DAYLIGHT FILTERED IN around the edges of the cream blackout blinds darkening the bedroom. I rubbed my eyes and reached to the space beside me in the bed. Empty.
I stretched, making snow angels in the sheets, glorying in how I knew with certainty that no other woman had ever been in this bed before.
With a happy heart I washed and dressed in a skimpy teal bikini—another impulse buy never to see the light of day—and yellow sundress, all courtesy of Nate’s mischievous selection when I packed yesterday.
I slid the bedroom windows open and stepped onto the deck, knotting my hair on top of my head. The sun shone uninterrupted in the clear blue sky, prickling awake my skin. My stomach growled, hungry and needing its morning fix of caffeine.
In the kitchen, a mug waited on the counter and a message was written in chalk on a blackboard wall beside the refrigerator:
Enjoy your coffee. See you on the beach xoxo
Beneath the note was an artistic detailed chalk sketch of a curly haired little girl, and beside it, a stick drawing with Nate’s name scrawled above it in childish writing.
After pressing a few buttons on the fancy built-in coffee machine, I sent a quick message to my father, rearranging our fortnightly chat whilst I waited. Nate would be sorely missed this coming week. Too much for someone I hardly knew. Yet, somehow I thought I did know him, more than anyone else really did.
With a small bag of drinks and snacks packed, I took our coffees down to the beach. When I reached the sand, Nate beckoned me over to where he stood in a pair of dark running shorts, damp with sweat and clinging to his thighs. My belly stirred. I dashed across the sand, already hot under my bare feet. “Morning,” I said when I reached him, setting the bag and coffees down on a laid out towel.
The smile he gave me was almost as dazzling as the sun. “Hey, beautiful.” He was breathless, his chest heaving. Beads of perspiration trickled down his pecs and abs, his torso pumped and shimmering. I wanted to run my hands all over him. Where did he get the stamina from to go running? I was fit, but after the workouts he gave me, it was doubtful I could manage a brisk walk.
“Is this how you usually wake yourself up?”
His eyes wandered lazily over me, his mouth curving. “I prefer other ways, but you were fast asleep.”
It took a moment to get his hint, but when I did, I replied shyly, “You could’ve woken me.”
That killer grin flashed across his flushed face. He tugged my hand, nodding to the ocean. “You coming in? I need to cool off.”
“No, I’ll watch.” There was no way on earth he was getting me to strip down to this bikini for everyone to see.
He took a long drink of water, his throat pulsing with each gulp, then tossed the bottle back to the towel. “Don’t make me throw you in, ‘cause I will.” His brow raised in challenge.
“You wouldn’t dare.” I laughed, shoving his shoulder so he staggered back.
“Sweetheart,” he purred, “when will you learn? Never try and second guess me.” He locked me firmly against him and kissed me. The feel of his moist skin pressed to mine caused a delicious throb between my legs.
“Oh no,” he murmured against my mouth, “now you’ll have to get wet. You’re just as sweaty as I am.”
His roguish charm made me smile. “Okay,” I conceded, throwing my sunglasses to the towel. “I’ll sit at the edge.”
As we neared the water he turned, and without warning, threw me over his shoulder. “Nate!” I shrieked, pummelling his back, kicking my legs wildly in the air. “Put me down!”
He did. He crashed us both into the ocean and under a wave. His arms were still around me when we resurfaced.
“I can’t believe you did that!” I spluttered. “I’ve still got my dress on!”
He shook his hair free of water and grinned. “I said I’d dare.”
It wasn’t overly cold, but against my warmed skin, the water made me shudder. I wrapped my legs around Nate and clung on.
“See, you’re safe with me,” he said, his hands coming beneath my arse for support.
And I did feel safe. Those big blue eyes latched onto mine, reflecting the shimmering aqua hues of the ocean. He was beautiful, with the kindest heart and sweetest soul.
The waves bobbed us up and down, the friction between my legs furthering my desire. I ran a hand down his back and pushed between my legs until I found him. A smirk curled the edge of his mouth. “You want to play here?” he asked gruffly.
Intentionally, I bit my lip and nodded. The sensual sound of his groan as our mouths collided made me squeeze my thighs tight around him. We were so caught in the moment, neither of us noticed the huge wave coming until it crashed over us, sending us tumbling to the ocean floor with a thud. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
“Nate!” I shouted when I resurfaced, choking on a mouthful of ocean. Relief flooded me when his hand came to my shoulder.
“Maybe when it isn’t quite so rough we can continue.” He led me back to the towels with an arm draped over my shoulder. “That game was fun.”
He dried my face with great care and handed me the water. “Drink this.” Then he loosened my hair, running his fingers through it like a comb, before taking great pleasure in peeling me out of my soaking dress. My fiery ardour had been put out like a flame as I coughed again, not caring about my appearance as I settled on a towel to dry off.
We demolished the fruit salad and drinks between us. Nate had his camera and occasionally took pictures. He was an accomplished photographer, talking me through what he was doing. To the naked eye the landscape was lovely, but when he showed me how he’d captured it on camera, I was stunned by its beauty.
“Let me put some on your back,” Nate said after I’d finished rubbing suncream over my arms and legs. “Your skin is so delicate and fair. I don’t want you burning.” I handed it over and sat cross-legged on the towel, tucking my hair to one side whilst he positioned himself behind me. I sighed, relaxing into his touch as his hands slid over my skin, massaging with precision.
“I have something to ask you, Kara.” The importance in his voice made my head turn. Nate’s hand stilled on my lower back. “My parents are having a party in a few weeks for their wedding anniversary. I want you to accompany me.”
Excitement swirled in my stomach. It was another clear sign Nate viewed us as more than a fling. “As your date?” I teased, holding back a smile.
“You seem confused. Let me explain.” He settled beside me, his body aimed in the opposite direction so we faced each other. “You’re my girlfriend. I expect you to be all my dates in the future.”
His words hit me with force. All I could do was stare at him, speechless.
“Will you come?” he asked anxiously after a few minutes.
I grinned. “Absolutely.”
His lips grazed mine. “M.I.N.E,” he spelt between kisses. “What does that spell?”
“Yours,” I replied cheekily.
Nate’s mouth curled into that sexy half smile that made his cheek dimple. “That’s my girl.”
“Your turn,” I told him, shifting to kneel. I patted the space in front of me and waited for him to move. I ran my hands over his bronzed skin, unabashedly feeling every muscle and sinew before I even got the lotion on him.
“When you’re ready,” he murmured with amusement. I squirted some into my palms and rubbed them together, then set to work on his skin, all the while thinking how easily I was falling for this smart, good-natured man who appeared to be a little bit taken with me as well. My barriers had been up for so long I wasn’t sure anyone would be able to break them down. Nate kept proving time and again that he could, and was more than up for the challenge.
“Tell me about your past,” I urged with trepidation. “Relationships,” I clarified, when he peered at me strangely over his shoulder.
He shrugged and looked away. “Not much to tell.”
“I don’t mean all your conquests. Only the significant ones.” I smoothed my hands over his shoulders and down his arms, purposefully letting my chest brush his back each time I reached down, desperate for his touch any way I could get it.
“There hasn’t been that many,” he said dryly.
“I doubt that.” I’d seen how women reacted to him—knew how I did. And when the subject got raised at the bar, he pretty much confirmed my suspicion that there were any number of women willing to share his bed.
“I’m won’t lie and tell you I was a saint.” Nate cleared his throat and changed positions, drawing his legs in and resting his arms on his bent knees. “I’ve had a couple of serious relationships, but lately I’ve only casually dated. They were never under the illusion it would become anything more.”
That was debatable. It was impossible to think women could date him and not become infatuated. “You’re saying you’ve never had one-night stands?” I shoved his shoulders gently so he leant forward, enabling me to reach his lower back.
“I didn’t say that. Men can separate emotions from sex far easier than women. But—” He turned to me again once I’d finished, his brow knotted. “I haven’t slept with every woman I know, or had hundreds of sexual partners. I’ve always been careful, if that’s what’s concerning you?”
“All done.” I tossed the lotion back in the bag and stretched out on the towel, propping up on my elbows. “Why didn’t the serious ones work out?”
“They just didn’t.” He drank some water and moved closer. He traced a line above the top of my bikini bottoms from one hip to the other, chuckling softly when he saw the way my skin pebbled in reaction to his touch. “What about you? Why hasn’t someone so stunning been swept off their feet already?”
Crap. I asked for this.
“I don’t know,” I admitted timidly, “perhaps I haven’t met the right person mentally strong enough to do it.” He deserved more, but I wasn’t quite ready to relive my shame.
“Here’s what I think.” He relaxed and stretched his legs in a pose that copied my own. “You need emotional intimacy with a man before you get physically intimate with him. Otherwise, you’d have screwed me sooner than you did.”
“Well, of course.” I nudged shoulders with him.
The warm, appreciative palm sliding beneath my hair and around my nape made my skin tingle. “I’m glad you made me wait. A man should earn the right to experience the pleasures of this glorious body after experiencing the delights of your mind, not be served it on a plate.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, appreciating the reassurance that waiting had been the right thing to do. “And there was obviously a fucking stupid man who let you leave England,” he finished. I took my eyes off the horizon and looked into his wise eyes. “Right?” he asked with a raised brow.
I broke eye contact, nodding slowly. “He really messed with my head.”
“If I ever meet the fucker, I’ll shake his hand,” he muttered stiffly.
“Why?” I snickered. “I’d probably punch him. Hard.”
“For setting you free so you could enter my world and knock me off my feet.”
“God, they taught you well at charm school.” I laughed and shook my hair out behind me, tipping my face to the sun.
With a small smile, Nate turned away. A few minutes passed, then, “This would make a great photo.”
Tucking my chin into my shoulder, I discovered him holding the camera to his eyes, his wide grin all I could see of his face. “I don’t think so.” I tried blocking his view with my hand, but he moved back out of reach.
“Let me take one,” he begged, “for when I’m away next week.”
For someone who usually remained so controlled, Nate could destroy me when his guard slipped and a glimpse of weakness was revealed. I stared down the lens, completely possessed by the brilliant man behind it, and heard the shutter whir.
“Too late,” he said, showing me the candid snap. “I’ve taken it.” Then he showed me the others he’d taken whilst I’d sunbathed earlier. I gaped, having no idea he’d been doing it.
“When you look like that,” he murmured, acknowledging the silent question in my eyes, “you leave me no choice. You’re incredibly photogenic.”
Nate lay back, taking me with him, and held the camera in front of us. With his lips to my temple, he took another. This time, the lens was focused on the two of us.
NATE’S dismissive comment to his brother made me laugh. They were chatting on the phone in a way that reminded me how much I missed talking to Liam. We’d had email and text contact, but I hadn’t heard his actual voice in a while.
“You’re only jealous it wasn’t yours,” Nate provoked. I continued dragging my fingers through his hair, massaging his head as he lounged with his back to my chest on the sofa. It was difficult deciding which view to look at—the shimmering ocean catching the setting sun, or the half-dressed man currently wrapping my limbs around his waist. “So, I’m bringing my girlfriend to the party next month.”
“Your what?” I heard his brother’s shocked remark through the phone myself.
“You heard.”
I ran my nails over his scalp, grinning, and noticed a fine scar cutting through his hairline. The subsequent expletives and laughter that ensued showed the teasing Nate was receiving.
“What about you?” Nate asked him, his hand curving my knee. “No one succumbed to your charm lately?”
I imagined Nate to be very different in male company and was interested to see how he interacted with his family who were clearly important to him.
“Jesus, Will!” Nate cried, startling me. “You’re gonna get yourself into some serious shit one of these days.” He let out an exasperated sigh and ran a hand through his hair, forgetting mine were there. He caught them and folded my arms across his chest.
Their conversation faded into the background as I daydreamed out the windows.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Nate murmured dreamily, twisting to face me. His eyes and smile were filled with affectionate pride. He laughed and said, “No chance. Kara won’t be interested once I tell her the shit I know about you.”
Whatever his brother’s response, Nate met it with a warm laugh. “I’m off. Go play with your toys.”
And he hung up.
“GIVE me that over an alarm clock any day,” I panted, my body still trembling. Nate had woken me this morning with his hands and mouth moving tenderly all over my body, bringing me into consciousness in the most wonderful way. Then, he’d cradled me tight beneath him and made love to me with achingly slow, savouring movements. The orgasms that rolled through me were equally as languid, but nonetheless powerful or intense.
“You said I could wake you.” I felt his grin. “I wanted to give you something to remember while I’m away.” His hand stroked up and down my bent thigh, his breath warm and shallow against my ear.
“As if I’ll forget you.” I dragged my fingers through his hair and forced his head back. “And for your information, you gave me two somethings.”
His mouth curved. “You think I don’t know that?” He rolled onto his back and wrapped the condom in some tissue. I followed him across the bed and curled into his side.
The blinds had been raised, the sky outside a faint grey and powder blue, mixing with the pale pink of the rising sun. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been up before sunrise. Seeing this reminded me what I was missing. “It really is a beautiful view.”
“It is.” His soft alluring tone got my attention. Teasing his fingers through the length of my hair, his eyes were glassy, lips parted in a shy smile. I knew for certain this time he wasn’t talking about the view outside.
“I wish we could stay like this,” I sighed, brushing my cheek over his chest. It wasn’t an option, but it was a sweet dream to have. His arms tightened around me, but he didn’t say anything. I ran my fingertips over his abs, circling his navel and continuing down the trail of hair. His cock lay heavily on his lower belly, still semi-erect and glistening with his release. It revved something in me that made me crave him inside me again.
“C’mon.” Nate stood. “You shower, I’ll make breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry.” I pulled up the sheet and stretched in the space he’d vacated. My stomach was full of emptiness, leaving no room for food.
“I’ll make us something lite,” he called from the closet. “You have to eat, keep up your strength. I don’t want you sick while I’m away.”
I arrived downstairs twenty minutes later and joined Nate in the kitchen. “Here,” he said, sliding a tall glass in front of me, “it’s a protein shake.”
I reluctantly took a sip as he finished off his. It was delicious, flavours of berries and coconut bursting onto my tongue. Nate came around the island, wonderfully naked except for a pair of navy pyjama bottoms. “I’ll take a shower, then we’ll go.”
“I’ll make coffee,” I called after him as he headed for the stairs.
A melancholy feeling washed over me as I watched him disappear. Saying goodbye was going to be tough, but something I would have to do sooner, rather than later. I sent Mai a text checking she was driving so I could catch a lift home later, then I made our drinks and tidied up to keep my mind occupied.
“You could’ve left these things here,” Nate said upon his return, setting a stylish black leather holdall beside my overnight bag at the foot of the stairs. He draped his jacket over the back of a dining chair and sauntered over to the kitchen.
“I’ve packed now,” I said, handing him his travel mug of coffee. “Besides, I need the toiletries at home.” Nate looked thoughtful for a minute as he sipped his drink. “You don’t have much for a week away,” I noted.
“Most of my clothes are already there.” He shrugged. “I just have a few essentials.”
I leant into the counter, rolling my mug between my hands. Looking every inch the consummate professional, my core swirled desirously as I devoured Nate with my eyes. Wearing navy with a fine grey pinstripe, white shirt and grey-blue tie, he looked as sexy as the first time we met. His hair was still damp but styled off his now smooth face. “I like you in blue.”
Nate’s brows shot up. “A compliment? From you?”
His teasing made me shy. I stepped forward and brushed my thumb over the silky fabric of his tie, inhaling deeply when the familiar fresh scent of shower gel washed over me. It somehow gave me a sense of reassurance that we would be all right.
Nate studied me with kind eyes, one hand coming around my waist. “Don’t be too sad,” he murmured against my temple.
I smiled weakly and pressed my lips to his before uttering words I really didn’t want to say. “We should go.”
I’D never been more grateful for the heavy rush hour traffic. Crawling along prolonged our time together before having to say goodbye. The mood in the car as Nate drove us to the office was sombre, both of us quiet and reflective. I stared bleakly out the window, seeing nothing, letting the music and lyrics of Anthony Hamilton fill the emptiness inside. As was becoming the norm, he drove one-handed, the other set possessively on my thigh.
Hearing Nate’s beautiful voice as he started to quietly sing turned my head. I listened, my mind wandering. He’d caught the sun during the weekend, his skin glowed healthily, the lighter sun-kissed strands of his dark hair noticeable when the sun caught them.
The car slowed in backed up traffic. Nate faced me when we stopped. The longing in his eyes was acutely clear, a certain reflection of the desperate yearning consuming me. I clasped his head and kissed him hard. He knew it was coming and let me take full control, willingly opening his mouth, his hand flexing on my thigh. It was only the honking car horns as the traffic moved that forced us apart.
“Sorry,” I said, exhaling harshly as I sunk back into the seat, “but I had to.”
“Don’t ever apologise for doing that,” Nate said roughly, swiping a thumb across his flushed lips.
My heart was racing wildly. How was I going to last the next five days without his taste? I squeezed my eyes shut and let my head fall back.
“Tell me your plans for the week,” Nate said, taking my hand.
“My friend, Millie, has a gig downtown tomorrow night that should be fun. Other than that,” I shrugged, “it’ll probably be a quiet one.”
“Watch your drinks. And stick together. I’ll send the car for you.”
“I’m a grown woman. Think I can take care of myself.”
He glanced sideways, unamused. “You’re also a very attractive one. You’re gonna get attention.”
His concern and possessiveness was touching. I squeezed his hand. “I promise I’ll be careful. Now, what fun awaits you in the Big Apple?”
“Meetings, stuffy business dinners…lonely nights in my bed.” His lips twisted ruefully. “No fun.”
“Snap—minus the business dinners.”
Nate lifted our joined hands to his mouth before pressing a button on the steering wheel and making a handsfree call. A female answered after two rings. “Good morning, Mr. Blake.”
“Riley, call Andrew, let him know I’m running late.”
“Um, okay.” Riley sounded surprised. “What time shall I say you’ll be there?”
After glancing at the clock, Nate said, “Eleven.” As I stared out the window, I thought that wasn’t long enough to get to New York.
“Mr. Ross and I are already on our way.”
Nate cursed quietly. “After he’s dropped you, ask him to return to the office. I’m heading there now.”
“Something wrong?” Riley asked, sounding a little panicked and a lot curious.
“Nothing wrong,” Nate assured her, glancing at me. “Just a slight change in plans.”
They finished up and music filled the interior once more. Had he disrupted his schedule for me—again? I reached for his hand. “Thank you.”
He squeezed it back. “I’d grind the entire airport to a standstill to spend more time with you, baby.”
I took a deep breath, filling my heart with him as a tiny bit of gloom lifted from my spirits. People were waiting on him both sides of the country, yet here he was, taking the time to drive me to the office when he could so easily have someone else do it to free up his time.
“My mom has invited us to lunch on Sunday,” he said casually. Meeting the parents was a big step. It would have happened in a few weeks at their anniversary dinner, but by then, we’d be more established as a couple. Now, as profound as our times together were, it was still relatively new. He raised his brows at me. “That okay?”
My nerves grew. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met anyone’s parents.”
“Been a long time since I’ve introduced anyone to my parents,” he countered with an impish smile.
“Well, then,” I muttered, refusing to let him see my own delight, “glad there’s no pressure.”
ALL too soon we were heading down the ramp, into the dark concrete basement of the underground car park. “Oh, I forgot to check. Did you want dropping a few blocks away?” Nate teased.
“After Friday, I’d be surprised if there’s anyone left who doesn’t know about us.”
He swung into his reserved parking space and switched off the engine, worried as he faced me.
“I’m fine with it,” I reassured, placing a hand on his thigh. “It’s not what I wanted, but I’m not as bothered as I expected to be.”
Nate curled a hand behind my head and urged me close. “Kara,” he breathed, his mouth closing over mine.
It was an ardent kiss, full of affection and longing. My heart raced, a tender ache developing in my chest. I tugged him closer by his tie, not wanting to let go, and wrapped my arms around his neck. I wanted to fill my thoughts and senses with him to carry me through until we were united again. And I needed him to know how deep my feelings went without laying myself bare and telling him.
I licked deep into his mouth, loving the way he responded, desperately yet tender. His free hand glided fluidly over the champagne chiffon sleeve of my blouse, his thumb skimming the curve of my breast as he moved down my torso and settled on my waist. An almost agonised groan caught in his throat, the erotically charged sound making me wet.
“I’m going to miss you so much,” Nate croaked, eyes closed as we remained nose to nose.
“Me, too,” I whispered unsteadily, trying to even out my breaths.
“How much?”
“A lot.”
“Not sure that’s enough,” he murmured. With a final kiss he climbed out. His sudden disappearance didn’t distract me from noting yet another level of insecurity he’d revealed.
“See what you do to me,” he said gruffly, offering his hand to help me out. I followed the downward flash of his dark eyes to his crotch, now bulging impressively. He pressed me back against the car with the full length of his body and swivelled his hips. “I’ll be like this all week—for you.”
I ran my hand over his arse and licked my lips. “Can’t wait until Friday.”
I was triumphant when his gaze dropped to my mouth and narrowed as he growled. “Let’s go before I bend you over and fuck you across the hood of the car,” he threatened darkly.
That sounded so hot I struggled to refocus my brain and restore my clothing whilst Nate slipped into his jacket and took our bags from the boot.
As we travelled up in the lift, the car filling at Lobby level, sadness descended on me again. The time was fast approaching when we would have to part ways. How could I have grown so attached, get so low and depressed over being separated from someone still so new in my life?
I knew the answer, and knew that meant trouble.
The doors slid open on the Eighth Floor. Nate’s hand went to my lower back and he followed me out. “I’ll escort you to your desk.”
The overwhelming sadness in his eyes mirrored my own. But, if I let this happen, it would officially confirm we were a couple…
Fuck it. I smiled and pushed open the glass doors.