But he grinned at her.
“Okay, fine, I will admit that this is a little funny.” He put his arm around her shoulders and lowered his voice. “You have to promise to never tell anyone about this, though. I have a reputation to uphold.”
She nodded and turned so her lips were almost touching his ear.
“Cross my heart; it’s our secret. Just one question: do you think you maybe want to call Triple A to get us out of here?”
He pulled his wallet and phone both out of his pocket.
“Right, of course.”
He made a face at her when he got off the phone.
“They’re on their way, but it’ll be a while. Apparently, ‘out of gas in a safe spot in the hills’ is low priority.”
Nik took off her seatbelt and leaned toward him.
“We might as well get comfortable while we wait for them.” She looked around the car. “How long have you had this car, anyway?”
He closed his eyes for a moment before answering her.
“Almost five years.”
His car had confused her, ever since she’d gotten to know him a little bit. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to be obsessed with his bright red sports car, but from his reaction when the car had run out of gas, that seemed like exactly what he was. Granted, people in L.A. tended to care about their cars more than anywhere else she’d ever been, so maybe it was just that.
“Why did you buy it?” she asked. “A celebration of a new job or something?”
He shook his head, but didn’t say anything. He ran his fingers down the steering wheel. The silence went on so long that she didn’t think he was going to answer her at all. She opened her mouth to ask him another question when he finally spoke.
“My dad died. Almost five years ago, my dad died.”
Oh God. Leave it to her to ask the asshole question.
“Oh Carlos, I’m so sorry. You don’t have to . . .”
He shook his head and kept talking.
“My parents didn’t have lots of money—they always managed to give us all of the important stuff, but they were both school teachers for thirty years; they were never flush. But it turned out that he had a ton of life insurance. Some in my mom’s name, of course. But some in mine, and some in my sister’s. After he died and I got this enormous—to me, at least—check . . .” He paused for a second before continuing. “Well, I didn’t know what to do with it. I deposited it in my savings account, and just let it sit there for a while. I was going to use it to pay off some of my med school loans. I probably should have used it to pay off some of my med school loans. But then one day, I took a different way home from work. I saw the sun gleaming off of a bright red sports car with a big price tag on the windshield. I turned straight into the lot and bought that car an hour later. My dad always liked flashy things. Sometimes I feel like that was a stupid way to use his legacy, but . . . I think he’d like this car a lot.”
She pulled him into a hug. His head dropped down on her shoulder, and they sat there together for a few minutes, breathing with each other.
“Thanks for telling me,” she said.
“Thanks for listening,” he said.
His hands moved up and down her back, and then gently through her hair.
She turned her head and kissed his jaw. His cheek.
He pulled back to look at her. She looked back at him: his kind big dark-brown eyes; his thick almost-black hair that she was dying to touch; his warm skin, with stubble already visible along his jawline; that hint of a dimple in his cheek; his lips, a dusky pink, not quite smiling, but looking like they would smile at any minute.
He lifted his hand from her shoulder and stroked her cheek, and she smiled.
He slid his hand around to the back of her neck and pulled her toward him. And finally, finally, he kissed her. Soft, at first. Not tentative, but slow. Gentle. Tender. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d wanted him to kiss her until just this moment. She kissed him back the same way, happy to let him take the lead, as long as he stayed here in this car and kept kissing her.
Her hands went up into his hair, that hair she’d been wanting to touch for so long, and she sighed with some combination of relief and lust.
That sigh seemed to signal something to him. He pulled her tighter against him, and his hand ran down the side of her body. His lips, his tongue, got stronger, and she met his urgency with her own. He pulled away, and she almost moaned in frustration, but then he trailed his mouth down her neck, kissing and biting and kissing again, until her hands gripped his hair and she gasped.
He raised his head.
“You liked that?” he asked, as he nuzzled her ear.
“God, yes,” she said.
“That’s what I was hoping,” he said. She turned her head and kissed him again.
“I’ve been wanting to do this ever since I met you,” he said.
“Oh my God, me, too,” she said. She didn’t realize how true that was until she said it out loud.
They looked at each other and laughed. He brushed her hair back from her face and smiled at her. That same smile that had made her trust him at Dodger Stadium. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him again and again.
She started to pull away to say something witty, but he ran his tongue around her lips, so she had no choice but to open them and meet his tongue with her own. His hands kept moving, this time up and down her torso. He lingered beneath her breasts and then started making long, slow, circles around them that got progressively smaller and smaller.
“I like that, too,” she said, breathing hard.
“Good. I hoped you did. Because I really like doing it,” he said as he reached her hard nipples. He leaned forward to keep kissing her as he touched them. Why had she held off kissing this man for so long?
“Are we . . .” He touched her in a way that made her gasp and lose her train of thought for a second. “Are we going to get in trouble if someone finds us like this? We are up in the hills, after all. I don’t know if a lot of people who look like us live up here.”
He pulled back, but his hands lingered on her breasts.
“You’re right. I definitely don’t want some rich dude who lives up here to call the cops on us. I haven’t made out in a car since . . . my God, since I was in high school, I think.” His hands slid down to her thighs. “The problem is, and the thing that I’d forgotten is . . . making out in cars is really hot.”
She glanced down and saw the clear evidence of how turned on he was.
“Mmmm, it is, isn’t it?” She put her hand on his knee. “Do you know that this is the first time I’ve ever made out like this in a car?” He watched her fingers trail up and down his thighs, never getting quite where she knew he wanted them to be.
“Never? How is that possible?” he asked, not raising his eyes.
“I have no idea, but I was clearly missing out.” Her fingers did little loops on the insides of his thighs, and he let out a breath.
“Uh-huh. Is your first time everything you wanted it to be?” He raised his eyes to hers.
“Everything and more.” She leaned forward to kiss him and to move her hand higher.
HONNNNNNNNK.
They sprang apart and looked up at the mechanic’s truck parked in front of them. Carlos’s cheeks got red and he bent down to reach for his wallet.
“You the one who called about running out of gas?” The guy was at the window, a leer on his face that Nik wanted to smack off of it. Maybe after a few more self-defense classes she could.
“That’s me.” Carlos got out of the car and handed him his driver’s license and AAA card.
Nik looked out the car window without seeing a thing. Holy shit, this really seemed to be happening. Was she sure she wanted to do this? She’d felt sure while Carlos was kissing her. But she still felt hesitant. Something ab
out Carlos seemed different than the guys she usually went out with. She didn’t know if it was different good or different bad. The uncertainty made her nervous.
After far too much chatting, the mechanic poured a gallon of gas into Carlos’s tank and gave him a screen to sign. He winked at her before he got back in his van. She rolled her eyes.
“Oh my God.” Carlos got back in the car and shook his head. “I haven’t gotten caught in a car making out with a girl since I was seventeen. And then it wasn’t even my car! I’m twice that age now; at least the car is a lot better.” He wrapped his arms around her. “And the girl is, too.”
Okay, hearing that was almost worth getting checked out by the mechanic. She lifted her face to him, and he kissed her hard.
Chapter Nine
. . . . . . .
Carlos stopped at the gas station at the bottom of the hill.
“I should fill up here, even though it’s like twenty cents more expensive than it is near my house.” He leaned over to kiss her. Now that he’d started kissing her, he couldn’t stop. She kissed him back so hard it was a struggle for him to pull away and get out of the car.
Had he made it weird when he brought up his dad to Nik? Did she think his reason for getting the car was stupid? Some people had, which is why he never told people the real reason anymore. He just let them think he was one of those L.A. dudes who liked sports cars. He didn’t know why he’d told her.
When he got back in the car, they grinned at each other and both leaned in for another kiss. He felt like a horny teenager. He loved it.
Finally he turned the key and pulled out of the gas station. Within seconds, they were both singing along to Beyoncé as they shot down the freeway. She smiled at him as she sang along, and he sent silent thanks to Courtney’s flaky employee, her broken down car, and the entire concept of running out of gas for getting him here.
A few songs later, and they’d pulled up in front of her apartment. She ran her hand from his knee up his thigh and smiled at him.
“Are you going to come inside?”
He tried not to grin as big as he wanted to, but he was pretty sure he failed. His terrible day had officially turned around. He couldn’t wait to pounce on her as soon as they walked into her apartment.
As she unlocked the door to her building, he thought of something.
“Did you get your locks changed?”
Fuck. Why did he ask her that? She’d snapped at him once for bringing that up. What was wrong with him?
She held up a brand-new key.
“Last week. I felt stupid for doing it, but then I remembered what you said about how feeling silly is better than the alternative.”
Oh thank God, she wasn’t mad at him.
As they walked up the stairs to her apartment, she smiled wryly.
“I also convinced Courtney and Dana to take a self-defense class with me. Well, it’s really more of a boxing class, actually.”
Well, he hadn’t expected that.
“Wow, that’s great. How was it?”
She stopped at her front door to unlock it with the new key.
“It was surprisingly fun. There’s only been one so far, but I’m happy I’m taking it.”
“That’s awesome. I’m impressed.”
He was also glad that she’d trusted him enough to tell him she was doing it. And flattered that she’d gotten her locks changed at least in part because of something he’d said.
When they walked into her apartment, he was ready to throw her down on the couch, but she walked into the kitchen before he could reach for her.
“Do you want some wine?” she asked him.
Hmmm. He couldn’t be wrong about why he was in her apartment, could he? He had been here before, and nothing had happened then.
No, this was different. She’d seemed like she’d wanted to pull his clothes off in the car. Maybe she was just nervous now that they were back at her apartment? He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he’d better take her lead on this.
“Sure.” He sat down on the couch. “More of that rosé, maybe?”
She laughed and opened the refrigerator.
“I think you’re making fun of me and my rosé, but I don’t even care, because I love it. As a matter of fact, yes, I do have another bottle of rosé open now—though this time it’s a different one—and I’m going to pour us both glasses of it, take that.”
She came over to the couch with glasses of wine for each of them. Okay, she sat down right next to him; she was clearly not keeping her distance. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.
“I have to confess I have been known to make fun of my sister for her love of this wine, and it kills me that I actually liked the one you gave me last time because now I might have to eat my words to Angie.” He took a sip. “Actually no, there’s no way I’d do that. But this is terrible—I definitely like this wine.”
He let his fingers drift into her hair, and she relaxed against him.
“Oh no, you’ve discovered a kind of wine that you like, and it happens to be pink wine. What will you ever do with yourself?” She swatted his thigh. And then left her hand there. “You can’t possibly let a woman know that she was right about wine; that’s impossible.”
He shook his head. He finally pulled that ponytail holder out of her hair and let her curls spring free.
“No, that’s not it. I’m happy to let women know they’re right about many things. My boss was right about the diagnosis of the kid I saw today. You were right about the books I bought for Jessie. Jessie was right when she told me I’d get into med school. It’s just that I can’t ever admit to my little sister that she was right about something I’ve been teasing her about for years. Come on now.”
“Mmmm.” She looked up at him. “I’m an only child; it’s possible that I don’t get all of the big brother–little sister relationship nuances, so I’ll that one go.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh! What did Jessie say her favorite of the books was?”
He was trying to concentrate on what she was saying, but between her fingers gently massaging his knee and feeling her sigh as he stroked her hair, his mind was in many places.
“Um, what did she say? Oh! She said her favorite was the Jeffrey Dahmer book. I don’t understand either of you. If I read those books, I would have nightmares for weeks.”
She set her glass, still half full, on the coffee table.
“People have said that to me. Maybe I just don’t have very vivid dreams.” She brought her hand up and drew it through his hair. She plucked his glass out of his hand and put it on the coffee table next to her own. “Or maybe I just dream about other things.”
He smiled. The preamble was apparently over. He turned to face her and pressed her down onto the couch until she was underneath him.
“Yeah? What is it that you dream about?”
She grabbed the bottom of his button-down shirt and pulled it over his head.
“This.” She pulled him against her and kissed him.
Mother of God. He thought he liked kissing her when they were making out in the front seat of his car, but that was clearly only an appetizer. There, she’d seemed enthused, but still tentative. Now, she was both passionate and forceful, as if to make it clear she was all in. Her hands moved under his T-shirt and up and down his back, pressing him harder against her. He moved his attention to her neck, kissing her smooth brown skin.
“Do you dream about that, too?” he asked her.
“My God, yes,” she said.
He blew gently over her skin and kissed the cool spot. He did it again lower, and then again lower. He loved the way her fingers tensed on his back. He drew his hand up and plucked her nipple. She arched her back and moaned. He kept kissing her neck and playing with her nipples until he thought both of them were going to explode.
“W
e both have way too many clothes on.” He pulled her tank top off, to reveal her black lace bra underneath. “Mmmm, this is a very pretty bra. But right now, it’s in my way.” He reached around and unsnapped her bra and tossed it over the couch. He sat back to admire her.
“That’s better.”
She shook her head.
“You said we both had too many clothes on, but I didn’t see you take any off.”
The woman had a point.
He stood up, tugged his pants off, pulled his T-shirt over his head, and stood in front of her in his boxer briefs.
“Is that better?”
She smiled and nodded, her eyes roaming all over his body, but coming back to focus somewhere right around his waistband.
“Much better.”
She didn’t bother to get up, but pulled her jeans off and threw them on the floor next to his clothes. He took a long look at her curvy body. Holy shit. He climbed back on top of her.
* * *
• • •
Oh thank Athena, Aphrodite, and all the other gods for the many crises tonight that had resulted in Carlos in her bed. Okay, it was her couch, but this wasn’t the time for details. She was very glad she’d gotten over her weird—and stupid, in retrospect, now that she’d seen him without clothes on—anxiety about this guy. The way that he looked at her body . . . well, that kind of look was exactly what she needed after this past week and a half. He looked at her like her body was a joy to behold, like he couldn’t wait to touch her, kiss her, like he was lucky to be here with her without any clothes on. Damn right he was.
She was feeling pretty fucking lucky herself right now. This man definitely knew how to touch a woman, that’s for sure.
“We need to get these off of you,” he said, caressing her sensible black cotton underwear. She’d had no idea she was going to be having sex later when she’d left the house that day, okay? At least they were bikini cut. She lifted her hips to give him better access.
He shook his head.
“No, not that way.” He got up off the couch, pushed her coffee table back out of his way, and turned her around until she was sitting forward. “Okay, now.” He hooked his fingers in her underwear and pulled them to the floor. Then he pushed her legs apart and knelt at her feet.
The Proposal Page 11