Free The Wicked Bad (Crimson Romance) by Karyn Gerrard Page B

Sleep. Bridge on the River Kwai. Stalag 17.
    “Oh, Nick. I love old movies. You’ve quite a few here I adore.” She smiled.
    The movies were in alphabetical order as was the music. Meticulous and organized, his media treated with a lot of loving care.
    “This isn’t what I imagined.”
    Nick’s face darkened. “Oh? Did you think I lived like a pig? Motorcycle engine parts all over the place, empty pizza boxes on the floor, Doritos crumbs on the rug and pictures of naked women on the wall? Is that what you thought?”
    Veronica turned toward him. What in hell brought that on? She cupped his face and made him look at her.
    “Stop it, Nick. I didn’t think any such thing at all. Don’t be so defensive.”
    • • •
    Nick glanced down into her determined face. She was right. He was being defensive. He had never brought anyone here before so he supposed he felt nervous and wanted her approval for some reason, a validation of his worth. Why he felt so damned vulnerable around her never ceased to amaze him. He cared what she thought of him and his life.
    “Sorry,” he mumbled.
    She leaned up to lay a soft kiss on his lips.
    “Your place is wonderful, Nick. I love it. It says so much about you. Will you show me the rest?”
    The kiss and her soft words calmed his insides.
    “Sure.”
    Taking her hand, he showed her the small kitchen and the even smaller bathroom. He only had a shower, no tub. The bedroom was next. Along one wall were bookcases jammed with books on all matter of subjects that interested him, fiction and non-fiction alike. Books on science, history, and geography, paranormal, you name it. Along the other wall sat a desk with a computer and a widescreen monitor. He noticed her gaze flitted over to the king-size bed.
    “I like lots of room. And if you are wondering, I’ve never brought a woman back here to my bed. I always went to their place, easier to leave that way.”
    Ronnie turned to face him. “Nick, I’m sorry I was so — cold — the other night after we had sex. Maybe that old song is right. Live for today, take pleasure while we can.”
    Nick’s heart thumped like mad against his rib cage. He didn’t bring her back here for sex, didn’t know why, really. Was it to show he wasn’t an animal despite outward appearances? Why did he care what she thought? He never cared before what a woman thought of him and his behavior or how he lived. So why now, why her? He never showed any woman this side of him.
    He cradled her face. “I’m sorry, too. The sex was intense and I didn’t know how to handle it.”
    “It was intense for me too, Nick. I’m not that experienced. I’ve only been with a few men in my life, it was nothing like that. Nothing.”
    “I’ll take you home. You’ll have to get up in a few hours.” He stepped back.
    Ronnie continued to hold his gaze. “So where does this leave us, Nick? Are we seeing each other? Casual? Nothing heavy, a little companionship, maybe watch an old movie once in a blue moon?”
    Nick didn’t know what to say. His insides were raging as a late summer storm. He wanted a little something more or he never would have brought her here to begin with. Calling her had been an impulsive move on his part, might as well see this through. Speak the truth and try and make sense of his jumbled feelings.
    “Let’s take it as it comes. Casual is fine with me.”
    “But not exclusive,” she whispered.
    “No, Ronnie. Not exclusive. Can you live with that?”
    Ronnie turned away, he couldn’t see her face, but he had the feeling he hurt her and that wasn’t his intention. He was striving to be honest. He’d never been exclusive with any woman before, he didn’t want to make a promise he couldn’t keep.
    “Yes,” she replied quietly. “I can live with that. It goes both ways.”
    That he did not expect. Part of him felt relief at her response, but another had regret at its core. Suddenly, the thought of Ronnie being with another man made his gut