bed. The call connected as he was settling back against the headboard.

As soon as Lana greeted him, he told her she was on speakerphone.

"Allie's here with me, and we wanted to discuss what, if anything, we should do at this point."

"Hi Allie," Lana said. "Are you doing OK with all of this mess?"

"Well, it sucks, but it's nothing I can't deal with."

"Good, glad to hear it. As far as how to proceed, that's really up to the two of you. There are a couple of options. You can just ignore it and wait it out, or you can get ahead of it and control the narrative."

Nico looked at me and rolled his eyes. I grinned. Control the narrative...such a PR thing to say.

"So, what would you suggest?" I asked.

"It depends partly on what the situation truly is. Look, I don't want to get up in your business, but it is kind of my job," she chuckled, sounding a little uncomfortable.

Nico grinned at me and squeezed my thigh. "We're together, Lana. A couple, in a committed exclusive relationship, and we're gonna fucking stay that way."

She laughed as I gaped at him. "Well then, congratulations to you both. With that information, I would suggest releasing a statement, either formally through my office or informally on your social media accounts, whichever you prefer. You can release as much or as little info as you want, maybe a picture of you together, or even with Gracie if you are comfortable with that."

Nico looked at me, and I shrugged. "I think I would prefer an informal statement with a photo, but I'm OK with a formal press release too," I said.

Nico nodded. "I would rather do the informal statement, too."

"Would you like me to draft a couple of different statements for you to choose from, or do you want to handle it yourselves?" Lana asked.

"I think we can handle it," Nico replied, looking at me for confirmation that I was on board with it. I nodded, and he squeezed my thigh again.

"OK, that sounds like a plan. Once you make a statement and release a photo or two, the press coverage will most likely ramp up for few days, but then will settle down much more quickly. They are all looking for that coveted 'first glimpse of the new couple' so by posting it yourselves, you'll take away that big payday opportunity and they will lose interest quicker. Oh, do me a favor, and try not to curse in the statement, yeah?"

Nico ran his hand up a little higher on my thigh and squeezed it again, then told Lana we needed to go but would get back with her later. He barely let her get out a hurried, "good luck, talk later" before he hit the button to disconnect the call.

"You have too many clothes on," he said, tugging the hem of the shirt up and over my head. He tossed it aside, almost knocking the bottle of water off the bedside table and pulled me under his body with a growl.

"If memory serves, I was promised a round two for exploring and tasting," he said, as he slid down my body. He nudged my knees apart and settled down with his chest between my thighs before looking up at me. "Well, now, this is a nice place to start. All the fucking goodies within reach." He lowered his head and drew my nipple into his mouth, while running his hand up my thigh to grab hold of my other breast. He sucked, nipped, and licked at one nipple while twisting, rubbing, and tugging on the other one. He stopped sucking and released me with a pop, before pulling back to look at my breasts with a satisfied smile.

"Fuck, your nipples look like big juicy raspberries right now." He plucked at both of them, before rubbing them between his thumbs and forefingers, and tugging on them again. His calloused fingers provided just the right amount of rough abrasion to my tender skin to drive me out of my mind. I was writhing on the bed, back arching to give him better access, his chest pinning my lower body to the mattress. He dropped both hands down to my legs and grasped me behind both knees, lifting my legs higher and opening my thighs wider for him. Before I could even get nervous about his next move, he shifted further down on the bed, swooping his head down to swipe his tongue along my center. My hips bucked up and I inhaled sharply, stunned at that first intimate contact.

"Oh, fuck, Allie. You taste even better than I imagined." He cupped my ass in his palms and raised me up, running his tongue along my seam from my pussy to my clit, stopping to flick my clit with the tip of his tongue before sliding his tongue back down along my folds. The sensation rolling through my body was incredible.

"Nico...oh God...please," I wasn't sure what I was asking for at that point, but I knew I didn't want him to ever stop. I reached down with one hand and threaded my fingers through his hair to gently hold him in place. His shoulder-length waves were brushing against my inner thighs as he committed himself to learning every inch of my body with his tongue. My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest, and I could feel my blood pulsing through my veins. I was going to die from this pleasure, and it would be so fucking worth it.

He moved both hands then, sliding them along my inner thighs to my groin, then brushed his thumbs over my pussy. My breath hitched again, and he dipped one long finger inside me, drawing out my juices and rubbing them all over my lower lips before licking me clean. His moans of pleasure were driving me wild. He was clearly enjoying himself. He used his thumbs to hold me open, then pounced on me like a starving man. His tongue speared inside me over and over, his mouth moving over me, then sucking on my clit as if he wanted to devour me. I could feel the tingling starting deep inside and felt a shiver race along my nerve endings straight to my core.

"Nico, I'm coming, oh God, I'm..."

"Fuck yes!" he groaned, before gripping me harder and tongue-fucking me faster. The sensation was overwhelming, as my entire body tensed and shuddered. I had both hands gripped tightly in his hair, probably too tightly, but I was too far gone to stop - too far gone to even care.

As my body started to relax, Nico slowed his movements. He made one last swipe from pussy to clit, and I jolted as he made contact with that over-stimulated bundle of nerves. I felt completely boneless, like I was melting into the mattress, as he raised his head and stared at me with wild eyes. He grabbed a corner of the sheet to wipe his mouth and chin, then lunged up to cover my body with his. He ground his hard cock against me and kissed me hard. I could taste my arousal on his lips and tongue, and he groaned against me.

"I need you, love. I need to fuck you," he said, rearing back to sit on his knees between my thighs. He grabbed my hips and pulled my lower body to him, then slid his hands to my ankles and pulled my legs over his shoulders as he leaned forward and impaled me on his thick cock.

He dropped his head back and shouted up at the ceiling. "Oh fuck, Allie, yes, so fucking hot and wet and..." He pounded me into the mattress, almost doubling me over as he thrust into me over and over again. He shifted and sat back again, barely slowing his movements, as he grasped me by my ankles again, and spread my legs wide for a moment.

"Look at you, Allie. Just look at you, taking every inch of my cock into your tight little pussy. I can't believe how good this feels. God, I could spend the rest of my life watching you like this." His threw my legs back over his shoulders and leaned into me again, his movements speeding up until he was slamming into me again. He supported himself with one hand and slid the other between us to rub on my clit.

My eyes drifted closed as the tingling sensation started working its way up from the center of my body again, feeling stronger and more powerful than before.

"No, Allie, eyes on me," he demanded hoarsely. "I want you to look at me as you come on my cock." My eyes flew open to meet his. His dark stare was intensely focused on me, as he grunted with every thrust. He pinched my clit, and my body exploded around his, my inner muscles clenched so tightly that it triggered his release.

"Fuck!" he roared, throwing his head back for a moment before staring back down at me. He slammed into me one last time before circling his hips and stilling, pressed hard against me while his body jerked as he came deep inside me.

I slid my legs off his shoulders as he collapsed on top of me to lie between my spread thighs. After a few moments, he started to withdraw from my body, and we both shuddered at the sensation.

"That was incre -" Nico stopped and shot a startled look at me. "Oh, fuck," he muttered, not moving.

"What?" I asked, still out of it.

"Oh shit, Sunshine, I'm so fucking sorry. I got carried away, and I... oh fuck." He dropped his head.

I sat up halfway, leaning back on my elbows. "What's wrong?" I managed to ask.

He looked up at me warily. "I'm clean, Allie. I swear to you, I've been tested, and I'm clean."

As his words registered, I realized there was a wetness between my legs that really shouldn't be there. Shit. We hadn't used a condom. I looked at him in shock for a few moments, then cleared my throat.

"Um, OK, I -" I stopped, trying to gather my thoughts. "I'm clean, too. I get tested as part of my annual physical. And I'm on the birth control shot, so we're safe there too."

He shifted to lie beside me and wrapped me in his arms. "I'm sorry, love," he whispered against my hair. He pulled away to look at me. "I should never have put you in this position. I'm so sorry. I can't believe I forgot." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I've never, ever, gone raw, Allie. Never. I've gotten tested every three months for years, just to be safe, and I've continued doing that, even though I haven't been with anyone else in almost two years."

I was stunned. "You haven't...what?" I almost shrieked at him.

He smiled ruefully. "I haven't had sex in almost two years, Sunshine."

"But...I'm so confused." I said, shaking my head at something so unbelievable. He put his finger under my chin and raised my gaze to meet his.

"It's simple. I realized I was in love with you. I wanted you, and even though I couldn't have you then, I figured out pretty quickly that nobody else would do." He looked away, a look of guilt crossing his face. "I need to be honest with you. I tried. I tried to be with other women. I was so lonely, and I wasn't sure you would ever be ready for a relationship with me, so I tried to fuck other women to get you out of my system, but it didn't work. Shit, I was so fucked up. The last time, I closed my eyes and pretended she was you, and I'm so sorry. I felt like shit afterwards and knew I couldn't do that again."

He looked so ashamed of his admission. I was having trouble wrapping my head around his words though.

"You've loved me that long?" I asked, not able to believe what I'd just heard him say.

He smiled and dropped his head to kiss my forehead. "I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but yeah, sometime in that first year after...after Alex died, I fell in love with you."

"You never said anything," I said, hearing the wonder and disbelief in my voice.

His gaze on me was steady as he said, "I couldn't. You weren't ready to hear it yet, and that was OK. I understood it, and it was OK."

My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes, and Nico groaned as he hugged me tight. "Please don't cry, love. I didn't mean to upset you."

I hugged him tighter and basked in the warmth of his bare skin against mine.

"I just feel so bad that I didn't know, that you didn't feel you could tell me. I mean, we had become such good friends, but you -"

"Exactly," he interrupted. "We had become such good friends, and that was enough for me then. I was willing to wait for you to be ready for more. I had faith that we would get here, although the last week has been rough," he finished with a glare.

I looked at him questioningly, and his gaze sharpened as he frowned.

"Liam," he spit out. "Why didn't you tell me you were dating again? I almost lost my fucking mind when I found out about Liam, and then I found out that you'd been dating assholes for months and hadn't fucking told me!" he finished on a shout. He scooted back up to lean against the headboard and reached out his hand to grab his bottle of water. He opened it and took a big gulp, looking like he wished it were a shot of whiskey instead.

I was stunned for a second. Oh shit...the guilt I'd been feeling over my last date with Liam, the feeling that I had cheated on Nico...that guilt came crashing back, and I couldn't breathe with the weight of it.

I couldn't even look at him. I started to get up, only to have Nico wrap his body around mine to stop me. "Don't get up, Allie. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fucking said that to you. You had the right to see other people, I was just jealous, and I was hurt that you talked to Tony about it but didn't tell me."

"I couldn't talk to you about it. I was trying to get over my feelings for you. I was trying to move on, like Alex wanted, and I didn't think you would ever want to be with me the way I wanted you. I couldn't talk to you because if you encouraged me to start dating someone else, it would have hurt too damned much. So, I tried to get over you. The first few dates were disasters. Then, I met Liam at Gracie's preschool, and...." The sob I'd been trying to hold in escaped just then, and I couldn't continue.

"Aw, hell, Sunshine, don't cry. It's OK. I understand," he soothed. He wrapped me up tighter in his arms and ran his hands up and down my back. "It's OK."

"No, it's not. On our third date, when he dropped me off, I invited him in and we...but I saw your face in my head, and I couldn't. I felt so guilty. I'm so sorry," I confessed. Nico's hands stilled, and I could feel his body tense.

"You didn't sleep with him?" he asked quietly.

"No, I stopped it before we got that far," I barely got the words out before Nico tipped my face up to his, his smile blinding in its intensity.

"Oh, Sunshine, you have no idea how happy that makes me. I felt like I was dying when I saw those fucking roses he sent you, with that stupid fucking card - 'I had a fantastic time last night, babe. I hope you got some rest after I left. Talk soon, Liam'. Tony had to talk me down off the ledge, after I kicked a hole in Michael's bathroom wall."

"Wait, you read the card he sent?" I asked incredulously.

"Some stupid motherfucker sends my girl fucking roses?You bet your sweet ass I read that card," his volume rose as his irritation became clear. "Then Tony told me about you dating again, and that did not help my fucking mood, let me tell you."

"Your girl?" I asked with a smile, as those two words registered.

Nico shook his head and smiled at me. "That's what you took from that? Yeah, my girl. Mine, not Liam's, mine."

I put my arms around his neck and pulled him close. "Are you sure you want me to be your girl? Maybe you should show me again..."