Author's Chapter Notes:
So this one took me a couple days to get out. I'm going into a 36 hour day between tonight and tomorrow so I won't be around much this weekend. This is a pretty huge chapter as far as plot and such. (Aside from the lemony goodness at the beginning) It sets up the rest of the plot and keeps things moving, anyways, I hope you all enjoy! A huge thanks to Darby and Mel for kicking my butt into gear with this one!
Chapter Nineteen: Sex On Fire
"Soft lips are open. Them knuckles are pale. Feels like you're dying. You're dying. You, Your sex is on fire. And so were the words to transpire." (Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon)
As soon as they arrived back at Nick's home the tension between them had grown to a point where they didn't know if they'd make it inside before they carried out their tryst. As it was he'd already pressed her against the wall adjacent to the door unable to keep their contact chaste anymore. His body was pressed completely against hers as she tangled her fingers in his hair tugging ever so gently as he reached his hands inside her sweater gliding over the silk of her sundress. She shuddered as their kisses grew more fevered by the moment.
Their hands and bodies moved of their own volition as one of his hands travelled down her leg picking it up and hooking it around his hips as he ground himself into her. In the darkness of his unlit porch it seemed that there was no boundary between them. They moved against each other, completely forgetting that they were still upright and still outside his home. None of that mattered to either of them at the moment. Marie sighed throwing her head back as his lips nipped along her throat.
At that exact moment the porch light, to which he had on a timer, turned on. Marie glanced around their surroundings though enticing as it sounded to have an encounter in a very nearly public setting, she wanted to get them inside where they could be alone, for once in a long time. No kids. No dogs. No interruptions. Just the two of them, a man and a woman. It was as if the porch light, some how made Marie realize what he was doing. The proverbial lightbulb in her mind that he just might be stalling going inside the house.
This was going to be the first time they'd had any experience together since she was fully aware and okay with the complexities in his life. She felt him tense up as she moved her hips back against his to see if he was going to take this further outside of his home. He backed away then only fractionally looking at her face. "Are you all right?" She asked not realizing how breathless her voice sounded, or how raspy it felt to speak either.
He nodded simply in response and pulled her flush against him as he reclaimed her mouth. She sighed into the kiss realizing that he was nervous. His anxiety wasn't unfounded but she felt it was a little unnecessary at this point in their - what could they call it - a relationship? She reached her hand into his jeans pocket fishing out his keys to the house and pushed him back. She knew on some level that this was going to work only if she took charge every once in a while. He smirked as she fumbled with his keys and he attacked her neck making it even harder for her to concentrate on the seemingly innocuous task of unlocking his front door.
She giggled a little as she opened the door and took his hand in hers leading him into the house. He couldn't believe how easily she was just waltzing into his foyer. It was oddly comforting that she was so at ease when every nerve ending and thought process in him was on edge. He wanted this, wanted her but of course his mind was working on overdrive going over and over every minute detail when he just really wanted it to shut the hell up.
He let her lead him up the stairs and into his bedroom. He stopped for a moment his legs locking into place as he took in the bed. He couldn't understand why his mind was doing this to him. It wasn't like they'd never done this before. But it was completely different. He could have her heart if he fought hard enough. Her willingness to be around him and everything encompassed his life was proof of that even without the talk they'd shared the day before. However that simple talk had made it all the more real that her heart could be his. He knew already that she had him, hook, line and sinker. But it still didn't stop his knee jerk reaction of hesitation.
Marie noted this and pushed his jacket off his shoulders tossing it to the floor. "Where are you?" She asked.
"I'm here." He said finally coming back to the reality at hand.
She smiled brightly at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Good." He smiled finally the tension and anxiety falling away. He wondered exactly how she was able to make him feel so carefree without any worry at all. He decided though as she nibbled on his lower lip and trailed her fingers along the sides of his neck that he really just didn't care what magic power she held over him, because it made him feel more alive than anything he'd ever experienced.
He fell into her kisses with renewed fervor and passion gasping for air as his hands shed her of her sweater whilst they kicked off their shoes. His hands took down her hair from the loose tie it was in letting the mahogany layers fall down around her shoulders. "You're so beautiful." He murmured against her lips.
She grinned and turned them around slowly backing him up to the bed pushing him onto it. He smirked and lifted his arms over his head, one bending back to pick up the collar of his shirt and pulling up and off of him. She moved to sit on his lower thighs, her hands moving to the snap at his waist undoing the button and zipper with a low purr. He meanwhile moved his hands up the outside of her thighs to her waist gathering the silky material of her dress and tossing it over her shoulder as it landed on his nightstand. "So perfect." He muttered before burying his face in her neck, inhaling her scent.
In a sudden act of quickness and impatience she reached around to unfasten her bra. He smirked against her neck as he felt the material go slack. He pulled it from her body his eyes unmoving from her face as he gripped her hips and turned them to roll her onto her back settling her on his already downturned bed. She shivered as her overly heated body hit the cool soft sheets. He settled himself on her covering the entirety of her torso with warm open-mouthed kisses. She reached inside of his open jeans stroking her hand against him briefly before pushing his jeans and boxer briefs half way off his hips.
"Impatient much?"
"Enough with the torture. I just want you." She replied. He shuddered watching as she shimmied out of her boy shorts joining his jeans and boxers on the floor. He climbed onto the bed as she leaned up kissing him as she backed herself to the middle of the bed both of them hissing as their overheated skin touched with no barriers between.
When she wrapped her legs around his hips loosely he froze. His eyes studied her face as she lay beneath him. He stared for a long moment not even realizing that he wasn't even inside of her yet. The intimacy of their situation, their intimacy was reaching a point where words weren't even necessary anymore and they'd only known each other less than a month. His mind worked overtime on the impossibilities that their connection seemingly were defying every moment they were together.
Marie sighed impatiently beneath him realizing he was yet again, thinking too much. She leaned up kissing him slowly, tampering with his coherency. She felt his body relax and as soon he had she pushed her palms to his chest.
"On your back soldier." She muttered making his stoic expression crumble in favor of a wide grin. He sat up then as she straddled his hips and sunk onto him. She closed her eyes leaning back onto her hands that were holding her up. His eyes remained glued to her face as he leaned in wrapping his arms around her lower back as she began to move on him. He focused on her sounds, the light breathy moans that were nearly in time with his own.
Everything in that moment was indescribable. Her boldness. Her beauty. He couldn't believe how he hadn't seen it before. The love that had been blatantly pointed out to him earlier in the day seeped out of every pore. Suddenly he felt more confident than he had in a very long time. He loved this woman and she trusted him enough to have such intimate glimpses into her soul. He gripped her closer to him and rolled them back over taking control once again. As he did so he took both hands lacing their fingers and brought them up above her head pinning them underneath one hand as he peppered her face with kisses hoping that his actions were showing how much he'd grown to worship her in just this short amount of time.
She grinned as his lips came to hers again. She knew his hesitation was only temporary and smiled triumphantly at her success of pushing it aside. He gripped her hip with his free hand as he moved his hips a little faster going as hard as he dared loving the sound of her breathless whimpering as their hips collided again and again. They both could feel their releases building quickly inside of each other, twin knots in the pits of their stomachs, heat starting in the soles of their feet coursing through their veins. She rotated her hips crying out as it changed the friction between them.
A low growl rumbled in his chest as he released her hands to caress her face, pushing her thick fringe of sweat soaked bangs out of the way. She looked into his eyes then, locking into a stare while she clutched to his shoulder blades. He marveled as the pink flush colored her pale ivory skin, to him it was one of the most perfect things he'd ever seen. She watched him as well, the look of complete pleasure and awe in his eyes wasn't lost on her it made her feel all the more alive to know that she was the one to put that look there.
They knew it wouldn't be long, both teetering precariously on the precipice. It was moments later when they each felt their peaks, within seconds of each other with resounding gasps of pleasure. They laid still as their bodies slowly came off their highs. He kissed the side of her throat reverently as their breathing decreased from panting to less labored breaths. He finally looked up seeing her slight smirk and closed eyes. He kissed the tip of her nose, her jaw, then her lips before she opened her eyes and placed her hand at his jaw. He leaned his head into her touch closing his eyes before kissing her again.
It was with great reluctance moments later that they finally pulled away from each other. The separation didn't last very long. Soon they found themselves laying against each other, her back nestled flush against his chest as a single thin sheet lay around them shielding their sweaty bodies from the much cooler air in the room. He kissed her shoulder blade gently and she grinned dipping her head to kiss his forearms that were locked around her. "This feels so nice." He said sofly.
"Nice?"
"Yeah, the silence you know?"
"Then why are you disturbing such blessed silence?" She quipped back playfully.
"Funny. I meant the atmosphere you know? I'm not used to it but I like it." He whispered holding her closer. "I'm sorry for the hesitation earlier. There's just so much -,"
"Don't mention it. Honestly I knew doing this here was going to be a big step for you. I had no problem taking control as you can tell."
"I can and I did. Thank you for that. But that didn't even cross my mind. I mean yeah it's a big deal but there were bigger issues on my mind."
Marie paused for a moment wondering exactly what those bigger issues could have been. Behind her Nick smirked feeling her unspoken question permeate the silence between them.
"I guess I should explain that a little better huh?" He asked and Marie sighed nodding, clearly unable to form her voice into a coherent response. "I - I am falling in love with you." He said firmly his voice growing stronger. Marie's eyes widened and she turned in his embrace searching his features. "Yeah. I think I actually am already there and what scares me the most is that I'm not scared at all about how I feel."
Marie stayed silent completely shocked at his revelation. She knew that she was falling for him, and that he might be falling for her. She'd always fought her emotions with her logic though. What good would falling in love do when she would be leaving in just a few short weeks.
"Please say something you're making me nervous with the shocked stare."
"I don't know what to say. I mean I wasn't expecting an ‘I love you' tonight. Or even at all."
"Oh. Umm well if the obvious response doesn't immediately come to you then I guess we can just forget I ever opened my big mouth." He muttered closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Stupid." She heard him mutter just under his breath.
"You're not stupid." She replied.
"I certainly feel like it."
"Its not that I don't feel like I'm falling for you. I think I am. I just didn't want to say anything until I was sure. And then you go and say it first. That's never happened to me before. I've always said it first. But even still you care about me, that's plain to see. I didn't realize it was growing so fast."
"Neither did I. But I can't fight it. I refuse to. How you make me feel is just, it's different and I don't want it to stop." He explained his tone firm and resolute. You could tell he was even telling himself that he wouldn't give up no matter what.
Marie laid there confused. In her experience when a man said he loved you, it was either a response, part of an apology, or an easy way to get into her panties. "You're not just saying this because we've been - physical right?"
"What? No not at all. I think even from the first day this would happen. You don't meet many people you just immediately connect with for no reason right?"
"That's true. But I don't get how you can love me already, I mean two weeks is a very short time." She reasoned, playing devil's advocate. She'd seen with friends in her past that there was no time frame associated with falling in love. Sometimes you fell so fast you didn't know which end was up. Sometimes the love grew out of obligation and respect, and then sometimes it took a long time to build into romantic emotions.
"It is. But I don't know if I can explain it right. It's all consuming though. I can't stop thinking about you when we're apart. I want to know your reactions to things, I love seeing you play with the girls."
"That's another thing. Have you considered what could happen to them if this doesn't work out?" That was one of the things that both of them feared the most. The thought of the emotional fallout of not working it out and what the girls would subsequently go through.
"I know. I don't know what will happen. This is all new to me. I've never had an experience like this and from the looks of it you haven't either." Marie couldn't ask for a more honest answer than that. In truth this was new to both of them. Both flying blindly through this situation unsure of what moves to make next only making the ones that felt right in the moment. If those decisions were right in the big picture, neither of them knew for sure.
"How can you just own your emotions like that? You're a guy, you're supposed to be all clandestine and stoic." She mused thoroughly intrigued with how easily he could declare, rather blatantly his emotions, and own them without shame.
"I don't know. I personally am blaming the fact that I've been on estrogen overload for the past five years. It does thing to a man that smushes the machismo to goo or something."
Marie laughed at that. "I'm not used to it. I'm used to the moody artsy types or the stoic silent business types."
"Is it okay?" His voice was soft, almost hopeful that she would be okay that he could own up to his own emotions and share them easily with her. Sometimes he hated that he was able to be so focused on the emotional as opposed to the rational.
"It's surprising but I like it. A lot more than I probably should. Kind of refreshing to see a guy secure in his emotions."
He chuckled and pulled her in close. "Sorry for the blunt delivery. I know I'm not one with an expertise in tact."
Marie grinned and rolled onto him leaning down and giving him a quick kiss. "I've never met a man who talks more than I do."
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, but just for now, no talking, no thinking, we have hours of alone time stretched out in front of us, I fully intend on making the most of it." She grinned making him grin back at her as their lips beginning the dance between them once again.
---
"Ow fuck!" Nick yelped as he tripped over a toy in the hallway that morning. "Fucking war zone I swear to Christ." He muttered trying to rub feeling back into his foot.
Marie laughed behind him as she pulled her hair into a wet messy bun, "Such language. You kiss your daughters with that mouth?"
He turned then pulling her between him and the wall. "You didn't mind so much in the shower what I did with my mouth."
She smirked at him and leaned in kissing him. Neither of them didn't want to break the affectionate bubble they'd surrounded themselves in. However that wasn't going to be the case. Leighanne had called not just a few minutes before letting them know that they were on the way to bringing the girls home. He groaned and pressed into her before breaking away.
"You're going to be the death of me."
"Same goes for you."
"Sometimes I wish I wasn't a father."
"Don't say that. You have two amazing little girls."
"I know I feel horrible for saying it but sometimes I just wish I had, had more sense not to do the things I did when I was younger." He said honestly.
Marie chewed on her lip and wrapped her arms around him as they made their way into the kitchen. "I don't think I would regret anything if I were you. You made mistakes, everyone does, you know human condition and all. But they made you who you are today as much of cliché that is. And I happen to be very partial to that person so..."
"Okay, okay I won't regret the idiocy of my youth anymore."
"Good." She replied as he pulled her to him and kissed her again. They soon lost themselves into the kiss and were completely oblivious to the sound of his front door opening. Leighanne smirked knowing she was right to have come in first to warn them that they had arrived before the girls caught the two in a compromising position. She watched the two for a moment thoroughly amused at the chemistry she was witnessing for the second time in as many days. She cleared her throat loudly snapping them out of their embrace.
"Christ Leigh don't you ever use the bell?"
She laughed, "I figured I'd come in and make sure you two were decent before the girls came in." She replied as the two little girls breezed past her.
"Daddy!!" They both shrieked attacking their father's legs.
"Did you miss us?" Livie asked with the most irresistible look on her face. She grinned at her father and he smiled back and picked her up sitting each girl on the counter.
"Of course I did." He responded hugging the both of them.
"Marie!" Jo said excitedly noting her presence for the first time.
"Hi girlies. Did you have fun with Baylee?"
"Yeah we watched movies and played with toys!" Livie replied and Marie grinned at them.
"Thank you Leighanne it was very kind of you to watch them last night." Marie remarked showing her polite gratitude for the much desired alone time.
"No problem. I love these two monsters. Vegas is going to be so much fun with them."
"Vegas?" Marie asked looking between Nick and Leighanne. Nick hadn't mentioned anything about Vegas before. Why would he need to bring the girls with him to the city of sin?
"Oh he didn't tell you?" Leighanne asked a little shocked that Nick hadn't mentioned anything about the New Years concert in Las Vegas.
Nick shook his head. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to tell Marie. He'd actually almost completely forgotten about the three-day excursion. The only reason he was even bringing the girls in the first place was so that he could spend a little more time with them by taking them to Cirque du Soleil and a few other kid friendly events that the city had. "Yeah we're playing at Pure for New Years. I didn't know if you'd want to tag along the girls are coming with."
"I've never actually been to Las Vegas before." Marie replied nervously. She knew that if he asked she would definitely go on the trip with them but she didn't know if that was the best idea concerning the girls.
"Well that's settled then, you should come with us! You'll have a blast with us girls, we're going to do the whole pampering thing and shop. These little ones are coming with. Baylee will probably hang at soundcheck with Brian like always."
"I don't know, I mean I wouldn't want to impose..."
"Nonsense." Leighanne interjected waving off Marie's comment. "You wouldn't be imposing at all."
"Leigh if she doesn't want to go she doesn't have to." Nick replied reasoning with his friend. He turned to Marie just then and gave her an imploring look. "Do you want to go?" He asked. He was nervous that she might not want to go. It was a big step, traveling even for a few days with him and his daughters, but also his band as well. He wasn't so sure she was ready for all of that. He'd just gotten to declaring his feelings for her, and to ask her to spend a few days surrounded by his friends, his children with no real escape or time for herself might be asking too much.
Marie mulled it over glancing at the two girls who were listening to the exchange intently. She grinned at them. A few days of hanging out and having fun with three of her new favorite people and getting to know Nick's closest friends sounded like something she'd like to do. "Actually, I'd love to go. If that's all right with you three?"
"Yeah!" Both girls shouted making Marie beam at them.
Nick grinned and wrapped his arm around Marie, "It's definitely all right with me."
Chapter End Notes:
Once again thanks for reading and all the reviews they make me happy so keep em comin!
