"Mom, this is David Mazur." Natalie introduced me with a smile. "David this is my mother, Victoria Spencer."
"Hello, Mrs. Spencer." I gave her my best smile and reached a hand out to her. She lifted her hand with her palm down, and I took it gently, lifting it up to place a kiss on the back of it. "Now I see where Natalie gets her beauty." I knew I was laying it on kind of thick, but Natalie's mother ate it up. Her smile widened as she released my hand.
"Please, David, call me Victoria," she said as her cheeks blushed a little from my compliment. I noticed the slight wry twist of Natalie's lips out of the corner of my eye and had to fight the smirk that tried to play across my own lips.
"Hi, Daddy," Natalie said in a happy voice. I turned to see an attractive older man in a black tuxedo approaching us. He had perfectly-styled graying blond hair and sharp dark-blue eyes. I had a feeling this was where Natalie had gotten her keen intelligence and wit.
"Hi, Natie," he said, his eyes softening as they focused on his daughter. I was relieved that as dysfunctional as Natalie said her family was; they still obviously cared about each other.
Natalie introduced me to her father, John Spencer. He was polite, yet reserved, which I chalked up to him being a protective father. I was respectful and polite. This was a man I had to earn respect from, and I couldn't get that through compliments and flattery.
We all made small talk for a few minutes, and I answered all their questions about myself honestly. They actually seemed impressed by my job as a psych nurse, which relieved me. Some people were pretty judgmental of male nurses, and I was glad not to deal with that tonight. The conversation was fairly easy, and I noticed Natalie had finally relaxed and her nerves were gone.
"Oh, good," Victoria said as her eyes focused behind me. "There's Ford."
I turned and saw a tall broad-shouldered man approaching us on crutches with one foot in a gray walking boot. He was wearing a charcoal suit with no tie, the top button undone. His blond hair was chin length, and his short beard was scruffy and thick. The suit didn't do anything to hide how imposing he was, and that he didn't really fit in here at all, nor did he want to. I took a closer look at his face as he approached us and was hit with a sudden jolt of recognition. My body stiffened. Ford Spencer. The name finally clicked in my head. I had never made the connection until now. An old resentful anger welled up inside me. This man was the bane of my existence my freshman and sophomore years in high school. He bullied Ben and I mercilessly, mentally and physically. It had been a relief when he had finally graduated before my Junior year. What were the fucking chances I'd end up dating his sister?
Ford stopped in front of us and eyed me suspiciously, but I didn't see any hint of recognition at all. It pissed me off that this person, who had affected my life so much, didn't even remember me. Natalie glanced at me with concern, and I realized I needed to calm down. She didn't know I had a past with her brother, and I didn't want to cause her any problems right now. I could tell her about it later, and hope she was okay with it. For now, I put on my game face and smiled politely at her brother.
"Ford, this is my date, David Mazur," she introduced me. "David, meet my big brother, Ford Spencer."
Hello," I said evenly as I reached out to shake Ford's hand. His grip was firm and confident. I had half expected him to squeeze my hand until it hurt, or acknowledge our past in some way, but he still didn't remember me as far as I could tell. I ground my teeth together, trying to rein in my growing temper again.
"It's nice to meet you, man." His voice was deep and just as intimidating as I remembered, which infuriated me to no end. Fortunately, I was saved before saying something snide that I'd regret by an announcement that dinner was about to be served. It was even better when Ford sat on the opposite end of his family from me. I didn't think that I would be able to stomach being seated next to him.
Dinner was uneventful as I chatted with Natalie and her mother; her father joined in occasionally. Ford remained relatively quiet, only adding to the conversation when prompted by his mother or Natalie. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here, but he was respectful to his mother and civil with his father. The tension that Natalie had told me about between Ford and his father was there, but neither of them acknowledged it tonight.
We sat through the awards and charity auction. It was kind of boring, but I was here to make Natalie happy, and I was content with that, even if Ford was sitting at the table making me angry every time I looked at him. A few times he eyed me sharply, and I realized I wasn't hiding my animosity as well as I thought.
Close to the end of the night, Natalie and her mother excused themselves from the table to use the restroom and John rose to go speak with an acquaintance of his. To my horror, I was left sitting at the table with Ford, and no buffer between us. To make matters worse, Ford started scooting himself from one chair to the other until he was sitting next me and eyed me intently.
He leaned in close before he spoke. "Just so you know; I love my sister, and I'd do anything for her." His voice was low and menacing as he stared me down. "Including kicking the ass of any piece of shit that thinks he can fuck her over or break her heart. Understand?"
My control snapped as rage surged up inside me. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I hissed out quietly in a low tone as I glared back at him, holding our eye contact. "This is how it's going to be? Fifteen years later and you're still bullying people? Don't you think it's time you fucking grew up Ford, or wasn't fucking with me for two goddamn years in high school enough?" It took all my effort to keep my voice from rising as each word came out clipped and filled with animosity, my teeth tightly clenched together.
Ford's head flew back in surprise, his eyes widening as he looked at me. "Shit," he breathed out as he finally recognized me.
"Yeah, shit is right," I growled out. "If you think that you can bully me into staying away from Natalie, then you're in for a fucking fight because I care about her, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm not the same teenage boy you can push around anymore so you might as well back the fuck off."
"Whoa, whoa." Ford leaned back into his chair, his hands up in a placating gesture. "Calm down, David. That's not what I'm trying to do here at all." His voice was apologetic, which shocked me into silence. "I'm not that asshole anymore, man. I was so fucked up back then. I'm sorry for what I did to you and your friend. My parents were going through a really nasty divorce, and I didn't cope with it at all. I know that's not an excuse, but I was in a really bad place, and I took it out on everyone around me, including you. I was a real dick, man. I am so sorry."
I sat there staring at him in stunned silence for several long moments. His face was distraught and filled with sincere regret. It skewed every opinion about this man I had been carrying around for fifteen years; the anger, the resentment, and the hurt. I didn't realize how much I was still clinging to it, until I saw him again tonight. Maybe this was my opportunity to let all of it go and really move on.
"I don't blame you, if you can't forgive me," Ford said with a shake of his head. "I did some horrible things to you, but I want you to know that I'm truly sorry. I wasn't trying to chase you away from Natalie. It's just that the last guy she dated was a real doormat, and she deserves better than that."
"You mean Lucas?" I asked as I finally found my voice again.
"Yeah," Ford answered with a snort of disdain. "The guy is a real tool. He keeps bothering her and won't accept that it's over."
"He won't be a problem anymore," I told Ford, who looked at me curiously as I gave him a small smile. "I sent him on his way when he tried to hijack our date last weekend. I don't think he'll be bothering her anymore." I told him what happened and that got a wide grin out of him, making him look almost boyish even with the scruffy beard.
"Well, it's good to know that Natie isn't with another pussy who won't stand up for himself," he said with a wry twist of his mouth.
"Thanks," I said with amusement, wondering when we had stepped into an alternate unive
rse where bullies apologized for what they had done, and their victims ended up kind of liking them.
Ford's face turned serious again. "Are we good?" he asked with conviction. "I don't want there to be bad blood between us, and I don't want to mess up your relationship with my sister. I think she really likes you."
My anger just bled away. What good was holding on to it, if the cause of it was sitting here next to me apologizing? I had worked with enough kids and teenagers that had been damaged by divorce that I could understand what had caused Ford to lash out at the people around him. I didn't doubt his sincerity at all. Holding on to this grudge was pointless now.
"We're good, Ford," I said with a nod and a genuine smile. "It's water under the bridge now."
His relief was almost palpable as he sighed with relief. "I am sorry, David, and if you still keep in contact with your friend could you tell him that? I'm sorry I can't remember his name." His face looked pained with that admission.
"His name is Ben Wiley," I said. "And I'll tell him when I see him next week."
He glanced behind me for a second. "Here comes Natie. I'd better get back to my seat."
I watched Ford scoot back over to his chair, pondering the unexpected turn of events tonight, until I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. I could smell her before I even turned to look at her. Natalie's smile made my chest tighten again and when she said my name, a rush of pleasure filled me. I took her hand in mine as she sat down and smiled back at her feeling deep things for her that filled me with fear. It occurred to me that if I could let go of the resentful anger and hurt I had for her brother for all these years, maybe I really could let go of the fear and anger that had kept me alone for so long. I didn't want to go back to that dark place and be that sad angry person anymore. The light on this side was too beautiful to be denied anymore. The person I was becoming again was someone I really wanted to be, and I wanted to be that person with Natalie.
Chapter Nine
Natalie
I woke Sunday morning to the feel of soft kisses on my face and the masculine scent of David all around me. I opened my eyes sleepily to find his face hovering above mine with a gentle smile on his face. He bent his head down and kissed my lips slowly and softly, letting me feel everything he was feeling. It was amazing and terrifying; I didn't want it to end. I had never felt quite this depth of emotion in his kiss before, and it blew me away. I curled my fingers into his hair and kissed him back, trying to show him that I felt the same powerful connection between us. When it ended, I was breathless and rattled to the core. Was I falling in love with this man?
"Ty moe povitrya," David whispered as his eyes filled with affection, and he brushed my hair from my face. I gave him a questioning look, wondering what he said. "You are my air," he whispered again. "It's a Ukrainian endearment, sweetheart." He didn't elaborate; he just kissed me again, breathing me in and overwhelming my senses. Desire pooled inside me, rising up and threatening to drown me. I moaned into David's mouth as he slid his right hand down my body and squeezed one of my breasts then pinched my nipple firmly. His hand continued down my belly until his fingers slid between the folds of my pussy, finding me already wet and ready. He moaned low in his chest and lifted his head. "I need you, Natalie," he said softly, his blue eyes needy and desperate.
"Please, David," I begged shamelessly. I couldn't get enough of him. I couldn't breath without him inside me. He shifted until he was on top of me, his weight resting on his forearms and his hips lined up with mine.
"Put me inside you," he whispered as his soft beard ghosted across my cheek. "Please."
I reached down and gripped his cock; the soft skin stretched over unbelievable hardness. I rubbed the tip through my wet folds then watched David's face as I lined him up with my entrance and felt him slowly slide himself into me. His eyelids fluttered, his lips parting as he sighed with pleasure. He stilled as he hit the end of me, shuddering as he fought for control. I did that to him, and the thought filled me with a deep feminine satisfaction. It felt so good that I almost came, but I fought it down, knowing that waiting until he let me come would make it that much better later. David taught me that.
Finally, he began to move slowly inside me. It wasn't the usual hard dominate fucking that I loved, but equally as intense and just as pleasurable. He took his time, taking us there slowly but surely, yet still enjoying the ride along the way. He began kissing me again, his lips slow yet demanding on mine. I dug my nails into his back, knowing how much he loved it when I marked him.
"Don't come until I say," he whispered against my lips. I smiled. I was already going to do that anyway. His control in bed was such a turn on, and giving my pleasure over to him was easy and always felt right. No one had ever put so much effort into making sure I got as much pleasure out of sex as I could, then David.
My climax began to rise up inside me, David's deep measured strokes taking me higher and higher. I felt my body tensing up. "Hold on, sweetheart," David said softly. "Wait for me. I'm almost there." His voice was strained and tremulous, his body shaking as he chased after our release.
I decided to help him along as my control started to slip. I latched my teeth into his lower lip, biting down hard and sucking on it aggressively. He gasped then let out a low moan. His body tensed, and his thrusts became deeper and harder. "Now, Natalie," he groaned out. "Come now."
I screamed his name as the orgasm propelled me into ecstasy, my body flooding with pure pleasure. My nails sank deeper into his back as his body contracted and expanded, his cock jerking inside me as we came. He bellowed out my name as he pushed deeply into me, our bodies pressed together tightly, our mouths breathing each other in.
When it was over, David still hovered over me with his lips next to my ear. "Ty moe povitrya, my Natalie," he whispered shakily. "You are my air." A burst of pleasure that had nothing to do with sex hit me, and I knew the truth. I was desperately in love with this man, but I didn't dare to tell him yet. I knew he was afraid. I saw the fear ghost across his face almost every time we connected on a deeper emotional level, and I didn't want to overwhelm him or frighten him away. I would bide my time and wait for him to admit the truth to himself and accept it, because I knew he loved me too. I felt it in my bones. I just needed to be patient while he worked through his fear and figured it out for himself.
He rolled over onto his side, leaving me bereft as his softening cock slipped out of me. However, I got over it quickly as he wrapped himself around me and pulled me close, tucking my head under his chin and twining his legs with mine. I pressed my hands to the fine hairs on his chest, feeling his heart still beating fast from our love making. There was a long pregnant silence, and for one brief second I almost thought he was going to tell me that he loved me, but he sighed deeply and the moment was gone.
"What do you want for breakfast, sweetheart?" he asked me in a gentle tone.
"I already had what I wanted," I told him as I smiled.
"And it was incredible." He nuzzled his nose into my hair. "But when the high wears off we'll be hungry."
"I want an omelet with ham and cheese."
"I can do that," he said. "Anything else?"
"Fruit and coffee."
"I've got all that, and some champagne and orange juice if you want a mimosa."
"Oh my God," I blurted out as I pulled my head back to look at him with a wide grin. "You are the perfect man, aren't you?"
"I'm not perfect," he admitted with a smirk. "I'm just a great planner. That and chicks always go crazy every time someone mentions even the possibility of a mimosa."
"Is that how you lured all those unsuspecting women into your bed?" I regretted the question as soon as it came out of my mouth.
A flash of shame crossed his eyes. "I never made breakfast for any of them," he said in a monotone as he averted his gaze from mine.
"David." I touched his cheek as I said his name softly. "I'm sorry. I was just joking around." He looked back at me, his face softening.
&n
bsp; "I fooled myself into thinking that it didn't bother me at the time," he said. "I wish I could take back all the meaningless sex I had. I was miserable and couldn't even admit it to myself. Sex without an emotional connection doesn't do it for me. It never has and I was a deluded idiot." His face was distraught, and I hated Paige even more.
"What did she do to you?" I asked in a trembling voice as anger at this woman I didn't even know came over me.
"She took everything from me," he whispered as his eyes darkened with anger and pain. He shut his eyes and pulled me in close again. "But I'm fighting to get it back."
I cuddled in close to him, giving him the comfort he so desperately needed right now. He held me for several minutes as I listened to the slow steady beat of his heart. I love you, David. I let the thought flow through me, willing him to feel it, even if I couldn't say it out loud yet; and I swear his arms tightened around me a little more.
"Ty moe povitrya," he whispered in my ear. "My Natalie."
His. I was his, but he was mine too.
"My David," I whispered back, and he pressed his lips gently to my temple.
"Yes."
It wasn't an "I love you," but it was enough. I heard so much love in that one syllable that I knew I would wait as long as it took for him to say it out loud.
**********
"What are you doing next Saturday night?" David asked me. We were curled up on his couch together with his arm around my shoulders, watching TV after dinner and sipping on white wine. Not only had he made me breakfast, but he had also made lunch and dinner for us. He was a very good cook, and everything had been delicious.
"I have a date with some hot guy," I replied as I put my wine glass on the coffee table and turned to face him. I leaned toward him, and lowered my voice conspiratorially. "I'm fairly certain he'll put out too."
"That's a guarantee," he said with a sexy smile as he nuzzled my earlobe until I giggled, then nipped it gently. I let out a small moan of pleasure. "I have a wedding to go to, and I wanted you to be my date."
You Are My Air: Breathless Book 1 Page 19