Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open (Hollywood Legends #2)

by Mary J. Williams

  Everything Nate needed was in his jacket hanging by the front door. Condoms and a toothbrush. He could still hear the edict his father gave to each of his sons. Never leave home without protection. And always, always use one. Nate treated his father’s words as the Gospel.

  As for the toothbrush? Nate liked his teeth. They were strong and white. And he planned to keep them that way.

  “I’m set.”

  Nate helped Paige on with her jacket, and then took her hand, leading her out of the house. He waited while she locked the door.

  “You’re going to open the truck door and help me in, aren’t you?”

  Surprised by the question, Nate frowned.

  “Does that bother you?”

  “At this point, I would be disappointed if you didn’t do it.” Paige took his proffered hand, walking down the steps. “I don’t think admitting that means I have to turn in my liberated woman card. It’s sweet. Old-fashioned.”

  “I’ll tell my mom that you approve. She didn’t harp on us about it. When Dad would open a door for her, or help her on with her coat, she would say, ‘See boys. This is how you show a woman respect.’ It stuck.”

  Paige started the truck. As soon as Nate was in the cab, she hit the gas. It was after ten. She wanted to get going before any more of the night slipped away.

  “Are you nervous?”

  Nate asked the question after several minutes of silence.

  “Sure. A little.” She shot him a look before returning her eyes to the road. “Are you?”

  “No. Not nervous. Anxious would be a better word. I want to make this as good for you as possible.”

  “I want the same thing.” She chuckled. “In reverse. You have a lot more experience, Nate. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

  “I’m a guy, Paige. We’re easy to please.” He leaned as close as his seatbelt allowed, taking a deep breath.

  “Vanilla and wildflowers. Plus that elusive bit that comes from you. Your scent makes my mouth water. The touch of your hand on mine makes me hard. Want to feel?”

  Hitting the brakes, Paige swerved to the side of the road. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Nate hit the latch on his seatbelt. “I’m sorry, Paige. Let me—”

  “No. Let me. Please, let me.”

  Paige launched herself at Nate with no thought except touching him. She sighed with satisfaction when he caught her easily with his good arm. His strength made her melt inside.

  “Remind me. What was your question?”

  Nate buried his face in Paige’s long blond hair, his lips curving.

  “Want to feel?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Paige adjusted her body, her long, jean-clad leg hooking over Nate’s muscular thigh.

  “I’m going to kiss you. And touch you. Okay?”

  Nate waited until Paige’s lips were a breath away before he growled deeply, “Yes. Please.”

  Paige wasn’t in the mood to tease. Not that Nate would have let her. Their mouths met in a rush of mutual desperation.

  “So sweet.” Nate’s tongue teased her bottom lip. “Like wild cherries. Open for me.”

  Nate didn’t have to ask twice. Her tongue met his. The glide was heated. Intense. They couldn’t get enough of each other, going back for taste after taste. The sound of their breathing filled the cab, steaming the windows.

  Running her hand over his chest, Paige sighed with pleasure. Nate had a body meant to be enjoyed. His chest was like iron. She opened his shirt, cursing the buttons. Snaps. The man should invest in shirts with easier access. She gave a sigh of pleasure when her fingers touched his heated skin.

  “Perfect.”

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  “Mmm.” Paige’s hand wandered lower, her mouth following behind with a trail of kisses, bringing a groan of pleasure from Nate. The groan turned into a gasp when she lightly bit the ridge of his defined abs. Paige smiled. If he liked that, wait until she…

  “Jesus, Paige.” Nate’s hips jerked once, then twice. “I said feel. If you keep squeezing me like that, I’m going to go off like a firecracker.”

  Gently, Nate removed her hand from between his legs. He brought it to his mouth, kissing her palm.

  “I didn’t realize you would be so…”

  “Easy?” Nate laughed.

  “Big.”

  Paige swallowed. Nate was a large man. Very large. It hadn’t occurred to her that he would be big all over. It was a little daunting. The men she had been with had run from average to on the small side. It was quite a leap to go up not one size, but several.

  “Paige. I’ve never had a problem getting in, so to speak. I’ll take it slow.”

  “I’m not worried,” Paige assured him. “Honestly.”

  “This is new.” Nate tipped her chin so he could look into her eyes. “Not sex, but sex with each other. We decided to do this on a bed. Remember? I got a little carried away.”

  “Me too.” Paige’s gaze wandered to Nate’s straining zipper.

  “Move over. Put your seatbelt on and drive to Lottie’s place.”

  “Maybe if I got a sneak peek.” She reached for the button closure on the waistband of Nate’s jeans.

  “No.” Nate pushed her across the bench seat. He placed her hands on the wheel before buckling her in. “I am not riding with my dick hanging out. Drive.”

  “Fine.” Paige did what he asked. “I don’t think I was asking too much.”

  “What if I asked you to whip off your shirt and bra? Would you mind driving with your breasts out there for anyone to see? I know there isn’t a lot of traffic around here. Would you want to take a chance on another rig driving by and getting an eyeful?”

  “It isn’t a fair comparison.” Paige tried not to laugh, but the situation had gone from overheated to ridiculous so quickly, she couldn’t hold it in. “No one would be able to see what you had on display. And, you’ve strayed from the original point.”

  “What was the original point?”

  “Size?” Paige nodded toward his prominent erection. “I wanted to see what I will be getting into.”

  “Or rather, what will be getting into you?”

  Paige snorted. “Funny. You should take your act on the road. The size of your dick is a matter of comfort. My comfort. The size of my breasts is, well, to tell the truth, I don’t know why that matters. Unless you have a thing for mammoth hooters. If that’s the case, you are out of luck.”

  “I like all breasts,” Nate declared. “Give me a woman with her shirt off and I’m a happy man.”

  “I’ll tuck that away for future reference.”

  Nate was so unabashedly honest. He liked women. He liked naked women. Why that didn’t bother her, Paige couldn’t say. Nothing about Nate bothered her. She was afraid that might end up being a problem. For now, she was going to enjoy him. She would worry about her vulnerable heart another time.

  “Here we are.”

  Paige pulled to a stop. Last month, Lottie had moved out of the house she grew up in. Her father passed away two years ago and she moved back to help her mother. It was a reasonably amicable arrangement until Aunt Phyllis came to visit — and never left. Her mother’s sister did not approve of Lottie. As soon as the word tramp passed her aunt’s lips, Lottie was gone.

  She visited her mother whenever she was certain Aunt Phyllis was out.

  Lottie rented a small house on the outskirts of Basic. It wasn’t fancy, but the lawn was green and freshly mowed. A line of marigolds bordered the walkway, the yellow warm and welcoming. Paige knew that Lottie hated getting dirty. She wondered who her friend had charmed into doing the yard work.

  “I like the color.”

  “Mmm. Lottie batted her eyes and her landlord repainted the entire place. Inside and out.” Patiently, Paige waited for Nate to open her door.

  “Lottie can get more done with her fluttering eyelashes than anyone I’ve ever m
et.”

  “It’s a talent she was born with.”

  They walked hand in hand to the front door. Paige took the key from her pocket. Once inside, she waited until Nate turned the lock.

  “Now. Drop your pants.”

  “Just like that? No foreplay?”

  “What do you think we’ve been doing since you arrived? And in the truck? It’s been one big, frustrating pile of foreplay.”

  “I can’t argue with that.”

  Paige leaned against the pale lavender wall, her arms crossed, and waited.

  “You want a show?” Nate unbuttoned his jeans, and then unzipped them. “Slow? Fast? You pick.”

  “Why don’t I give you a hand?” Paige straightened. She closed the distance between them in three long strides. “That cast will slow things down.”

  “Paige. Slowing things down might be a good idea.”

  Easing to her knees, Paige smiled up at Nate. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she tugged at the denim that stubbornly clung to his hips.

  “You don’t like me down here?” Paige touched his leg just below his sexy black briefs.

  “That’s a loaded question.”

  “Loaded,” Paige said the word slowly, making it sound provocative. “Like you.”

  With her eyes glued to his erection, she reached out to unwrap her present. Nate almost let her. It was tempting. Unlike Paige, he knew what would happen if she touched him again.

  Nate was a man who prided himself on his control. It wasn’t that he insisted on ladies first. Paige would be taken care of. Again and again. He worried about coming the second she touched him. That hadn’t happened since he was an untried teenager under the bleachers with Adrienne Wolstein. Paige had him on edge. The way he felt, the touch of her sweet, warm breath might be enough to set him off.

  “What?” Paige asked when Nate moved her hands.

  “Why don’t you stand up?” Nate tugged, urging her to rise. “We’ll get you undressed.”

  “I like it where I am.” Paige smiled, feeling uncharacteristically smug. “You’re in a bad way, aren’t you?”

  “Paige… Don’t poke the bear. Not when he’s dealing with a raging hard-on.”

  “I don’t want to poke you. I want to kiss and make it better.”

  “I haven’t had sex in over a month.” Nate knew the smart thing to do would be to back away. However, the closer her mouth came to his dick, the more he felt rooted to the spot.

  “Me neither.” It was more like a year, but Nate didn’t need to know that. “What’s your excuse?”

  Nate lightly tapped his cast against her shoulder. “Recovery from a concussion. A hovering mother. And an unplanned trip to Montana. It became the perfect storm. I haven’t been celibate this long since… It had to be in my teens.”

  “I can count on one hand the number of men I’ve been with and you’re worried about a month without sex? Poor baby.”

  The sarcastic teasing in Paige’s voice made Nate smile. Until she made a sneak attack. The kiss she gave his cloth-covered dick put an end to the debate. No more fooling around. Things were about to get serious. Seriously good.

  “You’ve had your fun. Now it’s my turn.”

  “Fun? I’m still waiting for some naked — Nate!”

  Nate swung Paige up against his chest. His cast made it impossible for him to carry her in his arms, but this was better. He held her around the waist, pressing her body against his chest. Eye to eye. Nate grinning. Paige gasping with surprise.

  “You want naked Nate? I want naked Paige. Sound good?”

  He didn’t give her time to do more than nod. Paige’s lips were right there. How could he resist? Nate covered her mouth with his. He toed off his boots, kicking away his jeans at the same time.

  “Which way to the bedroom?”

  Realizing her arms dangled like branches flapping in the wind, Paige wrapped them around Nate’s shoulders.

  “You’re so strong.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, Paige groaned.

  “What?”

  “I sound like one of your teenage groupies. Oh, Nate. You have such big muscles. Can I feel one?”

  “The last time I let a teenager feel my muscles, I was a teenager.” Nate kissed her again, hard and fast. “You sound like a woman who appreciates her partner. Bedroom?”

  “End of the hall.”

  Lottie’s taste ran toward pastel frilly. Lace and satin covered the bed and the windows. The hardwood floor was covered with a candy pink shag rug.

  Nate shuddered.

  “It looks like it was decorated by a demented five year old.”

  “Lottie’s parents didn’t believe in happy colors. Brown on brown, accented with brown was the motif. She’s making up for lost time.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Nate tossed her on the bed. “All I’m going to look at is you.”

  “I like that idea.”

  “Then let’s get those clothes off you. I’ve been fantasizing about your long legs since the moment I saw you.”

  Nate grabbed one of Paige’s boots with his good hand. Bracing his foot on the bed, he pulled it off, and then did the same with the other. Paige unsnapped her jeans. She shimmied the material down her hips, letting Nate take care of the rest.

  “Smooth and strong.” Nate started at her ankle, running his hand up her calf. “I want these wrapped around my waist while I’m deep inside of you.”

  “You still have on your shorts.”

  Nate grinned. He caressed Paige’s thigh, stopping an inch from her silky red panties.

  “You still have yours on.”

  “Nate…”

  “I know. You asked first.”

  Paige licked her lips. Her eyes narrowed the focus on his thumb as he lowered the waistband. Lower. Lower. It took some maneuvering. He was one-handed and his erection wasn’t making it easy.

  “Holy…” Paige breathed in. “Is there a saint I should thank?”

  “You like what you see?” Nate asked with an indulgent smile. “Not scared?”

  “Beautiful.”

  “Mmm. If you say so.” Nate joined her on the bed, divesting her of her shirt. “It takes care of business.”

  “I’ll bet it does.”

  “No.”

  “I want to touch.”

  Nate unhooked Paige’s bra, blindly tossing it across the room.

  “Later. Now this,” he cupped her breast, savoring the soft, smooth skin. “This is beautiful.”

  “It’s all in the eye of the beholder.”

  “I behold perfection.”

  Leaning close, Nate took her nipple between his teeth, biting with just the right amount of pressure. Paige’s head fell back. It felt like a shot of hot electricity jolted from her breast to between her legs. That was new and so erotic she wanted to scream for him to do it again. Reading her mind, Nate moved to her other breast, this time his teeth felt sharper, eliciting a sensation so intense it felt like a mini-orgasm.

  Was that possible?

  “Is what possible?”

  She hadn’t meant to say it aloud. Nate’s heavy-lidded gaze held hers, his thumb rubbing — soothing — her nipple.

  “Paige? Did I hurt you?”

  “No,” she cried out. “God, no. I liked it. I didn’t know I would like something like that. I…”

  “Don’t be embarrassed.” Nate rolled over, taking Paige with him. He settled her on his chest. Smoothing back her long blond hair, he gently kissed her lips. “Tell me what you felt.”

  “I know it isn’t possible.” Paige met his blue-eyed gaze. He told her not to be embarrassed. And she wasn’t. However, sex was one thing. Talking about it was another.

  “You liked when I bit your nipple?”

  “Yes.” She felt her cheeks heat. “It’s crazy, but it felt like I…” she lowered her voice, “came.”

  Nate didn’t laugh. His smile was gentle. Understanding. A little wicked. “That’s a good thing. Isn’t it? If it makes you f
eel good, I say bring it on.”

  “We are really doing this.”

  “What?”

  “Pausing during sex — to talk about sex. Is this usual for you?”

  “I like to be verbal, but no, I can’t recall this particular situation.” With ease, Nate reversed their positions. “It’s good. I was on edge. Talking has slowed things down. I want to make this good for you, Paige.”

  “You already have. You are.”

  “Good. I’m going to play a little. You keep on talking.”

  Paige gasped when Nate’s teeth tugged on her earlobe. Lord, the man loved using his teeth. Apparently, she was fine with that. More than fine.

  “What do you want me to say?”

  Nate didn’t answer. Instead, he trailed a path of kisses down her neck. Paige tilted her head, giving him better access.

  “Nate? What should I talk about?”

  “There isn’t a script.” He breathed the words against her skin, the moist heat sending a shiver of pleasure through her body. “Let it flow naturally.”

  “What if I…”

  “Paige.” Nate slipped his fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp. His eyes were an intense blue. The look he gave her was so raw, so passionate it took her breath away. “You don’t have to say a word. All I ask is that you be here with me.”

  “I am,” Paige frowned.

  “Physically, yes. I mean I want you here.” He tapped her temple. “I thought talking might relax you. The suggestion seems to have had the opposite effect.”

  “I’m relaxed.”

  Nate smiled but didn’t respond.

  She sighed. “I don’t know what happened.”

  “You were feeling good,” Nate prompted. “You—”

  “That’s it!” she exclaimed. Paige framed Nate’s face with her hands, her eyes on his. “You make me feel too much.”

  “Is that possible?” Nate seemed to think about it for a second before shaking his head. “Nope. Sex, if done properly, should make your body sing from the tip of your toes,” he rubbed his foot against hers. “To the top of your head.” Bending, he kissed her on the forehead.

  “Then I’ve been doing it wrong. Sex is nice.”

  “Nice?” Nate sputtered. “If all you feel with me is nice, shoot me now.”

  “That’s just it. With you, I feel…”