At least I make him sweat it out for another minute before I finally make up my mind to walk over and unlock the door. He’s through the doorway in record time, in case I change my mind, I suppose.
When he stands in front of me his entire being consumes the space around us.
“You’re late,” I say as I walk away to the large glass showcases behind the counter. I open the door and take out the beautiful arrangement of two dozen red orchids. When I turn around to set it on the counter by the register, he has already closed the distance between us.
His hands are splayed out on the counter and of course all I can think about is how he has really nice hands.
“Work ran late,” He says when I look down at the order slip. “I didn’t plan on it taking so long.”
He hasn’t moved to take the flowers yet. I suppose it makes me feel slightly better that it was work that kept him and not a hot date. I feel my anger start to ebb. He made it in the end, I guess.
“It’s okay,” I say, unable to look him in the eyes. “It looks like you paid ahead, so you’re good to go.”
I tear the order slip off of the vase and push the flowers toward him. Searing me with a look I can’t quite read, he pushes the flowers back.
“I bought them for you.”
My head snaps up and my undoing is complete.
“What?” I squeak my response, thinking I must have misunderstood, and it almost comes out as a breathy laugh.
“They’re for you,” he says again.
“Why?” I say the only thing I can think to ask. I’m looking at him with complete and utter confusion. We’ve never talked before yesterday. My brain can’t comprehend why he would buy me flowers.
He slowly starts to walk around the counter and I feel like the hunted being stalked by the hunter again. As he approaches me I’m convinced that I’ve lost myself and I’ll do anything this man asks me to do, ever. Period. No questions asked.
I turn away to give myself a moment to take a breath. I push the button to open the cash register, slide the order slip from the flowers inside and then shut the register door. Right on my finger.
I gasp and pull my finger out of the drawer where it was just pinched. I frantically shake my hand and try not to curse.
Nate closes the distance between us and takes my hand in his.
“Let me help,” he says. At first he slowly rubs my pointer finger. “Is this the right one?”
“Yes,” I whisper. His scent is intoxicating. He smells so clean, like eucalyptus and balsam and another scent I can’t quite identify. Is it weird that I can pick out such specific scents? I suppose it is. Maybe it’s the soap he uses on his hands and now they are slowly rubbing my hands in a way that has my entire body lighting up like a firework display.
Without taking his eyes from mine, he brings his mouth down to my finger and slides it slowly inside. I feel his tongue softly lick the pad before he takes my entire finger into his mouth. He licks me seductively, softly. And when he pulls his mouth away he places a gentle kiss right on the tip of my finger.
As he looks into my eyes, I know I can’t hide how much I want this man. My desire must be written clearly on my face. My mouth has opened to allow the long release of breath I’ve been holding and this small movement draws him in.
His fingers gently brush a few stray tendrils from my face and the next thing I know he’s pulling me to him. His stare puts me under a daze and his mouth is so close to mine the anticipation of what’s coming next is palpable in the air around us.
He gently touches his lips to mine, licking my lips with his tongue where I’ve opened them, giving him permission and access all at the same time. With a boldness I don’t usually feel, I tentatively touch my tongue to his, following his lead. I open wider for him and he takes every inch I give. His hands grasp the side of my face, holding me to him with a fervor that makes me weak in the knees.
My inexperience makes me feel self-conscious of my ability to please him as he takes charge, claiming what he wants. Suddenly I’m overwhelmed, questioning what is happening between us, how quickly things progressed tonight.
Against every fiber in my being, I pull back from the kiss.
“Sorry…it’s just, this is crazy! Everything is happening so fast,” I say.
I’m nervous and completely out of my element. I’ve been talking myself up lately, telling myself that I was going to take more chances. Put myself out there, see where I end up. But now that I find myself in that situation, I’m eager to find solid ground again. Maybe I’m a coward, all talk.
I step back and cross my arms around my torso. I can’t think straight in his arms. He makes me feel like I’m falling, spinning out of control.
“Do you want to grab dinner?” he asks, trying to calm things down and put me back at ease.
“I already ate.” My response is automatic and anyway, with the state of nerves in my stomach right now, I would throw up anything that went down.
“Look,” he says, moving closer to me again. There’s something that he wants to say but he’s hesitating. He looks away from me to try to find the right words. “I want you.” He puts his hands up like he just showed me his cards and it’s all out on the table.
There’s the slightest look of desperation and vulnerability on his face. I see it because I’m studying him, searching for the catch. Waiting for him to finish his thought and tell me why it won’t work out.
I’m about to ask him why when he surprises me with his next comment.
“I want you and I have for awhile.” The vulnerability is gone, replaced with the hard look I’ve come to know so well. I sense there’s something more to this ultimatum but I’m not sure what.
“Okay.” It’s the best I’ve got and I’m pretty proud of myself for having the courage to say that one simple word. He’s like sex on a stick to me and I’ve never felt more out of my comfort zone in my entire life.
“So you and me…we’ll quit dicking around and give this thing a try?”
My mouth drops open and I hate that I’m starting to blush again. He’s going to think I have a skin condition with the way I’m constantly turning red around him.
“Quit ‘dicking’ around?” I ask. I feel a fit of giggles bubbling up inside of me, ready to burst out but I swallow it down. I’m on emotional overload right now and definitely on unfamiliar territory.
“You know,” he says. “Admiring each other from afar.”
“You’ve noticed?” I ask shyly.
“You’re hard not to notice.”
How can I say no to those eyes that look at me like I’m the air in the lungs of a drowning man. My ability to think straight withers away under his gaze but I still have the sense to remind myself that this is real and this is my chance.
“Yes,” I say smiling. My answer is an acknowledgment of it all. Yes to admiring him from afar, yes to giving whatever this is a try.
“Come home with me?” he asks. His sexy bedroom voice will be my demise every time. How is it even possible to say no to the promise of something so exciting?
I nod my head.
It’s almost funny how I find myself in this situation so soon after mentally coming to a conclusion about taking chances in my life. In this moment, I’m standing on the edge of the cliff. There’s water roaring down below and I know if I jump far enough I’ll have the ride of my goddamn life before the water catches me, safely engulfing me.
But as I look over the side of the cliff, I also see the rocks. They’re jutting out, some smooth while others are jagged and dangerous. And I know that the other possibility is that one of the rocks will break me as I fall, leaving me lifeless and forever changed when I finally hit the water.
In the end, I know that I’ve lived my life with a safety net underneath me.
“Yes,” I say, making my decision with confidence.
“Okay, valentine. Don’t forget your flowers.”
Chapter 5
“This is it.” Nate drives his
truck up the driveway of a nice looking ranch-style home. There aren’t any lights on outside so I can’t get the best look, but I can tell it’s well kept. The light goes on in the garage when he presses the garage door opener and I’m fascinated with how neat and organized his garage is.
“Wow,” I say. “This is the cleanest garage I’ve ever seen.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I’m pretty OCD when it comes to this stuff. Everything needs to have a place.”
“Makes sense.” I climb out of his truck and walk around to the door. Nate is unlocking the door and instead of checking him out, I’m looking around at everything in the garage. Everything looks completely normal but on the drive from the flower shop to here I started to question my sanity for agreeing to come to a man’s house whom I barely know.
“Come on in,” he says, stepping to the side of the door when he’s inside to let me walk in ahead of him. I stop a few strides in so he can turn on a light. He flips a few switches and the rooms are flooded with soft yellow light. We’re standing in the kitchen, which connects to a small dining area. Sharing a wall with the kitchen is an open living room with huge windows facing into the front yard.
“Let me take your coat.” I quickly unzip it, shrug it off and hand it over. “You want something to drink?” he asks as he opens a small closet by the back door and hangs my coat inside.
“Maybe a glass of water.” I stay where I am, unsure of what to do next. I’m not the kind of girl to take matters into my own hands. I’m not going to drop my clothes in the kitchen as an invitation. Nate’s going to have to take the lead here and luckily I get the sense that he’s comfortable in that role.
“Come here,” he says, leaning against the counter holding out the glass of water. I walk toward him and take the glass. Holding his gaze I bring the glass to my lips and take a slow drink.
He licks his lips in response, taking the glass from my hand and setting it by the sink. Then, before I have a chance to worry about what’s coming next, he kisses me. His hands are in my hair, pulling my face towards him.
His kiss is rough, as if he’s been restraining himself and he can finally let loose. I feel his tongue lick along my lips and I open for him. My hands reach up for his hair, my fingers loving the soft silky feel of it contrasted with the slight burn of his beard on my mouth.
His strong hands cup my ass, first squeezing and then lifting me. My legs straddle him as he carries me over to the counter and sets me down. I feel his erection rub against me at such a perfect angle that I can’t help but break the kiss and widen my eyes with amazement.
“Yes, this is what you do to me.” He looks in my eyes and rubs harder against my pussy so I can feel how hard with arousal he is. “Tell me what you want me to do to you. Tell me what turns you on.” His kiss consumes me again, our tongues licking and tasting each other. When our kissing slows again a moment later, he pulls back, looking intently into my eyes.
“What do you like, Leah?” he asks again.
My face starts to blush with embarrassment because I don’t know what to say. I have no idea what I like because I’ve never done this before. I have to look away from him, I need a moment to organize my jumbled thoughts.
His fingers stroke my cheek and the look of tenderness on his face almost makes me cry. “Don’t be embarrassed,” he says. “You need to be honest with me.”
I open my mouth to tell him but no words come out. I shake my head in frustration.
“What is it?” he asks.
“I’ve never done this before,” I finally say.
“You’ve never gone home with someone you barely know?” he says. I can tell he’s teasing by the playful smile on his lips.
Smiling shyly I say, “I’ve never done any of it before.”
It takes a few seconds for the realization of what I’ve said to click. I can see it in his face the moment it does, though. I was worried that I’d scare him away when he found out that I was a virgin but he’s looking at me like he’s won the goddamn lottery.
“Really?” he asks.
“Really,” I say, nodding my head.
My confession throws him for a minute. His hands trail down my body possessively and rest on my legs. His grip is firm and it sends a gentle shiver through me. There’s a scorch to his gaze and I know in this moment that I’m his, completely, and his alone.
“Come with me,” he says, lifting me off the counter. He carries me down a hallway into a dark room and sets me down. My assumption that we’re in his bedroom is proven correct when he turns on the lamp on the nightstand and the room is bathed in a soft warm glow.
“Now let’s get down to business.” He pulls off his shirt and stands in front of me. The giggle that was about to escape at his playfulness dies on my lips. I can’t help but stare. His body is so beautifully sculpted. His muscles are hard and defined, his shoulders broad and strong, while his waist is trim. He doesn’t have as many tattoos as I imagined when I pictured him in my mind, but the tattoos on his shoulders and chest snake and curl together in a beautiful work of art. I can’t wait for him to take off his pants.
“Your turn,” he says. He nods to me indicating I should take my shirt off.
I hate that it keeps happening, but once again I’m nervous and the way he’s staring at me just makes it worse. I’ve never had someone study my body so intently and I don’t want to disappoint.
He puts his hands on his hips and looks at me with a disapproving look. “Here’s the new rule, beautiful. You’re not allowed to be embarrassed with me. The anticipation of seeing you naked is going to make me come in my pants before I even get to touch you.”
His words give me enough of a boost that I take the hem of my shirt and slowly pull it up and over my head. I didn’t expect to be getting naked with Nate Housman tonight so I don’t have anything sexy or spectacular on for undergarments.
I’m about to cross my arms in front of myself when he says, “Don’t you dare cover yourself from me.” I force my hands to rest on the bed. The look he’s giving me makes me wet with desire. “God, your tits make my mouth water.”
Huge confidence boost.
“Do your panties match your bra?” His hand is rubbing the scruff on his chin as he looks me over and gives me his perfect raspy bedroom voice. He’s stroking his beard in such a way that makes me crave his touch in a naughty way. Those large, muscular hands are going to make me melt.
I nod my head yes. It’s a simple cotton bra-and-panty set but it does have little red hearts on both pieces in honor of Valentine’s Day.
“Show me,” he says.
I stand up off of the bed and he steps back. It makes me wonder if he’s struggling with his self-control. As if our bodies touching would be the dam breaking, his control and restraint lost in the wind.
Somehow he has filled me with confidence. I slowly unbutton my pants and push them down my legs. I step out of them one leg at a time before sliding myself back down on the bed.
He’s about to climb onto me when I stop him with my foot.
“First, your pants,” I say. I can barely breathe I’m so turned on right now. I thought I would be a nervous wreck, but somehow Nate makes me feel a totally new sensation…need.
He straightens. His hands work the buckle on his belt and then they move to the pants themselves. He opens them and lets them drop. Standing before me in his boxer briefs leaves very little to the imagination.
“You flatter me, baby.” I look up and he’s smiling at me. I have to remind myself to close my mouth before I start drooling. “Since you seem so interested…” and with that, he drops his boxers onto the floor, too.
I sit straight up on the bed and stare openly at what he’s presenting me. His cock is thick and long. It’s spectacular and I’ve never been so hot. Desire overwhelms me but at the same time I can’t hide the worry that plants itself in my mind as I stare at this beast between his legs.
“It’s okay,” he says. “I’ll be gentle with you, for your first time.
” He’s teasing me but his words carry a dark air of promise with them. For the first time all night I think about getting dressed and driving home.
“Nate,” I say. I force my eyes from his gorgeous sculpted body up to his face. I meet his brown eyes full of desire and want and say, “I think we should just be friends.”
Chapter 6
The look he gives me is dark and dangerous. I want to disappear into the bed or at the very least pull my eyes away. But I can’t. The image of him, naked in all of his glory, standing in front of the bed will forever be burned into my mind.
“Not a chance,” he says. And there it is again, that quiet rasp to his voice that makes me feel light-headed and takes away my ability to think straight.
He steps toward me and grabs the bottom of the comforter. The next thing I know, he’s pulling it out from under me, forcing me to lie on my back in the process. My skin is bare to the cool, soft sheets.
Standing between my legs he says, “Tell me your fantasy.”
I pull the corner of my bottom lip into my mouth and throw my arm over my face in an attempt to cover my embarrassment.
He crawls on top of me, pulling my arm away so he can look me in the eyes. I gasp when I feel his erection pressing into me. “What’s our new rule?” he says.
I look at his gorgeous face, inches from mine. “Don’t be embarrassed.” I whisper.
He kisses me, passionately. Plunging his tongue into my mouth, I match his fire. He rubs his cock against my pussy and it creates the most enticing friction that makes my arousal soak through my panties. His lips slide over mine, soft and greedy all at once. Our mouths meld together intimately and I’m floating.
He breaks the kiss and we both gasp for air. Somehow he has taken some of my embarrassment away. I need more of him in every way because it gives me confidence.
My Virgin Valentine: A Valentine's Day Novella Page 3