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Author's Chapter Notes:
Yay another chapter! It's a fun one, lots of teasing going on. I figured I'd let them chill a bit before the mayhem of the tour gets underway next chapter. Anyways enjoy! As always R&R

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Calm Before The Storm

Early that morning Brent stood in the kitchen frying up a couple of eggs for himself as his toast popped up signifying that it had finished. The house was eerily quiet, the only noises coming from the sizzling stove in front of him. He'd gotten up early seeing that Nick and Alyssa had already been up for some time and were not in the house nor on the premises. He chuckled figuring that they probably went out to breakfast or something just to get away for a couple of hours to be alone.

His thoughts were interrupted as Nick and Alyssa burst through the front door and made their way into the kitchen. Both of them were sweaty and out of breath. Nick sat down on a barstool folding his hands on the bar that separated the kitchen from the breakfast nook. "God damn woman you run fast." Nick said in between labored breaths. He brought the end of his shirt up wiping the large beads of sweat that lined his brow and he glanced over at Alyssa who was smiling at him and wiping her own brow with her forearm.

Brent sniggered at the two of them figuring they'd gone on a run. "Yeah, you didn't have to come with me you know." Alyssa shot back as she stretched to cool down her muscles. "You better stretch or you won't be able to walk."

Nick grumbled and moved to stretch out his legs and his back from the long hard run. He winced as he stretched out his hamstrings and knees almost regretting for thinking he could handle a run with his fiancée who ran much more often and much farther than he did. "Fuck my knees hurt." He grumbled as he felt them swell from being overworked.

Alyssa gave him a sympathetic glance and came over to him taking a long swig of her ice cold water bottle. "Can you make it over to the couch?" She asked with an idea to help him stave off any more pain and swelling. He nodded and began to hobble over to the couch. "Go wash up first, take a bath I'll go draw one for you." She said remembering that he'd have to bathe and the oinment she kept for sore muscles and joints would be washed off. He gave her a look and she chuckled. "Come on you big wuss." She said taking his arm around her shoulders letting him lean on her as he winced cursing under his breath at his soreness.

She smirked at Brent and took Nick up the stairs making sure he had his bearings holding onto the banister and the wall. Once he was sure he could make it the rest of the way Alyssa bounded up the stairs into the master bath drawing a hot bath with chamomile and lavendar bath bomb from her toiletries bag in the tub.

A few moments later Nick came into the bathroom having stopped to kick off his socks and shoes. He wrinkled his nose at her and groaned, "Girly shit in the tub?" He half whined. "Yeah ‘cause I'm not gonna hear enough shit from Brent about you moaning last night. I need more about how I smell like flowers."

Alyssa snickered and smacked his shoulder, "Well I can always just get off on my own if you're so embarrassed about my moaning." She shot back making his face instantly sober and his eyes look her up and down. "Heh, that's what I thought. And besides it's for your muscles you can always wash the smell off in the shower afterwards." She reasoned with him making him relent. She stood there expectantly as he stood as well looking at her dumbly.

"What?" He asked wondering what she was doing still standing there. It's true he didn't mind being naked in front of her but he didn't quite expect her to stay and watch him get undressed and then into the tub.

Alyssa chuckled at him and moved to leave, "What it's not like I've never seen you naked before lover." She shot back.

"I know that it's just a little awkward...could you?"

She rolled her eyes, knowing that he probably just didn't like her seeing him hurt and being naked would just increase his vulnerability."I'll set some clothes out for you, then you're to be on the couch I have some balm that will make you feel like new." She said.

As soon as she left the room Nick took a breath and instantly cursed himself for turning her away like that. It wasn't normal for him to just instantly feel so awkwardly self conscious about being naked in front of her. Maybe it had a lot to do with that she was fully clothed, or that he was hurt and just didn't like his complete vulnerability. What he did know was that he definitely needed to talk to her about it and apologize for his momentary idiocy.

He knew that with the schedule they had coming up that he should make the most of the time they had together since the tour was going to keep him rather busy and exhausted most of the time. As much as he wanted to make the most of their down time, he didn't want to be all about getting off either. He smirked as he thought to himself, wondering how she would take slowing things down a little. Not to the point where they had been last fall, but just drawing things out a bit more than usual.

He disrobed quickly letting his clothing fall haphazardly on the floor and began to lower himself into the hot water hissing as his skin slowly became accustomed to the temperature. Once he was nearly fully submerged he leaned his head back on the padded walling of the Jacuzzi tub seeing that she'd even gone so far as to turn on the massaging jets focusing them on his legs. A few moments later Alyssa came back in the room dropping a few towels on the counter then came over and sat on the edge of the tub. "I'm sorry...you know I don't know what I was thinking." He said in a hurry trying to back pedal as well as he could.

She sighed and flicked a little bit of water at him. "It's all right. You're hurt and being a big ole baby about it and the last thing you want is for your girlfriend to watch you fumble trying to get your clothes off am I right?" She said seeing right through him.

He shrugged. "I guess. Normally I'd be dragging you in here." He replied back.

She grinned and stood. "Oh well I'm gonna take a shower, gotta get all the sweat off of me." She replied biting back a grin going over to the clear glass walls of the shower that was in direct eye view of the tub. His eyes narrowed while she turned on the water and took off her sport tank that she'd worn on their run. His breathing quickened as he watched the material lift up off her body and then drop to the floor in some unknown place unable to tear his eyes away from her. She continued to strip off her clothes not caring that he was intently staring at each new area of exposed skin. She grinned to herself as she got into the shower and stepped under the spray wetting her hair down.

Nick bit his lower lip as he watched her feeling his heart beat pick up even more than when she had started taking off her sweaty clothes. He swallowed hard feeling his groin tighten at the sight of her in the shower. He wanted to look away but his brain and eyes felt otherwise staring at her while she washed her hair and lathered up herself with the loofah. He watched her turn from him and begin to rinse off the soap from her body. Watching her was seriously mental and visual torture for him. He definitely knew he was going to have to get her back for it eventually.

Somehow he felt as if she were reading his mind from his earlier thoughts. He knew it she was trying to torture him into getting out of the tub and throwing her against the shower wall in retaliation. But he let his willpower take control knowing that if he tried to get out of the tub quicker than his knees would allo that he'd probably pay for it later. So instead he resigned himself to watching her, waiting until he could exact his revenge.

Alyssa grinned knowing he was watching her. Alyssa looked over catching his stare and smirked at him as she finished up her shower. She turned off the water and walked out of the shower grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself taking a smaller towel and running it over her hair. She walked over to him staying just above arms length so he wouldn't retaliate and pull her into the tub with him, "You know you don't have to stare, you could have just joined me." She remarked making his face contort into a dark look as his eyes darkened with a mix of lust and anger. A few minutes later he got up out of the tub with a little less difficulty than he had anticipated. He drained the tub and grabbed a towel drying himself off.

He walked into the bedroom seeing her already dressed. He smirked thinking that he was going to definitely enjoy drawing out their actions towards each other.  Getting an idea on how to get her going he pulled on his shorts and grabbed her arm as she tried to pass. He pulled her quickly onto the bed and pinned her beneath him despite how much his knees were screaming at him for doing so.

Alyssa stared up at him arching an eye brow at him almost challenging him to make a move. It was at that moment Nick realized exactly why she was teasing him and why she'd been a tease so much to him lately. She was trying to goad him to the point where he pushed all reason aside and ravished her. Knowing this valuable information he decided it was time to turn the tables on her and let her fully feel the sexual frustration she could so expertly cause within him.

He smirked and nipped along her jaw avoiding her mouth feeling the muscles in her mouth contract into a large grin. He bit along her neck hearing her gasp and moan at the sensation. He bit harder down her neck and to her collarbone as his hips got into the act as well grinding against her suggestively. Almost instantly Alyssa moved her legs to one on either side of him bending her knees up aligning their pelvises perfectly. He continued with his movements on her knowing that as soon as he got her to the exact spot he wanted her it would be more than a little difficult to fulfill his plan. His smirked against her skin feeling her hands go from in his hair, to one on his back slightly digging her nails into his shoulder blade, and the other between them sliding inside his shorts.

He smiled and pushed away from her standing and going over to pull a shirt on before hobbling down the stairs and getting on the couch to rest his knees. Alyssa laid on the bed breathing heavily and slightly dazed as to what had just happened. She sat up going over the events in her head for a moment and started chuckling. She knew exactly what he was doing. He's getting his revenge, she mused to herself. Well if it's a war he wants, it's a war he's gonna get. "Oh...it's so on now." She muttered before grabbing the oinment she'd said she'd bring and trotted herself downstairs as if nothing had happened.

She walked in seeing him lounging on the large couch flipping through channels. Alyssa came over and sat down on the couch motioning for him to bend his knees making him wince a little. She chuckled and put his knees across her lap and opened the tub of muscle balm. He gave her a look as he watched her rub the oinment onto her hands warming it before moving in on his right knee making him groan loudly and rest his head on the armrest closing his eyes at the mix of sensations.

She massaged her fingers over his knee cap and the underside feeling the tendons give and some of the swelling decrease. She moved her hands up slightly to his hamstrings gently but deeply moving over the taut muscles all the while becoming dangerously close to his groin. Everytime she would his body would tense and then relax as she moved her hands away. He watched her clutching a pillow to the front of him so as to guard himself from revealing the extent of what she did to him. She moved her hands to his other knee grabbing a little more balm to rub over the sore swollen joint.

He closed his eyes again his mouth slightly parted as his body shifted slightly getting anxious at the feel of her fingers blazing the same path up his thigh as she'd done on the other.

At that moment Brent came walking back into the living room raising his eyebrows at the scene in front of him. Alyssa had since moved from sitting to kneeling looking like she was pratically straddling Nick's calves and her hands on the underside of his mid thigh. He snickered and shook his head. "Wow if you two wanna be alone just say so."

Alyssa laughed and pointed to the tub of balm on the coffee table. "It's to help his joints out, Lord knows I don't want him hyper-extending it or tearing something at rehearsals." She replied as she finished up massaging the balm into his legs and got up closing the lid and went into the kitchen to wash her hands.

Brent gave Nick a look and Nick shrugged. "Dude you're so whipped."

Nick laughed and sighed, "So are you, you'd do anything for Jen so don't fucking start." Nick reasoned. Brent nodded his head in agreement making the two of them laugh. "She's such a tease I swear." Nick added making Brent snigger.

"Seriously I couldn't tell." He quipped sarcastically just as Alyssa walked back into the room with a stack of papers and her notes. She plopped herself down on the couch and pulled her hair in a messy twist with her spare pencil while she crossed her legs beneath her and leaned herself against the arm rest.

Nick studied her body language knowing that beneath her seemingly calm exterior that she was definitely sexually frustrated, probably as much as he was. He chuckled noting how she tapped the end of her pencil frantically on the edge of her papers. The small hint of her tongue poking out of the side of her mouth showing that she was trying in a rather vain attempt to change her focus to her task at hand. He smirked at her attempt to remain aloof and figured that this was going to be rather interesting to see how fast he could get her to crack.

A few hours later...


Alyssa had somehow made her way up the stairs and into the master bedroom clicking away on her laptop doing  her networking with her faculty for her course. A few moments an instant message popped up from Lindsay asking for a video conference. Alyssa grinned and accepted the invitation readily. She smiled seeing Lindsay's face pop up on her screen. "Hey Alyssa, hows Nashville? You go all country bumpkin yet?" She said giggling looking at her friend's relaxed appearance.

"No..." Alyssa replied chuckling back. "I wouldn't really qualify this area as bumpkin territory, it's not too far in the deep south and most people work in the city. It's really quiet though, definitely a nice cozy little area outside of the city." She continued.

"That's great, it's raining here in hell-ay. Meetings have been going well. Drea seems to not like the new curriculum changes, or the syllabus changes." She said rolling her eyes.

"Drea doesn't like much at all. I heard her a while back gossiping and since then I really haven't cared to hear her opinion." Alyssa admitted.

Lindsay laughed and nodded, "Oh yeah it's like Melrose place around here without you. Especially your faculty associates they don't think it's fair you get to do the distance learning shin dig and they have to stay."

At that moment Alyssa heard a very loud crash coming from what she thought was just down the hall. She looked over to the door and Lindsay chuckled. "I think the boys are messing around with the music room again." Alyssa remarked explaining the crash. "Probably hit the cymbals a little too hard."

"Anyways, I just wanted to give you a brief heads up. Oh and I wanted to ask you who that was who I passed on the way to my class before you left."

Alyssa snickered and bit her lip. "Some fan you are...That would be Aaron, you know Nick's lil brother."

She watched rather amused as Lindsay's eyes widened, "You're kidding? I didn't think he'd gotten so tall. But then again I've always kinda been more a fan of the music and not what they look like or where they are sort of thing you know? I know it's a little nuts to be on some of the message boards those girls can get a little loopy." She joked back.

Alyssa heard the beginnings of what sounded like drums come from down the hall. Curious as to what exactly the three of them were doing she quickly bid Lindsay farewell and closed her laptop. She padded quietly down the hardwood laden hall knowing she didn't really have to with the rather loud sounds of crashing symbols a multitude of snare and the low rumbling of the bass drum breaking up the sounds. She poked her head through the open doorway seeing Brent hooking up his guitar and various pedals to an amp system, and Andrew setting up his keyboard. The more she looked the more she realized that behind the drum set was her fiancé.

She looked away for a moment then slowly let her eyes drift back over to him noticing his furrowed brow and already light sheen of sweat on his hairline and shoulders. Her breathing quickened and her heart beat rapidly in her chest. If he was trying to ‘innocently' tease her then he certainly was doing the job. She wondered if he remembered her telling him when she was in college that drummers were her weakness. After all many of her boyfriends were drummers, Collin, Tommy (even though she didn't really categorize him as a traditional boyfriend since the didn't date very long), and now Nick.

Across the room Nick wailed his arms against the drums getting them loose for a few hours of jamming. He slowly opened his eyes looking around the room at the sparse walls then to his friends. Finally his eyes rested on the dark haired figure leaning on the door jamb her eyes transfixed upon him. He fought the urge to smirk but instead stopped drumming for the moment and got up going over to look at some of the sheet music they'd written on earlier. He knew he didn't need the sheet music but at the same time knowing that she was watching his every move made him kind of want to tease her more than he had earlier in the day.

Alyssa bit her lip and tried not to smile. She mentally cursed at him for walking around in one of her favorite things he wore, a pair of low slung basketball shorts that looked huge on him now since his weightloss, and a form fitting white wife beater with a simple silver chain and their wedding rings around it at the bottom. It made her smile that he preferred to wear them around his neck until the big day, almost as if it were a constant reminder to him as her engagement ring was for her of their impending comittment.

She watched him walk back over to the drum set dragging a small table over to sit near the seat where he placed a pen and paper. He sat back down avoiding her gaze but still looking over in her direction stealing glances at her bare legs where a tee-shirt came to just the tops of her thighs showing a small pair of womens boxer shorts that made him grin inwardly. He hadn't really thought much of the outfit when he'd put it on just wanting something loose to lounge in. But seeing her reaction made him happy that their waiting game was panning out knowing that this may very well be one of the last times they'll get to really enjoy the chase as much as the act before the tour.

Alyssa caught his eyes with hers and smirked at him making him smirk back at her in a very coy silent game they were playing. She watched as they jammed not even really noticing the other two in the room, but keeping her eyes on his arms as they moved creating the beat they'd constructed. She crossed her legs and arms leaning fully onto the door jamb as he stopped for a moment placing a drumstick between his teeth so he could write something down on the paper he'd brought over for himself. She snickered a little knowing that the seemingly innocent act wasn't all so innocent.

He saw her back straighten a little at his motion and he grinned while he wrote down a couple of lines of music. At that moment Brent finally took notice that they had an audience and followed her intense gaze over to Nick. He smiled a bit remembering how they'd both steal glances at the other back so many years before. The change from covert longing looks to blatant staring was quite a bit of a shock to him as he noticed Nick would also stare back at her when he wasn't focusing on the music at hand.

A few moments later when there was a lull in the music and Brent set his guitar down while Nick furiously wrote things down. Brent smiled at Alyssa who still didn't seem to notice. "So Ali what do you think?" He asked making her turn her head.

"Huh?" She asked dumbly then noted his questioningly amused glance. "Oh it sounds good. Really good. Got any lyrics for it yet?" She replied nonchalantly.

Nick grinned and shrugged, "No not yet, but I think we're good on it for now right?" He asked seeing Andrew and Brent nod and stretch.

"Man I could use a beer right now." Andrew remarked as he stretched his arms out as well as his fingers that were sore from jamming for much of the day.

"I know let's all go to Tin Roof. Knock back some drinks, play some pool maybe?" Brent suggested knowing he was probably going to get turned down by Nick and Alyssa but would end up going with Andrew to give the couple a few hours alone. And from the looks on their faces they definitely needed it.

Nick gave Alyssa a smirk and nodded in agreement with Brent. "Yeah some beers sound really good right now." He said making Alyssa's jaw set and her eyes narrow. Surely he wasn't going to go out and get drunk when he could spend the night in bed with her. "Liss you wanna come? You'll love this place." He added trying to coax her into going.

Alyssa gave him a look then quickly smiled noticing the others were looking expectantly. "Sure thing, I'd love to come." She replied then turned on her heel excusing herself and went back into the bedroom.

Nick bit the inside of his cheek to keep his composure from her blatant words. Thankfully the other two were oblivious or at least had the decency not to mention the double entendre that had emanated from her mouth.

About two hours later...


Alyssa laughed as she raised her beer glass to her lips taking a long sip of her draught. She watched Nick across the way as he smiled and chatted happily posing for pictures with the multitude of fans that had heard he was in town. Every few seconds his gaze would drift from the throng of girls over to Alyssa seeing the minimal yet tantalizing amount of skin she was showing.

He loved her casual attire that made it seem like she so effortlessly tried to look like a normal college girl but there was an air of classiness to it that made her all the sexier to him. The only skin that was showing aside from her face and a piece of each forearm was her shoulders and neck. She wore a black tight off the shoulder shirt and a pair of well worn blue jeans and peep-toed heels to match. His mind immediately pictured the feel of her shoulders under his fingertips and the softness of her neck that, thanks to a ponytail, was exposed rather obviously. He looked to her face seeing it lightly made up with simple silver eye shadow and black liner on her eyes. Her bangs had fallen from her ponytail and the long strands framed her face down to the hinge of her jaw.

He knew he wanted to keep the game between them going but with how she looked, he definitely doubted being able to reign in his own desires in favor of self control to win. He sighed being ripped from his lustful stare into another round of playing the dutiful popstar always loyal and loving of his fans. He sighed resigning himself from watching her laugh and drink with two of his friends when really he wanted to drag her into the bathroom and make her scream.

Back over at the table Alyssa smirked feeling his eyes on her and glanced over giving him a challenging glance. She knew what this whole thing was, a teasing game that was slowly turning into a battle for power. She also knew that eventually one of them would give in. She also knew why he was doing it. She'd figured out his ulterior motive, to truly savor the time they had before the tour. She sighed thinking of the hectic schedule that lay ahead them and the struggle for time alone that was sure to follow. But that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun with him in the meantime either.

"Are you sure it's ok that they do that?" Andrew asked making Alyssa look over at him while she took a drink.

Setting her glass down she gave him a look. "What do you mean?"

"Them, the fans, you don't mind that they hang all over him and grab his ass or try to kiss him?" He asked clarifying his point. He watched her body language whenever she'd looked over to her fiancé and it looked like she was more amused than territorial.

She shrugged, "Comes with the territory. I mean I know him, and once upon a time I can pinpoint about three girls he would have taken home with him. But he's changed a lot since then and I know he's only going home with me and so it doesn't really bother me because they're fighting a losing battle if they think he's gonna get with any of them." She explained feeling very confident in her words.

Back over on Nick's side of things he smiled and listened intently as several of the fans gushed over the new album. He beamed with pride and nodded thanking them for enjoying it. It was then that one fan asked, "So where's your fiancée? Or is she your wife now?"

Nick grinned widely, "She's not my wife...yet. But in a few months she will be. And she's over there." He said happily pointing in her direction. "She's on vacation hanging here while Brent and I write some music together."

"That's so cool!" One of the more giggly fans gushed.

"Can we get a picture with both of you?" Another said making the corners of his eyes crinkle in a warm smile.

"Yeah...hang on a sec." He said and looked over to Alyssa who had returned her attention to him from her conversation with Andrew. He waved his hand beckoning her to come over to them. Alyssa got up excusing herself politely and made her way over to the little crowd.

"You rang?" She asked with a snarky grin playing upon her lightly berry stained lips.

Nick smirked and kissed her temple. "These lovely ladies would like to take a picture with both of us." He said smiling happily at her.

She grinned and turned to the girls. "Aw, cool." She replied simply making the fans instantly warm to her. Alyssa smiled brightly at each picture feeling blinded almost by the flashes. At one point to distract herself Nick and Alyssa turned and smiled at each other not even realizing that a picture was being taken.

Once everyone was done and Nick thanked them for being fans and listening to the music. The two of them made their way over to the table sitting together once again.  Alyssa looked over at him noticing the distance between their bodies, even though it was mere inches, it still made her look at him strangely. Normally she was accustomed to at least a hand on her thigh, an interlacing of their fingers or at the bare minimum a hand at the small of her back.

Nick smirked knowing what she was looking for and purposely kept his distance physically from her. He knew it was more to contain his own self control but it simultaneously drove her to the edge of her own sanity. His entire body tensed as he felt a hand on his thigh up towards his knee. He gave her a sideways glance seeing her immersed in a conversation with Brent about the need for better publicity for soccer in America. He swallowed hard and took a long swig of his beer feeling her hand inch it's way up. Not wanting her to know that he was about two seconds away from pulling her out of the bar, he placed his hand on top of hers and took it off of his leg, placing it back onto her own thigh and then moved his hand to the small of her back for a moment tracing the contours of her skin beneath the black fabric of her shirt for a moment then moving to rest along the back of her chair.

Alyssa sighed at the brief contact wanting more. She bit her lip while she listened to Brent's retort trying her best to remain focused. A task she knew would be an exercise in futility. Once she finished that conversation and Brent talked with Andrew about various things Alyssa leaned over to Nick pressing her lips just below his ear lobe then lifted up a little to whisper. "Take me home..."

He smirked and leaned in whispering back with a devilish grin. "Why I thought we were having fun?" He coyly played back.

Alyssa sighed frustratedly. "You know why..."

"Maybe I just like seeing you squirm..." He replied his breath hot on her neck then nipped at the sensitive skin at the hinge of her jaw driving home his point just that much further.

In retaliation Alyssa slipped her hand between them under the table and found the growing bulge in his jeans grasping it. She smirked as she felt him tense up. "See I can make you squirm just as much..." She replied making him push her hand away giving her a warning glance before delving into another conversation between Andrew and Brent. Alyssa slightly pouted and sat back in her seat hoping they would leave soon. Inwardly Nick sighed, he knew he wanted to draw things out, but he didn't know how much longer his willpower could hold.

A few hours later...


Alyssa walked into the bedroom with huff kicking off her shoes sufficiently miffed that he had not only practically refused her advances but forced her to wait a couple of extra hours before coming back to the house. Nick followed her close behind watching her as she tore off her shirt and jeans going over to her suit case and grabbing a camisole pulling it over her head and then took of her strapless bra from underneath it tossing it to the ground. She went into the bathroom washing her makeup off and taking off her long earrings. As much as she knew he was just trying to get them to fully enjoy the teasing between them she'd grown frustrated with it and just wanted the game to be over with.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked as she walked back in. She gave him a near furious look and shook her head as she turned down the sheets. "Sugar...come on...talk to me."

She rolled her eyes and launched a pillow at him, "Are you fucking serious? God I'm practically throwing myself at you all night and you fucking push me away!" She snapped ferociously yet not raising her voice above normal speaking volume.

"Glad you know how it feels now." He shot back with a defiant glare. "You're amazing at teasing and love to do it, but don't like it much when it's done back on you now do you?"

Alyssa's eyes narrowed. "That's what this was about? Because I was kidding around with you knowing it'd get you going?"

"Yeah...exactly what I was doing. Not nice is it?" He said as he rounded the bed coming closer to her. She backed up because of his advances until she hit the nightstand and he stood right before her.

"You're such an asshole sometimes." She replied looking up at him.

"Yeah and you can also be a real bitch when you want to. So I think it balances out quite nicely." He shot back chuckling under his breath.

Alyssa moved to the side and Nick moved with her pulling her into a kiss to which she pulled back and raised her hand to slap him for trying to kiss her and diffuse the situation with their pent up sexual frustration. He grabbed her wrist and walked a few steps pinning it against the wall, along with the other as she raised it as well. She breathed heavily and stared at him for a moment still angry at the incessant game between them. If it meant she was going to lose in their messed game she didn't care as she leaned in and kissed him feeling his grip on her wrists loosen then move to her neck holding her face in place as he deepened the kiss.

He felt her body fully give into the kiss and he gathered her up turning them around and planting them both on the bed without breaking their embrace. Alyssa's hands made quick work of his jeans while he slipped off his shirt and helped her get his jeans and boxer briefs over his hips. He grinned down at her as he broke the kiss finally and got to his knees smirking as she raised her hips placing her feet up on his chest. He watched as she wriggled her body out of her boy short underwear taking them once they reached her knees and tossed them aside. While he finished removing his jeans from around his ankles Alyssa arched her back lifting the camisole up and off of her leaving no scrap of clothing between them.

He leaned down settling himself between her legs despite her attempts for him to roll them over. "No, we do this my way." He shot back as his fingers searched out her clit rubbing over it roughly making her hips buck and a loud low moan escape her lips.

"I hate you sometimes you know that..." She remarked as he kept up his torture for a few moments pulling away just when she felt herself begin to give over to the pleasure he brought out in her.

He chuckled, "No you don't...you just hate that I can make you beg for it." He retorted as he slid inside of her both of them groaning in unison. He loved seeing the frustration displayed so clearly on her face as he began to move with a slow and deliberate pace.

Alyssa closed her eyes momentarily just reveling in how everything felt. She chuckled to herself knowing he was doing this whole game between them to have this as the end result. Afterall it was one thing to steal moments on tour for a quickie here and there, but to have the time to truly experience one another, was a completely different entity. As much as she loved the fact he was taking his time, her own desire and frustration was beginning to get the best of her. She thrust her hips up roughly smacking their hips together as he filled her again he growled and stopped for a moment giving her a warning glance. "Please..." She asked wanting more than just the slow sensual movement he'd been leading them with.

"No." He said simply. "We're going slow." He added making her groan frustratedly. He chuckled and kissed her lips smiling as she looped her arms under his gently gripping his shoulders. He smiled watching her face as he moved above her, seeing her face scrunch up slightly everytime he would thrust back against her. He smiled as she wrapped her legs around his waist bending her knees up as far as she could with every thrust he made. She arched her back feeling her clit brush his pelvic bone.

She opened her eyes seeing his eyes had shut in concentration and maybe also in determination to continue with their slow pace. "Nick..." She sighed bringing her hand to his face. He opened his eyes and smiled at her leaning in as she slid her hand from his cheek to the back of his head, their lips meeting more urgently than he had anticipated. Dismissing the urgency of their kiss he continued on his slow steady movements feeling her body begin to shake slightly. He began to pull back almost as if he were stopping making Alyssa clutch to his shoulders. "If you stop I'll kick your ass..." She replied sharply making him laugh and lean down kissing her again to silence her voice.

He felt her body begin to tense knowing that she was almost trying to bring about her own release just to relieve the tension inside of her. "Stop..." He said plainly making her look up at him confused. "Just stop what you're doing...let yourself enjoy this, we have all night..." He reasoned looking down at her completely stopping his movement on her so the full weight of his words would sink in.

"But...I..." She began to protest but was silenced with another lingering kiss.

"You talk too much sometimes." Nick muttered against her lips as he resumed their pace making her breathe in deeply. He moved his mouth from hers nipping along her chin and down her throat as she arched her back against him. He moved his arms underneath her shoulders resting his weight on his elbows cradling her to him as he slightly increased the intensity but not the speed of his thrusting.

Suddenly Alyssa felt something cold hit her chest. She opened her eyes seeing that the chain around his neck that had been resting on his back had, do to their movements slipped back around making the two rings of intertwining metal and diamonds come to rest on her chest moving slightly as they moved against each other. She looked down seeing the rings glint in the light of the room making her grin her chest tightening and her eyes getting slightly misty from the mere idea that those two bands represented.

Nick felt her body tighten slightly and looked up from kissing along her collarbone. "Are you okay?" He took the opportunity raising back up onto his hands bringing him to be straight over her so that she couldn't escape his concerned glance.

She looked up and nodded in response wrapping her fingers around the thin silver chain pulling it down towards her bringing him in for another searing kiss. Unable to deny it any longer he finally eased up his speed bringing them both to lingering climaxes in just a few moments. He slowly broke the kiss bringing his hand up to brush the hair that had matted to her forehead with sweat, studying her face as she did the same both laying in silence as they came down from their highs.

The following afternoon...

"...They had no conversation together, no intercourse but what the commonest civility required. Once so much to each other! Now nothing! There had been a time, when of all the large party now filling the drawing-room at Uppercross, they would have found it most difficult to cease to speak to one another." Alyssa spoke as they sat beneath a rather large willow tree. She felt his eyes burning into her and knew he was smirking as he watched her read aloud. "With the..." She stammered feeling slightly embarrassed at his amused stare. "With the exception, perhaps, of Admiral and Mrs Croft, who... Okay seriously stop it." She said not looking up aside from a quick glance of her eyes.

Nick snickered and grinned innocently. "What I'm not doing anything?" He replied making her finally look up with what looked like a snarky retort on her mind.

Alyssa set the book onto her lap closing it upon her finger. "I can't read Persuasion with you staring at me like that. Remember I'm not used to performing like you so reading aloud isn't easy for me." She shot back.

Nick laughed, "But you could lecture to a huge classroom?" He asked trying to dismiss her anxiety. He moved up to sit next to her both of them leaning against the large tree trunk.

Alyssa gave him a look her cheeks reddening slightly. "That's different, it's much different than having my fiancé stare at me while I read one of my favorite novels."

"I'm sorry for staring. I just think it's cute how your voice changes with every different point she's trying to make." He explained before he moved his hands to her book opening it again finding where she left off. He handed her the book back. "Keep going I like listening to you."

She gave him a look and found her place again beginning at  the sentence she left off taking a large breath and clearing her throat, "With the exception, perhaps, of Admiral and Mrs Croft, who seemed particularly attached and happy, (Anne could allow no other exceptions even among the married couples), there could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved. Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement..." She continued to read finishing up the chapter. Once she was done she looked at him marking her place and smiling at him. "Happy now?"

He grinned and leaned over pressing his mouth to hers for a brief moment as his response. She smiled as he broke the kiss taking the book from her and setting it back down on the blanket they'd brought out with them. Alyssa sighed and went over grabbing a piece of her sandwich from inside of the cooler. Nick smiled and grabbed his food as well both of them just content to eat in silence for a few moments.

Alyssa sighed and threw their trash into their cooler to dispose of back at the house. She was definitely happy that he'd decided to spring this alone time for them, a picnic in the park made her chuckle at him for the corny gesture when he'd brought it up. "So are you excited about the tour?" She asked knowing that in just a few short days, they'd be brushing up extensively for the tour.

Nick grumbled and his face contorted in slight dismay. "I don't even want to think about the tour right now. There's just way too much to even consider as far as all of the work I have to do. Then planning the wedding? It's a little crazy we waited so long to get around to getting married." He explained feeling a little exasperated. "Let's not talk about the tour okay?" He said after taking a breath to calm down from the feeling of anxiety of just thinking about what the tour entailed.

Alyssa gave him a sympathetic glance and nodded. "Can I talk about the wedding? Nothing like loral arrangements or any of that. Just I have a few questions I wanted to discuss with you."

Nick nodded and sighed, "Yeah of course, just no serious planning yet, we'll go to the wedding planner and talk to her about that."

"Of course but okay...vows...Are we doing traditional or writing our own?" She asked earnestly. She did like the old standby of the traditional vows that so many millions of couples had used in their own weddings.

Nick thought a moment, wondering about her question. On the one hand there was the traditional vows, quick easy and definitely a  practical choice. But on the contrary there was the more creative aspect of writing their own vows. A true expression of their comittment to each other in their own words. Then again he'd been to weddings where couples had written their own vows and they'd been corny, sappy or down right cheesy. "That's a good question...I mean writing our own would be cool but I don't want it to sound like some sappy supermarket romance novel."

"Well I was looking online and there can be ways around it. Like we write a brief vow to each other and you know keep it short and simple. I definitely don't want it to be corny either. Another thing if we do traditional vows I found a variation that is different than the normal ‘til-death-do-us-part' stuff."

"Or we could even do a combination of that. Like have certain vows we want to say then the classical vows or variation to it after." He reasoned back as he pulled his knees up planting his feet on the blanket as he lounged against the tree. He wanted to show her that they could even do both if they couldn't really decide on one or the other.

Alyssa sighed nodding in agreement it wasn't like they didn't have time to really consider all their options but she figured nailing down the details most people forgot about would lessen the stress of last minute rushing. She moved over to him sliding between his legs and reclining back against his torso. He wrapped his arms around her resting on the waist of her jeans his fingers fiddling with her empty belt loops absently. "Can you believe it though...we're actually getting married?"

Nick grinned and sighed happily. "It's about damn time don't you think?"

Alyssa chuckled and nodded bringing her hands to rest over his. "And I haven't even thought about what I want for a dress even or really what type of suit to put you in." She remarked realizing that it was getting down to crunch time to make all their plans because if they didn't they'd be rushing and far too stressed to really enjoy the few months they had left to lead up to the wedding.

"Yeah I know but we have time to decide on it. Where do you want to go on the honeymoon since we might be taking a break like a couple weeks after the wedding for like a month or so?"

Alyssa shrugged and sighed, "Surprise me the honeymoon is your deal." She remarked handing over the reigns to him.

He smiled and nodded, "I can definitely do that..." He replied as they continued to relax underneath the large willow tree.

 

 

 

Quotes from Jane Austen's Persuasion Chapter Eight 

Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for reading everyone!