by Croix, J. H.
As they drove past the old homes, Nathan asked Tess to pause repeatedly while he read various signs about the history of different homes and places. “Nothing quite like this out West, you know,” he said. “Even in Seattle, things were settled much later. As for Alaska, a house is considered old if it’s been there more than fifty years. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen homes that were built during the 1700’s.”
They had stopped by the Neuse River where they could see the grounds of Tryon Palace. Tess started driving again and kept her speed slow as she turned down the street that ran past the front of the palace. As she looked around, she contemplated how different it was here than Alaska. New Bern was lovely, especially this part of town. The views along the rivers were beautiful, but a different kind of beauty than Alaska. Even in a town like Diamond Creek, which had been settled in the late 1800’s and was fairly progressive and even ahead of the curve as far as arts and restaurants went, Alaska felt wild, fresh and crackling with vitality. The beauty of New Bern was much softer and cultured. Neither was better or more, just different.
She glanced over at Nathan to see his gaze carefully surveying everything around them. “I’m thinking we need to spend an afternoon here, so we can walk around,” she said with a smile.
Nathan turned to her. “Would love it! I love old houses. That’s one thing I wish we had in Alaska and it just won’t happen. You can’t make history after the fact.”
“No you can’t,” Tess replied wryly. “I have some work to do this week, but I can get most of it done in the mornings. Why don’t we pick a day to spend here? We can take a tour of Tryon Palace and walk around town. There’s plenty of shopping and some good restaurants.”
“I’m in. By the way, I know you didn’t expect me to visit like this. Just say the word, and I’ll stay out of your way for work. You haven’t even mentioned it…” Nathan paused, his gaze lingering when she stopped at a red light. Tess blushed at the heat in his eyes. “Not to mention that I haven’t been too focused on things like work since I’ve been here,” he continued with a sly smile. His eyes sobered. “But seriously, I know you have a job, so just let me know your schedule.”
Tess started driving when the light turned green. “My job’s pretty flexible. Some weeks I work a lot more than others. It all depends on what projects I’m working on. You caught me at a good time because I just finished up on the planning phases of some bigger projects. The easy part is showing up at the events themselves. Minus the fact that I’m stuck dealing with Chad’s charade right now. Otherwise, I have an office, but I often work from home, one of the perks of working for myself. I can take care of most of what I need to do by just working around whatever we do. As long as you don’t mind watching TV or something like that when I’m working at home.”
“No problem. This’ll be a nice break for me. I don’t get to be lazy too much in Alaska.”
“No you don’t. You and your brothers work your tails off fishing. Hope they don’t mind that you’re gone right now,” Tess said.
Nathan shrugged. “They don’t. They’re good like that. They’ll give me shit about falling for you, but they’re totally supportive. Timing was pretty good for me to go. We had done most of the winter prep already. Jared and Luke have a few guiding trips to do, but other than that, we’re headed into the quiet season. By late fall, the tourist crowd thins. We don’t do any winter fishing, so our only cash flow comes from plowing.”
Tess turned down her parents’ driveway, a long, winding gravel drive that sloped down a hill. The drive was flanked by tall pines. Their house was built into the hillside along the river. The house was a two-story brick colonial style home, a modernized version with tall windows that ran floor to ceiling in every room. Celine swung the front door open before they even got out of the car.
Tess closed the car door and called out to her mother. “Hey Mom!”
Celine waved. “Hi dear!” She wore a white gauzy blouse with a lavender skirt that twirled with each step she took as she walked down the brick walkway to meet them.
“Nathan! So good to see you,” Celine said, reaching her hands out to clasp Nathan’s. She tugged him close to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I forgot how handsome you are,” she exclaimed, pinching one of Nathan’s cheeks.
Tess couldn’t hold back a laugh when Nathan actually blushed. Her mother turned to her and gave her a quick hug. “Sweetie, so good to see you. Thank you for bringing Nathan down to see us.” Celine turned and led the way into the house, asking Nathan what he wanted to drink and insisting they plan to stay for dinner.
Celine led them into the sunroom at the back of the house, which faced the river and was filled with plants. The room was furnished with a wheat-colored overstuffed couch with a pair of matching chairs, along with a few dark wood rocking chairs. Tess’s father was reading in one of the comfy chairs, his feet resting on the coffee table. This room was where the family spent most of their time and held a sense of comfort for Tess. With the soft furnishings, plants, and the sense of openness created by the windows on all sides, it felt like being in a comfortable garden, sun filtering into the room through the trees outside.
“Michael, good to see you,” Nathan said, reaching to shake her father’s hand when her father set down his book and stood up to greet them.
“You too, Nathan,” Michael replied, giving Nathan a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Think you’ll like it here. I was thinking I could take you out fishing one of the days you’re here. Won’t be quite like Alaska, but fishing’s fishing.”
Nathan smiled and nodded. “That it is. I like fishing no matter where it is. I’d love that.” He turned and looked towards the river. “Wow, the view here is amazing.”
Tess followed his gaze to take in the view she’d known for as long as she could remember. Her parents had moved to this house when Tess was but a toddler, so for her, this was all she knew. Her parents’ home sat on three acres and was fairly private. The nearby houses could be seen through the trees, but weren’t very close. The backyard was a mix of pines and hardwoods that gave way to an open lawn, then sand and the river. They were close to the mouth of the Neuse River here with the river over a mile wide in this area. A cluster of cypress trees stood to one side growing in the edge of the water, moss draped on the branches.
Celine had left the room to get them drinks and returned with a tray that held a pitcher of sweetened iced tea and water. After they were all seated and through the preliminary social chatter, Celine turned her gaze to Tess, focused and direct. “Have you heard from Simon about the situation with Chad?”
Tess sighed and set her tea down on the coffee table. “Mom, don’t you think I’d let you know right away if there was any news?”
Celine rolled her eyes and harrumphed. “Oh, you’d let us know at some point but perhaps not right away.”
Michael interjected, “We’re just worried about you. I’m sure your mother’s worrying drives you crazy, but cut her some slack. We hate seeing this happen.”
“I know. I don’t mean to seem impatient. The whole thing is just frustrating.” Tess turned to her mother. “Mom, I promise I will call you right away when I have any news. Don’t forget that Simon will be one step ahead of me anyways. He’s doing all the hard stuff. I just have to play charades with Chad at whatever events he decides to show his face. Fortunately, he seems to have limited it to anything to do with the hospital, which is mostly what’s been on my schedule. The week after next, I have a fundraiser for a runaway teen shelter up in Richmond. I can’t imagine he’d want to go to that. I’m hoping this is done and over by then.”
Celine nodded firmly. “It has to be. Simon said the accounting firm doesn’t want to drag their feet in case that gives Chad time to cover his tracks.” With a shake of her head, she changed topics, turning to Nathan. “I’m just so glad you’re here. We can return your hospitality. We were thinking we could take y’all out to dinner this evening. I thought about cooking, but I thou
ght maybe it would be better if you could try some Southern seafood. Have you ever had shrimp and grits?”
Tess was relieved to have her mother move on. While she would try to curb her frustration with their worrying, it was vexing to have to talk about the mess with Chad so often. Each conversation only refreshed her sense of embarrassment at not seeing him for who he was when they first started dating.
Nathan and her parents chatted about the differences in seafood between East coast and West coast with her father happily moving onto a discussion about where he could take Nathan fishing. Hours later, Tess and Nathan drove across the river, the sky a rich pink as the sun fell behind the trees that ran along the river.
“A sunset over the water is beautiful no matter where you are,” Nathan said as he looked out over the water.
Tess glanced over quickly as she drove. “I know. I’m glad you’ve gotten a chance to visit here. It’s so different from Alaska but beautiful too.”
Nathan settled his hand on her knee, warmth seeping into her skin. “I’m glad I got a chance to see where you grew up.” He squeezed her knee. “And I’m just damn glad to see you again.”
Tess blushed again. Reticent as she was to let herself go into her feelings for Nathan, she found the words tumbling out before she thought about them. “Me too. I missed you.”
“That’s good because I missed you too. Simon tipped my hand when he called, but I wanted to come out here one way or another,” Nathan replied, tracing circles on her knee as she drove.
The drive passed in a blur with Tess contemplating their safety as she pulled up in front of her condo, what with Nathan teasing her into a tizzy with soft caresses on her leg, his hand stealthily unbuttoning her blouse and unhooking her bra to play with her nipples. Tess tore her seatbelt off and dragged Nathan into the house, holding her blouse together with one hand. The door slammed behind them, Tess turned to push Nathan against it.
Sliding one hand behind his neck, she tugged his head down for a kiss. His lips came against hers forcefully. Their kiss was greedy, messy and not enough. Close to an hour of taunting foreplay in the car had left her flushed, wet and ready. She pulled her lips a fraction away from his. “You don’t play fair,” she said, her lips moving against his, the friction only notching the heat between them even higher.
She felt his smile against her mouth. He shrugged, his eyes laughing. “Not my fault that you’re so damn cute I can’t help myself.” He placed a palm on her chest and pushed her back a step, tugging her blouse open and pushing her bra out of the way. He cupped her breasts with both hands, his touch soft. For a moment, he just held her breasts. Tess’s breath broke, heat and moisture building between her legs. He leaned forward and suckled one and then the other nipple, pulling back to blow softly. Her nipples pebbled, almost sore from the tension. The only sound was their fractured breathing. Nathan’s voice made her jump. “You are so damn beautiful,” he whispered, lifting his head to look in her eyes.
Tess resisted the urge to turn away from the intimacy in his gaze. Pushing away from the door, Nathan closed the small gap between them and brought his lips to hers again. She sighed into his mouth, their tongues stroking into each other. He slowly started walking into the living room until she bumped into the side of the couch. Breaking their kiss, Nathan turned her around, nibbling on the back of her neck and stroking her breasts. With one hand, he tugged her pants down, her panties coming with them. Tess kicked them off. Through the haze of desire, she dimply heard the sound of his zipper coming down. He tilted her forward over the armrest of the couch, reaching a hand down between her legs, his fingers dipping into her slick moisture.
Tess gasped his name. Seconds later, she felt his shaft slide in from behind as he held her by the hips. As he sank into her slowly, she sighed with relief. He established a slow rhythm, stroking in and out in a measured pace. Already overwrought with desire, she spiraled into a frenzy. She pushed her hips back to meet his thrusts, gasping in relief each time he drove deep. His hands stroked her bottom, cupping it as he pounded into her. The heat built with Tess teetering on the edge of climax for long moments.
“Nathan…” she gasped, her voice breaking. “Now…come with me now,” she begged.
He slipped a hand around front, delving into her folds for a mere second before her climax burst upon her, breaking in long spasms. He continued to stroke into her as her muscles clenched around him. She felt him begin to pulse as he came into her, arching back with one last plunge. Leaning forward, he curled around her, slipping his arms around her waist and deftly turning them to roll onto the couch. Tess landed in a languid pile on top of him. She laid still, her head resting on his chest. He still wore his shirt. Unbuttoning a few buttons, she slipped her hand inside. His heart beat against her palm, the rhythm slowing as their breath slowed in tandem.
Tess soaked in the feeling—just allowing herself to be in the moment. She didn’t know if she’d ever felt better. It felt so good to be with Nathan, it was slightly terrifying. She pushed against her fear and ignored it, nuzzling closer to Nathan. He stroked his hand through her curls, absently untangling them.
Eventually, she lifted her head and looked at Nathan. When he opened his eyes, she thought she could just look at those blue eyes all day every day and never tire of it. They’d left one lamp on earlier, so the light was faint. The angles of his face were sharper in the dim light. His lips quirked in a small smile as he lifted a hand to brush hair out of her eyes. “I do love your hair,” he said, twirling a curl around his finger.
Tess chuckled, reaching up to stroke his curls. “That’s convenient because I love yours too.”
His chest rumbled against hers with a soft laugh. His eyes sobered. “Your hair isn’t all I love though…”
Tess bit her lip. “And neither is yours…” she replied, pushing away the urge to play it cool. Nathan held her gaze for a long moment, his eyes saying far more than words ever could. Tess could barely tolerate the intimacy. Her heart started to race again, this time not out of passion. In another moment, she broke away and pushed up to a seated position, straddling him. She wrinkled her nose and smiled down at him. “I think we need a shower.”
Nathan returned the smile, reaching a hand up to cup one of her breasts. “We might not need a shower, but any excuse to get naked with you works for me.”
Tess giggled and carefully lifted a leg up to climb off of Nathan. She grabbed his hand and tugged him up. “Follow me.”
Chapter 16
Tess walked at Nathan’s side, his hand resting on her waist as they entered the hospital conference room. The catered board dinners were held in the hospital’s large formal conference room. Usually forty to fifty people attended. It was a smaller scale opportunity to mingle with the power brokers at the hospital. Tess had gotten a call from Chad yesterday, confirming that she’d be at the dinner. He’d asked again if Nathan would be there and remained silent when Tess said Nathan would. While Chad wouldn’t say it out loud, Tess knew he’d been hoping he could manufacture the impression they were back together, which infuriated her.
Tess’s heart rate kicked up a notch when they entered the already crowded room. Just the thought of getting through the farce with Chad brought a wave of anxiety. Nathan slid his hand up her back in a slow path, coming to rest curled around her shoulder. His touch soothed her. She released the breath she hadn’t even noticed she was holding and glanced at him. Just as he had the other evening, he’d transformed from the rugged outdoorsy man she’d gotten to know into a polished version of that. His curls were somewhat under control, just looking at them prompted a giggle. Nathan glanced down at her.
“What?” he asked, a dimple winking with his small smile.
Tess couldn’t hold back another giggle. Between her anxiety about tonight and the overwhelming feelings Nathan elicited, she was almost giddy. She bit her lip and pulled herself together. “Just you. You’re so spiffy.”
Nathan gave her a look of affront, although h
is laughing eyes gave him away. He shifted his shoulders under his blue button down shirt. Tonight wasn’t formal but was certainly more formal than Nathan’s usual evenings out in Alaska. He wore a deep blue button down shirt with black slacks, both selected by the same salesman that had helped him with his suit last weekend. The salesman appeared to consider Nathan a challenge, wanting to make Nathan look as good as possible while retaining the rugged, devil-may-care attitude that he carried. Nathan had been smug about the salesman’s suggestion that he forgo a tie for this evening’s dinner. Tess couldn’t help but notice that the blue of his shirt only brought out his eyes even more. Just looking into his laughing blue eyes brought wet heat between her legs. The pulse of desire his mere presence elicited ran on high idle at all times. The slightest provocation and her body was off to the races.
Nathan held her gaze, his eyes saying everything they couldn’t act on. His shoulders rose and fell with a purposeful breath. “You are so beautiful. Have I mentioned that yet today?”
Tess thought back to this afternoon…the memory of Nathan’s lips closing around her taut nipple, his fingers slipping into her slick channel, and the moment when he sank home inside of her, his eyes meeting hers through the blur of passion, his navy gaze reading into her soul and returning the gift. The sound of glasses clinking brought her back to the moment. With a quick shake of her head, she absentmindedly fiddled with the collar of her shirt. She wore a fitted wrap skirt, a bright berry shade, with wedge heeled black sandals. She’d paired this with a gauzy white blouse that fell in loose folds, the top cinching just above her breasts with a small bow. Nathan had already teased the bow apart in the car on the way over. Blushing, she’d admonished him and insisted he must behave during the dinner tonight as she’d tied it again.