The idea of me seducing anyone, let alone Nathan, was laughable. But I had made a decision. Not one based on rational thought, but one based on desire, and emotion. And I was feeling damned happy with that decision, disappointment over tonight’s cancelled plans notwithstanding.
So laughable it might be, but I was going for it. Sunday could not get here fast enough.
NPreston: Why wait til Sunday? Come with me.
Oh. My. God.
Go with him? Surely he wasn’t serious.
My hands felt clammy as they hovered above my keyboard. Of course I had just been seriously plotting out my seduction plan, but still. Going from dinner and sex to a weekend out of town trip? Where would I stay? Should I be getting my own hotel room? What if Bailey, Isaac, or god forbid, Roger Preston found out?
Geez, Reagan. What happened to just living, and doing things because you wanted to? Stop with the overanalyzing already!
RAndrews: Is that a good idea?
NPreston: Best one I’ve had in a long time. Please?
NPreston: Stop. I know what you’re doing. Don’t overthink this. Just say yes.
I smiled at my screen. He already knew me so well.
RAndrews: What about work?
NPreston: What about it?
Really?
NPreston: Don’t worry about that. It’s fine.
RAndrews: Okay. I think. If you’re sure . . .
NPreston: Yes, I’m sure ;) I have a late meeting so I’ll pick you up at your place @ 7.
NPreston: And Reagan? It’s okay. Trust me, baby ;)
The strange, surprising thing was, I did.
“Nathan, what is this place?” I looked around warily, questioning Nathan’s emphatic boast that Gino’s was truly the best pizza to ever cross his lips. We’d been on the road for just over an hour when he’d pulled into a parking lot, that while full, appeared to be sitting in the middle of an inner city gang war zone.
He unbuckled his seat belt and laughed. “Scared? Don’t be. Everyone knows you don’t mess with Gino. Besides,” he added as he opened his door. “I got you.”
His confidence did nothing to bolster mine, and I may have held his arm and walked too close to him as we made our way inside. If the parking lot was any indication, Gino’s was seriously busy.
Nathan held open the door for me as I entered the restaurant, immediately assailed with the aroma of tomato sauce, oregano and garlic. My stomach growled in response. I hadn’t eaten since lunch at the office and I was starving.
“Nathan!”
I turned to see a short man coming our way, shuffling through the throngs of people. A tomato sauce stained apron covered his wide girth, and unruly black hair stuck out from his head in all directions. I appeared to be taller than he was, and I stared in disbelief as Nathan greeted the man with a smile and a bear hug. This was Gino, the man who supposedly struck fear in the heart of the underworld? What were they afraid of? That he would sit on them?
Shaking my head at myself, I plastered a smile on my face as Nathan made introductions. “And this, is Reagan.”
Gino turned to me, arms wide, and I hastily thrust my hand out between us. There was no way this man was wrapping those meaty arms around me; I felt faint at the thought. As it was, he grasped my hand in both of his and brought my fingers to his lips for a light, wet kiss. “Benvenuto, Bella ragazza! Nice to meet you,” he gushed dramatically.
I blushed, uncertain how to respond, and feeling somewhat awkward at being the center of attention in the crowded lobby. Gino dropped my hand and clapped his together in delight. “Too pretty for you, Nathan,” he drawled. He didn’t wait for a response, but snapped his fingers at a passing busboy. “Table twenty-seven; get it ready for two. Fretta, fretta!”
Nathan winked at me over Gino’s head. I took his hand as we followed Gino to a secluded table near the back of the restaurant, ignoring the envious glances of people who had been waiting ahead of us and would likely continue to wait for quite a while, judging by the full tables and scurrying staff, rushing to take and fill orders. I did not, however, miss the appraising looks Nathan received from more than one woman as we passed by, and I felt an unfamiliar streak of possessiveness. Okay, so Nathan and I weren’t officially a thing, but that didn’t stop me from stepping closer to him as we waited for Gino to ensure the table was set to his satisfaction. Or, as Nathan pulled out my chair, from tossing a smirk at a nearby group of bottle blondes who were making no attempt to hide their ogling.
Gino was a flurry of activity, barking orders and promising a quick delivery on the ‘usual’. I raised an eyebrow at Nathan once we were finally alone. I couldn’t quite explain it, but I was feeling rather emboldened at being here with him. We were away from Manhattan, away from people who would know me, and there was just something that felt right about being here. I was quite obviously the envy of at least half of Gino’s patrons, and not just the female ones either. And the fact that out of all of the women Nathan could have asked to spend the weekend with, he had asked me, had me feeling as if I had just a little bit of the advantage here. “You didn’t tell me you were quite the celebrity in these parts,” I quipped.
Nathan shook his head. “Stop,” he scoffed. “It’s not me he’s making all these grand gestures for. Gino loves a grand presentation and he’s got someone new to impress.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “If it was just me, I’d be stuck sitting at the bar, fending for myself.”
“I know you’re not talking about me.”
“I am. I’ve never brought anyone here, so you know, he’s justifiably kicking it up a notch.” He paused as a waiter set down a basket of fresh bread and a little cask of oil.
I was still reeling from the knowledge that I was the first girl Nathan had brought here. That tiny admission said so little, and yet so very much. I felt warm and antsy.
I wanted to kiss him.
Clearing my throat, I lifted my plate to accept the slice of bread Nathan was offering. “But it’s obvious he knows you, though. Do you come here often?”
“Gino and I go way back. I’ve been coming here for years; back since we first started the Boston office.”
Nathan continued to regale me with stories of his various trips here, as a large, deep dish pizza carrying what appeared to be everything but the kitchen sink, was set on our table. “Gino’s brother is like a modern day Godfather.” He stopped at my questioning look. “You don’t know the Godfather? Michael Corleone? Al Pacino? Seriously?”
I laughed at his horror. “Vaguely. A Mafia boss, right?”
Nathan slid a slice of pizza onto my plate, and I took my fork and grabbed all the stringy strands of cheese that still connected my slice to the pie. “Yeah. Something like that. Anyway, Gino’s pretty legit, but he’s not above making use of the family name. Word like that gets out. And I kinda think he relishes being feared.” He leaned forward and bit into his pizza, tomato sauce and oil dribbling down the side of his mouth. His tongue flickered out to lick it away and my attention took a nosedive. Warmth flooded between my legs and I squirmed uncomfortably.
Nathan’s lips curled into a sly grin, as he watched me from across the table. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear he was fully aware of the effect he had on me and was doing things on purpose to drive me crazy.
Of course, that was probably true.
He leaned back in his chair, and continued to stare at me with eyes that sparkled emerald green in the dim lighting. “So. About the sleeping arrangements this weekend.”
I choked on a string of mozzarella cheese, and hastily grabbed my drink, gulping it down. He calmly handed me a napkin, and continued. “You can stay with me, or I can get you a hotel if you would prefer.”
I wiped my mouth and then took another nervous drink from my glass. I didn’t know what to say, and was suddenly besieged with excitement, anxiety, fear and entirely too much pleasure at the thought of spending the night in the same house as Nathan, completely sober and fully aware.
&nbs
p; This was real.
His hand reached over and touched my wrist, and I stilled.
“Stay with me.”
The words were uttered so softly I wasn’t sure he’d spoken at all. I looked up and met his gaze. Everything around us, the diners, the music, the loud calls back and forth from the kitchen, all of it faded and it was just the two of us. My heart danced crazily inside my chest as he stared at me, unblinking, the heat of his skin burning my arm where his hand still rested on it.
Yeah. Shit’s about to get very real.
“Okay,” I whispered.
BOOM!
I jumped at the sudden loud crack of thunder from outside, and just like that, the mood was broken and the moment lost. Nathan peered over my head through the window outside and let go of my hand. “Holy shit! It’s pouring outside!”
I rubbed my wrist, already missing his touch, and turned to look behind me. It was completely dark now, and rain fell from the sky in heavy sheets. “Greaaaat,” I groaned.
Nathan grabbed our bill, and stood, holding out his hand to me. “Come on, let’s make a run for it.”
He paid, and we stood at the door, watching as the rain blew across the parking lot, briefly illuminated by the lightening that flashed across the sky. He grasped my hand and glanced down at me out of the corner of his eye. “You ready?” he challenged.
I smiled up at him. “Let’s go!”
He pushed open the door and we ran like mad toward his SUV. Rain poured over us, immediately soaking us to the skin. There was something about the moment that was so freeing, and so innocently childlike, and I laughed as I stomped through a puddle, sending water up over the both of us.
We reached the car, and he held open my door as I clambered in. Water dripped from my hair, running in rivulets over my face and down my neck. Nathan popped the back hatch, dug something out and then climbed in beside me, a blanket in his hands. “For emergencies,” he explained as he shook it out and settled it over me.
“What about you?”
He wiped his face and ran his hands through his hair, setting it up in wet, spiky clumps all over his head. “I’m good. Not even that wet,” he joked.
I reached up and touched a raindrop that was making its way down the side of his neck. His pulse increased beneath my fingertips, and before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned across the console and let my tongue slide along his neck, tasting the falling raindrops that cascaded down his skin. Pressing a soft kiss there, I leaned back into my seat. “There. All dry.”
Nathan
This woman was going to certainly be the death of me.
I didn’t want the first time I fucked her to be in the backseat of my Escalade, but if she kept doing things like licking my neck, or arching her back in that wet shirt so I could clearly see her nipples, that’s exactly what would happen.
It was painstakingly clear she was edging us out of the friend zone, after that searing kiss in her office this afternoon. I’d been willing to play the game, but never really thought we’d stay in that zone for long. The attraction between us was just too strong, swirling around us, relentless in its pursuit of wearing down our resistance. I’d known from the moment I saw her that I wanted her in my bed, had made it my mission to get her there. It was inevitable, really.
I had asked her to Boston on a whim, half expecting her to tell me get lost. We had spent time together this last week, and I felt I was doing a pretty kick ass job of respecting her boundaries, but somewhere along the way, those boundaries had begun to fade. We needed to get away from the city, away from our jobs, away from all the reasons why she wouldn’t let me in. I’d known instantly when I picked her up that I’d made the right decision. She’d seemed lighter, more open and less inclined to throw up a counter attack to any of my advances.
I wasn’t sure how far she’d let it go, but I had a suspicion that this weekend could catapult us into what we’d been dancing around for weeks.
I watched as she settled into her seat, blinking up at me through her rain soaked lashes. And then, because I chose to not wait until we reached my apartment, I reached over, placed a hand behind her head and pressed her lips firmly to mine. One kiss. That was all. Quick, rough and just enough to let her know I couldn’t help myself.
Releasing her, I started the car and turned up the heat. It was the middle of June, but the rain was chilly. She pulled the blanket tighter around her as I pulled back onto the expressway, effectively covering her drenched clothing and blocking my delicious view. I silently cursed myself for being a gentleman and giving her the damn blanket in the first place.
“Your poor seats,” she murmured as she wiped away droplets of water from the leather.
“Nah, they’ll be fine. “ I scratched the back of my neck, where dripping water tickled as it made its way down inside my shirt collar. “I would suggest stopping and changing our clothes, but with it still pouring out, it kinda defeats the purpose. We’ve got another two hours or so before we get there, but I’ll stop as soon as I can, okay?”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. Hang on.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and surprised me by climbing over the console into the backseat. She leaned over into the back, grabbed her small suitcase and hoisted it over into the backseat next to her. I struggled with maintaining an eye on the road and checking out what was going on behind me.
Surely she wasn’t. . . .
She was.
She flipped open her suitcase, dug around and pulled out some clothes. Exactly what, I had no idea. It was dark, and the only time she wasn’t in complete shadow was when I was awarded an occasional glimpse of her, thanks to the passing streetlights. Her eyes met mine in the rearview mirror during one of those times, and she hesitated. The light passed, and she was again shrouded in darkness.
I turned my attention back to the road, willing myself to ignore the fact that she was changing in my back seat. So close, I could reach around and touch her. Another streetlight approached and I shamelessly took advantage, catching a glimpse of her ivory lace bra before she tugged her sweatshirt down into place.
Damn!
She climbed back into the front, and I felt, rather than saw, her eyes on me. “Do you want the blanket?”
“No, I’m fine. Really,” I assured her.
She pulled the blanket up over her legs, now encased in dark capris, and angled herself toward me, her head resting on the seat. “So.”
I glanced her way out of the corner of my eye. “So, what?”
“We have a few more hours ahead of us; we should talk about something, right?”
I stretched my arms out over the top of the steering wheel. “Okay. What do you suggest we discuss?”
She shrugged. I couldn’t see it, but I sensed it. “I don’t know. Whatever. Anything.” There was that shrug again. “Like, where did you go to college?”
I raised an eyebrow. Not what I’d expected she’d ask, coming from a woman who remained rather tight-lipped about her own past, but it was simple enough. “I graduated from Columbia. Our father went there, as did his father before him. It was expected that Thomas and I do the same.”
“You didn’t want to go there, though?”
“I didn’t really care one way or another. I wasn’t exactly thinking of anything remotely resembling my future at the time. But, I did meet Jake there, so it all worked out.”
“Jake?”
“Jake is one of my best friends.” I smiled in the dark as my mind filtered through years of memories of the two of us back in the day. “We had some. . .good times, Jake and I.” I wasn’t about to spill the details on the partying, pranks and pussy we’d buried ourselves in during the years we’d spent at college.
Some things were better left unsaid.
Especially to her.
Silence fell between us, but for the distant sounds of chatter coming from the radio I had turned on low. And then, “Do you and Jake still keep in contact?”
“Not as much as we’d like, but he just moved
back to the city so that’ll probably change.” But enough about me. “Your turn.”
She shifted in her seat. “For what?” she asked in feigned innocence.
“Any best friends you’ve left behind back home?”
She shifted again, as if she couldn’t get comfortable in the seat. I could feel her sudden nervousness and hated it. The woman obviously had her secrets. Would it always be this way? Me desperate to know her, while she clammed up every time I asked a question she didn’t like. Could I be satisfied having her, but not really knowing her?
Three weeks ago, I would have said yes without hesitation. Now, I wasn’t so sure.
I pushed aside my thoughts as she finally spoke. “My mom is probably my best friend, so I guess the answer would be yes.” She turned her face and stared out the window. “I’m not really the friends type.”
I scoffed. “I disagree. What is this, then? You and me?”
She looked back at me. “This? This is different. You and I were never going to stay just friends, and we both know it.”
My lips curved into a small smile as I considered her words. Of course we weren’t. I’d known that, but had been biding my time until she reached the same conclusion.
But something about the words, the way she said them, was off. It partly sounded as if she considered the idea of nothing more than friendship between us as absurd, which it was, and yet. . .it was more than that.
“And does that upset you?” I was ready to pull over and rethink the no fucking in the car promise I’d made myself earlier, but even though she’d admitted to something more between us, her tone suggested the idea made her . . .sad.
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