by Nicole Helm
“Did you happen to date the hostess who has been staring daggers at me all night?” She smiled as she said it. An observation, not a condemnation.
“Sandy?” He looked back at the girl, who was indeed glaring in Vivvy’s direction. “She’s twenty. And I prefer women who don’t talk about marriage before I’ve even asked them out.”
“Ah, you’re one of those.” It was more teasing than accusatory, so he grinned.
“I prefer to keep things light.” It was a hell of a lot easier than introducing a woman to his psychotic family. Much better to keep things casual than have Dad’s sleazeball flirting, or Mom’s nasty comments, run off someone he cared about.
Vivvy took a sip of wine, her eyes traveling his face and then settling on his mouth. “Me, too.”
Nate casually brushed his leg against hers under the table. “It’s good to be on the same page.”
His cell rang. He carried the damn thing in case of emergency, and it was rare he got a call. When he saw the number was his brother’s, he hit silent. “My brother,” he explained. “I can call him back.”
“Yes, about your brother...”
“Trust me, he’s not nearly as good-looking as I am.”
Vivvy laughed as he’d hoped, but she wasn’t distracted from the topic. “You said growing up at Harrington made it impossible to leave, but he lives in Kansas City. A lawyer, right?”
Nate shifted. “Ry...Ry will be back.”
She cocked her head. “But why did he leave?”
Nate stared at his food. “You’ll get a better picture after meeting my parents.”
“I can’t wait.”
Nate cringed. Yeah, of course, that was what she was here for. And, boy, would she foam at the mouth to get his band of crazies on TV. Well, he wasn’t going to let that happen no matter how sexy she looked.
The waiter all but tossed the check onto the table. Nate took it before she had a chance. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he slipped his credit card into the holder.
She rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. “If you don’t like your family, why do you stay?” She poked her leg out from under the table and the waiter hopped right to attention to take the credit card.
Nate found himself smiling even as he answered the unwanted question. “I like my family.” Some of them anyway. “I stay because Harrington is mine.” And he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Jed’s irresponsibility and continuous disappearing routine run it into the ground.
The waiter returned with the receipt to Nate—and he calculated the tip and signed off on the total.
“Couldn’t you do similar work elsewhere?”
“I’ve had offers.” He shrugged. “I like being in control of my own life. Besides, if I worked for someone else, somewhere else, I wouldn’t be able to sleep in, and that’s not a pretty sight.”
She laughed. “Oh, Nate, I bet you’re always a pretty sight.” She slid out of the booth. “Ready?”
Nate nodded, followed her out onto Main Street and into a late summer evening with a dark, cloudless sky above.
“I’ve always enjoyed the city, but there is something I enjoy when I get out of it.” She turned in a circle, her smile wide as she took in the sky above. “The stars.”
“Know the constellations?”
She laughed. “Is this where you take my hand and point them out to me? Feed me some line about stardust and moonlight?”
Nate took her hand, ran his thumb over her knuckles. “Damn. You figured me out.”
They continued to walk back to the motel, hand in hand, a comfortable silence blanketing the warm night. Her fingers entwined with his and when they reached the front of Ivy Vines, she didn’t let his hand go.
That had to be a good sign. “Can I walk you to your room?”
“I’d like that. Though I feel I should make something very clear before I let you.”
“What’s that?”
“Anything that happens outside of Harrington has nothing to do with the show. I’m not trying to convince you to do the show and you’re not trying to convince me I shouldn’t, at least here. Deal?”
Smart lady. Straightforward. Damn, he liked that. “Deal.” They shook on it, and then she kept her hand in his as they walked inside.
The hotel smelled like mildew and sewer. The dim light couldn’t hide the dirty carpet or peeling walls. Nate followed Vivvy down the main floor hall to a room with a pathetic excuse for a lock.
“You sure you ought to be staying here?”
Vivvy stood at the door, facing him. “It’ll be fine for one night. Nothing I can’t handle.” She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth, drawing his attention to her mouth. “I had a very nice time.”
“Me, too.” He closed the distance between them with one easy step. When she smiled up at him, he took that as encouragement and bent down to press his lips to hers.
It started off easy enough, a light touch of mouth brushing mouth. An innocent good-night kiss, but then she put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer, and the kiss deepened.
Her tongue traced his upper lip and he moved his hands to her hips, smoothed them up over her sides. She pressed against him, sealing the deal by making him hard and ready.
Nate was no stranger to mistakes, and this was one. Why didn’t it feel that way? Nothing about this felt wrong. Her skin was soft, her lips full, her body a delicious maze of curves. He wanted every inch of her to the point where nothing else seemed to matter. Not why she was here, not why he should be keeping his distance, not the terrible smell coming from the hall. None of it.
He just wanted her. This beautiful, confident, charming woman like no one he’d ever met before. No one. It was another layer to the physical, another tug on this strange thread between them.
She pulled back just a fraction, meeting his gaze with a steady, confident one of her own. “Do you want to come in?”
Did she really need to ask? “Yes.”
She got her key out of her purse and pulled that bottom lip through her teeth again before turning to the door. He hadn’t thought it was possible to be any harder for her. Wrong.
She leaned forward to open the door and her hair fell to the side, exposing the back of her neck. He stepped forward and ran his index finger from scalp to the first bump of spine.
“You have a beautiful neck.”
She laughed breathlessly. “That’s a compliment I’ve never heard before. Thank you.”
He let his mouth trail where his finger just had and was rewarded when she shivered against him.
She stepped inside the dark room and he followed. For a moment they just stood there, staring at each other, with the light from the hallway spilling over them. Then she stepped forward and pushed the door closed behind him.
God, he loved forward women. Her body was just a whisper away from his now, and as his eyes adjusted to the room, he could only make out her shape. That is, until she pressed against him.
“Kiss me again,” she said in a throaty voice he had no trouble obeying. This time when he kissed her, it was impossible to keep the driving need out. His hand cupped her neck, bringing her into a fierce kiss. She moaned against his mouth, letting him kiss her deeply. She tasted sweet, like the wine from dinner, and he had never wanted more of a person in his life.
He nipped at her bottom lip, then traced it with his tongue. She led him into the room, toward the bed.
If he stopped and thought about what he was doing…hell, he couldn’t even get far enough to think about what he would do. Not while Vivvy was kissing him, her arms banded around his neck. Not with his dick already straining for freedom.
He worked to unbutton her shirt, scraping her bottom lip between his teeth as he freed the soft skin underneath. She unwound her hands and shrugged out of her shirt, and then began to unbutton his.
His hands grazed over her soft, flat belly up toward her breasts. He could feel the lacy bra, but he couldn’t see. “Vivvy, I want—”
Bef
ore he could finish the sentence, she tugged his shirt off and kissed the base of his neck, sinking her teeth into the sensitive skin there.
He groaned, stroking his hands over the lace before finding the top of the bra cups and nudging them down. Her nipples were already hard, and she whimpered as his thumbs circled the sensitive areas.
He could feel the bed at the back of his knees, so he took a shot and pulled her down on top of him. She straddled him, trailing her hands down his chest, then his abs, and undid his button and zipper.
Nate rolled her onto her back. “I want to see you, Vivvy.” His voice was low, scratchy.
The next moment a light popped on. Pale light fell over the bed. Vivvy’s outstretched arm moved away from the lamp, trailed down his forearm.
“Good,” she murmured, opening her legs so that her skirt rode up and he was nestled between her thighs. She was like some kind of goddess, her dark hair fanned out, her smile powerful and knowing. “I want to see you, too.”
His mouth covered hers, and she arched against him as his mouth moved down her neck to perfectly rounded breasts. He took one rosy nipple into his mouth and twirled it with his tongue until she panted his name, and then he moved to the other breast and repeated the attention in slow, determined strokes.
His hand roamed her side, enjoying the softness of her skin against his roughened palm. He grazed her thigh and shoved up the rest of her skirt, excitement and eagerness pumping through him. He lifted his head to see her, to see all of her. Her cheeks were flushed, her bra pushed down, pushing her breasts up. Her skin was creamy white, smooth from shoulder to toe. Her skirt was bunched at her waist and she wore black lace panties underneath that matched the twisted bra.
Just as he’d imagined. “You’re really beautiful, Vivvy.”
She moved up onto her elbows. “You’re not half bad yourself.”
This woman was no shrinking violet, and as much as he really, really liked that, there was a desire to conquer, to leave her speechless. He trailed a finger from under her knee up to the edge of her panties, and then let his finger outline the edge of the lace. Her smile didn’t change or falter, but she leaned back onto the pillow.
Slowly, Nate pulled the panties down her legs and tossed them aside. He traced circular patterns on one leg while planting kisses slowly up the other. She whimpered and he smiled against her upper thigh.
Her legs opened wider and his finger found her warm and ready, and she let out low, throaty moans with each light, careful stroke.
Even though he wanted to plunge deep inside her, he resisted. He wanted everything about this moment to last, so he continued to stroke her and watched her face as she moaned and writhed.
He wanted to watch her tumble over that edge. He slid a finger inside her, and she gasped. Her eyes opened and held his as he slid the second finger in, and found her clitoris with his thumb. With their eyes locked, it only took a few strokes for her to buck against his fingers and let out a cry.
The need to be inside her was roaring through his veins, through his mind. His body covered hers and he nipped at her earlobe. “I have a condom in my wallet. Just have to get my pants.”
She shook her head and pushed him off as she reached over to the nightstand and pulled a box of condoms out of her purse. “I bought these when I left your place.”
“I certainly like a well-prepared woman.”
She grinned, a wicked, sexy grin, and ripped open the box and detached a condom. When she rolled it onto his aching cock teasingly, he almost whimpered.
He thought of teasing her in return, of teasing himself, but the moment he was positioned between her legs, he plunged deep inside her. Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper.
He covered her mouth with his, afraid if she kept making these breathless moaning noises he wouldn’t last very long at all. She kissed him back, meeting each thrust, her groans low rumbles in her throat, mixing with his as their tongues tangled together.
Nate held on to control. She was so close, her movements more frantic, her legs pulling him in deeper, but he couldn’t let go until she did.
And when she did, and when he did, he had the idiotic thought something important had just happened.
Chapter Three
A high-pitched beep nudged Vivvy out of sleep. Without even opening her eyes she reached to turn off her phone alarm, but her hand landed on one large, solid male.
She opened her eyes, unable to school the grin that broke out on her face. He was lying on his stomach, head buried in the pillow, impressive back bare and stretched out. Now this, this was a nice way to wake up. Not having to worry about what was missing, what she wasn’t feeling, because last night hadn’t been about feeling. It had been about mind-blowing casual sex.
Yee-haw to Kansas.
“Would you shut that damn thing off?” Nate mumbled into the pillow.
Still smiling, she reached over him to the table where her phone beeped. She let her body graze his as she switched the alarm off. “You really aren’t much of a morning person, are you?”
He grumbled something incomprehensible into his pillow, but he didn’t move. So Vivvy studied the hard muscle of his back until the chill of the room had her searching out warmth under the sheet…next to him.
He shifted onto his side, and something inside her chest shifted and tumbled as he pulled her closer to him. Wow.
“I don’t know why I feel compelled to tell you this, but I don’t do the whole one-night-stand thing very often.” Did it matter? She’d done it now and with very satisfying results, and yet there was some part of her that wanted to make it clear she didn’t go around sleeping with every potential TV star.
His mouth nuzzled into her neck, and the feel of his warm body next to hers churned her desire all over again. Morning sex? Yes, please.
“If you don’t do this very often,” he began, his fingers working under the blanket to her breast. “Why me?”
Vivvy’s breath wasn’t steady as he brought her nipple to hardened peak. “Because you’re hot.” She laughed when he grinned. “And because I know enough about you and your family to be reasonably sure you’re not insane or a serial killer.”
“Reasonably sure?” He quirked one eyebrow up and then leveraged his body over hers.
“Well, there’s always a chance. Sometimes the risk is worth the reward.” He was already hard and she was ready. This man was something special. She reached for the box of condoms.
“You are one unique woman, Vivvy.”
“Yes.” She watched his face as she unwrapped the condom onto the hard length of him.
“It occurs to me you’re here for a week.” His head bent, took a nipple into his mouth, nibbled.
“Yes.” It was little more than a squeak, but she couldn’t feel foolish. He had a very skilled mouth.
“So, this doesn’t have to be just a one-night stand.” He moved over to the other breast, still resisting entering her. “It could be something like a seven-night stand.”
“I like the way you think, Mr. Harrington.” She let her fingers trail through his thick hair, arched up toward him, but he held himself just out of reach.
“Bring a change of clothes with you today. Tonight, we’ll head out to my place. You can stay if you like instead of driving out to Addington.”
“I don’t know. I’m only reasonably sure you’re not a serial killer. If you have some kind of Unabomber cabin in the woods, it might be a deal-breaker.”
He grinned down at her. “Wouldn’t you want to take your chances with a serial killer over cockroach infestation?”
Vivvy squeezed her eyes shut. “I was really hoping that’s not what I saw when we came in.”
“Look, you’re more than welcome at my place, whenever. I’ve got a guest room and no cockroaches, rodents, or sketchy stains on my carpet. Promise.”
“You do look a little more trustworthy than the guy who checked me in last night. Not to mention, death by hot serial killer who I had some amazing
consensual sex with might be better than that guy breaking into my room.”
“Bring your stuff today, and if things get weird or uncomfortable you can always head out to Addington.” His mouth found hers, moved persuasively against it. His hand moved down her body, causing her to forget about cockroaches.
It was only a slightly crazy suggestion, definitely better than staying at Ivy Vines another night. She doubted she’d sleep if she were alone. A forty-five-minute drive each day was not appealing, and well…it wasn’t like she couldn’t leave Nate’s place if it got weird. Besides, more of this? Why was she resisting?
“Live dangerously, Viv,” he murmured against her ear.
She had the feeling that’s exactly what she was doing. When he slid inside her, she didn’t give a damn.
…
It was ten thirty by the time Vivvy reached Harrington Airfield. Getting herself back in business shape after a night and morning with Nate had taken her longer than anticipated.
Some part of her brain figured this afternoon would be awkward. Should be awkward. It was new territory for her. She’d never become involved with anyone related to her job. Not because she was morally opposed to it. More because the situation had never presented itself.
It was rare that Vivvy thought about more than business these days. It amused her that an airplane mechanic from Kansas, of all places, had been enticing enough to break through her usual focused cool.
She could deal with that. It wasn’t as if his prowess in the bedroom was making her look at this TV show potential, it was Nate himself. Someone she could see excelling in front of a camera, and if the family had half his potential, the possibility for success was well and truly there.
Take that, Lee and Gerry and squeaky-voiced Deanna.
Vivvy drove onto the lot of Harrington Airfield and parked her car. The nerves she expected never materialized. There was something easy about Nate. No matter what they were doing, it felt comfortable.
She stepped out of the car. It was another warm late-summer day with blue sky and a whole lot of nothing as far as the eye could see. The bleakness might hold some appeal if a camera panned the buildings of the airport at just the right angle.