Breaking the Ice

Chapter 20

20

“Happy Birthday, Sam.”

“Woohoo! Lucky me. My eggs are one year older today.” When had birthdays become so depressing?

“Oh come on. Cheer up. They’re only a day older and you know it.”

“One day older, one notch louder.”

“So… what are your plans?”

“Go to work. Have a night in with Godzilla. Eat Lean Cuisine.”

“Samantha! That’s terrible. It’s your birthday. Go out and celebrate.”

“Alright, I’ll have a packet of Oreos as well.”

“I bet Nick would help you celebrate.”

“Nick doesn’t know.”

“What? You have to tell him.”

“Right! Like I need his pity too.”

“Just say, hey Nick, it’s my birthday, wanna eat some cake with me?”

“Forget it.”

“Okay, how about – Nick you big stud, it’s my birthday, take me to bed or lose me forever.”

Samantha laughed despite her gloom. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Saaaam. What better way to celebrate than having sex with someone who has a 100 per cent success rate.”

“So he says.”

“He practically made you come in an elevator.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. Bec had always been prone to exaggeration. “I told you, we don’t talk about the elevator.”

“It’s been two weeks. You still haven’t talked about it?”

“Nope.”

“That is the dumbest thing I ever heard.”

Samantha couldn’t dispute that given how much she’d actually thought about those heady moments. “It’s working for us.”

“Okay sure, whatever gets you through the day, babe.”

Sadly, it wasn’t the days that were the problem. It was the nights when her traitorous brain and body had nothing to do except remember every intimate detail.

“You know, there is one way to find out whether Nick’s boast is idle or not.”

“No Bec, I should be out there trying to find the one, not plotting to get Mr. Look-At-My-Huge-Hockey-Stick into bed.”

“Even if he does have a 100 per cent success rate?”

“Yes.”

“Birthday sex, Sam. Birthday sex.”

“Goodbye, Bec.”

Samantha pushed the door open and breezed past Nick who had taken one look at her and frozen like a statue, his coffee cup halfway to his mouth.

She’d bought a dress online last week and had been dying to wear it. It crisscrossed her cleavage and wrapped around her, tying at the front in a bow. It sat snug against her boobs and emphasized the indent of her waist and the flare of her hips while hiding the chunk of her thighs. Teamed with strappy four-inch heels, it was the perfect way to put her in a body positive mood for her birthday. Considering she prevaricated, often on an hourly basis, about her curves, it felt good to stride into work feeling upbeat on her special day.

The look on Nick’s face certainly kept that positivity alive.

“Is there some special occasion I don’t know about?” he asked as she emerged from the back room. “Are you going to a show after work?”

Samantha looked at Nick and all she could hear were Bec’s words in her head. Birthday sex. And she couldn’t deny that would be the perfect present. Wasn’t that why she’d dressed this way? Hoping to make him drool a little? Hoping he might make the first move?

Because, God knew, she was never going to be game enough to just come out and ask.

“Just felt like getting out of my jeans.”

She smiled at him as she brushed past, catching a whiff of his aftershave. God, but the man smelled good. He always smelled good and she had the sudden erratic urge to rip his shirt open and sniff him all over.

She made herself a coffee instead.

Then she plonked herself on the leather couch, picked up her book from yesterday, found her place and proceeded to read. She’d get up when she’d finished her coffee and do the dusting, but for now she needed a shot of caffeine to bolster her confidence.

Which was easier said than done when she had a case of lust so bad she could hardly even make out the words on the page in front of her. Hell, she’d read it so many times it had ceased to make sense.

Giving up, Samantha downed her coffee quickly and took the cup out back to wash up. She leaned against the sink, taking some deep cleansing breaths – get a grip, Samantha . People do not die from sexual frustration.

“Okay… what’s wrong?”

Samantha almost jumped a mile in the air as he strode toward her and settled his ass against the edge of the sink. “Nothing,” she denied, as she went through the motions of rinsing the cup.

“You seem kind of…”

She held her breath. Sexy, hot, desirable? In fact, I think we should shut up shop, go to your apartment and boink like there’s no tomorrow?

“…weird today.”

Samantha laughed. Okay. Weird. That was good. Exactly the cold dousing of water she needed on her incendiary libido. “Don’t worry, I’ll try and not act weird with the customers.”

She couldn’t promise the same thing with him, however.

Which turned out to be truer than she would have liked. The morning was super slow but Nick was still there and she was excruciatingly aware of every breath he took, acutely conscious of his presence hovering in the background.

Just before noon the third customer of the day walked through the door and Samantha was so relieved she almost kissed him. He browsed for a short while and brought his purchases to her to ring up.

“I can’t believe this place is still here,” he said. “My mom used to bring me here as a kid.”

“Really? That’s fantastic.” Samantha smiled at the customer as Nick walked by with an armful of returns and she swore she could feel the air currents he’d disturbed, swirling around her body.

“You worked here long?”

Conscious of Nick’s strong hand placing books on shelves in her peripheral vision, she shook her head absently. “Only a couple of months.”

“I’ve just moved back to Tetworth last month. I’m starting at Brooks College next week.”

Samantha barely registered the prestigious private school as Nick’s hands ran along book spines searching for the correct spot. She shivered thinking about his finger running along her spine. “Oh.” She returned her attention to the customer. “You’re a teacher?”

“Math and physics.”

“Really? They were my favorite subjects,” she said as Nick walked out from one lot of shelves and into another.

“Ah. A woman who likes numbers. Be still my heart.”

Through the shelves she could see the tanned column of his throat. “All women like numbers, you just have to make it relatable,” she said with a smile.

“Good tip.” He laughed. “I’ll have to remember that.”

Nick, his arms now empty, chose that moment to walk behind the counter, making her acutely aware of the fan of his breath across her neck as he leaned down to retrieve something from under the counter.

She swallowed. “I’m full of useful tips. If you need any more you know where I work.”

“I may just take you up on that.” He held out his hand and Samantha automatically took it and they shook. “My name’s Andrew.”

“Samantha.”

He departed with a smile, but Samantha barely noticed. Nick was squatting and his jeans had pulled taut across his thighs and his incredible scent – somehow sweet and peppery all at once – made the hair on her arms stand to attention. Suddenly a vision of them going for it against one of the bookshelves swamped her and she plonked her ass back on the stool.

Glancing up, he caught her watching him and she must have looked strange because he frowned and said, “What?”

A little panicked, Samantha’s mind went blank. “What do you mean, what?”

He slowly rose from his squat and God help her if she didn’t ogle the way his quads moved beneath the denim. “There’s something weird happening with you today.”

“There is not,” she denied. “I wasn’t weird with that customer.”

“Oh yes you were.”

“I wasn’t. I was nice and pleasant and chatty.”

“Exactly,” he said, clearly exasperated. “The man was flirting with you. He fits your demographic to perfection and yet you were completely disinterested.”

“He was?” With Nick walking around looking like sex on a stick she’d hardly noticed the other man at all.

“Yes, Samantha, he was. Weren’t your eggs cheeping at you?”

No. They had been strangely silent. Now, however, was a different story. Now, with Nick looking all exasperatingly masculine, they were cheeping madly.

Traitors.

The doorbell dinged, interrupting her moment. “Hey, Sam.”

Samantha turned and saw her sister standing in the doorway. For a split second she was rendered incapable of speech. “Bec!” She flew around the counter. “What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded as she hugged her sister like she hadn’t seen her in years.

“Couldn’t let my little sister spend her birthday alone with a Lean Cuisine.”

Unexpected tears welled in her eyes as she hugged hard . “It’s so good to see you! How long are you here?”

“Just today. I fly out at ten tonight.” Bec pulled away, inspecting her sister. “Wow. You look amazing.” Her eyes shifted to a point behind Samantha. “And this must be the Nick.”

Samantha nearly stood on her sister’s toe at her emphasis, but Bec was bustling in his direction and taking her along for the ride.

“It is,” the Nick said with a smile.

“I’ve heard so much about you.”

He grinned. “All good, I hope.”

“Ah now, that would be telling,” Bec quipped and they both laughed.

Not for the first time in her life Samantha found herself wishing she had her sister’s ease with the opposite sex. She’d bet Bec wouldn’t have a problem just going right up to Nick and saying how about it . If she wasn’t so ridiculously crazy about her gorgeous husband.

“Well, I hope you don’t mind, Nick, but I’m kidnapping her for the rest of the day.”

The relief was instantaneous – she could really do without Nick’s charisma up in her face, today. But she couldn’t just take off either.

“No Bec… I can’t. Nick has physio after lunch.”

“It’s fine.” He waved a quick dismissive hand. “I’ll just shut the shop. All good, you go spend the day with your sister.”

“Are you sure?” Bec asked. “We can hang out here until you get back from the physio?”

“I’m positive.” He nodded emphatically. “Take her. Go. She’s acting too weird anyway.”

Samantha shot him a withering look, but he just smiled and said, “Happy birthday, Samantha,” and her stomach gave a giddy lurch. How could three such common words roll off his tongue like he’d crafted them especially for her?

Bec eyed him speculatively. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Nothing.”

“Nick.” Samantha shook her head. “You have a date.” His third since the elevator incident. And she’d been glad. Knowing that he was out there trying to hook up with other women had helped put their elevator tryst into perspective – it hadn’t meant anything .

“I canceled.”

His response was instantaneous and Samantha narrowed her eyes but Bec leaped on it with relish. “Excellent. You are hereby invited to Sam’s birthday dinner. We’ll pick you up at six.”

Samantha opened her mouth to protest but Nick got in first. “Sounds delightful.”

And so it was decided.