Nate

by Kali Hart

  I roll over, reaching for the woman I plan to keep in my bed for the rest our days. But my hand finds only a cold, empty spot. “Ember?”

  Hoping she’s downstairs, I toss the covers aside. I don’t see her dress anywhere on the floor, or even draped over a chair. I frown. Something feels off.

  Rushing down the stairs, I already know the truth. The house it too quiet. Too empty. “Ember?”

  It’s no use. I know she’s not here.

  The knotted sensation in my stomach is new. The old me would be relieved if a woman left in the middle of the night without causing a scene. It meant we were on the same page about the casual aspect. But I’m not that guy anymore. Ember was not a one-night stand. She is my future.

  My phone taunts me from the kitchen counter. I never asked her for her number.

  I do what I always do when I need to burn off some steam and clear my head. I grab my gym bag and head to the station to work out.

  I’m on my third set of hammer curls when Dameon shows up to start his second workout of the day. I hope he’ll let me work my way to muscle failure in peace, but I don’t count on it.

  “Still on for lunch?”

  The last thing I want to do is be social. I need to figure out what went wrong last night, and how I’m going to fix it. But some food in my stomach after a grueling workout would certainly help my think straighter. “Sure.”

  Dameon lets me finish my routine without another word. He’s usually a pretty chatty guy, but we’ve known each other for years. Seems like he’s figured out when to leave me to my thoughts. It’s one of the reasons he’s such a great friend. Last night, when I was lulling in and out of sleep, I decided he would be my best man at the wedding.

  “I’ll drive,” Dameon says after we’re showered.

  I don’t argue, just get into the passenger side of his truck.

  “Heard you were out on a date last night,” Dameon says once we’re seated in a booth.

  “Heard from who?”

  “Who do you think?”

  The only person that might possibly have that knowledge is my brother. His girlfriend probably said something to him. It all makes so much sense. Leah asks my brother about my reputation… and she just wants to protect her friend.

  Dameon is probably the last person I should go to for dating advice. He’s sworn off women so he can focus on advancing his career and establish himself in the fitness world. He has no time for relationships. Still, I meet his eye. “What do I do?”

  “You really like this one?” The skepticism in his voice is understandable. Just last week I was bragging about the date I landed at the grocery store. But I never bothered to mention to anyone that I canceled it. Or that I’ve cancelled the last few, actually. Deep down, I must’ve known I was ready to look for something more.

  “I love her.”

  Dameon’s eyes grow wide. “You just met her.”

  “When you know, you know.” I say the words, knowing they’re falling on deaf ears.

  A shadow falls across our table. I lift my menu, prepared to order a bacon cheeseburger. But Chase is standing there, not the waiter. “Got room for one more?”

  I’m surprised to see him. Last I heard, he was planning to lock himself inside with Leah until his next shift, and that doesn’t start until tomorrow morning. When I mention that very thought to him, he smacks me on the shoulder. I pretend it doesn’t hurt, but my brother has always packed a good punch.

  “Leah’s consoling her roommate.”

  I don’t have to look at Chase to know he’s pissed off. “Ember’s not a one-night stand to me. Not even close.”

  Chase pulls his cell out of his pocket, punches in a few different things, then hands it to me. “Maybe you don’t care, but girls do.” It’s my social media profile. Filled with pictures of me with other women. Honestly, I haven’t been on this thing in months. I had no idea what was even on here, but I know how bad it looks.

  “I don’t even use this anymore.”

  “Then you should cancel your account dumbass.”

  Dameon nods in agreement. Guess they’re teaming up against me. “Fine, fine.” My frustration only makes finding the option to delete my account harder, but I force my way through it until the deed is done. “Now what?” Because deleting one account is not going to convince Ember I’m only into her. What I need is a miracle.

  Chapter 7

  EMBER

  “I should’ve known, Leah.” I blow my nose into another Kleenex. I’ve already gone through half a box, and it’s not even noon. I feel terrible that I had to call my bestie in as reinforcement. But my heart is shattered. Being alone was the last thing I could tolerate.

  “I’m sorry, Ember.” Leah wraps me in a tight hug and rocks me on my bed. I’ve shed the black dress in exchange for leggings and a super comfy pajama shirt. I don’t plan to change until sometime next week. “I should’ve asked about him sooner. At least before your date.”

  “It’s not your fault.” I sniffle. “The first red flag should’ve been that kiss in the kitchen.” It was clear what Nate wanted when his hand went up my shirt. Problem is, I wanted it too. “I just wish I didn’t go and fall in love with the guy.”

  She’s probably the only person who would tell me I’m not crazy for feeling this way after knowing him for so short a time. She fell in love with Chase quickly, too.

  “How do you know he doesn’t love you?”

  For the first time since she made it back to the apartment, Leah isn’t making any sense. I arch an eyebrow at her and ask, “Isn’t that obvious?”

  “No, not really.”

  I drop back onto the bed and shove a pillow on top of my face. I let out a frustrated moan.

  Leah pulls the pillow away. “Let’s review the facts.”

  “Fine.” I don’t know what difference any of it will make.

  “He asked you out to dinner. Fact.”

  “He’s asked a lot of other women out to dinner,” I rebuttal. “Fact.”

  “The blonde in the restaurant—he didn’t recognize her. Fact.”

  “Objection.” I spring back up to a sitting position. “I think he didn’t. How do I know he wasn’t acting?”

  Leah levels me with a glare. “You know.”

  I replay the events at the restaurant back in my mind. Though Nate did seem uncomfortable when the woman stopped by our table, he did look genuinely confused when she asked if he remembered her. And not once did his eyes check her out. He was completely uninterested in the skinny woman with legs for days. “That doesn’t change the pictures online. Leah, there are dozens.”

  “False.”

  “It’s not false. You showed them to me.”

  “His profile is gone.”

  I yank the phone out of her hands and try to search for him on my own. “What does that prove? Probably that he’s hiding something. Or trying to cover up the truth.”

  “Or that he doesn’t use the account, so he finally shut it down. I’m the one who stalked him earlier, remember? His last post was over a year ago.”

  “So?”

  “Fact: everyone has a past.”

  Aha! So it was Leah that said that to me. I should’ve known that little nugget of wisdom came from my best friend.

  There’s a knock on the door that pauses our debate session. I’m hoping it’s the pizza Leah ordered. I’m finally hungry enough to eat something. “Bring me a plate?”

  Leah winks at me and disappears down the hall. She’s the best friend a girl could ask for. I still feel terrible for pulling her away from Chase. But I would do the same for her in a heartbeat.

  “Before you say anything,” Leah says in my doorway, no plate in her hand. I don’t even smell a pizza. “Just let him say what he needs to.”

  “But—”

  My heart thunders in my chest. I’m not ready to face the man I ran out on in the middle of the night. I fervently shake my head no.

  “Fact: he came here to see you.”

&nbs
p; It’s too late to stop him. Nate takes a step forward, his profile towering behind Leah.

  “I’ll be in the other room if you need me.”

  Nate offers her a grateful smile, but it’s lacking his usual smolder. He steps into the room and closes the door behind him. “I brought your favorite pizza.”

  Dammit, he looks delicious enough to eat. I’m supposed to be mad at him. But Leah’s right. He did come here. If I was really just a conquest to him, he would be delighted that I made my exit so easy for him. But he looks miserable. “Pepperoni?”

  “I didn’t know which one was your favorite, so I brought one of each.”

  A laugh escapes despite my best attempts to strangle it into submission. I’m quickly losing this battle to stay mad.

  “I’m not perfect.” He takes cautious steps toward the bed and slowly lowers himself to sit beside me. “I was a bit of a player for a long time. But then I met you.”

  I want to feel uplifted by this declaration, but I’m skeptical. My grandma’s pesky words haunt me. If something feels too good to be true, it probably is. “What’s so special about me?”

  “Everything, Ember. Everything.” He reaches for my hands, and though my first instinct is to pull them away, I don’t. The graze of his fingers reminds me where those hands were last night. And just like that, my entire body is tingling with desire.

  “I’m not just some notch on a bed post, Nate. I don’t do flings. And I don’t want to be played for a fool.”

  “You’re it for me, Ember.” He scoots closer until our hips are touching. Heat radiates between us. I’m not wearing a bra under this loose shirt, and suddenly it seems like the best decision I’ve made all day. “I told you last night, you’re mine. I meant it.”

  I want to tell him I love him, but I’m afraid. I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop. “How do I know you won’t change your mind about me?” I ask. “You hardly know me. I hardly know you.”

  He lifts me with ease, repositioning me on my bed until I’m on my stomach. He climbs on top of me but doesn’t crush me with his weight. “I have eighteen hours and twenty-two minutes before my next shift starts,” he says into my ear. “I plan to spend every second getting to know you better.”

  When his hands pull down my leggings, I’m instantly wet between my legs. The anticipation builds. He’s going to take me from behind. Holy fucking ice buckets I’m so turned on right now.

  One hand circles my waist to find my clit. The other slides up my shirt, squeezing a boob. I’m hardly able to concentrate, but I grip his rock hard cock and guide it right where it belongs. He plunges inside me all at once. My back arches into him, meeting the sudden thrust.

  “You belong to me, Ember. There’s no one else I want. Ever again.”

  “I love you.” The words blurt out of my mouth before I can stop them. They’ve been on the tip of my tongue for hours. It was all I could do not to call them out last night.

  Nate pumps into me harder. I feel his hot breath against my ear. “I love you, too Ember. More than anything.” I come apart as he releases his hot seed inside me. I hope it’ll always be like this. Explosive and beautiful.

  EPILOGUE

  NATE

  Five years later, Ember still rocks that sexy little black dress. But tonight, it’s for my viewing pleasure only.

  “Did you get Bryce down?” She asks me from the doorway of our master bedroom. Candlelight dances on the dark walls behind her.

  “He’s out cold.” We’ve been blessed with a little boy who loves to sleep like a rock. It might not last, but as long as it does, I use my time wisely. I shut the door behind me, admiring the view.

  We’ve made this a sort of tradition. A couple of times a month, we’ll dine at a small candlelit table in our bedroom. Though we still go out for dates, these are my favorite. I don’t have to worry about anyone else eyeing my wife, and the bed is right here when we’re ready to rip each other’s clothes off.

  And some nights—like tonight—I’m lucky enough to see Ember in that little black dress.

  I wrap her in my arms and kiss her greedily. My hands will never tire of roaming her curves. Dinner waits for us on the table, but right now all I can think about is dessert. “Are you wearing any panties?”

  “Never.”

  “Good.” I drop to my knees and disappear beneath her dress. This is just the first orgasm of many I plan to give her tonight. I fucking love this woman with all my heart. There’ll never be another for me. Ever again.