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Chapter 102


AN: Thanks to Veronica for her help and inspiration with this chapter!


Watching the colored beams from the club lights cut through the hazy fog in the room with dizzying randomness, Nick wished he were still back at home, enjoying the spectacular fireworks display over the ocean that he’d witnessed earlier, in the quietness and privacy of his own backyard.

But his personal Fourth of July celebration with his closest friends was over now, and he was on display once again, at the release party for the Backstreet Boys single. He and the guys had already performed, and the video had been shown; they’d given interviews to the media and posed for pictures, and now all they had to do was keep mingling with the other guests until the party started to wind down.

Nick had been roaming the club, which Jive had rented out for the night, with Veronica on his arm for what seemed like hours, smiling and making nice, striking poses for the cameras as they flashed in the face. He was used to the celebrity charade and did it well without thinking. Veronica, on the other hand, was completely out of her element, totally starstruck and shell-shocked. Having suspected that she would be (Claire had been too), he’d made the rounds with her at his side all night, introducing her to the people who would respect her, trying to protect her from those who wouldn’t.

Because she wasn’t famous, the media hardly gave her the time of day, directing all their attention and questions to him. He was pleasantly surprised to find that, in going along with the light-hearted and celebratory mood of the party, the media seemed to be focusing more on the music – the single, as well as the upcoming album and tour – than Nick’s health problems. Nick was sure those kind of questions would come later during the promotion of their album, in more serious interview settings, but for tonight, he could relax and talk about what he really wanted to talk about – the new music.

Now that the release party had been going on for at least a couple of hours, Nick found that most of the publicity work was over, and he could enjoy himself more. “I’m gonna grab a drink,” he said loudly, leaning towards Veronica so that she’d hear him over the music. “Want something?”

“Um… a pina colada?” she requested after a moment. He nodded, leaving her at a table while he made his way to the bar to get their drinks. Veronica wasn’t a big drinker; in fact, he’d only ever seen her drink strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas, and only every once in awhile. She usually took some convincing, but tonight, he suspected, she needed the drink to relax her.

I hope she’s having an okay time, he thought as he stood at the bar, waiting for the bartender to mix her drink. He could tell she’d been feeling a little ill at ease all night, but he hoped that, despite her awkwardness, she was having fun.

That was the first question he asked her when he returned to the table with her pina colada in one hand and his beer in the other. “Are you having an okay time?” he shouted over the music as he slid her drink towards her.

“Yeah!” she cried back. “I’m just… blown away by all this!” She waved her hands around to encompass the whole club, her eyes large.

Nick smirked. “I know; it’s crazy, isn’t it? You get used to it after awhile, but believe me, when we first got big and started going to things like this, we were blown away too.”

Veronica nodded, offering him an awkward smile. Smiling back, he picked up his bottle of beer – in the spirit of patriotism, he was drinking Budweiser that night – and raised it to her. “Happy Fourth of July,” he said.

“Happy Fourth,” Veronica echoed his toast, raising her drink as well. He clinked his bottle lightly against her glass, and they both took long sips.

Nick was glad when he felt the effects of the alcohol start to kick in awhile later. He knew he couldn’t get too smashed at his own release party – wouldn’t look good in the press – but he was anxious for a nice buzz to set in. He finished his beer and went to get another; Veronica was still sipping on her pina colada. When he returned to their table, he found AJ in his seat, talking to Veronica.

“Hey, move your scrawny ass over,” he commanded, elbowing AJ until he moved. Sliding into his old seat, he asked, “Where’s Mary?”

“Dancing with Howie,” said AJ, pointing her out on the dance floor. Nick watched her playfully bump and grind against Howie. An outside observer might think there was a strong sexual chemistry between them, but Nick knew otherwise. They were just having fun, playing around. When Mary danced with AJ, it was a different story. There was some serious sexual chemistry there, even now, after they’d been dating for over a year. Mary had been good for AJ, Nick thought as he watched her. She was a nice, normal person who had managed to steal his heart and keep it longer than most had ever been able to, for AJ had never been good with commitment. But maybe she was the one…

“So, since I’m without a fine woman to get down with at the moment…” AJ went on, pausing for effect before he turned back to Veronica. “V, how about a dance?”

“What is this, Backstreet girlfriend swap?” joked Nick, before Veronica had even had a chance to answer.

“Hell yeah. It confuses the media; it’s good times, dude,” AJ replied without missing a beat. “So, Veronica, whaddya say?”

“Um… thanks, AJ, but I don’t think so,” said Veronica, shaking her head.

“You can go,” Nick said quickly, wondering if she needed his permission to feel right about dancing with another man. He was happy to give it to her; he didn’t want her dancing with just any man, granted, but AJ was harmless. He just wanted her to have fun.

Veronica kept shaking her head. “No… sorry; I don’t dance.”

“You don’t dance?” AJ repeated in amazement. “Why not?”

“I… I dunno. I… can’t,” stammered Veronica, shifting her weight in her seat. Nick saw how uncomfortable she was and turned to AJ to shut him up.

“Oh, that’s bull,” replied AJ before Nick could say anything. “Anyone can dance. All you need is some rhythm. And I don’t doubt you have rhythm.”

Veronica shook her head again. “No, really… I look stupid when I dance. I-I’m not good at it.”

AJ leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “No, you just think you’ll look stupid. But if you go out there and have fun, you won’t, trust me. ‘Specially if you’re with me. Take it from me, babe.” He winked and gave her hand a squeeze. “Come on,” he coaxed, standing up, trying to pull her up with him.

Veronica wasn’t buying it; she shook her head more emphatically, refusing to budge, despite AJ’s pleading. Watching the scene unfold, Nick realized that a few years ago, he would have sided with AJ, trying to convince her to get out on the dance floor and “shake what her Mama gave her,” as he used to say. But now, he empathized with Veronica. He knew full well what it was like to feel self-conscious and not try to dance for fear of looking ridiculous.

As he glanced down at his artificial leg, hidden beneath the denim of his jeans, he suddenly had an idea. “Back off, J,” he said loudly, pushing AJ back into his seat. “Did ya ever think maybe she just doesn’t want to dance with you?”

“No, that’s not it at-“ Veronica started to insist, looking embarrassed, but turning towards her, Nick cut her off.

“Veronica… would you dance with me?”

For a brief moment, Veronica stopped protesting and shaking her head and just looked up at him. Nick’s heart began to thud; he thought she was going to say yes. Then the moment passed, and she started shaking her had again. “No, Nick… I told you; I can’t dance.

“I’ll bet you can,” Nick fired back quickly, on sudden inspiration. “Look at you… you got two legs; that already gives you one up on me.” Grinning widely, he winked. She lowered her eyes.

“Nick…”

“I know how you feel, ya know,” he said, leaning toward her across the table. “I haven’t gone out and danced like that since I lost my leg. But I’m willing to try if you are. We can look stupid together.” He smiled.

Veronica met his eyes. “You really want me to dance that bad?” she asked, incredulous.

Nick hesitated, realizing what he was about to do. Did he really want to go out there and make a spectacle of himself trying to dance on one leg, when he’d never tried it before? But then he saw Veronica’s eyes; something in them told him she would say yes if he did. Maybe she really did want to get out there and dance, as much as he did; it was just her self-consciousness holding her back.

Well, not anymore.

“Yes,” he said seriously. “I want you to dance, and I want you to dance with me.”

Veronica swallowed and then nodded. “Okay…”

“Psh, well jeez, turn me down and then go right off with him,” scoffed AJ, but Veronica just laughed, knowing he was only teasing this time. Smiling nervously, she stood up, and Nick did the same. Taking her hand, he led her out into the open area of the club, where bodies were flailing through the fog, dancing to the latest techno and rap cuts, with a sprinkling of Top 40 dance mixes.

His eyes panning the dance floor, Nick spotted Nicky Hilton with her small entourage of girlfriends dancing near the DJ’s booth. A few feet away, Carmen Electra was grinding against her husband, Dave Navarro. He sucked in a deep breath, wondering if he was stupid for dragging Veronica out here. He didn’t want to make an embarrassment of her… or himself. Especially not in front of all these celebrities.

But it was too late now; they were already here. The music was pulsing, and Nick naturally found its rhythm. He put an arm around Veronica’s waist and drew her closer to him, until their bodies were pressed together. She had no choice but to sway in time with him; they moved as a unit, her arms around him, his hands on her hips.

It was really not as awkward as Nick had expected it to be, he was pleased to find. Of course, he wasn’t going to be busting out any elaborate free-style moves, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still groove to the music. He kept most of his weight on his right leg at first and swiveled his hips, grinding his pelvis against Veronica. She let him guide her at first, then began to mirror his movements on her own. They swayed seductively, their hands moving over each other’s bodies as they pressed against each other.

“See?” Nick said into Veronica’s ear, his lips caressing the side of her neck as they rocked forward and back. “This isn’t so bad, is it?”

“No… it’s really not,” he heard her reply, sounding surprised. He pulled back a little to see her smiling. As he straightened to his full height, her eyes followed him, locked upon his face. “You’re really good!” she cried above the music, never breaking her gaze with him.

He smiled seductively, pulling her closer so that he could feel her hips rocking against him. “You are too!” he shouted back. “I told you so!”

Her eyes shone like polished bronze through the haze in the room, and he found he could not look away. He stopped wondering if other people were watching him or worrying about what he looked like, for no one else mattered anymore. In his mind, it was just him and her and the music, and they danced to it as if they were the only two people in the room.

***

“That was so cool,” Veronica sighed as she stepped out of the limo in front of Nick’s house later that night.

“I’m glad you had a good time,” said Nick, grabbing her arm to steady her as she stumbled in the driveway. He tried to hide his smirk; he’d never seen her buzzed before, but she was clearly a little tipsy now.

“Oh, I did! It was amazing!” Veronica gushed as they walked into the house. “Gosh, I’m so pumped up now. And hungry too! Man!”

Nick looked at her in amusement. “Well, I don’t blame you – you didn’t eat much at the party earlier, and I didn’t see you eat anything in the club tonight. You wanna order a pizza or something?” He was hungry too; alcohol always had that effect on him.

“Mmm, I dunno… I shouldn’t,” Veronica replied with hesitation.

“It doesn’t have to be pizza; we can get whatever you want. But you should eat something, especially after drinking on an empty stomach,” Nick pointed out.

“I guess you’re right,” said Veronica. “Okay… pizza sounds fine.”

“Awesome; I’ll call. What kind do you like?”

They agreed on their pizza toppings, and Nick placed the order for delivery while Veronica leaned against the island in the center of his kitchen. When he got off the phone, he turned to face her. “I’m glad to hear you say you’re hungry,” he said. “You never eat much… I was beginning to think you were anorexic or something.” He chuckled, then, in a flash of worry, asked bluntly, “You’re not, are you??”

“What?!” Veronica gasped, her eyes widening incredulously. “Me? Anorexic?” She laughed richly. “No, never. Look at me – do I look anorexic to you?” She ran her hands over her curvy hips and patted her full thighs.

Though it wasn’t intended to be so, the motion was oddly sensual, and Nick couldn’t tear his eyes away from her body, wanting his own hands to take the same path. But he forced himself to look up at her face, and then he frowned. “What are you talking about? You’re not fat,” he said.

Veronica snorted derisively. “Maybe I’m not obese, but let’s be honest, Nick… I’m not a twig either,” she countered.

“So? Who wants to date a twig? I don’t like getting poked with bones when I hug a girl,” replied Nick matter-of-factly.

Veronica giggled and shook her head. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that with me,” she said flatly, her expression sobering. “Trust me, I like to eat. Just… just not in front of guys. I-it’s a self-esteem thing; I just don’t want to look like a pig.”

Nick stared at her in wonder, wondering if it was the pina coladas making her open up to him this way all of a sudden. He’d always sensed that she had some self-esteem issues, but she’d never spoken of it – most likely because she was self-conscious – and he’d never pushed the issue. It didn’t make him like her any less, although he did hate the idea that she didn’t like herself. He had been in that position, and he knew well how much self-loathing sucked.

“I would never think that of you,” he insisted. “I mean, look who you’re talking to here – you know me; I love to eat too. I’ve got the gut to show it.” He smiled wryly, patting his stomach.

“Aww, Nick! I’ve always loved your tummy,” said Veronica, smiling coyly. “Seriously, I am a tummy girl. I think it’s cute.”

Nick could feel himself blushing, yet he couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks,” he laughed awkwardly. “See, I think you’re cute too.”

She looked away. “I’m not…”

“Yes you are,” Nick insisted, taking a step towards her. “Veronica… look at you.” He took one of her hands in his own and gave it a squeeze. “You have beautiful skin,” he said, running his thumb across the back of her hand. Her hands, like the rest of her body, were always incredibly soft, and her smooth skin was the color of toffee. Her dark complexion gave her an exotic look that he found striking. Though he’d dated many blondes, he’d always been attracted to brunettes.

“Beautiful hair,” he added softly, touching a loose tendril of her thick, mahogany hair, which looked stunning in the elegant up-do Mary had helped her with. With all of her long hair piled on top of her head, her bare back and shoulders were visible and in perfect reach of Nick’s wandering hands and lips. Her outfit that night was very accommodating; she wore a dress of rich, dark crimson material, with thin spaghetti straps and a skirt that flared slightly around her knees. Though it was a classic, simple number, it was the most revealing dress Nick had ever seen her wear, and she looked gorgeous in it. The scarlet fabric went well with her dark features, giving her a spicy, sultry look that he found incredibly hot.

His fingers slipped away from the end of her lock of hair and landed on her shoulder, gently massaging it. He caressed her skin lightly, his fingertips drifting across her collarbone and up the side of her neck. He gently took her chin and tipped her face towards his, gazing down at her. “Beautiful eyes,” he murmured, looking into them. She normally didn’t wear a great deal of makeup, but for the party tonight, she’d framed them with black eyeliner and mascara. The added touch made her eyes appear even darker beneath a curtain of long, thick lashes.

“Beautiful lips,” he whispered, seconds before they touched his own. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her tenderly, wanting her to know how special he thought she was, wanting her to feel beautiful, there in his embrace.

“Thank you,” she whispered back, as they ended the kiss. “For saying all of those things.”

“You’re welcome,” said Nick. “I meant every word.”

Smiling crookedly up at him, Veronica shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m here, with you, hearing these things come out of your mouth. No guy has ever said those kinds of things to me… especially not one as hot as you,” she added with a shy smile.

Nick scoffed. “Well, I don’t know why not, other than you must not know very many good guys. Just like I don’t know many girls who would still say I’m hot.”

Veronica’s mouth fell open, her eyes clouding with a pained expression. “Are you kidding? You must not know many of your fans then. We still think you’re hot, Nick. We always have… we always will.”

Nick smiled, feeling his cheeks grow hot as a lump rose in his throat. He wasn’t sure why it should matter so much whether people thought him good-looking or not… but maybe that wasn’t it at all. It wasn’t just about looks (he wasn’t that vain). In still finding him attractive, despite what cancer had done to his body, they were accepting him… accepting him as the person he’d always been, a man with a voice and a dream who had lived to be on stage. Veronica’s words gave him a soaring feeling of confidence, for she was a true fan… she knew.

“Thank you,” he returned her words, his voice thick. He put his arm around her, and they walked slowly into the living room. As they sat down together on the couch, he was overcome with the sudden urge to open up to her, as she had him.

“You know,” he started slowly, “I used to have dreams, where… where I’d trip, or my fake leg would just come off, and I’d fall… and then there’d be people there, laughing at me. Once it was Claire’s ex… another time there was a whole bunch of people: fans… paparazzi… Lou… my ex-girlfriend Leah… even my own mother. They’d say these awful things to me… that I was a freak, that I was ruined… and no matter how hard I tried, I could never walk fast enough to get away from them.”

He had been looking down into his lap as he told her about the dreams, but now he glanced up and turned towards her. He found her looking back at him, her eyes wide and stricken. “Nick…” she murmured, shaking her head. “That’s terrible! I’m so sorry you had to go through that, even in your dreams. But… but you have to remember, those were just dreams. I’m sure it’s natural to dream of scenarios like that after you go through something like what you did… but I think most people are more understanding than that. And those that aren’t… well… they can just… go, go suck on an egg, the lameheads!”

Nick snorted at her choice of words; they never failed to amuse him. He’d never heard Veronica utter a curse word before; instead, she came up with these clean, yet hilarious insults and expressions. It was one of those little quirks that made her interesting.

Veronica smiled, a giggle escaping her lips. The sound made him smile too – she had a great laugh. But then she sobered again and said, “But… you don’t have those dreams anymore, do you?”

“Nah, not in awhile,” he replied, shaking his head. “Claire kinda pulled me out of that… I honestly don’t know how I would have made it through everything without her.” Veronica nodded silently, watching him. He didn’t want to keep prattling on about Claire to her, but he couldn’t help but add, “I think she really loved me, you know… despite everything. It sounds cheesy, but… she made me feel whole again. When she left me, I was afraid I was never going to find someone else who could get over my leg and still wanna be with me. I guess I’m still a little afraid of that, to be honest,” he confessed, his eyes searching hers.

“You don’t have to be,” she whispered, taking his hand and bringing it up to her lips, kissing his fingertips tenderly. “I wanna be with you.” He smiled, and she lowered their hands to her bosom, pressing his palm against her breast. Leaving it there, she moved her hands to his chest, nudging him backwards. Leaning closer to him, she whispered, “I really wanna be with you.”

He saw the seduction in her eyes and knew immediately where this was headed. The time had come for them to go a step further in their relationship. The fire of passion alighting inside him, he took his hand off her breast and grabbed her arm instead. “Then follow me,” he growled, flicking his eyebrows up as he got up from the couch, pulling her with him. She giggled as he led her across the entryway of the house, to where the elevator was located. He punched a button, and the door slid open. Inside he pulled her.

The elevator moved slowly, and as it carried them up to the second story, Nick wasted no time in pressing Veronica against the wall, capturing her mouth in a kiss as her hands found his chest again. When the elevator door slid open, they stumbled out into the hallway, and he took her to his bedroom. She’d seen it only once, on the tour he’d given her the first time he’d brought her to the house. That time, she had looked all around, gushing about how lovely it was, then raced over to the doors leading out to his private balcony, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the picture-perfect ocean view. This time, she gravitated immediately towards the bed.

She sat down on the edge and scooted slowly backwards, sliding her shoes off in the process. After dimming the lights, bathing the room in a soft, intimate glow, he followed, lowering himself to the edge of the mattress while he removed his shoes. He took off the right one first, slipping his black sock off with it, then moved to the left. The hard plastic foot of his prosthesis was exposed as he pulled off the shoe and sock, tossing them carelessly aside. Then he rose again and turned to face her. His fingers went to the collar of his shirt, and he slowly began to unbutton it, eventually shaking it off to reveal the wifebeater he’d worn underneath. Then his hands traveled down to his belt buckle. He unhooked the belt quickly, then unfastened the button on his pants and started to slide them down his waist.

From the center of the bed, Veronica just sat, her bare legs curled beside her, and watched as Nick stepped carefully out of his pants and stood before her, clad in just his wifebeater and boxers. He stripped the wifebeater off of him, tossing it aside too, and then he cleared his throat. “Um… I usually take this off in bed,” he said, patting his prosthetic leg lightly. “D’you… do you mind?”

Veronica shook her head. “No, no, do whatever’s comfortable for you.”

He nodded and reached for the valve on the side of his leg that released the suction. Slowly, he pulled the artificial leg off, realizing this would be her first time seeing him without it. Placing his hand on the mattress for support, he bent down and laid the metal device carefully on the floor. Then he rose back up on his one leg, to find that as he’d been taking the prosthesis off, she’d removed her dress. She was stretched out now, propped up on one elbow, her other arm draped across her bare stomach, as if trying to conceal it. For a moment, Nick stood and gazed at her, reclining on his bed in her bra and panties, which were satiny and red, like her dress. He had to smile, amused by her obvious care in matching her undergarments to her outfit. Such a girl thing to do.

She gazed up at him in return, and he saw her eyes flicker down to his stump, which was sheathed by one of his prosthetic socks, but still in plain view beneath the opening of his boxers. As he sat down on the bed and started to ease his way towards her, she said, “Okay, you’re gonna have to kinda… talk me through this, okay, Nick? I mean, I’ve never… well, I have, but not with…” She gave him a meaningful, yet embarrassed look, as she faltered with her words.

He nodded patiently, knowing what she meant. She’s never fucked an amputee before. He offered her a reassuring smile, recognizing that she was nervous, just as he had been the first time he had slept with anyone after the operation. Claire had been amazing though, amazingly cool and open and understanding, just as she’d always been. They had discovered what would work for them together; it had been a learning experience for both of them. Now he would have to share that experience with someone new. A part of him was self-conscious, but he felt that he could trust Veronica. She wouldn’t reject him; he just had to make her feel comfortable.

He scooted backwards until his bare back touched the pillows at the head of the bed. With a single finger, he beckoned her towards him. As she crawled up to him, he could feel his heartbeat accelerate, the mere sight of her breasts swelling above the scarlet satin of her bra exciting him. “C’mere,” he murmured, gently pulling her on top of him. He closed his eyes briefly as their bare skin touched, making his tingle with warmth. Wrapping his arms around her, he kneaded the flesh of her back as his lips brushed across hers. He sucked on her bottom lip, and then she opened her mouth, letting his tongue slip in. They kissed passionately, her hands gripping his shoulders firmly as his tongue danced with hers.

As the foreplay intensified, he unhooked the clasps on the back of her bra, while she ran her hands over his chest, drawing circles around his nipples and tracing around his Blackfoot tattoos with her fingertips. Drawing her closer to him, he kissed each of her shoulders tenderly, as he slid her bra straps off of them. Soon, the silky red garment fell away from her body, and he paused to take in the sight of her.

“Beautiful,” he whispered, leaning down again to plant a soft kiss in a place her bra had hidden seconds earlier. Beautiful… it was the word of the night.

She moaned with pleasure as his lips trailed over her bosom, his hands following after, kneading her full, round breasts as his mouth found their peaks, and he felt himself growing hard with lust for her. Far above his stiffening member, her hands were in his hair, her nails scratching his scalp as her fingers raked through it. “Mm, that feels so good,” he sighed, his whole head tingling. It was amazing, the sensations such a simple touch from another person could create.

Dotting her skin with kisses, he worked his way back up her upper body and found her lips once again. Holding her tight in his arms as he kissed her deeply, he fell back against the pillows, pulling her with him. His hardened length pressed into her pelvis, and they moaned against each other.

“I want you, V,” Nick croaked huskily, his hands trailing down her sides, fingers slipping beneath the lacy waistband of her panties. Veronica nodded, already panting slightly in anticipation.

“Do you have protection?” she asked breathlessly.

“Yeah… in the drawer,” he replied, pointing to the night table on one side. She scrambled off of him just long enough to grab a condom from inside. He was glad he had stocked up; it had been awhile since he’d had to use one. She set the small, square package down on the comforter next to him and lay her hands on his chest. Slowly, seductively, she ran them down his torso, making him smile when she touched his stomach.

“Told you I’m a tummy girl,” she said, smiling back when she saw the expression on his face, and she leaned over him, placing a row of kisses down the trail of light-colored hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his boxers. Her hands took over again there, fingers sliding under the elastic, starting to pull it away from his skin. He bent his knee, placing his foot flat on the mattress, and pushed off of it to lift his hips up. Veronica took the opportunity to slide his boxers the rest of the way down. Then she returned to stroke his hardness, while he moaned and grasped the comforter in his fists; it felt so good, her hand, so warm around his most sensitive part. He couldn’t wait to feel that warmth magnified from inside her.

“Now,” he groaned, “please?”

She ripped the condom out of its packaging and slid it onto him. “One thing left,” she whispered when she had finished, creeping towards him on her knees. Knowing just what that one thing was, his hands moved quickly to her panties, slipping them easily over her curving hips. She took over from there, working them the rest of the way down her legs and off. Then she mounted him again, their pelvic bones colliding. He could feel her inner thighs pressing against the outside of his own; the sensitive left one tingled especially with the contact.

“You ever been on top before?” he asked her, reaching up to stroke a lock of her hair, which was rapidly falling out of its style.

She let out a derisive laugh. “My last boyfriend would only do it missionary… he had to be on top; it was a control thing.”

He nodded. “Well, this time, baby… you’re in control.” With that, he took her hips and helped guide her as she gently lowered herself to just the right spot. Moments later, he groaned with pleasure as he slid inside her, feeling her warmth close in tightly around him. He held onto her hips as she moved up and down, her eyes glazed with lust. Gripping her tightly, he pulled her closer to him, and she moaned as he plunged deeper into her.

She climaxed right after he did and collapsed upon him, breathing hard. Her sweat-streaked bosom heaved against his chest, and he wondered if she could feel his thudding heart as he lay panting beneath her, his eyes closed in ecstasy. He felt totally relaxed and better than he had in months, in every way. God, he had needed this.

“You were great,” he whispered.

“You were too,” she breathed back, and he felt her lips caressing his face. He kept his eyes closed, letting her sprinkle kisses across his forehead and cheeks, the tip of his nose, and finally, his mouth. “Don’t ever think that you’re ruined, Nick,” she said as she broke away from their kiss. “You’re very much intact… and as amazing as I could have ever dreamed of.”

She kissed his smiling lips again, her tongue slipping into his mouth. Then she pulled back, pushing herself up and gazing down at him. Her face was dewy with perspiration, and her eye makeup had smeared around her dark eyes, yet Nick found that it made her look even more smoldering and sexual. He opened his mouth to compliment her in return, but before he could speak, she was draped over him once again, her mouth connected with his. “Beautiful,” she whispered against his lips. “You’re beautiful, Nick… my sweet, blue-eyed Adonis.”

“Sweet, blue-eyed Adonis?” he repeated, snickering. Their bodies quivered against each other as she started to laugh too.

“Adonis… he’s a character from Greek mythology, the handsome young man who was loved by Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love,” explained Veronica, then added with a wink, “I read a lot of mythology in my classes in college.”

“Ohh,” murmured Nick, marveling at how intelligent she was. “So if I’m your sweet… what was the name?”

“Adonis,” Veronica repeated, giggling.

“Adonis… then that must make you my Aphrodite?”

“That’s right… your Goddess of Love,” whispered Veronica, descending upon him again. They were deep in another lustful kiss when Nick heard the distant ringing of the doorbell.

“Oh shit,” he groaned, “that must be our pizza.”

“Oh no!” laughed Veronica, rolling off him. She looked around, from her own naked body, to his, to the bedroom, scattered with their clothes.

“Will you throw something on and go get it?” Nick pleaded. “I don’t think Pizza Hut will ever deliver here again if the delivery guy opens the door to a naked, one-legged man.”

“Nick!” Veronica cried through her giggles, scrambling around to cover herself before she went downstairs to answer the door.

Minutes later, they were both seated in the kitchen, digging into the pizza. “Maaaan… I’m starving!” Veronica exclaimed, helping herself to two slices.

Nick was too, and he ate with a deep satisfaction that went beyond the relief of his hunger. He was sitting there with her, shirtless, legless, and not at all self-conscious about it. And across from him, she was scarfing down her pizza faster and more enthusiastically than he’d ever seen her eat anything. In a single night, they’d reached an important point in their relationship, the point at which the two of them were truly comfortable with one another.

And though he couldn’t say he felt the same way about her as he had Claire, not yet anyway, he thought that there might be hope for him yet. All this time, he’d been worried, wondering if he would ever find another woman who could accept him the way he was now, as Claire had. Now his worries had been put to rest.

Watching Veronica chew, looking lost in her own thoughts, he smiled. He’d found one.

***