Chapter 11

"So have you heard from Kat?"

Billie smiled absentmindedly. "Yeah. She’s fine."

"And you still have no idea where she is?"

"Nope," she replied simply and lost Kris’s voice, her mind on other things.

"BILLIE!"

She snapped out of her reverie. "Huh?"

Kris scowled. "Have you heard a word I’ve said?!"

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

He sighed angrily and adjusted the covers on top of them so he could face away from her. "Forget it," he muttered.

Usually, when his anger was directed toward her, she got upset, but oddly enough, it didn’t trouble her so much this time. Her mind was still too focused on other things…like her meeting with Howie. It’d been a few days since she’d seen him, but he’d been on her mind constantly. Wow. I must be a lot more star struck than I thought. She turned her head to stare at the poster of her favorite Boys. Her eyes stayed on the shortest member of the handsome five. Such an adorable grin was plastered on his face. She wished she could’ve seen that same grin the day they met, but she understood that he really had no reason to smile. I hope you feel better soon Howie…you and the rest of the guys.

A light caress on her arm claimed her attention and she turned to face her fiancé. Aren’t you supposed to be mad?"

Kris smiled seductively. "I could never stay mad at you baby."

She giggled. "Come here honey…"

***

Rachel’s eyes narrowed as she watched Kevin, Kristin, and Howie enter the Littrell household from a safe distance. Dammit! How am I supposed to keep an eye on Kevin now?!? Ever since Brian and Leighanne had caught a stalker on their property a while back, security on their property was state of the art. There was no way she’d be able to get in without their permission.

She stepped out of from the bushes across the street from their house and dusted herself off. She did NOT have the patience for this. Her resources were depleting rapidly and she needed a refill fast. But first, her ego needed to be healed. Kevin practically destroyed it in L.A after their encounter in the grocery store. It left her hurt and unbelievably angered. She’d never hated anyone more in her life.

And now her priorities had officially changed. Sure, she was still after his money, but she was out for blood now. She was here to win.

She was going to ruin Kevin Richardson’s life to the very last detail.

***

It’s snowing.

Katarina stared out the window at the tiny flakes making their journey to the ground and smiled. She’d never been in Canada long enough to see snow, but there it was, falling before her. She couldn’t wait to go outside and feel the cool mush in her hands. Maybe Nick would like to join her… Her stomach fluttered with excitement.

Nick…

She had planned to walk away from him yesterday, but after that intense moment between them, she didn’t want to do anything but hope that another opportunity to feel his arms around her would arise again soon. Of course, without Caroline interrupting! Katarina had been humiliated beyond belief when she walked in on them like that. She apologized like a broken record until Caroline stuffed a cookie in her mouth and told her that if she hears one more apology from her, she’d give her fanny a whooping. Katarina laughed heartily and shook her head.

"What’s so funny?"

She whipped around at the sound of his voice. "Nick!  Hi…" She hadn’t really talked to him since their ‘encounter’, but his eyes followed her everywhere she went. At first it frightened her, how intense his stare was…but after a while it pleasured her to no end. Right now, with those eyes on her again, the butterflies in her tummy were suddenly wide awake.

"Hey.  Do you normally laugh at nothing?"

She blushed and looked down at the carpet, missing the tiny smile that curved his lips. "I wasn’t laughing at nothing, I was just…" She gulped when she suddenly noticed that she could now see his feet. That only meant one thing. Katarina wasn’t at all surprised to feel his fingers touch her chin and tilt her head upward to meet his gaze. She wiped her palms on her pants. Why do I have to be so nervous?! Her eyes wandered around his face, one side appearing gentle, handsome…the other… There was no way of knowing with the black patch of leather hiding what was underneath.

"I like it when you look at me," he murmured out of the blue.

Katarina cleared her throat. "Do you?"

"Mmhmm…" he licked his lips.

"May I ask why?" Her eyes couldn’t rip away from his lips.

"NICKOLAS!  RINA!  I’LL BE BACK LATER!" Caroline called out from downstairs.

Startled, Katarina moved away from Nick and rushed to her doorway. "Okay Caroline!" When she heard the door close, she turned around to face Nick only to find that he was right behind her. Her face collided with his chest. "Oof!"

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she lightly rubbed her nose, "just a--"

His hand brushed hers out of the way and began to caress her nose. Her words stayed lodged in her throat.

"Does that feel better?"

She could only nod. And then to her shock…and delight, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on the very tip of her nose.

"And how does that feel?" he whispered.

"…Much better," she croaked and felt the colour creep into her cheeks again.

His blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "Good."

***

Caroline waved to Mr. McAllister as he drove away in his beat up Chevy truck.  Such a nice man, she thought to herself with a smile.  Of course today he treated her with even more respect and courtesy than usual since she was now officially 81 years old.  She laughed to herself as she stuck her key into the lock.  81 years old and still kicking as though she were 20, Caroline had never felt more alive.  She had plenty to be thankful for.  Her relatively good health, her talent in the arts…but more important, her dear friends that she had come to see as her children.  True, Nickolas and Katarina hardly fit that term now, but to her, they would always be her babies.

She stepped into the house and shut the rickety door.  “Nickolas!  Rina dear!  I’m home!”

Silence.

Caroline raised an eyebrow.  “Hello?!”

“We’re in the living room Caroline!”  Katarina suddenly shouted.

She hung up her coat and made her way to where her darlings were.  “How about I make us so--”

“SURPRISE!”

Caroline’s jaw dropped as she stared at the colourful streamers and balloons that hung all over the place…on the ceiling, on the wall, over the fireplace…  “My goodness!”  Tears suddenly clouded her eyes when she beheld Nick and Katarina standing next to each other in the middle of the room, not because of how wonderful they looked together, but because Nick was smiling with a tenderness that melted her heart into a puddle of happy emotions.  He was smiling!  She approached them with open arms.  “Come here my darlings!”

They didn’t hesitate to join her and she hugged them tightly.  “Thank you both for such a wonderful surprise.”

“It was no problem Caroline,” Katarina replied warmly, “it’s the least we could do for everything you’ve done for us…”

“Yeah,” Nick continued timidly, “for taking us in when we needed someone to care.”

Caroline grinned.  “Seeing that beautiful smile on your face made it all worthwhile Nickolas.”

“Tell me about it,” Katarina murmured and then gasped, “I mean…”

And for the first time, Caroline watched in total amusement as both of them turned a light shade of red.  Laughing heartily, she took their hands.  “All right you two.  Lead me to my cake!”

***

“She was so happy,” Katarina gushed as she put the dishes away hours later.

 

Nick dried the last dish and set it down with a smile.  “I can still remember that look on her face perfectly when she walked into the living room.  That was priceless!”

 

“It was,” she agreed and closed the cupboards, “but the best part of the night had to be the Monopoly tournament.”

 

He groaned.  “You had to bring that up didn’t you?”

 

Katarina laughed.  “You are such a sore loser!”

 

“Hey, it’s not my fault I suck at Monopoly,” he crossed his arms and frowned, “stupid boat didn’t do crap for me.”

 

She exploded with more fits of laughter and Nick watched adoringly.  Her face radiated with emotions that, for the first time, he understood…and felt.  A familiar bubbling rose from his stomach, into his throat and then erupted from his mouth.  He realized in amazement that he was laughing.

 

Nick Carter was laughing!

 

In fact, he was laughing so hard that he didn’t even notice that Katarina had stopped and was now gazing at him in wonder, sheer delight…

 

And something else that for now would go unmentioned.

 

Once he finally calmed down, he held her gaze.  “What?”

 

She looked timid suddenly.  “You…you have a great laugh Nick.”

 

“Thank you,” he reached for her hand, “so do you.”  He watched in fascination as she played with his hand, grazing his fingers with hers, intertwining them… He loved how soft her skin was… how warm her hand felt against his…

 

And then she let go.

 

“I’d better go to bed,” she murmured, “it’s pretty late.”

 

She never asked him to follow, but somehow, he knew that was what she wanted, and he did without question.  When they stopped in front of her door, he found that his heart was pounding relentlessly against his chest.  They were covered in darkness making everything much more seductive.

 

Intimate.

 

“Nick?” she whispered while gazing into his eyes.

 

He gulped.  “Hmm?”

 

“I hope I hear you laugh more often.”

 

God what was it about her eyes that lured him, enchanted him…captured him.  Dammit, he’d never been this enthralled with a girl before… 

 

“You give me many reasons to laugh Rina… I don’t know how to explain what you’ve done to me.”

 

Her eyes flashed with confusion.  “What I’ve done?”

 

“Yes,” he stepped closer to her enticing body, leaving only a few inches between them.  “You make me feel…like me again.”

 

She smiled and it was obvious, although he couldn’t see it that she was blushing.  If it weren’t for the fact that he found it so endearing, he might feel compelled to ask if her blushing was a medical problem…

 

“I’m glad I could do that for you.”

 

He smiled playfully.  “So am I.”

 

Katarina laughed softly and began to twirl her blond locks with her fingers.  “Nick?”

 

“Hmm?”  He moaned inwardly as he watched her tongue moisten her lips and dart back inside her mouth.  He could bet that she had no idea just how much more tempting she’d become with that innocent action.

 

“Do you…want to kiss me?”

 

Nick was immediately taken aback and delighted by her sudden boldness.  She’d found his weakness…and now it was getting much too hard to hold on to his sanity.  “What do you think?” 

 

She was about to look down at the ground but he reached out and gently grasped her chin, forcing her to hold his intense gaze.

 

“I think you do.”

 

“You think right.”

 

“So what are you waiting for?”

 

Without another word, Nick’s hungry mouth crashed down on hers…

 

***

 

 

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