Chapter 13

“Do you want to take a shower first?” Andrea asked as she grabbed the rest of her clothes and toiletries from her suitcase. “I just want to set this stuff down in the bathroom, but then it’s all yours if you want…”

“No, it’s okay, you can go first. I have some calls to make and some stuff to do anyway, so this will give me a chance to do them,” Nick replied, wishing so badly he could just jump in the shower with her. He imagined her body all slick and shiny, water droplets running down her bare breasts. He quickly turned away from Andrea, trying to hide the sexual thoughts accumulating in his head, and the expansion of things in his nether regions as well.

“Okay,” she said, confused by the way he was acting. Why is he avoiding me? What have I done wrong? She turned to walk into the bathroom, but stopped. She opened her mouth to speak, but as she turned around to talk to him, she saw he was on the phone already. She silently walked into the bathroom and shut the door, double-checking to make sure the door was not locked. I’m not going to make the first move, but I’m not going to make it impossible for him to, she thought slyly to herself as she undressed and turned the shower on.

Once Nick heard the shower running he let out a sigh and set his phone down on the table. He hadn’t been talking to anybody; he just wanted it to look like he was. He didn’t want Andrea to ask him what was wrong because he didn’t want to have to lie to her. He couldn’t tell her that he was thinking about her naked body, dripping wet in the shower or how badly he wanted to make love to her. If she wasn’t ready to tell him what AJ said she needs to tell him, then they definitely weren’t ready to be intimate, but knowing that couldn’t stop the feelings he had for her, and he knew it.

Nick was so deep in thought that he did not hear the shower turn off or the door to the bathroom open. He did however hear the thud and the swear words that followed, bringing him back reality.

“Mother F-er!” Andrea screamed as she hopped around on one foot, holding her other foot in one hand and trying desperately to keep her towel up with the other. She saw Nick staring at her with an inquisitive expression on his face. “My glasses were all fogged up from the steam and I couldn’t see where I was going, and I stubbed my toe on this,” she said, pointing to the nightstand, her voice emphasizing the pain she was experiencing in her foot. She had not stopped holding her foot yet. “Ah!” she screamed as she lost her balance, but luckily she landed on the bed.

Nick had started to run to her as she was falling, and he jumped onto the bed to catch her as she fell onto it. “Are you okay?” he asked sweetly.

“No, it hurts,” she pouted cutely. “Does it look broken?” she asked, lifting her foot up for Nick to see. He grabbed her foot and kissed her sore toe.

“Does it feel better now?” Andrea shook her head no. “Now?” he asked, kissing it again. She just smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders, enjoying what he was doing. He could not prevent himself from moving his gaze from her foot up her leg, to her thighs. He continued his visual exploration up her body to her stomach, but he stopped when he got to her chest. The towel had fallen down when Andrea fell onto the bed and part of her right breast was exposed.

I must be in hell, he thought to himself, because temptation like this is not earthly. He took a deep breath and against his better judgment, ran his finger across her soft exposed flesh. God, I want her so badly, he frantically thought. He was not going to let this chance pass him by, so until she stopped him, he was going to go with it. He pressed his body onto hers and brought his lips to hers. He did not hesitate and kissed her desirously.

Andrea was about to succumb to him; she wanted to so zealously. It isn’t right, she told herself, fighting the overwhelming temptation she was feeling. How can I have sex with him when I can’t even tell him my husband and kids were killed in a car accident? How can I expect him to put all his trust in me through intimacy when I can’t put my trust him through comfort and understanding? “WHAT AM I THINKING?” she screamed out loud. Nick reeled back, shocked at her outburst.

“What the hell…” he started, but she cut him off.

“Nick, I’m sorry,” she pleaded. “There are some things about me that you don’t know, and it would not be right to do this.” Tears filled her eyes, not wanting to hurt Nick, but also not wanting to hurt herself. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she wept as scrambled off the bed and ran into the bathroom and closed the door. This time, she made sure it was locked.