Chapter 32

*Sorry for the long chapter. It felt necessary. Thanks for reading!*

The air is cool and crisp. Not too humid nor too dry. The sun is setting, painting dazzling stripes of pink and orange across what used to be a bright blue sky. Few clouds linger up above. Those that do are thin and whispy, like the warm fresh strands of cotton candy as it's pulled apart by an excited child.

Jane rests against the cool cobblestone walls that line the entrance to the courtyard dining room. She's early, but it gives her time to take in the atmosphere. Hushed conversations, spurts of laughter, silverware clinking against porcelain, and the faintest whisper of music fill the space. She closes her eyes and rests her head back as well. Inside the cobblestone hallway, there is a mustiness, but it's not a bad scent. It's earthy and damp. It complements the cool evening air. It's comforting.

Jane wears a blushy nude cropped blouse that drapes her in a way that flatters her figure. She wears nude strappy heels to match. She wears a fitted black skirt that reaches just above her mid-thigh. The skirt hugs her curves nicely. It shows the outline of her round belly, something she often tries to hide. For some reason, she isn't worried about it tonight. The skirt accentuates all the good features of her lower half, her tummy included. It's plump and cute. She feels comfortable. Not too dressy but not too casual either.

The shuffling of approaching feet jolts her from her thoughts. She turns her head to the side, greeted by Nik's flirty smile. Even in simple white slacks and an olive-colored button-down, Nik looks as godly as usual. His sleeves are rolled up at the elbow, revealing his muscular forearms that have been wrapped around Jane more times than she can fathom.

She pushes herself away from the wall and takes a few steps toward the gentleman. He pulls her in, enveloping her in his strong arms, holding her for as long as he can before she pulls away. Honestly, he is never the one to pull away first. Even if he were on a strict schedule, he would rather be late to whatever appointment just to hold her for a little longer.

Instead of pulling away entirely, Jane pulls back just enough so that their eyes are able to meet. Nik keeps his arms wrapped around her, circling the small of her back with one of his thumbs. Jane shivers slightly under his touch. A few days felt like forever. She gives him a peck on the cheek.

"I missed you." Nik's deep rich voice hums against her lips as he steals a quick kiss.

"I missed you too. Are you ready to head inside?"

"Lead the way, m'lady," is his response. What a dork.

Within a few minutes, the pair find themselves seated at their table amongst the other patrons, surrounded by gravel and luxurious drooping foliage. In the light of the setting sun, the branches look as if they are adorned in gorgeous emeralds instead of just plain lifeless leaves. They quickly glance at the menu to figure out what they want before the server arrives. Once their orders are placed, they have all the time in the world to catch up.

Nik reaches across the table, searching for Jane's hand. When his fingers graze against the back of her small soft hand, she lifts it, placing it in his larger rougher one. She traces the lines of his palms, relishing in the comfortable silence. They have much to say, but they are both in awe of the other's presence, making it difficult to find the right words to start a conversation. Eventually, Nik clears his throat, preparing to speak.

"How were the last few days with my grandparents? Hopefully, Nan wasn't too overbearing. She sometimes goes overboard when trying to emulate whatever she believes the perfect host to be." Jane stops tickling his palm to think about her response. She did have fun, but she also had a giant pit of worry forming in her that doubled in size every moment she was away from him.

"Nan was perfect. Your grandpa, on the other hand, sent me one too many winks whenever we were in the same room." Remembering the boldness of the handsome older man made her blush. Something about those Romano men stirs her up inside.

"Yeah, I should've warned you about that. He appreciates women but not subtly enough obviously. Hopefully, he didn't creep you out too much." That sincere and sheepish grin of Nik's, the one that shows off his adorable dimples, spreads across his face. Pops might be handsome, but Nik is something else entirely. Jane is so busy drinking up Nik's features, that she doesn't hear whatever he says next. She just nods her head at whatever he is saying, staring into his dark eyes that have the tiniest hint of mischief behind them.

"Earth to Jane, we are at dinner right now. Not in the bedroom." Nik scoots his chair in further, brushing his knees against hers, waking her from whatever trance she was in. He chuckles at the dirty thoughts that are surely swirling through her beautiful mind right now.

"S-Sorry! Sorry. What were you saying?" Jane snaps back to reality.

"I was just asking what you wanted to do tonight after dinner." Nik's gaze falls from her eyes to her cute little button nose and then down to her soft light pink lips. She nibbles on her lower lip as she thinks about what they should do next. He lets his eyes wander a bit lower while she's distracted, down her slightly flushed neck and chest, landing at the little bit of cleavage peeking out of her shirt. She has no clue how delicious she looks right now. Instead of staring and drifting off into his own little world, his eyes snap back up to hers. She is speaking now.

"I don't know. We've done so much this past week and I've had the absolute worst sleep these last few days without you. I kind of want to just go back home."

"Home?" Nik mutters.

"I mean y-your home." Jane quickly looks away. The heat in her chest lights her on fire. She fans herself off with a menu.

"Oh yeah, that sounds nice. I've had shit sleep as well."

"Oh no, is everything okay? I hope the blackmail stuff didn't stress you out too much. Did you find out anything useful?"

"Let's not talk about that right now Jane. I don't exactly know where or how they get their info yet so let's save this for later when we are in a more private setting." Nik quickly pushes past the topic, not wanting to ruin dinner. He wants this night to be as perfect as possible. It has to be.

"Okay. That makes sense." She looks slightly disheartened at his rushed explanation. Hopefully, everything is okay.

She quickly forgets about her worry as they dive into the topic of their past few days apart. Nik keeps his descriptions short and vague, more interested in what Jane has to say. She gushes about learning how to make pasta from Nan, playing silly board games with the grandparents, and looking at older photos of Nik from when he was a baby.

"Tell me she didn't really whip out that old album? Of course, she did," Nik covers his face. His hands hide his reddened cheeks. He doesn't exactly remember what's in those old albums, he just hopes Jane didn't see anything too awkward.

"Don't be so shy. It was only pictures of your adorable chubby baby face and then some pics of you in college. Not much else. Nothing too mortifying." Jane's playful giggle overtake whatever embarrassment previously plagued him. Her laugh is hypnotizing. He forgot just how incredible she can be, even in the tiniest aspects of herself like this.

"Okay okay. I'm fine. Tell me more, Jane."

Jane continues, passionately describing her chess match with his grandfather. She almost would have won too if the old man hadn't distracted her with all his compliments. Jane purposefully leaves out her last day spent at their home, not wanting Nik to feel bad. Sure she was sad, but it wasn't anything major. They are here now, enjoying each other. Everything is fine now she thinks.

The lively conversation continues throughout the rest of dinner. Once they've finished and paid their tab, they leave the restaurant together, headed for home, hand in hand. Nik pushes his heartache deep into his chest, not ready to let her go yet.

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Nik opens the front door, ushering Jane inside the familiar place. He closes it behind them as Jane turns to remove her shoes. This time, she doesn't struggle and expertly removes them in a matter of seconds. After Nik kicks his shoes off, he grabs onto Jane's waist. He snakes his arms around her, hugging her from behind. His lips brush against the side of her neck and then up to her ear, nibbling lightly on the soft flesh. He can feel her trembling beneath him.

"Do you want to go swimming or maybe read in the library?" Nik teases, knowing full well how wet she gets from it. He grinds his growing erection against her backside. Nik then licks the outer shell of her ear before trailing kisses back down her neck, towards her collar bone where he stops to leave some marks to show he was there.

"I don't really feel like doing any of that." Jane breathes between moans. She feels her panties sticking to her already.

"What do you want to do then doll?" Nik goes back to leaving hickeys, bringing his hands from her waist, down to her thighs, rubbing and squeezing them.

" . . . you . . ." Jane mutters quietly to herself. She leans further into Nik's chest, loving every moment of his touch. Nik snickers at her comment. He stops feeling her exquisite thighs and quickly brings his hands up, cupping her large breasts. Her body responds immediately, and her nipples harden from the rough action.

"Where do you want me, sweetheart?" Nik responds to her previous confession of wanting to do him.

"Wherever. Please just no more questions," Jane whines impatiently. Instead of continuing to fondle her perky breasts, he spins her around, lifting her up so that her legs are wrapped around his waist and his hands are planted firmly on her tight round ass. Then he carries her away to his room.

Once they are just outside, Nik pins her against the wall so he can use a hand to push open the door. Jane grinds against his hardened member, raking her nails up and down his muscular back. He groans. She can be such a brat at times.

As soon as the door swings open, Nik rushes her to the bed, helping her out of her annoying clingy clothing. As he helps her, she unbuttons his shirt for him and unzips his trousers, pulling his throbbing cock out of his boxers. She gives the head a kiss before looking up at him with her half-lidded eyes.

"Fuck sweetheart. You can't just do shit like that." Nik grunts, removing the rest of the fabric that separates their needy bodies from each other. Jane rubs his shaft, occasionally teasing the head with her thumb while she waits for him. She doesn't heed his warning. The second she is entirely bare before him, he yanks her to the edge of the bed so that her legs are dangling. He kneels before her glistening folds. Jane attempts to cover herself from him.

"Nik, please. C-can't we skip this part? I just want you inside me now." Jane whimpers, desperately wanting to feel the entirety of his tool rubbing against all the right places.

"No way. You are just going to have to learn to be patient. Let me work my magic, okay? Let me make you feel good Jane." Once he finishes his statement, he slowly pushes his middle finger between the folds, deep into her entrance. He pulls it out just as slowly as he pushed it in. Instead of speeding up, he continues at his torturously slow steady pace, adding a second finger when he feels like she can handle it.

Jane reaches down, grasping his wrist with her hands trying to speed up the movements but Nik just brushes her hands away. A cute little whine escapes her delicious lips. Her sound earns her a third finger. Her walls clamp around them, making it hard for Nik to move them. He spreads his fingers apart, trying to create some space.

"I know it's only been a few days but fuck, doll you are so tight. I'm going to have to take extra special care preparing your sweet dripping pussy for my cock." He curls his fingers, searching for that spot that makes her legs quiver. He finds it and starts pumping his fingers in and out of her core, aiming to hit that spot with each thrust. She bucks her hips up. "Stay still for me sweetheart. You can be a good girl, can't you?"

"N-Nik, please. I need you inside." Jane squirms a second time. Nik uses his free hand to hold her hips flush against the bed.

"I love when you beg for my cock, but you haven't earned your treat yet." Nik brings his lips down to her swollen clit, flicking his tongue over the tortured button. Jane cries out his name when he does this. He smirks and repeats the action. "Mmm, you taste so good doll. I missed this."

He plants a sloppy kiss directly against her clit, swirling his tongue around it, lapping up some of her juices. Nik continues his assault, spelling his name against the red button with his tongue over and over again, almost like he's claiming her as his. He spreads and curls his fingers inside of her again. He can tell that she's close by the way that she is clamped around his digits.

"Are you close? Do you feel good?"

"It feels s-so good Nik. I love it. I think I'm gonna c-" before she can finish what she is saying, Nik swiftly withdraws his fingers and face from the place between her thighs. The cold air hits her soaking lower lips, causing her to shiver. "Why'd you stop!?" Jane feels her orgasm fading, frustrated by all the teasing and tasting.

"I was just paying you back for what you did to me. You handled it well though sweetheart. Are you ready for me? I won't make you wait any longer." Nik rubs his cock with his slick hand, the one he just used to ravish Jane. She watches, face burning bright red at the lewd sounds it makes.

Jane scooches towards the middle of the bed, her head back at the top of the mattress. She spreads her legs for him, inviting him over. He crawls onto the bed, planting kisses everywhere he can as he makes his way up to her lips. He positions himself at her entrance.

"You are so beautiful." Nik's eyes are dark and fixed on hers. He cranes his neck closer to her. "I love you so much more than you will ever be able to understand." Nik smashes his hot hungry lips against hers, shocking her, right before he slams his cock deep inside her.

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Nik rolls off of her, panting as he catches his breath. He pulls her tired body against his, spooning her. He grabs the blanket, draping it over them to keep her from getting too chilly. Jane smiles at his thoughtful actions. No matter what is happening, he never forgets to be a gentleman.

They lay like that, cuddling each other, silently relaxing for a few minutes. Nik slowly pulls his arm away from her, shifting so that one hand is propping his head up, and the other one fidgets with the sheets between them. Jane rolls over to face him, noticing his thick brows knitted together. He looks pained. She lifts her hand, bringing it towards his face but he grabs it before she can make contact.

"Jane. I have to tell you something." He squeezes her hand. She squeezes it back, worried about what is about to happen next. Is he okay? Did something happen while they were separated? She thinks these thoughts among the many other negative ideas that are swirling through her mind. She doesn't respond so he drops her hand and grabs her chin, rubbing his thumb against her smooth cheek. "I couldn't figure out anything about the blackmailer. I hired a private investigator. I looked at everyone in my life that I've ever had any interaction with. I found nothing. He wants to hurt you, Jane. He said he would ruin you if we stayed together. I can't let him do that to you. I can't," she hears his desperation and exhaustion.

"That doesn't matter. I don't care about any of that. Screw him. We can just ignore the threats." Jane reasons.

"We can't. I have to let you go. I love you and you are my person. I can feel it. It just isn't the right time. I need to be able to guarantee your safety and wellbeing over my own selfish desires for you." A few tears fall from his dark eyes. His emotions overwhelm him. He holds back as much of his pain as he can.

"No. It is the right time. I'm supposed to be here with you." Her words come out quiet as if she is trying to console herself instead of speaking with him. Now her face is the one covered in tears. Her chest tightens and she feels like she can't breathe. She scrunches her eyes closed, bracing herself against the pain. It hurts.

"I-I'm sorry Jane. I'm not trying to hurt you. I just want to protect you while I figure out who this bastard is. I just want to keep you safe." His thoughts are racing a million miles a minute as he searches for anything to say that will help the situation. He doesn't want her to feel sad or hurt. He doesn't want to leave her all alone. He wants to stay with her too. He wants to do silly childish things like food fights and making messes. He wants to fail at karaoke and make her laugh. She brings so much light and joy into his life. Things that haven't really existed for him since he was a kid. Thinking about all the experiences he has had with her these past few weeks, he realizes that he has to find out who this motherfucker is that wants to hurt her. He needs to find them and end whatever game they are playing, for her. The sooner he catches this prick, the sooner he can go back to goofing off and just enjoying life with her. He has to go through with this. He steels himself as he prepares to break her heart one more time.

"Jane, you have to go. You can't stay here with me."