"So, did you actually have fun tonight, Handsome?" Alana inquired hopefully as she stepped into the elevator of Atlantis, reaching to loop her arms around his waist and tucked her chin against his shoulder. Exhaling softly, she lifted her leg as Howie and AJ came tumbling into the elevator, arguing halfway through the hallway about what they would do that evening. Natalie and Brian had left earlier to take a stroll on the beach before returning to their suite for the evening, wanting as much time alone as possible. Not that Alana blamed them; especially with the way they were dancing so romantically at the club, their bodies pressed close as if their skin had melted into one being. It was adorable to watch. Smiling, she glanced up toward Nick to find him watching her with a bemused smile. "What'd I say?"
"Nothing… You're just so beautiful," Nick murmured, wrapping his arms around her as AJ fought Howie to push the button for their floor. "And yeah, I did have fun," he added softly, pulling her into the corner so he could hold her without fear of AJ interrupting them. "Did you?"
"I loved dancing with you," Alana conferred as she squeezed him affectionately for clarification, though one hand drifted to the flesh just beneath her earlobe. "…Though I think AJ left a mark on me…"
Nick's eyes narrowed as he looked at AJ, who stood directly in front of them. "Is that so…"
"What the fuck?! What'd you kick me for?!" AJ hollered as he fell against the doors. Staggering back, he reached to rub his tender backside. Turning to glare at Nick, his expression softened when he saw Alana eying him with amusement. "So, Al, what're we going to do tonight, huh? We could order up tons of room service and watch a good gory movie marathon--"
"We could even take a picture of the hickey you put on my neck and post it to Kaci's little Myspace site," Alana teased, turning around in Nick's arms so she could hold AJ's gaze. Though, her attention was elsewhere as Nick's one hand dropped from her waist and moved up the large slit in her dress, causing her to shiver with a rush of excitement.
AJ grinned. "Even better, we could take a picture of me giving you another hickey--"
"Would you fucking stop already? She's not going to your hotel room for crying out loud!" Nick growled, his fingers pausing on their trek up Alana's thighs. When AJ grumbled under his breath and turned to Howie, Nick continued, nibbling softly at Alana's neck as his fingers found the edge of her panties.
"Then where am I going tonight? To get Boogie and Lizzer's to snuggle in our bed? Or I could bunk with Aaron…" Alana trailed thoughtfully, biting hard on her bottom lip when Nick's fingers slipped underneath the sheer material of her string bikini panties. Unthreading one of her hands that Nick was holding across the pit of her belly, she tucked her arm behind her back and slipped her fingers underneath his over shirt and wife-beater tank. Rubbing the front of his public bone, she slowly slipped her hand lower, feeling him shudder.
"Don't tease," Nick hissed against her ear, his fingers lightly tracing her folds. "We've only got four more floors to go up…"
"And if we run into Aaron on the way? He'll want to spend time with you," Alana murmured, fighting to control a whimper as she squirmed against him. Hearing the muffled noises, she noticed Howie and AJ turn backward. Pulling her hand from Nick, she obliged his request as to not tease, demurely crossing her legs at the ankle when the Latin men arched their brows. "He's threatening to make me sleep with Aaron tonight if I win at xBox…"
"Right… And his hand up her skirt is just a warning," Howie told AJ with a snort of laughter.
"My hand would feel better," AJ commented loudly as he turned to face the doors once more. It looked as though he would be spending yet another night alone.
"More like a preview of coming attractions," Nick suggested with a brewing grin as he noticed AJ flinch. Withdrawing his hand slowly from her skirt, he heard her petulant whine of dissatisfaction and watched AJ turn ever so slightly with hope. That is, till Nick turned Alana around to catch her lips in a smoldering kiss. Tangling his hands in elegant bun, he held her face close to his, sucking her tongue into his mouth, feeling her purr with appreciation. He wanted it to be quite clear who she belonged to. "Beautiful…"
"I love you, Handsome," she murmured as he knew she would.
"I love you more," Nick whispered.
"Halle-fucking-lujah," AJ groaned as the elevator stopped on their floor. "Well, you two have fun doing whatever…" his voice trailed as he bolted down the hall.
"Hey! Wait the Hell up! I ain't getting locked outside again! We're sharing a suite!" Howie exclaimed as he stumbled out of the elevator, jogging down the hallway toward their suite. Reaching to catch the door before AJ could open the door, he turned sideways to see Nick sauntering out of the elevator with Alana wrapped within his arms. Her long legs tangled around his waist as she layered his face with the sweetest of kisses. Slightly mesmerized, Howie's jaw dropped ajar. "Y'think Nick can talk her into signing onto our label, J?"
"Well, let's see. If she gets a record deal and is busy in the studio all sorts of hours, he won't be able to spend as much time with her. Then she goes on tours, and he'll be busy doing his thing, so he won't be able to spend much time with her…" AJ trailed, grinning wickedly at the door as he pushed it open. "I'm pretty fucking sure he'll be all for it!"
"We'd give him a cut…" Howie mused, not really noting the deviousness in his friend's voice as he followed him inside their suite. "Remind me to talk to him tomorrow. We really need to get her signed as soon as possible. I just don't think I'm the one to talk to her after I called her a flavor… Well at least not alone…"
"We'll talk to her together," AJ decided as he shrugged out of his jacket. Slinging it onto the couch, he headed for the mini bar for a soda. "She's a sweet girl, D… She won't let you calling her Nick's flavor of the week get in the way of business--"
"That's just the problem; she doesn't want any part of the business. She doesn't think she's good enough--"
"You just don't know how to talk to a woman, D. Give me twenty minutes with her and I'll have a signed contract," AJ stated decisively, tossing a soda to Howie. "Anything else you want to talk over before I go give myself a handjob?"
"Don't wipe the remains on that t-shirt you borrowed from me… Again…" Howie mumbled, catching the soda before walking into his room.
"Whatever," AJ muttered, heading into his room as he popped the can open. Leaving his clothes in a pile as he removed them, he flopped across the large bed with a groan, knowing he would be unable to sleep.
How did Nick get such a breathtaking woman as Alana anyway? It just didn't seem right. Every charming move he could think to be played had been attempted, but she brushed him off as if he were an annoying child and weave her arms around Nick for protection. Every other woman who had shown an initial interest in Nick had come to their senses and met AJ in bed at some point. So why was the Aphrodite of women finding it so hard to come to the light? Growling with disgust, AJ rolled onto his side to retrieve the lightweight laptop on his nightstand. Flopping it onto his bed, he clicked on the link for the internet, entering the Playboy website and clicking on the classic women of the days. He suddenly reminded himself to take his camera phone into Nick's room one day while Alana was changing for an accidental picture that he could use later. Playboy could only get so entertaining after the first few discharges.
"Seen her, seen her, seen her…" AJ sighed as he clicked through the website, hoping against hope that he would come across a woman he had yet missed. Muffling a sigh, he paused when he saw a familiar name. Glancing at the picture accompanying her name, he felt his jaw go slack. "Natalie… Holy fucking shit!"
Pushing himself up to the widescreen of his laptop, AJ assessed every pixilated image of the woman that was just a few doors down the hall. At first he wanted to say that it was just a recreation in some fancy photo program, especially because her long wavy locks had been dyed a dark strawberry blonde. Natalie had been seen all over on Brian's arm. She was known throughout the world of the Backstreet Fans. But the telltale Playboy bunny tattoo angling to the lower right of her belly button told AJ that this was indeed a real photograph. There Natalie was in all the glory of her naked form, draped only in a turquoise necklace and belt, splayed against a stone wall in the throes of ecstasy. Her large breasts heaved with emotion as her other hand laid strategically toward her right thigh, guiding the lusty man's eyes toward the tuft of dark hair leading to what she jokingly coined the 'promised land.' Choking in surprise, AJ hurriedly yanked the power cord from his laptop, freezing the picture on the screen. "Howie! Natalie's a fucking old Playboy Bunny!"
Hearing no response, AJ leaped from the bed, racing from his room to see Howie's door was ajar. Kicking it open, he jumped onto the bed, ignoring his friend's irritated expression. "Look at this shit!"
"I seriously think that you need to get on Ritalin--" Howie grunted with displeasure as AJ crawled across the bed to thump the laptop onto his chest. He had a side thought about calling security on his own roommate, but hesitated when he saw the picture. "Holy fucking Hell! That's Natalie! She's really-Where are you going?!"
"To tell Brian! He needs to know this shit--"
"Wait! What? He's got to--" Howie was at a loss for words when AJ went running out of the room. When he heard the loud bang of the next suite door, he launched himself out of bed, stumbling into a pair of jeans as he hurried after him. "AJ! Don't be so fucking stupid! You're going to--"
"Rok! Rok! Where the fuck - Aaron, where's Brian at?!" AJ questioned loudly, eyes wide with excitement as he turned to see Howie rushing into the room after him.
Howie gasped for air as he stumbled in attempts to grab AJ by the waist to pin him to the ground. "Aaron, don't tell him--"
"What the Hell is all this yelling about?!" Brian exclaimed in bewilderment as he appeared from the children's bedroom, having kissed both of them goodnight. He arched his brows in shock as AJ shoved his laptop directly into his chest. "If you wake those kids up, I'm going to just-What's this?"
"Where's Natalie?" AJ questioned, looking towards the children's bedroom. "She should see this--"
"She's gone to shower," Aaron answered from his place on the couch.
"She apparently likes to take those… Especially with cameras in the room," AJ snorted with delight, watching anxiously as Brian's facial features suddenly changed from a look of confusion to a look of horror. "That's fucking right, Bible Boy! Your little sacrificial virgin is hardly sweet and innocent! And before you start bitching, I got that straight from the Playboy Website. Y'see that logo on the bottom? Real! All real! Well, probably except for those knockers--"
"Natalie's breasts are real," Howie ground out angrily, unable to believe that AJ would stoop so low. "She--"
"Like you would know," AJ scoffed, leaning over Brian's shoulder. "Look, she's even got a shag carpet brewing. Someone should teach her about decorating though. Much sexier when the carpet matches the curtains--"
"Get out," Brian warned in an even tone.
Howie glanced at AJ worriedly. "AJ, we should go--"
"Get out!" Brian demanded darkly as pushed all the air from his lungs, sending Aaron running from the room, Howie and AJ not too far behind. Every muscle in his body tight with tension, Brian walked into the bathroom, never bothering to knock. He couldn't even begin to describe the overwhelming emotions rushing through his body and changing like a cheap mood ring. First betrayal, then anger, then depression, then overwhelming hurt. Tears rushed to his light cerulean eyes as he set the laptop on the toilet. "…Why didn't you tell me, Nat?"
"Tell you what?" Natalie questioned as she stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around her, she looked at Brian with confusion, her heart fluttering with worry when she saw his tears. "Bumpkin? What's wrong--"
"AJ…" Brian's sentence choked on the words as he rubbed his arm across his face to rid the tears. It wasn't so much that she had posed nude for millions of perverted men, but that she hadn't told him. That she had kept it such a secret when they were supposed to be the best of friends. If she lied about this, what else was lurking in her heart? "...Playboy… How many times did you pose for Playboy?"
"Playboy…" Natalie trailed, realizing suddenly why he was so upset. "Bumpkin, I--"
"How many?"
"Twice--"
"Why?" Brian whispered, unable to project his voice any louder, fighting the lump in his throat that would bring about a pained sob. He felt as if he were staring into Leighanne's vicious brown eyes once more.
Natalie faltered for a moment, pulling her robe on over the towel. "I… God, Brian, it was so long ago--"
"I'm going to take a walk down the beach… Listen for the kids," Brian murmured, not sure if he could listen to anymore lies. Forgetting about the laptop perched on top of the toilet, he moved to exit the bathroom, though he turned slightly. The tears started to streak down his pale cheeks as he took in the beauty of what he thought was his precious gem. "If you needed the money for college, I would have paid for everything. If you needed to know you were beautiful, I would have told you every day… And if you kept this a secret so long… What else are you hiding from me?"
Natalie stared at him for a moment, lower lip trembling as she reached to shut the laptop. Not wanting to be reminded of mistakes in the past. Closing her eyes briefly, she lifted her head to meet his eyes once more. Unable to take the hurt and anguish in the cerulean depths, she looked down at the floor. "Bumpkin, I never meant to hurt you by doing this… I--"
But when Natalie stalled in attempts to look up and reach out for her lover, she was shocked to find just an open door leading to the hallway of their suite. He was gone. No goodbye nor parting words. But, what could he possibly have to say to the second woman who had broken his heart?
*~*~*
"'Lana! Watch me! I c'n s'im!" Elizabeth shouted over Baylee's giggles. Splashing the water loudly with her hands as Nick held her in the water, she squealed with excitement, wanting to draw the woman's attention from Nick. "'LANA! WATCH ME!"
"I'm watching!" Alana exclaimed, showing the utmost enthusiasm as she turned her attention away from Nick to the little girl in his arms. Moving to seat herself in the shallow water, she squealed in surprise as Baylee bowled directly into her lap after running from a squirting seahorse statute. Catching the boy so he didn't go underwater, she blew a raspberry on the side of his face, gesturing for him to watch Elizabeth. It was early in the afternoon when Nick, Alana, and Aaron decided to take the children to the large water playgrounds in the Atlantis Resort. The elaborate Mayan-themed playground featured several tube slides, side-by-side slides, cargo nets, rope bridges, water cannons, fountains, and water wheels for endless playtime. There were plenty of places for adults to lounge while the children played, but Alana and Nick were far more content playing with Elizabeth and Baylee in the water.
"O'tay!" Elizabeth squealed, grinning from ear to ear as Aaron reached for her hands. With the utmost concentration, she kicked her feet wildly, paying no mind to the fact she splashed water in Nick's face. When his hands slid away, she grasped Aaron's hands, managing to keep her head above the water as she splashed over to him. "I DID IT!" she shrieked, immediately letting go of his hands to clap wildly.
"You're such a big girl, Elizabeth!" Alana cheered with an overwhelming amount of pride, taking Baylee's hands into her own to clap wildly. She couldn't have pictured a cuter sight as Elizabeth leapt up from the water and splashed to get toward Alana. Her little body dressed in a light blue tankini with white daisies print, the bottom enhanced with the sweetest of ruffled skirts. "I'm so proud of you, Sweetness."
Shaking the water from her head, Elizabeth giggled as she leaned close for kisses before heading back to Aaron and Nick. Baylee, grateful to have Alana alone, snuggled close, one hand reaching to toy with the small bead on the string at the front of Alana's green Hawaiian-print string bikini. Grinning as he rested his head on her chest, he looked over towards Nick and Aaron, who were playfully but gently passing Elizabeth back and forth, making big splashes.
"Don't you want to go play, Jungle Boogie Boy?" Alana inquired softly, resting her chin on the top of Baylee's damp, platinum curls. Wrapping her arms around him, she playfully patted his protruding potbelly. Keeping her gaze toward the slightly deeper water, she muffled a soft laugh when Elizabeth tripped Nick into the waters, leaping onto his back to wrestle. Watching him surface with a hard gasp, she smirked when Aaron jumped on top to help Elizabeth control Nick's thrashing. Nick was so beautiful with children. She knew, someday, he'd make a wonderful father. "…Why don't we go play on that gym, Boogie?"
"I want'a 'nuggle!" Baylee exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her neck. Glancing towards the others, his grin widened and he suddenly leapt from her arms, wading through the water. "Let's go!"
"Where are we going?" Alana questioned in confusion as she was pulled up from her seated position in the cool water. Stumbling slightly before she gained her balance, she allowed Baylee to grasp her hand to lead her deeper. She thought a better snuggling place would have been on the lounge chairs, but she complied with the boy's wishes.
"To 'nuggle Nicky in the water," Baylee explained, his expression telling Alana that he thought she was an idiot. Giggling when she rolled her eyes, he released her hand, diving forward into Aaron's arms. Turning to check Alana's progress, he noticed two men at the edge of the pool watching her slow walk. "Who d'at watchin' you, 'Lana?"
"Huh?" Alana drawled in surprise as she turned to see who Baylee was referring to. Sure enough, two men were eagerly watching the slow, unconscious sway of her hips and perked up immediately when she glanced toward them. They looked to be a few years older with contrasting looks, two boys racing around them in a fury of excitement. Confused, Alana offered them a small wave to be polite. "…I'm not really sure who there are, Boogie…"
"They cute!" Elizabeth chimed in as Nick turned to eye the two men. "Oh, Nicky, look! He gots a tattoo like you!" she shrieked, pointing.
"They're nothing special," Alana answered with a small shrug, bending over to catch Elizabeth as she ran into her legs. Scooping up the child, she fastened Elizabeth to her hip, oblivious to the fact that the men were wading across the water to speak to her. Instead, she obliged Elizabeth's request to play on the playground, helping her onto the cargo nets to climb up to a nearby slide.
"They're staring at her tits," Nick hissed in Aaron's direction as Baylee clamored to follow Alana and Elizabeth. Glaring across the pool, he felt a slight pang of relief when the men suddenly turned their attention to the boys with them. "Fucking assholes, can't they tell she's with someone?"
"And how exactly would they know her status in a relationship, Nick?" Aaron questioned with an irritated roll of his eyes, stooping into the water to retrieve Baylee's water gun. He tried not to smirk when he noticed the rugged men gesturing toward the boys to go romping on the playground, specifically slide down the slide next to the one Alana was occupying with Baylee and Elizabeth. "Is it that tattoo you carved into her back - Nick Carter's territory?"
"Damnit, Aaron… She's in a pool with a man, a teenager and two little kids. What would your first thought be?" Nick questioned with a scowl.
"One big happy family of siblings?" Aaron guessed sarcastically.
"Go to Hell--"
"After you," Aaron promised with a wicked grin. "…Besides, it ain't like you're planning on marrying her, right? …Got an engagement ring?" He arched his dark blonde brows in a curious hope, prodding into his older brother's life. To have Alana as a sister-in-law would be fantastic. He just needed to know how far along it was. How serious it could get. That is, how serious Aaron could get it to be.
Nick glanced over at Alana, smiling wistfully as he watched her play with Baylee and Elizabeth. "No… Not yet…"
"Why?" Aaron whined, kicking at the water.
"Look, she just told me that she loves me a few days ago… I don't want to rush her into--"
"YOU MEANIE!" Baylee screamed suddenly, diverting Nick's attentions from the matter of his relationship with Alana. Looking over, he saw Alana pulling Elizabeth from the cargo netting, attempting to soothe the child from her cries as Baylee launched himself at one of the boys.
"Holy Hell! It's a brawl!" Aaron yelped, rushing forward to the netting to catch Baylee's fist before it connected with the older boy's noise. Again.
"Lizzers, it's okay, Sugar Pie, Honeybunch," Alana hurriedly soothed as she set herself on the stairs leading to the slides, cuddling Elizabeth close to her when she was assured that Aaron was wrestling Baylee from the fight. The little girl was squealing with hysterical sobs as she clutched at the strings of Alana's bikini top. She wrapped her arms protectively around Elizabeth, pressing several kisses to the top of the child's head, oblivious to the man moving to sit next to her in attempts to apologize for his son's behavior. "Where's it hurt, Lizzie? Tell me and I'll kiss it better."
"He-Pushed-Me!" Elizabeth wailed as she fought to breathe.
The man reached to gently touch Elizabeth's back in a soothing manner. "I'm so--"
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Can't you keep an eye on your little brat?!" Nick exploded, slapping the man's hand away from Elizabeth. "She could have fallen in the pool and been knocked out! Maybe if you kept your eyes off my girlfriend's ass for more than two seconds you could stop your kid from attacking someone else!"
"Nick! What the Hell are you doing?!" Alana yelped in shock as she felt the wind rush past her body from Nick's hard slap to the man's hand, actually stilling Elizabeth into silent wonder. Her large teal eyes widened in shock as she moved to step up to the play area to retrieve Aaron and Baylee, accidentally brushing against the man's friend. "I'm sorry--"
"Hey, it's okay," the man assured with a smile. "You can--"
"You can get your hands off my sister-in-law," Aaron growled as he pulled Baylee up into his arms. Settling the boy on his hip, he offered the man a dangerous glare.
"HE PUSHED ME, DAMNIT!" Elizabeth screeched, pointing to the small red welt on her knee. "I 'URTIN'!"
"I know you're hurting, Lizzers, I'm going to go get you some ice," Alana insisted as she attempted to weave around the solid man, frowning slightly when he stepped into her path once more. "Excuse me…"
"I just wanted to apologize. Danny's a bit rough--"
"The only apology she wants is for you to get the Hell away from her," Nick interrupted, shoving the man aside none too gently. "C'mon, Beautiful, let's get the kids upstairs…"
"And who the Hell are you to judge what the fuck she wants to do, fat ass?" the man growled with annoyance at the hard shove to his chest, especially when he stumbled back slightly. He reached out to grasp Alana's upper arm, dragging her back toward the playground as he towered above Nick. Elizabeth attempted to swing at him with a grunt of annoyance, but Alana wrenched her arm from his grasp to block the attack. "She's been shaking her ass at us from the fucking get go, so you better just back the fuck up before--"
Nick silenced him with another hard shove, this time knocking him backwards into the pool. Aaron's foot shot out automatically to trip him, causing Nick to flinch when he heard the man's ankle bones crack. "Whoops… Didn't mean to make you fall!"
Alana's eyes widened in shock as the man sunk underneath the water, only to quickly resurface and claw at his wounded ankle like a wounded animal. The boys that had been milling around him immediately stooped to see what was wrong. And that's when Alana nudged Nick and Aaron forward, knowing they needed to leave before any means of media stirred. Nick and Aaron seemed to comply with the notion, Elizabeth and Baylee sobered by the Carter brothers' blitz attack. But Alana thought that was best as they moved through the waters, only to have a fist shoot out and connect with the back of Nick's head. He fell forward into the water with a heavy crash and Alana immediately went to the defense, hurriedly pushing Elizabeth into Aaron's arms as the man jumped on Nick's back, throwing further blows. Alana reached to grab the second man's arm, wanting to pull him off, but he backhanded her quickly. She stumbled slightly with the unbearable pain, but recovered to slam her own fist into his jaw, feeling the giving of muscle and bone as he fell backward.
Baylee gasped sharply, gripping Aaron's shoulder with one hand as the other flew to cover his mouth. Looking from the man in the pool to the man clutching his face on the ground, his shock quickly gave way to excitement. "ALANA! YOU HIT HIM! YOU KICKED HIS--"
"Well he shouldn't have split my damn lip," Alana muttered, stooping into the water as she held a hand to her bleeding bottom lip, helping Nick from the water. "Are you okay? Handsome? Please, answer me…"
"I'm okay," Nick assured her, tenderly rubbing the back of his head as she helped him out of the pool. "Let's get out of here - What the fuck happened to your lip?! Did that cocksucker hit you?" Immediately he turned to the man who was slowly climbing to his feet, more than ready to kill the man for harming Alana. "You--"
"Nicky! 'Curity!" Elizabeth interrupted in hushed voice, nodding towards two uniformed men at the opposite end of the pool. "Le's go!"
"Let's go," Alana decided, watching Aaron run ahead with the children in his arms. Like the cutest of decoys, Baylee and Elizabeth giggled as they passed security in Aaron's arms, waving toward them with appreciative coos. Seeing security halt to wave at the children, Alana looped her arms around Nick's waist to help him walk. To others that hadn't seen the scuffle, Nick and Alana looked like an overly amorous couple as they crossed the playground in the opposite way, meeting Aaron and the children at the elevators. Once they had some privacy in the elevator, Alana turned to tenderly rub the back of her lover's head. "You're sure you're okay, Handsome?"
"I'm fine, Beautiful… Probably just need some Tylenol," Nick decided as Elizabeth pointed out her injury to Aaron so he could coo with appropriate sympathy. Looping his arms around Alana's waist, he drew her even closer, eyeing the abrasion to her lip. "I'm going back to kill that fucker--"
"You're not going back down there," Alana objected, reaching to conceal her lip once more with the back of her hand as blood continued to ooze. "And my lip is fine. I had to get him off you…"
"I appreciate it," Nick murmured, pulling her hand away so he could kiss her softly. "I love you so much, Beautiful, and it's just seeing him touch you like he freaking owned you set me off--"
"I still 'urtin'!" Elizabeth announced.
"She's my little drama queen," Alana teased with a soft sigh, gently prying herself from Nick's arms to tend to Elizabeth. She brushed her fingers down the small red welt that Elizabeth howled about, nuzzling the side of her face with an appropriate coo. "I'm sorry you're still hurting, Lizzers. But I think we need to ask the Little Nicky what he was spouting off about me being his sister-in-law… Huh?"
"I know, I know!" Elizabeth grinned suddenly, her injury forgotten. "Nicky's d'unna ask you t'marry him!"
"Did you see the ring, Lizzers?" Alana encouraged, lifting Baylee into her arms when he reached for her. Tentatively, he reached out his tiny hand to press onto her lip to keep the blood at bay. She offered a small smile of thanks to him, but not wide enough to pull at the torn skin. She knew Nick proposing to her was far beyond the scope of their relationship at that point, but the excitement in Elizabeth's bright blue eyes made her laugh.
"It's hidden," Elizabeth pouted. "Airy tol' me it's hidden wit' his porn--"
"His porn or Nicky's porn?" Alana inquired, glancing toward Aaron as she was drawn back into Nick's arms for a protective hold.
"Nicky's!"
"Guess I'll have to find his porn stash, huh, Lizzers?" Alana mused as Baylee went back to fiddling with the bead at the front of her bikini top.
"I don't have any porn--"
"He keeps it in the inside pocket of his black duffel bag," Aaron informed Alana with a smirk.
"Glad to know I'm not enough to satisfy you, Handsome," Alana sighed, shifting her long leg between his to stroke the back of his powerful calf. "Good thing you have that stash, 'cause I ain't doing much with a broken lip…"
"You're more than enough to satisfy me. The stash Aaron's talking about is his shit--"
"We go see Knot now?" Baylee questioned suddenly. "Her wasn't in the hotel room d'is mornin'…"
"…Why wasn't Natalie in your room this morning, Boogie?" Alana questioned in confusion as the doors opened to their floor of rooms. Preparing to step out, Alana was surprised to find Natalie standing before her. There were dark rings circling beneath her usually light caramel eyes. Her posture was slumped as she fidgeted with the hem of her peasant top. "What's wrong--"
"I'm just going down for a bite to eat," Natalie murmured, avoiding Aaron's gaze as she sidled onto the elevator.
"She and Brian had it out last night," Aaron announced as Elizabeth slid from his arms to run ahead to the suite. "AJ and Howie came in with some--"
"Shut the fuck up, Aaron," Natalie muttered, sharply punching the button for the ground floor. When Nick went to step out with Alana, Natalie jerked out to grasp Alana's upper arm. Jerking slightly with surprise, Alana arched her brows in confusion as she gave Baylee to Nick. "Can you please come with me?"
"Me?" Alana questioned.
"Please?" Natalie requested softly, glancing down at Alana's bikini. "I'll wait for you to change…"
"Sure… Just give me five minutes," Alana agreed, stepping out of the elevator with Natalie. Glancing around, she noticed that Aaron had just finished mumbling an explanation of events to Nick before walking down the hall to let Baylee and Elizabeth into the suite. Reaching to brush her hand down Nick's bare arm, she looked back to Natalie for a moment. "I'm going to go have some lunch with Natalie, okay? I'll go in and get changed and check the back of your head… You'll lay in bed with some Tylenol and rest, right? Just in case--"
"Don't you think you need to lay down too? I mean, you got a pretty bad slam against your face--"
"I'm fine," Alana promised, glancing back to Natalie who paced worriedly by the elevator. Reaching for Nick's hand, she slowly walked with him toward their suite. "Natalie needs me."
"Okay… You'll fill me in on what her problem is, right?" Nick questioned softly as he opened the door to their suite. "She looks like shit…"
"If she doesn't mind me talking about it," Alana agreed with a nod, reaching behind his neck to feel the growing knot. When she felt him wince with pain, she fought to frown, walking into the bathroom to get a cool cloth for her split and swelling lip. "…Get ice on that, please?"
"Alright, Ma. Don't be gone too long, please? I need you too…" Nick trailed softly as he peeled off his wet trunks. Snatching a pair of discarded boxers from the foot of the bed, he pulled them on before flopping onto the bed.
"You'll miss me too much, huh?" Alana mused from the bathroom as she pulled off her wet bikini, hanging it over the shower. Unfazed by her nakedness, she sauntered out into the room to pull out underwear, a pair of frayed jean shorts, and a shelf bra tank. Hurriedly pulling on the garments and pulling Nick's baseball cap over her wild curls, she reached for her wet washcloth to apply to her lip.
"You have no idea… Hey, when you get back, we can raid the porn stash and see if we can find the ring Lizzie insists I have," Nick commented with a wicked grin, leaning up to softly kiss her cheeks. "Have… Well, I doubt it'll be fun, so…"
"Somehow, I really can't see you settling down and sliding a ring onto my finger," Alana teased, brushing her hand down the side of his face. "But, behave till I get back. No women…"
"Not even Lizzie?" Nick pouted, pulling her down into his lap for a quick hug before releasing her.
"Only if you take her shopping for my engagement ring," Alana decided, nuzzling the side of his face before retrieving her wallet from the nightstand. Slipping it into her back pocket, she slipped on her flip-flops and moved toward the hallway.
"Hey, Beautiful?" Nick called, smiling when she turned to gaze at him. "…I love you."
"I love you so much more, Handsome," she promised, blowing a gentle kiss his way before slipping out the door to tend to Natalie's wounds.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Whoops, sorry for the delay. Was busy with NaNo during November, and now that's out of the way I'll be updating more regularly. Thanks so much for all of the wonderful reviews, we really appreciate it! :)
