One Midnight (ONC 2024) ✔️

Chapter Seventeen- Midnight Rendezvous

2019

There is still a large crowd of people while I scan Cafe du Monde for any sign of Nicolas. I see a tired young mom with her infant at her chest, her partner, eating beignets with a cup of Cafe au Lait in his hand. He brings it to his lips which are covered in powdered sugar dust. He sips, then sets it back down. I clutch my handbag to my side as I continue to looking for any sign of him.

He is not coming. I should have confirmed it with him on the text. I am such an idiot to think that he would be here.

I turn around and my heart does a flip in my chest. The closer he gets to the patio, the more my heart flips. He is wearing a black shirt and jeans and his hair is parted to the side. God, he looks so handsome.

His face lights up when he notices me sitting at the table. 

 "I made it," he says, grinning. 

"Yes," I say, stifling a growing smile. "You did. I already ordered enough beignets for the both of us," I say, pointing to our table. "Care to join me?" 

He sits down and wastes no time biting into a beignet and I laugh as his eyes roll back. He moans in ecstasy as powdered sugar poofs all around him, sweet dust falling down like powdery snow all around us. He should not have worn that black shirt. I should have warned him not to. The world around us seems to fade away, and it's just the two of us enjoying beignets by ourselves. 

I am about to grab the last beignet, when he tries to get one at the same time and our hands brush together. I feel a jolt of electricity that courses through me as his hand grazes mine. I'm expecting Nicolas to recoil, or pull his hand away but he doesn't. He takes my hand and squeezes it gently. 

"Do you want to go somewhere?" Nicolas asks, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want to spend more time with you than being here."

"We can walk around the square." 

"Deal," he says. "You want the last beignet?" 

                                                                                                 ***

For a moment, our hands brush against each other. He then begins stroking the top of my hand, very carefully at first, until he has my entire hand in his grasp as we walk around the square. My head is in the clouds as he tightens his grip, but then softens it again, tracing one of his fingers on the top of my knuckles. God, what is this man doing to me? My heart cannot take it. Every part of my body is on edge.

"You look lovely tonight," he whispers, the words hot against my ears. His lips are so close they are almost touching my earlobes. I need to calm my heart.

"I do?"

"Yes," he says. "Is my closeness too much?"

"A little," I squeak out the words.

"All right, I can step away."

"Don't," I say sharply. "Please don't."

He grins and pulls me in closer until I feel his racing heartbeat against my ear. "Then I won't."

He trails kisses along my forehead, my cheek, up and down my neck. I let out a deep, low groan. I can't help myself. His lips feel so soft, but so hot against my skin.

"May I?"

"May you what?" I ask, feeling faint as my heart races.

"May I kiss you?"

"Yes," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

He lifts up and pulls away, stepping closer to me and in the dim light of the lamp post, I see gorgeous golden speckles in his eyes. He pulls me in closer. He smells so good, like vanilla and cinnamon. His hair brushes against my forehead as he tilts his head, trailing kisses along my cheek until he reaches my lips. I wrap my arms around him, as he steps in closer to me and kisses me, his lips soft against mine. My heart is sky high, and I am almost breathless.

He pulls himself away, and I can't read the expression in his gaze, but he pulls me in tighter and kisses me again this time, deeper and fuller. And I am completely and utterly lost.

"Corrie," he says, shuttering as he kisses my neck.

I bring myself closer to him, and he takes his claim of me again and I relish in the heat of our bodies, moving closer and closer together until our pelvises are touching. He releases a deep, low groan as I pull his air and bite his lower lip. He deepens the kiss by opening his mouth, and I moan, arching my back into him, wanting to get closer to him. I have never been kissed in this way before. I want more. More.

"More," I say, groaning.

He moves his hands all over me as he deepens the kiss, with more intensity than before. My knees buckle as I fight to maintain my balance.

"Ay, Dios mio!" He grunts as he pulls away, panting as he presses his hand against the brick wall for stability. "No mas. No more."

"Why not?" I ask, trying to bring myself back to our closeness from earlier. He shakes his head.

"Too much," he says, bringing me close into an embrace, his heart thunders against me. "We will do something that we will both regret."

My high comes crashing down to the cobblestone pavement. "Is it me?"

He shakes his head, smiling as he trails a finger over my lips. "No. Corrie, what happened between us was beautiful, but we've only just met."

"You're right."

Oh, God. He's already going to give me the let's just be friends spiel. I feel it coming. It's hanging over us like a thread that I can just pick up and take apart.

"I feel as if I've known you for so long already, you are already so special to me. But I was seconds away from bringing you to where I'm staying. I respect you too much for that. You do not deserve a clandestine encounter with someone you've just met. You deserve better than that."

It feels like I've been punched in the gut. "Are you telling me that we should just be friends?"

His face seems pained, confused. "Yes. No. I do not know, Corrie. After tonight, I don't know what you are to me." He digs trembling hands in his hair. There are tears in his eyes.

"Nicolas," I say, bringing myself close to him. "Tell me what's going on. Let's go find somewhere to sit down and we can talk."