The Bachelor Contract(64)

Cole’s blurry figure stood before her. “Don’t be.” Was he laughing? “I wrongly assumed you slept with Brant last night and woke him up at the ass crack of dawn. He was not pleased. And I couldn’t hold back the shit-eating grin on my face.”

“What? Why?” Nikki bumped into a chair and scooted it away as she went to the fridge.

“Because he didn’t get laid and I know it. Happiest day of my life.”

She groaned. “I thought you wanted me to try with him.”

“Oh, I do. I just find great satisfaction from you making him work for it. Hey, how about tonight you put on something sexy, rub all over him, and then walk away? Only take a picture of his expression right before you do. I want it as a screensaver.”

“Very funny.”

“Or, wait.” The sound of him snapping his fingers echoed through the small one-bedroom unit. “Tell him to wait for you naked, blindfold him, then leave him with an ungodly amount of roses around his body for the maids to find.”

Nikki tipped back some orange juice and wiped her mouth. “You done?”

“I’ll think of more later, I’m sure,” Cole said cheerfully. “Also, lucky you, the very first appointment of the day is in less than an hour and it’s Nadine Titus.”

Nikki froze. “Do you think she’ll…be picky?”

“Last night the woman was tossing shots back with George and Mr. Wellington like they were water. My guess, she’s going to be snoring through the whole thing or nursing a hangover.”

“Good.” Nikki nodded as her palms started to sweat. She knew Nadine was going to pry; she couldn’t help herself. She was like a shark when it came to matchmaking—relentless.

And part of Nikki just wanted to keep what was happening between her and Brant—at least, the details.

Cole interrupted her thoughts. “You need help with anything?”

“Nah, I’ll be ready in fifteen.”

True to her word, Nikki was knocking on the door to her massage room about twenty minutes later.

“Mrs. Titus?”

“I think by now you can just call me Nadine or Grandma.” Her soft voice piped up. “Sounds weird being a missus when you’ve spent half your life being a mistress.”

Nikki smirked and made her way around the table, placing her hands on the sheet. “Sounds good, Grandma.” Her own grandma was dead; her parents had rejected her marriage to Brant right off the bat, and they had been estranged ever since. Which meant she really didn’t have much of a family outside of Cole and the staff.

“I have to ask.” Nadine stretched her arms above her head then tucked them back under the sheet. “What’s best? The angry kiss or the makeup kiss?”

Nikki froze. “I’m sorry?”

“Well, he’s such an angry one, that Brant. Does he kiss that way? Or does he kiss you tenderly? Or maybe he does both?”

“Um…” How the hell did she answer that?

“Oh, how nice, he does both.” The woman wouldn’t stop talking. “You know, back in my day we never labeled kisses. Kissing was kissing. These days there’s tongue, there’s…well, I won’t go there, but there’s this thing you do to a man that can—”

“All right!” Nikki found herself shouting. “How about we try a deep-tissue relaxation massage. You can even fall asleep.” Please, God, make her fall asleep.

Nadine yawned. “Oh, okay, dear. Thank you for giving him a chance again.”

“You sound so positive that I am.”

“Well, you are standing straighter. Your smile’s brighter. Last night when you were under the stars—”

“Wait, weren’t you at dinner?”

“Never mind that. You looked like you were home. It was a good feeling. Just give him a chance. That man has a lot of love to give.”

Nikki shivered as memories she’d kept locked down seemed to break free. His hands. His body. Their kisses. Shower sex. Elevator sex. So really, just sex everywhere all the time—which was probably what led to getting pregnant.

Not that they hadn’t been trying. Because Brant really had wanted a big family. And so had she.

Tears welled in her eyes when she thought of all of their moments, their love, the way he always made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, the way he’d tried so damn hard to be perfect.

Only to fail. When she’d needed him the most. Because she had pushed him away. Because she had said hurtful things.

“Nikki?” Nadine interrupted her. “Are you okay? You’ve been rubbing my bunion   for a good two minutes.”

Nikki jerked back. Bunion  ? “Really?”