Romance without Tears (closed)

Naomi had a vague recollection... of being touched. Of warm, gentle fingers on her face, brushing away a stray lock of her hair. She smiled at the touch, but she was still in that moment between sleeping and waking, when dreams are real and butted up against reality. So when she finally came the rest of the way out of sleep a few moments later, she wasn't certain if the touch had been imagined or not, especially since, by the time she was coherent enough to understand where she was, she could hear the shower running and Nick was nowhere to be seen.

Naomi closed her eyes, pressing her face against the pillow. The entire bed smelled like him. She inhaled, and warm, slow, coiling arousal worked its way slowly through her body - the kind that demands a morning of lazy, contented sex. Naomi sat bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide. Why the hell was she waking up so aroused this morning? She'd been in bed with a man.

As much as she might have wanted to deny it, it was getting more and more difficult to avoid - she was attracted to Nick. Panic ran through her body, making her shudder for a moment. It was strange, how much her identity as a lesbian actually mattered to her. She had never thought it meant anything besides simply being a label by which she described her attraction to women, but apparently, losing that was harder than she thought. And it sure as hell wasn't because large, strong, broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, hypermasculine Nick had any of the physical characteristics she liked about women. It wasn't as though her body could possibly have believed she had been pressed up against a girlfriend while she was in bed last night. Naomi liked her women small and soft, while Nick was tall, broad and hard with muscle. Naomi liked her women with tantalizing curves, while Nick was all hard, straight lines. This was not a question of having a male best friend whose femininity reminded her of the women she wanted. She was, without question, attracted to a man.

What. The. Fuck.

She got out of bed, frowning, and pulled on the first pair of jeans and t-shirt she pulled out of the drawer. Her eyes went wide at the sound of the water shutting off in the bathroom. She couldn't face Nick right now, not aching for him the way she was, so she practically fled the room, calling out, "I'm going downstairs!" and then nearly running down the hall before he could so much as reply.

She collected a bowl of cereal for herself and then hid away in the corner of the living room, trying to calm her roiling emotions and figure out just what the hell was going on. Did other lesbians find themselves accidentally falling for one man and one man only, despite not having any interest in other men at all? She got out her phone and started searching out other women with this sort of experience, looking for comfort that she wasn't crazy.

By the time Nick came downstairs looking for her, she was feeling much better. This wasn't utterly unheard of, and while some in the 'community' liked to reject women with this experience as somehow 'fake' lesbians, Naomi had never really cared for the militant aspect of the community to begin with, and she was surprised by the number of women who had posted anonymous calls for help on various forums with her exact same experience - "Help, I've fallen in love with my MALE best friend!" They were common enough that they had a name - lesbians with exceptions. She could be okay with that.

Was that what she'd done? She loved Nick, unquestionably, but it had always felt platonic before now. Only, as he walked into the room, she looked up at him and her gaze swept over his form - his shoulders, the curve of his bicep, the narrowing of his hips - and she blushed, feeling that faint heat rising in her body all over again. "Hey, Nick. Sleep well?"

Nick felt his heart sink when he heard Naomi's strangled, panicked-sounding cry immediately after he switched the water off. It wasn't hard to imagine what had prompted it -obviously, she'd been as aware of his arousal when he woke up as he had, and it had understandably upset and disturbed her.

He imagined that Naomi would be avoiding him for at least the rest of the day. He didn't know how that was going to fit with their performance as an engaged couple, but somehow maintaining the deception seemed less important now than making sure Naomi felt safe and comfortable around him again.

Nick felt guilty. He could theoretically argue, in his defence, that his reaction had been a purely physical one and wholly involuntary. But that would be denying the way his thoughts had greedily dwelt on Naomi's slight half-clad body and the million things he would love to do it, the elemental love and lust she inspired in him, making him feel a way he knew he had no right to.

Dressing himself in a flannel shirt and jeans, he made his way downstairs. He still recalled the promise he'd made to Naomi's father, of a walk today. It was going to be even more awkward now, with these thoughts in his head and likely an obvious tension between himself and Naomi.

But to his surprise and delight, when he came upon Naomi sitting by herself in a corner of the living room, she looked up from her phone and smiled at him with obvious pleasure and not a hint of awkwardness -although she did flush. Nick felt like a weight had been lifted from his broad shoulders.

"Hey, Nick. Sleep well?"

Naomi had probably come to the conclusion that his body's reaction this morning was natural and involuntary and put it -mostly, she did blush after all, from her mind. Nick smiled back at her.

"Yup. It's so peaceful here."

"I'm sure you don't give Naomi much peace at all, Nick," purred a familiar voice. Beth, recovered from her humiliation of the night before, was posing at the door in the familiar bent-backed posture simultaneously putting breasts and ass on display. Nick frowned, but before he could say anything she continued:

"Dad's looking for you. Wants to take you around the farm."

Nick glanced back at Naomi -he felt they should still talk about various things in private, but Beth scoffed at him.

"You can leave her for an hour. Nobody's going to steal her... or you. Whatcha readin', Naomi?"

When Beth walked into the room and immediately began flirting - again - Naomi rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't get stuck in the back of her head. She glared at her sister, wondering how it was that she hadn't learned her lesson about inappropriate behaviour last night.

You can leave her for an hour. Nobody's going to steal her... or you. Whatcha readin', Naomi?

Naomi smiled sweetly. "An article on how to deal with overly nosy little sisters," Naomi shot back, closing the browser and then pocketing her phone.

She pushed herself to her feet and wandered over to Nick, feeling just a touch possessive over him - kind of weird, considering not an hour ago, she was trying to convince herself she couldn't possibly want him in a way that would permit that kind of lustful, romantic possessiveness. She shot her sister a look, and then smiled up at Nick, her hand sliding up his chest, over his shoulder and then around to the back of his neck, where she pulled him gently down for a soft kiss.

Hell, even if he wasn't into her as anything more than a friend (and she was convinced he didn't, because she couldn't imagine a man remaining such close friends with a woman he wanted but couldn't have for this long), he'd seemed pretty into kissing her last night, so she figured it wouldn't bother him. She was slightly flushed again when she broke the kiss, smiling shyly at him, and Beth had a look on her face like she'd just eaten something bitter.

Naomi motioned for Nick to go. "You probably don't want to keep my dad waiting. It's alright. I'll be here when you get back." The undercurrent of the phrase was clear - we can talk when you get back.

Besides, this way, Naomi had a whole hour to decide what she was going to say. Because how does one tell a man that his lesbian best friend might be falling for him? Should she even tell him at all? The last thing she wanted, after all, was to ruin her relationship with him. She'd be heartbroken if she lost her best friend over this.

Giving Beth a meaningful look, Naomi sauntered over to Nick and smiled at him as she lovingly ran a hand along his chest and then up to his shoulders before pulling him down for a soft, sensuous kiss.

Nick was surprised by the gesture. He had to imagine that it was done simply to get Beth to back off. Their kiss this time was more tender and romantic than the passionate hunger of the previous night. His grip on her hips was firm but gentle, as though he were holding something delicate, fragile and beautiful. He could feel her heart pounding against his, responding to the sweet urgency of the kiss.

When Naomi broke the kiss, she was blushing and wide-eyed but she gave him an incredibly cute, shy little smile -a smile that seemed to suggest a secret that only the two of them knew. And of course, there was such a secret but...

Going off for his meeting with Naomi's father, Nick felt strangely like a man on the verge of a great, mysterious happiness.



***


"What do you do, Nick?"

It was the first Peter had said of much of anything on their walk. They were now deep in the snowbound woods beyond the fields. The scene was quiet and idyllic, a crystalline, shimmering ocean of silence and peace after the joyous noise and warmth of Naomi's family house. They'd followed a frozen stream across the fields and into the shadow of the trees, and were now following its course along frosty, slippery paths.

"I'm a journalist."

Nick could see that Peter was surprised. With his muscles and broad shoulders, Nick probably didn't look much like Peter's vague ideas of effete, simpering city journalists.

"Does that make a lot of money?"

"It makes enough."

"You come from a big family?"

"Only child."

"You love my daughter?"

The question was so unexpected, so out of nowhere, that the immediate response could only be the plain, unadorned truth -as Peter had undoubtedly planned. Nick didn't even think.

"Yes. Yes, I do."

The moment Nick was out of the house, the women of the family descended upon Naomi. She was certain they'd been waiting anxiously for the opportunity, since one minute, Naomi was sitting in the living room with 2 or 3 other people milling about, and the next, there were a dozen women gathered around, all chattering at her at once.

Wide-eyed and uncomfortable, Naomi was peppered with questions about Nick. Where was he from, what did he do? The conversation nearly ended when one of Naomi's aunts had the gall to ask whether Nick made enough money to provide for her, and Naomi snapped that she didn't care how much Nick made, since Naomi was perfectly capable of providing for herself, thank you very much. The aunt in question looked appropriately chastened, and the gathering went momentarily silent, but then one of Naomi's elder sisters made a rather inappropriate joke about Naomi and Nick having slept together last night, and the tension seemed to break.

She spent the hour mostly trying to deflect the questions, since half of them were once she didn't know the answer to - several questions had been posed about how many children they were planning on having, and Naomi really didn't want to tell them that they hadn't had any kind of conversation about children and she didn't want to give a number, only to have one of them ambush Nick later and give a different number, because that would be cause for wildfire rumors about the suitability of their match. Which Beth would simply love to bits, Naomi was sure.

When Nick and Peter finally got back, Naomi's ears perked up at the sound of the men's voices and the door opening. Mostly, she was just incredibly relieved that Nick was back and could offer her an escape from the interrogation. But she noticed, too, that it sounded like the two men were holding a very familiar, very pleasant conversation. She couldn't hear what they were saying, muffled as the voices were through the kitchen, but there was warmth in her father's voice, and she heard, a moment later, the sound of Nick saying something, and then laughter from her father, and she smiled, extricating herself from the gathering of ladies to go meet the men at the door.

"Nick! How was your walk?" She grinned and hugged each of them, then turned her attention back to her faux-fiance. "Listen, I just realized I forgot some stuff, so I need to go into town and pick up a few things. Come with me?"

And so, five minutes later saw them pulling out of the driveway again, back down the country roads towards the little general store in the nearby village.

"Okay, so I might have lied about needing to pick some stuff up," she admitted softly, grinning sheepishly. "I just needed to get out. My sisters ambushed me when you left and started demanding to know how many children we plan to have. They think at least 6," she informed him, making a face. "Seriously though, the walk was okay? My dad didn't like... threaten you or anything?"

Peter relaxed at once after receiving the answer to his question, spotting the obvious sincerity in Nick's voice. His gruffness vanished and the rest of the walk was relaxed and pleasant.

At one point, they came upon the edge of a field where frozen ground had broken the fence-line. Peter shook his head.

"Have to get that fixed before spring."

Nick squinted.

"If you'll loan me the tools, I could probably get it done tomorrow."

He had to admit he enjoyed the startled look on Peter's face.

"I live in the city, but that doesn't mean my hands fell off."

There was a silence, then Peter laughed and clapped him on the back.


***


Naomi rushed to greet them at the door, not even waiting for coats and scarfs to be removed before dispensing hugs. Nick noted and correctly interpreted a note of frantic desperation in her voice and expression, and so made no objection to her suggestion of a trip into town.

Seated in the car beside her, he grinned as she described the conversation she'd just had, squinting as she described the number of kids her family were hopefully predicting.

Her expression changed.

"Seriously though, the walk was okay? My dad didn't like... threaten you or anything?"

Nick considered. He'd told her father he loved Naomi, and he'd been completely and obviously sincere. What that meant would have to be considered later (it felt like Nick was squirreling away a lot of thoughts for later consideration). It would make things much more complicated if he told Naomi right now.

"No, though it was touch and go when he found out I was a journalist," Nick said lightly instead. "I don't think he thinks a lot of the profession. But really, no, it was fine. I think he just wants to know you're... happy."

It was on the tip of his tongue to say more, to say that his strong impression was that Peter was by no means a hateful person, just someone set in his ways who'd grown up in a different time. That if Naomi came out to him, he might be angry and shocked at first, but he wouldn't stop loving her and in time he'd accept her the way she was.

But he didn't say that, though he thought it was true. The thought of the hurt and anger Peter would go through, the thought of the way he'd think Nick had lied to him (but Nick hadn't lied, was the problem... ), it was all too much.

And maybe he wanted to keep pretending, keep roleplaying this engagement to the girl he was rapidly realising to be the girl of his dreams, bar one inconvenient detail.

Instead he just ruffled Naomi's hair, feathery soft to the touch, and smiled at her.

Naomi relaxed when Nick assured her that the walk had gone well.

He was probably right about her father, too - he loved her deeply, and though he'd be upset initially if Naomi told him about her sexual preferences, he would, very likely, come out the other side with time, and he'd still love her in the end. Naomi simply couldn't see it, because she craved her father's approval and spend her young life feeling like she didn't have it, regardless of the fact that she did. Always had.

It was simply that Naomi's father had never really known how to respond to Naomi. He'd been raised in a time when women were treated a certain way, but they also behaved a certain way. And Naomi.... didn't, so he'd never really quite known how to treat her. He'd never quite treated her the way he treated his other daughters, but he couldn't exactly treat her like a son, either. And so, despite being proud of her, despite loving her the way a father should, Naomi had always been able to sense the slight tension he felt when expressing his approval. The problem was, she'd always wrongly assumed it was because he was holding something back, because she hadn't quite managed to succeed the way he wanted her to. She'd noticed that same lack of tension with her sisters, and incorrectly attributed it to the idea that he liked them better, because they were more traditionally feminine, and followed the more conservative values of her larger family. Which, of course, had lent her this odd sort of vulnerable desire to avoid anything that might disappoint him, up to and including being herself.

She laughed when he ruffled her hair, nudging him as she pulled into the parking lot of the little grocery store in town. "Well, we probably shouldn't go back empty-handed. Maybe we'll grab some eggnog or something?"

She got out of the car, and immediately heard a loud gasp from behind her. "Naomi?!" She turned and saw a woman, only slightly taller than Naomi herself, with a cute face, red hair and smattering of freckles over her nose and cheeks.

The woman grinned, then did a double-take when Nick got out of the car too. "Hi---hi. Who's this?"

Naomi smiled and motioned to Nick. "Ella, this is my fiance, Nick."

The woman, Ella, sputtered. "Fiance?" Then she began to laugh. "Oh, good one! No, seriously, Nai, who is he?"

"My... fiance..." Naomi repeated, a cold feeling creeping up her spine. She'd had a massive crush on Ella during high school. She figured she'd been subtle about her affections, but teens tended not to be all that good at that sort of thing...

Ella looked back and forth between the two of them, uncertain. "You're... engaged? To a man?"

Under different circumstances, the confusion spreading across Ella's cute, pixie-like face would have been adorable. She looked between Naomi and Nick, squinting, perhaps trying to locate something even remotely feminine in Nick's chiselled body and features, before evidently admitting total defeat on that front.

"Yep, we're engaged," Nick said, his expression giving nothing away. "I guess you guys were at school together?"

He imagined that had to be the case -and that Ella had been very much aware of Naomi's sexual preference.

"Well, would you guys like to get coffee with me? I haven't seen you in ages, Nai! I want to know everything!"

She gestured towards a coffee shop, hung with Christmas lights, on the strip in front of them. Nick smiled.

"Why don't you go ahead, Naomi? I'll get the eggnog and join you both afterwards."

He had a shrewd idea what the first question out of Ella's mouth would be the moment he left. It was up to Naomi to decide whether she should be let in on the ruse, or if she was going to maintain it with her old schoolfriend and crush. Nick felt a slight pang as he moved away. If only it weren't just a ruse.

Naomi smiled at Nick's offer to go ahead into the store and pick up the eggnog so they wouldn't go home empty-handed. She knew he was giving her a chance to talk to her friend alone, and she appreciated it.

"Alright, we'll just be at the coffee shop down the block, okay?"

And with that, she and Ella started off down the blustery street.

Ella was adorable, and if Naomi had even the slightest inkling that she was into women, she was exactly the kind of woman she would have been all over. About as petite as Naomi herself, Ella was absolutely adorable, but also incredibly sweet, generous and kind-hearted.

Back when Naomi was in high school, there had been a terrible... incident regarding a young man named Jack. Jack had never fit in very well at school, and he'd been bullied often - particularly by the football players. Everyone knows the story. There's a kid at school who, despite being normal by all outward appearances, seems unusual (maybe gay, maybe something else), and the guys who behaved in that hyper-masculine-because-I'm-secretly-lacking-in-confidence-in-my-sexuality zeroed in on him for horrible abuse. Except, in Naomi's junior year, one of the bullies discovered that Jack was spending time on websites about trans rights. Where he'd posted about how much he was looking forward to leaving home so he could become who she truly was.

The results were... horrible. Jack was beaten so badly he was hospitalized. And worse, his parents were convinced that it was a "phase" and refused to allow him to finish the year at a different school.

It had always been one of Naomi's greatest shames that she hadn't done more to defend Jack when he came back to school. But Ella had. And once she'd taken a stand, others - Naomi included - joined in, and Jack's abuse died down to something more bearable, at least until he could finish school and then leave.

Naomi's crush on Ella had blown up to full-on infatuation that day, and she probably would have pursued a relationship with Ella afterwards, had she not been entirely certain that Ella was very, very straight. Not homophobic (obviously), but just... really not into women.

Ella turned to Naomi as soon as they were out on the sidewalk. It was snowing, and the wind was whipping up the snow, so between the muffling effects of the snow and the lack of people outdoors on a day like today, no one could overhear them. Still, Ella took a look around, and lowered her voice before asking, "So... You're actually marrying a guy? I was so sure you were a lesbian in high school!"

Naomi paused, blushing. If anyone was going to be able to understand the weirdness Naomi was dealing it, it was Ella. And, perhaps oddly, the fact that she and Naomi had fallen out of touch after high school made it less strange for Naomi to admit that she was actually starting to fall for Nick. So, she cleared her throat, and began with, "That's... probably because I am."

"But... wait, so he's not actually your fiance?"

"No. My parents don't know, and they've been prodding me about the fat that I've never brought a boyfriend home for Christmas before. Nick's my best friend."

Ella's eyes were wide and full of sympathy. This was exactly why Naomi had been so into her back then. "Man, that's gotta be hard, Nai. What are you gonna do next year? Pretend to be married?"

Naomi shook her head, looking down at her feet as they pushed through the light snow on the sidewalk. "Probably tell them the engagement's been called off for some reason. Then I figure I've got a year to pretend to be heartbroken about it before they start bothering me again."

There was a pause, and Naomi looked up to find Ella eyeing her with an expression that said she knew Naomi was hiding something. "But...?"

Naomi blushed brighter. "But, uh... Listen, this is a really weird thing to admit, but I kind of think I might be falling in love with him."

There was another long silence, and Ella kept her face carefully composed. The only sign of confusion was the fact that she blinked several times in quick succession before she answered. "But. He's a man. Right?"

Naomi snickered. "Ohhhh yeah. He's all man."

Ella pulled open the door to the coffee shop, and the two of them dropped the conversation for the few minutes it took for them to order their drinks and find a seat in a secluded corner. Once they did, Ella took another look around to make sure there was no one near by, and grinned. "Okay, so does that mean you're just... bi then?"

Naomi shook her head. "I don't think so, because I really, really have no interest in any other guy. I mean, you could could have 100 of the world's hottest men do their Magic Mike thing in front of me, and I wouldn't give a shit," she explained, drawing a laugh from Ella. "But... this morning, when Nick came downstairs, he just looked normal. I mean, he wasn't even doing anything, just smiling, and..." she trailed over, giving a pleased little shiver, which just made Ella giggle again.

"Okay, so tell him!" she answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Naomi shook her head. "No! No way. Nick's been my best friend for years! He's not into me, and I'm not going to mess up that friendship!"

Ella gave her a deadpan look. "He's not into you? Are you serious? How do you even know that?"

Naomi rolled her eyes, thinking it was obvious. "Because, if he were, he wouldn't have agreed to this ruse with me. Seriously, who would put themselves through that?" She couldn't imagine - being in love with someone, and then pretending that those feelings were fake? Acting as if you were about to embark on a serious, life-long relationship together, but knowing, bittersweetly, that none of it meant anything to your partner. That would be awful. She would never want him to do something like that for her. He knew that - didn't he? He'd say no if that had been the case... wouldn't he?

Ella smirked. "Would you do it for him? Even feeling as you do now?"

"Yes," Naomi answered instantly. Then she realized what she'd said, and blushed. "It's different."

"Oh please, no it's not."

Wasn't it? Naomi felt like it was. "But I was the one who started our friendship with the label that meant we could never be anything more. If he asked me, even feeling as I do now, I'd agree, but that's because these unrequited feelings are my own damn fault."

"You don't think he'd say the same thing about having feelings for his lesbian best friend?" Ella countered, grinning.

Naomi's face heated into a blush. Dammit! She was making too much sense! "So? Even if you're right, how would I even tell him? Hi, Nick, I'm still a lesbian but that doesn't seem to matter when it comes to you and your sexy penis."

Ella burst into a fit of giggles, covering her mouth with her hands. "Uhm, I think maybe leave out the bit about his penis, but the rest of it sounds like it might work."

Naomi's eyes went wide as she caught sight of the tall, muscled man dusted with snow approaching the table. He had to have at least heard Ella's last comment. Her whole face turned a deep shade of red and she choked. "H-hi Nick!"

Nick's eggnog mission was quickly accomplished, but he thought that Naomi might appreciate some more time alone with her old schoolmate (and former crush, if Nick was any judge). Whether she chose to come clean with her or not, Nick could only imagine that it would be a difficult conversation to have.

So, he wandered the aisles of the store aimlessly. He picked up some candy for Lizzie and the other children. Lizzie was still made rather shy by his size and demeanor, but Naomi's obvious comfort and ease around him seemed to be reassuring her -and perhaps candy would do likewise.

But he was really thinking about Naomi. It was absurd but he found himself missing her, her light and graceful ways, her enchanting, intoxicating grin, the scent of her hair, even in a short absence like this. And he was all too aware of how much more he would miss the sweet torment of her presence in bed, the unbearable temptation that she unconsciously presented to him with every little movement, every sleepy sigh and murmur.

He was going to accidentally call out Naomi's name next time he was in bed with a girl, Nick felt with a grim sense of certainty. And what was worse, he found it hard to care as much as he should. After all, it wouldn't be Naomi, so what did it matter?

Nick had to smile and shake his head. In the past, girls had complained that his stamina, bedroom skill and huge cock had 'ruined' all subsequent lovers for them. It seemed that his lesbian best friend had entirely unintentional done the same thing for him.

"Excuse me, young man."

His thoughts interrupted, Nick turned to look inquiringly at the small, neatly-dressed old lady behind him.

"Could you get me that carton of milk there? It's on an extremely high shelf."

She spoke with a prim disapproval for the height of the shelf. Nick obliged, and she thanked him before peering up at him with interest.

"Did I see you in the parking lot earlier, with one of my former students? I taught English at Barrowdown High, you know. Forty years. Never forgotten a one of my children there."

"Yes," said Nick. The former English teacher, who gave her name as Miss Miller, seemed to expect something more, so he added: "We're engaged."

She beamed. "How lovely! Ella Robinson was always such a sweet girl, she'll make a... "

"Oh no, " Nick corrected her. "Not Ella. I've only just met her. Naomi. Naomi Highford."

Miss Miller looked pole-axed.

"Naomi Highford?"

Nick nodded earnestly, doing his best to repress a smile.

"But she... that is, I always... are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Well, I hope you'll be very happy together."

"I'm sure we will," Nick said gravely. Miss Miller moved off in a deep confusion. Watching her with a mixture of amusement and slight guilt at the imposition, Nick wondered if Ella was still in a similar state.


The snow was still drifting down on the streets outside, and Nick's head and broad shoulders were white with snow as he entered into the warmth and bustle of the coffee shop. Looking around for Ella and Naomi, he saw the two petite girls seated in a secluded section of the room, and made his way over. He overheard a snatch of their conversation as he came closer:

"Hi, Nick, I'm still a lesbian but that doesn't seem to matter when it comes to you and your sexy penis."

He halted for a moment in confusion. Of course Naomi was obviously joking but... could it be?

Ella was in a fit of giggles at Naomi's comments, the lightly freckled redhead covering her mouth with delicate hands as she replied:

"Uhm, I think maybe leave out the bit about his penis, but the rest of it sounds like it might work."

Nick moved forward and Naomi at last caught sight of him, her eyes widening and face blushing crimson.

"H-hi Nick!"

Nick grinned cheerfully at Ella, breaking the tension.

"You were right. It sounds a lot more natural without the sexy penis stuff."

He sat down between the two of them. Whatever else Naomi's joke might have meant, it was obvious that she must have explained to Ella that she was still a lesbian, and that brought him some relief (along with a treacherous, tiny sense of disappointment that he now didn't have an excuse to caress and hold Naomi the way he did around her family).

"So I guess Naomi explained the real deal about our 'engagement'?"

Ella jerked in surprise when Naomi greeted Nick in a small voice, and turned around to face him, her expression one of shock and faint discomfort. Her mouth dropped open into a wide O, and then she flushed when Nick revealed that he's heard at least part of their conversation. Her gaze flickered over to Naomi, and she looked simultaneously guilty and apologetic.

But, despite whatever he'd heard, Nick apparently hadn't put together what Naomi's joking comment had meant, because he sat comfortably between the two girls and observed that Ella clearly knew about their ruse of an engagement.

Ella cleared her throat, uncertain. Was Nick just being polite? Or did he really not realize what they'd been talking about? As much as she wanted Naomi to tell him, she didn't necessarily want such a sensitive revelation to occur by accident, or so crassly. Still, she put in a brave face and smiled back at Nick. "Uh, yeah, she told me. Well, I mean, more accurately I made her tell me, because I'd always kind of suspected her sexuality."

There was a pause, when Ella suddenly realized that she had a perfect opportunity to tease her old friend and maybe make her a little jealous, too. She grinned, leaning towards Nick for a moment, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Though, if that means you're technically single..." she trailed off suggestively, biting her lip and fluttering her lashes at him. Her gaze slid, momentarily, over to Naomi, who had gone still.

Naomi had her hands clenched in her lap, hidden under the table. What the hell was Ella doing? She knew Naomi was into Nick, and that Nick didn't know! What if he reacted positively to her attention? Naomi had no doubt that Ella wasn't being malicious, that just wasn't in her nature. But Naomi, apparently, didn't have quite the same confidence that Ella did that Nick wasn't going to be taken by the pretty redhead's interest.

Ella, meanwhile, had to hide a grin. Naomi was right - Ella was entirely certain that Nick would jump at the chance to be with Naomi rather than Ella. And if this was what it took to push Naomi into making her move? So be it. She pushed herself to her feet, maintaining that pretty little shy smile all the while. "If you, um, want some consolation after your fake engagement ends, give me a call. Nai's got my number." She shot Nick a wink, then waved at Naomi. "Talk to you later!"

And with that, she left, leaving Naomi alone with Nick again.

Squirming unhappily, Naomi sighed and offered Nick a halfhearted smile as her old high school crush walked back out into the snow. "Wow. That's the second woman in two days. Apparently the secret to a successful love life is having a lesbian fiancée," she observed, the cadence of her amusement off just a bit as she tried to hide the fact that the thought of Nick with Ella actually hurt.

Ella looked almost as uncomfortable as Naomi. Her pale face was flushing as well and her mouth had dropped open in a neat little O of surprise and confusion as Nick joined them. If he hadn't guessed already, Nick could have told from the redhead's reaction that some momentuous revelation had just been made... but even the possibility made him so happy that he had to enforce caution on himself, had to stop himself imagining that extraordinary, golden possibility...

"Uh, yeah, she told me," Ella said, collecting herself. "Well, I mean, more accurately I made her tell me, because I'd always kind of suspected her sexuality."

"So did Miss Miller, your English teacher," observed Nick. Anticipating the girls' confusion, he added: "I met her in the grocery store. She was... a little confused when she found out I was marrying Naomi."

Ella suddenly gave a devilish grin and leaned towards him in a cleavage-exposing move, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Though, if that means you're technically single..." she said breathily, fluttering her lashes and biting her soft lower lip, looking at once angelically shy and coyly coquettish, a dreamy innocent girl just waiting for a big strong man like him to come and sweep her off her feet.

Nick had to suppress a grin of appreciation. When it came to flirtation, Beth should be taking lessons from this redheaded minx. Not that Ella needed her skills -she was already mouthwateringly pretty and had demonstrated that she was smart, funny and caring. As if that weren't enough, Nick had a hunch that she'd be quite a handful in the sack -her movements carried the same thrilling, titilatting sense of barely repressed energy that Naomi's did.

Naomi. That was the problem. That was why Nick didn't feel tempted. Trying to see other women around her -even a woman like Ella, was like trying to make out a candle flame in the full brilliance of the noonday sun. Even now, he was virtually ignoring Ella's carefully orchestrated show to glance covertly at Naomi. She was gazing down with studied indifference, arranging her hands in her lap.

And his gaze met Ella's at the same time. She too was stealing glance at the blonde girl, a light of mischief in her eyes. Nick thought he understood now. Ella was teasing... but she was teasing Naomi, not him. Again, he thought about what Naomi had said as he walked in.

Ella rose to her feet, maintaining her expression of wide-eyed schoolgirl shyness.

If you, um, want some consolation after your fake engagement ends, give me a call. Nai's got my number."

She winked at him, then sashayed out.

"Wow. That's the second woman in two days," observed Naomi. Her tone was light, but there was a slightly brittle undertone to it -as though she had just watched a girl flirt with her real fiance. "Apparently the secret to a successful love life is having a lesbian fiancée."

Nick looked at her, cocking his head to one side, a slight twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"Well... " he said. He moved his chair in closer to her, until their knees were almost touching. "If you're feeling left out, perhaps you should try flirting with me a little yourself. Just for practise, of course."

He grinned at her.

"You could bring up my sexy penis again."

Naomi's gaze was fixed firmly on the center of the table, because she really honestly didn't trust herself not to react insanely if she looked up at Nick. Because either he'd be all flushed and grinning from Ella's attentions, and she was rapidly coming to realize just how much she'd hate that, or he wouldn't be, which meant he was ignoring the gorgeous Ella's advances in favour of paying attention to Naomi and if that were true, she really, really didn't trust herself not to kiss him. It took her a moment to remember why that would be bad.

What the hell? As of yesterday she hadn't even really realized she was interested in her best friend, but now, here she was, getting jealous over simply seeing another woman - one she knew wouldn't actually act on any interest - flirt with him? She was beginning to realize, with growing horror, that they'd never be able to go back to what they had once been. Because they'd go home, and the play-engagement would fall by the wayside (at least until she needed to go home again for another family holiday), and Nick would find some new girlfriend who was hot and lovely and sweet, and Naomi realized rather suddenly that she might be inclined to punch any such hypothetical future girlfriend. Not that she actually would, but oh, the temptation would definitely be there.

This was bad. She was fighting with herself over what to say or do - admit to Nick what she was feeling, or pretend nothing was wrong? - when she felt Nick's leg brushing against hers, and she heard this little quip about bringing up his sexy penis again. Her eyes went very wide as she looked up at him, her face flushing bright red all over again. Then, groaning, she hid her face behind her hands.

"Oooh god, I can't believe you heard that," she moaned, crossing her arms on the table so she could bury her face in them, effectively hiding from him. It was the next best thing to crawling under the table to actually hide, which her pride simply wouldn't allow. There was another long silence as Naomi's brain scrambled to find a way to play it off as meaning something else. But really, what else could "I'm still a lesbian but that doesn't seem to matter when it comes to you and your sexy penis" possibly mean? There were really no two ways around it - if he heard it, he had to know. This wasn't a joke about how much she'd be into him if she wasn't a lesbian. It really, honestly couldn't mean anything but what she'd meant - she was still a lesbian, but for some reason, Nick broke all the rules and she was falling hard for him anyway.

The thought of him finding out like that was horrifying, and yet, he was still here. Still smiling at her. Still sitting just a little bit too close to be a platonic friend, with his knee just barely brushing against hers whenever one of them moved the right way.

Holy shit. Maybe Ella had been right. Maybe he didn't mind this idea after all.

Naomi peeked up at him from behind her arms, her face still pink and her expression still uncertain. "Uh," she began lamely. Real Rhodes Scholar, I am, she chided herself, chewing her lip nervously. "I'd say it's not what it sounds like, but to be honest, it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like..." Her gaze darted back down to the table for a moment. It felt like her throat was closing up, because it didn't really matter how likely it seemed that she wasn't ruining their friendship with her admission - the fact that there was even in the slightest chance she might wreck everything was absolutely terrifying to her. Despite the fact that her confession was now most of the way out, panic seemed to be taking hold, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything else. So, instead, she dropped her head back down into her arms and squeezed her eyes shut, focusing instead on keeping her heart from beating clear out of her chest.

At Nick's teasing remark, Naomi had buried her golden head in her arms. The tips of her ears, just visible, were bright red and Nick had to assume that all of her delicate, lovely face was the same shade. He almost felt bad, except that he really, really didn't.

He remained patient, sitting very still -as though Naomi were some kind of gorgeous, shy forest creature, easily startled. He'd have sworn that he could hear, or perhaps feel, her heart pounding madly against her chest. At last, the elfin blonde ventured to peek cautiously up at him, her large blue eyes just above her arms.

His smile seeming to reassure him, she lifted her head up and, biting her lip nervously, began to speak. Nick was momentarily struck by how her mannerisms resembled those of Ella just a moment ago -the same shyness, the same hesitancy. But Ella had been play-acting, expertly flirting. Naomi had never flirted with a man in her life -her confusion was real, not a gambit designed to arouse him.

But arouse him it did -a hundred times more than Ella's performance had. Naomi's even white teeth tremulously biting her soft, sensitive cherry lips made him want to kiss her almost more than he could bear.

"Uh... I'd say it's not what it sounds like, but to be honest, it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like..."

Her admission passed, Naomi squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her head back into her arms. She missed the awestruck look on Nick's face.

Slowly, gently, he reached out and ran his hands through her soft, close-cropped golden hair. Putting his hands to either side of her smooth cheeks, he gently raised her head to look at him. Her eyes were wide and startled. She looked as though she were about to speak again, but he placed a finger against her lips.

Then he drew her to him, one small and slender armful, and kissed her, wholeheartedly and masterfully, the way he'd secretly been longing to since they'd first met.

Naomi nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt warm fingers running through her hair. Honestly, despite her logical mind's desperate attempts to regain control over her rampant emotions, some part of her was still convinced that Nick would reject her feelings and reject her. So the gentle, affectionate touch came as something of a surprise, even though it shouldn't have.

She looked up, confusion and hope warring for dominance on her expression. She was going to ask him what he was doing, what this meant, but he pressed one large finger to her lips, silencing her. Then, without another word, his arm slipped around her shoulder and he pulled her toward him. She squeaked in surprise, the motion drawing her out of her seat, and she practically fell into him, her hands coming out to catch herself against his chest.

And then he was kissing her. It was different than their previous two kisses - this time, there was no pretense of it being a show. No one was watching. This kiss was for them, and after her initial shock, Naomi gave herself over to it completely. Her arms went around his neck, and she let herself drop into his lap, her body molding willingly against his. Left to her own desires, Naomi might not have ever wanted to let him go, but sadly, her lungs were not infinite and too soon began burning for air. She parted from him, her face only withdrawing slightly, her nose still bumping gently against his as she gasped for breath.

And, in the same moment, an older couple came around the shelf displaying various types of coffee that separated the otherwise abandoned little corner of the coffee shop, spotted Nick with his hand still buried in Naomi's hair, and Naomi, flushed and breathless in his lap. The stopped short, looked at each other, and simply turned around to find another place to sit.

The sight of their wide eyed but knowing looks made Naomi laugh. She leaned easily against Nick, her cheek coming to rest comfortable against his shoulder. "So, um, I take it you're alright with this particular development," she teased, feeling light as air now that she knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Sighing happily, she pressed a gentle kiss to the edge of his jaw, reveling in the feeling of his warm skin and the faint roughness of the scruff that came of his not having shaved this morning. It was so utterly, wonderfully different than anything she'd experienced previously, and she found herself marveling silently at how much she adored it, especially given that, were that jaw to belong to any other man, she would find it faintly unpleasant. She loved it, but somehow, it was by nature of it being Nick's.

The heart works in mysterious ways, she decided, then pressed her hand to his cheek, turning his head toward her slightly so she could press another, softer kiss to his lips.

Naomi was stiff with shock for a moment, but the moment quickly passed and she was kissing him back eagerly, greedily, her mouth parting to allow their tongues to dance together, her slim, firm little body pressing itself against him, letting him feel every contour of her flawless form.

At last Naomi broke the kiss to gasp for air, which was when an elderly couple rounded the display of coffee beans and got an eyeful of a panting, flushing thoroughly kissed, beautiful blonde Naomi happily seated on the lap of a tall, muscular young man, clearly just catching her breath before getting back to the business at hand.

The elderly couple wordlessly reversed.

Naomi gave a soft giggle at the sight, lying back against Nick's chest with a breathless sigh of contentment.

"So, um, I take it you're alright with this particular development," she said, the emperor of all understatements.

Nick grinned back at her. "You could say that," he said, stroking her cheek with one large, calloused hand. How could her skin be so extraordinarily soft and smooth?

He looked at her, his expression becoming more serious.

"I've wanted this since I first met you. But I didn't think... "

He trailed off. Naomi was kissing his jawline, purring and almost cooing with pleasure at the unfamiliar rasp of stubble against her smooth cheek. Her movements were shifting her tight little ass, rubbing it against the massive erection trapped in his pants. The huge hardness below her didn't seem to be bringing Naomi any discomfort -then again, last night, she'd slept quite happily with Nick's monster cock between her legs.

That thought brought to mind what their bed would be like tonight, and Nick's throat went dry with desire. He had to suppress an urge to throw Naomi on to the table and have his way with her there and then -no doubt further horrifying the nice elderly couple who'd interrupted them and ensuring a lifetime ban from this coffee shop.

But was that what Naomi wanted? Nick didn't think she'd ever been with a man. Perhaps he was moving too fast.

Naomi chose that moment to kiss him -a soft, sweet kiss. He wanted another and took it, consciously holding himself back from turning it into another long, passionate kiss -kissing her again and again. Between kisses, he spoke:

"We... can... take... this... slow... if you want."

The throbbing shaft underneath her ass said otherwise but Nick firmly told it to be quiet. Naomi was the girl of his dreams and he wasn't going to have his turbo-powered libido ruin this for him.

As they kissed, Naomi became slowly aware of the erection underneath her. It would have been kind of amusing how long it took her to realize what it actually was - it wasn't that she didn't know how male anatomy worked (lesbian or not, she wasn't that out of touch), but simply that it was something she'd never really dealt with before. It was just that she'd never been in this kind of affectionate, arousing position with a man before, so it took her brain a moment to put two and two together, especially considering the perfect distraction of Nick's lips and tongue against hers.

Once she did, though, she smiled against his lips and a immediately responded by wiggling her hips friskily against his, a bolt of lust roaring through her body at the thought of having him inside her - another first, this one even weirder.

"We... can... take... this... slow... if you want."

She paused, looking up into Nick's eyes for a moment, her gaze soft and grateful. Obviously he wasn't offering out of his own desire to take things slowly, if the hard shaft attempting to tear its way out of his jeans was any indication. But he knew better than anyone just how out of her depth she was in this new relationship, and she'd be lying if she said she was completely comfortable with what was happening. Underneath the brilliant, shining happiness and the roaring lust, there was fear, discomfort, and uncertainty roiling underneath. She was still feeling better about his odd identity as a lesbian who fell in love with one specific man, but it was still fresh and a little raw. Not that she wanted to stop or go back to the way things were - more that she simply had no idea how to proceed, and she sensed a treacherous path full of pitfalls ahead. She had no doubt they'd make it through together, but it was still a nerve-wracking prospect, nonetheless.

She nodded, smiling, and kissed him once more. "Slow sounds like a good idea," she admitted, scratching the back of her neck with one hand. "I've never been with a man before." She knew he knew that, but putting it out there seemed to make it more real. Especially the fact that she intended to change that, and soon.

She caught sight of one of the employees standing behind the counter, rolling her eyes at the sight of the couple, and grinned sheepishly. "Maybe we should go...? I mean, I'm sure my family will be wondering where we've gotten to." She pushed herself to her feet, giggling when Nick didn't let her go immediately, instead pulling her back into his arms for another kiss before he let her stand. It was a novel feeling. She wasn't used to her romantic partner being bigger than her and strong enough to do something like that. Given her fierce sense of independence, it would probably have bothered her if it had been anyone else but Nick, but she trusted him implicitly so all she felt was giddy and safe in his arms.

Eventually, though, they wandered back outside, hand-in-hand and grinning so broadly about it that they looked like a pair of school children for whom hand-holding was the pinnacle of romance. When they reached the car, Naomi lifted his hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, her eyes sparkling, then began to laugh as her gaze fell on the ring still sitting snug on her finger. She slipped into the car and grinned at the questioning look Nick was giving her. "How many couples can claim that they got engaged before they actually became a couple?"

While they kissed, Naomi ground her lower body against Nick's crotch, the light of sheer mischevious delight shining in her sky-blue eyes as she explored the exciting new mystery of masculine arousal.

But she stopped as Nick finished speaking, her expression changing to something more thoughtful and she kissed him again before speaking.

"Slow sounds like a good idea. I've never been with a man before."

Nick nodded. Given the promise of Naomi's enthusiastic reaction to her discovery of his erection, he couldn't guarantee that it was going to stay slow once things began to heat up, but he could make sure that Naomi felt comfortable and safe every step of the way.

The barista behind the till was beginning to send meaningful looks in their direction and Naomi obediently rose to her feet. Nick had every intention of following suit but instead he found himself pulling a giggling Naomi down and kissing her warm, soft irresistible mouth once last time before releasing her.

By way of apology to the barista, and because he felt so good, he made sure to leave a generous tip. They walked out hand in hand, faces wreathed in smiles.

Nick stole glances down at Naomi every so often, as though to reassure himself that his incredible good fortune was actually realised. He'd never felt like this before -not at the start of a relationship, not even in the golden moments after an orgasm. He felt blissful, floating on a cloud, completely at peace with the world.

As they reached the car, Naomi, with one of her endearingly quick movements, lifted his hand up to kiss it, her lips a sweet, all-too-fleeting impression on his fingers, before glancing with a shy, adorable pride at the ring on her finger. She had a right to that pride -she knew now the spirit with which Nick had given it to her, even though he hadn't dared hope at the time.

Nick looked at her as she slipped into the car and she grinned unapologetically:

"How many couples can claim that they got engaged before they actually became a couple?"

"We're not your typical boy-meets-girl story, that's for sure," Nick agreed with a grin of his own, as he got into the driver's seat.


"Oh good, you're back," Teresa said as the pair entered the farmhouse. "Lunch is just about ready... "

She looked up at them, and smiled.

"You both look very happy. Did you get some good news?"

Naomi had never been this happy. Ever. And she'd never been the sort of sappy romantic who enjoyed the constant touching, kissing and cuddling she often saw in other couples (and which often made her roll her eyes). But suddenly, she found herself quite readily able to understand how they felt, because she couldn't bring herself to stop touching Nick for more than a few seconds at a time.

She only let go of his hand for long enough to get them both into the car, and then immediately wove their fingers together as soon as Nick had the car started. And later, when he needed both hands to drive more carefully down the icy country road leading to the Highford farm, she let go of his hand only to find her fingers crawling - of their own accord - over to brush against his leg while he drove.

When they walked back into the house, Naomi's mother was just setting the table for lunch and greeted them as they walked in, noting their smiles and asking if they'd heard good news.

Naomi grinned, a slight blush colouring her cheeks as she considered what she would say. She couldn't really get away with pretending like nothing had happened, not with the way they were both glowing, but neither could they tell her the truth, because that meant admitting that they'd lied to begin with. So instead, she played on the same half-truths they'd been using all along; "Oh, I got a phone call from some friends back home. There was this couple who insisted they were just friends for years and years, and everyone knew they'd be perfect together. Apparently, they've finally figured it out for themselves," she explained, a mischievous grin playing across her lips as she met Nick's gaze.

Teresa laughed and nodded. "Oh, well good for them! I hope they're very happy! Would you go into the living room and let everyone know that lunch is about ready?"

Naomi finished peeling off her boots and did as she was told, and a few minutes later, everyone had gathered around the table again for another of Teresa's delicious feasts. Naomi and Nick were seated together again, of course, but it presented an issue that they hadn't had before, in which Naomi kept fighting the insane urge to kiss him in the middle of lunch, or to grab his hand, or caress his face, or even to crawl completely into his lap again so she could explore that deliciously tempting pillar of flesh that strained against his jeans when she did. None of which would have been remotely appropriate.

She was impressed at the strength of her willpower, because she managed to keep herself from grabbing at him every chance she had, and instead settled for a few affectionate touches in passing, and glancing surreptitiously at him while licking her lips. It seemed, however, that she was less subtle than she might have liked, since Beth spent half the meal pouting and a few of Naomi's other siblings kept shooting her wicked grins and winks. It struck her, suddenly, what she looked like - Nick and Naomi, newly engaged, had disappeared into town to "get some things," come back with nothing but eggnog, were gone for nearly 2 hours, and, upon returning, had to struggle to keep from jumping one another. It looked like they'd just gotten back from a mid-morning sex romp in the car.

The lust in Naomi's mind wondered irritably why they hadn't done that - her arousal and desire might not be driving her so crazy now if they had.

Nick had to suppress a chuckle at Naomi's description of their "friends". It was a spot-on description of them themselves, as Naomi made clear darting a mischevious blue-eyed side-glance at him while she told her mother all about this foolish, foolish pair who had taken so long to recognize something that had been staring them in the face.

The family settled down to eat. Nick now found himself faced with a new problem, which was the tantalizing, delectable presence of Naomi at his side, so close and yet forbidden to him for the time being. Her every moment seemed to fascinate him now, seemed to be radiate sensual allure, whether it was brushing a loose strand of golden hair away from her ear, jostling her shoulders with a vague animal restlessness, or smiling quickly up at him -a shy, secret, seductive smile shared just between the two of them, full of unspoken promises for when they were alone, the tip of her little pink tongue emerging to trail quickly and suggestively across her lips.

Naomi found excuses to touch him every now and then -moments of contact that were all too fleeting but breathtakingly intense at the same time. Just the touch of cool, soft fingers sent Nick's arousal into blazing overdrive. In a way, it was just as well that the contacts were as brief as they were -much more of this sweet torment and he'd be grabbing Naomi by the waist, sweeping aside its setting, and having his way with Naomi there and then, her slim legs wrapped around his back as he plunged down again and again.

Although they'd allowed them to share a bed on this visit, Nick had a hunch that this, as massively enjoyable as it would be, might be pushing the Highfords' newfound tolerance a little too far.

As it was, Naomi's compulsive need to touch Nick every so often, the adoring glances she sent his way when she thought herself unobserved, and the obvious love and lust in Nick's eyes when he looked at her, was not going unnoticed. Smirks and knowing smiles were plastered across the faces of the older Highfords, and Beth looked as though she had bitten into an extremely sour lemon.

A mock-innocent comment from Eli also made it clear that none of the older Highfords believed for a moment that all that Nick and Naomi had done on their trip into town had been to buy eggnog and drink coffee -Nick fervently wished that they were right.

At first, he hadn't quite wanted to look at Peter's reaction to all this, given how fiercely protective the older man was of his daughter, but at last, after another quip from Eli, he looked at him.

Peter's expression was not the brooding thundercloud Nick had expected. He even looked a little amused at the banter among his children. Catching Nick's gaze, he winked at him.


"I didn't think I'd ever see that," Eli said as the two cleared up the dishes after lunch.

"What?"

"Dad being so... cool with everything, with you and Naomi. You should have seen what Roy went through the first time he came to stay here. Enhanced interrogation ain't in it, friend."

Roy was the now-husband of Meg, the youngest of Naomi's elder sisters.

Nick smiled, but said nothing. Eli's eyes narrowed.

"What'd you do on that walk with Dad? Put a spell on him?"

"Nope. We just talked."

"Huh. Oh well. Anyway, I think everyone's parting ways til dinner now. Time together, time alone is the best way to keep Christmas harmonious. Anne and I are going for a drive -you and Nai would be welcome to join us."

Nick's throat had gone dry.

"Thanks, but I think Naomi and I would like a little time to ourselves... "

Eli rolled his eyes good-humouredly.

"Shocker. I think Nai's already way ahead of you. She went upstairs to your room a couple of minutes ago."

It took all of Nick's willpower to finish drying the final dish and bid Eli goodbye instead of racing away there and then. Just a few moments later, he'd climbed the three flights of stairs up to their shared bedroom and practically burst through the door to find Naomi.

Once lunch was over, Naomi managed to dodge every single one of her siblings and escape upstairs, which struck her as nothing short of a miracle, given that a few of them had seemed dead-set on cornering her to tease her some more about the way she'd been completely unable to keep her hands off Nick at lunch.

As it was, she slipped upstairs, where there were far fewer people and thus easier to avoid, and said a silent prayer of thanks for whatever it was Nick had said to her father on the walk that made him seem so unexpectedly okay with their bordering-on-inappropriate affections during the meal.

She'd seen Nick standing by the counter with Eli doing dishes when she headed up the first staircase. She hoped he'd come up looking for her, though she supposed that if she had to go back downstairs to get him a little while later, with everyone else off doing their own thing, the chances of interception were much lower...

She was still thinking about the best way to drag Nick back upstairs with her when she walked into their room. She hadn't expected the sight of the bed to take her breath away the way it did, but the moment she laid eyes on it, all she could see was Nick, naked and covered waist-down by the blanket, lying over-top of the petite Naomi, completely surrounding her... She'd actually seen him in that position before, once, when a miscommunication and an unlocked door had seen her walking in on him with his then-girlfriend. She could see him in the same place, but this time, it was in her bed, and he was curled over and kissing her body.

Naomi stumbled across the room and had to catch herself on the end of the bed, her breath coming faster. She really hadn't expected the image to strike her so hard, nor the powerful bolt of arousal that had come afterwards.

She tried to calm herself, but once her imagination had caught the image of Nick's body pressed tight against hers, she couldn't stop. Every time she tried to think of something else, her mind would steer her back to thoughts of making love with imagined touches ghosting across her skin. Her pussy was wet and throbbing, her panties quickly soaking, her nipples standing at attention and visible under her shirt.

She couldn't help herself. Her body was aching and it had only been five minutes. She unbuttoned the top of her jeans, spread her legs, and plunged her hand down the front of her panties, gasping and shuddering as her fingers found her slit as soaked and sensitive as she expected.

Her fingers had barely slipped inside her the first time - forcing her to swallow a moan - when the door burst open. Naomi yelped, yanking her hand back out of her pants and was about to chastise her intruder for not knocking when she realized... it was Nick.

The both froze for a moment, Naomi's undone jeans, flushed face and glistening fingers making it obvious what she had been doing. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. She had no idea how to react. Despite the fact that she was a practiced lover, this all felt utterly different. Had this been one of her girlfriends, she'd have offered a sly smile and asked her to come help. She knew, logically, that she didn't need to react any differently to Nick... and yet, here she was, uncertainty preventing her from acting. It didn't help that this was Nick, because it meant she was more afraid of messing this up than she'd ever been with anyone else.

A breathtakingly erotic sight greeted Nick on the far side of the door.

Naomi lay writhing on the bed, a flush of arousal suffusing her lovely face, the hard buds of her nipples visible under the thin fabric of her T-shirt. She had undone her jeans, and as Nick came through the door she hastily withdrew her glistening fingers.

The shock was etched on to Naomi's delicate features. She remained doe-eyed and frozen on the bed, for all the world as though she thought Nick's reaction might be disapproval rather than immediate and overpowering arousal.

Walking softly and slowly, as though he were stalking prey, Nick approached the bed, slipping off his shoes, and then climbed on. He straddled Naomi, his broadshouldered body dwarfing her slender, petite frame, and lifted her hand. He kissed each finger, licking the sweet juices off with fullthroated pleasure, his eyes on hers the entire time, then kissed his way down her slender, upraised arm.

When he got to her T-shirt, he lifted it off -his big, hard hands infinitely tender, and feasted his eyes on the taut body below.

Given the way Nick was looking at her, moving towards her, and then touching her, Naomi felt like prey. And yet, somehow, she liked it. She had no idea what he was about to do when he straddled her, and normally, that would have bothered her. But this was Nick, and he adored her as much as she did him, so instead of trying to find her voice to ask what he was going to do, she simply watched, wide eyed, as he grasped her wrist and drew her hand up to his lips to kiss and lick the juices off her fingers.

She couldn't breathe for a moment. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot, her mouth went dry, and the arousal that burst in her lower belly was so strong as to be almost painful in its intensity. He finished, and instead of letting her go, he simply started trailing those tender, loving kisses up the inside of her arm.

Naomi heard a sound, something like a choked, cooing whimper. It took a moment for her to properly realize that the sound had come from her. She hadn't meant to make any kind of noise, but the feeling of his warm lips against the erogenous, sensitive skin of her wrist and the perfect, overpowering lust and adoration in his gaze was just too much to bear. She felt like she was pinned in place under the weight of his gaze. It was too sweet, too perfect, and she nearly felt like bolting because life wasn't supposed to be like this, and there had to be something terrible waiting on the other side in order to balance out what she was feeling now, didn't there? She actually might have bolted if it wasn't for Nick's physical weight on top of her.

There was a faint relief when their gazes finally broke so he could slip her shirt off, his hands leaving hot, burning trails over her skin. But once it was off, and once she saw the way he was looking at her, all of it flooded back, even more powerfully than before. She wanted him so much, and the way he was looking at her made her feel like he was about to devour her. And she realized, all at once, that she'd never been in love before. Nothing she'd ever experienced before now held so much as a candle to this and the intensity, the power of it actually scared her a little.

"Nick," she breathed, and he must have heard the faint note of panic in her voice, because he stopped and looked back up into her eyes. She reached up to his face, taking it between her shaking hands, and pulled him down to her for a soft, chaste kiss. There was a pause, because she knew she was being irrational, but her instincts were screaming at her to run away because this was dangerous - because if this went wrong, if it went the direction of all her other, previous relationships, she really didn't know whether she could survive it. And god, how was she supposed to avoid messing it up when she'd never done this before?!

"I'm scared," she admitted softly, her voice soft. She sounded young, vulnerable. It was hard to express exactly what she was afraid of. Of her inexperience with men driving him away. Of losing what she was rapidly beginning to realize was the only person in her life she truly trusted and loved with this terrifying depth. Her whole body was pulsing with arousal like a hurricane and it scared her a little, too, that he could make her lose control like that.

Naomi was lying on the bed, her clear blue eyes wide with a mixture of apprehension and blazing, overwhelming lust.

She was naked to the waist now, her exquisite body exposed to Nick's hungy gaze. Above her taut, trim stomach, her ivory breasts were small but deliciously firm, ripe and flawless, with pink nipples capping them, their colour vivid against the smooth cream of Naomi's breasts.

Naomi's whole body had stiffened between his legs and when she spoke, the alarm in her voice was obvious.

"Nick... "

She brought his head down for a sweet, gentle kiss, her mouth seeming to seek confidence and strength pressing against his. He could feel the battle raging through her still, rigid body -the roaring power of lust against her whole previous understanding of her sexual idenity; her desire for him as a man versus her need for him as a friend.

"I'm scared," she said, her voice sweetly soft and shy. She could have been a virginal teenager.

Nick rolled over to one side so that they were lying side by side and he was no longer looming over her. He drew her to him, letting her nestle in his arms, her breasts pressed against his chest. He stroked Naomi's fine, silky golden hair gently, reassuringly. Without the evidence of the massive erection tenting his jeans, it would have been hard to imagine that this man was barely holding back a roaring storm of lust.

But he knew Naomi knew. With his quiet, wry smile and air of calm self-sufficiency Nick was an enigma to most people, but Naomi knew him better than anyone else. When his face was its usual blank, she could reach the tiny movements and changes of posture that gave away what he was really thinking. She'd often teased and joked with him about her unprecedented ability to read his moods, and she was sometimes known as the 'Nick-whisperer' among their friends.

So Naomi knew that Nick was aching to rip her jeans off and begin fucking her like an animal.

But she also knew that she could trust Nick absolutely, and that nothing would happen until she willed it.

Nick leaned forward to kiss Naomi lightly on the cheek, his eyes so filled with love.

"There's no need to be scared," he whispered. His arms tightened around her protectively as his eyes closed in a moment's bliss at her warmth, her scent, at everything Naomi and how good she felt. "You never need to be scared."

You never need to be scared.

Naomi knew that. She would never need to fear Nick. Never. And she knew that so deeply and completely that it was baffling that she felt any fear at all. And then, in a flash of intuition, she realized that she wasn't afraid of him, or of anything he might do.

She was afraid of other people. She was afraid of going home and people seeing them together, people who knew Naomi's orientation, and of the whispers that would come up behind their backs. Of the questions and of the sideways glances and of the passive-aggressive offhand comments. And she was afraid of her own weakness, of letting her fear and the inevitable anger she'd feel at the heartlessness of people who called themselves her friends interfere with what she felt. She was afraid that, in a moment of weakness, she might give into the silent judgement of other people and abandon what she had with Nick, and if she did that, she'd never, ever forgive herself.

She looked up at Nick, her hand coming up to his cheek, her fingers tracing the lines of his face, and she smiled. "I know. It's not you I'm afraid of," she answered ruefully. "I'm afraid of myself. I don't trust myself not to do something stupid and mess this up." Then, a sheepish grin. "Though, I suppose it's too late now to worry about that. I lost my heart to you well before I even realized it was possible for me to." In other words? She was already in love with him. Her mind was panicking about the idea of having sex because, somehow, that made her feelings more real. That tiny part of her mind that was freaking out about the possibility of losing him was utterly convinced that it wouldn't hurt as much if she messed up and they hadn't slept together yet. It was both silly and entirely untrue because, like she'd said, she'd already lost her heart to him, long ago.

But perhaps the key to this whole mess was the way Nick was looking at her. As much as people laughed about Nick being enigmatic and about Naomi being the only person who could read him, Nick had the same talent when it came to Naomi. She was more inclined to displays of vibrant emotion, both positive and negative, but often, not even she understood completely why she was feeling the way she did. It took her forever to sit down and unravel it. And often, Nick knew even before she did. It was why, after a breakup with a girl with whom she'd only had one date, Nick knew to come to her place with beer to keep her company before she knew she needed it because Naomi hadn't realized how attached she'd become already. It was why, when Naomi was stressing over Christmas with her parents, it was Nick who insisted that they have dinner together so she could tell him what had her tied up into knots, before she had even considered asking him to come home with her as her faux-fiance. It was why, given the way he was looking at her, he knew exactly what she was afraid of, and loved her nonetheless. He knew this was new to her, and he knew it would be difficult for her to adjust when they got home. That she'd undoubtedly lose certain friends over this (not just the ones who were the more angry sort of lesbian who would accuse her of lying about her identity, but also likely the various men who had harboured secret crushes on her over the years and would resent the fact that she gave Nick and chance and not them) and that it wouldn't be easy for her. And he was ready to help her through all of it. Because he loved her nonetheless.

She wove her fingers into his hair and pulled him down to her for a kiss, the kiss growing more and more passionate by the moment until Naomi was left panting with her leg hooked over his hip, grinding herself against him. They were going to have to be quiet, in a house full of people. Naomi grinned. She'd never been particularly good at quiet.