Seven Days Ch. 09

Nic walked back over to her and handed her a glass of champagne. "I owe you an Italian dinner, and I never go back on my word," Nic said, taking a sip from his own glass.

Oh, yes, she remembered that morning. The morning he had promised her so many things and left her broken hearted.

"Yes, I think you do," Victoria smiled, and took a sip. "Want me to help with anything?"

"Nope. Just sit your pretty little ass down."

Nic rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands and started removing several things from the refrigerator. He cleared a space on the island in the kitchen. Victoria sat on the bar stool opposite of him, and observed. For someone who didn't cook often, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

"Nic?"

"Yes?"

"What am I doing here?" Victoria asked, leaning her elbows on the counter.

Nic was silent for a few moments before he spoke. "I want to give you something that I've never given anyone else."

"Your cooking?"

Nic smiled, "No. While I'm preparing our meal, I'm going to give you an opportunity to ask me anything you want. And I'll be completely honest."

Victoria immediately perked up. There was so much she wanted to know about him. "Nothing's off limits?"

Nic exhaled. "Nope. You can ask me anything."

Victoria thought hard about what her first question would be. She didn't want to scare him off, so she asked a simple one first.

"Okay. I'll start off easy. What's your middle name?"

"Sebastiano...or just Sebastian," he stated as he chopped a tomato and added it to some spectacular chicken dish he was in the process of making.

"Nicolas Sebastiano Andretti...ooh, I love that." She stared at him and noticed a small smile in the corner of his mouth, even though he wasn't looking at her. But now on to more burning questions.

"Did you sleep with that Kim girl the night you took her out?"

Nic looked up at her. "No, and I can't believe you even remembered her name."

"Well, it was a pretty devastating night for me. I remembered everything about it."

Nic grabbed some spices from a cabinet but didn't say anything.

"Why don't you call me Vicky, like most people?"

"Because Vicky is plain, and you're anything but," he stated matter-of-factly, as he placed the dish into the oven. He poured another glass of champagne and leaned against the counter. "Next question."

Victoria smiled. And to think, her whole life she had always thought herself plain.

"Hmm, what was your dad like?"

Nic glanced down at his glass. "He was a quiet man. But that was mainly due to the fact that English was only his second language. Mostly every time he spoke to us, it was in Italian," Nic said, trying to figure out what to say about him. "He wasn't the most involved father, but that taught us to be independent. My mom was the only one who could really make him smile. That's about it in a nutshell."

"You look a lot like him," Victoria said, taking in that bit of information. It was the first time Nic had even mentioned his father. Everything so far that she had learned about his family had been from Marianna.

"Yeah, I know," Nic said as he sipped his drink.

Victoria knew that this next question might hurt, but she really wanted to know. She wanted to know all she could about Nic, and not secondhand from someone else.

"What was your brother Bobby like?"

Even though he probably tried to hide it, Victoria saw Nic tense up at the question. He glanced down at his glass then back up to her.

"Victoria, I'm sorry. I know I said nothing is off limits, but can we hold off on that question?"

Victoria nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry."

The next question, Victoria wrote down. She had learned a few things from Nic. 'How many people have you killed?' was scribbled on a piece of paper and she slid it towards him.

Nic just looked at her. "Do you really want to know that?"

Victoria looked down at the paper and then back up to Nic. "No, I guess I don't," she whispered, as she tore the piece of paper up.

"Okay, new question. When's the last time you cried?"

Nic chuckled, "This wasn't the brightest idea. Hmm, can I get back to you on that one also?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Yes." So much for the Q&A.

When dinner was finally ready, Nic prepared both of their plates, while Victoria set the table. It was a beautiful candlelight dinner and the food was amazing. Nic really could cook...or at least he could cook Italian food. Marianna would be proud.

"This was delicious, Nic. Thank you," Victoria said, drinking the last bit of her champagne.

"Am I forgiven?"

"I was never mad at you Nic, I was just scared. Nothing like that had ever happened to me, and I didn't know how to react to it. I still don't," Victoria said.

"Then, what can I do to make it better?" Nic asked.

"You can start by telling me what you're thinking," Victoria answered.

"That's it?"

"Yep, just tell me what you're thinking without guarding yourself. Even if it makes you look vulnerable, I want to know."

"Alright. Stand up," he said, as he walked over to his entertainment system.

Victoria did as she was told, eyeing him cautiously as he flipped through a group of CD's. When he found the one he was looking for, he placed it in the CD player, and the smooth, romantic sounds of an old rhythm and blues song drifted through the air.

"Oh, this is a beautiful song, I've heard this before in a movie. Oh, What a Night, right? What's the group?"

"The Dells."

"I didn't know you listened to oldies."

"I listen to a little of everything. Come here," Nic whispered.

"You come here," Victoria teased.

Nic smiled and slowly walked over to her, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her to the living room floor. Victoria admired his long, lean yet muscular frame underneath his dress shirt and dark jeans. He turned around to face her and flashed the most beautiful smile. Her knees literally felt weak.

He pulled her close to his body and started moving slowly with the music.

"Close your eyes," Nic softly uttered. Victoria glanced up at him for a moment, then obeyed.

"The night my parents met, this was the song they danced to. My dad had told my mom that night, in broken English, that he was going to marry her," Nic said.

Victoria kept her eyes closed as she thought about Nic's father and Marianna dancing. What a beautiful couple they made.

"He also whispered to her during the song what he thought their lives would be like. I'd like to try that."

Victoria continued to sway to the music and listen to Nic's deep soothing voice.

"For whatever reason, our bodies crossed paths, and in those special moments, I lost my heart to you. And I'm sure I'll never get it back. But as long as I can hold you close..." Nic stated, tilting her head up toward him, as she slowly opened her eyes, "...then you can keep it. I love you more than words can express Victoria Davis, and non posso vivere senza voi."

Victoria knew her eyes were glassy, but she couldn't help it. Everything he had said to her caused goose bumps to caress her skin. And when he leaned down to kiss her, she thought she would melt. The room was slowly spinning and she couldn't tell if the song had stopped or not.

"Wha—what did that mean? The last part," Victoria asked.

"I can't live without you," Nic answered, before delivering her another soul shattering kiss. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He lowered his kisses to her neck as she pushed her fingers through his smooth jet black hair.

"I can't live without you either, Nic. I love you," she whispered back, loving the feel of his soft lips nipping at her sensitive skin. She closed her eyes and threw her head back, to give him full access.

Nic started carrying her towards the bedroom, placing his free arm out to the side to guide him, while he continued to lick and kiss Victoria. When he finally reached the opening to his room, he gently deposited her onto the bed. He pulled the tiny black dress over her head, and peeled off her undergarments. He had to admire her body. It was damn near perfection, and he was going to spend all night worshipping it.

He quickly discarded his clothes and lovingly gripped her ankle. He kissed the bottom of her foot, and then planted small kisses all the way down her leg until he reached her sweet spot.

Victoria arched her back, in anticipation for what was to follow. After a few torturous moments, she felt his warm, wet tongue enter her pussy and move in a small circular motion, causing little jolts of electricity to ignite in her head. She gently pulled his smooth hair and moaned. "Damn, Nic...ohh."

But Nic didn't want her to come just yet. He started slowly crawling up her silky toned body until he reached her face. He captured her bottom lip between his teeth and lightly bit the soft flesh. He then kissed her swollen lips again as he entered her sex. Home, sweet home. Only her pussy could grip his cock, like it was made just for him.

Victoria stared up at him, as his powerful thrusts shook her. She raked her fingers down his back until she reached his ass. She squeezed it as he ground deeper and deeper into her dripping wet pussy.

Nic kissed her again, resting his body further down onto hers, feeling her full round breasts meld into his chest. Their hips connected and rocked back and forth in a rhythm that only their bodies knew. A dance that their bodies had memorized with each other.

Victoria licked and kissed his collarbone, tasting the slight salty mixture of his sweat. She closed her eyes again, feeling that familiar itch in her lower section, that only he could scratch. He always seemed to reach places within her that she didn't know existed. Her toes hurt as they flexed and her legs began to shake. It was coming. Her breath was shortened and she could feel herself panting.

"You going to come for me, baby?" she heard him whisper in her ear. She nodded her head, when she felt his teeth bear down on her neck.

"Oww," Victoria moaned.

"I asked you a question, and you didn't answer it," he growled.

"Yes, Nic, I'm about to c--come," Victoria said, as her pussy tightened around him and her eyes rolled back. "Aahh, Nic...oh, baby," was all she could manage as wave after wave of delight washed over her body.

"That's it sweetheart," Nic said, as he began to pick up the pace. It had been too damn long since he had felt her body respond to him. He could feel himself losing control, as he continued to force his full length into her tight pussy. He could feel her body clamping around his member, forcefully massaging it. "Oh, Victoria...shit". Nic pushed deep and released a flood of his come into her. After a few moments, he stilled himself, as his lower half produced minor spasms until he was completely spent.

Neither one could move a muscle, nor did they want to. But Nic soon realized that he was probably crushing her. He tried to roll off of her, but she held onto him.

"No, don't move yet," she whimpered.

Nic looked down into her eyes. They were misted over and her mouth was slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something else.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby," Nic assured her, as he kept their bodies connected.

She raised up and kissed him. And when she laid her head back down on the bed, she stared up at him. "I love you."

"I love you more," Nic whispered as he felt his dick stirring again. Yes, they were both going to be sore from this reunion.

Later that night, after two more sessions of lovemaking, Nic and Victoria lay in bed, still entangled in each other's arms and legs.

At first, Victoria couldn't tell if Nic had fallen asleep, but every few minutes she'd feel his lips against her forehead, and she knew that he wasn't. She always felt so safe in his arms. Strong arms that held her as though she were some precious gem. Perhaps it was because in this moment she felt safe, or satisfied, but whatever the reason, a calm came over Victoria, and she could no longer deny it. She had sacrificed things all her life, and mostly she didn't have a choice. But now she would make sacrifices for something she truly wanted more than anything else...and it was clearly her choice.

"Nic, I can handle it," Victoria said, as she kissed the tips of his fingers

"Handle what, baby?" Nic asked, his sleepy voice betraying him.

"This. Your job, your lifestyle, everything. I mean, I can't promise that it won't be hard for me, but I will try. I love you and I don't want to be apart from you. And I promise I won't give up on you again," Victoria admitted, lifting her head to gauge his reaction.

Nic stared down at her. He didn't say anything, but he kissed her. Victoria knew this would be a long road to travel, but for her there really was no other option. She had to be with him. She shifted her body, so that she was straddling him, with her head resting on his chest. She loved the feel of his chest softly rising and falling with each breath.

"Victoria?" Nic asked.

"Hmm?" she replied, not bothering to lift her head.

"Did you still want to know about my brother, Bobby?" Nic asked.

But this question however, did cause Victoria to raise her head. She hesitated a moment before she said "If you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to."

Nic exhaled, "No, I probably should. Bobby was...well, nothing like me. All-round nice guy. He had an interesting sense of humor and usually made friends with everyone. But God, could he talk. Never shut up."

Victoria laughed, as she rested her head back onto his chest.

"And he never got punished by my mom. She never could, because as soon as she would get mad at him, he'd flash this big smile or puppy dog look, and she was done. Had mom completely wrapped around his finger. Hmm, let me think what else I could tell you," Nic said more to himself, than Victoria. "I guess something else that was interesting about him was that he hated fighting and violence. Didn't even like violent movies, but he never turned his nose up at my father and I, like my other siblings did."

Victoria laced her fingers through Nic's larger ones, as she continued to listen. It was extremely rare when Nic shared something, and she always felt so special when he did. She almost didn't want to move, so she wouldn't break whatever connection they had at the moment.

Nic cleared his throat. "I think one of the reasons he was like that, was because of an incident that happened when we were kids. We had gotten my father's handgun and like idiots, were playing with it, even though we had been warned a hundred times. Jimmy was over at our house that day, and said he could tell it wasn't loaded. So Bobby started swinging it around and then pointed it at my mom's favorite vase and shot. That son of a bitch was so loud, I swear I heard it ringing in my ears for days. Bobby dropped the gun and never picked another one up. It scared the shit out of him. But oh, did my father wear our asses out for that," Nic laughed.

"Oh my God, he should have," Victoria laughed, thinking about the three of them looking devilish in the photo she had observed at Marianna's house.

Both were quiet as several minutes passed. Victoria wasn't sure if Nic was done talking. She waited a few minutes longer before she said anything.

"You know, your brother...his personality kinda reminds me of Antonio, don't you think?"

Nic thought about it. Over the years, he had tried not to think about Bobby, but now remembering a few of his brother's traits...yes, he and Antonio were similar. "Yeah, I guess he does. Always knew I liked that little prick for some reason."

Victoria giggled again. "He's a good guy. You just make him nervous all the time."

"Good," Nic whispered, then laughed when Victoria swatted at his arm.

"He would give anything to be like you. He thinks you're the coolest guy in the world. But don't tell him I told you this," Victoria said.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Nic thought about how Antonio could help him with his newest project. He needed to set that plan into motion as soon as possible.

Nic seemed to be deep in thought when Victoria interrupted him. "Nic?"

"Yes?"

"Want to tell me about the last time you cried?" Victoria felt Nic's body tense up beneath her. Maybe she was prying too much. He would tell her more things in time. He didn't have to give her his whole life story tonight while lying in bed. "Nevermind, I'm sorry. I'm being way too nosey."

She felt his muscles relax, and she hugged him tighter. At least he wasn't mad at her for asking. He would tell her when he was ready. She was about to tell him that she was ready for round four, when he spoke.

"About ten years ago, was the last time I cried. It was the day I had to identify my brother's...remains."

Victoria looked up at Nic, trying her best not to look so shocked. She shifted herself so that her face was hovering over his. She lowered her lips to his and kissed him. "Baby, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready." She saw him nod his head, but he didn't say anything, which was definitely out of character for Nic. He hated when people did that.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Then finally after a few seconds, he said "I'm fine. I just haven't talked about this in a long...ever, actually. I've never said a word to anyone, not even Jimmy."

More silence. Victoria waited, looking into his eyes. He was avoiding eye contact with her, but she knew this was probably one of the most difficult things he'd done.

"That day I thought I could take it. I wanted so badly to believe it wasn't my baby brother, you know. I always thought I could protect him. But when the police called my father and I into the morgue to identify his hea...fuck."

Victoria felt his breath quicken and he turned his head away from her. She slowly turned his head back toward her. Although the room was dark, she could see the slight moisture in the corners of his eyes. "Ssh, you don't have to say any more. I love you," she whispered, kissing him again and again.

It was so long ago, Nic thought it couldn't possibly affect him the same way, but he was wrong. All of those feelings that he had been avoiding for ten years came crashing down on him. And what made it even harder on him was that he still looked at Bobby as a seven year old who wore a Superman cape for almost a year straight. He had worn it to school, to the dinner table, to bed...for a solid year, he wouldn't part with it. It had come with a Halloween costume of Nic's, that he soon regretted giving to his little brother. Or Nic would remember him as the annoying twelve year old who followed him around everywhere he went. At the time it had been frustrating, but he later learned it was because Bobby thought of him as his idol or hero. It took his mother telling him that for Nic to understand. That happened one day when Bobby interrupted a make-out session Nic was having with some neighborhood girl, because he wanted to play baseball. When Nic complained to his mom about Bobby's ever present nature, he left out the make-out session, but got an explanation as to why Bobby was following his every move.

"He's your younger brother and he loves you. Even though you two are only a year apart, he would love nothing more than to be just like you. And you should be proud of that, Nic. Not annoyed. You're your brother's keeper, you know," his mom had told him years ago. Why the hell couldn't he have kept him safe?

"Nic, it's not your fault what happened to him," Victoria whispered, bringing him out of the past. He looked up at her concerned, yet loving face.

"I should have been able to protect him better than that."

"Don't think about it," Victoria said, laying small kisses all over his face.

No, he wouldn't think about it anymore. He grabbed Victoria and rolled her onto her back. He was ready to feel her wrapped around him for the...well, he had lost count.