Chapter Twenty
Alice
There are two addictions I haven’t been able to shake off my entire life: sweets and gossiping with my siblings (when I’m not the subject of said gossip). Nate is about to become my third. Ever since he surprised me with the ice cream trip two weeks ago, we’ve been spending a lot of time together, mostly evenings and nights and weekends. When the Delicious Dining team filmed their segment, Nate took the day off and was by my side. It was incredibly sweet.
Right now, we’re in his apartment, but we’ve been in mine more often. So often, in fact, that I’m not sure I want to sleep in there alone again. This isn’t crazy, right? I mean, who would want to go back to an empty, cold apartment when they’ve had a gorgeous, funny, and drop-dead sexy man in there with them? I swear every inch of my one-bedroom apartment smells like him.
As I check my appearance in Nate’s mirror, I know I’m even more invested in this thing between us than I thought, and that’s dangerous. We’re having fun, and I’m having the time of my life with him even when we’re doing nothing but talking, but I can’t jump headfirst into something that’s only a few weeks old. Even if I’ve known him for years, this is still fresh.
When I look over my shoulder in the mirror, I notice Nate is smiling. I’ve cataloged in my mind every smile of his over the years, but there’s something different about this one.
“Nate Becker, what’s up with your smile?”
He jerks his head back, obviously not having realized I was watching him in the mirror as he was studying me. By the time I turn around to face him, he schools his expression, shooting for a surprised, affronted one instead. Well, the joke’s on him because, despite his efforts to hold back a smile, the corners of his mouth are lightly tilted.
“What do you mean? I smile all the time.”
“Yeah, but this one’s different.”
I walk around the bed until I’m right in front of him. I love his ‘I just got out of bed’ look. His hair is mussed, his eyelids still a tiny bit heavy with sleep. Most of all, I like the five o’clock shadow on his face. It’s a little coarse and makes kissing rougher, but there’s something distinctly manly about that light beard. It goes wonderfully with his muscle-laced arms.
He tips his chin forward. “It’s the Alice effect.”
His answer warms me on the inside. I swear my toes curl. “Please explain yourself. I need more details.”
He kisses the tip of my nose. “It’s the smile I get when I wake up and you’re next to me. Waking up next to your half-naked body is the best way to start my day, even though I wake up earlier than usual when you’re with me, even on a rainy Saturday like this one. Actually, I wake up earlier because you’re with me.”
“Because you want to spend more time with me?” The eagerness in my tone borders on childish, but I love it when he speaks about me like this.
“No, because you’re nearly choking me by sleeping on top of me.”
Stepping back, I smirk and say in my defense, “You’re a good pillow.” Truth be told, I’m not a hugger when I sleep. I usually don’t even hug my pillow. But I can’t believe this is my life now, and that Nate is in it. I want to soak in as much of him as possible when I’m awake, so it must be my subconscious wanting more of him even while I’m asleep. “Go back to telling me how waking up next to me is the best way to start your day. I liked that part a lot more.”
He steps in front of me again, effectively pushing me against the wall. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Well, I’ll gladly take this hardship every single day. “So? You’d better lay it on thick, Becker. You just accused me of hogging you.”
Honestly, I was just fishing for compliments, but Nate takes my words to mean something else—foreplay. He drags his knuckles down my cheek, then caresses my neck with the pads of his fingers. Instinctively, I tilt my head to the side, giving him access. He takes advantage immediately, placing his mouth where my neck meets my shoulder. It’s my sweet spot, and oh my. My body’s reaction is instantaneous. My skin simmers and my back arches. I feel Nate’s lips curl in a smile against my skin as he kisses my neck and jawline before finally coming face-to-face with me.
“I still can’t believe I’m lucky enough to wake up next to you,” he says in a gruff voice, and I nearly melt on the spot. His caresses might have heated my body, but his words travel straight to my heart. The mere thought that he might want to wake up next to me for many more mornings fills me with so much hope it borders on elation.
It’s the kind of hope that electrifies every cell and seeps into my bones. When it comes to work, I always strive to be a realist. When it comes to love, I’m allowed to hope and dream, right?
“I used to spend my weekends working,” he says, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear with one hand. “Even if there wasn’t anything pressing to do, I’d find ways to keep myself occupied: research for future projects, you name it. I needed to fill my time with something. But right now, all I want is to fill my time with you. The prospect of staying in with you all day—all weekend, in fact—sounds like the best idea I’ve ever had.”
“It does, huh?” I feel ridiculously proud as I rest my hands on his chest. Knowing he’s enjoying our time together as much as I am brings me pure joy.
“Yeah.”
“I wonder what we could possibly do indoors all day.”
Nate offers me a devilish smile in return, palming one breast. My nipple instantly responds. Without warning, he lowers his head to my chest, swiping his tongue over my other nipple once and then descending lower to my navel. He looks at me seductively while he moves lower still. I part my legs almost involuntarily and he smiles against my belly. I have an inkling I’m about to be teased, but I enjoy this too much to protest.
Nate skims his fingers down my bikini line, and the light touch sends a searing heat through the sensitive skin. He slicks his thumb across my opening once and my knees buckle. As if foreseeing this, he grabs one of my ass cheeks, his fingers pressing tightly against my skin. The thinly disguised desperation in his eyes has me trembling with anticipation. Tilting my pelvis slightly up toward him, he undoes me with the first lick across my sensitive spot, and when his lips suck gently at my clit, I’m about to break out of my skin.
Then he lets go of my ass, his mouth traveling upward on my belly again, and higher still as he rises. His fingers skim up my arms, turning my skin to gooseflesh.
“Why are you teasing me?” I complain. “Go back down there.”
“Patience, Alice. I know what we’ll be doing all day.” His voice is like hot chocolate: rich, thick, and full of promise.
“You’re shameless, but I’m completely on board with the plan.” Especially because it means I’ll get many chances to get my revenge, teasing him the way he did with me.
“Get dressed and let’s have breakfast.”
Ah, and so begins the first step of my revenge plan. Nate heads to the kitchen, leaving me alone to get dressed. I cover myself with a silk robe, fastening it around my waist with the belt but leaving the top open, showing plenty of cleavage. If I take large steps, one can clearly see I haven’t put on panties. I intend to take large steps often.
I love Nate’s apartment. It’s rather small, like mine, just one bedroom, but his living room is enormous. The furniture is mostly white, the books and souvenirs from his trips lining the shelves and counters forming uneven splashes of color. It’s beautiful.
Joining Nate in the living room, I help him set the table. As we prepare the breakfast, I can feel his gaze on me. Like the little devil I am, I shift my legs in such a way that he can clearly take a peek under the robe. I’m immensely satisfied when he sucks in a deep breath and immediately abandons his task of making fresh orange juice. He moves behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders and kissing the side of my neck.
“If you go on like this, we’re going to eat in about a hundred years,” I warn him.
“Maybe I’ll just eat you, Alice. You taste so good.”
His words travel straight between my thighs, and my cheeks burn. Licking my lips, I remind myself that I’m supposed to be the one driving him crazy, not the other way around. But I have a hunch that I don’t stand much of a chance to win my own challenge. When Nate touches me, my body responds.
“Breakfast first,” I find myself saying, and damn if I’m not proud for resisting him. “Don’t forget the orange juice.”
***
After we’re done with breakfast, the sound of Nate’s phone ringing reaches us from the foyer.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“Nah, it’s my work ringtone. It can wait until Monday. Today I’m all yours.”
I flash him a grin, touching his feet under the table. But whoever is calling him doesn’t give up. After the fourth time the phone starts ringing, I encourage him to answer it, as it could be urgent. Grudgingly, Nate leaves the table. He answers in the foyer, and I’m dismayed when he all but barks at the person on the other end. But as he returns to the living room, phone plastered to his ear, I hear his conversation partner barking too.
Not wanting to seem like I’m eavesdropping, I start clearing the table, bringing everything to the kitchen. While I put the dirty dishes in the washer, I try to block out his voice. If he wants to share the topic of the conversation with me later, then I’ll gladly listen, but for now, I’m trying to offer him privacy. Unfortunately, Nate paces around the living room, and the person at the other end of the line talks so loudly I can’t help overhearing, especially when Nate stops just two feet away from me. It’s completely unintentional.
“They’re sinking so fast in London, they’ll beg you to take the job over in no time.” The man at the other end of the line laughs wholeheartedly, as if he can’t wait for the scenario to happen. Unease rises in my throat, constricting my breath. The fear that all this might be just temporary slices through me. Nate moves back on the couch and I hear nothing more, instead focusing on my tasks
My ears perk up when Nate finishes the call, which is exactly when I finish cleaning everything, and I raise my gaze to watch him. He’s pacing around the living room. Uh-oh! I recognize this behavior. He’s like a feline predator, ready to pounce. He’s not just annoyed but downright mad.
“I can make more orange juice if you want,” I offer from the kitchen island, breaking the silence.
Instead of returning to the table, Nate slumps on the couch, deep lines marring his forehead. “Lost my appetite.”
Well, that won’t do. I resolve to make his frown disappear by any means. Heading to the couch, I sit next to him, tucking my feet underneath me.
“Want to tell me what happened?” I ask, trailing my fingers up and down his forearm. He cocks his head in my direction, then turns to face me with his upper body too.
“Just so you know, my usual behavior when something doesn’t go the way it should is to—”
“Be all serious and broody?” I finish for him.
“You can put it that way.”
Seizing my window of opportunity, I climb into his lap. “Well, I won’t deny that broody Nate is sexy, but I’d much rather see you smile.”
Cuffing my wrist with his hand, he kisses my palm, smiling against my skin. “You make everything better just by being here.”
I can’t help swooning a little, over the moon that I’m already making him smile. The lines on his forehead are still visible though.
“So, how much trouble is there?”
“Nothing I can’t handle, just not something I like to hear on a Saturday morning.”
“What can I do to put you in a good mood?” I run my hand through his hair, ruffling it the way I do when he makes love to me. Tilting his head slightly back, I place a quick kiss on his chin.
“Well, since you mention it.” He slips a hand under my robe, touching my inner thigh. He wiggles his eyebrows, but I vehemently shake my head.
“No, I’m still punishing you for teasing me this morning.”
“Ah, so this is the game we’re playing?”
“Yeah. You were so mean, you’ve earned yourself at least two more hours of punishment.”
“I’ll wear you down.” Bringing me closer to him, he whispers in my ear, “You never can resist me for long, Alice. Remember your five-date rule?”
Ah, this cocky bastard. I’d contradict him if what he said wasn’t actually true. Being so close to him is actually problematic because he can unleash his full seductive power on me.
While I climb out of his lap, I notice the TV remote wedged between the cushions and an idea strikes me. I once read that an effective way to take someone’s mind off their problems is to do or say something ridiculous. Now, I usually avoid any situations in which there is even the slightest possibility that I might make a fool of myself, but right now I decide to do something I’ve only ever done in front of my family.
Grabbing the remote, I turn on the TV, searching for a music channel. Finally I settle on one playing a track I’m familiar with.
As the song blares in the living room, I start singing along, gesturing to Nate to join me. The poor man seems too stricken for words. I can’t blame him; my voice is atrocious.
“How come I never knew you were an awful singer?”
I shrug, continuing to sing. When an instrumental part comes on, I explain, “I keep my dirty secrets well hidden. Come on, sing along. You can’t be worse than me. And by the way, I never do this except around my family.”
“Should I be offended or honored?”
“Definitely honored. It means I’m comfortable enough around you to show you my dopey side.”
This has the unexpected effect of making Nate chuckle. He springs to his feet when the chorus comes on, singing along, and holy heavens. He’s not worse than me, but he’s not any better either.
We might be terrible singers, but we’ve got crazy dance skills. As the next song begins, Nate guides me through the moves in his own rhythm. Neither of us knows the lyrics, so we just dance our asses off.
“Bet you can’t do a Dirty Dancing lift,” I challenge. I always wanted to try that with a guy, but I never trusted anyone enough to ask. Plus, a man would require strong arms for such a move, and Nate is the perfect candidate.
“Why does everyone concentrate on that part of the movie? It’s the most—”
“Stop right there before your soul mate potential drops even more.”
“Tell me what to do. I blocked the scene from my memory.”
As I explain to him what he has to do, he nods eagerly. A little too eagerly. I barely have time to analyze his facial expression—he’s definitely planning something—when we start the operation. I pad back until there’s considerable distance between us, and then, bracing myself, I run in his direction. When I’m right in front of him, Nate fastens his hands around my waist and lifts me expertly. I stretch out my arms above him, closing my eyes.
“We did it!” I exclaim. Nate twirls me around once, and when it’s time for me to get back on the ground, I finally learn what his plan was. Instead of just placing me back down, he lowers me slowly until my pelvis is level with his face, swiping his tongue over my exposed center and luring a moan from me that is equal parts pleasure and embarrassment. Damn, I was so caught in the moment I didn’t realize I was flashing him. But he foresaw this from the second I explained what the lift entailed.
“You’re too cunning,” I tell him, fastening my robe once my feet are firmly back on the ground.
“You just wanted your pussy on my face, admit it.” He licks his lips. My intimate spot pulses in anticipation. “Knew you couldn’t resist me.”
“Well, you certainly put dirty in the dancing.”
Unable to hold back any longer, I guffaw. He joins me seconds later, laughing in earnest, his troubles forgotten, which is exactly what I was going for.