Fighting and Loving Ch. 02

"Yes," Nic agreed. "I could always keep up with your commands. But, you never pushed anyone else as hard as you pushed me; none of the women and probably not even the more advanced men. What made me so different? Why have you felt the need to act like a damn task master only with me?"

"I saw something in you that could rise to the challenge. You are by far the strongest female in that class, if not one of the better students I've ever met. I don't treat this like a game Nic. When I find someone with your kind of raw talent, I assume they're ready to take this seriously, and not like just an aerobics class," said Des, his voice rising as he crossed the room to stand before Nic.

"And when did I ever give the impression I thought that way?" Nic was practically yelling in Des' face. This was quite a feat considering her short stature. Des couldn't help but admire the way she showed no fear as he advanced on her. He knew that he could be downright frightening at times.

"I've been serious about this since the first time I set foot in that school," Nic continued. "But you...you... You make me feel like I can't do a damn thing right! It seems all I ever do now is think about class. I'm at work, where I should be preparing for a meeting with my boss, and instead I'm thinking about new offensive combinations. I eat lunch with friends, who I should be paying attention to, but I'm wondering if I'm correctly following the form for a throw or submission hold. I try to go to sleep at night, and I can't because I'm thinking of you..." Nic broke off, a confused look on her face. Des felt a tug in his stomach at her words, knowing that that had been an unwanted confession and understanding how she felt.

"I mean...I'm thinking about what you'll be making me do in class and questioning if I can live up to your expectations. I wonder if you know how hard it was for me to get on that mat and spar, with you staring me down from the sidelines. I could feel you critiquing everything I did and cataloging it away as something else I had done wrong. I just...I just want..." Nic stopped, unable to form the words.

Des looked down into her frustrated eyes and immediately felt like an ass. This was his own damn fault for taking out his confusion on her. "I'm sorry," he murmured, awkwardly grabbing her hands. "I never wanted you to feel overwhelmed. I recognized the same drive in you I had when I started. I guess I got carried away. But, you've always worked hard and surpassed any expectations I had. Even after the test today, I'm more than pleased with where you are now." This wasn't the whole truth of why he had been such a tyrant, but Des knew that right now wouldn't be the best time to explain himself fully. He just wanted to be on somewhat solid ground with Nic. Even with the attraction that Des was now positive was reciprocated; he wanted her to feel sure about moving past a student/teacher relationship.

Nic stared up at Des in astonishment. It was quite obvious she hadn't expected him to apologize. She glanced quickly down at their still-joined hands and fought for some semblance of reserve. Des watched the battle in enjoyment, liking the fact that the ball was now in her court.

"Well I...I'm sorry, too," she stated hesitantly. "I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. I didn't mean to. There's just been so much stress these past few weeks and... And, then my friend comes over to dinner tonight and says I should just tell you how I feel. Only I can't because...well...nevermind. I'm just sorry."

Des nodded in acceptance of her apology and breathed easier when a rarely seen smile crossed her lips. She ducked her head in embarrassment and managed to extract her hands from his on the pretense of brushing some hair out of her eyes. Des hadn't wanted to relinquish this prize, but knew she needed to create some distance and time to regroup. And honestly, so did he.

"So...is that all you wanted to say?" Nic was once again avoiding Des' eyes. A sure sign she was nervous.

"Yes. I just wanted to tell you that you did well tonight." Des decided to ignore the matter of the cell phone, not wanting to make it appear that he had truly come to give back this lost possession and been sidetracked into commending Nic on her hard work. "But, would it be alright if I used your bathroom?"

"Yes, of course," replied Nic quickly, pointing the way down the hallway next to the kitchen. "It's the second door on the right."

"Thanks." Des moved quickly down the hall and into the small room, finding the light as he closed the door. He needed the time to rethink what he wanted to do. Nothing had turned out right tonight. Of course, this was assuming that he had known how he wanted to deal with Nic, and he had never been sure about that. All he really knew was that he wanted the woman, but had no idea how he was supposed to accomplish that goal. Des had never before gone after something without a plan, but plans kind of fell apart when Nic was concerned. And, it didn't help that he had been half-aroused since that scene in the changing room, the only fact that hadn't altered as the night wore on.

Perhaps it was time to simply get the hell out of dodge. The last thing he needed was something else to go wrong when he had just established a real foundation with Nic. Des could go home and come up with a surefire way to get her into his bed by the time he saw her again on Monday. It was his best option at the moment.

Leaving the bathroom, Des heard water running in the kitchen, and the sound of dishes clinking in a sink. Wanting to say a quick goodbye, Des made his way around the corner as the water was shut off. As he entered the kitchen, he ran full-length into Nic, and managed to grab ahold of her before she fell back.

I should have let her fall, Des thought as his hands found her waist and pressed her smaller form into his body. Nic's hands had automatically grabbed onto his shoulders as they collided, which now aided in bringing them into full body contact. The fabric of her shirt was cool under his fingers, but the warmth of her flesh pierced the thin barrier easily, allowing Des to feel her heat even through his own clothes.

If he had immediately let her go after running into her, Des could have stuck with the plan. He could have made a quick getaway with only a little remorse at not having been able to satisfy some of the physical cravings Nic seemed to so effortlessly create. But, now a line had been crossed. He could feel every inch of her body pressed into his, changing the simmer he had been on all night into a needing burn. Des was made aware of her heavy breasts, free and loose against his chest. Her legs were tangled with his, his right thigh firmly planted between her own. And his cock, now swelling from its semi-hard state, was cradled in the softness of her stomach.

Moving a hand up from her waist, Des reveled in the way Nic's back arched changing the pressure of her breasts against him. His hand continued its journey, eliciting a small gasp from Nic. Her breathing had sped up as soon as she was in his arms, her mouth partly opened as she panted slightly. Des felt he could lose control staring at her full, moist lips and the way her eyes unfocused at his touch. He dipped his head lower, until he could feel her breath on his own mouth, before he slipped past that temptation and buried his face in her neck. He had wanted to do nothing but submerge himself in her scent since she opened the door, and took this time to become acquainted with her unique smell. His hand finally reached the destination of her riotous curls, and quickly removed the clip that held them in check. Des' fingers tangled in her tresses and used this hold to pull her head back, allowing him better access to her neck. His tongue flicked out quickly and lapped at the sensitive skin, loving the way he could feel Nic's moan deep in her throat.

"Please," Nic whimpered, as her hands bunched into Des' shirt, and her hips began to unconsciously move, grinding herself against the hardness of his thigh. Pulling back, Des rubbed his forehead against her own, his mouth just brushing hers. With that small caress, they launched at each other; their first kiss venting all the frustrations they had felt for the past few weeks. Their lips and tongues met over and over again, desperately trying to get more. Des hauled Nic closer with one hand on her rounded ass as the other molded itself to her breast, finding the hardened nipple and teasing it with his fingers. Nic's husky cry only seemed to remind him of the aching throb in his cock.

There was nothing Des wanted to do more than drag Nic to the nearest surface, tear off whatever she might be wearing under that shirt and slid his dick into her hot, wet pussy. He wouldn't be able to be gentle the first time, he needed her too much; needed to hear her scream as he fucked her to orgasm, needed to feel her tighten around him as she came, and then feel his own body strain as he reached his climax. After that he would take the time to explore her at his leisure and find all the things that drove her crazy.

Pushing Nic back quickly, wanting to find anyplace he could lay her down or hold her up against, Des walked her roughly into the kitchen counter. Reaching back to brace herself, Nic's hand brushed a glass that had been sitting next to the sink and managed to tip it over the edge and onto the floor. The loud shattering as the glass met the linoleum startled them both into focusing on something other than each other. They broke apart, looking at the strewn shards for a moment before glancing back to the other.

Nic's lips were swollen from their kisses, her hair mussed from Des' questing fingers, and her shirt rucked up from dry humping in the middle of the kitchen. Des had never wanted a woman more. He reached for her again when she held up a hand, putting an arm's distance between them.

"Wait," she said quietly, almost whispering. Des' body howled in refusal. He had been so close, and it had been so good, he almost disregarded her request to pull her close. But, he could see she had that look in her eyes again. The deer in the headlights expression of fear and uncertainty.

"Why wait? You want me, I want you. There's nothing to wait for," Des said trying, and failing, not to sound like a little boy that had been given his favorite dessert only to have it taken away.

"I...I don't know what I want," Nic said, looking up with those big, brown eyes.

"That's a lie. I could feel what you wanted, and it wasn't for me to stop. What the hell are you so afraid of Nic?"

"Of...of me...and this. I don't know how to deal with this. I don't know how I feel about you. It's all mixed up in my head, and I'm not the type of girl to just go jumping into bed with a guy I hardly know." Nic dragged a hand through her hair looking lost, unsatisfied, and completely fuck-able in Des' eyes. "I just need some time. Time to figure this all out. Please Des, just give me some time."

Des' fisted hands clenched and unclenched as he looked at Nic's pleading face. He didn't really have a lot of choices as to what he could do. Either he agreed to wait and had a chance to get Nic sometime in the future, or he refused and walked away. Both cases presented him with some definite long and frustrating nights to look forward to. Sighing inwardly, he came to a decision.

"Alright we'll wait. I can't promise you a lot of time, but I'll try." Des watched Nic sigh in relief and knew he had made the right choice. His cock might not agree with him, but his head said that all good things came to those who waited.

"So, what happens now?" Nic looked curiously up at Des as she asked the question. Funny that he had been about to ask the same thing.

To be continued...