by JL Davis
“Well, you have this awesome house and all these rides. I make out the checks, Nathan. It doesn’t add up.”
He looks at me for a moment and then turns away opening his door. He comes around to my side, opens my door and holds his hand out for me. I hate to admit it, but I am shocked at his manners. I’m not sure why. I so noticed him avoiding my question. He’d better not be a fucking drug dealer. “Stripper?”
“Brittany.” He laughs. “No, to both. Now leave it alone. Let’s enjoy our evening.”
“Fine, Nathan, but you will tell me or this will never go anywhere. I’m all about honesty. I won’t put up with any drama or bullshit.”
“I love that about you. You’re straight and to the point.” He shakes his head, opening the door for me to walk in. “Brittany, I’m not one to spill my life story with many people. I’m a private man. I get that you have questions, as do I, but let’s take it slow okay. It’s our first date.”
“Okay. I can work with that for now. I guess.”
I walk in and am hit with the most delicious aromas. “Oh my God. What is that?” I’m amazed.
“Tell me you like Italian?” He looks a bit worried.
“Yes. I fucking love it.” I smile.
Nathan lets out a sigh of relief. “Oh good. It’s my greatgrandmother’s secret recipe for lasagna. I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I hope you like it.”
“I love lasagna. I don’t think I’ve ever had homemade before, though. That’s sad, isn’t it?” I pout.
“That is devastating. I’ll pop your lasagna cherry tonight then.” He winks. Fuck. He’s torturing me.
“I guess you will. It will be the only cherry popping, though.” I roll my eyes and he laughs.
“Would you like a glass of wine? I have red.”
“Yes, please. That would be great. You drink wine?”
He laughs. “Um no. I’m a manly man. I prefer beer.” He fills me a glass and grabs himself a beer from the fridge.
“Thank you.”
“Sit. Make yourself comfortable,” he says, nodding to the table.
I walk over to him at the counter as he grabs plates from the cabinet. “Do you need any help with anything?”
“No. I’ll make you a plate.” He smiles. “Please sit.”
“That’s better.” I walk over to the table and have a seat.
His house is nice and cleaner than I would’ve thought. “I like your house.”
“Thanks. I had it built about five years ago. My favorite part is the acreage to go muddin’, and the backyard. I love the pool.”
“I have a hot tub. My yard’s not big enough for a pool.” He looks at me. I can see his wheels are turning, probably imagining me topless in my hot tub. I laugh inside at the thought.
Nathan brings over our plates and sits down beside me and smiles. It’s adorable. He’s so proud of himself and honestly, I am, too, if not a bit shocked. I didn’t expect him to be like this. I’m not exactly sure what I expected. Him being able to cook and using a family recipe is sweet and totally fucking hot.
Nathan watches me intently as I cut into my lasagna and bring a bite into my mouth making sure to drag the fork out slowly. My eyes roll back for effect, but fuck this is so good. I moan my approval. I open my eyes and he’s still staring at me. “Brittany, please don’t moan like that. It makes me wonder if that’s how you’d sound when I’m inside you.”
“Well. I guess I sound like that, maybe a bit louder if the guy knows what he’s doing.” I wink and he chuckles, but it ends in more of a groan, adjusting himself in his chair.
“You’re fucking killing me here,” he says, shaking his head.
“So, you go muddin’ in your backyard?”
“Yes?” he says like it was a stupid question. “I have thirty acres here, and before you ask, it was my family’s land. My great grandmother’s, actually.”
“That’s so awesome. I’ve never been muddin’.”
“Really? Where the hell are you from?”
I laugh. “I’m from here. My parents were never the country type. We always lived in the city.”
“That’s sad, Brittany. I’ll have to take you sometime. It’s so much fun!”
“I’d like that.”
“Okay. Let me clean up and then, if you’re ready, I can take you home.”
“I’ll help you,” I say, walking over with the dishes. “I don’t want to go to work tomorrow.” I sigh.
“Why not? You don’t like working there?”
“I do now. I was so overworked before Alex came back and Jessa started working there. I just need a break. I want to go on a vacation, somewhere far away.”
“That sounds fun. You do need a vacation.”
The drive home is quiet. It’s a bit awkward, which is stupid.
I decide to break the silence. “I had a great time tonight, Nathan.”
He glances at me and smiles. “I’m glad. I did, too. See, I’m not that bad, am I?”
I laugh. “You’re not. You just annoy the fuck out of me.”
“Well, now that I’ve worn you down it shouldn’t be so annoying anymore. Maybe you’ll think it’s cute.”
“Uh, I don’t know about that. If you sit on my desk again I will throat punch you. Now that I’m comfortable and all.” I’m dead serious, too. He thinks I’m joking.
Nathan pulls into my driveway and puts the car in park, shifting in his seat to face me.
“Brittany, I hope we can do this again. Soon. I really like you and want to get to know you better.”
“I’ll check my schedule. I think I can fit you in between Todd and Jeff.”
His face turns red. “Are you fucking serious? I told you he’s not a good person. Please don’t see him.”
I’m only joking. I crack up laughing. “You should see your face.” He frowns. “I’m joking, Nathan. There is no Todd, but what’s the deal with Jeff? Why don’t you want me to associate with him?”
“That wasn’t funny at all. He’s a dangerous man and treats women like shit.”
“How do you know that?” I ask, my voice a little louder than I intended.
“Let’s just say I’ve worked with him before and he’s a douchebag.”
“That isn’t a good enough answer for me. I was only joking and I can see I struck a nerve. I don’t want to ruin the end to our night. Just forget I even said it, okay?”
“I’m sorry I overreacted.” He sighs. “Seriously, when can I see you again?”
“Maybe Friday?”
“Uh, I may be busy.”
“Date?” I don’t care. I’m just curious, especially after how he just acted.
“No. I’m not seeing anyone else. Only you.” He smiles, shyly. It reminds me of Bashful the dwarf. I can’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“You. When you’re not being a jackass, you can be pretty sweet.”
“Wow. I could say the same about you,” he says, leaning forward. Nathan’s hand goes to the nape of my neck, pulling me into him. He kisses me tenderly. What the hell. I slip my tongue past his lips, taking what I want, his begins mingling with mine. Right before I pull away I suck on his tongue lightly. His grasp on my neck tightens slightly and a soft moan escapes me. I’m tempted to invite him in, but it’s getting late.
I pull away, trying to gain control. “Thanks again for dinner.”
“Any time. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Nathan waits for me to get inside safely and drives away. I’m surprised at how the night went. He’s so different from the annoying asshole I thought he was. I’m not sure where this will go, but I had a nice time with him. I’m not sure whether to be happy about it or bitch slap myself.
It’s like I can see what’s happening, from the outside, looking in. I’m in bed with Nathan, Jeff, and some other guy. When the fuck did this become an orgy? I’m being passed around like a freaking joint. I don’t seem to mind. I seem to be enjoying it. I take turns kissing each of them. It’s now
Nathan’s turn and I start choking. His tongue is so big it’s choking me. I start coughing and gasping for air, trying to get him to stop.
I wake up coughing my head off. I can hardly breathe. I reach for my water and take a long drink. It settles the cough. I notice it’s ten minutes before my alarm will go off. Fuck. I lay back down, thinking about that stupid dream. It must be because of me joking with Nathan about Jeff and whoever the other one was. Todd, I think. What the fuck was with being choked by Nathan’s tongue? Maybe because he was so good with it and it is bigger than other guys I’d kissed. I may not be able to contain myself around him today with this in my mind. I have some fucked up thoughts. I may need some help. I laugh to myself.
Jessa’s already here when I arrive. I’m sure she’s wanting all the details about last night. There’s not much to tell, though. She gives me a huge smile, as if she’s the cat with the canary.
“I won’t tell you anything if you don’t remove that ridiculous smile from your face.”
“Okay. It’s gone. See?” She quickly gives me a serious face.
“He made me a wonderful dinner. We made small talk and then he took me home.”
She looks at me skeptically. “That’s it? No kiss or anything else?”
“We did kiss.” I can’t contain my smile, remembering how good it was.
“How was it? I bet it was good. Look at the smile on your face. You’re into him.”
“He’s growing on me, I guess. He’s not as much of an ass as I thought.”
“He’s not at all. I think it’s all in your head, Brittany.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. We’ll see where it goes. I have a lot of questions, though.”
“I’m sure he does, too. Why is Brittany such a bitch to me?” she says, mocking Nathan’s voice.
I can’t help but laugh at her. “You’re crazy.”
“Well, I’m happy for you. I think y’all could be great together.”
“Keep telling her that.” Nathan says as he walks through the door with a smile.
Jessa gets the deer in the headlight look and busies herself on her laptop.
“I brought you coffee,” he says, handing it to me.
“Thanks. Holy fuck! You didn’t sit on my desk.”
Nathan laughs. “I didn’t want to chance spilling the hot coffee on the goods.” He winks, showing that adorable dimple, then sitting on my fucking desk. I spoke too soon.
I stand up and punch him as hard as I can in the arm. It hurt me more than him, for sure.
For effect he grabs his arm. “Ow. What the fuck, Brittany?”
“I told you if you sat on my desk again I’d punch you. I meant it, asshole. Get off or I may reconsider ever spending time with you again. This is what I meant, Nathan. You’re too old to be acting like a teenager trying to rile me up.”
He leans in, close to my face. “Remember, I said I think you’re hot when you’re riled up.” he says, kissing my cheek.
“So I’m not hot if I’m not riled up?” I whisper.
“You’re always hot, Brittany. My dick twitches when I get you worked up, though.” He looks at me for a reaction. I just stare at him with no comeback. What the fuck is happening to me? I need to work on keeping my cool around him. “Are we going mud riding Friday?” he asks.
Jessa chimes in. Of course, she’s eavesdropping. “I need to tell you both, we’re going dress and tux shopping Saturday. Don’t forget,” she tells us, not asking us.
“Why does Nathan need to go with us? And Alex can’t be with us when we’re looking at dresses.”
“Oh. I forgot to tell you. Nathan is Alex’s best man and I already have my dress picked out. We’re shopping for your bridesmaid dress.’’ She grins, almost bouncing in her chair with excitement. I wanna hit her.
“So, Brittany. I guess we’re walking down the aisle together.” Nathan chuckles.
“At least you’re used to it,” I say. As soon as I’d said it I realize I shouldn’t have. “I’m sorry. That was a low blow.”
He doesn’t show a bit of emotion, just shrugs it off. “It’s fine. At least I actually like the person I’m with this time.” I can’t help but laugh.
“So Friday?” he asks, again.
“I thought you were busy?”
“I’m not too busy for you.”
“That was smooth.” I roll my eyes. “Will you stop asking if I say yes?”
‘’Yes.” He grins.
“Okay. I’ll come. Are you going to feed me?” I arch a brow.
“If I say yes, will that make you happy?” He grins.
“Yes. It will, very much.”
“Okay. I’ll order a pizza.” I scrunch up my face. “What? No good?”
“I guess it will do. I’m just messing with you. Nothing will compare to the lasagna you made me.” The thought of it makes my mouth water. “It was so good.”
“Maybe I can cook for you another time.” He’s already making future plans for us. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Most of the guys I’ve been with were very different than Nathan. I don’t wanna screw it up or rush anything. I can’t believe I just had that thought. Not long ago I wanted to kill Nathan. Now I’m spending time with him, sort of dreaming of him and well, I like him. Someone pinch me!
This week couldn’t come to an end fast enough for me. Work has been super busy. I’ve worked late the last couple of days and I’m sick of being here. I must admit, I’m excited to see Nathan outside of these walls tonight; away from prying eyes that are Jessa’s.
I hurry home and change into a t-shirt and jeans. I don’t have any shoes or boots that I could get muddy other than flip flops, so I go with those. They’ll be easy to clean, too. I grab the bottle of tequila from the freezer and head for the door.
On the drive, there I can’t help but begin to feel a little bit nervous. My palms are sweating. I hope I put on enough deodorant. That would be an epic fail, having pit stains.
As I reach his driveway, the sun is starting to set behind his house. It’s absolutely beautiful. The pinks and oranges give the effect that his house is glowing. What a beautiful sight to see in the evenings, sitting on his porch.
Nathan is outside as I pull up. He’s watering his flowers. Yes, he has flowers and they’re beautiful. He’s not wearing a damn shirt either. His sculpted back is facing me. He doesn’t know I’ve arrived over the sound of the water hose. I sit in my car for a few seconds to admire his beautiful features. I watch as his toned arm extends to reach the roses in the back of the flower bed. The tattoo on his arm catches my eye. I want to know what each of his tattoos represents. Most people who have them, have them for one reason or another.
I take a deep breath and open my door, grab the tequila, and get out, closing the door. That gets Nathan’s attention and he turns, smiling brightly at me. It makes my heart skip a beat. I feel like a fucking teenager as I get closer and closer, my heart speeding up more. I’m so nervous.
“Hey! I brought tequila,” I say cheerfully. I need a shot now. Maybe two or three to calm my nerves.
“I see that. It makes me do bad things, Brittany. I may not need it,” he says. I don’t know if he’s being serious or joking with me until I see the slightest twitch in the corners of his mouth and that damn dimple peeking out.
“I’ll be sure to make you one then.” I wink. “Show me to the shot glasses.” I motion towards the house with the bottle.
“Here ya go,” he says, grabbing a shot glass from the cabinet. His chest flexing as he does. He’s gonna need to put a fucking shirt on. He goes to the fridge and grabs a lime and the salt. “Gotta do it right.”
“Yes! I didn’t even think to grab those. I was in a hurry.” Shit. I didn’t mean to say that. I feel myself begin to blush. Fuck! Jessa’s rubbing off on me.
“You were, huh?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m ready to ride.” Nathan licks his lips. My eyes going straight to the movement of his tongue. He licks his hand, his eyes never leaving mine and takes his
shot then sucks the lime. Fuck me. I can’t take my eyes off him. That was fucking hot.
Two can play this game. I clear my throat. “My turn, since you couldn’t wait.” I salt my hand and slowly lick it off. Nathan’s eager green eyes watching me. As soon as I’ve finished my shot and suck the lime, his mouth is on mine. It was unexpected, but with the sexual tension building, it was bound to happen. His tongue slips past my lips and tangles with mine. Nathan does this thing with his tongue. It almost feels like it flipped. It makes me want to know what he’d be like licking me between my other lips.
Nathan pulls me close, deepening the kiss, his scruff scraping my lips. I can feel how hard he is through his jeans. A soft moan slips past my lips. I could so easily let him fuck me right here, right now. I want him as much as he wants me. His hands slide down my back, gripping my ass. He then swats me and I yelp, breaking the kiss. “What was that for?”
“You’re a tease.” He narrows his eyes.
“Who me?” I say, sounding as innocent as I can.
Nathan laughs, shaking his head. “Let’s go ride. Did you bring a jacket?”
“No.” I didn’t know what I needed for a mud ride.
“Okay. I’ve gotta grab a hoodie before we leave. I’ll grab you one, too. It gets a bit chilly once you’ve gotten wet.”
I smile. Fuck, this is just too easy. “Huh. I thought I get hot once I’ve gotten wet.”
Nathan pounces and grabs me around the waist, tickling me and I scream and try to wiggle from his grasp. “Every time you say things like that, this is gonna happen. Got it?”
He stops the torture, but still has his hands on me. I finally catch my breath and look up at him. His eyes, I swear I’ve never seen that shade of green. They’re just beautiful. He leans down and gives me a light kiss on my lips, then swats my ass and walks out to the garage to get the side-byside ready.
I hear it roar to life and step into the garage, watching him with his big-boy toy. He sees me standing in the doorway and smiles. He gets out and tosses a hoodie in my face, then chuckles. It smells like him. I put it on and feel like he’s wrapped around me in a way. I may have to keep it and forget to return it.
“You look cute. It swallows you. Hop in and buckle up, buttercup. You’re in for a ride.” He winks. He does that a lot. It’s cute. It shows the dimple in his cheek every time.