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Leap of Faith Ch. 02

By: rachlou



Nicole's slept fitfully, her dreams filled with confusing images of Rob and Sean. When she awoke, she felt the lingering sensation of arousal and her body tingled with unfulfilled desire as the dreams hovered at the edge of her periphery and continued to torment her with lustful pictures only half realised.

She lay in the dark, mulling over what had happened in the kitchen. Despite what Sean had done to her, she felt incredibly guilty about kissing Rob. It felt like a betrayal although her body was still firmly convinced that it wasn't. Oh god, how was she going to face Rob again?

Restlessly she tossed and turned, further sleep continuing to elude her. Eventually the light began to filter through the curtains and she reluctantly climbed out from under the duvet and padded into the bathroom to use the toilet. There seemed very little point in staying in bed – she may as well go and make a cup of tea and get dressed.

Yawning heavily she walked out of the bathroom, rubbing her tired eyes and wishing she was still asleep. She jumped in shock when she met a hard wall of chest with a thud. 

"Morning," said Rob with a half smile. His eye was purple and angry looking, the bruised lid still swollen. 

Nicole was struck dumb, her head reeling with half remembered dreams and lust fuelled images. 

"Hi," she managed to spit out, horribly aware of everything that had gone before and totally unable to look him in the eye.

"About last night..." said Rob carefully.

Nicole's heart fell at least ten miles with that well worn statement. It was a classic method of digging oneself out of a very big hole.

"Hey, it's okay – I know it didn't mean anything," she replied hurriedly. Still wishing yesterday evening could be miraculously erased she moved to pass Rob in a bid for escape.

He grasped her arm and held on tightly. "Well it meant something to me."

Nicole looked up, startled. This wasn't exactly what she expected to hear. She had assumed that Rob would be dashing round to try and make amends with Lizzie and she, Nicole, was just a ship passing in the night. 

"Did it?" she said dumbly. Her heart thudded in her chest painfully.

"Yes," he said softly. He gazed at her intently, seeing the way her hair was all mussed from sleep and how her cheeks still bore the crease marks from the pillow. She looked adorable; so sweet and vulnerable. She was everything Lizzie had never been and he realised it was about time he broke the habit of unhealthy relationships with psycho bitches from hell. 

Before Nicole grasped what was happening, Rob dropped his lips to hers and kissed her softly. She sighed and opened her mouth to his questing tongue, subconsciously tilting her pelvis towards him in an unspoken invitation. It was an invite that did not go un-noticed. 

He struggled to keep his passion in check. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her off. As yet he still didn't know exactly what she was running from, but Danni had hinted it was because of a man and he had no desire to do anything that might hurt her.

Her arms wrapped around his neck and he deepened the kiss, feeling how soft and responsive her body was against him. His cock was hard and he tried not to press against her. Oh god she felt wonderful. Not even his sore and swollen eye could put a dampener on this moment.

Suddenly his mobile rang loudly from the shelf by the front door. He tried to ignore it, not wantng to interrupt the kiss with Nicole, but the ringing was all too insistent. The trouble was he had a nasty suspicion that he knew who caller might be.

Nicole pulled away, her eyes dark and her lips swollen. "Is that your phone?" she asked.

Rob rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I better answer it." He stepped away, still keeping hold of Nicole's hand. As he grabbed the offending phone, it rang off. The display said it was Lizzie and he frowned in annoyance. If that bitch thought he was going to come crawling around again, she had another thing coming.

"For god's sake – who the hell is ringing you at this time of the morning?" growled Danni as she swung open her bedroom door crossly. "It's barely six am!" 

Rob abruptly dropped Nicole's hand and turned away from her to face his sister. "It's only Lizzie – go back to bed, Danni."

Nicole felt her heart contract painfully. What a fool she was, she thought miserably. Rob and Lizzie would be back together before the end of the day so she may as well forget about him. He was clearly no better than all the rest, the bastard. 

She dashed into the bathroom and locked the door while Danni grumbled at Rob, annoyed because she'd been woken up prematurely. 

"Can't you switch your phone off like any normal person? You know I need my sleep!" she said crossly.

"I forgot okay! Anyway, it's not my fault you're so fucking ugly and seven hours sleep aint enough..."

"Oh piss off, Roberto!" Danni only used his full name when she was really mad. He ducked as she tried to throw a punch at him. He had had more than enough of punches for one lifetime. As he turned he saw that Nicole had vanished into the bathroom and he inwardly cursed. Bloody Lizzie...

With his head beginning to ache, he decided to cut this spat short. "Quit it Danni – I said I was sorry for waking you up. I'm off out for a run so go back to bed and try and wake up in a better mood for all our sakes." 

She glared at him venomously before slamming her bedroom door in his face with a bang. Rob took several deep breaths and went to pull his running gear on. He left the flat with half his brain still playing re-runs of the kiss with Nicole. He just hoped he hadn't blown it before it had even begun.

* * *

Nicole took her break and decided to sit out in the back yard with a cup of tea and the local paper. The sun was shining warmly and it was surprisingly pleasant for the time of year. Sipping her tea slowly, she scanned the 'accommodation offered' column near the back of the paper.

"Had enough of the arguments then?" asked Sue with a grin. 

Nicole turned round in surprise; she hadn't realised Sue was there. 

"Kind of," she replied cagily. It had more to do with Rob than anything else, but she could hardly tell Sue that.

"They always did fight like cat and dog. Danni has too much of a temper on her," said Sue with a wry grin. "But she has a heart of gold."

Nicole smiled and said, "Yeah, I know. I can't thank her enough for helping me out as she did. I don't know what I would've done without her..." Her voice trailed off as she relived that horrible bus journey. She shuddered despite the warmth of the spring sunshine.

Sue dropped down next to her on the step and lit a cigarette. "If you want to move out, I may know somewhere," she commented casually.

"Really?" 

"A friend of mine is looking for a lodger. She's a little cantankerous at times, but she won't bother you all that much. You won't need to pay a bond either which I imagine might be awkward for you."

Nicole wasn't certain that it sounded all that great, but it had to be an improvement on the current arrangement of sleeping on Danni's sofa bed and being tortured by a man she couldn't have.

"That sounds fine to me," she said in a bright voice.

"Great, I'll have a word with Angela and let you know tomorrow - if she says yes, I'll take you round there for a look, okay?"

"Thanks, Sue, that's very kind of you." 

Sue stubbed out her cigarette and stood up wearily. "See you back inside in five minutes," she said before disappearing back into the fray.

Nicole finished her cup of tea with her eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. She hoped that Danni didn't take offence when she told her she was planning on moving out. It wasn't as if she hated living there – it was just too uncomfortable in so many ways. No, moving out and finding other accommodation was the right thing to do. She had no great desire to watch Rob get back with Lizzie again. 

"Nicole!" Sue was shouting for her from the kitchen and she stood up, pouring the dregs of her tea onto the patch of weeds by the wall. It sounded like a coach load had just dropped in for cream teas all round – oh joy. Back to work...

* * *

Nicole followed Sue up an overgrown pathway to a large Victorian town house. It stood on a quiet street with several others, all of them slightly faded and genteel looking. She felt like she had stepped back into another era and any moment now a horse and carriage was going to rumble past. 

Sue's friend Angela had agreed to meet her and she was hopeful that the old woman would like her and therefore offer her a room. Sue seemed to think it was a dead cert, but Nicole was less optimistic. Besides, she still hadn't broken the news to Danni yet and she was not looking forward to that. It felt like she was sticking two fingers up at her to be moving out so soon after everything her friend had done for her. 

Luckily Danni and Rob had both been out when she nipped home after her shift in the café. She had managed to grab a shower, change into some clean clothes and dash back out again. The thought of seeing Rob made her stomach churn. She still felt a total idiot for kissing him this morning. She really should have known better after her recent experiences. Oh well, one day she might learn from her mistakes.

Sue rang the doorbell and from deep within the house a loud chiming sounded. They waited a while and Nicole began to wonder if maybe the old woman had gone out. Eventually the door creaked open to reveal a small stooped figure with a shock of blue-white hair. 

"Angela, this is Nicole – the girl I told you about," announced Sue briskly.

"Hello, dear," said Angela, scrutinising Nicole carefully. 

Nicole felt like she was under a microscope as the old woman's beady eyes assessed her from head to toe. Then Angela stepped to one side and Nicole followed Sue inside the house.

The first thing that struck Nicole was the silence. As soon as the large front door closed, all the sounds from the street outside vanished. The cool air was thick with the scent of violets and from somewhere a distant clock ticked rhythmically. The black and white floor tiles were smooth and polished beneath Nicole's feet and she found herself fascinated by the symmetrical pattern.

It reminded her of Nan's old house back in Cornwall. That house had been sold; probably converted into a guest house or some such monstrosity by now. Nan would have turned in her grave if she'd known, but fortunately she passed away before she was forced to move out of her beloved house and into a nursing home. 

Nicole still missed her. The holidays the family had spent there had been wonderful; endless days playing on the golden sands. She and Kate had been inseparable back then. With only a year between them, they had been as close as two sisters could be. Apart from the occasional fall outs of course. 

All through their teenage years and beyond, they had stayed close. Not even boyfriends had come between them. They had always been attracted to different type's right from the early days. Nicole had gone for the clean cut sporty boys and Kate had preferred the scruffy bikers. 

Until Sean.

"This would be your room if you're interested," said Angela loudly. Nicole jumped when she realised she was supposed to be looking at the attic bedroom. She glanced round and saw immediately that it was a large sunny room at the top of the house with an en suite bathroom in the corner. 

"It's lovely," she commented sincerely. 

"It used to be my daughters room, years ago," Angela said. "She lives in New Zealand now and I haven't seen her for a long time.

"I'm sorry," Nicole said sympathetically. "That must be hard for you."

Angela shrugged philosophically. "I'm an old lady and my daughter has her own life to live."

Nicole caught the sad expression on the woman's face and knew immediately that it hurt more than she was letting on.

"If it's okay with you, I'll take the room," she said. It was big enough and not too far from the café. She'd miss Danni but they would still see each other. It was about time she made a fresh start and kick-started her life again. It was hardly convenient to go on sleeping on Danni's sofa bed forever. Now all she had to do was break the news to Danni and Rob...

* * *

"Why?" asked Danni in astonishment.

Nicole looked out of the kitchen window and wondered how on earth she could explain her motives for leaving. It seemed a bad idea to mention Rob's involvement, but it was the main reason if she was honest.

"I can't sleep on your sofa for ever," she said instead. That was the truth too, so she felt a little better.

"Yeah, I guess it isn't all that comfortable is it?" Danni conceded. "Can you afford this room though?"

"Yes. And she didn't want a deposit so that's even better."

"Well I know we haven't exactly been mates forever and a day – but I'm missing you already," Danni grinned. "I've kinda got used to you being here and it was good to have another woman around the flat. Got to be better than that dickhead brother of mine..." 

"Saying nice things about me again?" said Rob as he stuck his head around the kitchen door. He glanced at Nicole but she turned away and examined the peeling wallpaper with great interest. It was too embarrassing being in the same room as him especially when she knew he was not really interested in her. She still cringed when she thought about the way she had reacted – god how stupid he must think she was.

Danni stuck her middle finger up at him and he scowled. "Anyway, I'll see you both later; I'm meeting Jonny for a drink down the Red Lion. Bye," he said to the pair of them. Then he disappeared before Danni could tell him Nicole was moving out. She heaved a sigh of relief. Now she could just pack her meagre belongings and go without any awkward moments.

"Need a hand moving?" Danni asked.

Nicole burst out laughing. "I think I can manage my one bag thanks!" she chuckled wryly. "But thanks anyway. You are more than welcome to come and see it you know?"

"Hey, don't tempt me. I'll be round every night!"

"I do appreciate everything you've done to help me. I can't thank you enough Danni – you've been wonderful to me in the last few weeks." For a moment Nicole felt like crying. It was strange - she thought she had put all the anguish behind her, but just when she figured she had moved on, it crept back and bit her again. Like a bad tempered dog with a grudge. 

"What can I say?" Danni smiled, "I'm just amazing."

"Modest too..." added Rob as he stuck his head round the door again.

"I thought you were meeting Jonny?" said Danni in surprise.

"I was...until he had a better offer from that girl's he's been after for weeks. She finally agreed to a date so I was dumped via text message." He rolled his eyes and Danni sniggered.

"Never mind, Bro, you should be used to that by now!"

"Oh fuck off, Danni," he growled and she stuck her tongue out at him defiantly.

Nicole realised suddenly that she was going to miss the endless bickering between them. As annoying as it was, it had kept her amused and provided her with a distraction that was sorely needed. 

She took the opportunity to slip out of the room and finish collecting her stuff together as they continued to trade insults. The only thing she wouldn't miss was the hideously uncomfortable sofa bed. Casting a baleful glance at the lumpy cushions, she tidied it up and folded the duvet in a neat pile. Once a few items of washing had been retrieved from the dryer, she was ready to go. 

For a moment she looked around the small room and felt almost nostalgic. It wasn't terribly pretty, but it had been home for a while. Even the tacky ornaments felt like family heirlooms now. But it was time to move on again. Eventually she would find a more permanent residence. Maybe then she could settle down.

Rob was nowhere in sight when Nicole cautiously peered into the kitchen. Danni was stood by the cooker extractor fan smoking one of her foul smelling herbal cigarettes. The pale smoke wafted up into the filtered hood, thus avoiding polluting the kitchen with an evil stench.

"I'm off, Danni," Nicole announced brightly. "Don't want to be late for my dinner..." She edged towards the hallway, her bag grasped tightly in her hand. The last thing she wanted was to see Rob before she left and she anxiously listened for his footsteps.


"Okay, let me come and wave you off. I can think about the meal I won't be eating while you abandon me to my arse of a brother."

She stubbed her cigarette out in an ash tray and hopped down off the worktop. They walked down the dingy hall and Nicole opened the front door. "Thanks again, Danni," she said, her voice almost cracking with a sudden surge of emotion.

Danni pulled her close and hugged her tightly. "It was my pleasure," she whispered in Nicole's ear. "I'll see you at the café tomorrow anyway, and you can make me jealous with tales of cooked breakfast in bed!"

"Yeah right!" sniffed Nicole. 

"Hey, are you leaving us?" Rob's voice startled them and both girls turned to face him as he reappeared in the hallway.

"Yeah, hasn't she told you? She's found a nicer place to live with meals and polite folk who don't smell of body odour like you!"

Rob ignored his sister's jibe and stared at Nicole in surprise. "Are you really leaving?" he asked with a fathomless expression on his bruised face.

"Yep," she confirmed. She looked down at the floor and willed herself to maintain a bland smile. 

"Oh," Rob said. For an awkward moment there was a strained silence and Nicole felt terrible. He seemed really offended by the fact she was going.

"I thought it was about time I stopped taking advantage of your hospitality," she said in a rush. "You've both been too kind to me."

"No problem," said Rob with a faint smile. "We enjoyed having you." He looked at her hard and Nicole was immediately reminded of the heated kiss in the hallway. She felt her cheeks begin to flame in embarrassment and she almost fell through the doorway in her rush to escape the claustrophobia that suddenly enveloped her. 

"I gotta go," she apologised hurriedly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Danni. Bye, Rob."

"Bye, Nic, take care!" Danni's voice followed her down the stairs.

Nicole practically ran out into the street, the memory of Rob's parting words bouncing around in her fevered brain. She had imagined that she would feel relieved to be away from him, but now she found that she was sorry to have left. The thought of not seeing him again made her feel quite desolate as she walked quickly down the cobbled street towards the harbour.

* * *

Rob was stretched out on the settee watching television when he heard the faint knock on the front door. Scowling with irritation, he reluctantly hauled his body up and padded down the hall to see who the hell was there. It better not be that bloody annoying neighbour again, he thought venomously. She seemed to think any noise above the level of a whisper was grounds for complaint. 

With a grimace he pasted a plastic smile on his face and unlocked the door. The smile faltered slightly when he saw who was standing there and he felt a sudden rush of pleasure despite his earlier annoyance.

"Hi, sorry to bug you, but I think I left my hair brush here. Rather than fork out for another one, I figured I would drop by and pick it up..." Nicole's voice trailed off as Rob stood there in the doorway, his bruised purple eye in no way diminishing his sex appeal.

"You best come in then," he said levelly. "Danni has gone out so I'm here alone if that isn't too scary." There was a slight edge to his voice and Nicole stopped dead in the hallway.

His words had stung her and she turned to face him defiantly. "I'm not scared of you."

"No?" He looked less than convinced. 


Leap of Faith Ch. 02



"No! I decided to move out because I felt like I was taking advantage of you both – not because of..." She couldn't quite bring herself to make a direct reference to the kiss they had shared.

Rob clearly didn't believe a word of it. He folded his arms and raised one eyebrow. "Sleeping on the hideous sofa bed was hardly taking advantage of us – it was more like a punishment I imagine!" He grinned suddenly and Nicole's irritation melted away. She couldn't help but grin back. He was right – it had been pure torture.

The atmosphere lightened and they both relaxed. "You really didn't need to go, you know," Rob said softly. "I rather liked having you around. You're less annoying than my sister and you don't bite my head off every morning."

He took a step closer and Nicole felt her heart skip a beat. She could smell the faint aroma of his aftershave and her senses began to ignite. 

"She's only annoying because she IS your sister."

"True...I'm just relieved YOU'RE not my sister – I'm not feeling very brotherly towards you right at this moment..."

His eyes glittered for a split second and then before she realised what his intention was, he kissed her again. It felt like they had been leading up to this moment right from the last time it had happened. Nicole tried to remember all the reasons she shouldn't be doing this - and failed miserably. Surely Lizzie had to be out of the picture if he was kissing her like this?

All she could think about was the feel of his hard body pressing her against the wall. Part of her was aware that she really ought to be heading back to her new home, but her libido was ignoring that faint protest. She surrendered her soul to the sensation of being kissed forcefully, her mouth plundered and explored in a rising tide pf passion.

"Where did you leave that hairbrush?" Rob asked suddenly when he broke away from her. 

For a moment Nicole couldn't string two coherent thoughts together. "Err...what?" she said with a dazed expression.

"Never mind," he grinned, his eyes glinting in the dimly lit hall. "I think I know where we should start looking first." 

Grasping her hand, he pulled her firmly into his bedroom and kicked the door shut. "Don't want to be interrupted by Danni this time," he said by way of explanation. Before Nicole had a chance to pass comment on this unexpected turn of events, she was silenced into submission by his mouth.

Rob knew damn well that he was pushing things, but he felt powerless to stop. Seeing her there on the doorstep, her huge blue eyes staring at him innocently and the generous swell of her breasts evident beneath the cotton top she wore, was pure, sweet temptation. It was more than enough to remind him of the last time he had tasted those honeyed lips.

Once tasted, never forgotten, he thought slightly irrelevantly. She squirmed against him, inflaming his desire to stratospheric levels. How different she felt to Lizzie; soft and curvy by comparison to Lizzie's lean frame. Her soft breasts were crushed against the wall of his chest and he felt the hard nubs of her nipples rubbing through his tee-shirt.

Nicole felt her arousal rapidly shooting out of control. This wasn't meant to be happening. She hadn't expected Rob to be here alone; she had hoped he wouldn't be here at all really. Now she was in his bedroom, kissing him with all the pent up emotions of the last few weeks. Sean was the last person in the world she was thinking about.

The only person she wanted was Rob.

When he brushed his fingers against the swell of her breast, she sucked in a sharp breath. Her need for more was fighting with her self restraint. Desire won the battle and she ground her hips into the hard heat of his erection, enjoying the growl he uttered against her mouth.

"God I want you." He pulled back slightly, his breathing laboured as he looked into her eyes intently. 

"What about Lizzie?" she heard herself ask breathlessly, her cheeks flushed. 

"She's history." 

Nicole wanted desperately to trust him. She needed to believe that this was not going to be a quick fling and that he wasn't just using her as a means for revenge. Her hesitancy must have mirrored in her eyes for he said, "Trust me, I won't hurt you."

She searched his face for any indication that he was lying to her and found none. Her body screamed at her to finish what they had started and she decided recklessly to cast caution to the winds for once in her life. If it ended in tears so be it. She would survive. If she could recover from the devastation left in the wake of Sean and Katie, then she could pretty much survive anything else life threw at her.

"Don't hurt me," she whispered in a small voice and Rob felt his heart contract.

"I promise I won't," he replied before bending his head towards her and touching his lips to hers with the sweetest of kisses. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and surrendered to the feel of his body. One hand threaded though her hair and held her close, while the other slid down the side of her body leaving a burning path in its wake. Her breasts were aching and Nicole silently pleaded for him to touch them; to caress them as she needed.

Her unspoken plea was soon answered when Rob slipped an exploratory hand beneath her top and reached to cup her heavy breasts encased within the lacy bra. His thumb rubbed across her hard nipple and she moaned into his mouth, continuing to push her pelvis against him in small inflammatory movements.

Rob grasped the bottom of her cotton shirt and pulled it up, anxious to explore her luscious body in greater detail. He slid his hand inside the bra cup and scooped the breast out, immediately lowering his mouth to take the rosy nipple between his lips. As he suckled gently, her felt her quivering in a paroxysm of feverish delight and he struggled to contain his own desire. His cock was aching within the confines of his trousers and he fought to control himself. 

He moved his attention to the other breast and licked the nipple, pulling on it with his lips. Nicole groaned and clenched her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. She thought she was going to die of pleasure in a minute. Her sex was throbbing with unrequited lust and she couldn't recall a time when she had ever been this turned on.

"Please..." she muttered almost incoherently.

"Please what?" he asked, amusement evident in his voice.

"Touch me," she pleaded.

A hand swept downwards and slipped between her thighs, rubbing across the coarse fabric of her jeans. She pushed herself against the pressure, seeking relief from the ache. Impatiently, Rob managed to unbutton her jeans and yank the zip down. In seconds he had them pushed down her thighs and his fingers were inside her soaking pussy. 

"Oh yes!" she gasped. He watched the emotions flit across her face as he pushed deeper inside her. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were flushed pink. She looked so damn sexy it was all he could do not to come then and there. Gritting his teeth, he concentrated on giving her pleasure and firmly ignored the ache in his balls.

Nicole was utterly lost in the moment. She was barely aware that her jeans had been pulled down. All her concentration was zeroed in on his fingers stroking her sex and rubbing across her swollen clit. The pressure built, sharp spikes of pleasure tightening up within her midsection. Then without warning everything exploded in a blinding flash of brilliance.

Sharp spasms of pleasure rippled through her and she buried her face in his neck, unable to think or speak as her body lit up like a firework. Slowly her orgasm faded away and she was left with lingering aftershocks fluttering through her sex.

Opening her eyes again, she smiled at him dreamily. "Wow," was all she could manage to say.

He chuckled and pulled her hard against his cock, reminding her that he was waiting patiently for more. Nicole languidly pulled her top over her head and released her bra. Her skin was damp with perspiration. She reached down and grasped his shaft through his trousers. He was as hard as stone. The sharp intake of breath when she touched him told her how aroused he was. It made her smile faintly to know that this was because of her. 

For a moment an unwelcome thought of Sean flashed into her mind and she flinched slightly. Quickly she kissed Rob, determined to vanquish Sean's memory by losing herself in the heat of the moment. She found herself being pushed backwards until her legs were touching the edge of the bed. Rob pushed her jeans down further and she kicked them off along with her sodden knickers.

"I need to fuck you," he said harshly. 

"Have you got any condoms?" 

She had stopped taking the pill when she left Sean. At the time she hadn't considered that she would ever be having sex with another man again. She still couldn't quite believe she was having sex now actually. It felt rather unreal – like she was watching someone else who looked just like her. 

"Yeah, in the drawer next to the bed," he said as he leaned over to pull a packet of condoms out. The foil packets scattered on the bed like confetti. "Come here," he commanded, reaching out for her.

Rob pulled her on top of him, enjoying the weight of her body as she lay astride him. Her hair cascaded around his face and he felt cocooned within a sensuous veil. He could feel the heat from her burning through his trousers and he knew he had to get inside her soon; his cock was becoming ever more insistent. 

In one swift movement he rolled them over until he was lying on top of her. "We can still stop you know," he offered, hoping she didn't take him up on this.

"Why - do you want to stop?" Nicole looked worried for a moment and he smiled.

"No!" he said with a faint laugh. "Course I don't." 

He forced himself to think about Lizzie. For the first time in ages he didn't experience any kind of pain when he pictured his ex girlfriend's face. Maybe Nicole was the key to his recovery? He suddenly realised that he no longer felt anything for Lizzie. He was over her and it was a great feeling. 

The naked woman lying beneath him was the only person who mattered right now. Lizzie was but a distant memory. 

"One of us is over dressed I think," he said softly.

Nicole grinned. "Well it isn't me!" 

Rob quickly jumped up and stripped off his clothes. Once he was naked, he lay back down on the bed and propped himself up on one elbow. One finger traced a pattern on Nicole's breast, circling her nipple slowly. Her breathing became shallower and she watched him intently as he drew ever decreasing circles towards the erect peak in the centre.

With her own hand she reached out and grasped the hard shaft of his cock, rubbing her thumb across the sticky glans. Almost as one they closed the gap between their bodies and kissed. It was a slow, deep kiss, full of promise. Nicole felt herself sinking into a morass of swirling dark desire. It was as if she was being sucked into a whirlpool of sensations; her needs and wants superseded any rational thoughts she might have had. She was utterly lost.

Rob half rolled on top of her body, aware that he needed to call a temporary halt before it all got out of hand. The condoms were scattered on the bed mere centimetres away, but it was surprisingly difficult to move away from Nicole for even the short time it would take to grab one of the shiny foil packets.

His cock was achingly hard and he could feel the tightening in his balls. There was a limit to how much more torment he could endure. He needed release soon. It really wasn't helping matters when her hand was teasingly rubbing across his shaft.

"Careful," he muttered when they broke for air. "I'm enjoying that too much."

"Sorry," she gasped, a faint grin flitting across her face.

Rob reached out and grabbed one of the condoms. He tore open the packet with his teeth and pulled the rubber sheath out, reluctantly releasing his hold on Nicole to roll it down over his length. 

Nicole stroked his balls and looked at him, her eyes half closed and her face flushed. She wanted him, but suddenly she found herself too shy to actually say the words. Instead she leant forward and hooked her thigh over his, allowing his cock to slide between her legs and nestle in the slick folds of her aroused pussy. 

He rocked his hips and she felt the tip of his cock rubbing over her clit. The sensation was exquisite and she moaned into his mouth, shivering with desire. 

"That feels good," she said with a groan. 

"Not as good as this," Rob answered hoarsely as he pushed inside her hot, tight channel. 

God she felt so amazing. He forced himself to pause once he was all the way inside, or as deep as he could go in this position. Her tight sheath gripped him like a velvet glove and even the condom failed to deaden the sweet feeling of being inside her. He wanted to fuck her hard, but it was impossible when they were lying on their sides, so he thrust gently, kissing her lingeringly as they moved together.

Nicole gripped his backside firmly, trying to pull him deeper inside her. She could feel her orgasm a heart beat away and she rubbed her clit against him. Within moments she burst into spasms of intense pleasure, closing her eyes against the rush of ecstasy. 

The feeling of her pussy clamping tightly round his cock made him gasp out loud. Long slow ripples caressed his swollen shaft and he quickly rolled them over until she was on her back. Pulling her thigh up to his chest, he began to fuck her hard and deep, pushing himself to the edge of reason. Her orgasm continued reach new heights as Rob thrust deeply inside her, bending to suck her nipples as he leant over her.

"Oh fuck, I'm gonna cum!" he gasped harshly. With one final thrust he felt his orgasm blast out in a blinding rush. Conscious thought was obliterated in the few seconds it took before the sensation faded and he collapsed beside her, his cock sliding wetly from her body.

Nicole rolled towards him, her skin slick with sweat. She felt the pleasure fade away and her body cooled off, her skin clammy with sweat. Doubts and fears began to crowd her mind as the reality of what she'd done crashed over her. Now her desire was sated, she was horribly aware that she had just had sex with someone other than Sean. She wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not – right now she felt as if it was wrong. 

As good as it had been she was beginning to convince herself it was a huge mistake. Did she really need another man in her life? Would Rob think she was easy for falling into bed so quickly? Was Lizzie really out of the picture?

The questions and doubts came thick and fast and suddenly all she wanted was to go back to her new bed and sleep. It was late and she had work in the morning.

"I'd better go," she said quietly, rolling away and looking for her clothes. She felt so tired now and she desperately needed a shower. 

"Can't you stay?" asked Rob in surprise. He wasn't used to girls disappearing quite so quickly after sex. Generally they wanted to stick around for as long as possible. 

"Better not," she answered as she pulled her clothes on hurriedly. "Danni will be back soon and I don't really want her to see me like this."

Rob couldn't understand why she had gone all funny on him. "What's wrong?" he said as he sat up and grabbed her shoulder.

Nicole turned round to face him reluctantly. "Nothing..." she said unconvincingly.

"Yes there is – I can see something's bothering you. Tell me."

"Nothing really...I just don't want you thinking that I do this all the time."

"Why would I think that?"

"Well, it's not like we know each other all that well and up until a few days ago, you were seeing Lizzie."

Rob pulled her into the circle of his arms and said firmly, "I have spent enough time with you over the last few weeks to know I like you lots. As I've already told you, Lizzie is history and she knows this. I have had enough of her to last me several lifetimes and if I never see her again it will be too soon! Okay?"

Nicole looked sheepishly at him. "Sorry, I know I'm being silly..." she apologised.

"No, its okay – I know you've had a bad time of it recently. Danni hasn't told me much but she did say some guy really hurt you. I'm not like that and I won't intentionally hurt you – I promise."

He smiled gently at her and cupping her chin with his hand, kissed her softly. "I care about you, Nicole," he whispered. "Lots."

She felt warmth stealing over her and her belly did flip flops. The doubts that had assailed her began to dissipate into the cool night air. Maybe she really was being silly. Maybe she should take a leap of faith and trust him...

"Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," she said with a ghost of a smile. "But I still need to go home. I have to work tomorrow and if I stay, neither of us will get any sleep!"

"Yeah, you're right about that one," conceded Rob with a wink. "Give me a minute to pull some clothes back on and I'll walk you home."

He quickly dressed and once Nicole had grabbed her hairbrush from the bathroom, they left the flat and walked hand in hand back to her new home. The night was cool and clear with the moon shining down and casting silver light across the town. Down by the harbour twinkling lights glimmered and in the distance the sea-front fairground rides could be glimpsed with their gaudy colours and deafening music. 

They reached Nicole's front door and embraced tenderly. "You'll have to come round sometime," she said before she kissed him.

"Is that an invitation?" he asked with a laugh.

"Oh yeah..." They kissed for ages, small nibbling touches at first, gradually becoming more intense as passion began to rise again.

"Enough!" Rob protested finally. "I'll never be able to sleep if you get me all hot and bothered again!"

Nicole giggled and dug her key from her pocket. "Night night, sweet dreams," she said, blowing him a kiss as she disappeared indoors.

Rob stayed for a moment, staring at the door like a love-struck teenager. Then he mentally scolded himself for his idiocy and headed back to the flat. Danni was there when he strolled in with a silly grin plastered on his face.

"It's rather late," she observed with a knowing grin. "Where have you been oh brother dear?"

Rob thought fast. It was too soon to mention about Nicole, so he said blithely, "Went to see Lizzie. Right I'm off to bed. Night." 

He disappeared into his bedroom before Danni had a chance to say another word and she was left staring after him in confusion. The last time he had mentioned Lizzie, he had told her it was over. What in the hell was he playing at now? 

God...men! She'd never understand them. With an exasperated sigh she headed off to her own bed. 



Leap of Faith Ch. 03



Nicole wandered down the promenade, lost in her thoughts. She had an afternoon off and she'd decided to go for a walk to try and clear her head. Idly she licked a chocolate ice cream cone and stared out pensively across the bay. It was a heavily overcast day; thick banks of ominous clouds rolled towards her, interspersed with the occasional flash of azure sky and bright sunlight.

The tide was creeping in with huge waves crashing on to the pebbly beach in flurries of white foam. It was starkly beautiful. Tourists were few and far between with only the brave daring to venture out in the biting north wind. Nicole was oblivious. She walked along slowly, her shoulders hunched up tightly in a thick wool coat she'd picked up for a few pounds at a charity shop. 

Her cheeks were pink from the cold and her hair blew in wild abandon around her shoulders. Every now and again she smiled to herself as a random memory skipped into her mind. Ever since last night she had been plagued with thoughts of Rob and it was seriously distracting.

Luckily Danni had not been at work today. Nicole couldn't face her friend just yet. She wasn't quite ready to share the gory details of the unexpected fling. Besides, Nicole wasn't too sure what Danni would say when she told her that she'd had sex with Danni's brother. It was too cringe worthy to contemplate at the moment.

She stood at the railings, staring unseeing at the curtain of rain moving across the stretch of churning grey sea. The sky was darkening ominously, but she was uncaring. The chocolate ice cream slid down her throat in a cold sweet trickle of flavour. It was delicious even though her hand was freezing from holding the cone. 

"You do realise that you're about to get soaked?" The voice behind her made her jump in shock. She hadn't realised anyone was nearby. Spinning round with the ice cream momentarily forgotten, she smiled shyly.

Rob was standing there dressed in his running gear and smiling cheerfully, his thick blonde hair covered with a baseball cap.

"I like the rain -- it's beautiful in a fundamental kinda way," she said slightly defiantly. She knew it made her sound a little weird, but she didn't care -- it was true. She had always loved rain and storms. Kate had been frightened of thunder, but Nicole had often watched the lightning streak across the sky in enraptured delight. 

"Right...so does this mean you like to frolic naked in the rain too?" Rob asked, trying to stop laughing.

"Oh very funny!" Nicole glared at him and turned away huffily.

"Shame...I like getting naked in the rain. I was just about to rejoice thinking I'd found a soul-mate!" 

Nicole giggled despite herself. "Stop taking the piss out of me," she grumbled in helpless amusement.

"I'm not taking the piss. But I am waiting for a nibble of your ice cream. Are you gonna share?"

Reluctantly she offered him her cone and watched as he took a huge bite out of the remaining ice cream. He passed it back and grinned. "God that's cold!"

"Yep, I find ice cream usually is!" Her sarcasm wasn't lost on Rob and he stuck his tongue out in response. 

Thick drops of rain began to fall from the leaden sky and Rob grabbed her hand hurriedly. "Quick!" he yelled above the roar of the wind that had suddenly picked up momentum. "We're gonna get drenched if we don't move."

He pulled her along the deserted promenade and into one of the ornate Victorian shelters that were situated at intervals along the walkway. It was hardly warm in there, but at least they were out of the pouring rain and sheltered from the biting wind.

Moving into the farthest corner, he sat down on the scratched wooden seat and pulled her onto his lap with a smile. "That's better," he commented. "You're nice and warm!"

Well I'm dressed for the weather -- unlike you!" she chided softly, enjoying the feel of his hard body against hers, even through the thick coat she wore. Heat began to surge through her veins like warm molasses while she nibbled on the remains of the cone and her other arm snaked round his neck.

"Hmm...well, I figured I could manage to get home before the rain came. I was wrong! Running in the pouring rain is no damn fun. However...this is!" He winked at her and she grinned back conspiratorially. It felt like they were cocooned in their own private world. 

Nicole ate the last mouthful of cone as the rain hammered down on the wrought iron roof like a clatter of pebbles. Rob pulled her closer into his arms and she sighed happily. 

"About last night..." he said softly.

Nicole immediately tensed up. Was he going to say he regretted it? Or worse -- was he about to tell her he was getting back with Lizzie and could they forget all about last night? 

"Yes?" said Nicole warily, arranging her features into what she hoped was a neutral look.

"Hey, stop glaring at me like I'm about to say something terrible!" he scolded. "What I was ABOUT to say was, I really enjoyed last night and I hope it won't be the last time..." 

And he meant it. He had thought about nothing else since the moment they had parted last night. He was smitten and he was actually feeling slightly overwhelmed by the strength of his emotional reaction. It was not like him at all. Women came and went and usually made little impact on him. Lizzie had been the exception to the rule, but mostly because she wound him up so damn much.

Nicole melted into a warm puddle as she heard the words. "Really?" she asked hesitantly, still not quite daring to believe he meant it.

"Yes -- really!" he grinned. "Now would be good for me, but it is kinda cold, so I'm prepared to wait a little longer. Would tonight be okay for you?" He winked lecherously and she burst out laughing helplessly.

"I'm starting to think you're only after my body," she said with a mock frown. 

"Well it is a very sexy body..." He slid his hand inside her coat and squeezed her breast. Her nipple hardened instantly and she sucked in a sharp breath. Arousal was a heart beat away and she felt the subtle ache begin to throb between her legs once again. 

"Is it?" she said, looking for some reassurance.

"Oh yes -- very sexy..." He pulled her head down and kissed her, his lips chilled but his tongue warm as it slipped into her mouth and tasted her flavour.

Nicole wriggled slightly, trying to get closer to him and was rewarded with a low groan. She could feel the hard ridge of his erection through the thin fabric of his tracksuit bottoms and she felt a sense of feminine power knowing she had such an incendiary effect on him. 

An exploratory hand delved beneath her jumper and found the warm flesh of her breast. She moaned into his mouth, wanting more than the superficial caress. A slow burning heat warmed her skin and despite the chill of the air she could feel her body temperature rising swiftly. Her coat opened and parted, allowing Rob to gain further access to her body.

She slid her own hand inside his zipped top, feeling the taut muscles of his chest and the hard nubs of his nipples. Tweaking one she was rewarded with a hiss and he nipped her lip lightly. 

"Careful," he muttered. "Don't start something you can't finish."

She laughed lightly. "Who says I can't finish it?" she grinned naughtily. "There's nobody else here..." 

"Witch!" he groaned when she reached down and rubbed his cock through his trousers. He felt deliciously hard and for a moment she entertained a vision of releasing his cock and taking the swollen head in her mouth, licking and sucking gently. 

He deepened their kiss and reached inside her bra, rubbing his thumb across the crest of her nipple. Nicole was rapidly losing any sense of time and place; all her concentration was centred on the feelings he was invoking. Her pussy ached and she could feel the creamy moisture soaking her knickers. 

The sounds of chattering made them hurriedly remove their hands from each other's clothing. Nicole half turned and realised that the rain had ceased and two elderly ladies were about to enter the shelter for a rest. She went to jump off Rob's knee when he stopped her.

"Give me a minute," he warned ruefully. 

For a second she didn't understand what he meant, then the realisation dawned and she blushed slightly. He buttoned her coat up and when they had recovered slightly, Nicole carefully stood up.

The two women looked at them curiously for a moment, knowing smiles on their wizened faces. Then they returned to discussing their families and paid no more attention to the couple. Nicole hurried outside, still feeling embarrassed at being caught canoodling in a shelter. It made her feel like a teenager again. 

The sky was streaked with blue once more and the black clouds had been replaced with fluffy white ones, billowing across the bay. Everything sparkled in the sunlight, gleaming with tiny jewels of delicate colour. 

"I need to go -- I have to finish my run. Wanna do something tonight?" Rob asked, placing his hands on her waist.

"What did you have in mind?" she smirked

He chuckled. "Hmm don't tempt me! But let's start with a drink okay?"

"Okay..." Nicole could feel the giddiness threatening to burst out of her like a sherbet bomb. She wondered if it was illegal to feel this good on a wet Wednesday afternoon.

"Great! I'll pick you up at about eight o'clock and we'll see where the evening takes us. Gotta go." He kissed her hard and was gone. Nicole stood for a while, watching him running down the promenade until he was a tiny speck in the distance. The sun felt warm on her back and she felt tiny slivers of excitement curling inside her belly at the thought of seeing him later. 

* * *

They found a table in a quiet pub near the sea front. It wasn't one of Rob's usual haunts as he felt it would be prudent to avoid anywhere Lizzie might be drinking. The last thing he wanted was a hysterical scene. Even though he had told her it was over, he just knew that she would go ballistic if she thought she had been dumped for another woman. He didn't want to inflict any trouble on Nicole. She had had enough of that to last a lifetime.

"So are you gonna tell me what brought you to our scenic town?" he asked cautiously as the sat in a small booth, his arm resting lightly across her shoulders.

Nicole went silent. She wasn't too sure about raking it all up again. In the last couple of days much of the pain had finally been laid to rest in her head. It seemed like she would be tempting fate if she mentioned it out loud -- like a horrible curse being invoked when the dreaded words were spoken.

But then she thought about it -- if they were to have any kind of relationship, everything needed to be out in the open. She had to be honest with him. 

"My ex cheated on me," she said quietly. "I caught him in bed with my sister -- so I left." She tensed up expecting the familiar pain to shoot through her midsection, but to her surprise she found it didn't hurt quite so much any more. It was like looking at a sepia tinted photo -- it felt less real somehow.

Rob winced at the confession. He could barely imagine the agony of betrayal and hurt she must have suffered.

"I'm so sorry," he said sincerely. "That's a terrible thing to happen to anyone; especially when it was your sister involved."

"Thanks..." Nicole looked up at him and smiled faintly. "I'm over it now," she said firmly. "Well...mostly anyway."

The raucous laughter and loud music emanating from the jukebox in the corner faded into the distance. Nicole felt like the room had shrunk until there was only the two of them in it. She looked into his eyes and saw her own sadness reflected back at her. She just hoped he wouldn't hurt her too.

"Have you heard from them since?" Rob asked, his hand squeezing hers lightly.

"Nope. They won't know where to find me -- I didn't exactly leave a forwarding address. It was all a mess when I left." She silently recalled the blinding rush from the house and the subsequent bus ride to nowhere. She had been too shocked and upset to consider anything that night, least of all writing a farewell note with a proposed destination.

"What about your parents? Do they know where you are?"

"Dad died when I was twelve and my mum remarried a year later. I didn't get on with her new husband and once I left home, I didn't really have much to do with them. Kate talks to them more frequently, but I'm not sure if she'd have told mum about this."

No, thought Rob grimly, she probably wouldn't have had the nerve.

"Where did you come from anyway?" he asked, realising that he knew very little about her life before she arrived here.

"I'm from Harchester. Not all that far really, but it seems a million miles away now. Sean and I had a flat above the pub his parents owned. He worked there and I was going to college..." 

She stopped and stared into the middle distance. What a waste of a year that had been. All her grand plans for setting up a children's nursery had bitten the dust the evening she did a runner. She doubted she'd get another college place now. Besides, she would have to pay the course fees and there was no way on earth she could afford it. 

"Which pub was it? I've had a few nights out there in my time. My mates and I used to have a band and we played all over for a year or so. 'Till Sam left and we had no lead singer!"

"The Golden Fleece in the market square."

"Oh yeah, I know it," he said. He seemed to recall being thrown out of a pub with that name in the dim and distant past. "Mock Tudor façade with traditional décor?"

"Yeah that's the one. Nicotine stained ceilings and stuffed animals hanging off the walls..."

Rob laughed. "Not exactly a 'fun pub' was it!"

"Err...no!" she giggled. 

"Sounds like many a pub our band played in..." He began to tell her all about the ill-fated rock band in which he had played bass guitar, while she listened with amusement. 

Before they knew it the landlord was calling last orders. Nicole was surprised to realise it was so late; it felt like they had only just sat down with their drinks. 

"Your place or mine?" asked Rob with a faint grin before he drank the remainder of his pint.

"Oh I don't do sex until the third date..." Nicole sighed regretfully. 

He nearly choked on the beer. "Funny!" 

"I would rather we go back to mine if that's okay. I'm kinda uncomfortable about Danni knowing just yet. My landlady will be in bed, so as long as we are quiet there shouldn't be a problem."

"Do you think you can manage to be quiet?" Rob smirked, his hand on her thigh teasingly.

Nicole felt her cheeks growing warm and she inwardly cursed him. "Shut it or I'll revoke my invitation!" she warned.

He smiled and pulled her close in the relative privacy of the booth they were sat in. "No you won't," he said softly before kissing her. 

No, she thought, I couldn't even if I tried...

* * *

The house was shrouded in darkness when they crept up the back pathway to the side door. Angela had given Nicole a key and explained that it would be less intrusive if she came and went via that entrance. It led through the utility and allowed Nicole to access her attic room via a back staircase so she wouldn't disturb Angela if she came in late. It was ideal as they both had some privacy that way.

Nicole wasn't so sure if Angela would approve of her bringing a man back. She hadn't expressly said 'no men', but nor had she said it was okay. In the absence of clear instructions Nicole decided to take a chance. If the worst happened and Angela caught them, she would just have to plead ignorance. She could always move back in with Rob and Danni if she was unceremoniously evicted. 

They climbed the creaky stairs gingerly, trying not to giggle at the ludicrousness of creeping about like teenagers attempting to slip unnoticed into the house after curfew. The house was pitch-black and Rob banged his ankle on the skirting board when they reached the first landing. 

He let out a muffled yelp and Nicole froze. "Shush!" she hissed. 

Rob rubbed the sore bone and limped after her slowly. His eyes gradually began to adjust to the darkness and he could just about make out the elegant décor. It appeared to be a beautiful house and he was impressed at Nicole's good fortune. It was clearly much nicer than the flat he was currently sharing with Danni. 

They climbed the second staircase and reached Nicole's bedroom. Once inside she shut the door firmly and padded over to the chest by the window. There were several candles placed there from her shopping trip earlier. Striking a match, she lit them and smiled as a warm glow stole over the room sending purple shadows retreating into the corners.

"Nice room," Rob commented as he took a good look around. It was far superior to his cramped bedroom. In fact it was almost as large as their entire flat. The room stretched the length of the building and had obviously been knocked through from several smaller rooms at some point in the past. A door at the far end led off into what appeared to be an en-suite bathroom. 

"Yep, I like it," Nicole replied. She walked over to the window and pulled the blind up. Silvery light flooded the room and painted her figure in a ghostly aura. For a while she stared out at the night sky, looking for the constellations she recognised. It was a way of delaying the inevitable. 

She was scared of her attraction to this man.

Last night had happened so fast she had had little time to consider the consequences. Now, here, in this room, she had a choice. As much as she wanted him, she was unsure of whether she was doing the right thing. All her confidence had seeped away between the cracks in the floorboards and she was wavering.

"Nicole..." Rob called softly. He could see the tension etched in her body and he sensed the conflict in her head. Given everything she had told him, he was not surprised. It was going to take a huge leap of faith to trust him after the way she had been treated.

She continued to stare out of the window, refusing to turn round. Her heart was pounding and she almost didn't hear him when he crept up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. 

"You okay?" 

"I think so..." She took a deep breath in an attempt to quell her trembling body.

"Relax, Nicole, I'm not going to hurt you."

"I want to believe you, but it's hard." She exhaled slowly.

Rob nuzzled her neck and inhaled the warm scent of her fragrant skin. Soft notes of vanilla mingled with Nicole's musky perfume. He could feel himself responding to her close proximity and he tried valiantly to control his passion. She needed time.

He stayed behind her as they both gazed up at the star strewn sky. The curve of her bottom fit snugly in the cradle of his hips, almost like they had been made for each other. His arms wrapped around her waist and he rested his chin on the top of her head comfortably. 

Slowly she relaxed against him, the tension and fear slipping away into the night air. She could feel the hardness of him and it reminded her why they were here. Now she had had a little time to get used to the idea again, her growing arousal vanquished her doubts. The heat began to rise and the blood pumped round her body like hot lava seeping through a volcanic fissure.

Her breasts strained against the fabric of her thin sweater and she felt Rob's hands slowly creeping upwards. Part of her still resisted the need for pleasure and release, but she pushed the nagging voices from her head and allowed her body's demands to take over. Her arms fell to the sides of her body and she arched her back against his firm chest.

Sensing her capitulation, Rob reached up to cup her breasts with both hands. She sighed with pleasure as he rubbed his thumbs across the taut peaks straining against the constriction of her bra. A light sweat broke out all over her skin and she moved restlessly, eager for his hands to make more intimate contact with her body.




Leap of Faith Ch. 03



"See," he murmured into her hair, "How can something this good be wrong?"

He had a point there, she thought shakily. It certainly felt damned good right at that moment. Her pussy felt like it was on fire and she pressed her bottom back against him insistently. Suddenly he pushed her forwards and yanked her top up and over her head, not allowing her an opportunity to fight him. Her bra was unclasped and his hands moved up her ribcage to cup her breasts.

Rob could feel her trembling against him. He sucked in air sharply when she began to push back, teasing him without even realising what she was doing. Heat rose within him, the desire to sink into her receptive body growing ever stronger. 

The candles cast soft shadows and the yellow light turned her skin a golden caramel colour. She was beautiful. Her hair gleamed and cascaded over her shoulders as she turned to face him, watching him through thick, dark eyelashes. Cupping her chin, he kissed her gently. 

She tasted slightly of alcohol - sweet and addictive. Languorously he slipped his tongue between her lips, touching and teasing. He felt her body melting into him, becoming fluid and indistinct as she pulled him closer. Carefully he eased her back towards the edge of the bed, turning them both so that he was sat and she was stood between his thighs.

The scent of vanilla permeated the room, wisps of smoke drifting upwards from the candles lit all around. Rob stared up at her, watching the shadows flickering over her face as the flames nearby spluttered and spat hot wax. He was suddenly loath to move or do anything the interrupt the moment. It was a perfect snapshot in time and he could sense that this was going to be far more than a casual fling.

It was hard to understand what was so different about her. She wasn't the most beautiful woman he had ever dated, although she was very pretty in an understated kind of way. He really couldn't put his finger on it. She was just special and he knew was falling for her.

He just hoped that she felt the same way.

Nicole stood before him, her bare breasts rising up and down, just level with his face. She watched him through the long strands of her hair, wondering why he had paused. Her body was clamouring for more and she tried to ignore the insistent ache spiralling outwards from her throbbing sex. 

Maybe he was having second thoughts, she thought with a sudden chill. Perhaps he was wishing he was somewhere else, with Lizzie. God she was an idiot, she realised as the crushing knowledge began to filter though her fuzzy brain. Of course he wouldn't really be interested in her. He had only spent the evening with her because he felt sorry for her.

She stepped backwards and tried to turn away, hiding her face behind the curtain of hair.

"Hey, what's wrong, Nicole?" Rob asked in surprise. She appeared to be having cold feet all of a sudden and he was bemused as to why. 

"It's late," she muttered, wishing she hadn't allowed her clothes to fall off quite so quickly. She felt horribly vulnerable with half of her body naked.

"It's not so late. Besides, we haven't finished yet..." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back firmly. "You're going nowhere just yet, lady."

Nicole dared herself to look into his face again. To her surprise she saw desire and something indefinable in his eyes. She felt her heart begin to pound all over again as he smiled a slow smile full of promise. One hand slid down from her shoulder, across her collarbone and towards her nipple. When he reached the hard crest, she sighed helplessly and pushed her breasts towards him, her doubts assuaged once more in the fire of his touch.

When a hot, wet mouth covered her nipple and the surrounding flesh, she couldn't help but cry out, her voice echoing around the room softly. The insistent tugging and sucking sent shockwaves deep within her pulsating core and she threw her head back in rapturous bliss. Rob's hand crept up her thigh and slid between her parted legs. 

She felt like she was on fire. With one hand he deftly unfastened her jeans and pushed his fingers inside her panties. The combination of his mouth on her breasts and his fingers strumming across her clit was enough to tip her over the edge of reason. With a gasping cry she came in a series of long shuddering ripples of pleasure. 

Slowly, the heat faded and she relinquished her grip on his hair.

"Ouch," he commented, rubbing his scalp ruefully. "I thought I was gonna end up with a bald patch!"

Nicole giggled despite her embarrassment. "Sorry," she apologised. 

He pulled her down and kissed her, slowly exploring her mouth as he continued to stroke her body. She could feel the hardness of his cock throbbing against her and it fed the fire of her excitement again. The lingering aftershocks of her orgasm continued to pulsate through her body and she began to rub his erection through the denim of his jeans. He groaned when she touched him, his eyes darkening with desire.

"That feels good," he whispered encouragingly and she grinned with sudden delight. She pulled away and dropped down to undo his belt, before releasing the fastening of his jeans. She wanted to give him as much pleasure as he had given her. The thought of taking his cock in her mouth was delicious. 

Slowly and teasingly she pulled his jeans down and reached inside his cotton shorts. His cock was thick and achingly hard. He sucked in a deep breath when her small hand gripped his shaft firmly. A few drops of fluid seeped out as evidence of his arousal. With a flick of her tongue, Nicole licked them up as he watched her intently, his body rigid with tension.

She enjoyed the salty flavour and engulfed the swollen head of his cock in her mouth, swirling her tongue around slowly. Gauging his reaction, she gently moved the tight ring of her lips down the thickness of his length until the glans reached the top of her throat. Carefully she began to slide up and down, keeping her lips sealed tightly while her hand caressed his balls gently.

Rob held himself tightly as he struggled to contain his desire in the face of such an onslaught of sensation. Her mouth was doing things that were so damn good they ought to be illegal. He could feel his orgasm fast approaching and reluctantly he pushed her back, groaning when his cock popped out her pink lips with a wet sound. 

"That's just too good," he explained. "Much longer and I'd have cum."

Nicole smiled saucily and stood up slowly, her hard nipples brushing across the coarse hair on his stomach. She slid her hands beneath his tee shirt and stroked the smooth muscles of his chest. 

He quickly pulled the cotton garment over his head and discarded it on the floor. The feel of naked skin against skin was intensely erotic. Her soft breasts pressed against him as he kissed her lingeringly. His cock was so hard it was almost painful. He wanted to be inside her but he also wanted to prolong the exquisite pleasure of merely touching her as he was doing now. Every light caress and kiss was delicious.

Nicole was not feeling quite so patient. She tugged at his jeans in an attempt to pull them off and he chuckled against her mouth.

"Is there something you want?" he asked with amusement. 

"I want you," she muttered before kissing him again, forcefully.

"I'm all yours, baby..." And he knew it was true. She had him enthralled without any effort at all. He kicked his jeans and shorts away before pulling his socks off. Now it was her turn. In seconds she was naked too, her sexy lace panties strewn carelessly across the floor without a second thought.

He paused to drink in the sight of her nude form. One hand traced the sensuous curve of her waist and hip, trailing down her smooth thigh. "So beautiful..." he breathed reverently. 

Nicole said nothing. She didn't think she was anything special, but she could hear the sincerity in his voice and she felt her heart tighten in pleasure. His words made her feel like a goddess. 

"Lie back on the bed," he asked her. 

She obeyed without hesitation. Her arms were thrown submissively above her head, her body stretched out for his visual pleasure. For a few moments he gazed at her, enjoying the vision of her body arranged for his eyes only. It was an intensely erotic spectacle, but he wanted to do a whole lot more than just look.

Gently he parted her thighs, admiring the way the dark pink folds of her sex glistened with the slick juices of her arousal. She moaned when he briefly brushed his fingers down across her slit. She moaned even more when he buried his face in her pussy and began to taste her honey. 

"Oh god!" she gasped as he sucked on her clit gently. 

Two fingers pushed inside her as a tongue probed and licked her delicate flesh. The sensations invoked were rapidly catapulting Nicole towards another earth shattering climax and she found herself gripping the sheets tightly. Her thighs began to tremble as he concentrated on her clit, building the tension up to unbearable levels. 

Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, she exploded into shards of pleasure. Contractions of blissful sensation crashed over her and everything was briefly obliterated in a sea of ecstasy. There was nothing left but the feel of her body rippling in delicious orgasmic joy.

She was barely aware when he moved away to quickly pull a condom on. The feel of his cock edging inside her pulsating channel only added to her continuing orgasm, heightening the feelings she was experiencing. 

"Oh fuck," Rob gasped as her inner muscles gripped his cock tightly. "I don't know how much longer I can last."

"Please..." she moaned incoherently, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him deeper inside. 

Gritting his teeth, he began to thrust slowly, trying to prolong the sweet sensations. He could feel his balls tightening in anticipation of cumming and he tried to think about something else, anything, to slow the inevitable.

Nicole raked her nails sharply across his back, lost in the moment. Her eyes were shut tightly and she was totally unaware of where she was. All her senses were concentrating on the feeling of fullness and completion centred within her soaring body. The pressure built and she moaned incoherently against the salty skin of his neck.

He began to fuck her harder and faster, propelling them both towards a swift conclusion, the primal urge to spill his seed deep inside her overtaking any desire to make the moment last. Their slick bodies slapped together, heat rendering them slippery with sweat in the dimly lit bedroom. 

Nicole arched her back one final time and dug her nails sharply into Rob's shoulders as she came. He thrust hard inside her, feeling her sex tighten around his shaft with spasms of pleasure. The sensation was enough to finally send him over the edge and he came with a long drawn out growl of satisfaction. It seemed to last forever, but eventually he collapsed on top of her, sated, sliding off to the side slightly, his cock still embedded within her.

They lay on top of her bed, his leg hooked over her thigh and his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Nicole felt herself drifting towards an exhausted slumber and although she was dimly aware that she needed to clean herself up, she was fast asleep within seconds.

Rob gently extricated himself from her when he realised she had drifted off. He climbed off the bed and headed for what he hoped was the bathroom. The used condom was discarded and he quickly had a drink of water. 

It was late and he had work in the morning, but he had no desire to head home. They hadn't discussed him staying, but he was going to anyway. The thought of snuggling up next to her body all night made him smile. He wanted to wake up beside her. It was funny, he mused thoughtfully, staring at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. He had never felt like this about anyone else. Maybe it was a sign he was finally growing up. He certainly knew Danni would have a few choice words to say about the subject of him 'growing up'. 

With a grin, he headed back into the bedroom and extinguished the candles. Moonlight continued to illuminate the room and carefully he pulled the covers down so that he could cover Nicole before she began to feel cold. He climbed back into bed and curled around her sleeping body. She barely stirred; she just snuggled closer into the warmth of his body. 

Rob kissed her neck sleepily before he drifted away into unconsciousness.



Leap of Faith Ch. 04



The early morning sun slanting across the bed awoke Nicole. Blearily she rubbed her tired eyes and tried to focus on her clock. It was just past 6:30 am and earlier than she normally woke up. A faint snoring reminded her of the events of the previous evening and she gingerly turned round.

Rob was laid on his back, fast asleep with his arm thrown out to one side. He looked peaceful as she watched him, his eyelids flickering as he dreamt about things she could only imagine. All she wanted to do was to lie back down and stretch out next to him. But that would be fatal. The chances were strong that she would fall asleep again.

No, he needed to leave before Angela was up and about. The last thing she wanted was for her landlady to see a strange man sneaking out in the early morning. The poor woman would probably be horrified. 

Nicole prodded him gently. He stirred, but still didn't awaken. So she prodded him harder. 

"Ouch," he grumbled eventually. "Do you do that to all your gentleman friends?"

Nicole grinned. "No, normally I kick them out straight after sex."

"I feel privileged then."

"Don't -- you still owe me. Cash only please..." She pasted a stern expression on her face and Rob looked suitably outraged. 

Moving fast, he grabbed her round the waist and pinned her beneath his body. "Will payment in kind do?" he asked with a lecherous smile.

They both began to giggle like silly teenagers as he tickled her mercilessly. 

"Stop it!" Nicole gasped when her sides began to ache. "You'll wake up my landlady!"

"It's not ME who's making all the noise!" He relented and slid his hand down her hip, the amusement slowly fading only to be replaced with a darker look entirely. 

Nicole felt her heart beat faster as her body reignited with familiar sparks of passion. When kissed her softly, she forgot what time it was and the fact he ought to be leaving. All she could think about was the way his body felt against hers. 

She wished that real life were not there, lurking in the background, just waiting for an opportunity to slap her in the face like it usually did. Maybe Rob was not like Sean. Maybe he wouldn't hurt her in the way Sean had. But how could she really trust him? Maybe it had been all her fault. Maybe she had driven him into her sister's arms. 

Maybe she had been lacking in some fundamental way.

The moment was lost and she broke the kiss. "We need to get you out of the house before Angela gets up..." she sighed with regret. 

"Your timing is excellent," said Rob ruefully, mindful of a throbbing erection that was in no rush to disappear just yet. But the last thing he wanted was to upset her landlady, so he reluctantly rolled away. "Okay, I'll scuttle off like a sordid one night stand. I'm not offended, honestly..."

Nicole had to laugh. His hurt expression was comical. "Come on Wayne...or was it Fred?"

"Oh now, that's really not funny! Do I look like a Wayne to you??"

She had to smother her giggles in the pillow for fear of being heard in the next street. Rob pulled himself out of bed and hunted around for his clothes strewn all over the floor. It took a while but eventually he was dressed again. Nicole continued to lie under the duvet, watching him but making no effort to get dressed. 

"Hey, lazy, are you actually going to shift your carcass and show me the door?"

"I'm waiting for my money, John," she grinned cheekily.

"Right, you've done it now!" With one swift movement, he grabbed the edge of the duvet and yanked it off her body, leaving her naked and exposed. "Still staying there?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Bastard!" she muttered crossly. Now she was forced to pull her dressing gown on and actually get up. It was way too early to be out of bed. "Okay, okay...I'm moving."

She walked him quietly down the back stairs and out of the rear entrance door. The sky was still streaked pink from the rising sun and for a moment they silently admired the infusions of brilliant colour.

"Just think, you'd have missed this if it wasn't for me," remarked Rob.

"Yep -- I'm extremely grateful for the sunrise -- thanks!"

"Is that all you're grateful for?" he asked, taking her warm body in his arms as they stood on the threshold of the doorway.

"No..." she admitted. "Last night was lovely." She hadn't meant to say that -- the words just fell out without warning and she dropped her gaze in sudden embarrassment. God, what would he think?

"I'm glad you feel that way. I was thinking pretty much the same thing too." Rob tilted her chin up and smiled. He kissed her again, all the time wishing they could have stayed in bed a little longer. He knew he was gong to be stuck with a hard on all damned day now.

* * * 

"Was that a young man I saw leaving at the crack of dawn this morning?" Angela asked as she poured the tea. 

Nicole turned bright red and frantically scrabbled around for a suitable explanation. "Err..." she waffled.

The old lady snorted softly. "I was young once, my dear!" she laughed. "It's nice to have some happiness in the house again. Seems a long time since my family were around." Her voice trailed off and once again, Nicole felt sad that Angela seemed so lonely.

"I'm sorry," she apologised. "I guess I should have asked you if it was okay."

"I don't mind, dear," Angela replied. She passed Nicole a cup of tea and sat down at the table, wincing slightly. "You bring your young man round for tea one night and introduce him properly. I'd like some male company." She winked and Nicole giggled.

"Okay!" she grinned. "It's a deal!"

They sat companionably drinking tea and eating toast while the sun filtered through the tall oak trees towards the end of the long garden. It was a garden designed for children, thought Nicole wistfully. It was just the kind of place she envisaged her children's nursery to be. 

She belatedly glanced at the clock on the wall and cursed under her breath. "Hell, I'm gonna be so late!" 

Angela chuckled. "Leave these pots and get yourself off, dear. I don't want Sue complaining that you're late. She's a stickler for punctuality."

Nicole nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Angela. I'll see you later." Snatching a last slice of toast she dashed out of the kitchen door like a whirlwind. 

The old lady watched her leave. Yes, she thought with pleasure, Sue had been right. The girl was like a breath of fresh air around the old place. It was just what she needed; she was not ready to sit and gather cobwebs just yet.

* * *

"Hello?" Danni said sarcastically when Nicole failed to respond for the zillionth time that day.

"Err...sorry," Nicole grinned ruefully and sipped her coffee. "I was listening -- honest!"

"Jesus, what's the matter with you these days? It's like you're on another fucking planet half of the time! Between you and my annoying brother, I'm beginning to think we have body snatchers at large!"

Nicole ignored the reference to Rob. They still hadn't gotten round to telling Danni about their relationship and the longer it went on, the harder it seemed to be. It was becoming ridiculous -- there was no real reason why she shouldn't know. It was just awkward. As much as Nicole liked Danni, she and Rob were at each other's throats all the time and Nicole was loath to be piggy in the middle. It seemed easier to just continue as they were and hide themselves away from the rest of the world.

Besides, if Danni knew how things were, there was every possibility Lizzie would find out too since they all knew each other. So far, Lizzie had remained unaware of the fact Rob was seeing someone else. She continued to text and 'phone him regularly, mainly to tell him about all the other men she was seeing. Nicole found it all deeply irritating, but she was determined to not fall into the trap of paranoia. It was damned hard though.

"How's it going in the new place anyway?" Danni lit another cigarette and stared at Nicole curiously. She had a sixth sense that Nicole was not telling her something, but she wasn't sure why. As much as her curiosity was eating her away, she felt it better not to pry. 

Nicole had seemed much happier in the last week and the way she kept smiling whenever she thought nobody was watching Danni felt sure a man was involved. She just hoped it was a decent bloke this time. Unfortunately they were few and far between. 

"Good thanks. Angela is a sweetheart." Nicole smiled. "I think she's just lonely. It must be hard having no family left nearby."

"Speaking of family -- have you been in touch with yours yet?"

Nicole frowned darkly. "No - and I have no intention of doing either."

"Come on Nicole, you can't cut them off forever. I know what your sister did was awful, but maybe you can try and forgive her?"

"Just drop it okay?" 

Danni sighed in exasperation. She really felt Nicole should try and mend some bridges. Family were family and she couldn't stay away from them indefinitely. It just wasn't right. She stubbed her cigarette out on the floor and tossed it into the wheelie bin.

"Okay -- I give up," she said resignedly. "You do what you think is best." She stomped back inside the café, her short skirt barely covering her backside and her long plaits bouncing up and down defiantly. Nicole watched her leave and felt even guiltier. They needed to tell her soon.

* * *

"Danni's getting suspicious," said Rob as they sat in a secluded corner of a pub.

"I know," Nicole agreed. She sipped her cider thoughtfully. "She's your sister, so you need to tell her."

"Yeah I know that -- I'll have a chat with her later. She'll be fine about it." Rob's phone blipped to indicate a text receieved and he pulled it out of his jeans pocket. It was Lizzie again. God, he thought crossly, would she never get the message? 

He read the short text and without replying, placed it back in his pocket. Here was someone else he needed to have a word with -- she was doing his head in. Now he was uninterested in her, she was doing everything in her power to try and get him back again. It was too late though; she had had her chance and she'd blown it. He was with Nicole now and he was happy. Lizzie could go and fuck herself as far as he was concerned.

He returned his attention to Nicole. "I'm working until eight, but wanna do something after?"

"Yeah, okay. What did you have in mind?" 

"There's a band called Requiem playing at the Blue Parrott. They are meant to be pretty good and Chris reckons he can get me some tickets. Fancy it?"

"Sure, sounds cool." 

"Great! I'll meet you outside at nine."

* * *

The club was dark, smoky and heaving with sweaty bodies. It was a struggle to reach the bar, but eventually they made it, Nicole's hand wrapped tightly in Rob's. He seemed loath to release her for even a minute and she was enjoying the feeling of being cared for. 

"What are you drinking tonight?" he yelled in her ear, trying to make himself heard above the din of the support act. 

"Cider, please" she yelled back. She had developed a taste for the drink since she'd moved here. It was relatively cheap and providing she didn't drink too much, it didn't give her hangovers. 

When the scruffy bar man had taken some cash in return for their drinks, they headed back into the fray. The main act, Requiem, was due on stage in half an hour, so they slowly moved towards the side of the room where some tables and seats were haphazardly arranged. Luckily someone stood to leave just as they were passing and they dived into a corner booth. 

"I must be getting old," commented Rob. "I never used to be bothered about finding a seat; now I actively look for one!"

"Hey there's no way I was standing up all night! Not in these boots!" Nicole looked down at the instruments of torture on her feet. The black stiletto boots looked great, but they were not easy to walk in as she had found out the hard way. No pain, no gain, she thought philosophically.

"Oh yeah, those boots..." Rob looked down at them too and grinned appreciatively. "Are you gonna keep them on later?" 

Nicole laughed at his hopeful expression. "In your dreams! I'll be in need of a foot rub by the end of tonight. My feet are already killing me."

"Shame..." He pouted in disappointment. "I had great plans for those boots."

"Well feel free to wear them -- I'll not say a word." She sniggered at the idea of him wearing her boots.

"Oh very funny, I—"

"Rob!" A sharp feminine voice caused them both to look up in surprise.

Rob's heart fell a mile when he saw who was standing there with her hands on her hips. 

"Hello, Lizzie," he said flatly. 

Nicole couldn't help but stare at the woman she'd heard so much about. Her peroxide blonde hair hung down her back and her lean body was squeezed into a skintight lycra dress that left nothing to the imagination. She looked very sexy in a sluttish kind of way and Nicole could see why Rob had been attracted to her. 

"Hello darling, long time no see." There was a definite edge to the woman's voice and Nicole could feel the tension between her and Rob. 

Rob didn't reply. He slowly picked up his pint glass and took a slug of beer. 

"Aren't you going to introduce us, Rob?" Lizzie asked with a disdainful glance in Nicole's direction. If Nicole had been a flower, she'd have withered up and died. Lizzie's expression was positively poisonous.

"No," replied Rob with a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes.

The sound of amplifiers screaming made them all look towards the stage. The support band had left and Requiem were shortly due to begin their set. Lizzie was about to say something when a huge hulk of a man appeared at her side. He put his arm proprietarily around her slim waist and said, "Is everything okay, babe?"

"Yeah, fine -- I just saying hello to an old friend. Let's go, Mikey." She tossed her hair dismissively and walked away with a wiggle of her hips. Both Rob and Nicole breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Sorry about that," Rob said quietly as he watched Lizzie disappear into the throngs of people lining around the edge of the small stage.

He felt really bad that Nicole had to meet Lizzie in such a fashion. He knew how much of a bitch Lizzie was. Fortunately she hadn't said anything too nasty -- which was unusual for her. He had half expected some poisonous barbed comments, but surprisingly she had said nothing. Maybe she wasn't as bothered about them splitting up as he had thought. 

"Hey, that's okay. She seemed okay about us?"

Rob squeezed her thigh. "Yep she was quite restrained, I thought. Which is good -- I really didn't want a scene!"

"You worry too much!" Nicole chided affectionately, before dropping a kiss on his mouth gently.

Rob immediately pulled her close and deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with little regard for the fact they were in a crowded club. A few people standing nearby glanced over and smiled. 

Lizzie noticed too. She was stood on a balcony waiting for Mikey to fetch another round of drinks and she had a clear view of the area where Rob and Nicole were sat. Her blood boiled as she watched them kissing; his hands were all over the bitch like a nasty rash. 

How dare he make a fool out of her! Everyone knew they were meant to be together. She felt angry tears prick her eyes at the unfairness of the situation. The fact that their split was entirely down to her own atrocious behaviour was something that didn't cross her mind once.

"Hello, hello, hello!" Once again, Rob and Nicole jumped apart and looked up in surprise. This time it was Danni, a skinny bloke trailing behind her like a mournful puppy dog. "Is there something you both forgot to mention?" She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed them in the spotlight of her gaze. 

"Hi Danni," Rob grinned beguilingly. "Have you met my new girlfriend, Nicole?" 

Nicole wished she could disappear into a hole in the floor, she felt so embarrassed. She really hadn't wanted Danni to find out like this -- it made it appear they had been hiding the news from her deliberately. 

"Woo hoo!" Danni screamed in delight. "About fucking time you got yourself a woman with an IQ higher than a brick! Seriously though, I'm really pleased for you both." She perched on the edge of the seat and grinned happily. "Just one thing, when were you planning on telling me - at the fucking wedding??"

"Erm yeah...we were going to...we just hadn't quite gotten around to it yet." Rob explained ruefully. 

"Too busy shagging eh?" Danni laughed. "Aw forget it. I'm just glad you both got together." She hugged Nicole unexpectedly and the awkwardness fell away. Nicole felt very silly for worrying about Danni's reaction -- she should have known that her friend would have been fine about it.

"I'm sorry, Danni," she said sincerely. "I wanted to tell you, but I wasn't sure how you'd feel about me dating your brother."

"Hey it's fine," Danni waved her hand dismissively. "If you can put up with his disgusting personal habits, then you deserve a medal." She winked at Nicole as Rob threw an evil look at her. "Right, we're off to the bar -- Jason here has promised to buy me a drink in return for hot sex later." She rolled her eyes as Jason beamed at her in adoration. 

"Come on, stud!" Grabbing Jason's hand, she teetered off towards the bar, extracting admiring glances from several blokes stood nearby. Her mini skirt was certainly eye catching, thought Nicole with admiration -- she wondered how Danni dared to wear such a short skirt that barely covered her ass. 

"Oh well," said Rob sagely, "As everyone knows we're together so we no longer need to skulk around like a pair of wanted criminals." He snuck his arm round her waist and nuzzled her neck. 

"Danni seemed pleased" Nicole felt unbelievably relieved now that everything was out in the open. She turned to Rob and said, "What's this about 'disgusting personal habits'? Is there something you need to tell me??"

"Nope -- picking my toenails in bed isn't disgusting, it's a necessity."

"Eww!" Nicole shoved him away as Rob fell about laughing at her horrified expression. 

"What?" he said innocently. 

"Pig!" she muttered. "Right, I'm off to the ladies before the band starts."

She stood up and walked away as Rob watched her. He smiled; she looked very sexy in her black boots and dress and he noticed several other guys checking her ass out appreciatively. It made him feel all warm and fluffy inside knowing that it was he she was with and not some other man.

* * *

Nicole pushed open the door to the ladies toilets. Two girls were chatting and applying makeup in front of the cracked mirror, but they ignored her. She went inside one of the cubicles and sat down to think for a moment, the idle chatter from the girls in the background washing over her head.

Now that both Danni and Lizzie aware of their relationship, just how did she really feel about it? Strangely, she wasn't so sure any more. It suddenly felt like she had rushed into everything, without giving it enough thought. After all, it was not all that long since she had left Sean and Katie behind. 

Was she making a huge mistake? 

The trouble was, as soon as Rob was there, talking to her, touching her, all sense and logic went flying out of the window. It was like he cast a spell over her and distorted all her carefully reasoned arguments as to why she was far better being single. With a sigh she stood up and flushed the toilet. It was no use - she just had to see where this whirlwind affair took her.

For better or for worse.

She walked out of the cubicle in a world of her own and jumped when she saw Lizzie standing by the mirror applying lipstick to an already scarlet mouth. The other girls had gone and she was now alone with Lizzie. The atmosphere had dropped to sub zero temperatures, but Nicole pretended that nothing was amiss as she washed her hands in the grubby sink.




Leap of Faith Ch. 04



"How long have you been with him?" Lizzie asked in a pleasant tone of voice. She turned to face Nicole, leaning back slightly on the worktop and tapping her nails lightly.

"Pardon?" replied Nicole dumbly. She had no desire to get into a slanging match with this girl. 

"You heard me -- how long have you been fucking Rob?"

"It's none of your business."

"It won't last ya know -- he'll be back to me before you can pull ya knickers up," she sneered nastily.

"I doubt it!" Nicole couldn't help herself; she burst out laughing at Lizzie's arrogance.

"You bitch, I'm gonna " Nicole didn't hear the rest of the sentence - she zipped past Lizzie and was out of the door in a flash. Walking back across the club to the opening bars from Requiem, she realised her hands were shaking slightly. She paused, took a deep breath, and decided not to tell Rob about the altercation. He would only be angry and it might make things worse.

No, it was far better to let it lie. Lizzie was just a silly, jealous cow. With great determination, she pushed the image of Lizzie's twisted features from her mind and focussed on Rob who was sat waiting for her.

* * *

Nicole's ears were still ringing loudly as they walked down the narrow street slightly unsteadily. Her feet were killing her and her head was spinning. Rob's arm was securely around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder, neither of them saying a word. By unspoken agreement they were heading back to Nicole's place.

A slight drizzle was beginning to fall lightly from the inky sky and Nicole looked up crossly. Her hair always went frizzy in the damp air and she could well imagine what a mess it would be soon. 

"What're you tutting at?" Rob asked with amusement.

"The rain -- it makes my hair go curly," Nicole grumbled.

He laughed. "Honestly, women!" 

"It's easy for you to scoff!" She stopped abruptly on the corner of her road. "We WOMEN have to spend hours making ourselves pretty for you lot. Do you appreciate the effort we put in? Do you hell!" She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. 

Rob grasped hold of her hands and pulled her close. He moved backwards and sat on the low brick wall that circled the property behind them. It was damp, but he didn't especially care. 

"Sweetheart, you'd look gorgeous whatever you wore...or didn't wear preferably." He winked and smiled at her. 

"You're just trying to get me into bed, aren't you?" She moved closer and ignored the painful throbbing of her feet in the hellish boots. His aftershave lingered and the scent tickled her nose pleasurably. 

"Absolutely -- is it working yet?" His hand snaked down her hip and squeezed the round curve of her bottom gently. 

"It might be..." She closed the gap between their mouths and lightly brushed his lips with her own. The familiar passion rose inexorably. Suddenly she didn't care about the rain any more. The tiny drops fell silently and relentlessly, a shimmering rainbow of sparkles in the yellow light of the street lamp. 

He kissed her, nibbling her lip lightly with his teeth before plunging his tongue within to taste her. Her body melted against him and he heard her sigh with pleasure. The way she always responded so easily excited him immeasurably. It was a huge turn on knowing that he only had to look at her a certain way and her eyes would darken instantly, the pale blue irises turning deep cobalt as her passion simmered away below the surface.

The hard nubs of her nipples pressed through the dress she wore and he itched to feel her skin against his hands. Already his cock was aching to sink into her warm, wet flesh. But sitting here, in the drizzling rain, was not going to make that happen. He had no intention of being arrested for indecent exposure.

"Nicole..." he murmured when he finally managed to tear himself away from her luscious mouth. 

"Hmm," she replied, kissing his neck with tiny butterfly touches.

Reluctantly, he pushed her back a step. "Stop woman! Come on, let's go inside, out of this rain before we're both soaked."

Neither of them saw the two men walking purposefully up the street towards them. Their faces were obscured inside dark hooded jackets and their large hulking bodies cast long shadows down the pavement. 

Nicole screamed when a rough hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her backwards. Another hairy hand clamped over her mouth and prevented her making any further sound. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rob struggling with the other man, but he was hopelessly outmatched.

The second assailant grunted when a hard fist connected with his jaw, but he didn't fall. He retaliated and knocked Rob to the floor, kicking him in the stomach for good measure. "That'll teach you!" Rob heard the man laugh. Stars swam before his eyes and he suddenly wondered why there were three haloes of light above him.

Lashing out instinctively, he felt his fist punch a solid wall of muscle, barely making any impact. God, this bloke was built like a brick shithouse, he thought hopelessly. Why these men had attacked them, he had no idea. He tried to turn and see what was happening to Nicole, but as soon as he took his eyes of the man before him, he was knocked sideways. His head bounced off the wall and he felt darkness descend like a black curtain. 

A faint scream penetrated the fog, but as he tried to focus on the sound, he fell into unconsciousness.

Nicole struggled hard, trying to free herself from the iron grip of her attacker. She saw Rob fall, hitting his head on the wall, and she managed to scream. When he didn't move, tears began to fall unbidden down her cheeks and she felt the panic rising. Why was this happening? Why on earth had they been singled out like this? It made no sense at all -- they hadn't done anything to provoke such a senseless assault.

She was dragged into the garden of a nearby derelict house. Tall bushes and over grown shrubs hid them from the street and the first man, who still held her tightly, pushed her up against the crumbling wall. 

She almost gagged on his fetid breath as he pushed his face to within centimetres of hers. The smell of alcohol was strong and she could feel fear seeping through her veins like ice.

"She's a looker aint she?" he hissed to his friend who was standing a few feet away, keeping a look out. 

"Aye, not bad I guess. I prefer the fat bird's meself -- more grateful!" The other man laughed at his own joke.

A sly hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Nicole's breast painfully. "This one has more than a handful." He rubbed her nipple and she could feel the hardness of his body pressing against her. Oh god, she thought in horror, she was about to be raped and there was nobody around to help her. 

"Hurry up and say yer piece, we gotta get out of here," his friend said as he looked down the street warily. 

"Yeah, yeah, in a minute," the man smiled, his teeth catching the light and making his face appear like a monstrous caricature in the damp gloom. He carried on feeling the soft flesh of her breasts, seemingly enjoying her helpless struggling. When his hand moved lower and she felt his fingers on the skin of her thigh, she tried to scream again. 

This was like a nightmare -- but she had no way of waking up and escaping the horror. 

"Mick! There's someone coming -- hurry up!"

Reluctantly, Mick pulled his hand from her leg and said, "Message for ya -- stay away from what's not yours! Got it?"

What the fuck was he on about? Nicole tried to understand what he meant, but her brain refused to process the words. When she felt Mick's grip loosen on her neck, she saw her chance. With a sharp sideways movement she ducked below his arm and made a dash for freedom.

Unfortunately the heel of her boot slipped between the broken paving stones of the path. She felt herself fall and heard the ominous crack of her leg as it twisted at an unnatural angle. Crashing to the ground, she wondered why there was no pain, just a blinding hot rush of heat down her leg.

Then it hit her like a ten tonne truck. The agony was intense and she screamed loudly as her whole body was infused with terrible pain. 

"Get out of here, NOW!" she heard Mick say in a muffled voice. Then reality faded as the pain overtook her again. Slipping in and out of consciousness, she was barely aware of moaning. She wondered who was making such an awful noise, but suddenly it didn't matter so much. The damp, cold stone she lay on felt hard beneath her thin dress. The chill permeated beneath her skin, sinking right down into her bones. It was cold...so cold....

* * *

"Quick, she's going into shock, we need an ambulance," The man's voice echoed from what seemed like miles away. 

"Her leg's badly broken, don't move her." The woman's voice sounded like her sister. Why was Kate here? Nicole felt confused now. Kate was with Sean. Kate had betrayed her -- her sister had betrayed her! Tears fell down her cheeks as the memories returned. 

She loved Kate. 

She hated her. 

"Kate..." she muttered deliriously. 

"Who's Kate?" the voice spoke again.

Blue lights flashed just outside the periphery of her vision. Where was Rob? Why wasn't he here with her? She felt hands move her gently and pain shot through her leg again, causing her to moan out loud.

"Don't worry dear, we'll soon sort you out," a kind voice whispered. She relaxed slightly. It was going to be okay. But still she worried. Where was Rob, was he all right? Then she remembered him lying on the ground, still and silent. 

"Rob!" she cried, reaching out into the fog. 

"I'm here, babe," his voice said soothingly. A hand grabbed hers comfortingly and she felt her fear abate. He was there. He wasn't going to leave her and she was safe. She felt the sharp jab of a needle in her leg and blissful sleep overtook her. The world faded into blackness and then there was nothing.



Leap of Faith Ch. 05



The sound of voices penetrated the fog in Nicole's mind. For a while she lay listening to the sounds around her, unable to differentiate between what was real and what was a dream. She felt strange; not herself at all. Her body felt immobile and slightly numb. Where was she?

"I think she's coming round." The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking at the bright lights in the room. The pale green walls swam in and out of focus, but gradually everything became clear. 

"Hey," Rob said as she tilted her head to look at him. He had a large dressing taped to the side of his head and he looked terrible. "How're you feeling?" 

"I'm not sure. What happened?"

"You can't remember?"

Nicole sifted through the mess in her head. "I remember the club...thereafter it all goes hazy. Why am I here and what's happened to your head?"

Rob sighed. He glanced across the room and Nicole followed his gaze. She saw the uniformed officer standing in the doorway with a grave expression and she began to feel frightened. It had to be bad if the police were there. 

"We were attacked by two men. I got knocked out." He pointed to his head. "When I came round, you weren't there. I yelled out and a couple came running from a nearby house. They said they'd heard some screaming -- guess it must have been you."

Nicole shivered. She didn't remember much of it.

"We found you in a garden, lying in the rain with your leg all twisted. You kept drifting in and out of consciousness, saying stuff that made no sense." He gripped her hand tightly and she saw the worry etched across his face.

"There was no sign of the two men - they must have run off before I came round. Somebody called an ambulance and here we are."

"What time is it?" Nicole craned her head, but she couldn't see a clock anywhere. It appeared to be nighttime as the curtains in the room were closed.

"You've lost a day -- it's just gone ten o'clock. Not only did you break your leg, you also bashed your head as you fell. They had to operate on your leg when they brought you in -- hence the nice plaster cast on it." Nicole touched the rigid plaster encasing her right leg and felt faint. How on earth was she going to manage for the next month or so? There was no way she could work while her leg was in plaster.

Tears pricked her eyes and she tried to stem the tide of emotion before it erupted. "I can't remember anything!" she sniffed as she held Rob's hand. Her head was beginning to ache and her leg throbbed. The painkillers must be wearing off.

They both looked up as the policeman entered the room. He stood at the foot of the bed and showed them his ID card. "Detective Constable Higgins, Ma'am. When you're feeling up to it, I need to take a statement." He smiled kindly and Nicole felt slightly reassured. Surely the police would catch whoever did this; they had to.

"I'm trying to remember it all -- but so far it's a blank." It was so frustrating. Vague images fluttered at the edge of her mind but as soon as she tried to grasp them, they swam away into the ether. Tiredness began to wash over her once more and she yawned heavily. 

A stern looking nurse strode in and said; "I think this lady needs some peace and quiet for a while."

The policeman nodded and walked out into the corridor. 

"I'll be back in the morning, okay?" Rob bent over the bed and kissed her gently. Nicole's eyes began to close of their own accord and she murmured something unintelligible. "Love you," he whispered into her ear, but she was already asleep.

"Come on now, you need to get some rest too. You'll be no good to her if you end up back in here!" The nurse waggled her finger at him and Rob took the hint. He left the room with a last lingering glance at Nicole's wan face on the pillow. She looked so vulnerable and lost. 

The policeman was waiting for him in the corridor. He had lots of questions and plenty of time. They were directed to an empty room near the nurses' station where Rob took a seat and told the man all he knew. He just hoped it was enough to give the police something to go on. He couldn't bear the thought of anything else happening to Nicole. She meant far too much to him.

* * *

Nicole was lost in thought, staring out of the window at the sunshine. The sky was deep blue with no clouds to be seen. It looked like a beautiful day outside, yet here she was, stuck in here for the time being. It was horribly depressing.

The doctor had been to see her that morning and checked over her leg. He told her she would have the plaster on for at least eight weeks, as the break had been serious. She would need lots of physiotherapy to rebuild the muscle tone. It couldn't have happened at a worse time, all things considered. How the hell she was going to manage was something that she hardly dared to think about. 

Rob had been there as soon as visiting time began and had only just left. He'd promised to be back later in that afternoon and already she was missing him. Danni had sent a message to say she'd be there that evening. 

Her leg itched terribly. She had tried to look at it now that her head had cleared and she felt a little better. The bruising was evident and her foot was currently a lovely shade of purple. God only knew what the rest of her leg looked like. It was unlikely to be a pretty sight for a while. 

The door opening attracted her attention and she looked up expecting to see either one of the nurses or Rob. Instead, in walked a huge bunch of flowers attached to a pair of denim-clad legs. Nicole's curiosity was piqued before her face broke out in a huge smile.

"Rob!" she laughed in delight. "You didn't have to buy the whole shop!"

"Who's Rob?" asked a man's voice and Nicole turned ashen white, her smile vanishing in a heartbeat. 

"Sean -- what are you doing here?"

The flowers were placed on the side table and Nicole's ex boyfriend came and stood beside the bed, a very contrite expression on his handsome face. 

"The Police told your mum and Kate. She told me." 

"You're still together then?" Nicole said bitterly. Sean reached out to grasp Nicole's hand but she snatched it away. "Oh just don't!"

"Nicole...I..." He struggled to find the words. "We're sorry for what happened. We never meant for you to find out like that." He slumped down on one of the hard plastic chairs and looked at the floor brokenly. For a moment Nicole felt her anger wavering as she realised how upset he was. Then she reminded herself what he'd done to her and she felt her feelings harden again.

"Why?" she said. "Just tell me that much at least." 

Sean looked up, his face a picture of conflicting emotions. "I can't tell you why. It just crept up on us." He glanced away and went silent for a few moments. 

Nicole watched him, trying to understand why he had come here. Was he looking for some kind of forgiveness? If so, she wasn't so sure she was ready to forgive and forget yet. 

"I loved you, you know." His use of past tense did not go unnoticed and she felt something finally wither and die inside as he continued, "I had always been attracted to Kate -- she was so different to you in so many ways. It was only when she got drunk at Miranda's birthday party that I realised she felt the same way."

"Didn't I leave early that night?" Nicole remembered now. She'd been suffering all week from the flu and on the night of the party she had gone home about nine o'clock, after making a token appearance for Miranda's sake. She recalled that Sean had gone back to the party on the pretext of talking to Rich about some bike ride they were planning. Clearly riding bikes was not the only exercise he had had in mind.

"Nothing happened that night," he said hurriedly when he saw her dark expression. "We just talked and that was all. I honestly believed that nothing was going to come of it. She was your sister for God's sake!"

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive...

Who wrote that, thought Nicole as she saw her pain mirrored on Sean's face. It seemed very apt all of a sudden.

"Well apparently your conscience deserted you fairly quickly after that, didn't it?" 

Sean visibly flinched at the sarcasm in her words. But he knew it was the truth so he didn't deny it. He wasn't here to try and sugar coat what had happened. He was here to make amends and to convince Nicole to forgive Kate somehow; the pain was killing all of them. 

"Do you love her?" She was surprised to realise how much this mattered to her.

"Yes." His reply was short and sweet and told Nicole all she needed to know. She sighed. Strangely, she found she didn't care any more. Much of the pain and horror had passed and she needed to move on with her life. Lying here, immobile in her hospital bed, she looked at the face of the man she had loved so deeply and found it hard to understand why she had ever loved him at all. He seemed so much smaller and less worthy than he had before. He was the past, not the future. 

But Kate was her sister and despite the terrible hurt she had inflicted, Nicole recognised that she needed to forgive her. She couldn't hate her forever. Nor did she want to.

"Where's Kate?" 

"She's back at the flat. She wanted to come, but I thought it was better that I saw you alone first. Will you see her?"

Nicole turned away and stared out of the window again. Gulls wheeled and soared high in the sky. They were so free, she thought wistfully. How she wished she could fly away like they did. Instead she was stuck here, in this bed. 

Did she want to see Kate? She thought about it and realised that yes, she did. She had missed her these last few weeks. She'd missed talking to her, sharing silly gossip over cups of tea and chocolate biscuits. Just doing all the things sisters did. She even missed Kate stealing her clothes and leaving them dirty and scrunched up on the bathroom floor.

Despite everything, she loved her sister and she needed her in her life. Okay, so it was going to take some getting used to seeing her and Sean together as a couple. But she had Rob now. Her face lit up in a smile when she thought about him. 

"Yes, I'll see her. We need to clear the air," said Nicole quietly as she turned to face Sean again.

He looked visibly relieved at the news. "Thank you, Nic. It means a lot to both of us."

In all honesty he had not expected Nicole to even give him the time of day. He had warned Kate not to get her hopes up, but she had insisted that they try at least. Kate had been wretched since the whole damn mess had erupted. Guilt was a terrible burden to carry and it mattered to both of them that at least some of the bridges were mended. They knew the clock could never be turned back, but at least this was a step in the right direction.

"I'll leave you to it now. I need to go and ring Kate." He stood to go before unexpectedly leaning over the bed to embrace her. "We had some good times, didn't we?" he asked as he stood back up.

Nicole was surprised by the gesture. The intimacy they'd had was no longer there; he was like a stranger to her. But he was right -- they had had many good times. "Yes, we did," she smiled. 

"Be happy, Nicole," he whispered softly. Then he turned and walked out of the room, the large bunch of flowers on the table the only reminder he had ever been there. Their scent filled the small space, clashing with the strong antiseptic aroma filtering in from the corridor. It made Nicole feel slightly queasy.

* * *

Rob stood outside her room, half hidden behind the door and feeling stunned. His own bunch of flowers paled in comparison to the one her visitor had left. Who in the hell was that? Jealousy ripped through him as he considered the possibility she had another bloke. But that didn't make sense. They had been spending too much time together for her to have been seeing someone else. Besides, he felt certain she wasn't that kind of girl.

She wasn't Lizzie, he reminded himself firmly. So who was her visitor? There was only one way to find out. He had no intention of being messed about again. So he pushed open the door firmly and strode into the small room.

Nicole wiped a stray tear away as she looked up again. The encounter with Sean had left her feeling emotionally drained and wrung out. The sight of Rob instantly gave her a lift that was more than welcome. To her surprise he looked slightly wary. Then she realised he must have seen Sean leaving and her heart fell. Oh no, what must he be thinking!

"They're beautiful," she said softly as she looked at the bunch of freesias in his hand. "They're my favourite flowers." 

"Thanks, although I can't exactly compete with THAT bunch." His voice had an edge to it as he cast a derisory glance at the ostentatious bouquet lying on the table. Nicole immediately wished she could jump out of the damned bed and wrap her arms round him tightly and she silently cursed her immobility.

"I much prefer your flowers," she smiled reassuringly.

"So...who was your visitor?"

"It was Sean -- my ex boyfriend." She briefly closed her eyes and wondered just why her life had to be so bloody complicated.

"And what did he want?" Rob tensed himself. He half expected Nicole to blurt out that they were getting back together and she was sorry, but she still loved the cheating bastard and he, Rob, had just been a temporary fling. That would be typical of his experiences with women. Then he realised she was saying something and he hurriedly tuned back in.

"...wants me to talk to Kate. I guess he has a point really." She looked at him and wondered if he'd heard a word she had said. Oh god, she'd fucked it up big time. He looked totally pissed off with her. But it wasn't her fault Sean had turned up! She wanted to scream in frustration at the sheer stupidity of the situation, but instead she took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm. 

"It was good to see him," she continued, noting the tight line of Rob's mouth while he gripped the flowers as if his life depended on it. "It made me realise that I don't give a damn about him anymore."

"What about us? Do you give a damn about me?" He blurted the words out before he had a chance to think about it. 

Nicole was shocked. He looked at her intently and she could see the tiredness etched all over his face. Several deep bruises were just beginning to flower across his cheek and jaw and she knew he'd been hurt like she had. "You know I do," she whispered, tears beginning to well up in the corner of her eyes. He meant the world to her -- she saw this now.

"When I saw Sean, well I thought..." Rob sighed, his shoulders beginning to droop slightly. "I didn't know what to think, to be honest. Lizzie was always messing me about, playing me off against other men—"

"—I'm not Lizzie!" she interrupted crossly. 

"Yes, I know that. I'm sorry, I just care about you." He walked around the bed and sat down on the side of the mattress, trying not to knock the leg that was encased in plaster. 

Nicole reached out and stroked his bruised cheek gently. "I care about you too," she said softly. 

"Good, I'm glad we've established we care about each other!" Rob smiled, his sense of humour beginning to peek out once more. "I just hope you're not stuck in here for too long." 

"Oh, why's that?" Nicole asked innocently. 

"Because..." he replied. He leaned over and kissed her lips. 

Two hands grasped his head and pulled him down, deepening the kiss until they were both short of breath. "I'm not sure this is good for my blood pressure," she giggled when they parted.

"Sod that," he growled as he slid his hand under the sheet that covered her body. 

Nicole murmured encouragement when he found the curve of her breast. All thoughts of the frightening encounter in the dark garden evaporated. Desire lit up within her, taking hold and focusing her attention until all that remained in her world was just the two of them. 

"Mmm," she sighed with pleasure. "Don't stop!"

"I'm gonna have to in a minute -- or I'll be chucked out of here!" 

She giggled at his pained expression as her hand stroked his hard cock through his jeans. 

"Now then you two -- this young lady has to rest or the doctor won't allow her to leave!" The pair of them jumped apart like they had been electrocuted. Nicole felt her face turn bright red as the Nurse stood in the doorway with a stern expression on her face. 

"Sorry, Nurse..." Rob peered at the name badge pinned to the woman's ample bosom. "Margaret! He grinned sheepishly and the woman allowed a faint smile to reach her eyes.

"Tell you what," she said, "I have to go and fetch my notes. You have five more minutes of visiting time before I throw you out. Okay?"

"Thanks, Nurse Margaret!" Rob said cheerfully. The nurse winked at them and walked off down the corridor, pulling the door closed behind her. 

"Now then, where were we?" he muttered as he sat back down on the bed and took Nicole's hand in his. 

"Well I was doing this," she replied as her hand stroked his crotch, "and you were doing that." She grabbed his hand and placed it on her breast, with one eye on the door this time.

"Oh yes..." he grinned, "How could I forget?"

They giggled like naughty teenagers caught kissing behind the bike sheds then Nicole's expression turned more serious.

"I don't know how I'm going to manage when I get out of here," she said quietly. "I won't be able to work for a while and I don't have any money saved to tide me over. I can't go back to Angela's like this. It wouldn't be fair on her and I couldn't afford to pay her rent anyhow." Her eyes welled up and Rob pulled her into his embrace.

"Why are you worrying about that?" he asked incredulously. "Surely you realise that you are moving back in with me and Danni?"

"But—"

"No buts!" he said firmly. "It's a done deal. Danni agrees with me -- you need looking after and we need someone to referee the arguments. She had a word with Sue and it's all sorted out with Angela. Once you're well again, we are BOTH invited to go back and live with Angela, thus leaving my darling sister blissfully alone in her own flat once again."

Nicole smiled through her tears. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" she asked.

"Something bloody terrible!" exclaimed a loud voice as the door swung open and hit the table. 

"For god's sake! Don't you ever fucking KNOCK?" Rob growled as his sister appeared clutching a box of chocolates.

"Language!" she scolded in a prissy voice. "You'll upset the sick people. Oh I forgot - YOU'RE the sick one -- sick in the head!"

Nicole closed her eyes in resignation. Nothing changed it seemed. As soon as the pair of them found themselves in the same room, they just had to bicker. It was like old times already. 

Danni sat on the other side of the bed and ignored Rob's frosty glare. "Choccy anyone?" she asked innocently. "No? Oh dear, I'll just have to eat them all!" 

Nicole grinned. "Thanks, Danni!"

"So, how are you?" Danni asked with a grave expression.

"Oh I'm okay, thanks." 

"Do the police have any idea who attacked you?" For all her jibes at Rob, Danni had been horrified when she heard the news. Her brother was a royal pain in the arse, but she loved him to bits and she certainly didn't want anything to happen to him. She had also grown very fond of Nicole and she had been delighted to realise they had finally got it together. 

"No, not so far," Rob said with a frown. "There were no witnesses and I didn't recognise either of the blokes."

"Well hopefully someone knows something. I would hate anything else to happen to either of you." She smiled and squeezed Nicole's hand. "I'd be bored on my own in the flat!"

There was a discreet cough from the doorway and they all looked up to see Nurse Margaret standing there with her file of notes. "Right you lot, visiting time is officially over now, so come back tomorrow please."




Leap of Faith Ch. 05



Rob and Danni stood up regretfully. "Bye, babe," he said as he kissed her lingeringly. 

Danni made sick noises as she winked at Nicole. "Bye, Nicole," she smiled. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Aunty Sue said she'd pop in tomorrow with Angela. Apparently the old girl is missing you. See you soon!" She bounced out of the room, her plaits swinging jauntily amidst a disapproving stare from Nurse Margaret and a lecherous one from an elderly man shuffling down the corridor.

Rob snatched one more kiss. "I'll be in tomorrow afternoon," he promised. "I have to work in the morning."

"Okay," Nicole said. She smiled cheerfully, but inside she thought that it seemed ages until tomorrow. The sooner she was allowed out, the better. With a heavy heart she watched the pair of them walk away and disappear from sight. 

* * *

Rob jumped out of the truck and slammed the cab door shut. Pete waved cheerfully and drove off down the street, his music blaring out of the open window. Seagulls wheeled in the overcast sky above as Rob stood for a moment, his shoulders and arms aching from lifting heavy filing cabinets all morning.

He had gone back to work this morning even though, ideally, he should have had more time off. His boss had pleaded with him to come into work as they were short staffed. One of the other guys had gone to a funeral somewhere up in Scotland and was unable to get back for a few days. With some unexpected new contracts, this left the other guys severely stretched. Rob felt he was not really in a position to say no. Besides, he needed the money now that Nicole was back with them and in no state to work for a few weeks. 

His face lit up in a smile as he contemplated her living with him. It was going to work out just fine. Even Danni was being reasonably nice at the moment. She had actually made him a cup of tea last night when they returned from the hospital. For once there had been no barbed comments or jibes. He had been most surprised. No doubt she'd be back on form soon enough. He kind of hoped so -- Danni being nice was rather unsettling.

Glancing at his watch he saw time was running on. If he got his skates on he had time to go home and shower before making his way to the hospital to see Nicole again. That gave him all the motivation he needed to hurry down the street, back towards the flat.

Silence reigned when he unlocked the door. It seemed that Danni was out somewhere, although he knew not where. This was a good thing -- it meant he could jump in the shower and head straight back out again with no distractions. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with Nicole. Hopefully she would be allowed out tomorrow or the next day. Just as he was closing the door, a boot jammed it open. 

"Hey, lover!" Lizzie appeared from nowhere with a seductive smile painted on her face and a short denim skirt riding high on her stocking clad thighs.

"Lizzie," he said sharply, "What do you want?"

"Is that any way to talk to your lover?" she purred in a husky voice. 

Rob felt his eyes dragged down and he realised she had opened her jacket to reveal her naked breasts. He looked for a moment but found it was doing absolutely nothing for him. She simply had no effect on him any more. Weird huh.

"Don't do this, Lizzie," he said in a flat voice. "It's over and you know I'm with Nicole now."

Her face changed instantly. "No! I don't believe that you want that ugly bitch over me!"

"Well you'd better fucking believe it! We're through, Lizzie!" He tried to push her out of the door but she grabbed his sleeve. 

"Rob, don't do this to us! You know I love you -- I'm sorry for being a bitch." She began to cry pitifully and Rob felt a tiny sliver of sympathy melt his resolve. He would have done anything for her at one time, but she had killed their relationship with her outrageous behaviour. 

He knew damned well Nicole would never behave like that. She didn't feel the need to constantly test his love by flirting with other men to make him jealous. Lizzie's love was a sick kind of love and he had had enough of it to last a lifetime. Now he just felt sorry for her.

"Don't cry, Lizzie," he pleaded helplessly. At this rate all the neighbours were going to opening their doors. 

"I just wanted you back!" she sobbed hysterically. "I was so jealous when I saw you with her, I told Ryan's mates to go after you." She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her jacket and Rob tried to look away. "I didn't realise they'd do anything so dumb. I never meant for you to get hurt!" Her eyes pleaded for forgiveness as Rob stared at her in disbelief.

"It was you?" he said in horror. "You mean to tell me that you sent your brother's thugs after us? And this was meant to persuade me to have you back??" He looked at her like she was insane.

"I never asked them to hurt you!"

"And what about Nicole?" Rob asked angrily. "I assume you weren't all that bothered about what happened to her?"

"No, of course not!" Lizzie retorted. "She was just in the way." 

Her eyes flared with anger and Rob suddenly realised just how unstable she was. 

"I wanted to frighten her off -- then you and I could be together again."

Oh lord, thought Rob with a sinking feeling. How in the hell was he going to deal with this situation? "Did you not consider that I might not WANT to be with you anymore?" he asked, wishing she would get the hell out of his life once and for all.

There was a discreet cough from behind them and they both turned to see DC Higgins standing on the stairs with a grave expression on his face. 

"Mr Ravello, I came to have a word with you, but judging by the conversation I just heard, it's this young lady with whom I need to talk.

Rob watched as Lizzie's face turned a whiter shade of pale. He couldn't help feeling sorry for her. Despite everything, he didn't hate her. He had to believe she never intended to hurt them -- the alternative was too scary. 

* * *

"So it was Lizzie who was behind it all?" Nicole asked incredulously.

Rob nodded. He was still having trouble with it himself. DC Higgins had spoken to him half an hour ago and told him Lizzie had given them enough information to bring the two thugs in for questioning. He hadn't said if Lizzie would face any charges yet, but they were keeping her in for a while longer. 

"But...why?" Nicole felt relieved that the men had been identified. The thought of meeting them again had been something she'd been immensely frightened about. As horrible as it was, at least she knew why they had been attacked. Somehow it was slightly better than having been targeted randomly. At least it explained a few things.

Not that it would help her leg to heal any faster. The doctor had been to see her earlier that morning. He'd explained that she would need to keep the plaster on for six to eight weeks because of the nature of the break. She could also kiss goodbye to her career in athletics. That had amused her no end -- she hated running with a passion. 

"Lizzie was jealous of you and she thought that if she could somehow scare you away, she would be able to entice me back." Rob held her hand tightly and thanked his lucky stars Lizzie had not succeeded in her plan. 

"She must think you're worth having!" Nicole grinned.

"Do you think I'm worth having?" he asked seriously. He wouldn't blame her if she decided to get out while she was still in one piece. Psycho ex girlfriends were hardly much fun to deal with.

"Yes, I do! Besides, who else is gonna wait on me hand and foot when I am allowed out tomorrow..." 

"Tomorrow?" That was the best news he'd had all day and he grinned with delight. 

"Yeah, the doctor says I can go home as long as I have somewhere to go to."

"I can't wait to have to have you locked up in my bedroom and all to myself again!" He winked at her lewdly and she burst out laughing.

"Aren't you forgetting something??" she said pointing to the huge cast on her leg. "Might make things difficult, Romeo!"

"Where there's a will, there's a way." 

Nicole felt certain they'd find a way. In fact, she couldn't wait to start trying...

* * *

"This is ridiculous!" Nicole grumbled as she pulled her clothes from her bag. "I can't wear any of these now!" 

"Oh stop complaining, woman!" Rob lay on the bed watching at her. "Clothes are highly over-rated in my opinion. I really don't have a problem with you living in your underwear..." He saw her look of outrage and struggled to keep a straight face.

"You're really not helping!" she fumed crossly. It was useless -- none of her trousers would fit over the bulky cast and she was loath to cut them up. Yes, she could wear a skirt, but it was not really skirt weather at the moment. If it were the middle of summer she'd have been fine. Unfortunately it was only March and consequently it was freezing most of the time.

She sighed. "I'll just have to borrow your tracksuit trousers and chop one leg off."

"What??" he spluttered in indignation. 

"You said you'd do anything for me..."

"Hmm, did I say that?" 

"Well, I seem to recall you saying SOMETHING along those lines last night." She grinned cheekily.

"Yes, and that was around the time you had your lips wrapped round my cock, so I WOULD have said just about anything!"

Nicole rolled her eyes in disgust. "I should have known!" 

Rob jumped off the bed to stand behind her. "You know I'll do anything for you. If you want me to chop one leg off every single pair of trousers I own, just so you can wear them, I promise I'd do it." He nuzzled her neck and felt her melt against him. 

"That's okay. I'll just lounge around the flat in my knickers all day while you feed me grapes."

He laughed, "Sounds good to me, babe!" He slid his hands beneath her tee shirt towards her soft breasts and heard her sigh with pleasure. Already his cock was hard and aching, eager to sink into her deliciously willing body. She was like a drug - he couldn't get enough of her.

In the two days since she'd come home from the hospital, he'd been utterly unable to keep his hands off her delectable body. Right now he was itching to make love to her all over again. 

"My leg aches," she muttered. "I need to lie down."

"Your wish is my command." He lifted her up and carefully placed her on the bed with her leg stretched out. It was none too elegant, but he didn't care. She still looked beautiful to him.

Nicole laid on her back languidly, watching as he pulled his shirt off to reveal a smooth, muscular chest. It never ceased to amaze her that he was so damned sexy. She felt her body responding to the visual picture he presented, secure in the knowledge that soon she'd be feeling that hard body deep inside hers. 

He dropped down on the bed and began to lift her tee shirt up, kissing each portion of flesh revealed with a gentleness that further inflamed her desire. He seemed intent on teasing her as long as possible and it was infuriating. One muscular thigh pinned her leg down to prevent her moving too much whilst his hand found her breasts and began to stroke them. 

She moaned with frustration and Rob forced himself not to smile. "Is there something you want, sweetheart?" he asked innocently. 

"Damn you!" she groaned with feeling as he bent to take a mouthful of breast in his mouth. He sucked and she grabbed the back of his head to pull him closer. "Oh god, that feels good," she breathed.

Her pussy was aching and she pushed her own fingers inside her knickers to rub her flesh. "Impatient!" Rob laughed when he realised what she was doing. His fingers joined hers, lacing together as they slid through the wetness of her sex, rubbing across her swollen clit. 

His cock was protesting furiously at being confined within his jeans, but he ignored it. The tee shirt she was wearing bunched up around her upper body, allowing him easy access to her breasts while he played with her pussy. It was like being presented a banqueting table laden with delectable treats. All Rob wanted to do was gorge himself silly.

"Turn on your side," he asked her. She obeyed and he scooted up behind her, wrapping his body around the soft curve of her bottom. Her knickers were pulled down and he slipped his fingers back between her legs. She was so wet, practically dripping onto the sheets with arousal. The need to bury his cock inside her body was acute, but he forced himself to wait a little longer.

Nicole felt her body hovering on the verge of cumming. His fingers played her like a virtuoso and he knew exactly how to tip her over the edge each and every time. One light pinch of her nipple as he increased the pressure on her clit was all it took. The room faded out as she climaxed, pleasure crashing over her in blissful waves. She faintly heard herself cry out but she was too lost in the sensations to care.

Rob yanked his zipper down and released his poor aching cock. He slid between her thighs and gained entry to her body, clenching his teeth when he felt the spasms rippling through her sex as he slid into her channel. God she felt so damned good, despite the fact he couldn't go as deep in this position.

Rocking gently, he thrust into her, grasping her hip and kissing her neck. "I love fucking you," he told her softly. 

"I love you fucking me," she replied with a gasp. Reaching down, Nicole rubbed her clit as he slid in and out of her slick pussy. Her orgasm had barely faded away and she could feel her body climbing towards another one. It wouldn't be long; the first spasms were already rippling through her as his cock stroked her inner walls.

He speeded up, aware that he wasn't going to last much longer. With a groan, he felt her cum again, her pussy gripping his cock tightly in a hot embrace. "Oh fuck, Nicole, I love you," he gasped into the soft salty skin of her neck. 

Nicole felt him explode inside her as she heard the words he uttered. Her heart clenched tightly and tears pricked her eyes. "I love you, too," she whispered softly. His arm gripped her tightly as they lay locked together in a sticky tangle of limbs.

"I mean it, you know," he said, when their breathing had returned to normal. "I knew how I felt when I saw you lying in that hospital bed, in pain, and there was nothing I could do to make it better."

Nicole blinked the tears away. "Don't hurt me, please," she said shakily. 

"I'm not Sean," he reminded her.

And she knew he was right. He was nothing like Sean. He never had been and he never would be. What they had together was a million times better than anything she'd ever known before. He loved her and she loved him. That was enough.

* * *

Nicole sat at the table overlooking the harbour, nursing a coffee. The sun felt warm on her back but it still failed to quell her nerves. She was wondering belatedly if this was such a great idea when she felt rather than heard someone approach. 

"Hello," spoke a familiar voice. Nicole's heart thudded loudly in her chest and she looked up.

"Hi, Kate," she said. Her younger sister stood there clutching her bag, an expression of nervous anxiety on her pretty face. Nicole saw the changes wrought by the last few months and realised just how horrible it had been for all of them. She wasn't the only one to have suffered.

"Shall I fetch you another coffee?" Kate asked brightly, her body held rigid with tension.

"Yes please." Nicole tried to smile, but found it was surprisingly difficult. There was still too much hurt and anger floating around in her head for her to allow bygones to be bygones. Maybe talking about it might help.

Kate nodded and turned towards the serving counter. As she walked away with her long blonde hair rippling in the pale sunlight, Nicole noted the changes. She'd lost weight and her clothes hung off her. Not that it made much difference to her sex appeal -- two guys sat by the door blatantly checked her out with hopeful expressions.

Once upon a time, Nicole would have felt jealous of Kate. Now she found she didn't care. She knew she was beautiful in her own right - Rob told her a million times a day in a million different ways. She was secure in his love and that was enough for her.  

Kate soon returned holding two mugs of coffee and she sat down. "How are you?" she asked politely before taking a sip of the strong liquid.

Nicole looked out over the harbour for a moment, watching the small boats moored in the shelter of the sea wall. "I'm great, thanks," she said, happy in the knowledge it was the absolute truth.

"Good," replied Kate, her eyes cast downwards. 

There was a long pause as each of them considered everything. Eventually Nicole broke the silence. "How about you? Are you and Sean happy?" 

She watched as Kate stirred her spoon round in the mug, playing for time. "Yes, we are," she said finally. A lone tear escaped from the corner of her eye and she hurriedly wiped it away. "I'm so sorry, Nicole. I never meant for things to happen the way they did. I feel terrible for hurting you and I..." her words trailed off and she went silent. 

Nicole felt her heart softening as the final chunk of ice lodged deep inside began to melt. It had taken Rob to show her that maybe her relationship with Sean hadn't been as perfect as she remembered. If they had been happy, he would never have fallen for Kate as he did. 

It was hard to acknowledge this fact, but deep down she knew it was the truth. They HAD been happy, but somewhere along the line, whatever had brought them together had been lost. Kate moving in had been the catalyst for change. As painful as it had been at the time, the break up would have happened at some point anyway.

Besides, she never would have met Rob and Danni if fate hadn't played such a cruel card. In many ways she should be thanking her sister for helping her to meet Rob. 

"I know you didn't intend to hurt me," Nicole conceded gently. "But you DID hurt me, and for a while I admit, I hated you for it." She sighed and reached out for Kate's hand. "But you're my sister and I love you despite everything."

Kate sniffed and wiped her nose on a serviette. "I am so sorry, Nicole," she repeated through her tears. "I don't deserve you, do I?"

Nicole smiled. "I've had plenty of time to think it over and I can see now how it happened. It wasn't just down to you and Sean - it was partly down to me too. Things hadn't been right for a while, but I was too stubborn to see it. I think we all need to move on with our lives."

"I love you, Nic," Kate said, squeezing her sister's hand tightly. 

"I love you, too," said Nicole. "Just don't expect me to be your maid of honour at the wedding!" 

They both giggled, relieved that the awful tension had dissipated. "Who's this bloke you're living with? Kate asked curiously. 

Nicole's face broke out into a huge smile. "His name's Rob," she said happily.

"I'm pleased for you, Nicole," said Kate. "You deserve it." 

Nicole silently agreed with her -- she DID deserve it. She had been to hell and back over the last few months, but at least she and Kate had finally patched things up. The only way to go was forward. With that in mind she'd rung the local community college earlier in the week and signed up for a Nursery Nursing course that started in September.

Her dreams of opening a Children's Nursery hadn't disappeared -- they'd just been placed on hold for a while. Since she'd completed a year of the course already, she'd been advised she would be able to claim credit for it. Rob had assured her he was right behind her and he promised to support her all the way.

Coming here had been the best thing she'd ever done. It might not have seemed like it at the time -- but fate had a mysterious way of pulling wonderful things from the ashes of something terrible. Rob had taught her to trust again and she loved him for it. 

"Come on, Kate," she grinned. "Hurry up and finish that coffee." Nicole stood up carefully balancing her weight on the crutches the hospital had given her. "It's about time you met the man I'm going to marry." 




Leap of Faith Ch. 05



Kate's expression was priceless. 

* * *

Epilogue

The garden was filled with laughter as lots of small children ran about searching for Easter eggs. Coloured ribbons hung from the oak trees and the long table by the patio was piled high with food in preparation for the impending party. Easter was long gone, but Nicole had decided to repeat the egg hunt as the kids had enjoyed it so much previously.

At least the weather was warmer this time around. She stopped for a moment to make sure everyone had at least one egg to their name. The younger toddlers were absorbed with finger painting in the corner by the conservatory, carefully supervised by two of the girls.

Danni would be here soon to help. Not that she was ever much help. It was amazing how much mess she managed to make when supervising any activity, although Nicole couldn't dispute that the children universally adored her. Rob frequently pointed out that this was because his sister had a mental age of three and was therefore on the same wavelength.

They adored Angela too. The old lady was currently sat in the garden swing with two little girls. They were avidly listening to a story she was reading. As Nicole watched, she saw Angela surreptitiously wipe one runny nose with a well-placed tissue. She smiled. It had done Angela the world of good to have her beloved house filled with children once again.

Setting up the nursery had been hard work, but all the long hours had finally paid off. The house was a perfect setting with its huge garden and massive, airy rooms. It suited them all and Nicole had been overwhelmed by her friend's generosity when Angela had insisted on Nicole using her home to set up her fledgling business. 

It had been the answer to all their prayers. 

"Right, children!" Nicole yelled loudly. "Everyone needs to go and wash their hands before we eat our tea!" Eventually the children ceased their manic running about. Soon an orderly procession of little people headed towards the washroom in the company of three of the staff. 

Nicole took the opportunity to sit down for a moment. Her feet were killing her and she was beginning to feel tired after being outside all afternoon. 

"You do too much," Angela scolded gently as she walked slowly towards her, the book tucked under one arm. 

Nicole grinned ruefully. "Maybe," she conceded. "I'll rest tonight when my darling fiancée cooks me dinner while I soak in the bath."

"Did I say I was cooking dinner?" asked a familiar voice. "I was thinking more along the lines of fish and chips wrapped in yesterday's newspaper!" Rob walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, gently stroking the growing swell of her stomach. "Unless junior here fancies a Chicken Madras instead?" 

"Oh ha-ha!" Nicole laughed. "You know curry gives me heart burn at the moment!"

"Yes, I know," Rob chuckled in her ear. "Angela's right though - you need to start slowing down a little or you'll be having this baby early! I want you upstairs at six o'clock sharp as I'm taking you out for dinner, okay?" 

Nicole swung round and kissed him. "Aww, you spoil me!" she smiled happily. The thought of an evening out was a welcome one. They didn't go so often these days; Rob was working lots of overtime and Nicole was usually tired. 

"Don't worry, I'm expecting my reward later!" he whispered in her ear out of earshot of Angela. 

Nicole felt her cheeks turn red and she tried to push him away. "Stop that now!" she scolded. "Now go away and quit pestering me -- the kids are ready to eat!"

Rob grinned and nuzzled her neck affectionately. They both knew she didn't mean a word of it. 

Angela chuckled as she watched the two of them. Seeing them together, so much in love, reminded her of the heady days when she and Bert had first been wed. She smiled mistily, the sounds of the children fading away as her memories flooded back. Bert hadn't been able to keep his hands of her in those days. Not that she'd been complaining of course. They had been wonderful times...

The old lady grinned as she made her way over towards the table where the children were seated expectantly. "Right, who wants a cup of orange juice?" 

Lots of chubby hands waved in the air and Angela sighed happily. This sure beat vegetating in an old folk's home!

That's it folks! I hope you enjoyed the story and remember, your vote is my only reward. Feel free to drop me a line and let me know your comments if you want. Rach x