Chapter 283


    Chapter 0283


    The ferocity of Nich s’s protection of me gave me morefort that it probably should have. I


    certainly didn’t want Nichs to kill anyone, but knowing that he would go to any limits in order to keep


    me safe helped me feel truly cared for.


    Still, I decided to move beyond that topic, for fear the anger would root in him and cause him to seek


    out vengeance for me.


    “Susie wasn’t at breakfast,” I said. “I’m worried about her, so I’m going to check on her. Would you like


    to join me?”


    Nichs softened somewhat at the subject change. “Susie’s okay. She probably just wants to rest.”


    “She won’t mind me checking on her.”


    “I think you probably shouldn’t,” Nichs said.


    “Why not?”


    He pressed his lips hard together and would not answer.


    Odd. Was he hiding something?


    “I’m worried. I’ll only stay a minute,” I said. “When I see she’s okay, then I’ll leave.”


    I understood Susie liked her alone time, especially after events where she was forced to be so social.


    So I knew she might not want me to stay for a long time. But surely she wouldn’t mind. me checking on


    her. After all, she often did the same for me.


    Nichs didn’t argue further, so I continued walking down the hallway towards Susie’s room. Nichs


    fell in step beside me.


    At Susie’s door, I knocked lightly. I waited a moment, but there was no reply.


    Did she leave? I should check.


    Slowly, I turned the kn ob and pushed open the door.


    Susie was indeed in her room, and she wasn’t alone.


    Mark had his arms around Susie’s waist, with her pulled tightly against him. Susie’s own arms were


    wrapped around Mark’s shoulders.


    Their lips were connected in a passionate, deep kiss. Both were so caught up in it, they didn’t seem to


    notice me at the door. Not even Mark, who was usually the most observant. For a moment, I’m stunned


    speechless. I knew they had been flirting and that they cared progressed this far. Mark began to unzip


    Susie’s dress. Nichs ced a hand on my shoulder and guided me from the room. He gently shut


    the door behind us. I couldn’t stop from blushing at what I had just seen. They were going to…! A small


    bit of joy filled me. Good for them, for finding happiness with each other. For stealing precious moments


    to bind their affection. Yet, bitterly, I also felt jealous. I hated this side of me. It wasn’t fair to anyone. My


    “I imagined,” Nichs said. “Mark was… upset when he saw the footage of Terry and Susie.” Fresh


    guilt washed through me. I shouldn’t feel jealous. Susie had a terrible night too. She hadn’t been


    chained to a bed, but she still had to endure Terry’s relentless flirtations and sexual harassment. At


    least she had Mark to help her sort through it now. Nichs watched me. He must have seen the


    change in my mood. “Are you okay?” I shook my head no. “Terry stole many things from me. It could


    have been worse, I know that. But… I feel like so many things are tainted now.”


    I wrapped my arms around myself. Nichs stepped closer. I leaned into his warmth.


    “Which things?”


    “Being naked. Being tied up.” I didn’t hate the thought of surrendering control, but it could only be with a


    man of my own choosing, one I trusted about all others. A man like Nichs. Thest was the hardest


    to say. “Being kissed.”


    “Piper,” Nichs said, iming my attention. Looking at him, I returned to the here and now, no longer


    chained up in that torture room in Terry’s mansion.


    Nichs lifted his hand near my cheek, hovering just over my skin. But he didn’t touch me. After


    everything I’d been through, he was likely waiting for consent. He didn’t have to. He was the man I


    implicitly trusted. I covered the back of his hand with my own, and brought his palm to my cheek.


    “When you are ready,” he said, voice soft, “I will rece each and every memory and desire he tainted


    in you with a brand new, much more pleasant one. And I will do so happily.” I turned into his hand and


    ced a kiss onto his palm. “Any desire?” I asked him. “Yes.” No hesitation.


    My heart melted a little. My affection for this man seemed immeasurable, growing all the time.


    “I wouldn’t mind a kiss?” I asked.


    He smiled as he stepped closer. Keeping one hand on my cheek, he moved his free arm around my


    waist.


    “I’m d to help.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.


    The range of Nich s’s kisses could go from soft, barely there butterfly, to an all- epassing


    plunge of teeth and tongue. This was somewhere in the middle.


    He moved slowly, as if giving me time to pull away, but still licked lightly at the seam of my lips as if


    asking for entrance. I granted it, and he dipped his tongue into my mouth. Even then, he only traced


    along my own with a tender caress.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Not demanding. Not insistent. More a simple I’m here, you’re here, and we’re both enjoying this.


    I hummed into his mouth, and he swallowed all of my noises. His hand moved down to my jaw, coaxing


    my face upward more. I moved however he guided, lost in the sensation of his soft lips and tongue, or


    his hard chest against me, and the hand pressing against my lower back, just above my tailbone.


    Time lost all its meaning. We could have kissed for a minute or an hour. I didn’t know, though it would


    never be enough.


    I wanted to stay here, like this, until the rest of the world came crashing down. Even then, I’d just


    continue to hold on, to give and to take with this man who wanted me to feel safe with him.


    Eventually, he had to break the kiss apart to breathe. We didn’t separate far. Our noses. brushed and


    then we pressed our foreheads together.


    “Nick…” I whispered. I didn’t know what I wanted to say, but I had to say something, to convey to him


    just a hint of what I was actually feeling in that moment. I was overwhelmed. with gratitude and


    affection. His kiss had helped wash away some of the stain Terry had left on my soul.


    He seemed to understand and squeezed me around the waist just a bit tighter. His thumb brushed


    gentle streaks back and forth across my cheek.


    Someone cleared their throat behind us, and we both jumped apart like we had been burned. How


    could I forget that we were right in the middle of the hallway! Anyone could have walked by!


    Fortunately, this time, the person who had caught us was Julian, who had already previously found us


    in apromising position. At that time, he had teased us relentlessly.


    This time, he seemed much less enthused. His usual smirk was entirely missing.


    He frowned deeply in Nich s’s direction.


    “Why would you confront our parents without me?”