Chapter Twelve
Alice
The next week flies by in a blink of an eye, the official opening of Blue Moon taking up most of my time. When Saturday rolls around, I’m on pins and needles. We’re driving out to Joshua Tree National Park today to try out Daniel’s newest idea of a good time, or a death trap. Blake and Daniel are already there, together with Summer, who announced at the beginning of the week that she was coming in for a visit. Like a good sister, she said she’d fly out there and join us, then drive back with us to see the rest of the family. Nate and his team are joining us too. He and Daniel agreed on hiking as a team activity, with Nate alone trying out rock climbing.
I’m driving with Nate, since it didn’t make sense to go separately. At four o’clock in the morning, I roll my suitcase to the foyer with less than a few minutes to spare until Nate is supposed to pick me up. The sun hasn’t even come up yet. I had one cup of coffee, but I can still barely keep my eyes open. My stomach flutters at the thought that we’re going to spend about eight hours alone, confined in a car. Almost involuntarily, my mind flies to the way he pleasured me the last time I saw him, and I nearly sway remembering the sheer force of his passion.
I’m so lost in the memory that I jump when my doorbell rings. I check my appearance one last time in the mirror hanging next to the entrance. My hair is pulled in a messy bun, and I have minimal makeup on. I’m wearing jeans and a tank top, which doesn’t scream sexy or trying too hard. The top might be too thin for four o’clock in the morning in San Francisco, but it’ll be hot and sunny in Joshua Tree.
When I open the door, Nate greets me with a wink and a bright smile, and my breath catches.
“Speechless already Bennett?” he teases. “I like how this is going.”
I shrug, scrunching my nose. “Was merely taking a moment to enjoy the view. Can’t blame a girl.”
“Since blatant ogling is on the table, allow me to do the same.” Stepping inside, he takes my hand, twirling me around once. He stops when I’m facing him again, and we’re so close I can feel the heat of his skin.
“So you weren’t going to ogle anyway?” I whisper.
Nate shakes his head, cupping my face with one hand. I love when he does this. There’s something incredibly intimate about the gesture. It’s protective and speaks to me on a primal level.
“I’d planned to be a perfect gentleman today, to make up for last time.”
In an involuntary gesture, I press my thighs together, leaning more into his touch like a kitten. “Hey, I’ll never complain about orgasms.”
“Oh, I see. So you torture me with five dates but won’t complain when you benefit from my weakness for you?”
“I have a dark side.”
I barely have time to take note of the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk before he tips his head down. Every nerve ending in my body zips to life as he seals his lips over mine. He starts out gently, but the kiss spirals into a passionate tangle of limbs before long. When I feel a hard surface against my ass, I realize he backed me against the door.
“Whoa!” Nate breathes in deeply when we pull apart.
“That escalated quickly,” I murmur, and then we’re both laughing. Stepping back, he glances around the foyer, then heads to my suitcase, grabbing the handle and rolling it after him. “Back to your gentleman ways?”
“Trying to.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Aren’t you taking a jacket with you?”
“I have one in my suitcase.”
“Take it out. It’s chilly outside. I don’t want you to get sick.”
I cock a brow. “It’s a short walk to the car, and I don’t feel like rummaging through my bag for it.”
Letting go of my suitcase, he glances around the foyer, finding my coatrack. He stomps toward it, takes one of the coats—a black one with silver buttons—and returns, holding it out for me.
“Come on, put it on.” His eyes are hard and focused. That bossy alpha streak is my downfall, I swear. I can’t help wanting to rile him up more, because this man is downright delicious when he’s in persuasion mode.
“I’m not a kid. Nate—”
“Alice!”
Oh, I love it when he says my name in that tone. But if I don’t put a stop to this, we won’t make it to the car.
“Stop it. I can’t handle bossy before I had my second cup of coffee. It might make me do crazy things, like asking you to back me up against the door some more.”
He blinks. “Were you messing with me on purpose?”
“Maybe.” I slip into the coat he’s still holding out, fastening my buttons. “Turns out it’s a bad idea before I’ve had my second coffee. Just can’t handle all the testosterone.”
I’m half turned to him when he tips my chin upward with his thumb.
“Careful, Alice. I remember how you felt coming on my tongue, and I can’t wait to do it again. You keep egging me on and we’ll never even make it to the car.”
Oh man, man, man! A gasp tumbles from my lips as heat strums through me like a lightning bolt. I’m unable to form a comeback, neither witty nor seductive. How can he talk to me like this and expect me not to spontaneously combust? He should come with a warning label, or I should always have a glass of ice water when he’s around.
Letting go of me, he takes my suitcase again, gesturing for me to lead the way.
Once outside, I have to admit, the coat is a good idea. It’s very chilly for July.
Five minutes later, we’re all set to go. He guns the engine, and as the car lurches forward, a loud ringtone echoes around us. Nate reaches in the holder between the seats, glancing at the screen once before swiping to answer. A female voice fills the space, and I realize his phone is connected to the sound system of the car.
“I’ve checked with the hotel, and they promised they’ll have the meeting room ready one hour earlier,” she says. Her voice is nasally, as if she’s fighting a bad cold.
“Thanks, Clara.”
Her name rings a bell, and I remember Pippa telling me she had lunch with her a few times.
“Really sorry I can’t make it. When I woke up, I realized I’m too much of a mess to go anywhere.”
“Don’t worry. And take care of yourself,” Nate replies with a smile.
“I will. By the way, a request came through from the London office. They asked if you have time to look over the script changes Abbott suggested for this season.”
“Why?”
“My guess is they’re not happy with what they have. I still can’t believe they put Abbott in charge.”
I take a furtive look at Nate, my heart in my throat. It’s been there ever since Clara mentioned London. His smile is gone now, and his jaw ticks. “Sure, e-mail it to me. I’ll look over it this weekend and send my comments.”
“Good, I’ll forward it right away. I’m going to have the phone next to me, but at the rate I’m going, I’ll probably be asleep most of the time. Damn fever.”
“Forget about the phone. In fact, if I get a call or an e-mail from you, we’re going to have a problem. Just rest.”
“Sure, boss. Have fun.”
She hangs up and Nate drums his fingers on the wheel, lost in thought. I turn in my seat so I can see him better. A frown clouds his expression, and I don’t like it one bit. This whole situation is unfair, and remembering with how much enthusiasm he talked about the job in London when he thought that was his future makes my gut clench. Of course, I’m over the moon that he’s here, but having to shelve his dream is a huge thing to live with. I resolve to bring back his smile, put him in a good mood.
***
When we stop at a gas station on the highway about two hours later, I have my chance. There is a small shop at the station, and besides the usual sandwiches and coffee, they also sell CDs and books. One in particular catches my attention. It’s a mix of hits from the decade Nate was in college and I was in high school. Nostalgia overwhelms me, and some of the singles were Nate’s favorites at the time.
Wanting to surprise him, I linger at the back of the shop, pretending to look through some books while Nate pays for the gas and buys us coffee. He tells me to take my time, that he’ll pull the car in a parking space behind the gas station.
After he leaves, I pay for the CD and whistle happily on the way to the car. I find Nate pacing the parking lot, his phone plastered to his ear. He’s gesturing agitatedly with his free hand. The coffee cups are on the hood of the car and I sit next to them, watching him in silence, trying to gauge who he might be talking to. Eventually he notices me and hangs up a few seconds later.
“That seemed to be an intense conversation,” I remark, sitting with my feet crossed in a yoga position and holding the CD behind my back. Nate stops just in front of the car, surveying me as if he’s considering joining me on the hood.
“My mother.”
“Oh, how is she?” I always did like his mother. She was a tad hot-tempered, but all in all a good person and a determined woman who was dealt a shitty hand when it came to her love life.
“Stubborn, as usual. She’s having some trouble with her mortgage payments, and I’m trying to convince her to let me buy the damn house for her. Emphasis on trying.”
“Parent pride,” I say. “It took a while for my parents to accept Sebastian’s help. But then again, he always insisted it was because they risked everything for him when they sold the ranch and gave him the money to start Bennett Enterprises.”
“He had a good argument.”
“Yeah, but he would have worn them down anyway. You’ll do that with your mom too.”
“Working on it.”
He doesn’t offer more of an explanation, and I don’t push. He’ll share more with me if he feels like it. In the meantime, I can be here for him, help him relax. Perfect time to show him my finding.
“Look what I have.” I slide down the hood closer to him, holding the CD with the back cover toward him so he can read the songs on it.
“Nice find,” he says appreciatively. “I was a big fan of most of these.”
“It’s why I bought it. Thought it would cheer you up.”
He looks at me in surprise. “You’re amazing.”
Wrapping his fingers around one of my ankles, he pulls me even farther down, until my ass slides almost completely off the hood. When he kisses me, the feel of his mouth on mine is different than it’s been before. He’s exploring me with hunger and curiosity, like he’s discovering a different meaning to kissing, and I’m discovering it with him. Being kissed out of my shoes after that meeting was thrilling. Being kissed on the hood of his car, slowly and deeply, is making my stomach flutter and my toes curl.
Until a gust of wind sweeps through, chilling me to my bones. I’m wearing the coat Nate insisted I take with me, but it’s not helping much. The fabric, while soft and elegant, isn’t too thick. Instantly, Nate wraps his arms around me, unhitching his lips from mine and peppering my neck with kisses instead. Like the opportunist I am, I cocoon against him, soaking in his warmth.
“And you wanted to go out without a coat.”
“Ah, but this was my secret plan all along. To get you to warm me up.”
“If you want me to hold you, Alice, all you have to do is ask.”
Ah, but he doesn’t understand. Snuggling under the pretense of needing warmth is safe. There’s no danger of demanding or giving too much too soon. “Give me the CD. I’ll plug it in the sound system. You go inside the car with the coffees.”
“Where are you going?”
“You can only put in CDs from the trunk.”
Grabbing our coffees, I head inside the car, and he joins me a few minutes later.
“Why does my trunk smell like coconut?” he asks.
“Oh. I baked Summer her favorite coconut cookies, but they’re in a Tupperware container. They shouldn’t smell.”
I show my love by stuffing people with their favorite food. The way I see it, nothing spells love better than that.
“I can sniff out goodies from miles away. You think she’d mind if we stole some? They’d go perfectly with the coffee.”
I stare down at him. “They’re for my sister. Don’t you dare touch them.”
“Didn’t know you’d draw such a hard line at this.”
“I’m a closet mother hen. Can’t help it.”
He gets the car moving, smiling silently as we head back out on the highway.
“You know what else you are? A closet romantic.”
“Why would you say that?” I ask in a small voice.
By way of answering, he starts the sound system, and the first track on the CD starts playing. Okay, so buying the CD might count as a romantic gesture.
“I wasn’t always one,” I admit. “I must have caught it from Pippa.”
Nate surveys me. “Nah, you always were. You just didn’t know it.”
“But you did?”
He nods with determination, and I imagine this is how a judge acts when declaring a case closed.
“You’re not the only one who was watching closely for years, Alice. I’ve watched you too.”
“Yeah?” I’m ridiculously pleased, so I lift my coffee cup to my lips, hiding my grin behind it.
“Yep.”
“Then why did you act so surprised at my five-date rule?”
He gives a fake and exaggerated shudder, as if the words alone frighten him. “Because it’s cruel! But I’m so glad you mentioned the topic.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. This should count as our second date.”
“That’s your comeback after telling me I’m a romantic?”
“I’m being practical. We’re going to spend the next few hours alone in this car. Better make them count.”
“Don’t expect me to swoon over your offer anytime soon.” Sipping from my coffee, I brainstorm ways to punish him for the next three hours. Luckily, the caffeine boost is kicking in, and my neurons are really starting to wake up. It’s a few seconds before I realize he’s unnaturally quiet.
“What’s with the silence?” I ask suspiciously.
“I’m waiting for that second coffee to kick in so you can feel the full effect of my charms. I can make you swoon.” He leans slightly toward me but keeps his eyes on the road. I have a hunch he plans on whispering the next part, and I want to hear him over the music blaring from the sound system, so I lean into him too until our shoulders touch.
“I can also make you writhe, and scream.”
Oh. I press my thighs together.
“I can make you come.” The word tumbles out of his mouth with too much sensuality. “Take your pick.”
Licking my lips, I decide to stick to my guns. “You still have some work to do on the swooning part, Becker. I suggest you start by making me laugh.”