by TC Matson
Five points in and Nathan walks to the net, crooking his finger at me. “Can I change our bet? Just mine and yours. We win, you come to my place for dinner.”
Playfully, I scowl. “Are you preying on the weak?”
Chuckling, he spreads his hands and bows his head. “Please retract my counteroffer.”
I giggle, jogging backward and fake a stumble. These boys have no idea what’s about to hit them.
We get back to the game, hitting the ball back and forth. They’re up eight points to our nothing when Aimee calls a time out.
“Hold on!” she shouts out and jogs to me with a gleam in her eyes. “The Abs show time?”
I give a curt nod smiling. “The Abs show time.”
“They switch between strong and weak side. I say we alternate with them. You stay with your guy and I’ll keep up with Cody.”
“Time for flowers,” I sing quietly.
We move back into our proper positions. “What kind of flowers do you like?” Aimee asks Cody.
Cody licks his lips. “I’m not really a flower guy. How about losers get flowers?”
“Okay. That sounds good,” Aimee bubbles out sounding like a complete ditz.
“I’ll make them colorful for you. Roses, lilies, daises. I’ll send them all.” Cody smirks.
“Thank you for the thought,” she flirts, stepping back to the serve line.
Tossing it up, she serves and it lands perfectly in the middle between the guys. They didn’t expect that and it’s written on their faces.
One ace in the hole. Point for us.
This time they were a bit readier, and Nathan was there to bump it back. I set and Aimee jumps, hitting it over the net.
Point two.
We play a few minutes and they don’t score once, but we do. Twice.
“Are you letting us score?” I ask innocently with a devilish grin.
Nathan rakes his teeth over his bottom lip and shakes his head. That look, that intense adoration filled with lust is panty melting.
We play hard the next several points and soon it’s ten to ten. They realized we hustled them points ago and they got more serious, which makes us work harder. Back in high school, Aimee and I were a force to be reckoned with on the team. We were called the Abs show, short for our names. The people in the stands would hold signs and cheer us on. We had the best damn team. But after graduating, I never looked back. I haven’t even thought about playing until today and it’s made me realize just how much I missed it.
Nathan is up front. Cody positioned in the back. They’ve learned. It’s my turn to serve and I hit it. Then I run up front just as Cody sets it and Nathan slams it over the net. Jumping, it looks like I’m about to slam it back. Nathan quickly leaps to block it, but deception is such a beautiful thing. Instead of doing what he thinks I am, I dump it at his feet. Winking at him, I sashay my ass back to my teammate and slap a high five to her hand.
Now it’s twelve to fourteen, us in the lead. Funny thing about being a point away from the win is how hard the other team will scramble and fight harder. Cody serves it.
Aimee sets it. “Bang it!” she says as I leap to spike it with all my might.
It slices over the net, past Nathan’s hands, and hits the ground.
“Nectar, baby!” I scream, fist pumping the air and then slamming a hug into Aimee. “We’ve still got it!”
We turn, both of us flexing our muscles. “Welcome to the Abs show!” we yell in unison and then crack up.
Aimee winks to Cody. “I’ll make sure yours are colorful too.”
Nathan’s standing there with the ball between his arm and hip, grinning, his chest heaving. “Well played.”
“Regional champions for three years straight,” I triumphantly reply.
* * *
Holy shit, I hate myself. I am so sore I can barely walk. The trampoline park has nothing on the forces of volleyball. Work today is gruesome. My legs hurt to move and hurt to stand still. The muscles in my abdomen scream when I twist, walk, hell, even breathe. Back in high school, I could handle grueling practices and games, but now that I don’t have to, shit. Aimee feels the same way. She called me on the way to work this morning almost in tears. We laughed at how out of shape we were and whined at how badly it hurt to laugh.
Nathan: Call me when you take lunch.
For two hours, I’ve smiled at that text. I know what it’s about—the flowers. That night, Aimee and I picked out the ones we wanted to send them and had them delivered today. As I clock out for lunch, my phone is to my ear before I can get out the door.
“Hi,” Nathan answers. “Hold on for a one second.”
There are shuffling noises, a few voices, and then quietness creeps in before he returns to the phone.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I? If you need to call me—”
“No. I’m fine. I wanted to thank you for my flowers. I’ve never received any before and now I understand why women like them so much.”
Bursting out laughing, I slap my hand over my mouth. I sent him a beautiful and vibrant floral medley with lilies, roses and hot pink daisies—best suited for a woman and completely unfit for a man.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like them,” I finally get out.
“What’s the get well soon balloon for?”
I get tickled again. “Your bruised ego.”
It’s his turn to laugh. “Makes sense.”
“Have you seen Cody’s yet?”
“No. He’s been buried in a meeting. Did he get a balloon too?” he asks.
“His comes with a teddy bear.”
He bellows another laugh. “You two are pretty damn evil.”
“And you two should be ashamed of yourselves for deliberately preying on us,” I tease light heartedly.
“Can you blame me? I thought for sure I could bet a dinner and we’d win. Instead you two shoved our bets in our faces.” He chuckles. “Since we lost, I’ll have to ask outright. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”
I run my lip through my teeth. “Only if you let me pay for it.”
“I get it, Brooklyn.” He sighs. “You’re not in it for the money, but the man in me will not allow you to pay for anything.”
I refuse to allow him to pay for another meal or trick me into one he made. What about… “What if I cook the dinner? Will the man in you let me?”
“You want to cook for me?” Surprise laces his tone.
“I’m no fancy chef, but I can make a killer spaghetti.”
“I’ll be there. Just tell me what time.”
“Seven?”
There’s a pause before he says, “Text me the address and I’ll be there.”
TWENTY-TWO
I hope he wasn’t in the mood for spaghetti. I just spit out the first thing that came to mind so I could actually pay for a dinner. When I left work, I ran by the Chinese restaurant and grabbed a slew of food—fried rice, lo Mein, general Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli, and four egg rolls. Hopefully I got something he’ll enjoy. If not, my lunch and dinner are covered for the next few days.
I’ve changed and am setting out the plates and silverware when the knock on the door has me three seconds shy of a panic attack. It’s been a year since a man has been in my home and now Nathan is about to step into my world. I don’t have the things he does, nor the money. I live simplistically and I like it.
Breathing in courage, I pull open the door. Nathan’s in a dark gray suit with a blue tie holding a bottle of wine.
“Uh, hi.” My nerves show up front and center. I push open the door, “Come in.”
My little house has an open floor plan so when he steps into the living room, the Chinese food boxes stare back at him.
“Please tell me you didn’t—”
“I did,” I interrupt. “I can’t cook.” I admit abashedly, kicking the floor under my feet.
“Maybe one day I can show you a thing or two?” He sets the wine on the coun
ter.
I start giggling under my breath. “I didn’t think any of this through. I have nothing to drink other than water or soda. And tequila.”
He shrugs out of his jacket, removes his tie, and unbuttons the top two buttons. Holy mother of hotness…My mouth runs dry. By the way he’s looking at me with heat glazing over his eyes, he knows it.
“I, uh. Let’s eat.”
Rushing past him, I begin opening all the boxes praying I made the right choices.
We never make it to the table. Instead we eat while standing in the middle of my kitchen and talk about everything. About my day. His. About me kicking his ass in volleyball and how we figured they were recreational players. We weren’t wrong, by the way.
“I’ll take that shot now,” he says, standing behind me as I stack our dishes into the sink.
Me too. Grabbing two shot glasses and the tequila, I pour us two shots and hand him one. As he tosses it back, his gaze stays locked onto mine, and when I hiss through the burn, a sexy smirk slips across his lips.
“Show me this reading place you’re always talking about,” he says and it makes my chest squeeze.
He follows behind me as I pull open the sliding glass door and step out onto the back porch. When I bought this house, it needed a lot of work, and for years I put a lot of time and money into it. Back here was a run down, cement slab overgrown with grass. I changed that. I added a pergola with a fabric shaded roof. White flowing curtains are draped at the corners, tied to the posts. A small round gas fire pit sits in the middle with two chaise loungers around it.
“It’s my piece of heaven,” I say proudly.
“It’s beautiful.” He turns to me.
“My house wasn’t in the best of shape when I bought it but being unloved is what made me want it. I could see through it all and I instantly fell in love with it. I’ve done a ton of work.” I scrunch my nose. “I made it mine.”
His lips contort to the side, his eyes squinting. “You did well.”
“Not as extravagant as yours, but it’s everything I want.”
The way he’s studying me is like he’s staring straight into my soul. I feel bashful all of a sudden as heat sizzles my skin. The pull…it grips my heart and I fight with all my might to not let it haul me into him.
“You’re incredible,” he states simply and takes a step to me.
My breath hitches and I swallow as he runs his thumb across my jaw.
“I want you. I want you as mine.”
Oh shit. His voice is so low it rumbles against my skin.
“I know you’re feeling this too.”
“Yes,” I exhale breathlessly.
Bending, he whispers his lips across mine. “Then let me have you.”
Every emotion I’ve experienced from him, from the hurt to all the excitement, comes crashing over me. All the sexual attraction that has been growing and churning deep in my body explodes and suddenly, I’m frenzied to have him. I don’t give a damn about the omissions. My body wants him. I want him.
I slam my mouth to his, pulling him closer by his shirt. His fingers wrap around my hips and he tugs me flush against his body. Our kiss is everything passionate and it consumes me. I moan against him as he twists my hair into his hand.
“We need…” I pant. “Inside. Neighbors.”
Without taking his mouth away, he backs me into the house, biting and sucking on my bottom lip as he shoves the door closed behind him…my hair still tangled in his hand. He drags his tongue down my neck, gently sinking his teeth into the skin on my clavicle. Explosions of desire flash behind my eyelids, lust pooling deep in my stomach.
Frantically, I work the buttons of his shirt, desperate to feel his bare skin against my fingertips as he walks me backward. Just as impatient as I am, he finishes yanking his shirt off his shoulders, tosses it, and then spreads his hands against my waist. He drags them up, removing my shirt over my head. Taking me into his arms, he cradles my head as he captures my lips and reaches behind me expertly unsnapping my bra. Slowly leaning back, he pulls my straps down my arms.
His eyes are glazed with heat as he leans me back onto the bed. I have no idea how we got here, and I don’t give a damn either. His mouth is back on mine as he reaches between us and unbuttons my jeans. Standing, he rakes his view over my body, pulls his wallet out and grabs a condom, tossing it on the bed beside me before shoving out of his slacks.
His glorious body is naked before me—smooth tan skin, a defined chest that tapers to a flat stomach. Hair lines the path to his dick…his sensationally large and hard dick.
Our chests are heaving, my heart hammering in my chest so loudly I can almost promise he can hear it. He hasn’t taken his eyes off me. The way he looks at me is full of want and hunger.
“We cross this line, you’re mine,” he says hoarsely.
Swallowing all my insecurities, I nod. “Yes.”
He drags his tongue between my folds and over my clit. My hips push off the bed before he moves up my stomach. His tongue darts over my hard nipples that are aching for his attention as he settles above me. His hand softly traces down my ribs and then he grabs the condom and sheathes himself.
Poising the tip of his dick at my entrance, he eases into me. I gasp, sucking in a breath and whimpering at the intensity. My eyes roll as he slides in fully.
“Mmmmm… Jesus, Brooklyn,” he hums thickly.
As he drags himself out and embeds back in, my body engulfs in a heat that spreads goosebumps over me. He rocks, picking up the pace and thrusting deeper.
“Oh my god,” I choke out.
Pushing up to his knees, he spreads my thighs wider and digs his fingers into my skin while driving into me. Every push and pull hits a spot and the buildup to my orgasm begins a fiery sweep through my veins. Lights flicker behind my eyelids, and tension tightens my muscles. It’s been too long and he feels…wow.
He’s focused on me, eyes a menacing desire. It makes me feel sexily beautiful and wanted. Definitely wanted. His thumb circles my clit as he gyrates into me and the buildup bursts. I cry out, arching off the bed and gripping the sheets. He wraps his arm around my back and hauls me to sit up onto his thighs. Folding me into his arms, he snakes them up my back, using my shoulders to bury himself deeper as he pumps upward into me.
I’m wriggling against him as I bounce on his dick. This angle, this position, he’s so deep and my orgasm crashes through me. I want to beg for more, scream his name, cry from pleasure. Holy shit he’s amazing.
Grabbing a handful of hair, he pulls my face to the ceiling and laps at my jawline continuing his beautiful delve into me. As my orgasm subsides, he drops me back to the bed, pinning my body against the mattress and drives, thrusting so hard my body ignites again and I’m slammed into another explosion of ecstasy.
The sounds of our skin connecting and the urgency in our breaths echo when suddenly his body tenses and he comes.
“Oh fuuuck,” he groans, drawing out into a moan, and roots himself deeply with a few more thrusts.
We’re silent together as we try catching our breaths. He feathers kisses all over me, my jaw, my neck, shoulders, and then a soft one on my lips.
The depth of passion storming his eyes causes my heart to squeeze. I’m falling and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve tried fighting, but there’s just no use. Nathan Bennett has captured my heart.
The bed dips as he gets up and heads to the bathroom to get rid of the condom. I’m sexually sedated—utterly satisfied by the sexiest fricking man I know.
Lucky me.
Naked, he slides back into bed, pulling me into his chest, and lazily drags a finger over my arm. “You okay?”
I smile. “Perfect.”
“Can I stay with you tonight?” he asks.
My heart flutters. “I have to be at work tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll have to leave at seven anyway,” he says.
I look up to him. “I’ve slept alone for a long time, so if I steal all the covers, d
on’t get mad.”
As he stares into my eyes, his grin slowly fades into something sensual that I can feel wrapping around my heart. “If it gets too much, you’ll tell me. Right? I have two new hotels being built so that means I’ll be gone a lot for a while. Promise me if it becomes hard to deal with, you’ll talk to me.”
“I promise,” I reply.
He kisses my forehead. “Goodnight, Brooklyn.”
TWENTY-THREE
Warm silky skin is nuzzled into my side, her arm draped over my stomach. She didn’t move much last night and when she did, her hand never left my body. I’ve been awake for forty-five minutes, lying here and listening to her soft breaths, watching her.
Her dark hair is fanned out a little wildly on the pillow behind her. She’s tranquil, all her features relaxed as she sleeps. Last night, without a doubt, was phenomenal. And it further proved that no amount of fighting it helps. I’m falling and it’s as exhilarating as it is scary. I wasn’t looking to fall in love. I wasn’t looking for anything when I agreed to do the speed dating event, but Brooklyn captured me the moment I saw her four tables down. I was drawn to her and over the month I’ve gotten to know her, she’s shown me just how beautiful she is inside and out, even when I’ve screwed up. It’s what makes her irresistible.
Outside her window, a blue haze begins to lighten the sky as the sun begins to make its journey over the horizon. I check my watch—six twenty. Fuck.
Easily, I slide my arm out from under her, but she begins to stir and then blesses me with the most beautiful gaze. I could definitely get used to that in the morning.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “I’ve got to get up.” Leaning to her, I give her a soft kiss. “It’s early. Go back to sleep.”
“I don’t want you to go yet,” she replies quietly, sinking her teeth into her plump bottom lip.
My dick stirs. From the way she’s looking at me, I know what’s on her mind and I smirk. Tracing my fingers between her thighs, I ask, “What do you want, Brooklyn?”