So who says birthday wishes come true? Mine hasn’t. Then again, I’ve been so busy with work to even give it much thought. The day after my birthday, we went head first into the new line and the upcoming campaign. My father hired a advertising team to work closely with Nick and I on how we wanted to advertise it and what it was about.

Nick described it as “Hollywood Starlets meets Southern Belles”. Yes, I looked at him like he was on crack. He said that isn’t exactly how he wanted to describe it but that it was the best way he could so far. To me, the best way to describe it is youth mixed in with a touch of elegance and class. The designs that he’s created so far are just breathtaking. Our old design, Dominique could never do anything like this. Nick’s talent has completely blown me away.

Nick says he wants the new ad campaign to be sexy and classy. That’s a stretch from our past campaigns which have never shown any skin except what had to be shown. He says that I need to be myself in front of the camera and do what comes naturally. I’m not sure what he means by that, but I know one thing I would love to do with him naturally in front of a camera.

“Erin,” my father said, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Are you daydreaming again or something? I thought you broke out of that happen when you were younger.”

“No Daddy, just thinking. What’s up?” I asked, standing up from my desk. I looked around to notice that most of the office was gone. How long had I been thinking? I looked at the clock to see that it was going on nine. Damn. “Are you going home now?”

“I’m about to. I need this sent off to New York right now and since Danielle or Sabrina isn’t here right now, you need to do it. I don’t know how to work that damn fax machine,” he said, handing me the folder. I laughed, opening it to look at the papers.

“Well go home and get some sleep. You’ve been here too long tonight. I’ll lock up,” I said, holding the folder to my chest.

“No need, Nickolas is still here,” my father said. He walked up, to give me a kiss on the cheek. “I want you to know that I’m proud of you.”

I smiled. I can’t believe that he told me that. “Thanks Daddy,” I said, watching him as he walked out of my office. So Nick was still here? I walked back to my desk, looking through our adjoining doors to see him sitting at his drawing desk, madly involved in some sketch or design.

I wasn’t even going to attempt bothering him. These papers needed to be faxed to New York and I was going home to take a long, hot bubble bath and then watch TV until I fall asleep. Then again, I’ll probably go home, take that bubble bath and eat some left over birthday cake that I still have in my refrigerator… even though it’s old now. I can’t help it. I love cake.

“What are you doing?” Nick asked, walking up behind me as I was faxing the papers to New York. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”

“Yep, still here but leaving as soon as I finish sending this off for my father,” I said, looking back at him. “Are you going to lock up?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?” I asked, looking at him questionably. “Where’s Katie tonight?”

“Jay’s mother is in town for a few days. Jay’s at work tonight so she’s watching her for me,” he said, leaning up against the cabinet, looking at me. “How does it feel to be twenty-seven?”

“Old.”

“You are far from old,” he said, smiling at me. I smiled back, trying to stop myself but couldn’t help it. “I think I’m gonna leave here when you do. I need to stop with that stuff in there for the night.” I smiled, looking back at the fax machine as I fed it the last paper. “So what are you gonna do when you leave here?”

“Go home,” I replied.

“Mind if I come over for a little while?” he asked as I paused. Did he just say that or was my mind playing tricks on me? “You can say no if you want to.”

“No, it’s fine. You can come over. Want a little time from home and work?” I asked as he nodded his head, following me back to my office. “I don’t have anything planned really. I didn’t realize I was going to be here so long tonight.”

“You said there weren’t any camera’s in here right?” Nick asked as I looked down, trying to find my keys.

“Yeah, why?” I asked, looking up at him. Before I could ask anything else, his lips were on mine, kissing me deeply. I dropped my keys on the floor from shock, but finally gave in. I began kissing him back, wondering what the hell had gotten into him. “Stop,” I said, pushing him away softly. “What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

“I wanted to kiss you, like you kissed me that night at my apartment. I’ve been trying to fight the urge ever since that night but seeing you standing there at that fax machine tonight, damn. I never knew a fax machine could turn me on so much,” he said. I cracked up laughing. That was seriously the funniest thing I had ever heard. “I’m serious.”

“I believe you,” I said, moving closer to him. “My father just told me he was proud of me and I don’t know if I can do this right now Nick. Not in this office anyway, I mean God, he left like ten minutes ago. He’s probably not even out of the parking lot yet or he could be on his way back up here.”

“Then let’s go back to your place.”

“What about your daughter?”

“She’s being taken care of.”

“Nick –“

“Erin, please,” he said, with a look on his face that made me melted. “I want you and I can’t wait anymore. I can’t wait until this whole thing is over. I know it’s only a matter of months but I can’t. I want you. I need you,” he said, moving his body against him. “You feel the same way don’t you?”

How in the hell could I possibly tell him no?

I ran into my apartment, knowing that he was going to be there within the matter of minutes. He had to run by his apartment first and then he would be at my place. What the hell was I going to do? Did I need to take a quick shower? Clean up the apartment? Light candles? Get that huge box of condoms out of the bathroom and put on the nightstand?

I practically ripped my buttoned up shirt off and slid out of my skirt, putting on my robe over my bra and underwear. I was tired of those work clothes and they were not a part of sex, at least not the kind of sex that I wanted to have with him. I looked around my bedroom, seeing that it was pretty much clean. I decided to walk over and light a few candles that I had on the mantle above my fireplace in the bedroom. Living on the top floor was nice because that meant I could have a fireplace. I had two, one in the living room and one in my bedroom although it rarely got cold enough to light it.

I ran into my bathroom, pulling my hair up in a clasp on top of my head and realized I looked way too needy. I looked like a walking billboard for being horny. I threw my robe across my bathroom and ran back in to put on my buttoned up top and skirt. I didn’t need to look that desperate but before I could ever tuck my shirt back in my skirt, my doorbell rang.

Damn.

“Coming!” I yelled, walking up to the door to open it. There he stood, with his tie halfway around his neck and a smile on his face that was enough to make me have an orgasm while standing up. “Hey, that was quick.”

“Just needed to stop by for a minute,” he said, walking into the apartment. I shut and locked the door and turned around to see him standing there. “I think I need to say something to you.”

“Okay, go for it,”

“Okay, I feel guilty as hell for wanting you the way that I do because I know that these feelings are betraying your father’s trust and he’s one of my mentor’s. He’s one of the guys that I looked up to and wanted to be like,” he said, staring at me. “I didn’t know who you were those nights in the bar and it doesn’t really matter to me who you are now because even if you weren’t his daughter – well if you weren’t, I would have already had you, but I can’t really hold back anymore.”

“You would have already had me?” I asked, staring at him. “What do you mean?”

“Meaning that nothing would have held me back from being with you. When I found out who you were, I was scared shitless because I wanted you but knew that I couldn’t have you and have this job that I have,” he said, walking closer to me. “I can’t stop myself anymore. I watched you with Katie last night and the past couple of days at work, especially after that kiss at my apartment, and I’m about to explode. I need you.”

“I don’t want to ruin my relationship with my father,” I whispered, moving closer to him. Our bodies were against one another and we were staring in one another’s eyes. “Everything is so good right now except for the fact that I can’t be with you.”

“Yeah you can, just say the word and I’m yours,” he whispered against my lips. I was shaking. My lips were trembling against his. I was so nervous that I didn’t know what I was about to do. Then it hit me, my birthday wish. This is what I had wished for.

I smiled, leaning in to kiss him softly on the lips. I felt his hands move down to waist as our tongues began to turn the kiss into a deeper one. I grabbed the tie from his neck, pulling it off of him slowly, causing him to smile against my lips.

“Come here,” I said, pulling him into my bedroom and shutting the door behind us. I took my top off and watched him as he took his buttoned up shirt off, showing me his tattoo again. I wanted to lick it and run my tongue over it. Then again, I could do that another time. I had too many other things that I wanted to do at the moment.

He began kissing me again as I slipped my skirt off, stepping out of it and kicking it across the room. Nick started to kiss me down my neck, sucking on it gently as I began to unfasten his pants, making them fall to the ground. He had already kicked his shoes and socks off. Now all that was left was our underwear.

Why did I feel so nervous? I felt like it was my first time again and I was seventeen. I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. I felt like I did ten years ago.

“I think this is what we needed last time,” Nick said, leaning down to take a condom out of his pants pocket. I smiled, taking it from him. He watched me as I unwrapped and then looked at his boxer briefs. God, I was really nervous now. I began to kiss him, pulling his boxer briefs to the ground. I felt his hands move behind me, unfastening my bra and then I touched him. He was already hard, probably waiting for this moment for the past couple of weeks. I moved the condom over him slowly, teasing him a little and I could feel him groan in my mouth and against my lips.

As we started to back closer to the bed, he moved his fingers inside of my panties, pulling them slowly. Then I felt his hand, touching my softly and teasing the living hell out of me. How could he do such an evil thing?

He climbed on top of me as we lay back on the bed and smiled, staring into my eyes. He kept looking into them as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t such what to say. I guess he just wanted to take the time to look into my eyes before entering me. I wanted to cry out, screaming “Thank you God!” but I didn’t. I just leaned my head back and smiled, as he moved all the way inside of me.

We started out slow at first, getting used to one another’s bodies. He would explore mine and I would explore his. Our hands were everywhere, touching, massaging, and feeling everything. My lips were all over his neck, kissing and sucking on his skin and praying to God I didn’t leave a reminder there.

He kept his pace slow at first, kissing and sucking all over my chest. I was about to go insane from pleasure and the thought of him being inside of me. Before he knew it, we flipped over, and I was sitting on top, straddling him. I felt his hands grab my waist as I began to ride him slowly. I started to smile, remembering my first thought about him. I said that was a cowboy that I wanted to ride and now I was.

He slammed me down on top of him, making me scream from sheer excitement and pleasure. My pace began to speed up and before I knew it, he had me on my back again, moving faster and deeper inside of me. I could feel him pulsating, wanting to release himself but he didn’t. I knew he was holding out for me.

I began kissing and sucking on his neck again, and he began to move deeper inside of me. I was about to go insane. I hadn’t felt this good in months, maybe years. It was never like this with Daniel – never. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pushing myself closer to him. I couldn’t get enough of him. I wanted him to go further and deeper. I wanted every little bit of him and I got it, until I couldn’t hold on anymore. I felt my release, and heard Nick moan right behind me, feeling his also.

I lay there with my eyes closed, savoring the moment. I was washed down in sweat. I felt his lips right against mine. They were quivering. “Nick,” I whispered. I opened my eyes to look at him and he smiled, staring back at me. Before I could even say his name again, or say anything at all, his lips were on mine, giving me a soft and tender kiss. It wasn’t a deep, passionate kiss and it wasn’t a peck on the lips. It was a real, soft and sweet kiss. It reminded me of a kiss that a little boy would give a little girl, full of nervousness and feelings.

He moved his lips away from mine and opened his eyes. As I stared into them, I realized something. I loved Daniel. I honestly really and truly loved him, but I’m not sure if I was in love with him. I don’t recall feeling this way about him – ever. Right then and there I knew. I knew that I was doing something that I had never really done before.

I was going to fall for Nick and I was going to fall hard.