WARNING THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT.

Chapt. 24

Monday dawned bright and sunny, a beautiful day for waking up and greeting the world. Nic refused to open his eyes though, refused to get out of the bed and move. No, he was content to stay right there where he was and just not exist for a few more hours. He should be on top of the world this morning, ready to hop out of his bed and hit the ground running. But no, he'd much rather pull the blankets back over his head and lay there feeling sorry for himself. Yes, he had won the United States Championship the night before, but he hadn't been able to gain what he truly wanted, and that was his best friend.

When had he started to feel like this he wondered? They had been friends for so long, just friends, so why was his heart trying to change that? He could still remember the day that he met her. It was three years ago. He'd been in Orlando as a guest speaker for developmental. He'd been all ready to go and was running through the hallway when he bumped into her, knocking her down, and all of his papers out of his hands. He remembered then wishing he had thought to number the pages. Her first words to him had been that he was a clumsy oaf who should really watch where he was going before he hurt someone. She had been so cute all huffy and puffy about it. He had laughed, telling her maybe it was her who had caused the collision. She had laughed then, and that was the start of the greatest friendship he'd ever known.

She'd always been just a friend. Then, in the last few months, he'd looked at her and things changed. Suddenly he was jealous of Stephen, of Joe now. They knew what it was to hold her, to kiss her and have her in their lives. He wanted to be the one to make her smile, to make her feel alive. He wanted to feel her hand in his, her lips on his. What did all these other guys have that he was missing?

He felt tears prickling his eye lids, and he roughly brushed them away. What the hell was his problem? "You love her you damn idiot. You are in love with your best friend and you forgot to get her on board before you took off down that fucking track," he said out loud, his words lost in the big hotel room. He had to get her off of his mind, at least as anything more than his friend. Otherwise he'd just hurt, and it wouldn't be a hurt that pain medicine could heal. For now the title belt would have to be enough. Maybe he could find a girl, take her out, and get Claire's face out of his head. That, or he could go find her, tell her he needed to talk, and just lay his heart right there at her feet. Yes, that was it. That was exactly what he was going to do.

He tossed the covers off of him and set his feet on the floor. Armed with a purpose, he rose and headed to the shower. Ten minutes later wearing nothing but a towel around his waist and a few drops of water, he was standing at the edge of the bed, suitcase open, looking for just the right outfit. He had the teal and dark grey striped shirt with him. She always said that it looked best on him. He took it out with a pair of grey jeans and dropped the towel. Getting dressed he smiled to himself, glad that he had decided to do something about his heart.

An hour later he was at the arena, searching for Claire. He wanted to find her before his courage slipped away. He had text her but gotten no response. He figured that she was spending time with Sadie. Even still, he just needed five minutes of her time.

He found her office and knocked to see if she was inside. He heard her soft voice call to come in, so he eased the door open. "Hey you. Do you have a minute to ta…" his voice trailed off when he saw Joe sitting next to her on the sofa in the suite that was doubling as her office tonight. "Oh, uh, I didn't realize you had company, I can come back." She looked so happy smiling up at the other man. How could he try to come between that? If he really loved her, and he knew that he did, then he had to man up and step away, let her be happy, even if it wasn't with him.

"Nic, no it's okay! You know I always have time for you." She turned her smile on him and he swore that the room started to tilt.

"Really, it's okay, we can chat later," he said, easing out of the room and retreating to the nearest bathroom. Locking himself in a stall, he banged his head against the door. What on earth had he been thinking? He was letting his emotions take over and that was never a good thing.

Claire

"That was strange, I wonder what his deal is," Claire said when Nic had gone.

"Who knows? You want me to head out so you can call him back in here?"

Shaking her head slowly, Claire looked up at Joe through her lashes. "I'd much rather you kiss me."

"That's an idea I like much more than leaving," he said with a slow smile as his lips met with hers.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Orlando, Florida

"I had a wonderful time with you tonight, as always," Claire said as she and Joe climbed into his truck.

"I'm glad," he said. "I was wondering, maybe you'd want to come back to the house, have a drink?"

Smiling, Claire shook her head. "I'd love that."

They rode in silence, one that was comfortable and easy. The good kind of silence. Her hand was lost in his and she had slid to the middle of the seat, laying her head on his shoulder. She was falling for him she realized. Something that she hadn't intended to do, at least not so soon, and yet here she was. She sighed without realizing it and snuggled deeper into his shoulder, breathing in his scent.

"You alright baby girl?"

"Mhmm, I am," Claire said as they pulled into his driveway.

Inside the house, Joe handed her a beer and leaned back against the kitchen counter. "So, do you want the grand tour?"

Claire had been inside the house before, but never past the kitchen or living room areas. "I'd like that, yes."

Joe walked her through the lower level of the home, showing her his den, and the basement that he had effectively turned into a man cave, the perfect destination for a group of men to get together on the weekends and scream at the television while they watched football games. Shutting the lights off he took her hand and led her up the steps to the main floor, and then up another flight of steps to the upper floor, where the bedrooms were. He showed her his guest room, and then his daughter's room. Then he walked her to his room.

He had a huge bed, it could have easily held five adults comfortably. The walls were a soft, sandy color that blended well into the carpet. His sheets were a midnight black and there were a ton of pillows on the bed. In the corner was a chair beside the large black dresser and there were two black night stands flanking the huge bed. The ceiling was tiered it seemed and there was a large fan hanging in the center of the room that turned silently. His chest of drawers, also in black, was lined with family photos, and more than a few of his little girl. It was a nice room, one that was manly and yet welcoming and warm in its darkness.

Turning to look up at him, she smiled. "So this is where the magic happens huh?"

He laughed quietly and shook his head. "Darling it's been a hell of a long time since that bed has seen any magic."

Claire felt her cheeks color with a deep blush. She dropped his hand and walked over to the bed, climbing up onto it. She kicked her feet up and lay back against the mounds of pillows. "Ahhh it's so comfortable. It's like a cloud."

His eyes locked on her in his bed, her head laid back on his pillows and that soft smile on her face. She had no way to know how much it turned him on, seeing her there, so at ease and so comfortable. He walked slowly to the side of the bed, stood there looking down at her face, thinking how beautiful she was. He reached down and brushed her hair back from her face and then took the beer bottle from her hand, setting it on the bedside table. Slowly he placed a knee on the bed and leaned down over her. He let his lips graze hers lightly at first, then he pressed them more firmly against hers. He placed his hands on the pillows, one on each side of her head, slightly leaning over her. He deepened the kiss and felt her body going limp, melting into the bed as he did. Soft moans escaped her lips and he felt his body tighten with every one of them. When her hands reached up and found their way into his hair, pulling him closer to her, it was he who was releasing low moans. He let his left hand find her hip, and he rubbed lightly, needing to feel her skin but not wanting to rush her. She squirmed beneath his touch, never breaking the kiss.

Her left hand went from his hair to his arm, rubbing up his bicep, sending chills over him in the most wonderful of ways. He shifted, moving so that he was straddling her legs, his right hand still supporting his weight on the pillow by her head, his left grazing the skin at her waist where her shirt had ridden up with her squirms. He moved his lips to her neck, then to her shoulders, bared by her tank top. His teeth nipped at her skin and her head tilted back as a deep moan escaped her lips and he felt himself harden.

"Claire, baby, we should stop now if you don't want this to go any further."

He looked at her and waited on her reply. "Joe, I don't think that stopping is what I want…" Her hands were on his chest, gripping him as best she could, handfuls of shirt in her sweet, small hands. Before he knew what she was doing, she pulled at his shirt, ripping it, pulling it up and over his head.

"Stop me if it gets too far, if you change your mind," he said through clenched teeth, his body tense with his arousal. "If I hurt you, tell me please…"

She nodded and looked up at him with such an innocence, such passion that he could barely resist the urge to rip her clothes off of her and simply ravage her body right then and there. He couldn't do that, he had to take his time with her, gently love her body, her heart, her soul. He had to give her his attention and savor every last inch of her. He let his hands slide under her top, grazing her skin softly with the tips of his fingers, letting his thumbs slide over the thin material of her bra. He heard the soft sound of her breath catching as her nipples hardened beneath his touch and felt his body tighten in response.

He tugged her shirt up and over her head, taking in the sight of her body, her full, perfect breasts, her smooth ivory skin covered in freckles. She was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. He let his lips lower to her shoulders, trailing kisses from one shoulder to the other, lightly nipping at her skin as he did. Her soft moans lit his world on fire as he did it and he fought to control the urge to take her right then. He careful reached behind her and unhooked the clasp on her bra, otherwise he wasn't sure he'd be able to resist ripping it off of her, and watched as her breasts were freed from the material. He took the left in his hand, massaging her, watching the pleasure on her face as he leaned down to take her into his mouth. He sucked gently at the nipple, the allowed his teeth to graze over it before he nipped a bit more forcefully. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she let out a loud sigh of pleasure as he moved to the right breast to give it the same attention.

"Baby you are beautiful," he said softly, barely a whisper.

"Thank you Joe," she said breathlessly.

He let his free hand trace down her torso, to the waistband of her shorts. Tugging at the button he unfastened them, pushing them down her legs, loving the way that she kicked them off when they reached her feet. Raising up he drank in the sight of her, all of her perfect beauty. He saw the faint scarring on her stomach, could make out the damage done to her in the past. He didn't focus on it, rather allowed his lips to travel her body, down her chest to her stomach, her hips and then on to her legs. He trailed hot kisses down one leg and up the other, savoring her every moan as he did. Her thin lace panties, black as his sheets, taunted him, begged to be dismissed, and so he did just that. Her hands were in his hair and he craved to taste her, knowing that she would be sweet on his tongue. He lowered his head as he parted her thighs and allowed his tongue a simple flick over that most tender spot. Her hips arched up to him, almost begging for more and his name escaped her lips, sexier than anything he had ever heard before. He let his tongue flick over her again and again, saw her body react and felt his need for her growing. With one hand on her stomach, he allowed the other to move from her thigh to that hot spot between her legs. As his tongue danced with her clit, he allowed himself to slide two fingers into her. She was so insanely wet, so ready for him, but he wanted to enjoy this, to bring her to that peak of pleasure before he sank himself into her. Her body was shaking, quivering from top to bottom as he moved his fingers inside of her, never moving his tongue. God she was sweeter than he had imagined her to be, and so wet, so very wet.

Her hands tangled in his hair, holding his head down and she arched her body up to him, grinding herself on his tongue, against his fingers. Her breaths came shallower, faster, and his name was rolling off of her lips as he took his time eating her. He felt her tighten around his fingers and knew she was almost there, almost ready to cum for him. He allowed his fingers to speed up and sucked her clit between his teeth, flicking his tongue roughly against her. She was tugging at his hair and when she came she cried out his name, her body shuddering with her orgasm. He slowly pulled his mouth away, leaving his fingers buried inside her hot, wet, cunt. He brought his face to hers so that he could see her eyes shining and lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her fully, letting her taste herself on his lips and tongue as he slowly slipped his fingers out of her, and eased his hard, throbbing shaft into her.

She gasped against his lips and he slowed, nearly stopping, to be sure she was okay. Her hands were gripping his back, her legs bent up, her knees gripping his hips and he waited on a sign from her to give her more of him. When she arched her hips again, he allowed himself to bury every inch of himself inside of her. He took her legs and wrapped them around his waist so that he could get deep, find her spot and take her over the edge again and again.