"W ell, that didn't go as I expected ."

I threw off the fluffy down comforter and blinked against the morning sunlight streaming through the near floor to ceiling windows. I looked down at the slinky babydoll lingerie that I put on last night and wondered where I went wrong .

After the most intimate encounter of my life, I put on my hottest clubbing outfit and set my mind to making Nate mine. Instead, he barked out orders like a drill sergeant and barely noticed me. He was running so hot and cold, I just couldn't figure him out. Did he want me or not? Did my naked body turn him off? 'Cuse that kiss seemed like he was pretty turned on .

Then, when he brought me to his home, I figured it was a done deal. I thought a night of mind-blowing sex was in my future and shimmied into this never before used ensemble. Was I ever surprised when he led me to a guest bedroom, closed the door in my face, and never came back. Did everyone have this much trouble giving away their virginity? I thought guys were all about popping that proverbial cherry. Why not mine ?

The grumbling in my stomach alerted me to the need to explore my new digs in search of something to eat. I would have just grabbed the pizza out of my bookbag, but I dropped that somewhere downstairs when I thought I was going to need both of my hands. As if .

I addition to no food, I also had no idea what time it was other than it was late. When I had a chance, I would have to contact Tisha to get the notes from my morning class. That was going to be a fun conversation .

I picked up my spandex mini dress and tossed it into the laundry basket in a huff then went over to my bag of clean clothes and dumped them onto the bed .

The pickings were pretty slim as I rummaged through the pile and I finally settled on a pair of frumpy jeans and an oversized Tshirt. I pulled them on and looked at myself in the beautifully carved full-sized Cheval Mirror. Honestly, the mirror looked better than the reflection. My hair was a mess, I had bags under my eyes from lack of sleep, and I looked like a frump .

"Well, time to get this over with," I commiserated with my reflection before heading out the door .

The night before, it was dark and I was much more interested in Nick guiding me to the bedroom and what I thought we were going to do when we got there. Now, as I sunk into the antique looking Persian runner floating down the hallway and the crown molding covering the walls and ceiling, I was getting the impression there was more to Nick than just a gorgeous face and a rockin' hot bod .

At the end of the hallway was a curved stairway. I remembered this from the night before, but as I descended the steps, I marveled at the delicately carved banister. I hadn't noticed that before .

When I reached the foyer - marble of course - I saw my reflection in an oversized hallway mirror and began to rethink my frumpy outfit. I looked so out of place next to all the marble, crystal, and polished wood .

My stomach growled again and I pushed aside my reservations. There was nothing I could do about this situation but make the best of it .

"Nate?" I called out hesitantly and heard nothing but the dull clicking of a grandfather clock. "Professor Dalton ?"

"In here Olivia," he called out, "Sorry, I was on the phone ."

I followed his disembodied voice into the bowels of the mansion. Each step made me feel more and more like I didn't belong and faced with that reality there was only one thing I could do .

Relax and enjoy myself .

"Marco!" I called out with a healthy dose of false bravado .

"Polo!" Nate called back with a laugh .

I was close enough to find the right door and pushed it open before I could back out .

"Holy Shit!" I slapped my hand over my mouth and hoped he hadn't heard me. Nate just leaned back into his overstuffed chair behind his oversized desk and watched me make a fool of myself. A smile hovered around his lips and I got the impression he was enjoying himself .

I pulled my eyes away from him to take in the rest of the room. It wasn't hard to figure out this was a library because all I saw was books. Books, books and oh look there, more books! Floor to ceiling shelves of books, cases of antique books, and a coffee table with carefully arranged books .

"When you said you had a library, I figured you meant a bookshelf," I gushed, forgetting my earlier hesitation. "This is amazing !"

"I'm glad you like it." He smiled and then waved his hands around, "you don't think it's a bit overstated ?"

"No way!" In the corner, I saw a rolling library ladder and ran over to take it for a spin. I never claimed to be physically coordinated, but with one foot on a step, I pushed off with the other and easily rode the ladder past more books I had ever read in my life. "Oh man!," I shouted, "I feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast !"

Nate was caught up in my excitement and chuckled along. "Wait," he suddenly stopped laughing, "doesn't that make me the beast ?"

I almost fell off the ladder laughing at his expression of horror. "Well," I cocked my head to the side and examined him closely, "you do need a shave." I had always seen Nate clean shaven, but the day old scruff on his face was sexy as hell. I got a taste of that scruff sliding over my body the night before and I wanted more .

Nate must have read my thoughts because his face closed off and he slowly rose from the chair. I desperately wanted to go back to our light-hearted banter and maybe take another ride on the ladder, but that moment was over .

He moved from behind the desk and I got a good look at his form fitting t-shirt and low slung jeans. His shirt was tight enough to show off the hard ridges of his chest, and the muscles underneath flexed as he walked towards me. I almost drooled as I took in the view .

My attention was diverted for a second when he walked past a huge marble fireplace flanked by two overstuffed leather club chairs. I swear the only thing missing was a smoldering pipe and a glass of Brandy. He took a few more steps and I saw the liquor cart with a crystal decanter and two brandy snifters ready to go .

The closest I ever got to drinking something so fancy was when one of my foster moms picked up a cheap set of snifters at a yard sale. At a worldly twelve years old, my friend Pam and I used them to drink our chocolate milk. The idea that Nate drank his Brandy in his crystal snifter while sitting in his leather chair in front of his marble fireplace kind of put things in perspective .

"So," Nate hesitated, "we should probably talk about last night ."

Fuck.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was last night. I wanted a repeat of last night, I wanted an extension of last night, but a talk about last night only meant one thing. A discussion about how last night was wrong .

Double fuck .

Nate came to stand right in front of me, close enough so I could gaze into his deep blue eyes and get a front row seat to what I was going to be missing. He had the decency to hang his head a bit as he proceeded to set me straight on how things were last night .

"I wanted to make sure it was clear -"

Nate's carefully scripted speech was cut short by the earth-shattering growl that emanated from my stomach. I would have been more embarrassed if I wasn't so relieved .

"Sorry," I fake blushed and waved my hand in the direction of my stomach .

A rueful smile crossed his lips, "No, I'm sorry." He took my hand and pulled me towards the door, "I should have realized you would be hungry ."

Hungry for you, I thought but kept my mouth shut and followed him towards the kitchen. If nothing else, I headed off a conversation I didn't want to have - and maybe I would even get some waffles. Nate looked like a waffles kind of guy .