The Final Score

by Jaci Burton

  "Wow," he said as he looked her up and down. "You know, even dressed casual like you were earlier today, you take my breath away, Mia. But in that dress? Damn."

  As compliments went, that one made her warm all over. "Thank you. You look incredible."

  "Hey, thanks. So we both look hot." He held out his arm for her. "I'd like you to be my date tonight so all men will be jealous of me."

  "You do realize I was already going with you tonight."

  "Yeah, but we're the third and fourth to Wendy and Jamal. And we're friends. I want you to be my official date, the woman on my arm. The incredible beauty who only has eyes for me tonight, and I'll only have eyes for you."

  She laughed. She couldn't say no to that, especially with the way she felt. "I accept."

  Wendy had arranged a limo again, so they rode in style to Auberge du Soleil, a restaurant perched on top of a hill. The views of the valley were spectacular.

  "I could stare at this view all day and night," Wendy said as they walked up to the restaurant.

  "It's amazing." The hilltop where the restaurant was located offered stunning views of Napa hills and valleys. She wondered how the restaurant got their guests to leave. If it were up to her, she'd stay for hours just to gape at the vistas.

  They were fortunately seated at a table right by the floor-to-ceiling windows, which meant the expansive scenery was theirs for the duration of their meal.

  "This is stunning," Mia said to Wendy as they sat. "What a wonderful suggestion."

  Wendy nodded. "One of my clients mentioned it to me when I told her I was planning a trip up here. She said we had to eat here so I made sure to make a reservation right away."

  "Good call."

  They were given the wine list first. She and Wendy studied it and decided on a bottle of sauvignon blanc. Even the guys decided to have wine tonight, which made Mia happy, though she knew Nathan was only drinking it to please her.

  "You can have beer or something else if you want," Mia told him.

  "Wine sounds good. Plus the food's fancy. Wine will go better with it."

  He was right about that.

  They were presented with the menu, and Mia's mouth watered. The food options looked remarkable.

  Wendy leaned over. "What are you having?"

  "I think the duck. How about you?"

  "The veal, for sure."

  Their dinner was a four-course extravaganza. It was a good thing they'd eaten light during the day because this was going to be huge.

  "Tell me about your work, Wendy," Mia asked after they'd ordered and the wine had been poured.

  "I'm a financial advisor. I do retirement planning and investing as well as insurance. Not nearly as exciting as your work."

  "Oh, I don't know about that. You're working with your clients' futures. Plus, money. Money is always exciting."

  Wendy laughed. "True."

  "But neither of your jobs are as fun as ours," Jamal said.

  Wendy shot him a glare. "Oh, please. You run around for a few hours once a week, sweat, roll around in the grass and catch a football. And for that you make millions of dollars."

  Jamal grinned. "I know. Isn't it great?"

  "You're like an overpaid child."

  Jamal leaned over and brushed his lips across Wendy's. "Nuh-uh. A very hot, talented, sexy man."

  Wendy rolled her eyes, but she kissed him again. "Okay, I'll give you that."

  "Come on, you two," Nathan said. "Don't make us move to another table."

  Jamal laughed. "You need a girlfriend."

  Nathan leaned back in his chair and put his arm around the back of Mia's chair. "I have a date tonight."

  "Oh, so now you two are dating?" Wendy asked. "I thought you were just friends."

  "We are," Mia said. "I'm his pretend date for tonight."

  Wendy frowned. "I'm confused."

  "She looked hot," Nathan said. "So I asked her to be my date tonight so all men would be jealous of me."

  "And I said yes."

  Wendy shook her head. "I don't understand you two."

  Mia smiled. "We're an acquired taste, Wendy. You'll get used to us."

  "Mia and I go back a long way." Nathan slid his fingers across the back of Mia's neck. "We're friends, yeah, but there's also some magic chemistry between us."

  Wendy took a sip of her wine and leaned forward. "Magic chemistry? Do tell."

  "Not much to tell," Mia said, trying to ignore the shivers skidding down her spine in reaction to Nathan's touch. The last thing she wanted was to give Jamal and Wendy the idea that Nathan and she were a couple. "We're friends. Really good friends."

  Wendy arched a brow and Mia knew what the unasked question was.

  "Unfortunately, not with benefits," Nathan said.

  Jamal laughed. "Too bad for you, buddy."

  Nathan leaned over and nuzzled Mia's ear. "That could change anytime you want it to."

  She picked up her wineglass and took a sip. "Or not."

  He swirled his thumb over the back of her neck, giving her goose bumps. "You know I want to change your mind."

  She hadn't been this relaxed in months. And she felt really good. Her body tingled with the need to be touched and kissed. She realized there wasn't anyone else she wanted touching her but Nathan.

  So she leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Give it your best shot."

  She was testing the waters and maybe she was opening up Pandora's Box and she'd regret it. But she'd said the words and she wouldn't take them back this time. She was tired of the back and forth and maybe she just wanted Nathan.

  No, there was no maybe about it. She did want him.

  So now that it was out there, she'd see what happened.

  ELEVEN

  THIS HAD BEEN THE LONGEST GODDAMNED DINNER of Nathan's life.

  He'd only had one glass of wine so he was pretty much stone-cold sober. And before dinner he was certain Mia had put sex back on the table.

  He wanted dinner over with so he could get her alone. Instead, they'd had a fucking four-course meal that had taken eleven hundred hours to eat, so they'd had to endure food and conversation, with Mia occasionally smiling at him and laying her hand on his arm and giving him looks that told him exactly what was on her mind.

  Sex. It sure as hell had been on his.

  His dick had been semihard for the past two and a half hours. He'd never been more miserable.

  And then everyone had to order dessert.

  Fucking hell.

  He stared down at his creme brulee as it if were the enemy. He typically loved dessert. But right now, dessert was getting in the way of his sex life.

  Mia brushed her fingers over his forearm. "Is something wrong?"

  Yeah, something was wrong. This fucking meal was taking too long. "No, I'm fine."

  She slanted a disbelieving look at him. "Are you sure? You're not eating your creme brulee."

  That was because creme brulee was a sex-denying dessert. It was evil and had to be destroyed. "I'm full."

  She arched a brow. "I cannot believe those words came out of your mouth. You are never full. Usually you eat your dessert and mine."

  He shrugged and stabbed his spoon into the dessert.

  Die, fucker.

  Although maybe if he ate faster they could all get out of there.

  He scooped up the offending custard and shoveled it in his mouth in a hurry. He had it polished off in about six bites. He had no idea what it even tasted like. He didn't care. He just wanted it gone.

  Their waiter came over and asked if anyone wanted more coffee. He prayed no one said yes.

  "I'm fine, thank you," Mia said.

  Both Jamal and Wendy declined.

  Nathan looked up at the waiter. "We'll just take the check."

  While Mia and Wendy went to the restroom, Jamal and Nathan took care of paying the bill. It looked like they were finally going to get out of there.

  They stood when Wendy and Mia returned.

  "Ready to go?"
Nathan asked.

  Wendy nodded. "Yes, let's do that." She took Jamal's hand and led the way toward the exit.

  Mia leaned in close. "Anxious to leave?"

  He brushed his fingers against hers. "You have no idea."

  Her lips curved.

  The ride back was long and interminable, especially since Mia sat next to Wendy so they could chat. He sat across from them, which meant he had nothing to do but stare at Mia's gorgeous legs.

  Dammit. He was not going to ride in this limo with a hard-on while sitting next to Jamal. So he turned his focus on his best friend and talked football instead, deciding ignoring Mia was probably better for his sanity.

  He almost audibly sighed in relief when the limo pulled in front of the lodge. He resisted, holding his hand out for Mia to help her.

  "I wish there was a place where we could go clubbing," Wendy said.

  Jamal nodded. "I think there's a place that has cover bands or jazz musicians. Wanna go check it out?"

  "I do." Wendy turned to them. "How about you two? You game?"

  Kill me now. Clubbing? If Mia said yes, he might just cry.

  He looked over at Mia, who shook her head. "I'm done for. How about you, Nathan?"

  Finally. He resisted the urge to shove his fist in the air in triumph.

  "Yeah, me, too. I'm heading to my room. You two have a great time."

  They waited while Jamal and Wendy left, then Nathan turned to Mia.

  "What now?"

  She moved into him. "I don't know, Nathan. What do you want to do now?"

  He took her hand and led her to the side of the lodge. He couldn't wait another minute, so he backed her up to the wall. "What I've wanted to do all damn night."

  He nestled his body against hers and she laid her hands on his chest, tilting her head back to look at him. There was a fire in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

  "And what have you wanted to do all night?"

  "This."

  He put his mouth over hers and kissed her.

  TWELVE

  MIA KNEW SHE'D BEEN PLAYING WITH FIRE.

  Nathan's lips against hers felt like an inferno. Hot and needy and filled with raging desire. She craved more. She clutched his arms to draw that blast of sensual heat closer. He groaned against her lips and her sex quivered in response. She ran her fingers across his chest, moving over the broad expanse of muscle there to seek out his biceps. She gripped his arms and dug her nails into his skin as he sucked her tongue into his mouth.

  She wanted to climb all over him, strip him down and do delicious, dirty things with him.

  But she realized their surroundings, so she pulled away. "Nathan, we're outside."

  He nodded, rested his forehead against hers for a few seconds, then backed away, dragging in a few deep breaths as he did.

  "I'm gonna need a minute before we go in."

  She noticed his erection straining against his pants, wanted nothing more than to run her hand over his straining flesh, to unzip him and feel his hot, hard cock.

  Instead, she took a couple of breaths herself. Maybe some cool night air would rein in her obviously overcharged libido. She decided to look up at the stars. Anything to get her mind off Nathan.

  But then Nathan slipped his hand into hers. "Okay. Let's go."

  They walked inside and took the elevator up to their floor. Not touching him more took every ounce of restraint she possessed, but she managed it.

  She took her key card out of her wallet and slipped it in the door to her room. When she opened the door, she turned to Nathan.

  "You're coming in, aren't you?"

  "If you're inviting me."

  "I'm inviting you." She backed in and he stepped into the room and shut the door.

  "If I'm in, I'm in for the night, Mia. So you need to decide if this is what you really want. If you don't, I'll leave."

  He was giving her the choice to change her mind again.

  "I want you to stay."

  His lips curved and he reached behind him to flip the lock, then moved toward her.

  She backed against the wall, not bothering to turn on the light in the room. She dropped her purse on the carpet, letting the key card follow.

  He nestled his body against hers. "Did you wear that dress tonight for me?"

  She tilted her head back. "Yes and no."

  "Fair answer." He swept his fingers over the skin of her collarbone. "I like this dress, Mia. But I have to tell you, it drove me crazy."

  She felt her heart pounding, heard her own staccato breaths as she struggled with each inhalation. "It did?"

  "Yeah. It's low here," he said as he traced his finger over the scoop neck, making her heartbeat skitter. Then he smoothed his hand across her breast and down her rib cage, and grasped a handful of the material of her dress at her hip. "And high here."

  She shuddered as he slipped his hand under her dress. She expected him to go right for the goods, but he didn't. Instead, he smoothed his hand over her hip.

  "You have the softest skin, Mia. It's what I remember most about our one night together in college. It's like sliding my hand over satin."

  His gaze was locked on hers as he rubbed his thumb over her hip and all she could do was hold on to him like he was a lifeline. She had no idea her hip was an erogenous zone, but she was quaking. And when he slipped his fingers under her panties and skimmed her skin there, she let out a low moan.

  Then he took her mouth in a blistering kiss that set her on fire. She wanted so much more than this make-out session against the wall. She wanted them naked. She wanted to feel him moving inside of her.

  She wanted an orgasm so badly her entire body throbbed with the need of it.

  Nathan pulled back. "You're shaking. Are you okay?"

  "No. I need . . ." She couldn't put it into words.

  He swept his hands down her arms. "Tell me what you need."

  "Everything. You and me naked would be a good start."

  His lips curved into a wickedly sexy smile. "I can make that happen."

  He led her into the room and over toward the bed. "Turn around."

  She turned to face the bed. She'd left the drapes open and stared out at the full moon that bathed the room in a silvery glow. Nathan undid the zipper of her dress and she shivered at the contact of his knuckles against her bare skin. He kissed her shoulders when he pulled the dress away. She turned around to face him, his face outlined in the moon's light.

  She let the dress drop to the floor.

  She was so glad she wore the black underwear to match the dress. Maybe subconsciously she'd known where this night was going.

  Nathan's gaze was hot as he looked at her, from her face to her body and back again.

  "It's been three years since that night, Mia, and you know what? I've never forgotten a minute of it."

  "We were drunk that night."

  He undid the buttons of his shirt, then shrugged out of it. "Yeah, we were. I still remember all of it. How beautiful you were. You're even more beautiful now."

  So was he. He'd always been lean and muscular, but he'd added some weight and more muscle. He was taller, more imposing. But she'd never felt threatened or powerless when she was with Nathan. He always made her feel safe and cared for.

  She reached out and spanned her hands over his wide chest. "You're beautiful, too."

  One corner of his mouth lifted. "You're supposed to say I'm strong and muscular."

  "Yes, that, too. But there's a beauty in the way you're sculpted. You work so hard to achieve this strength. I admire it."

  "So do you." He ran his fingertip over her shoulder, and down over her bicep. "You're strong, Mia. Not in the same way I am, but I know how hard you work on your body, and on your inner strength, too. Your spirit is the strongest thing about you."

  He couldn't have complimented her more. "Thank you."

  He reached around and undid the clasp on her bra, then pulled the straps from her shoulders. He cupped one of her breasts and teased
her nipple with his thumb. "You're like a goddamn work of art. Everything about you fits perfectly."

  She didn't have large breasts. They were actually kind of small. But she was petite, so for Nathan to say she was perfect made her feel that way. And when he bent over and fit his mouth over her nipple to suck it between his lips, she let out a moan of pleasure.

  This was exactly what she needed, what she craved from him. He popped the nipple out of his mouth and sucked the other one, giving equal pleasure. It was glorious and breathtaking. She wound her fingers into his hair, losing herself in sensation.

  He rose and kissed her again and she couldn't resist cupping his erection. He groaned against her lips. Her body flared with a quake of its own.

  He pushed her gently onto the bed. She looked up and watched as he undid the zipper on his pants and let them drop, along with his boxer briefs. Then he was beautifully naked.

  Talk about a work of art.

  "You should always be without clothes."

  He smirked. "Around you? Hell, yeah."

  He leaned over the bed and grasped her panties, pulling them down over her hips and legs and adding them to the pile of their discarded clothes. Then he crawled onto the bed and lay next to her.

  "Did you bring condoms?" he asked.

  She rolled on her side and propped her head on her elbow. "What if I said no?"

  "Then I'd use my mouth and my hands to make you come about five times tonight. And we'd wait until we got back home to fuck."

  She loved that answer. And of course he'd see to her needs without once mentioning his own because that was the kind of guy Nathan was. "Yes, I brought condoms. Did you?"

  "I have one in the pocket of my pants."

  She shoved at his shoulder.

  "You're an asshole."

  He pushed her onto her back. "Nah. You like me. And you brought condoms, which meant you were thinking about having sex with me."

  "Who says I brought the condoms to have sex with you?"

  "I don't see any other random dude in here."

  She walked her fingers across his chest. "No, just this random dude. So I guess you'll do."

  He rolled over on top of her, captured her hands and raised her arms over her head. "Oh, lumping me in with the randoms, huh? Gonna make you pay for that one, Mia."

  His threat made her shiver in anticipation. "Really. In what way?"

  He palmed her breast, then ran his thumb ever so lightly over her nipple. "How does this feel?"