Chapter 19
"God,
thank you for your blessings," Caroline began, her head bowed, "for
bringing Nickolas and Katarina together and for
leaving them in my care..."
As she
continued praying, Nick glanced around the kitchen. It smelled heavenly
with the
She was his
angel on earth.
Caroline
finished her prayer and Katarina lifted her head and
met his gaze. She smiled knowingly and for the first time, Nick felt the
urge to blush. She knew he'd been eying her.
"Well,
dig in children. You have all night to tend to your heart's desires, but
you need a full stomach to do so!" Caroline teased and chuckled at the
mortified expressions on their faces.
"Caroline!!"
Katarina exclaimed incredulously.
She continued
to laugh. "Just because I'm a strong believer in the Lord, doesn't
mean I don't have a sense of humor, darling."
"I
shouldn't even be surprised," Nick shook his head, but eventually joined
in her laughter. Soon enough, Katarina could no
longer hold in her own amusement.
It was a long
time before they actually ate anything.
Hours later,
the food was gone and Caroline had wished them a Merry Christmas and retired to
bed, exhausted after doing some last minute wrapping and cooking the dinner,
leaving Katarina at Nick's mercy. They were
lying on the couch in front of the fireplace with their arms wrapped around
each other...staring deeply into each other's eyes...lost in the moment...
Lost in each
other.
Nick let his
fingers trail up and down the smooth skin of her arm and hoped he wouldn't do
anything to frighten her. He didn't want her thinking about that
bastard...Kris...anymore... She was his girlfriend now and would take
every precaution to protect her, care for her... love her. Yes, he loved
her. With every fiber of his being. He was almost certain that he'd
loved her the moment she walked into his life four months ago and more than
anything he wanted to tell her that, but he couldn't find the right
words... No words seemed to fit just how much he cherished the woman in
his arms.
It was funny
how long ago, he thought he'd never feel this strongly for anyone. He
sang about this kind of emotion all the time with his best friends and yet, he
had a hard time believing that kind of love existed. That you could drown
in someone's love...that you could fear losing that person...that you could
love someone so much without caring who they were and what they did. But
it was true. Every word he'd ever sang had become believable because he
was experiencing those feelings right now...with Rina.
She inched her
head forward, grazing his lips and he felt it from his head, all the way down
to his toes. Not wasting anymore time thinking, he caught her lips fully
and deepened the kiss, needing to satisfy his hunger for her...
Even though it
would take an infinite amount of lifetimes to do so.
***
"So, you
must be excited man. Your dream came true!" A.J chuckled into the
phone while winking at Sarah who stifled a giggle while she and Denise, A.J's mother, set down the dinner utensils.
"Ha,ha A.J." Howie muttered. "If it were a
dream come true then why do I feel so rotten."
A.J's laughter died down and was instantly replaced with sympathy.
Howie loved this woman so much and yet he could do nothing about it. He
wished there was some way he could help his friend. "I'm sorry
D. I guess I forget sometimes how complicated the situation is."
"That's
okay man. I know you were just kidding around." He
sighed. "I just wish she wasn't engaged. Maybe then..."
"But D, I
don't see why you just don't go for it anyway!"
"Are you
crazy? You, of all people, should know how important an engagement
is!"
"Of
course I know man, but the difference between me and Billie is that I'm engaged
to a woman I love and respect and who I KNOW respects me." He shot a
Sarah a loving glance before continuing. "From what you've told me,
it sounds like Billie needs a way out...fast." He heard let out
another sigh.
"She
doesn't want a way out A.J. She loves him. You didn't hear how
upset she was when she called me. She wanted to spend the holidays with
him so badly...and the jerk just left her there alone!"
"I think
the correct term is asshole, dude." His mother shot him a stern look
from across the room and A.J gave her an innocent smile.
"I just
have to move on. It's that simple."
A.J hated
hearing Howie sounding so depressed, especially on Christmas Eve.
"D, what you have to do is show her what she's missing. Show her how
things could be if she'd dump his a...butt for you. Show her that you're
crazy about her!"
"And if
she rejects me?"
"Well, at
least you know you tried man. The point is to try Howie. You
only live once you know!"
"...I
hate to say it, but you're right," Howie replied after a few moments of
reflecting.
A.J
smirked. "Dude, aren't I always?"
***
Rachel
stretched out on her bed in a panther-like motion, grinning like an animal
who'd caught its prey. She knew it would work. She knew she'd have
Kevin right in the palm of her hand AND make Kristin blubber like a fool in the
process. "How could you Kevin? Wa, wa, wa!"
she mimicked mockingly and laughed until her stomach hurt. She took
another sip of
But he didn't
have to know that.
He'd passed
out as soon as he'd landed on top of her, just as she suspected he would, which
in a way, she regretted. It would've been nice to give him a good fuck
before proceeding with the rest of the plan, but oh well. That morning's
events made everything all worthwhile. That hadn't been planned at
all. All she wanted to do was trick Kevin into thinking they'd slept
together. She set up everything to the last detail. Planting a open
condom wrapper on the floor, knocking pillows, lamps and other furnishings to
the ground, and best of all, ridding Kevin of his clothes and nestling his body
against hers. Tricking Kristin had simply been a bonus. A very,
very, pleasing bonus!
That'll
teach you Kevy, she thought with a diabolical grin on
her face, nobody rejects Rachel Malone. Her grin contorted to a
sneer.
Nobody.
***
"Ugh!
I'm stuffed!" Brian groaned as he took a seat next to his brooding
cousin. They were sitting on the front porch steps of his family's house
in
Thankfully, he
didn't.
He waited
until after dinner to do that.
"I'm
going back to L.A first thing tomorrow morning," Kevin uttered while
watching his breath filter out of his mouth.
"All
right, but right now, I want to know the whole story Kev. Start right
from the beginning." Brian listened patiently as he launched into
what he knew, from the first moment Rachel hit on him to the present
situation. Throughout it all, his creases in his forehead deepened as he
wondered how a woman could be so heartless. Had she no respect for Nick's
memory or the sanctity of marriage?! Did she not realize how much damage
she'd done? Brian was almost glad Nick was not around to witness the kind
of woman his girlfriend really was. Well, they'd all known...but Nick had
been totally oblivious to her games.
"And
that's it," Kevin finished, "Rachel ruined my life and my marriage is
probably over for good."
Brian could
hear him trying to control his wavering voice. Kevin was probably one of
the most toughest men he'd ever known, but he was never ashamed to cry when he
needed to and that made him all the more admirable. Unfortunately, the
situation had done more than destroyed his marriage.
It had also
destroyed him.
While putting
a comforting arm over his cousin's shoulders, he absorbed the information,
still having that same feeling that he did in
"Hell
no," Kevin replied in disgust, "and frankly I don't want to. I
get sick just thinking about it."
"Look, I
know it's not a pleasant thought Cuz but don't you think it's a little odd that
you don't remember not even a slight detail of what happened to you after you
left the club that night? Like you said, you weren't even drinking
alcohol, so you didn't drink anything that could cloud your judgment."
"That's
true," Kevin looked up at Brian, finally catching on to Brian's
insinuations, "do you think that there's a possibility that I didn't lay a
hand on her that night? That she did something to me to make me think I
did?"
Brian
nodded. "I wouldn't put in past her." He watched as
Kevin's eyes suddenly began to glimmer with hope.
"If I can
prove that she did something to me, I can get Kristin back!" He
stood. "I have to find out Brian. I have to know the
truth...before it's too late!"
***
"Your
family is absolutely wonderful," Billie praised as she and Howie stepped
into the warm
Howie smiled
with pride. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from
you." She returned his smile and once they had taken a seat in the
patio in the backyard, he let his gaze wander over her, the sights pleasing to
his eyes. Her luminous short locks were curled instead of the straight
look she usually had and instead of the normal modern business woman clothes,
she was dressed in a modest, red spaghetti strapped dress with a scooped
neckline and a skirt that reached down to a little above her knees, showing
only a bit of her long, smooth legs. She was definitely a sight to
behold...
It was almost
hard to believe that she didn't have a vain bone in her body, but she
didn't. She was a tenderhearted person who cared deeply about
others...and she trusted easily. Thinking of Kris, Howie wondered if that
was also her biggest flaw. She turned to look at him then and he groaned
inwardly. Nice Howie. She caught you practically salivating for
her...real smooth.
"Is there
something in my hair?" she asked and began to run her fingers through her
curls.
Howie nearly
laughed out loud. She didn't have a clue after all! "No... I
was just noticing how...wonderful you look tonight." You look
wonderful all the time.
"Thank
you," she replied with a sweet smile and nudged his shoulder.
"You don't look so bad yourself."
Howie laughed
and adjusted his crisp black dress shirt. "Thanks. So, I guess
you don't regret coming then?"
"No.
Not at all."
"Good."
His gaze moved to the ground. "I know it wasn't the Christmas you
really wanted but I--"
"Oh!
That's not true Howie," she took his hand and squeezed it gently,
"this was even better than what I had planned. It was
perfect..."
He sensed she
wanted to say more but nothing else came from her tantalizing lips. And
then he realized that she was still holding his hand and keeping his gaze on
her, he intertwined their fingers. Her eyes changed then. He could
see the flicker of something. Nervousness...confusion...maybe even
desire? And then she spoke in a tone so soft, he barely heard her. "I
don't know if you noticed, but there's mistletoe right over our heads."
Howie gulped
and looked up. Sure enough, she wasn't joking. There it was...the
infamous mistletoe. The oldest trick in the book. The funny thing
was, he didn't put it there. "I...I didn't... I don't want you
to think that--"
She
giggled. "Don't look so flustered! I know. I saw your
Mom put it out here before dinner."
"Oh,"
he replied with relief before laughing, "I guess my Mom has plans for my
Dad."
Billie nodded
and suddenly cleared her throat. "Well, I guess since we're under
it, we might as well...keep tradition."
Howie knew
from the look in her eyes that this was what she wanted...and boy did he ever
want to...but... "Billie I--"
She silenced
him when she leaned forward and softly pressed her lips against his. All
reason left his mind then and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into
his lap and returned her kiss with all the pent up emotions that'd been
building in his heart since the day they met. To hell with principles!
He'd never
felt anything more right in his life.
***
"Nick,
where are we going?" Katarina asked with a smile
as they trudged through the snow covered woods.
"Not
far," he replied mysteriously and guided her through the evergreens.
She gripped
his hand firmly, not wanting to get lost. It was pretty dark out except
for the moonlight and for some reason, it was disconcerting. But at least
Nick was here. She knew he'd keep her safe. The last few hours have
been heaven on earth. They'd lain in each others arm for what seemed like
forever, touching, caressing, kissing... It had been so long since she'd
let a man touch her the way Nick did and while at first she'd been tense, she'd
soon relaxed and let herself delight in the foreign sensations that claimed her
mind and body. Who would've thought that something that had scared her to
death months ago could now give her so much pleasure.
At the same
time, their exploring also made her yearn to give him more and although her
body screamed yes...her mind and her heart gave a resounding no. She was
not ready, nor was she willing to go back on her vow of celibacy until she
married. And somehow, Nick knew that...and had backed off before things
could go too far. He'd been so scared to touch her at first, afraid that
he'd bring up painful memories...
"Rina, I don't want to hurt you in any way. I don't
want to push you..."
"You're
not Nick. Just don't go too fast..."
He'd been good
to her and that just made her love him even more.
"Here we
are."
Snapping out
of her thoughts, she looked around and her breath caught in her throat.
It was beautiful! They overlooked the snow capped mountains and trees and
below them was a lake, frozen by the dropping temperatures. The moonlight
washed over all these features, casting a magical silhouette over the
landscape. "Oh Nick...it's wonderful!"
"I
thought you'd like it," he stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her
waist, "I come out here sometimes to think...I've only seen it once in the
daylight though."
Sensing the
sadness about to creep into him, she turned to face him.
"When?"
"The day
this," he pointed to his face, "happened to me. It was the last
place I spent with the fellas..." his voice trailed off.
Katarina realized then why this place had become so special to him. It was
his last happy memory with his best friends...his brothers. "I know
they miss you, Nick," she cupped his face, "just as much as you miss
them."
"I
know," he murmured and stared off into space for a few moments before
returning his gaze to her face and he smiled. "Now, there's a reason
why I brought you out here."
She didn't
like it that she changed the subject so abruptly, but tonight was a special
night. She didn't want him to be sad, so she put that one pessimistic
moment out of her mind. "Really? May I ask what that reason
is?"
He took her
hands and locked her eyes with his. "I was making you a present for
Christmas, but it's not finished yet."
"That's
okay," she shrugged, "I can wait. Just being here with you is
good enough."
"That
maybe true, but I still wanted to give you something so that you wouldn't
forget this night."
He let go of
her hands and curious, she watched as he shoved his hand into his winter coat
and pulled out something wrapped in red tissue paper.
"I'm
sorry about the wrapping. I really suck at that sort of thing..."
She
laughed. "Don't worry about it." She took it from him and
unwrapped the gift. She gasped. It was a beautifully crafted mens silver necklace with a charm that simply spelled
BSB. It glittered with what Katarina knew had
to be diamonds. "Nick...I can't...oh my gosh!"
"I bought
for myself before...well, you know, and I want you to have it. It used to
be my most cherished possession, until you came along."
"Oh
Nick..." she ran her fingers over the letters, "I don't know if I can
accept this."
"You can
and you will." He took it from her hand and unclasped it to put it
around her neck.
She was still
in shock once it was fastened on her. It felt so heavy...who knows how
much it must've cost him! He turned her around again and inspected
it. His grin broadened.
"It's
perfect on you."
Tears flooded
her eyes. "Thank you Nick. I promise...I'll never take it
off." He pulled her into a tight embrace and Katarina
closed her eyes, savoring the kiss he planted on the top of her head, thanking
God for finally answering her prayers...for giving her Nick.
***
It took all of
his willpower not to run over there and shove the bastard off that cliff.
Kris watched in overpowering jealousy as Kat's lips melded to his. That
should be me... His eyes narrowed. How many times had Nick
bedded her...taken what belonged to him...? No, he thought, the
guy's a pathetically in love with her. He's probably waiting for the
right moment. He smirked. He could see it every
time his wretched blue eyes landed on her. It made him sick. What
a loser!
He'd been
watching them and the old hag they lived with for the past few days now,
through the windows of the decrepit house or when the came outside, which only
seemed to be at night. Kris soon realized why. Kat's knight in
shining armor was a nasty son of a bitch...at least one side of him was.
He almost shit his pants when he saw it. That was the man she'd
fallen in love with? After seeing that face, Kris knew it'd be insanely
easy to steal back Kat...until he realized with disdain that this 'man' was no
ordinary human.
After
glimpsing his face the past few days he'd come to notice that there was
something familiar about him and once he'd really thought about it, he came to
the shocking conclusion that the bastard was none other than the 'dead' Nick
Carter, the blond Backstreet Boy that Billie cried like a banshee for last
year. He rolled his eyes. What a baby! But after
assessing the situation, his smile had returned full force. Kat's boy toy
being Nick Carter actually would make things even easier. If the
wretched pop star was living here instead of in
Kris decided
to let their make out fest continue without an audience and quietly crept back
to his car, which he'd kept well hidden as a pile of snow a few miles from the
house. Once he was out of earshot he began to whistle tunelessly, knowing
his plan was flawless.
I wonder
what my little kitten would do to keep her prince charming safe...
I guess
I'll find out soon enough...
***
