| Chapter Eight A week later, Nick and Heidi were sitting in the dressing room, resting after a rigorous practice. Since the afternoon Nick had disappeared, things had eased between them. They weren't bickering and fighting all the time and they were finding they actually liked each other as human beings. They had settled into a comfortable friendship and enjoyed spending time with each other. "I swear Heidi, I'm worn out!" Nick grumbled good-naturedly. "Oh yeah right! You were goofing around out there, acting crazy, trying to make me laugh, instead of paying attention,” she said as she nudged his side. "Woman, its hard work making you laugh!" he said gruffly. Heidi laughed a full belly laugh and her body shook. "You are some piece of work, Carter. Some piece of work," she said through her laughter. Nick couldn't take his eyes off of her. For the first time since they'd met, he took a really good look at her. Her dark hair framed her face, her blue-green eyes sparkled and her lips were full. She was somewhat tall at five foot six inches, her body muscular, but very feminine. 'How is it I missed how beautiful she is?' he wondered. Heidi stopped laughing and looked up to him, her breath catching in her throat. The way he was looking at her made her pulse race and her body tingle. They slowly moved towards each other, as if in slow motion, Nick's head dipping slightly. His lips brushed tenderly across hers and Heidi sighed at the contact. It was as sweet as he hoped it would be. They pulled away and starred into each other's eyes. "Nick, we ca..." she said, only to be cut off by his lips caressing hers. His hands rose to her face holding her still, while her hands gripped his upper arms. His mouth plundered hers, his tongue flicking out and tracing the outline of her lips. Her mouth parted and when his tongue touched hers, all thoughts of protest flew out the window. All she could think about, could concentrate on, was what he was doing to her. She'd been kissed before, but never like this. Never like this. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. She felt cherished, wanted, needed, loved. At that thought, she began to push away. This wasn't right. She was being paid to protect him, and this wasn't protecting him! "Nick, stop Nick. We can't do this,” she said as she pushed against his strong, broad shoulders. "Heidi," he whispered as his lips took hers again. "No Nick," she said as she pulled away and stood up. They were both breathing heavily and Nick watched her through narrowed eyes. "You can't tell me you didn't feel something. You did and we both know it,” he stated, throwing the challenge down. "That's beside the point," she said as she ran her hand through her hair impatiently. "No! That is the point," he returned and stood and crossed to stand in front of her. "It's right between us. Don't fight it,” he whispered as his hands ran leisurely up and down her arms. Heidi was torn between knowing what she needed to do and what she wanted to do. She needed to put some distance between them, to keep things on a professional level. She wanted to wrap her arms around his shoulders and hold him close, to lose herself in his kiss. Her choice was made for her when the door swung open and Brian and AJ entered. Quietly she stepped away from Nick and prayed that no one had noticed how close they had been standing. “There you two are! We’ve been looking for you,” Brian said as he and AJ both plopped down on chairs. “What’s up?” Nick asked. “They want us to run through Get Another Boyfriend one more time,” AJ informed them, but stayed where he was. Heidi smiled. She knew they would wait until the last minute to go back out front, but she asked anyways, “Shouldn’t you be out front then?” “Naw. They’ll come get us when they’re ready,” Brian said, as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “Hey, you two were sent to find Nick, not join him,” Kevin scolded from the doorway. Good-natured grumbling came from the guys as they stood up and stretched. “Let’s go!” Kev said, and Brian and AJ followed him out the door. Nick hung back and when his friends were out of earshot he said, “We’ll finish that conversation later.” Heidi nodded and quietly followed Nick to the arena floor. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Later that evening, after the concert, Heidi and Nick were in their room watching TV, their feet propped up on the coffee table. Nick’s arm was draped across the back of the couch, his fingers gently caressing over her bare shoulder. “You know I’m right,” he said, bringing up the subject they had left for later. “Nick, there’s no point in this. Nothing can happen. Nothings going to happen,” stated vehemently. “Says who? You? It’s not just your decision,” he retorted. She laughed and said, “What exactly can you do, if I choose not to discuss this? Not a thing!” Frustrated, Nick grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her towards him. “Can you deny this?” he asked and then crushed her lips under his. His tongue parted her lips and swept the inside. Heidi brought her hands up to his chest and pushed against him, struggling to get away, but Nick held her tightly, his lips working their magic. What started as an attempt to get away, quickly turned into an attempt to get closer to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her hands pulled his head closer to her. She tilted her head slightly, to better seal their lips, taking as much as she was giving. Nick’s hold lessened, if she was going to stay, it had to be her decision. Heidi moved closer, wanting his arms around her, wanting the fire burning in her veins. Nick maneuvered them to where he was lying down with Heidi sprawled on top of him. His hands roamed her back, feeling her muscles contract with pleasure. He knew she had feelings for him; he just had to show her. And he was, with his lips, his tongue and his hands. Nick shifted and his arousal pressed against her thigh and Heidi tensed, pulling away. “Nick, we can’t do this,” she said as she levered her self up on her arms. “Why? Give me one good, legitimate reason why Heidi. Just one,” he said, prepared to fight for what he wanted. “Don’t do this Nick,” she pleaded. “One, Heidi.” She stood up and wrapped her arms around her waist, missing the warmth of his body. “Okay, you want a reason, here’s a big one. What happens if I’m wrapped up in us to the point I miss something important and you’re put in danger? What then? I could never forgive myself if something happened to you because I wasn’t paying attention. I can’t, I won’t do that. To you or to me,” she finished, fighting tears. For the first time in years, she’d found something, no someone who meant more to her than her love of her job, and she couldn’t pursue it because it could put Nick in danger. “That’s bull and you know it! We’ve been dancing around this subject, making each other miserable and you still managed to do your job. There’s no reason why it won’t work now,” Nick stated, digging in for a long fight. “We have feelings for each other, and they’re not going to go away just because you ignore them,” he finished, his blue eyes blazing with passion. Heidi sighed and her shoulders drooped. He was making valid points, but then again, so was she. Her feelings weren’t going to go away just because she ignored them. She knew it for a fact because she had already tried. But she also knew the pitfalls of becoming to close. She could lose her objectivity, her common sense; and if that happened she could lose Nick. “I’m sorry Nick; it’s because I care that I can’t let anything happen,” she whispered, her hand reaching to caress his cheek. Nick turned his head and placed himself into her keeping. That one single gesture caused a tear to fall from her blue-green eyes and she knew she had to get out of there before she broke down. Moving quickly, she closed the bedroom door and locked it behind her. It wasn’t until she turned around that she realized that she had just locked Nick out of his own room. She stared at the bed and then at the door wondering if she should go back out and let Nick have his room. Not ready to face Nick, she chose to stay in the room. As she lay in bed, her body recalled the feeling of Nick’s hands on her back and his lips on hers. She groaned softly and buried her head in the pillow, willing the thoughts away. It was a long time before she fell asleep. SNC Index Chapter Nine Main Page |