“Nate, this was one of the most amazing days I’ve had in a very, very long time. In fact, I don’t remember the last time I had a day as incredible as this one. I am not about to let someone else ruin that for me, or for you either.”
“Well, it’s about to get even better.” He grinned devilishly at me, kissing me lightly before reaching behind him and pulling out a box that had two perfectly ripe chocolate covered strawberries.
“My favorite,” I moaned, and Nate laughed. I could feel the vibration rumble through me seductively.
“I know.”
“You do?”
“You’ve mentioned it before.” He shrugged, looking suddenly bashful, and it was the sweetest thing I had ever seen.
“Thank you, Nate.”
“My pleasure.” He lifted one berry to hand to me but instead of taking it with my fingers, I leaned forward and drew the tip into my mouth with my tongue, my eyes were locked on his the entire time.
I felt his shudder and nearly grinned at the effect I had on him. It made me feel powerful, and ultra-feminine.
Nate groaned as I took a bite and chewed, my eyes closing at the decadent taste. He caught a bead of juice on my lower lip with his thumb and I licked it, drawing the digit into my mouth and he groaned again, rougher and lower this time.
“Baby, you’re destroying me.”
“I haven’t even gotten started.”
“God help me,” Nate said, sounding only half joking. I could already feel his hard erection straining against my thigh and it jerked in response to my words. We teased each other for a few more minutes. Barely there touches and light, tantalizing kisses that didn’t satisfy either of us.
The teasing didn’t last long. We wanted each other too bad. It was like a fog in the air around us, wrapping us in a haze of need and desire.
Nate’s kiss was hard and fast, his lips eating voraciously at mine, swallowing my moans of pleasure whole. I was overwhelmed with desire for him. It was like a drug in my bloodstream. I was addicted to the taste of him and I couldn’t get enough. I wasn’t sure if I would ever get enough.
I needed him more than I had ever needed anyone in my entire life. Hell, I’d never needed anyone, period. I’d had other lovers, but nothing that came close to matching the intense sexual inferno that Nate ignited inside me.
Suddenly, my whole world tilted as Nate lifted me up in his arms. I loved the feeling of weightlessness, and also the fact that I now had prime access to his jaw and the sweet curve of his neck. I wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.
I left a trail of kisses from his ear down to nearly his shoulder and Nate had to stop halfway to the bedroom.
“Poppy, you’re playing with fire here.” His voice sounded desperate, “I don’t want to drop you.”
“You aren’t going to drop me. I have faith in you.”
I whispered the words roughly into his ear before catching the lobe between my teeth and he let out a deep, shuddering breath.
He finally made it to the bedroom, after having to stop a few more times, once for a kiss that I was still breathless and panting from. Slowly, he slid me down his body and I savored every single feeling, every delicious sensation.
The rest of the world had completely gone, faded away to nothing. The only thing that existed was this darkened room, the only thing that was real was the two of us, and the desire that swept through me, taking my breath all over again.
“You are so beautiful.” I whispered, and Nate let out a husky laugh.
“That’s what I’m supposed to say.”
“You are though. Not just your looks, though god knows you are way too handsome for your own good, or my peace of mind. But your…spirit, I guess. You are the most generous person that I know, Nate.”
“Hey now, don’t go thinking that I’m some saint,” He grabbed me by the hips and pulled me roughly against him, “I definitely had a few ulterior motives for bringing you out here. Days with you, alone, all to myself? How couldn’t I jump at the chance?”
With every word, he stripped off an article of my clothing, laying a tender kiss to each and every inch of skin that he revealed. By the time he was finished my entire body was shaking with need and my legs could barely keep me standing.
I melted against him, pulling him as close as I could with his clothes still in the way between us.
“I need more, Nate. I need you. I don’t want to wait.”
He tucked one stray lock of hair back behind my ear, gazing down at me.
“No more waiting, baby. I’m all yours.”
Once I was completely nude, he picked me up once more, this time to lay me down gently on the bed. He worshiped my body, kissing me and touching me everywhere until all I could do was close my eyes and feel everything he did to me. The sensations were almost too much to take.
“Nate, please!” I begged on a shuddering breath.
He grinned up at me, kissing me again until there was no more breath left at all.
“Patience, baby. We’ve got all night, and I’m just getting started.”
Every single nerve ending felt like it was on fire as he finally, achingly slowly, unbuttoned the buttons of his shirt and drew it off. His dark eyes never left mine as he reached for his belt next.
I held my breath, barely breathing at all as he stripped for me, staring at me sinfully the entire time. I couldn’t look away. All I could do was stare, wide eyed and waiting, my mouth watering for another taste of him, another taste of his mouth, his tongue sliding against mine.
I reached for him, suddenly unable to wait a second longer but he leaned back, just out of my grasp, grinning down at me as if he knew just how on edge I was.
“Hold on. Not so fast. I want to take my time with you.” He whispered the words roughly, and there was a hard edge there that told me he was just as desperate as I was. It wouldn’t take much to push him over, to join me in the chaotic, spiraling, wild need.
“Nate, I don’t want to wait.” I pleaded with him, and his eyes lit with a dark flame at my words, or the sound of my voice, or the sight of my hands dragging up across my naked body, caressing my curves in the exact way I wanted him to.
He let out a rough curse under his breath and then he was pressed against me, hip to hip, chest to chest, bare skin to bare skin. And it was every thing in the world that I needed, and it wasn’t nearly enough. Not yet.
Nate’s fingers teased across my rib cage, palming the weight of my breasts as he teased my nipples until I arched off the bed with a moan of desire. He teased me a moment more, his eyes darkening as I writhed mindlessly beneath him.
His hands made their way down back across my ribs, the swell of my tummy, the curve of my hips until he reached my thighs, parting them so he could settle between them. His fingers kept exploring, diving between the folds of my most sacred place, teasing me even more until I let out a moan. I was already drenched, aching for him in a way that made me feel like I would go insane if I couldn’t have him soon. I needed him soon. No, I needed him now.
My eyes drifted closed on another husky moan as I felt him thrust one finger inside me, then two.
“That’s it, baby. Just like that,” Nate whispered hoarsely as he watched me ride his fingers, arching up and down, feeling a tidal wave of sensation start to flood my body, “That’s it. I want to watch you come.”
His words were the trigger and it was all I needed to have my orgasm shooting through me like a bullet from a gun, and with all the force of one. It knocked the breath from my lungs as I threw my head back, his name on my lips as pleasure racked my body.
I loved the way he made me feel. Like I was flying. Like all my atoms were flying apart and coming back together, remaking me into someone else. Someone wild and free, without cares or worries or thoughts about anything except the exquisite pleasure arching through me.
“I can’t wait anymore,” Nate growled.
“No one’s asking you to.” I barely got the words out before I could feel his hard
erection, persistent and needy, demanding everything I had to give, and I was more than happy to give it. We met in a rush of breaths and panting moans. He sank deep inside me, all the way until hip met hip. We danced and merged together in an ageless rhythm.
Every thrust sent me swirling higher and higher until all I could was cling to him, the only solid thing left in the world, as ecstasy shot through me. My climax caught me by surprise, drawing a quick, sharp gasp out of kiss swollen lips. All of my muscles clenched in sweet tension, drawing Nate towards orgasm right along with me.
Wave after wave of tingling pleasure raced up and down my spine, my fingers digging into his back until finally I gave all that could and collapsed back onto the bed. My heart was trying to pound its way out of my chest. I didn’t let go of Nate, and he didn’t let go of me either. We clung to each other, sweaty and spent and oh so satisfied.
It was a long time later that I finally caught my breath, my pulse still thumping harder than normal but part of that was just the effect Nate had on me. The man was downright dangerous.
Nate ran his hands idly over my still naked body, making all of my nerve endings hum in blissful satisfaction. I stretched like a cat under the feel of his touch, languorous and lazy.
“I love your body. Your curves.” His words sent a shiver of delight through me. “You are so gorgeous.”
The delight morphed into a moment of insecurity and I couldn’t keep my mouth shut, couldn’t keep the words from coming out, “I don’t look anything like Thalia.” Thalia was tall and lithe, model skinny. She had a mussed blonde bob that somehow always looked like she’d just gotten out of bed, and not for having slept in it, either. She had an air of mystery, even though I knew it was just a mask she used to keep distance between her and other people, but men seemed to be drawn to it, turned on by her very unavailability.
“Poppy, nothing about you is like Thalia.” Nate said, and when I glanced over and saw his smile, I knew he meant it as a compliment.
“Thalia’s my best friend…” I started, trailing off, not sure what to say next, not sure how to finish that sentence.
“That doesn’t mean you are totally blind to her faults. She has plenty of them.”
“So do I.”
“So do I,” Nate said, laughing now, “We’re all just human, just trying to do the best we can. But I…I never should have stayed with Thalia as long as I did. I didn’t do either of us any favors. I knew pretty much from the very that it would never go anywhere between us.”
“Why did you, then?”
“It was easier,” He answered with a shrug, “I’m not proud of it. But you’ve met my mother. It was easier as long as she was happy.”
“But you weren’t happy.” I reached up, cupping his jaw, feeling the rough stubble of the beard that was starting to grow in after a few days at the beach house, away from the rest of the world.
“No, I wasn’t happy,” He smiled at me, and it was a smile that lit up his eyes like a bonfire, “I’m happy now, Poppy. I’m happy with you. You…You aren’t like anyone I’ve ever met before. Begin with you…I’m happy. For the first time in as long as I can remember.”
“Me too.” My voice was shaky with emotion and I couldn’t say anything else as, I certainly couldn’t say what was blasting through my mind. I’m happier with you than I’ve ever been in my life. I think I’m in love with you. I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you since the first moment our eyes met on that stupid boat.
Yeah, that would go over well. More than likely, it would send him sprinting off in the other direction.
So I didn’t say the words out loud. Instead, I cleared my throat, looking away so he wouldn’t see the truth in my eyes.
“So, speaking of Thalia,” I had to clear my throat again before I could talk, “Maybe we should, you know, tell her about us.”
He shrugged, already shaking his head, “It might be best to wait. She’s still telling her parents that we’re together.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?”
“Honestly? No. I understand, and I can’t really blame her. Do you?”
I thought of Thalia’s socialite parents.
“No, I don’t. But what if your mom…”
“I know my mother. She’s not about to say anything.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Let’s just let things settle for a little bit before we decide to rock the boat, okay?”
It sounded so reasonable when he said it like that, and really, it wasn’t as if I was lying to her. Guilt wormed inside me. Okay, it wasn’t exactly telling the truth, either. But there, lying in Nate’s arms, it was impossible to worry too much about anything at all.
The shrill sound of my cell phone ringing suddenly had me jumping in surprise and I grabbed it, not recognizing the unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Poppy Black?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“This is Kara Tillman, from Open House Magazine, I have an opportunity I’d like to run by you…”
15
Nate
I watched Poppy walk towards the kitchen, her expression animated as she moved too far away for me to make out the words. It didn’t matter. I didn’t need to hear what was being said on the other end of the conversation for me to know what it meant. Our little moment of paradise was over.
As soon as the phone had rung, I knew it in my gut. Then Poppy had answered, letting out a tiny squeal of excitement before jumping out of my arms and up to her feet. I stared at her, wondering why I suddenly felt a lead weight settle in the pit of my stomach. I knew this little respite wouldn’t last, I had just hoped to draw it out a bit long. Wait a few more days before having reality crash back in on us.
As I tracked her excited movements, a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips despite myself. My gaze traced the curves of her body, the sweep of her hips, the dip of her waist and swell of her tummy and upwards, across the luscious landscape of her breasts.
She was wrapped only in a sheet, probably not even aware of how much of her body was still on display and just the sight of her had another rush of blood and desire shooting straight south.
God, she was gorgeous. But it was even more than just her outward appearance that drew me, even though even a glimpse of her lush body had me hard and wanting her in an instant. No, it was deeper than that. The way her mind worked, her artistry, her imagination, the way she saw the world. And if I was honest, the way she saw me. I loved seeing the flash of emotion in her ocean blue eyes.
She might not be aware of it but I could read every expression, I could see it in her eyes when she looked at me and I knew that I felt the same way about her. Poppy had come to mean so much to me in such a short amount of time, more than I’d ever cared about anyone else.
I had dated Thalia for a year, and I had never felt anything close to this. Not with Thalia, not with anyone else. There had been other women before Thalia, though not many through med school. I had always been focused on my classes, and then later I had a high profile residency that took up most of my days, and nights.
A sudden vision of my mother’s reaction flashed behind my eyelids and that lead weight in my stomach grew a little heavier. I hated the way she looked down at Poppy, as if she was someone beneath her.
I shook my head, but it didn’t dispel the memory, or the feeling of dread. I had spent my entire life catering to them, to what they wanted, trying to live up to their impossible expectations.
I would never forget an afternoon after school. The driver had picked me up as usual and driven me home and I had been surprised as hell to see my father at home, waiting for me. He was never at home. As one of the top cardiac surgeons on the West coast, he was always in demand and he sacrificed most of his family time to work.
At first, I’d been excited to see him, and then I saw his expression. Somehow even more stern that normal.
“Would you care to explain what this is?” My father had a
sked, his voice placid and calm like an ocean but I knew there were dangerous things swimming in that water.
“Wh…what?”
“Don’t stutter, Nathaniel.” He said coldly as he held out a piece of cardstock. It was a painting, forests and trees and a big blue ocean.
“It’s just a picture.” I whispered, my eleven year old mind understanding I had done something wrong even though I didn’t know what.
“It wasn’t for a class assignment, I checked with your teacher. She also said you haven’t been paying attention, that you’ve been…doodling instead of taking notes.” He said the word like it was something terrible. Like I had murdered someone instead of drawn a few pictures.
“I like to draw. I like to make art,” I drew in a deep, trembling breath, “I want to be an artist.”
“An artist?” my father scoffed, his cheeks growing red and ruddy in that way that told me something bad was coming. He never yelled, my father. He never raised his voice. Sometimes that made it worse, like he didn’t even care enough to get truly mad. “Don’t be ridiculous, Nathanial. I want you to take this and throw it in the fire.”
“What? No! I can’t do that.”
“Take it, son.” My father said sternly once more, holding the paper out. He would stand there forever waiting for me to comply. Slowly, I reached out and took the paper. My father held on just long enough for it to tear down the middle when I tried to take it. “Good. Now, toss it in the fire, where it belongs.”
I could still remember the confusion and anger and guilt as I had done what he bid. Walking over to the marble encased fireplace and tossing in my painting, watching the flames lick at the colors, bleeding out all the colors and turning them black.
After that, my father had patted me on the back, and had told me to buck up. I was a Williamson, and Williamson’s were doctors and lawyers. Never artists.
I had looked up at him and asked innocently, what about grandma?
Best Friend's Boyfriend (Be My Boyfriend Book 2) Page 11