Nicholas Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 16) Read online

  The gorgeous stud is laughing at me but trying not to. “How’s his urine? Nice and yellow? Enough vitamins?”

  Closing my eyes I exhale, “I refuse to go on any further.”

  He laughs while I stare at his perfect teeth. “Maddie, come on, tell me more about his diarrhea.”

  A grin twitches to life as I roll my eyes. “Okay, fine, make fun of me.”

  “I think you’re fun enough already. I don’t have to do anything.”

  “Greek gods aren’t allowed to tease mortals!”

  His thick eyelashes flicker as he becomes intimate. “You’re likening me to a god?”

  “Well, you’ve got the coloring of a Greek, so…”

  “My grandmother has Italian blood. It passed down to my father. And one of his brothers, too. A bunch of us cousins.”

  I know the Cocker Family is large but I don’t know the specifics. Most people know the famous cousins who are in the news a lot.

  The rockstar, Gabriel.

  Falcons star quarterback, Eric.

  His cousin, Hannah, and her dad the ex-Senator, because of their famous story and how beautiful what he did for her was.

  One is a billionaire from a software invention he patented but I don’t know the specifics. I think his name is Ethan, might be Ian—I have no clue.

  Nicholas sees my refusal to pry.

  He smiles, eyes softening a little. “You can ask me, Maddie.”

  CHAPTER 19

  M ADISON

  “Y our family is your own business.”

  “I get asked about them all the time.”

  “Which is why I don’t want to bother you.”

  His thick eyelashes narrow. Taking my elbow he guides me away from the throng. We’re further from speakers, too, so the music quiets slightly, but enough to feel more intimate. “I don’t mind when it’s you asking,” he confesses.

  It takes me aback. “Why?”

  “Because you’re not curious for the wrong reasons.”

  “What does that mean…wrong reasons?”

  Nicholas takes a sip of his drink. “You’re not trying to get something out of me.”

  “Of course I’m not!”

  He laughs through his nose, brown eyes sparkling. “You’re still interesting, aren’t you, Maddie? What’s your last name?”

  “Greeley-Smith.”

  “Both of your parents’ last names?”

  “Yes.”

  “They still together?”

  “Yes, but no.”

  He nods, and we stare at each other until my throat starts closing up. He’s so close to me, way too good-looking for my comfort level. I’m so attracted to him and nothing permanently good can come from that.

  Desiring a man like him is a bad plan.

  It’s like walking into a lion’s den and saying, “You’re beautiful. I just want to pet you. Don’t eat me.”

  It’s going to eat you.

  But my feet don’t want to move.

  Neither does my body.

  Unless it means moving closer.

  He senses my discomfort, misunderstands it completely, backs up a step, straightening his spine. “What were you going to ask me?”

  Struggling to remember how to form actual sentences, I take a sip of liquid courage. “I was going to ask how many brothers your dad has? You mentioned one. I know you have a lot of cousins, but I’ve never stalked your family or anything past reading up on Gabriel when he got married. A lot of people were talking about it—I wasn’t interested in him, personally or anything,” I hurriedly reassure Nicholas, as if that’s even necessary. I’m sure he’s just talking to me as a friend, because we went through that fire and have Bucky in common.

  With little effort, as casual and confident as he always is, Nicholas explains, “There are six total. Five plus my father, who’s the youngest.”

  “Any sisters?”

  “All boys. But Grandma Nance got her girls in the grandchildren.” He pauses and adds for clarity, “My cousins. There are seventeen all told. Sixteen plus me.”

  “I can do math,” I tease him on a smile. It fades as he stares at it.

  Am I imagining this chemistry we have?

  Nicholas drags a hand through his soft hair. It falls into place as if he never touched it.

  I’m staring at the perfect waves as he says, “I’m closest to my siblings, even though our family is close. The older cousins are really tight, and their younger siblings got wrapped into that package. Our immediate household had four already tied in, so we stuck together, and then my friend Matthew came along for the ride—that makes five. Not that you can’t add.” I laugh and he continues, “It’s me, Zoe, Wyatt then Nathan. Matt’s my age.”

  “I like Matt, he seems like a good guy.”

  “The best.” His eyes flicker, and he takes my chin, murmurs, “Madison…”

  “Yes?”

  “Can I kiss you?”

  I whisper, “Oh God…yes,” right before his lips brush mine.

  We’re in a corner, the place so packed that if sardines walked in they’d say we were cramped. Nobody can see his left hand, by the wall, sliding down the side of my body, slipping around the front and hesitating above my zipper as his body blocks the other side from sight.

  He starts to kiss me and it’s everything I thought it would be. Nicholas moans as our tongues meet, and he begins teasing me, biting my bottom lip and holding it a second, then pulling away to lock eyes with me, smiling and coming back in for more.

  I wanted this to be me.

  All those other times.

  And now here I am.

  “Madison,” he rasps, barely audible. “What if I just…” Those fingers dip over the belt line of my pants and brazenly slide under.

  My breath hitches, “Someone will see!”

  “No one can see my hand. They just think we’re kissing.”

  He licks my tongue and then sucks on it a little as his fingers slip inside my panties. “Fuck, you feel good.”

  The kiss intensifies as his fingers rub in slow circles above my cleft.

  He can’t yet tell how wet I am.

  How fast my heart pounds for more.

  “This is not real,” I breathe as he continues massaging me into a daze. “Not real,” I repeat against the dream I’m swimming in.

  “How about this?” he whispers, “This real, Madison?” sliding his fingers a little lower. Then lower still.

  God help me, I crane my hips toward him, aching with need and he moans into my mouth. His tongue licks mine, plays with it while talented fingers slide into my folds and pause there.

  Thickly he murmurs, “You’re wet. That’s real, too.”

  He tucks us closer against the wall, his busy hand hidden and stroking me, tickling my shocked and greedy clit, circling it with the sweetest slowness, barely touching me and then getting firm, and then lightening the stroke again.

  Fucking.

  Torture.

  He’s aiming to make me cum right next to the coolest people in Atlanta. I’m gripping his bicep, nearly cutting through his tense flesh with nails I’ve finally let grow.

  His bulge is exactly as I expected.

  Huge.

  Hard.

  Hot.

  Only this time it’s pulsing for me.

  I whimper in his panting lips, “Stop, oh my God, I can’t stop.”

  We lock eyes for a second. He rasps, “You really want me to? Because it feels like you’re about to burst?” He lunges in for my mouth, kisses me with abandon, and slides his finger inside me.

  That’s it.

  I lose control, even though my body doesn’t give it away to any curious voyeurs. Even as I’m frozen here in this corner, there are flames licking my pussy as tiny earthquakes clamp around his finger, my moans muffled by the steady dance beat as I turn my head to the wall so nobody can see my face.

  “That’s it, Madison, that’s it. Give it to me.”

  “What have you done,” I moan, grippi
ng his arms as he kisses my neck.

  “Nicholas! Hey, buddy, you seen my sister?”

  We go rigid. Ever so slowly Nicholas removes his hand as he smiles over his shoulder. “Caden! The fuck are you doing here?” His manner is perfect, detached, casual, and he blocks my body while I discreetly adjust my pants. His hand slides into his pocket. “This is my cousin, who apparently can’t see that I was busy.”

  Running his hand through his hair, Caden chuckles, “Sorry man, the question popped out as soon as I recognized you. I just left my shift at the hospital and I’m fuckin’ beat, but I’m searching for Lexi. Got a tip she was here with her mystery man, Brad. You seen her?”

  “No, but I did ask about that guy a few months ago when I ran into her. Haven’t seen her since. You look worried.”

  There’s not much family resemblance except swagger. Nicholas is exotic, his facial structure angular. Caden is more All-American with a square chin.

  Hospital?

  Yes, he looks like a doctor.

  Nicholas looks more playboy.

  Oh hell.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  Glancing around the strobe-lit gathering, Caden explains, “Max is editing his film and he had Natalie call me after Mom said she hasn’t heard from Lexi in over a week. My sister, I swear to God, someone needs to put a chip in her. She’s harder to find than my brother, Hunter, these days. Between her and Janet, I’m tearing my hair out.”

  Nicholas asks, “Who’s Janet?”

  “Another resident at the hospital. She’s got my balls in a sling. They love her over there and I want to stay in Atlanta when this is all over. It’s either me or her, so the rumor goes. I’m doing every trick in the playbook to get ahead of her. I’m telling you, the girl is raising the bar!” His eyes flicker to me. “Who’s this? I apologize for interrupting.”

  Nicholas grins, “You fucker. You should know better. You don’t break up something like that.”

  “Well, I’ve seen you kissing so many girls…” He sees the look on my face and immediately turns bright red. “Oh shit, I’m sorry. Wow, I’m a dick. I’m so sorry.”

  Pretending not to care, I shrug, “It’s okay. I know his reputation. I didn’t mean to kiss him. It just happened.”

  Nicholas and I exchange a look.

  Caden’s eyes crinkle. “Thank God you’re cool, because that could have been disastrous. But hey, if you’re going to kiss a Cocker, be prepared for the tongues of past kisses to wag like fucking crazy.”

  Nicholas punches him. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Probably shouldn’t talk about tongues right now,” Caden laughs, grabbing his chest. “So, no Lexi?”

  “Call Sam.”

  “She won’t answer her phone!” To me, Caden explains, “My sisters guard each other better than the Secret Service covers the President.”

  Since I’m included in the conversation I have to comment, “You don’t look much alike.”

  They both drag amused fingers through their hair on a low chuckle, the family resemblance showing far more in mannerisms than facial features.

  With easy-going charm Caden smiles, “The bloodline gets mixed up with our dads. Mine is a towhead, blonde as you can get. Both he and his identical twin.”

  “But you don’t have blonde hair.”

  “Yeah, I know. Samantha, she’s the only one who got the blonde hair in our family, it’s weird.”

  Nicholas smirks, “You’re going to rattle it all off, aren’t you?”

  “My mom is a redhead, and two of us got that. Not me. My little brother Hunter is a ginger, and then Lexi is bright red.”

  “—Stop.”

  “Max and I, we’re the oldest. Just eleven months apart. We got the brown hair passed down from our grandma, just like this guy right here.” He points to Nicholas who is rubbing his face. “But I got the square jaw of my dad. And Nicholas’s dad, Uncle Jeremy, he’s got a longer face, these high cheekbones, olive skin.”

  Nicholas shouts, “For the love of God, shut it!”

  Caden busts up. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to blow.”

  “You’re as bad as my brothers.”

  “Well, you used to be more fun.” He makes a dramatic face. “Come back to us!”

  Nicholas cocks an eyebrow, “I grew up. You apparently didn’t.”

  “I’ll be the doctor who makes your pain vanish with a smile.” He gives us a winning one and shakes my hand. “You’re a good sport. What was your name?”

  “Madison.”

  “I like it.” He winks then slaps Nicholas on the arm. “I’ll catch ya later. Going to see if I can find someone to kiss, too, before the night is up.”

  “What about Lexi?”

  “If she ain’t here then I don’t know where else to look. Already went by her apartment. Saw your sister and she had no clue. I thought about grilling the cats, but figured it was a lost cause. But you know what Nicholas?”

  “What?”

  “When I meet Brad, he’s gonna get this.” He holds up his fist. Waving over his broad shoulder, “Talk to you later, cuz. Bye Madison,” Caden is engulfed by the crowd.

  We are alone again.

  I bite my lip, eyes darting over to the gorgeous man who just made me cum.

  Nicholas says, “Hey.”

  A smile pulls my lip free. “Hi.”

  CHAPTER 20

  N ICHOLAS

  I go in for another kiss but her hand bars my way. “Matthew is walking up.”

  “You’re kidding. Fucking hell.” I give her an I’m-not-done-with-you look while confessing, “Thought I’d never see you again.”

  She blinks as Matt calls out, “There you are! Hey, we’re gonna grab a bite somewhere we can actually hear ourselves talk.”

  “You go on without me.”

  Matthew cocks his head. “Really? We’ve been here every week, man. Aren’t you getting bored yet?”

  “Go on without me, Matt.”

  He gives us a wave and heads off. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  I glance to Madison and find her wall has shot back up, and I have no idea why. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “I’m so dumb,” she groans as she thrusts her cup at me. “Here, you can have this. Gin makes me do stupid things.”

  She walks away.

  Was it something Caden said?

  Or Matthew?

  I catch up and match her pace. “What happened?”

  Maddie’s teeth are gritted, eyes steeled. “I’ve seen you hook up with girls at every party I’ve ever been to. The last one was in Billy’s bathroom, remember that? Or did that slip your memory?”

  “No, it didn’t. But what has that got to do with anything?”

  She shoots a look my way. “You don’t get it, Nicholas.”

  “Explain it to me!”

  Stopping, she lowers her voice. “You’ve been coming to these parties every week. Matthew just said that. I heard him. So of course I know what happens here for you. You always hook up at these. I’ve seen you disappear with more than one girl a night, many times! I’ve fantasized that girl was me, so yay, that was fun. Let’s leave it at that, okay?” She starts walking so fast her hair floats behind her.

  She fantasized about me?

  This is news.

  “Madison, slow down.”

  “I’m good. It was fun, really, just leave me alone, okay? I want to get back to my friend.”

  Perplexed I slow down and weigh the options, as she scurries through countless people.

  How do I address her valid concern and not be as vulnerable as it will make me sound.

  I know I’ve got little time.

  My reputation is notorious. How the fuck do I deny that and make her see that’s not what happened with her. It wasn’t my plan to kiss her just yet. But I’ve been searching for her for months and I lost control.

  How to explain that to a woman who knows my history, has watched it go down, first hand.

&nbs
p; Catching up to her, I take her elbow, “Okay, this is going to sound bad.” To my relief she faces me to listen. “Those were casual-sex things.”

  “Things?”

  “What’s a better word…casual sex acts?” Her lips tighten. “Everything is going to make me sound like a player.”

  “Sound like?” she laughs, glancing around for Denise.

  “Yes, I’m a player. Okay, sue me. I’m twenty-five. Life is short.”

  She shrugs, “You’re right. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. It’s your life. Live it the way you want.”

  Relieved, I straighten up a little. “Exactly. I’m glad you understand.”

  A sarcastic laugh ripples out as she says, “I’m such an idiot,” turns on her heel and sees Denise up ahead, walking with two other girls I think I’ve seen around, but don’t personally know.

  Oh shit.

  I do know one of them.

  Intimately.

  Under my breath I mutter, “Fuck!” Against survival instincts I go after her. The girl I had in a closet at a Highlands house-party about eight or nine months ago, turns to greet Maddie. There’s a smile on her face. They know each other. I pause, drag my hand over my face and keep walking.

  All four women watch me slow down as I get close.

  Closet-Girl, whose name I never got, barks, “Well, if it isn’t Houdini!”

  My teeth grit. “Hello...”

  “You don’t know my name,” she sneers.

  “You never told me it.”

  Her pretty eyes flicker as she realizes that’s true.

  Just because she knew my name doesn’t make us even.

  I turn to Madison who has now erected an ice castle and a moat complete with chomping crocodiles.

  Tonguing the back of my teeth I gather my composure. “Madison, can I talk to you?” I ask loudly enough so that everyone present knows I am aware of her name, at least.

  I’m not all bad.

  Just part bad.

  Her tone is negative zero degrees. “We’re having a conversation, Nicholas.”