Free Finally His by Emma Hillman Page A

arm and
twisted away from him.
    The man didn’t want to be shaken off. He clasped her
shoulder with his other hand and pulled her toward him. “Come on, baby. I’ve
watched you all evening. I know what you want.”
    “You do, do you?”
    “Oh yeah.” He thrust his hips forward, brushing his
jean-clad erection against her.
    Her mouth formed an “Eww”, but the sound never escaped her
parted lips. Probably because she watched the man being flung far away from her
an instant later. “She told you no, asshole!” Nick’s face was red as he stared
the inebriated man down. “Don’t you fucking touch her again, do you hear me?”
    “Come on, Santos, you need to learn to share a little. You
can’t—” The other man never got to finish. Nick’s fist found his stomach and he
went sprawling onto the dance floor. Lucy watched, quietly disbelieving all
this was really happening, as the burly bouncer picked the half-comatose man up
and heaved him outside, nodding at Nick as he did.
    She turned to him, intent on saying something, anything, but
a very blonde and very loud tornado got to him first. “Oh my God! You were
amazing! I nearly swooned!”
    Nick was watching her over the other woman’s head. She could
probably still go to him; she knew she could. But she didn’t. Instead she told
him thanks with her eyes and turned around. After having explained to her
brother what’d happened, and that, yes, she was fine, she accepted his offer of
escorting her to her car.
    She sped away, her thoughts a jumble, her feelings all over
the place too.
    Only Nick could have this effect on her…
    * * * * *
    Nick stumbled into his condo hours later, mad at himself
because he’d refused the co-ed’s advances. She’d been perfect. Young, carefree,
not really intelligent, but who cared with that body? Right? No. He hadn’t been
able to even kiss her, the memory of Lucy’s face like a damn chastity belt in
his mind. He’d downed far too many beers in rebellion, but he wasn’t even that drunk.
“Fuck it,” he swore as he made his way to the den.
    He flung himself onto his black leather sofa and closed his
eyes. Well, tried to. Instead, the flashing red light of his answering-machine
nagged at him. With a muffled curse, he sat up and pressed the “Play” button.
Lucy’s voice rang loudly in the room.
    “Nick, I… I wanted to thank you for what you did earlier.”
    She sounded hesitant and a little bit drunk, he thought with
a smile as he leaned back against the soft cushions. Closing his eyes, he
listened to the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.
    “You didn’t have to do that, but you did, and I’m
grateful…and oh God, I’m so turned-on right now.”
    His eyes shot open. What the hell?
    “Seeing you like that, it just had that…I don’t know, that
effect on me, and I haven’t been able to think of anything else or anyone else
all evening. I’m so freaking wet right now.”
    Say what? His cock rose inside his pants, in reaction
to her words, but also to the way she sounded. Soft and breathy…
    “I miss you, Nick.” A pause, then, “I’m so wet and achy, but
my fingers aren’t as good as yours.”
    The front of his pants twitched.
    She sighed. “I guess I don’t have a choice, though. You’re
not here and I’m too horny not to make myself come. Night, Nick.”
    The machine beeped, indicating there were no further
messages. “Fuck!” He grabbed his head in both hands. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
    He should have gone to see her, made sure she was all right
after what’d happened with that guy. He could have comforted her…in her own
bed. Instead he’d stayed at the bar and tried to get himself drunk. He couldn’t
believe she’d left such a message on his voicemail when she’d had no idea who
he’d be coming home with. He could have just as easily listened to it with her
brother there. Hell, what the hell had she been thinking? She’d probably been
drunk; there was just no other explanation.
    He