by BJ Wane
Nate left Eve in the shower as he pulled on a pair of silk boxers and went downstairs to put on the coffee, thinking of the past few weeks. The dog days of summer had finally come to an end and the changes fall always brought were now in full bloom as October came to a close. Glancing out the bay window to her back yard, he noted it was time to rake up leaves again, the trees now holding fewer of the colorful foliage than the ground. It was only one of the chores he recently discovered he liked doing. Living in a penthouse condo, he didn't have the responsibility of yard work, nor had he thought he wanted it; but when he arrived to pick up Eve one Saturday afternoon and found her jumping into a pile of leaves with wild, infectious abandonment, he grabbed the rake from Mark and joined in.
Of course, getting Eve off in that pile of leaves might've had something to do with the fun of piling them up. Nate never imagined himself falling for a woman as quickly as he had Eve, never pictured tying himself down at all if he was to be honest. But there had been something special about her that first night, and the compelling need to be with her hadn't diminished like he first thought it would. He couldn't even tell himself anymore it was the novelty of her circumstances that drew him, that he was just doing a good deed by indulging her, giving her experiences she had missed out on. If that were the case, he could've walked away weeks ago, his conscious clear, ready to move on.
Now, he couldn't imagine a future that didn't include Eve. Grabbing the coffee mugs, he poured a cup and chose a pecan caramel roll from the box of donuts they had picked up at a bakery last night. Discovering they both had a sweet tooth was just one thing they had in common. It hasn't been easy getting Eve to open up, to admit this was now much more than sex between them. One night, when his frustration over her continued refusal to discuss the accident that took her sight was at an all-time high, he stripped her and settled her on his lap, keeping one arm banded around her arms, pinning her in place as he tortured her over and over, arousing her to the point of climax, then refusing to let her go over without giving him the answers he wanted. Thirty minutes later, they were both sweating from their frustrating, unfulfilled exertions when she gave in, filling him in on the sketchy details.
Kissing her tears away, he gave her three consecutive orgasms then told her about his sister Leah, and how he had failed her. Much to their surprise, they discovered Eve's accident and Leah's death occurred on the same day, August twenty-fifth, three years apart, both of them admitting that was why they had been at the Hampton that night.
Still, even with the things they'd discovered they had in common, the enjoyment he knew she found in his company and the endless pleasure he could give her, Eve refused to take that final step and trust him enough to believe they might have a future together.
The sound of the front door being unlocked and opened drew his attention. He knew it wasn't Eve's neighbors as both men called ahead before coming over now that Nate was here more often than not. Whoever it was had a key, so he wasn't concerned about his or Eve's safety.
"Eve! Where are you?"
Nate relaxed as a woman a few inches taller than Eve spotted him leaning against the counter from across the great room. From her curly, shoulder length brown hair and dark brown eyes, he recognized Holly from the picture Eve kept on the fireplace mantle of the two of them at their high school graduation. Her impish grin transformed her face from cute to attractive. "You're Eve's Holly, I presume?" he greeted her, nonplussed about being caught in his underwear by a stranger. From her blatant, appreciative look, he didn't think she was offended or embarrassed.
"And you must be Eve's Nate." Holly quickly recovered from her surprise at seeing the man Eve had taken up with looking so at home in her kitchen, standing there all but naked without an ounce of discomfort. "Her description of you didn't do you justice." With his tousled sandy hair, vivid blue eyes and dark, beard roughened face, Eve's lover was much handsomer than her friend had let on. Combined with a tall, toned body of thickly sculpted muscles, the man was a fucking Adonis. Just what the hell was Eve thinking?
"I'll take that as a compliment," Nate returned dryly. From her smile turned frown, he wasn't sure if she meant her comment to be flattering or not. "Eve didn't say anything about you coming by, or even that you had returned from overseas. Is this a surprise?"
Tossing her purse toward the sofa, Holly ignored it when it fell off and made herself comfortable on a stool at the counter, leaning forward on her arms. "Does Eve tell you everything?" she asked him and was rewarded when he frowned and turned from her to refill his cup. Good, she thought smugly, Eve hadn't been foolish enough to let her guard down completely with this man.
Nate didn't need Holly reminding him that Eve still didn't open up to him; it was the one thing lacking in their relationship that still bothered him. Ignoring her question, Nate asked, "Can I pour you a cup?"
"Sure. Eve's always up early, even on weekends…"
"Holly!" Eve exclaimed when she reached the bottom of the stairs and recognized her voice. "Why didn't you tell me you were back?"
"I wanted to surprise you, of course." Holly jumped off the stool and met Eve halfway, the two of them hugging and grinning like idiots. "God, it seems like forever since I've been home."
"It has been forever. You left in the spring. I'm so glad you're back for the holidays. We have so much to catch up on."
Nate took that as his cue to give them some time alone even if seeing Eve wearing his shirt, knowing she was naked underneath and picturing the butt plug nestled between her buttocks had his cock stirring. Rinsing out his cup, he said, "You're timing is actually pretty good, Holly. I need to get dressed and head out for a meeting so that'll give you two time to catch up before I return later this afternoon." Nate saw Holly frown as he bent to pick up her purse before Eve tripped on it. He assumed in her excitement Holly didn't notice she dropped it and wasn't happy now because she wanted more time with Eve, but that was too bad. Their relationship was still too tenuous for him to risk staying away from Eve for too long.
"Grab a donut, Holly," Eve said when Nate told them he'd be right back down. "I'll be right back."
"Don't forget your glasses, hon," Holly called after her.
Eve returned upstairs to have a private word with Nate before he left, hoping he wasn't put out with Holly's sudden appearance.
"Nate?"
"Right here." Nate came out of the master bathroom tucking in his shirt. "You look pleased with Holly's surprise return."
Smiling, Eve found her glasses still sitting on her dresser where they'd been since Nate insisted she not wear them around him. "I am. We talk a lot when she's on assignment, but it's not the same. I've missed her, missed hanging out with her." With a start, Eve realized she hadn't missed spending a good portion of her free time with Holly since Nate has become a regular fixture in her life. "Well," she amended with a rueful smile, turning and going into his arms, "I used to miss hanging out with her."
"Better." Nate kissed her, relieved and pleased she admitted that without prodding from him. Slipping his hands under her shirt, he kneaded her soft buttocks, mimicking with his tongue what he wanted to do with his cock. Unfortunately, there wasn't time for even a quickie. "You can remove the plug now. It isn't good to leave it in too long. I'll call you later, after my meeting." He frowned when she stepped back and slid the glasses on, shielding her beautiful expressive eyes, eyes that told him more than she did with words. "Eve."
She knew that warning tone and hurried to explain. "Just around Holly, Nate. I know you don't understand, but she completely fell apart after my accident, had almost as much trouble coping with my blindness as I did. She's uncomfortable with any reminders of how close I came to dying."
He didn't like it, but didn't have time to argue right now. Kissing her again, he slapped her ass, saying, "Only when she's around, Eve. You two have fun today."
Both Carl and Mark waylaid Nate as soon as he exited Eve's condo. Glancing at his watch, he hoped they were quick. "What's up, gu
ys?" he asked them, stopping halfway down the walk to the curb where he was parked as they ran up to him.
"That's Holly's car."
Nate took a deep breath, trying to rein in his impatience. Mark's disgruntled, accusatory tone meant he wasn't happy with the return of Eve's friend. From the look on Carl's face, neither was he. "She just returned from overseas. Eve's happy to see her," he emphasized.
"We don't trust her. She's cruel, the way she talks to Eve, little digs that Eve doesn't notice or overlooks," Carl said.
"Look guys, I get that you care for Eve, and that makes you over protective of her in a fatherly way, but Holly's friendship means a lot to her. Don't cause problems." He wasn't about to let their dislike or jealousy mar Eve's happiness with her best friend's return.
Carl glared at Nate then turned to his partner. "Forget it, Mark, he isn't going to listen right now."
Mark gave Nate his own glare before turning and following Carl back to their condo. At the door, he turned back around and caught Nate before he slid behind the wheel of his fancy car. "I'll bet Eve's wearing her glasses again right now."
"Fuck," Nate muttered, slamming the car door before pulling away. Just because Mark was right about the glasses didn't mean anything, he thought sourly. From the few times he listened to Eve conversing over the phone with Holly and the little she has said about her friend, he gathered Holly was somewhat insecure when it came to relationships with either gender. Eve said she was her only friend, had been her only friend since grade school despite Eve's efforts to get Holly to socialize more when they were younger. A shy, quiet wallflower was how Eve described her, and apparently that hadn't changed much. On the other hand, being an introvert didn't seem to keep Holly from accepting a man's attention, at least long enough for a few nights of sex, a habit, he knew worried Eve. He was no psychologist, but Nate imagined she needed the occasional pick-ups to ease the loneliness of being so far from her home and the one person who has been a constant in Holly's life.
While he didn't give credence to Carl and Mark's complete distrust of Holly, he knew he'd have to tread lightly for a few days. Eve needed some time with her friend, and he would give her some, but Holly needed to know up front he was in Eve's life in every way, and intended to remain there. From the skeptical way Holly had eyed him and the possessive way she looked at Eve, he suspected he was going to walk a fine line for a while between the two.
Two hours later, Nate's restored good mood from his meeting with Wes and the architect who was designing their new riding facility plummeted when he got a call from his parents as he was leaving. A summons from his father to stop by the office he could ignore, but a politely worded request from his mother to come to dinner after lamenting how long it has been since she had seen her only child was harder to brush aside. His parents had ignored him when he was growing up, leaving the majority of his upbringing to nannies and private schools and he had spent the majority of his adulthood repaying them in kind. The three of them were happiest and got along best when they didn't spend too much time together. Leah's tragic death added to their difficult relationship. Still, it has been several months since he stopped in and said hello, and he knew if he didn't give in now, his mother would just continue to hound him. Besides, he was curious about what prompted this invitation, because he knew Eleanor Radcliff didn't issue a summons for him to come home out of any maternal desire to see him. There was always an ulterior motive.
Nate parked in the circular drive in front of the double door entrance into the two-story brick Tudor built by his great-great-grandfather. Walking up the brick path, he compared the perfectly pruned green bushes and manicured, picture perfect lawn to Eve's leaf strewn yard and brightly burning fire bushes and found he preferred the colorful mess of fall to the staid neatness of his parents' lawn. "Frederick, how the hell are you?" he greeted the elderly butler who had been a figure in the Radcliff household for as long as he could remember as he let himself in.
"Can't complain, Mr. Radcliff. It's good to see you again."
"Drop the Mr. Radcliff shit and I'll return the compliment. Are they in the drawing room?"
"As usual this time of day, sir," he responded with a grin.
Nate laughed and slapped him on the back knowing he had added the 'sir' on purpose. "Nothing changes around here, does it Frederick?"
"Not that I've noticed. I'll see you in the dining room shortly."
Nate nodded and turned to the left, curling his lip in disdain of the pristine white and gold elegance and posh furnishings in the formal living and dining rooms, much preferring the bright splashes of color Eve had decorated her place with. Shaking his head ruefully, he had to admit just how much she had opened his eyes to his surroundings.
"Nathaniel, you're late," Eleanor greeted him, rising from an antique settee to turn her cheek up for his kiss.
"Mother, it's good to see you too. I'll take a bourbon and water," he told his father who was lifting his own glass to his lips from where he stood behind a walnut wood topped bar.
Nate sat down facing the fireplace, thinking he hadn't fucked Eve in front of a warm fire yet. Then again, they didn't need the extra heat when he got her naked, they could generate plenty on their own. He'd never been with a woman who responded as whole-heartedly to sex as Eve did. Once he'd scaled that first wall of resistance and convinced her to give a sex-only relationship a try, she had succumbed beautifully to everything he introduced her to. She was naturally submissive when it came to sex but independent as hell in all other areas. He wasn't quite over that second wall she hid behind, the one that shielded her from the pain of rejection, but he never gave up on gaining something he really wanted. And he really wanted Eve.
"Are you going to scowl all through dinner?" Nathaniel asked, handing Nate his drink.
"No, sorry, just thinking of a little problem I'm wrestling with. Thanks."
He spent the next fifteen minutes feigning interest and nodding or responding appropriately to their idle chit chat, not paying attention until Eleanor said, "I ran into Clarissa at the club last week, Nathaniel."
Her sharp tone told him she wasn't happy about something his ex had said. "You did, did you? Did you hurt her?" he asked sarcastically.
"I beg your pardon?" One perfectly shaped, slim brow rose with her prim question.
Nate glanced at his father and the two shared a rare moment of humor. His mother wouldn't recognize irony if it bit her on the ass. "Never mind, Mother."
"As you know, I'm on the board for the burn center's annual Christmas auction and Clarissa mentioned she had two seats reserved but you refused her invitation."
Now the disapproval was blatant and clear in both her voice and the pinched look around her mouth. "That would be correct." Downing the last of his drink, he rose to get a refill he knew he would need. "I'm no longer seeing Clarissa, so why would I go to the auction with her?"
"This has something to do with that blind woman you've taken up with, doesn't it?" Eleanor snapped, irritated. Why couldn't the boy ever do what was expected of him?
Now it was Nate's turn to say coolly, "Excuse me?"
"We went out with the Montgomerys the other evening. Apparently you and this woman are regulars at Weston's stables," Nathaniel said, his tone neutral. He knew from experience the way to get answers from his son was to remain unbiased for as long as possible. He hoped Eleanor remembered that.
"Jesus, I don't even run in your circles and I can't escape the damn gossip grapevine. Who I see is no one's business, but since you brought her up, then yes, I'm seeing Eve Sawyer." Nate poured another drink, sans water this time. He was not ready to discuss Eve with his parents.
Eleanor opened her mouth to say something, but her husband shook his head at her. Taking a seat and crossing his legs with nonchalance, Nathaniel inquired, "She sounds intriguing. How'd you meet?"
He sure as hell wasn't about to discuss that with them. Leaning against the bar, he eyed them over his glass as he took a sip before asking blu
ntly, "Cut to the chase. What do you want to know? Am I sleeping with her? Most definitely. Do I care for her? Again, most definitely. What are my intentions? None of your damned business."
"There's no need to be rude, Nathaniel," Eleanor rebuked him sharply. "There are certain expectations, as you well know, and certain classes of people that just don't fit into those expectations. Dally all you want, but I want you to attend the auction with Clarissa."
"No."
Nathaniel rolled his eyes, not surprised at Nate's calm, cool, emphatic response. "Then tell us about her," he demanded.
Unfortunately, Nate saw no way around doing just that. "She's an accomplished musician, plays the piano beautifully and teaches blind children. She was accepted into Julliard before her accident, that's how talented she is," he told them proudly, an idea forming in his head. What better way to introduce Eve to them than through her extra ordinary talent?
"She works?"
The incredulity in his father's tone and on his face pissed Nate off before he remembered how surprised he had been at Eve's independence and accomplishments. "Of course she works."
"She sounds intriguing. You'll have to bring her around sometime."
"Maybe I will." Thankfully, Frederick announced dinner was served and he was spared further explanation, using that interruption to steer them away from asking any more about Eve. There was no sense in ruining dinner by telling them how serious he was about her or about the new endeavor he planned to invest the Radcliff money into.
Chapter Twelve
"Feel this."
Eve roused from her warm stupor enough to shift up on her elbows and take the bumpy object Nate put in her hands. The day had turned abruptly colder by the time they returned to the stables from their afternoon ride and she couldn't get warm until they got to her place and he started her gas fireplace. Lying naked on her stomach on the thick, soft throw rug, the fire's heat warming her as much as Nate's large, hot body, she had been blissfully content enjoying his large, calloused hands kneading her shoulders, but curiosity overrode her disgruntlement at having her peaceful interlude interrupted.