loosen his hold. When he
did, she took advantage and ran to his front door. She grabbed her purse and slammed out of the house.
Touching Lace
Once outside, the sound of Nick’s angry voice calling her name drifted to her, but she ignored him. Her legs shook as she stepped off his porch and began walking down his driveway. With no way to get home and no shoes, Lacey was basically screwed. None of it mattered, not anymore. Losing her best friend and the only man she’d ever loved in one fell swoop eclipsed everything else.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and her stomach hurt so bad she thought she was going to throw up. Nothing had ever felt so horrible.
“Love sucks,” she mumbled on a quivery breath. She heard a wheezy cough and turned to see Nick striding after her. His hair was all over his head, and he only had on a pair of hastily donned jeans. He was bare-chested, barefoot and gorgeous as hell. He was also frowning something fierce.
She almost smiled. Almost. She turned back around and started moving faster when he called her name.
“Lacey, wait, please.”
She flipped her hair behind her shoulders and kept walking.
“I love you, Lace,” Nick said on a panting gasp.
She turned around and gaped at him. He came right up to her and took her chin in his hand, frowning when he saw her tears. “Oh, baby.”
He kissed her cheeks, her eyelids and her lips, before pulling away just a fraction of an inch. “Don’t cry, please. You never cry. I’m so damn sorry,” he said softly.
Lacey cried even harder. “You can’t mean it. You said it was great sex. What about that?” she tossed back at him around sniffles.
“I would have said anything to keep you with me. You’ve never given me a single hint that you wanted more than sex. I thought if I told you the truth I’d lose you.”
Lacey’s tears turned to wild, hiccupping sobs, only now it was from the joy filling her heart and soul.
Nick, the poor, misunderstood man, ground out, “Christ, if it will make you stop crying, you can use some of that karate on me.”
Anne Rainey
Lacey laughed and launched herself into Nick’s arms, nearly knocking them both to the ground. She grabbed handfuls of his hair and pulled him down for a scorching kiss. When she released him, he stared at her with so much love and tenderness it made her confess her own feelings.
“I love you, too, you crazy idiot.”
He grinned stupidly down at her and kissed her repeatedly.
When he finally came up for air, he looked at their surroundings, and chuckled. “Uh, maybe we should take this back inside. We seem to be creating quite a stir.”
Lacey glanced around Nick’s neighborhood. An elderly woman across the street squinted in her disapproval and a teenage boy mowing the lawn seemed rather rapt by their behavior. If they didn’t move off the street, the boy was liable to cut off his own foot.
Taking him by the hand, Lacey practically ran back to his house. Once she had him inside, she slammed him up against the back of the door and asked in breathless wonder, “Did you really mean what you said?”
He sobered instantly as he stroked her tangled hair away from her face with both hands. She wondered about his side, but if he was still in pain, it didn’t register on his face.
“I’ve loved you for awhile now, Lacey. I love you more than life itself.” His words were so soft she nearly missed them. “It’s killed me seeing you with other men.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I had no idea,” she uttered in shocked surprise.
“Why do you think I came up with this stupid plan to give you lessons?” His hands traveled down her back to her ass, cupping the round globes. “You wanted to be friends, and at first so did I. It didn’t take me long to figure out it wasn’t enough. I wanted a life with you. It was always only you. The way I was raised, it was cold and lonely. But from the first time I met you, I felt like I’d come home. I never
did, she took advantage and ran to his front door. She grabbed her purse and slammed out of the house.
Touching Lace
Once outside, the sound of Nick’s angry voice calling her name drifted to her, but she ignored him. Her legs shook as she stepped off his porch and began walking down his driveway. With no way to get home and no shoes, Lacey was basically screwed. None of it mattered, not anymore. Losing her best friend and the only man she’d ever loved in one fell swoop eclipsed everything else.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and her stomach hurt so bad she thought she was going to throw up. Nothing had ever felt so horrible.
“Love sucks,” she mumbled on a quivery breath. She heard a wheezy cough and turned to see Nick striding after her. His hair was all over his head, and he only had on a pair of hastily donned jeans. He was bare-chested, barefoot and gorgeous as hell. He was also frowning something fierce.
She almost smiled. Almost. She turned back around and started moving faster when he called her name.
“Lacey, wait, please.”
She flipped her hair behind her shoulders and kept walking.
“I love you, Lace,” Nick said on a panting gasp.
She turned around and gaped at him. He came right up to her and took her chin in his hand, frowning when he saw her tears. “Oh, baby.”
He kissed her cheeks, her eyelids and her lips, before pulling away just a fraction of an inch. “Don’t cry, please. You never cry. I’m so damn sorry,” he said softly.
Lacey cried even harder. “You can’t mean it. You said it was great sex. What about that?” she tossed back at him around sniffles.
“I would have said anything to keep you with me. You’ve never given me a single hint that you wanted more than sex. I thought if I told you the truth I’d lose you.”
Lacey’s tears turned to wild, hiccupping sobs, only now it was from the joy filling her heart and soul.
Nick, the poor, misunderstood man, ground out, “Christ, if it will make you stop crying, you can use some of that karate on me.”
Anne Rainey
Lacey laughed and launched herself into Nick’s arms, nearly knocking them both to the ground. She grabbed handfuls of his hair and pulled him down for a scorching kiss. When she released him, he stared at her with so much love and tenderness it made her confess her own feelings.
“I love you, too, you crazy idiot.”
He grinned stupidly down at her and kissed her repeatedly.
When he finally came up for air, he looked at their surroundings, and chuckled. “Uh, maybe we should take this back inside. We seem to be creating quite a stir.”
Lacey glanced around Nick’s neighborhood. An elderly woman across the street squinted in her disapproval and a teenage boy mowing the lawn seemed rather rapt by their behavior. If they didn’t move off the street, the boy was liable to cut off his own foot.
Taking him by the hand, Lacey practically ran back to his house. Once she had him inside, she slammed him up against the back of the door and asked in breathless wonder, “Did you really mean what you said?”
He sobered instantly as he stroked her tangled hair away from her face with both hands. She wondered about his side, but if he was still in pain, it didn’t register on his face.
“I’ve loved you for awhile now, Lacey. I love you more than life itself.” His words were so soft she nearly missed them. “It’s killed me seeing you with other men.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I had no idea,” she uttered in shocked surprise.
“Why do you think I came up with this stupid plan to give you lessons?” His hands traveled down her back to her ass, cupping the round globes. “You wanted to be friends, and at first so did I. It didn’t take me long to figure out it wasn’t enough. I wanted a life with you. It was always only you. The way I was raised, it was cold and lonely. But from the first time I met you, I felt like I’d come home. I never
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