HIS WEIGHT CRUSHED me into the mattress, taking my breath away with a long roll of his hips. Nate unclasped my hands from his nape and stretched them above my head until my fingertips brushed the cushions of the bed head. I’d woken after another nap with him sliding into me again.
I moaned, slotting my fingers with his, and squeezed. I was immobile, the movement of my hips working with his all I could do. His face was flushed, the dark silky strands of his hair clinging to his sweat-damp temples.
“You’re the most decadent indulgence,” he murmured against my mouth. “Let me worship you—love you.”
His words spun in my head. My grip tightened. This extraordinary man, his eyes so large and full of devotion, rotated his hips and sunk deeper than I was certain he’d even been.
I whimpered as he took my pleasure to another level. The fire burning in my chest spread to my stomach…and lower still, until I couldn’t hold it back any longer.
His mouth slammed into mine, silencing me as another orgasm coursed through my body in a tender wave. It was unforgiving, obliterating all thought, never-ending. Nate groaned, drawing our entwined hands down by my head, securing me to him, sheltering me as I rode it out.
With a firm hand under my arse, he rolled us over until my weak limbs straddled his hips. He gazed up at me, the shadows of whatever had been troubling him long gone from those engaging eyes. One hand came to my face, cupping my cheek. “Make love to me,” he urged with the gentlest voice. “Show me what you’re still afraid to say.”
The way I kissed and caressed him, loved him as I moved on top of him, guaranteed he knew exactly how I felt by the time we were done.
“I can’t believe you told Michael I had to spend the day in bed,” I said a while later. By now, it was dusk. We’d spent the whole day sleeping, talking and making love.
“Riley’s good at stretching the truth when necessary.” Nate was draped over me, his lips on my neck where they’d been teasing and tempting for a good half hour whilst I played with his hair. “I told her to give the message to Mai.”
“Why?”
He raised his head, grinning. “Because Mai’s even better.”
I laughed. His perceptive brain clearly extended to understanding the inner workings of my friend. Mai could be very persuading when she had to be.
“Shall we take that bath you promised me?” he asked.
“Hmm, sounds good.” I could feel his eyes following me as I went into the bathroom. I caught sight of my naked, thoroughly well-worked body in the mirror as I loitered in there, stretching whilst I waited for the tub to fill. Then I saw Nate watching me from the doorframe.
Self-consciously, I turned away to swill the water. The room filled with the scent of cedar oil with a sweet orange hint, a calming aroma intended to soothe and relax. I was anything but, when Nate grabbed me from behind, my inner muscles clenching instinctively when his cock pressed into me.
He was hard.
“You’re a machine,” I laughed, facing him.
“Your fault.” He moved in, pressing tiny kisses all over my face that made me melt. But I needed a rest.
I backed up, careful not to fall, and climbed into the bath, humming as I lowered into the water. Nate gathered some fresh towels from the cupboard and hung them on the heated rail. I was still awed by his faultless conditioned frame and sighed inwardly when I recalled how masterful he’d been during the course of our marathon sex-fest.
“Sit here,” I told him, pointing in front of me. He obliged, sinking gracefully into the water so it barely rippled.
“This feels good.” His hands curved around my legs, wrapping them tight around his waist as he leant back into me. “It’s been a tough week.”
“Was it productive?” I asked, massaging his temples.
He murmured vaguely as his eyes closed. “It was challenging. And tiring. I didn’t catch much sleep.” His voice turned cold, distant, much like in the early hours of this morning. “I ran into an old acquaintance who might be cause for concern. I’ve returned with a whole other set of issues.”
A chill moved through me again. “Want to talk about them?”
“No,” he answered hastily. “I have to deal with this on my own.” How could he slip away from me so quickly? After what we’d shared today?
“Well, I’m here if you need me.” I pressed my head to his, breathing him in, glad he was back in my arms.
He tugged my arm across his chest, the sweet kiss on my knuckles his quiet acknowledgement of appreciation for not trying to probe for more. “I asked my security team to investigate what happened last night,” he offered soberly.
I didn’t say anything. I’d have been more shocked if he hadn’t done it. I was also mentally exhausted and not willing to rock the boat. But the sense of ill-ease crept further over my skin.
We stayed in the bath until the sky turned black with nightfall. The quiet times were interjected with details of our respective weeks, but otherwise, we just enjoyed each other’s company. When the water was cooling, Nate climbed out. He quickly rubbed his taut body down, then helped me out and started on me.
“We have to make sure you’re dry everywhere,” he murmured, a smile teasing his mouth as he parted my legs.
“Thought you preferred me wet down there?” I bit my lip to stifle a groan elicited by the slight pressure he was exerting.
His smile turned salacious. “Always.” With a brief kiss, he led me into the bedroom. “It’s late, we should eat. Are you hungry?”
“Not for food,” I admitted quietly.
Nate cocked his head, bemused eyes scanning my face. “That,” he murmured, backing me up to the bed, “is an invitation to dinner I’ll never refuse. Now I know how good you feel, I want more.”
“Now?” I grinned as he settled on top of me, his touch revving my need for him. I didn’t doubt for a second he could go again.
“Right now.” Soft lips moved down the curve of my neck to my collarbone. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
SATURDAY morning started out much the same as Friday night ended. Trying to count the number of orgasms I’d had in the past twenty-four hours made my head hurt.
Nate’s edginess had gone, his whole demeanour brighter as we shared breakfast in bed. After a good night’s rest he was back to his old self. It was impossible to fake the searing intensity in his eyes when we’d made love, the strength of his feelings so powerful I felt them in his touch. I only hoped being back here, in the cold light of day, had afforded him some clarity and the opportunity to put his worries aside. For a while, at least.
I lazed in bed and finished my coffee. Nate was in the shower, singing a Bruno Mars song so loudly I could hear him, even though he was in the master suites’ second bathroom I didn’t even know existed.
“You sound happy,” I noted when he entered the bedroom. His body dazzled me, his chest shimmering with remnants of water. I set my mug on the tray and moved it to one side.
“I feel superb.” He rolled his shoulders and stretched, gifting me a breathtaking smile. The tiny white towel wrapped around his hips slipped lower down his groin.
I crawled over the bed and slipped out to stand in front of him, pulling on a robe to cover up. “I’m so glad you’re here, Nate.”
His hands curved my throat, his forehead lowering to mine. “My moonshine,” he whispered, eyes closing.
“Moonshine? Isn’t that a potent concoction, so strong, one taste and your world will never be the same again?”
He pierced me with a deadly serious stare. “Exactly.”
I pushed back, expecting more, but Nate looked like he’d said too much already. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer I pressed a swift kiss to his mouth, then headed towards the en-suite. “Can we go shopping today? I want something new for lunch tomorrow, and I’d like your opinion.”
“Out to impress?” he called.
“This is a big deal,” I said in a break between brushing my teeth. “I don’t want to embarrass you.”
“That could never happen.” Nate leant into the doorframe, studying me intently. “But I’m not about to pass up the opportunity of a private striptease.”
My brow raised, my mouth curving. He loosened his towel and placed it in a concealed laundry chute. My eyes wandered over his magnificent body, recalling how good it felt against mine. Nate eyed me in a similar fashion. He smiled, that sexy half-smile capable of doing strange things to me. “Maybe I can treat you?” he asked.
“You’ve spent far too much already.”
“I want you to know how important you are to me.” Uncertainty flickered across his face. From what I’d learnt of his past, I thought he was keen to avoid shallow women at all costs. I wasn’t sure why he considered it an appropriate way to express his feelings to me.
“I don’t need gifts to know,” I insisted. “You’re doing fine without all that. Honestly.”
“I am?”
It broke my heart seeing such a self-assured man lack confidence where it mattered. I finished rinsing and dried my mouth. “You are.”
“I can put it in a fancy gift box if it makes a difference?” he drawled. Ignoring him, I took my new toiletries over to the shower. “If I didn’t have money, would you still have difficulty accepting my offer?”
I stopped untying my robe. “No.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“Nate, it’s because you do have money that makes it an issue. I’d hate for you to think I was taking advantage.”
“I know you’re not.” He shook his head, his mouth set in a thin line. “I have far too much for one person. Where’s the good in having it, if I can’t share it with people I care about?”
I shrugged, unable to give him a reason. His wealth did bother me, but I had to accept it if I wanted a future with him. I came from a middle-class background. Liam and I were fortunate to have had a private education, but our parents had worked tirelessly for everything they had. I’d worked hard. I caught his eyes as he moved towards me.
He’d worked hard for it, too.
“Okay,” I conceded. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” Nate kissed my forehead. “I’ll call ahead, get everything arranged.”
UNDER the pretence of combing my wet hair, I faced the closet opposite and followed Nate as he moved gracefully around it as he dressed. I’d missed that body. Missed admiring it, caressing it…succumbing to it and all the pleasures it gave me. As much as I didn’t want us to be all about the sex, the past day had taught me I coveted the connection as much as Nate.
“I know that look.” Leaning into the doorframe, jeans his only item of clothing, Nate crossed one ankle over the other and ran a hand casually through his hair. He cocked his head to the side, mouth twisting into a smirk.
My cheeks reddened at being busted ogling him. Again. “What look?” I asked, turning back to the mirror.
“The one on your gorgeous face.” He came in and cuddled me from behind. “I can assure you, the feeling is entirely mutual.” His lips brushing my lobe made me weak. I watched him move along my shoulder, his arms closing harder around me over the towel. “But we have an appointment shortly with a personal shopper.”
I was about to protest about how unnecessary that was but thought better of it. Besides, what girl doesn’t enjoy being treated like a princess once in a while? I followed him into the closet to dress when he released me.
“Do you have enough room for your clothes?” Nate asked as he slipped a blue and white gingham shirt from a hangar.
“Plenty. It’s only my stuff for the next couple of days.”
“Leave them here. I’ll move my belongings into the second closet.” He straightened the hem and moved over to his accessories.
“I only need a drawer or something.” I shrugged, brushing him aside so I could retrieve my underwear from the drawer.
His mouth curved. “An entire closet is too much?”
“A little,” I said, laughing at his grand gesture. “Thank you anyway.”
Nate came to me, clear eyes studying me, both appreciatively and warily. I nestled into his hand when he cupped my face. “I don’t think you understand what you mean to me, Kara,” he said quietly.
“I do.” At least, I was beginning to.
“I’m not sure.” He curled a damp strand of hair around his finger. “I want to give you the world.”
“I’ve already got it,” I said, tugging him closer by his shirt. “I’ve got you.”
With leisurely licks of my tongue, I explored his mouth as if it had been weeks, not hours since I’d last tasted him. Toying with him, seeking out the spots that made him moan, I’d come to learn I could knock him off centre just as easily as he did me.
AUDREY, the efficient blonde personal shopper at Nordstrom, had selected five outfits for me, complete with co-ordinating shoes and bags. All my style, but more vibrant in colour than my choices of late. I tried the first one, a Michael Kors one-shouldered dress in cerulean blue. It was exquisite, but Nate insisted I try them all before deciding. Each one became my new favourite until I had no idea which to choose. That all changed when I put on a printed orange Roberto Cavalli dress.
“This one?” I mouthed whilst Audrey fussed around me.
From where he lounged in his armchair in the huge dressing room, Nate’s adoring eyes met mine. The way his mouth half-curved from behind his hand gave me my answer. I knew I’d found the one.
En-route back to Nate’s after lunch, we stopped at a luxury boutique that stocked couture lingerie. For some inexplicable reason, the sight of him browsing racks of luxurious intimate apparel made me blush furiously. I tried persuading him not to buy them—he had, after all, spent a fortune on my outfit—but he didn’t listen.
He selected numerous co-ordinated sets—underwear and nightwear—and bought them all. “Not sure what I’m gonna enjoy more. Seeing these on you or taking them off you,” he purred in my ear when he thought the shop assistant couldn’t hear. Her smirk, as she packaged them up, told me she had. Nate’s grin confirmed he’d actually intended her to.
WE took advantage of the late afternoon sun by hiking up into Runyon Canyon Park. It was only a short distance from iconic landmarks and the hustle and bustle of the colourful city, yet I always felt a million miles away from it up in the hills.
“You’ve quite a pace on you.” Nate stood, hands on hips, watching me as I stretched using the back of a bench for support. My skin was damp with sweat, making me wish I’d worn a crop top and shorts rather than the hot pink tank and black Capri leggings.
“Go hard or go home.” I shrugged and swapped legs, clasping my ankle behind me.
“Excellent attitude,” he purred in that sexy whisper and took a leisurely swig of water from the bottle. His windblown hair was wet, his brow and temples dotted with perspiration. Dressed all in black, his muscles pumped so the thick veins coursing through his body were pronounced under his skin, strength and sex emanated from him in waves. Lust knotted my stomach.
“Fancy a race?” I took the bottle from him and gratefully gulped the still chilled water. His brows rose above the rim of his sunglasses. “How about we run to the end?” I challenged.
“Such confidence, Miss Collins.”
“I’m fast, baby.”
A predatory smile crept across his face. He removed his Aviators and placed them next to the water bottle on the bench. “So let’s make it interesting.” Lifting the edge of his t-shirt, he wiped the sweat from his face.
I stepped forward, placing my palms flat on his torso, brazenly touching the compact slab of muscle. “How?” I didn’t stop, even after Nate dropped his t-shirt and rested both arms on my shoulders.
“If I win, I get to be inside you whenever I want, wherever I want.”
“Seriously? And that’s different to any other day, how?”
He gave me a wolfish smile. “I’m not always with you when I want you.”
Oh. The sensual growl of his voice reawakened my libido. “You want me to be at your beck and call? Use my body for your own sexual gratification?” I’d accused Nate of wanting me purely for sexual reasons, but being with him that way, experiencing that intimacy was something I was beginning to crave as much.
“I wouldn’t put it quite like that. Hopefully, you’d enjoy me equally as much.”
A thrill ran through me. Part of me wanted to tell him he’d won already, and to claim his prize there and then, on the bench overlooking the sprawling smog hazed city of Los Angeles. “And me?” I asked, lips brushing his. “What do I get if I win?”
“Me,” he said simply with a shrug, “to do with as you wish.”
“Sounds like a similar prize to me.”
“That’s for you to decide.” He smiled and stepped back, promptly ending my enjoyment. “I’ll give you a head start.”
I considered his wager as I pulled his Lakers cap back on and pulled my ponytail through the back. Whoever won, we would both be winners. “You’ll do anything?”
“Anything.”
I smiled sweetly. “You’re on!” I was already sprinting away up the dusty track, laughing, before Nate had slipped his sunglasses back on.
For a good ten minutes Nate stayed behind me. His pace was steady, more of a jog than a sprint, whilst I was going flat out, determined to beat him. I was plotting all the different things I could get him to do in my head. It was those ideas that spurred me on and helped me push through the pain barrier.
As I approached the end of the trail, Nate was gaining on me. When he came alongside me, I acknowledged his cunning smile with one of my own and surged ahead, marginally beating him to the finish. I bent over, hands on my knees, and dragged some much-needed oxygen into my lungs.
“Looks like I’m your sex slave this evening,” Nate murmured, lifting my shoulders and straightening me up. I eyed him with amusement, suspecting he’d allowed me to win. He could’ve easily beaten me if he tried.
“Only tonight?” I pouted, curling my hands around his neck. “That’s not fair. Your prize had an indefinite timeframe.”
Nate smiled and pressed his lips to mine. My already pounding pulse sped as he teased his tongue along the seam and slid his tongue into my hot mouth when I willingly opened.
“You know you have me anytime you want me,” he breathed emphatically against my lips. “Always.”
HOT jets of water pummelled my tired muscles. I twisted and turned, groaning as I rolled my head back and let the water cascade over me. I’d gone ahead and showered once we arrived back at the condo whilst Nate took a call.
“Enjoying yourself?” Nate’s gruff voice startled me. I wiped the steamed up glass door, clearing a gap so I could see out. I ran my eyes the length of him as he leant against the wall, stopping when I reached the impressive bulge in his shorts.
“Not nearly as much as you it would seem.” I pushed open the glass door. For a long minute we stared, riveted to our respective views. “You coming in?”
My invitation was met with surprise. He shoved off the wall, lips twitching with a smile and prowled over. He stripped until he was wonderfully naked and joined me. He caught my chin between his thumb and finger and tipped up my face, brushing his lips over mine as he reached behind me. “Hold this.”
I took the shampoo he offered and poured some into his cupped hands. Was he going to give me a floor show? Let me watch him as he washed? I couldn’t think of anything better.
“You won the bet,” he breathed, moving behind me. “Let me take care of you.”
With dextrous fingers, Nate washed and conditioned my hair. The touch of his hands massaging my scalp was bliss. After rinsing, he set to work on my body, using his shower gel to cleanse me. He took his time, branding me with the scent I cherished so much. My body went lax as his hands slid over my hyper-sensitive skin.
When he finally cupped my breasts, I moaned with relief. Passion flamed in his eyes, his hunger matching my burning desire for him. “My turn now,” he whispered into my ear. He dropped his hands and stepped back.
He’d washed everywhere except between my legs, and one look at the curl of his lips said leaving me bereft of the ultimate climax had been deliberate. My breaths were fast, my heart beating furiously. I licked my lips and reached for my shower gel.
I stood behind him, enjoying the strength of his shoulders and back as I lathered up his body, branding him in a similar way.
“I love your hands on me,” he murmured. His skin broke out in goosebumps, even though the water was hot. I kissed them away, over his shoulders and down his back. I snaked my arms around his waist, running my soapy hands over his stomach, and shuddered as my body came into contact with his.
Nate braced his hands on the tiles, leant forward and parted his legs for balance. I ran my hands over his arse, letting out a small laugh when his cheeks clenched under my caress. “You know what you’re doing to me,” he muttered, tugging me in front of him. He backed me up to the wall. “Tease.”
Before he could make the contact of mouth to mouth, I grinned and slid down the tiles until I crouched in front of him.
“What are you doing?” he asked gruffly, staring down at me. I blinked up at him looming over me, not moving so his frame shielded me from the water.
“This.” I swirled my tongue around the tip of his rigid cock. His stomach clenched.
“Baby, you won, remember?” His voice was uneven.
“I do.” I teased him with soft flicks up and down his shaft, getting a thrill from him watching me seduce him. “This is how I want to claim my prize.”
A small smile curved his sinful mouth. His gaze was hot, his frame growing bigger.
“Just enjoy it,” I told him. I circled the swollen head of his cock with the tip of my tongue then took him to the back of my throat.
“Fuck, Kara,” he groaned, steadying his legs. The longer I sucked, the louder and rawer his moans became. I hollowed my cheeks and slowed down, wanting to prolong his pleasure.
“Baby.” His fingers curled around my jaw. “Your mouth is too fucking good.”
Desperate to taste him, I pressed my tongue to the underside of his thick cock, feeling the veins pulsing beneath the silkiness of his skin. My clit swelled with unreleased tension, as turned on as he was.
“Kara.” He jerked my face up. His eyes were wide and daring. “Make yourself come. Show me—ah, Christ.” He bit his lower lip when I grazed the tip with my teeth.
I’d never masturbated in front of a man before, but it felt so natural I did without hesitation. I cupped his balls with one hand, the fingers of my right slipping and sliding over my clit, moving in the same rhythm as my mouth.
“That’s it,” he encouraged. He still had hold of my head, restraining me as he burst into my mouth so fiercely I almost choked.
My orgasm screamed through my body, leaving me a trembling heap on the tiled floor. Nate hauled me to my feet and crushed his mouth to mine.
“I love how you fuck me with your mouth,” he growled. “So greedy.” The water fell like rainfall, splashing across his shoulders. Nate shoved me to the wall, curved a hand under each thigh to lift my legs around his hips and drove into me so hard I cried out at the sudden intrusion. “And you love how I fuck you with my cock.”
“Yes,” I panted. I loved when he got cocky and dirty with his mouth. Raw and uncensored when we fucked, sweet and tender when we made love, his words always matched the mood. I shuddered with pleasure, my mind filling with remembrance of how good it was having Nate inside me. “I love it.”
His pace was unrelenting, fast and urgent, like it had been days since we’d made love.
“I’ve wanted you in here for so long,” he murmured, brushing damp hair off my face. “Soft and wet. Our bodies slipping and sliding against each other.” He grasped my chin, the tips of his fingers digging in as he held me and savagely ate at my mouth.
I was still recovering as the wave of another orgasm began rolling through me. I groaned, hands sliding over him. It was physically impossible to get any closer, yet it was never close enough. I wanted him like an addiction, yearning to feel him in my bloodstream and flowing through my body. “I’m coming…”
“I know.” Nate shifted and changed angles, tilting my pelvis with a firm grip of my arse. The rubbing of my clit pushed me into a second orgasm.
“God, you squeeze me so fucking tight when you come.” His hips stilled as I milked him, drawing his release out with the force of my own. He pumped into me, crying my name. I cupped his face as water dripped from the tips of his hair, catching in his eyelashes and running over his chiselled face.
I was falling further and further under his spell.