Nick held Adalind, roaming his hands over her body unable to stop kissing her sweet lips.

He was addicted to the taste of her and he had no interest in rehab. His beautiful Adalind responded well to his every touch. She whimpered when his lips left hers, but sighed in contentment when he trailed kisses down her body.

He kept his pace slow, his touch gentle. He had taken her roughly and feared causing her pain if her was savage with her again.

He licked her nipple, drew it into a kiss and licked again. He then blew with only enough force to make her feel it. This was lovemaking. He was going to worship her.

And Adalind did feel worshiped. Her whole body felt suspended in a realm of ecstasy. Nick took her to a place that she never believed existed. A place where she was loved, desired and valued for all that she was. Nick made her feel as if he would never let her go, never reject her, as long as she was his.

He was so good to her, so sweet and kind. She had been falling in love with him ever since he promised he would be there for his son. Back at the hospital the day Kelly was born. He had promised to look out for her and had kept that promise. He had forgiven her for everything she had done. He had gotten to know her and had let her get to know him. They had become friends and they were now lovers.

He was amazing, beautiful and everything she wanted but never thought she deserved and he was making love to her.

Adalind was so overwhelmed by her feeling for Nick that she cried out "I love you, Nick"

He continued to gently kiss her, continued to caress her, slowly making his way lower on her body.

That is until he felt her tense up.

He looked up at her face and saw distress there. What happened? Why was his beautiful Adalind so upset? He rose back up to look in her eyes.

"Adalind, what is it. Tell me. I can't fix it if I don't know what is broken"

Adalind felt ashamed. She should know better. What more could she possibly want. He was already making love to her. So why did she need him to say it back. Nick was all about action, he had proven that time and time again. So why did she feel rejected when she told him she loved him and he did not say he loved her in return.

She couldn't look at him. She moved her head to face any direction he wouldn't see how foolish she was being.

With his thumb and forefinger he cupped her chin and tilted it back toward him forcing her to look him in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Nick." Tears in her eyes, Adalind explained, "When I said I loved you and you didn't say it back, for a moment I got scared. I thought that maybe you didn't and I was in love with a man who didn't love me back, again."

Nick closed his eyes and cursed. He could kill Renard for how he treated Adalind. She was still insecure and just couldn't believe that there really was someone who loved her unconditionally and never wanted to let her go.

"Adalind, I love you with all my heart. You and Kelly are my sanity. I would kill anyone who tried taking you from me. I would die to protect you. My whole life is now about keeping you, happy and safe. I didn't say I love you back, because I was too busy tasting every inch of your body. You are delicious and I wanted to savor you. You are like a drug to me and I needed my fix. I don't think I could ever get enough of you, so please let me make love to you, because I do not have enough words to tell you how much you mean to me. Let me show you instead.

She was so overcome by his beautiful words, she pulled his head down and into a deep, passionate kiss.

They held each other and kissed until they need air, then Nick once again trailed down Adalind's body.

He nuzzled her neck, leaving a couple marks to remind her later how he had claim on her and she should never doubt she was loved and desired.

He left proof of his claim on several other places along her porcelain skin.

A wicked thought entered his mind. His Adalind was responding so well to his claim marks that it seemed a shame not to add them to her thighs.

Nick could live forever buried between Adalind's legs. Shapely stems that met at paradise. Her sweet nectar was more intoxicating than the riches wine.

He loved the way she writhed when he used his mouth on her. Loved how she lost complete control and gave in fully to his ministrations.

He bit into her creamy thigh, so that when she walked she would feel his claim on her and know whom she belonged to.

Adalind cried out, arching her back. "Please, Nick, please, I need you inside me. I need to feel you inside me"

Nick gave one more lick to her red bud, causing Adalind to shudder. He rose, covered her body with his own and slipped himself inside her hot channel.

Slow, deep thrusts. Nick didn't want to hurry to release, he wanted Adalind to feel him, feel how much she meant to him.

Their lips met, tongues dueling. Adalind could taste herself on Nick, taste the evidence of his worship of her.

That had been Nick's intention.

Her walls trembled. Adalind's hands fluttered on Nick's back as his thrust got harder, deeper, as if he were trying to touch her soul.

"I love you, Adalind." Nick moaned as they both came in blinding white fire.