by Lacey Black
“I didn’t cry, did I, babe?” Maddox asks Avery as he places a kiss to the crown of her head.
“No, you didn’t, but I bawled like a baby,” Avery says with a grin.
“That’s because you were just then realizing that you were going to be stuck with Maddox for the rest of your life,” Travis tells her with a laugh.
“Whatever, Travis. At least I didn’t mess up when I put the ring on his hand,” Avery retorts.
“Hey, the pastor was talking too fast and I got confused,” Travis defends and looks at Joss.
“It was still one of the best moments of my life,” Joss says with a smile just before Travis leans forward and kisses her square on the lips.
“This is why I’m eloping,” Holly adds to the conversation. “No paparazzi following us around, flashing cameras in our faces or trying to snatch that first wedding picture from a helicopter.”
“Have you guys decided on a date and everything yet?” Joss asks Holly and Jase.
“Yep, but we’re not sharing anything until everyone boards the plane. You’ll all know the destination when we’re airborne,” Jase announces with a huge smile as he places sweet kisses on Holly’s bare shoulder.
Holly and Jase met before the Bent concert this past April. The story I’m told is that Jase, who was the lead singer of the Grammy winning rock band Bent, walked out to do a Meet and Greet, spotted Holly at the back of the room, and instantly fell in love with her. Bent was in the middle of a coast to coast tour of the United States so the first month of their unofficial relationship was spent with a phone in their hand, on Skype, and texting. Even vicious paparazzi and crazy, attention-whore supermodels couldn’t keep them apart in the end.
Jase proposed to Holly on July 4th, about a month after the tour wrapped up, and together they moved to an older country home on the edge of Rivers Edge. No one was prepared for a rocker like Jase Bentley to move to town, but he was determined to give up his big lifestyle and be with Holly, and the residents of Rivers Edge are eating up the attention.
Rumor has it, everyone at the table - with the exception of me, of course - will be getting a very short notice of a departure date, along with a plane ticket to a destination unknown. I personally think it’s incredibly romantic and love that Jase and Holly are determined to have a private, low-key wedding. If you consider Paris or Hawaii or Bora Bora low-key. Like I said, no one knows where they’re going, but everyone has their bags practically packed already.
While the couples at the table continue to talk about their speculations for Jase and Holly’s wedding, I can’t help but return my eyes to the couple on the dance floor. They are like night and day in appearance and personality. Jake is as tall as Erin is short, he’s as loud as Erin is quiet. But, it works for them. I love watching them bicker back and forth, especially because once they reach the turning point in their “discussion”, you can see the look in their eyes and the smiles on their faces and know that make-up sex is right around the corner.
“Have you guys noticed that Jake hasn’t taken his hand off of Erin’s stomach all night?” I ask to no one in particular. However, the entire table is instantly quiet and staring at me. And then as if all pulled towards the dance floor by an imaginary string, all seven heads turn towards the couple. “Plus, I’m pretty sure she hasn’t had anything to drink tonight,” I add.
“Holy shit,” Avery replies, wide eyed and with a huge smile, as she stares at her brother and his new wife.
“Now that you mention it, I am pretty sure she didn’t drink the night of the bachelorette party,” Josselyn adds with a smile.
“They’re having a baby,” Maddox states with a smile just before he leans over and kisses Avery on the lips. “We should have another baby,” he whispers against her lips but not quite soft enough to not be heard by everyone at the table.
“Just don’t make that baby right here,” Holly says, feigning disgust. “I know both boys are sleeping right now, but Bean over there doesn’t need to see that.” Everyone turns to Brooklyn who is sitting at the table blowing bubbles leftover from the ceremony between Mr. and Mrs. Stevens. Both Ryder and Grant crashed about an hour ago and were taken by their mothers up to the nursery that Mrs. Stevens has set up for the grandkids. The small, portable monitor sits on the table between Joss and Avery.
Jake looks up from the dance floor and notices us all staring and smiling at them. He whispers something in Erin’s ear and she whips around, shock on her face.
They know that we know.
As soon as their dance is complete, the DJ encourages everyone to join the couple on the dance floor for the next slow song. Nate stands up and takes me by the hand, leading me out to the center of the dance floor. He pulls me tightly into his embrace as we sway in rhythm to the music.
I used to love to dance. Back when Garrett and I first started dating, I used to love to get dressed up for dinner or a party and dance the night away under the big sparkling lights of the banquet hall or hotel. But after his love turned violent and physical, the events became tainted. They were a chore, a requirement. The smiles were forced or fake and the fun and excitement completely void. Dancing became something I avoided.
Now, wrapped up in Nate’s protective arms, I feel the joy of the act again. Nate sways perfectly in time with the beat proving that even big, strong men do have rhythm.
“I have a surprise for you,” he says, pulling my tighter against his chest. Tighter against his chest and against his growing erection.
“Does it have something to do with the hello I’m receiving from your pants right now?” I ask with a chuckle.
“Maybe. I can’t help the way my body reacts to you. This happens every time you’re in the room with me, every time I think about you, and just about every time I take a breath,” he says.
“So, you walk around in a state of arousal all day long?” I ask with a smile.
“Basically, yep,” he says as he kisses me on the forehead.
“I bet that makes for some awkward moments. The grocery store. Dinner with your family. Work with the guys.”
“Now do you see my problem?”
“So what are you going to do about this problem?” I ask coyly.
“I have a bag packed for both you and me out in the trunk of the Mustang and a tent pitched along the creek bank in my spot. I want to take you camping tonight,” he tells me.
I look up into his wide blue-green eyes and ask, “Camping?”
“Yeah. The only way to take care of my problem is to make love to you. Over and over again. Maybe even for days on end. I need to take you somewhere you can’t get away from me that easily,” he adds with a smile.
“Sex in a tent under the stars? Sign me up, cowboy,” I tell him with a huge grin.
Nate pulls back and makes a grab for my hand. “Nate! We can’t go now,” I tell him as he starts to steer me towards the exit.
“Bullshit we can’t. The most beautiful woman in the world just agreed to one of my top five fantasies. Screw Jake and his wedding. He’ll get over it. I’m out of here,” he says over his shoulder as he pulls me stumbling behind him.
“Uncle Nate,” Brooklyn says as she blocks the entrance to the tent. “I want to dance,” she says excitedly. “We always dance,” she adds.
“Bean and I danced the night away at Maddox and Avery’s wedding and she made me promise her a dance tonight,” Nate tells me as he releases my hand and bends down to pick up his five year old niece.
“How can I turn down an offer like that?” he asks the adorable little blond in his arms. Nate is walking back out to the dance floor as I turn to make my way back to the table that is now vacant, since all of the other couples are still dancing.
I watch Nate twirl his niece around the dance floor as she throws her head back and laughs dizzily. I can’t contain the smile that spreads across my face as I study them together. Someday, Nate is going to be an amazing father. You can see it in the way he interacts with Grant, Bean, and Ryder. My gut t
ightens and my heart speeds up as I wonder what it would be like to have that…with Nate.
I’m lost in my own thoughts when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Startled, I turn to face Nate’s brother, Will.
“Hey, you look so lonely over here by yourself. Care to dance?” he asks with a smile as he extends a hand down to me. Will has a friendly, boy-next-door appearance that is enhanced by his glasses, and I can’t help but smile as I take his hand. He leads me to the floor that I just vacated with Nate and pulls me in close, but not too close. Will remains a respectable distance from me. It’s the kind of slow dancing you would do with your own brother or father.
“Enjoying yourself tonight?” Will asks with a smile.
“Absolutely. It was a beautiful wedding and reception,” I reply as he spins me towards Nate and Brooklyn. “No date tonight?” I ask.
“Uh, no. My new boss has me working crazy hours lately so I didn’t have any time to secure a date,” Will tells me.
“New boss?”
“Yeah, we call her Cruella because she’s bitchy and abrupt and none of us like her. She’s been there since March, I guess,” he tells me.
“Hey, keep your hands above the waist, little brother,” I hear Nate state sternly from behind me.
“Don’t worry, big brother. Lia has been trying to talk me into going out back behind the tent to make out, but I wouldn’t do that to you,” Will teases which makes Nate growl. It’s deep and possessive and gets the exact result Will was going for.
“He’s full of it, Nate,” I say with a smile and a wink.
“Bean here was just telling me that I was her favorite uncle, Will,” Nate says as he spins the little girl around in a quick spin.
Brooklyn laughs while Will comes back and says, “Of course she did. She knows you’ll cry like Ryder if you don’t get your way.”
“Not true. Tell him, Bean,” Nate says with Brooklyn.
“Just put these chumps out of their misery, Bean, and tell them once and for all that I’m your favorite uncle,” Travis says as he joins the conversation while dancing with his wife.
Brooklyn looks around at the eager faces of her uncle’s before she says, “Jake is my favorite uncle.”
Shock is evident on the faces of Nate, Will, and Travis. “What?!” all three say at the same time.
“You heard her, a-holes. I’m her favorite,” Jake says with a satisfied smirk.
“Can’t be true, Bean. I thought we were buds,” Nate says with a big pouty face.
“I’m sorry,” Brooklyn says. As soon as Jake and Erin dance towards the other side of the floor, Brooklyn turns to her three remaining uncles who are all standing dumbfounded in their place and says, “Uncle Jake paid me ten bucks before the wedding to say that.”
The look on their faces is priceless. All three burst out laughing and continue on with their dancing. Nate plasters a huge kiss on Brooklyn’s cheek before handing her off to Will.
“Trade me,” he says before taking me into his big, strong arms. Being snuggled against Nate is my safe spot. Nate may have the creek bank, but I have him. Wherever he is, that’s my spot. Right there next to him. I snuggle in as close as possible and can’t help but wonder just how long I really have him. Nate made it clear that he’s not looking for the happily ever after. Marriage and kids aren’t in his future.
But is it in my future? For the longest time, I’ve thought…no. Now, I just don’t know.
We dance to several more songs including fast ones before Nate starts pulling me towards the entrance of the tent. We wave our goodbyes to his family and friends, kiss the new bride and groom, and head out, hand in hand.
The mid-August night sky is bright and clear. Brilliant stars are everywhere giving it a romantic glow. Nate leads me to the Mustang where he removes a couple of duffle bags from the trunk.
“I just grabbed what I thought you’d need for the morning,” he says with a look of concern.
“As long as I have clothes to wear tomorrow morning, I think I can manage until I get home to shower,” I tell him.
“Well, we’re actually going to have to be up and back here at eight. Mom is cooking breakfast for all of us and then Jake and Erin are going to open their gifts. We can use the shower at the house, though,” Nate tells me.
“That’s fine,” I say before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. “We’ll worry about that part in the morning. How are we getting back there,” I ask as Nate starts to lead me towards the shed.
“ATV,” he replies and points to the big machine sitting next to the even bigger mower.
“Really? I’ve never been on one,” I confess as Nate throws the bags on the rack at the back, and hops on. He slides all the way forward and gives me just enough space to slide between the bags and his body.
“It’ll be a slow ride. If you want, sometime I’ll take you back on the little trails we have and we’ll tear it up.”
“I’d love that,” I reply before I can think too much more about it. Chances are, I’m not going to be around for any future rides.
Nate fires up the machine and I grab a hold of his tuxedo shirt tucked in around his waist. I feel his muscles ripple against my hand as I hold on tight and press my boobs firmly against his back. I feel him tense against me before he says, “You better wait until we get to the campsite before you start that. Otherwise, we’re going to hit a tree.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” I purr in his ear over the noise of the four-wheeler. “I better hold on, huh?” I ask as I reach down and grab a hold of his growing erection. I hear Nate suck in a deep, hissing breath. “Okay, I’m ready now,” I tell him sweetly.
“Devil woman,” he mutters before throwing the machine in gear and pulling it out of the shed.
It doesn’t take us but a couple of minutes to get to the creek bank. I can see the small tent Nate has set up on a patch of thick grass between the shack and the creek, but what draws my attention is the air mattress on the ground next to it.
Nate makes quick work of throwing the duffle bags inside the tent and pulling out the bedding that was placed inside to keep the bugs out of it and begins to cover the air mattress. I watch from the side as he sets up the bed before strolling over to me. No, stroll isn’t the right word. Stalk is more like it. He looks predatory as he approaches me with hunger in his intense eyes. Like I am the lone doe in a wide open field with the preying mountain lion.
Nate grabs a hold of my hands with his much larger, stronger ones and pulls me flush against his firm body. I go willingly. His lips are on mine in a flash. There’s a slight urgency in the kiss, but also a sweetness like he’s cherishing me. His hands release mine and move to my hair. I love the way his hands fan around my scalp, holding me firmly in place to ensure I don’t go anywhere. Hell, doesn’t he realize that there’s no other place I want to be?
Nate begins to slowly step backwards so that we’re kissing on the move; moving towards the makeshift bed under the bright night sky. When I hear his dress shoe hit the edge of the air mattress, he stops. His lips stop and he looks deeply into my eyes. It’s in this moment that I know. I know that I have fallen head over heels in love with Nate Stevens. But the scary part is that it doesn’t shock me as much as I thought it would. Worried? Hell, yeah. The day I leave Rivers Edge is going to be the most painful day of my life. Leaving Nate behind is going to hurt more than any heartache I’ve ever felt…times ten.
Nate runs his hands down my neck, massaging and savoring the touch of my skin. I exhale deeply and close my eyes. His touch is pure magic.
Slowly, Nate’s hands move to my back and they start to tug on the zipper at the back of my dress. It’s a black strapless piece with a white stripe around the hemline. My strappy black wedge sandals give me an extra few inches, which aligns me even closer to Nate’s perfect lips.
Nate lowers the zipper and I feel the material loosen from my body until it reaches my lower back. Earlier in the week, I went to the mall with Avery after work, and we grabbed some
new lingerie from a store she frequents. I chose a black satin strapless bra with a lace overlay and matching thong panties. The efforts of my purchases are written all over Nate’s face as he drops my dress to my ankles.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on,” he murmurs against my lips as his hands explore my bare skin and snake around to touch my naked ass.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I whisper as I start to unbutton all of the tiny white buttons on the front of his dress shirt. Black pearl button covers start to fall to the ground.
“I don’t give a shit about them. I’ll pay whatever rental fee they charge for new ones,” he says as we watch the buttons fall.
I give his shirt a big tug out of his pants - pants that are suddenly very tight in the crotch area - and release the shirt. When all of the buttons are open, Nate stands before me in his open white dress shirt. With his big hands, he grabs me around the ass, lifting me up, and setting me down softly on the air mattress.
The blankets are cool from the almost damp humid August air. Crickets are chirping and frogs are croaking all around us. We are about to make love under the stars. This moment is hands down, the most romantic thing that has ever happened to me.
I lay back against the pillow as Nate squats over me. His hands fan out as he caresses the suddenly hot skin of my abdomen. He dips down and runs his tongue along my collarbone, down to my breasts. The wetness is like gasoline to my already smoldering body, and I am completely up in flames.
Nate reaches behind me and releases the clasp of my bra, freeing my girls into the sticky night air. His mouth is hot as he quickly suckles my erect nipple. He moves to the other, showing it the same attention as the first one, and my moans echo off the trees and the water.
“God, I need you so bad,” he says as he reaches down and gives the skimpy black material of my thong a tug.
“I need you, too,” I whisper. More than he will ever know.
The growl that erupts from his gut is primal and fierce. My panties are gone a second later, leaving me bare to the world, which is fine considering they were soaked through already.