Bunny Hills and Bikinis

by Heather Thurmeier

  “Thanks. I could say the same about you.”

  He rolled over onto his side and traced a path from her collarbone to her hip. He loved the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers. It wasn’t long before her silky, smooth skin caused his body to harden again, ready to satisfy the desire that still consumed him, the fire that foreplay would never be enough to squelch.

  He grabbed the condom he’d left on the nightstand and sheathed his length before propping himself up on his forearms above her, kissing her deeply. She clung to him, gripping his shoulders with her nails and wrapping her legs around his waist as he thrust into her, finally becoming one with her.

  Being with Amelia made time stand still. She filled his entire world, blocking out everything in his life beyond his bed. Their bodies moved together perfectly. She trembled beneath him as her entire body quivered with ripples of aftershocks. She gazed up at him with lust-filled eyes and he gave in to the need he couldn’t ignore any longer, collapsing on top of her.

  “Oh, Nate.”

  She lay breathless and limp as he rolled to the side and pulled her with him, tucking her protectively into the crook of his arm.

  * * *

  Amelia tried to catch her breath as her pulse returned to normal. Not only had Nate completely satisfied her, but now she was also falling completely and undeniably head over heels for him. How it had happened in such a short amount of time, she didn’t know. But she couldn’t deny the feelings that came to the surface every time she looked at, or thought about Nate.

  Laying here in bed with Nate was her exact idea of pure heaven. Every little thing about him was wonderful. He treated her like a princess and he behaved like a perfect gentleman to her in every single way. Every way. Even making sure her needs were fully satisfied before allowing for his personal release. She’d never had the pleasure of being with a man like Nate before, and she began to think she’d never find anyone else like him again. He was one of a kind. And she wanted to keep him. But how?

  They were from two different worlds. She had a life, her family, and a job in the Midwest waiting for her to come home. Whether she wanted to or not was another question entirely. On the other hand, Nate was a nomad, traveling from one workshop to the next. Even if she wanted to continue something with him, how would she be able to? The logistics of it alone were mind-boggling and disheartening.

  She didn’t think it very fair that the universe would let her fall for a great man, then not let her keep him. It made her heart hurt thinking about it.

  Forcing the thoughts from her head, she closed her eyes. Thinking about that kind of stuff wouldn’t do her any good right now. She wanted to relax and let go for a change, not try and plan everything like she always did. Nate was a gift that had somehow fallen in her lap, and she wasn’t going to waste her time with him worrying about what might or might not happen in the future. The future would come soon enough regardless.

  For now she’d focus on the present, which currently featured an incredibly sexy naked man lying beside her in bed.

  Rolling over, she kissed his bare chest, his skin still damp with beads of sweat. His chest rose and fell quickly with the hitch of his breath. She loved the feeling of lying there with him naked, causing her to quickly forget everything else in the world except for Nate.

  “Ready for round two already?” he asked, after she’d kissed his chest a few more times. She could already see the stirrings of desire twitching to life again in his body. The sight made her tingle with anticipation.

  “Not quite, but soon.” She traced the outline of his belly button before diving south and tracing the length of him that rapidly grew beneath her fingertips. Amazingly, her body had responded to him already too and she could feel the ache of longing grow in her core. “As much as I hate to say it, I may need to get out of bed for a few minutes.”

  “You were amazing and I’m not letting you go just yet, so don’t go getting any ideas.”

  “Don’t worry. My only idea at this moment is debating about whether or not it’s time to dig into the dessert we brought back from the restaurant.” She kissed him lightly on the chest again. “Or maybe it’s time for me to make you beg for mercy again.”

  “Oh, tough decision. How about you eat dessert while I make you beg for mercy. We’ll multitask.” He laughed.

  She laughed along with him but soon any thoughts of dessert disappeared from her mind. Nate was better than dessert any day. “I’m not sure I’m that good at multitasking. Besides, I think I have my dessert right here.”

  She watched as he sheathed himself again and she climbed on top of him, straddling his length. As he entered her, she groaned with ecstasy and rocked her hips. Guttural sounds of satisfaction escaped them both as she moved her hips faster and faster, unable to stop the climax cresting inside her.

  Nate’s hands roamed her body, squeezing and kneading circles. The entire experience was simply too much for her already fully stimulated body. She cried out as his hips bucked against hers for the last time and she fell on top of him in a heap of spaghetti-noodle limbs, her body glistening with sweat.

  “I don’t know where you came from, but I’m thinking heaven,” she said, still breathless on top of him. And I’m not letting you go.

  “Nice line.” He smirked and stroked a hand up and down her spine. “I could ask you the same question.”

  “I have a real question. What are we going to do when the weekend ends?”

  “I don’t know, but we’ll figure out something.”

  “I hope you’re right because I’m pretty sure you’ve ruined me for all men in the entire state of Minnesota.”

  “Well, that wasn’t too hard really. It’s not that big of a state. How many men can there be?”

  “Shut up.” She hit him playfully in the arm. “You know what I mean.”

  He pushed her away gently so she could look at him more fully. The expression on his face was serious—more serious than she’d seen before. “I’m screwed too, you know. I don’t know how I’m supposed to leave here and go on doing my workshops somewhere else. Somewhere where you won’t be.”

  He kissed her then, lightly, not rushed or filled with animal lust, just a simple kiss that made her heart melt even more. “We’ll figure something out,” he assured her. “We have to. But let’s not worry about it tonight, okay?”

  She thought her heart might crack and break in two at his words, but she agreed wholeheartedly. She didn’t want to worry tonight, or tomorrow night. Right now she just wanted to be with him, all of him, for as long as she could be.

  Chapter Twelve

  Amelia stood on her toes and kissed Nate goodbye at his door. Saturday morning had come all too quickly and now both of them had to get ready for their workshop day. She wished she could just say to hell with the workshop and spend the day in bed with Nate instead, and she knew without asking he felt the same way. Sadly that would never happen since he had to be there to run it and she had to be there in attendance or it would get back to her boss that she hadn’t been.

  So with great sighs of reluctance, they’d pulled themselves from Nate’s warm bed where they’d spent the night alternating between making love and sleeping to replenish their energy. After an intimate room service breakfast for two on his cozy couch, they couldn’t delay any longer and she had to leave his room.

  It had been the most wonderful night she could remember. And she already looked forward to an encore performance that night after all the workshop stuff ended. She sighed, hating to leave but knowing that she couldn’t stay. Memories of their night together would have to be enough to get her through the day.

  “See you later.” She slipped from his arms and into the hallway, letting the door close with a click. She turned, touching her mouth with the tips of her fingers, still feeling his lingering kiss. They were sore and swollen from the night spent kissing, but she relished their tenderness as a constant reminder of their time together, embracing it and knowing that soon, too soon, th
eir time would be over and she’d have to return home.

  Amelia wandered back to her own room still in a daze from her times spent with Nate, and collapsed on the bed with a deep sigh. Her body ached with exhaustion after her long fantasy-filled night, but she couldn’t even dream of sleeping. One, she had to go to the workshop in a little over an hour, which meant she really needed to shower and change. And two, her racing mind would never allow her body the luxury of succumbing to the sleep she desperately needed even if she didn’t have somewhere else to be. Nope. Sleep would have to wait.

  Opening the clutch she’d taken with her on her date with Nate, she pulled out her cell phone and turned it on for the first time since before she’d left her room last night. Checking the display, she counted about fifteen texts, all from Melanie, and a couple of voicemail messages, also from Melanie.

  Apparently Melanie really wanted to talk to her.

  Amelia dialed the number and lay back against a couple of pillows propped up in front of the headboard while she waited for her friend to pick up. As her body relaxed, she could feel the exhaustion begin aching in her limbs. A long soak in the hot shower would feel like heaven later. Until then, the semi-comfortable hotel bed would have to suffice.

  “Where have you been?” Melanie nearly shouted into the phone, picking up after only one ring. She sounded a little more frantic and not nearly as excited as Amelia expected her to be. “I’ve been sitting here worried sick. Are you okay? Are you hurt? What did he do to you?”

  “Melanie, calm down and take a breather.” She laughed. “I’m okay. Heck, I’m better than okay. I’m awesome, and I guess I’m in a bit of a bind too actually. But still mostly awesome.” She couldn’t seem to stop rambling.

  “What the hell are you talking about? What happened to you last night? When you didn’t answer any of my calls or texts, I started to worry. I thought Mr. Hunky Nate had turned out to be Mr. Serial Killer Nate or something.”

  “You always think the worst. Sorry I didn’t answer your calls—or numerous texts—but I was kind of busy with other things. I just got your messages now and I assure you, Nate was nothing short of wonderful last night. So no worries.”

  “Busy with other things.” Melanie paused. “Don’t tell me you’re just getting back to your own room now at…seven in the morning.”

  “Is it seven already? The night flew by in a blur.”

  “Amelia, you’ve gotta tell me what happened. I can’t believe the weekend I’m missing.”

  “All I’m going to say is that Nate is better than I imagined. But I actually have a problem that I could really use your help with.”

  “What’s wrong?” Melanie asked, concern in her voice.

  “Well, um, William isn’t too happy that I’ve been spending time with Nate. I think he’s jealous.”

  “So what? Let William be jealous. Maybe then he’ll smarten up and either start acting like a gentleman around you or he’ll give up on you and come to me. It’s win-win.”

  “Nice, real nice.” Amelia stifled a yawn. “I’m not sure it’s going to be that easy.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because he keeps acting all protective and boyfriendy around me and that’s the exact opposite of what I want him to do when Nate’s around.”

  “Well, I have a solution, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  Amelia rubbed her eyes. “Okay, I’ll bite. What?”

  Melanie didn’t speak for a moment. “Date both of them.”

  Sighing, Amelia shook her head even though her friend wouldn’t see her. “You’re right. I don’t like you’re suggestion.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “I know you are which is exactly why I don’t want to listen to you anymore.”

  Melanie clucked her tongue. “Just hear me out.”

  “Fine. Talk.”

  “You should give William a chance because you only get Nate for the weekend and then what? You come home with William. Do you really want to brush him off and still have to come back home with him?”

  Amelia sucked in a breath. She felt like she’d just swallowed an iron weight as she tried to digest Melanie’s words. She was right. Of course she would have to leave Nate in a couple of days and return home with William, but did that mean she suddenly had to start dating him? She didn’t want William. She wanted Nate—only Nate.

  “I know you mean well, Melanie,” she started, “but if I give William one date, he’ll never stop hounding me for another. I want to be with Nate and that’s who I’m going to be with.”

  There was a long pause. “Listen,” Melanie said gently, “the last time you tried this whole ‘throwing caution to the wind’ thing it didn’t work out so great. I don’t want to see you hurt again when Nate—as wonderful as he seems now—doesn’t get upset about the weekend ending.”

  Tears threatened to fall as they prickled Amelia’s eyes, blurring her vision for a moment before she blinked them away. She cleared her throat. Her friend didn’t know the whole situation so it wasn’t her fault that she was saying such hurtful things. Amelia would give her a pass on this one and ignore her instead of getting upset. She was just too tired to bother with a fight today.

  “Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine. You don’t know Nate. You don’t know what this weekend has been like. And no one can tell me what will happen at the end of it, so what’s wrong with enjoying it while it lasts?”

  Melanie huffed on the other end of the phone. “It’s your life. Live it how you want to, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when you come home with an angry William—and a broken heart over Nate.”

  Amelia hung up the phone with a mumbled goodbye and stuffed it back into her clutch where she wouldn’t have to look at it for a while.

  What the hell does she know?

  Amelia climbed off the bed and walked across the small hotel room to the bathroom. She turned on the shower to hot and waited as the water warmed until steam filled the room and took the chill away. She tossed her dress to the side and stepped into the shower, savoring the feeling of the hot water caressing her skin. It reminded her of Nate’s kisses, hot and wet on her body.

  Melanie didn’t know what she was talking about. Nate was a good man and William was a pain in her ass. Whatever happened this weekend, Amelia would deal with it when the time came. She wasn’t going to let herself get hurt again, but she wasn’t going to miss out on enjoying life either.

  Nate was certainly worth enjoying to the fullest extent.

  * * *

  Amelia crossed the lobby, coffee cup in hand and smiled as she saw Nate outside of the conference room door greeting attendees as they arrived. Strolling up to the door, she said a quick hello like the others and disappeared through the door—but not before sending him a wink for his eyes only.

  He winked back, holding her gaze for a moment before turning his attention to greet the next person. The heat in his eyes was enough to give her tingles as she walked back to her table.

  Today would be fun trying to ignore their feelings for each other and not giving away to everyone else around them that something had happened—something intimate and not at all workshop appropriate. She couldn’t help but smile at that memory.

  “Good morning,” she said as she took her seat at the table, almost trilling her words. Happiness coursed through her body and she couldn’t manage to hide it. Her tablemates would just have to deal with super-bubbly Amelia today.

  “Well, aren’t you in a good mood this morning,” Tonya from Detroit said.

  Oh, Tonya from Detroit, that’s just ‘cause someone got some action last night. Amelia shrugged. “Just woke up on the right side of the bed this morning I guess.”

  Or someone else’s bed.

  “You must have. You’re positively glowing today.”

  “Ugh. Can we talk about something else please?” William’s voice held a distinct tone of disgust as he flopped into the chair beside Amelia. “Not that I don’t love talking about h
ow beautiful Amelia is, but I really think we should focus on getting our work done.”

  “We don’t even have any work yet, silly.” Tonya clucked her tongue. “We’re just chit-chattin’ while we wait for Nate to get started.”

  “It’s always about Nate, isn’t it?” Amelia heard William mumble too quietly for the rest of their tablemates to hear.

  She nudged him with her leg under the table. “Stop it. You’re going to make a scene if you’re not more careful.”

  He turned to glare at her. “I think you’re the one making a spectacle of yourself. Maybe you should take your own advice and be a little less obvious about your feelings.”

  She knew William was upset with her, but this was crossing the line a bit. How could he be so angry that she’d had one date with Nate? Well, and an after-dinner treat too, but that was beside the point. And it was her business, not William’s.

  “Nate and I haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “Really? Is that why we’re whispering?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Just because I said no to you, doesn’t mean you can be an even bigger jackass than usual to me.”

  “Just drop it.”

  Where was Nate? Why wasn’t he starting yet?

  Amelia looked around the room trying to spot Nate. The workshop was scheduled to start fifteen minutes ago and she still couldn’t see him anywhere.

  “Hi everyone,” came a man’s voice from the front of the room.

  Who the heck is that?

  “I’m Jim Canter. I’m the other workshop presenter you were supposed to have all weekend. I apologize for my late arrival. I was under the weather. But I’m feeling better now and I’m eager to start working with all of you.”

  Murmurs rippled around the room at the news. Amelia finally spotted Nate off to Jim’s side, a forced smile on his face. She could tell instantly that underneath that fake smile, Nate wasn’t too happy.

  “Okay. Without wasting anymore time today, let’s get started,” Jim said.

  Nate stepped forward and reached for the packet of information sitting on the table in front of them. Before his hand touched the papers, Jim scooped them up and held up the one sheet they would be focusing on that day. Nate shrank back and watched, his smile faltering.