Chapter twenty three

Restraint .
That was one thing Nick had had to teach himself since he saw Crystal for the first time. He had to learn how to admire her from a distance without just reaching out and touching her. He had to learn to get used to listening to her laugh and hearing her voice without losing it and taking her right where she was.
He had to learn to look at her smile and not die of longing .He watched her as she leaned into a rose flower and breathed in. And all the air was sucked out of his lungs.
She was currently on her knees next to the little rose garden in the back yard of the house. He had never been one to be interested in such aesthetic things but at the moment he clearly notices the red plant life.
And he noticed just how much prettier Crystal was compared to it.
" It's a really nice day ,huh? " she asked him.
He had realised that she had been doing that a lot lately.
Taking to him.
And although it was about things as minute as the weather, he was pleased that she wasn't shutting him out. Which was exactly what he had expected her to do after what went down at the office.
" It is, " he curtly stated and she smiled. Looking up at the radiant sky. And the sun seemed to illuminate her face, making her glow in the most loveliest of ways. Then she stood and dusted both her hands and the knees of her jeans. Her focus on the wide field right after the garden. All it was was a large expanse of land covered in green grass. And directly after the field was quite a number of tall trees.
She walked a few steps towards the field. Then she stopped and looked back at the flowers before deciding to pluck one. Nick watched her as she approached them and bend down. His focus on the air around her which was now layered with a very strong hint of her refreshing scent.
She studied the flowers, wondering which one to pluck, then she made her choice and reached out. Holding it by the stem and cutting it out. But then she hissed and pulled her hand away, wringing it in the process.
And in no time Nick was there. On his haunches right next to her.
" What happened? "
" It's nothing. I just got pricked by a thorn. Should have been more careful. "
She went to stand but he held her arms and made her stay still. Then he took her hand and held it in his.
" Let me see. " he commanded.
There was a drop of blood on her index finger and he watched as it rolled down and fell on the ground. The fact that she was hurt made his insides burn up, regardless of how small the injury was.
" See? It's no big deal, " she tried pulling her hand back gently but he wasn't having any of that.
Crystal watched as he lifted the finger to his lips. Then he sucked it into his mouth. Her lips parted of their own volition and a gasp escaped. He lifted his gaze to hers and she could not breathe.
She felt as he swiped his tongue over the spot before gently sucking on it. His eyes on hers throughout the entire time. She swallowed, trying not to feel how that little action affected her. She could feel those sparks of sensation as they made their way to her nipples and exploded.
She wanted to whimper.
And she was afraid she was going to start panting for air if he did not let her go.
But he did. Then he held out his hand to help her stand. Putting an end to the little moment they had been sharing just seconds before.
" Thanks, "
" Just doing my job. Here, " Nick reached out and plucked the flower. Then Crystal watched as he removed every single thorn that was on the stem before he handed it to her. It was an absentminded act but she saw it as an act of affection. Not one of duty.
And because of that she made a resolve. There was no need for them to go on acting all weird around each other. She didn't see why they couldn't just be friends. Maybe then they would be able to drown out all the other feelings between them and they could finally get rid of any bad blood.
Yes. That sounded wise.
So she made up her mind and decided to call a truce.
" Do you wanna be friends? "
Man! That sounded so lame. And she was sure he thought the same considering how he was looking at her.
" I beg your pardon? " he asked and she struggled to find the right words.
" I mean... if you want. I... I was wondering if you wanna, you know. Be friends? " she stretched out her hand and put on her bravest smile before she braced herself for his blank rejection.
" May I know what brought about this .....decision? " he asked.
She could not believe him. I mean, there she was, trying to be nice and he was making it seem like she had an ulterior motive .
" Must there be a reason? Can't I just want to be friends? " she raised her brows and he narrowed his eyes. Where was she going with that?
" You know what? Forget it. Just don't - "
" Fine then "
Nick took her outstretched hand and shook it. Divulging in its softness.
" Friends, " he assured her and she smiled that heavenly smile of hers.
Maybe she wanted to be friends in order to make him back off and let her be. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Or maybe she truly did want to be just friends.
Whatever the reason was, he was willing to play along.
He followed her to the field. She made small talk about how there used to be horses there long ago and he gave the occasional one worded answer.
He did not care whether she wanted to be friends. At the moment he did not want her friendship.
He wanted her.
And it didn't matter what she did or said because in the end, he knew she wanted him too.