Big Nick Energy (Bringing Home Trouble)

1. Blanca Dominguez

1

Blanca Dominguez

Two months later

I walked around the mall and stopped in front of the store my best friend, Libby, loved, and I sighed. The yellow dress with the pale blue flowers was still on the mannequin. Which meant it hadn’t dropped in price. Yet, I walked in. I didn’t have the money for the pretty sundress, but I had really hoped it would have gone on sale to give it to her as a surprise when my mom and I helped her move into her dorm.

Libby was the best.

Life was hard on everyone, but Libby had been hit with one too many punches. Yet no matter what happened, she kept getting up and moving forward. I stood in front of the pretty dress and sighed. It had killed me that I couldn’t buy the dress for her for graduation. She had stared at it like it was the prettiest thing when we had walked around the mall before our graduation. It would have been the perfect dress for her to wear to our ceremony, especially because she had been our valedictorian. I glanced at the tag and chewed on my lip. The price was a little too high even now as the summer was coming to an end. Instead of wearing the dress of her dreams, we had gone thrifting, and with my mom’s sewing skills, we had up-cycled a dress that had looked great on her.

“That’s really pretty,” a deep somewhat familiar voice sounded behind me. “It would look great on you.” I grimaced. Great. This was the last thing I needed, some guy trying to pick me up at the mall. Though, it honestly never really happened when I was on my own. Usually, it was when Libby was with me because Libby was gorgeous. Even with black oversized glasses that took over too much of her face, anyone could see she was stunning. I turned with every intention of giving the guy a piece of my mind, when I couldn’t believe who it was.

“Mr. Marsh,” I gasped. He was the last person I could have thought would be standing there, talking to me.

“Nick,” he corrected. His soft light brown eyes felt warm and kind.

“Nick. I mean, umm, hi,” I stuttered, wincing inwardly at myself. “Are you shopping here?” I asked, kind of confused why he would be in a women’s clothing store at the mall.

Mr. Nicholas Marsh was not only the most handsome, sexiest man I had ever laid eyes on, and that included hot guys in movies, but he was also my douchebag of an ex-boyfriend’s dad.

“No.” His lips quirked up in what I could only describe as an almost shy smile. “I was walking around. I had something to return and saw you.”

“Oh!” My eyes widened. The last time we talked was kind of embarrassing. I’d not only broken up with his jerky son, but I had slapped him, too. If that hadn’t been awkward enough, he had taken it on himself to take me home.

“Umm, how are you?” I asked, trying to calm my heart rate. I still remembered what it felt like to sit inside his SUV, his scent wrapped around me, filling my lungs, making me wish I were old enough and somehow attractive enough and smart enough to know how to seduce not just a man like Mr. Marsh, but the man himself. At graduation, I had found myself trying to find him in the stands, and I could have sworn that for the slightest moment, our eyes had actually connected and he had smiled at me.

“I’m fine,” he answered politely. “You?”

“Good.” I smiled.

“Good, I’m glad. After the last time I saw you––“ My eyes widened, and then I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

“Oh! You mean because of Noah?” I asked, and he nodded. He looked slightly perplexed as he stared at me, like he didn’t know what to make of me. He wouldn’t be the only person to look at me like that. I was what my mom called a true Gemini and a wild card.

“I’m fine.” I shrugged. “We were not that serious.” I opened and quickly shut my mouth because he knew just how not serious it had been since Noah had called me a frigid bitch in front of him when we broke up.

He probably thought I was a prude. Usually, I didn’t care what anyone thought about me, but for some reason, I didn’t want Nick Marsh to think that about me. Heat started to move down my neck at the thought.

If he only knew how far off that was.

I didn’t sleep with Noah because I’d known it was a mistake to go out with him the moment I said I’d be his girlfriend. Noah was a known player. I might not have a lot of experience, but I knew what I liked thanks to all the romance novels I secretly read.

“I’m glad.” He stepped closer, standing right next to me. I tried to ignore the way I felt around him. How hyperaware I was of his body standing so close to mine. “It would look really nice on you.” His voice sounded low and smooth, like velvet. I swallowed hard.

“God, no!” I spoke without thinking and winced before I glanced up at him. “I couldn’t pull it off,” I blurted.

“Excuse me? What do you mean?” His brows bunched up. “You would look gorg––“

“It’s yellow!” I blurted out like a total nerd. “I look… I don’t look good in yellow,” I started to ramble and couldn’t get myself to stop.

“I doubt there is a color that wouldn’t look good on you,” he complimented, and I had to remind myself he was just being nice. He was probably embarrassed about his douchey son’s behavior and was just being kind.

“I don’t know about that. I was looking at it for my best friend.”

“Your best friend?”

“Yeah, umm…” I pressed my lips together, and when our eyes locked, something inside of me relaxed. “My best friend is the best. She––“

“Was the valedictorian at the graduation, right?” My head tilted, slightly surprised he would remember that.

“How did––“

“Noah mentioned it.”

“Right.” I pressed my lips together. As excited as I was that he was there and around me, I wasn’t nervous. I oddly felt safe. Secure. “She fell in love with this dress,” I shared. “We came here to look for graduation dresses. She wanted something special because, well, she was valedictorian, but it was too much. She couldn’t swing it, and I didn’t have it either.” I’d hated the disappointment in her eyes when she realized she couldn’t afford it. I’d tried to help, but with all the expenses of senior year, it wasn’t possible. “Anyhow, I came to see if it was on sale so I could surprise her with it before she left to college.” I figured a guy at school would see her and fall fast and hard. I knew she had crushed on my brother when we were younger, but Crank was Crank and had never seen her as anything more than my best friend.

“Hmm…” he rumbled. “If you were going to pick a dress for yourself, which one would it be?”

“Me?” I grinned and started to shake my head. “I’m not much for dresses.” His shoulder lightly bumped mine, leaving a slight tinge of heat behind.

“Come on, for fun. There really isn’t anything you like? What about––“ He looked around the store, and before I knew it, his hand was in mine, and he led me to the other side of the store. “This one.” He pointed, and I blinked.

The dress was beautiful. A dusty blue made of an almost gauze-like material with cream-colored embroidered flowers with a deep V and delicate straps. The dress cinched at the waist and flowed down the hips. It was probably meant to hit above the knees, but with my vertically-challenged body, I knew it would be longer on me. It looked fresh and comfortable yet pretty in a bohemian way.

And exactly something I would have chosen for myself.

“That’s perfect,” I whispered to myself, and when I looked up at him, his eyes weren’t on the dress but on me. “It’s very pretty.”

“Hmm.” He nodded. The air between us crackled and popped. A current ran between us, and I couldn’t get myself to move away from him.

He was so handsome. Rugged yet distinguished. His dark full yet trimmed beard made my hands itch to touch him. To pet the hair and see if it was scratchy or soft. I ached to feel it against my skin. To have him be my–– This too much. I’m making a fool of myself , a voice perked up. Just as I was about to excuse myself, he tangled his fingers with mine.

“Let me buy it for you.” I wasn’t sure if it was an offer or a demand.

“Excuse me?” I squeaked and winced at myself. I was completely out of my league with a man like Nick Marsh.

“Both dresses,” he quickly added, and I frowned.

“Why would you want to do that?” I blurted without thinking.

“As a graduation gift.”

“I couldn’t accept––“

“You could give it to your best friend. You wouldn’t have to tell her I bought it. That could stay our little secret.”

“Our little secret,” I whispered as heat rushed through me and pooled stickily between my thighs as my nipples tightened beneath my bra. His head nodded, but his eyes stayed fixed on mine. Almost like he was studying me. I felt like he could see me. The real me. Like he knew me and could read all my thoughts. And he wasn’t running away. I wanted him to know me. I wanted to know him.

“I don’t know,” I answered too softly. My eyes bounced almost longingly at the dress that hung on the mannequin. There was no way it would look like that on me. I was too curvy and big on top to make it this dainty, but I knew I could pull it off and do it in a way I would feel good in it. I might be curvy, but I felt more than confident in my body and the way I looked.

“Please?” he spoke up, and my eyes darted back in his direction while I tried to pretend not to notice how his thick thumb stroked the top of my knuckles. How my skin was flushed with goose bumps. God, he was sexy. I’d never felt an attraction to a boy like I did with him. That’s because he’s not a boy. Nick Marsh is a man! a voice yelled at me.

A man. Yup. That was exactly what he was.

“You’re…” he started to say, and he almost looked torn. Tortured. His jaw clenched, and the hold on my hand loosened. Was it my imagination or had he even taken a step back? “You’re a great kid, Blanca. Let me get you a graduation present.” His words felt like a huge bucket of ice water had been dumped right over my head.

A great kid.

It only reminded me of how he always called me that. Hey, kid! You hungry, kid? And that was because it was the way he saw me. There I was, about to drool over the way-too-old-for-me guy, and all he saw me as was some kid.

“Oh,” I whispered. I wished a huge hole would appear out of nowhere and suck me right up so I could disappear. I was a great kid. That’s how he saw me.

It didn’t matter I was standing in front of him, aching in the most primal womanly way possible because he’d never see me as anything but some girl his son had once dated in high school.

“I’m okay, but thank you––“

“Please.” There he went being sweet and intense again. “Come on. How cool would it be to surprise…” He looked at me for help with her name. It was cute. He was cute. More than cute.

“Libby,” I shared.

“Libby with a dress.” I glanced over my shoulder, where the dress I knew my best friend loved so much hung.

“Okay,” I found myself agreeing. There was no way I could say no. Not when Lib had done everything she had done, and she deserved a dress like that. “That’s fine, I guess, I mean thank you.” I smiled up at him, though I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. How could it when it felt like my poor stupid heart felt like it cracked in half?

Great kid. That’s how he saw me.

“Okay, then.” He winked and looked through the rack, somehow guessing the exact size I’d need. “Here you go.” When he handed me the dress, our fingers brushed for a brief moment, but it felt like heat and fire trailed through me at lightning speed. “Would you––“ He cleared his throat, and his eyes bounced toward the fitting room.

“Oh no.” I pressed my lips together. Despite knowing he didn’t see me like a woman, I found myself blushing. A dirty thought entered my brain and, like a seed taking root, it grew.

I could see it clear as day. I’d start to slowly make my way to the fitting rooms in the back, my hips intentionally swaying with a little more umph I wouldn’t have to look behind me to know he was watching my every step. Even so, curiosity would get the better of me, and I would look over my shoulder when I’d reach the dressing room. His eyes would be burning with passion as they skimmed up and down my body.

He’d give me a sexy head tilt, wordlessly encouraging me to go in and try on the dress while he waited outside. I’d go in and leave the door slightly open on purpose. Just a sliver. Not enough for him to see everything but some. Slowly, I’d undress, piece by piece, until I stood in front of the full-length mirror in nothing but tiny panties. My skin would prickle with awareness as I pretended not to notice him watching me. Anticipation and excitement would swirl and pool with need between my thighs. I’d slip into the dress and call out Nick’s name in hopes he would come in and help me with the zipper. The big, beautiful, brawny man would appear behind me in the mirror. His beautiful eyes would darken and his big pawlike hand would touch my shoulder before pulling my back flush against his front.

“Are you trying to tempt daddy, little girl?” His voice would growl against the shell of my ear and…

“Blanca?” he called, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked a couple of times trying to wrack my brain what we had been talking about.

“I’m sorry! What did you say?” I licked my lips.

“I was asking if you wanted to try on the dress.” His thumb stroked the top of my palm, and my eyes dropped to his touch.

He hadn’t let go. His hand, big and strong, slightly calloused, felt good in mine.

Reliable.

Safe.

“Oh no, umm…” My mouth felt dry, and my voice sounded hoarse. My hormones were like a fire tornado inside of me, all with from innocent handhold. God, I was a nerd! “I’m sure it will fit.” I couldn’t shake off the breathy tone.

“Okay, then.” He smiled gently. “Let’s go get that yellow one and check out.” That’s when he surprised me. Instead of dropping my hand, he took it into his completely and squeezed. I loved how good it felt. Warm. Cozy.

Before I knew it, he had led me through the store and we were checking out. The cashier smiled at the two of us before she handed me the bag. And the unexpected moment I knew I’d never forget was over all too quickly.

Outside the store, I watched as Nick glanced down at me and winked. “You hungry? Would you like to have some lunch with me?”

My heart flipped around, making a somersault around the flock of butterflies swimming in my belly. He wants to have lunch with me?

“I wish I could.” Even if he thought I was a great kid, having lunch with the man of my dreams would have been fun. But I couldn’t. The sparkle in his blue-green gaze dimmed a little, and I didn’t like it. “I have to go home and get ready for my shift,” I shared.

“You’re working?”

“Yeah. At the movie theater. The one off Van Buren” I had no idea why I was being so specific and telling him so much, but I couldn’t help it. Especially with the way he looked at me. “It’s fun. I get to watch all the movies I want on my days off.”

“That’s cool,” he noted. Our eyes connected, and I wanted nothing more than to float in the pools of his beautiful eyes. “Okay, then,” he sighed, almost like he didn’t want the moment to end as much as I didn’t. “It was nice seeing you again, Blanca.” His hand squeezed mine before he let it go. I felt the loss so deeply it was hard to take a whole breath.

“Right,” I whispered, wishing I could call off or say screw the job . But I couldn’t. My job at the movie theater this summer would help me save up so I could move out come the new year. “Thank you for the dress.”

“I bet you’ll look beautiful,” he noted quietly. My eyes dropped to the ground and the tops of his shiny shoes. I tried to smile, but it was hard.

“Thanks.” I swallowed and took a step back. I forced myself to keep moving.

Every step I took felt wrong, but I powered through, Nick Marsh never far from my mind.