”Don’t you dare, you little minx,” he murmured and began teasing her nipples with his fingers.
She moaned and slowly lowered herself onto him. Her impossibly tight, impossibly hot silken channel closed in on him. He groaned and had to force himself to stay still and not take charge and start pounding into her.
”Mmm…” she moaned as her body swallowed him, one exquisite inch at a time. ”Nate,” she said and looked into his eyes, ”you feel so good. I wish I could tell you how good this feels.”
”Baby, I think I already know. Nothing has ever felt better than being inside you,” he gasped.
She paused when she finally had taken all of him and he thought he might die if she didn’t start moving soon. He reached his hand out and started slowly rubbing circles against her clit. She moaned softly and began moving up and down his shaft. She was so beautiful and sexy above him - he memorized every detail of her riding him to keep with him for the long, lonely nights without her he knew were coming up soon.
”Nate,” she moaned, her voice trembling and breathless, her eyes searching for his, glazed over with desire and a slight uncertainty. He could see she was already near the edge and he grabbed hold of her hips and started pushing into her, helping her ride him hard until she cried out and he felt her soft wet heat contract and spasm all around him. The sensation of her orgasm drove him too over the edge. He called out her name as he was taken over by the most powerful orgasm he’d ever experienced.
When he surfaced again she had collapsed on top of him, her otherworldly mane of gleaming amber curls spread out over his chest. He kissed the top of her head and whispered in her ears all the things his heart was full of.
After a while she lifted her head and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
”Wow! I think I just found myself a new motto to live by. I have to thank Sasha for it when I get back.”
He chuckled softly into her curls.
”I love you, Olivia.”
Chapter 12
The days passed all too quickly in a blissful state of love-making and talking. Olivia felt as if she couldn’t get enough of either.
The third day, when they woke up, it was snowing outside. The ground was covered in a thick blanket of snow.
Nate was thrilled.
”Look, Olivia! It’s snowing.” He beamed at her. ”Let’s go outside after breakfast.”
”Sure,” she readily agreed. Was it possible she could love him more with every passing day? How could that be? It seemed impossible to her that she could love him even more than she did yesterday, but somehow she did.
”What are you thinking now, love?” he asked between bites of his breakfast.
”I was thinking how much I love you.”
”I love you too, Olivia, with every fibre of my being,” he said and caressed her face.
”Does it ever snow in Oklahoma?” she asked after a while.
”Not much. But it happens some winters. Never this much, though. Only an inch or two,” he told her. ”Some winters are mild but most winters it’s just cold and miserable, with the harsh winds coming in off the prairies. Sometimes there are ice storms and everything shuts down.”
”Why?” she asked, confused.
”Why? Because there are no snowplows or such equipment,” he explained. ”And no one has snow-chains on their cars. So it would be very dangerous to drive around.”
”Oh,” she said, ”I didn’t know that.”
”I loved when it snowed when I was a kid, because it meant we got the day off from school. Sometimes several days in a row.” He smiled at the memory. ”And I would stay outside all day, trying to gather enough snow for a snowman.”
She smiled at him and reached to kiss his cheek.
”I bet we could make a really nice snowman today,” she said.
And that they did. It kept snowing and after a few minutes, they pretty much resembled a couple of snowmen themselves. She went inside to find a carrot, to use as a nose for the snowman, but when she stepped outside again she didn’t see Nate anywhere.
”Nate?” she called out.
No answer. She started walking over to the snowman, when she was suddenly hit by a snowball in the back. She spun around and saw Nate grinning broadly behind the corner of the house, already preparing more balls to throw. She dropped the carrot and quickly made a huge, hard snowball. Then she fired, but he saw it coming and ducked behind the house, so it struck the façade instead.
She threw herself around the opposite corner of the house and ran as fast as she could around the back. She didn’t have any illusions that she would manage to take him by surprise, but when she caught sight of him, he was peeking around the corner, a big ball of snow ready in his hand.
She saw her chance and grabbed fistfuls of snow from the ground as she ran up behind him. She threw herself at him, pushing the snow in his face, from behind.
He fell down.
”Shit, that’s cold!” He roared with laughter and pulled her down with him in the snow. His face was completely covered in snow, even his long, dark eyelashes had snowflakes at their tips. She laughed so hard she couldn’t speak.
”I suddenly feel an overwhelming desire to kiss you, right here on the neck,” he said and pressed his ice cold, snowy face and freezing lips against the sensitive skin on her neck. She squealed in horror. He didn’t let go, but kept kissing her until all the snow on his face had melted off and dripped down her neck, inside her clothes.
”You are a cruel man,” she laughed. ”Is that any way to treat a lady?”
”Sorry,” he grinned, not looking even remotely remorseful. ”Will you forgive me, if I take you inside and warm you up properly?” he asked, a naughty look on his face.
”Perhaps,” she yielded.
”Come on then,” he growled and threw her across his shoulder, with a tight grip on her butt.
”Let me down, you brute!” she yelled.
He just laughed and gave her butt a good slap.
”Oh, you are in so much trouble, mister,” she threatened darkly, but she couldn’t keep the laughter completely out of her voice.
”Looking forward to your punishment, ma’am,” he teased and went inside the house.
He put her down in front of the fire that he lit every morning and they kept going all day. He removed all of her clothes and then his own before he lowered himself over her. His amazing green eyes were so full of awe every time he looked at her. She wondered if her eyes mirrored that tender awe when she looked at him. They should, because that was how she felt.
He pressed his lips to her neck and she shrieked.
”You’re still cold as ice,” she complained.
”Sorry, sweetheart,” he chuckled. ”They’ll be warmed up soon enough.” He continued kissing her, softly licking the snowdrops from her skin.
”What are you doing?” she murmured.
”I’m drying you off, my way.”
”Huh,” she said, knitting her fingers in his hair. She let him keep at it for a while, then she said:
”Nate?”
”Yes, my love?” he murmured between kisses.
”I don’t think it’s having the intended effect.”
He stopped and looked at her, clearly confused.
”Certain parts of me are getting more wet, not less,” she pointed out, laughter thick in her voice.
”Oh,” he said, catching her meaning. Then he shot her that devilish grin and murmured conspiratorially:
”Want me to try and lick those parts dry for you?”
She grinned at him.
”I doubt it’ll work, but please, be my guest,” she agreed, spreading wide for him.
When he’d made her come twice with his mouth, she couldn’t take it any longer.
”Nate, please,” she groaned, ”I need you inside me, now!”
He laughed softly as he plunged himself deep inside her.
* * *
Afterwards, as they lay in a tangled mess of sweaty limbs, perfectly cont
ent, Nate said:
”God, Olivia, you are so much more than any man could ever dream of - I can’t believe you’re mine.”
”That’s funny,” she smiled, ”I can’t believe you are mine.” She rolled on top of him, tracing his beauty with her fingertips. She wanted to memorize every single detail of his gorgeous face, so that she could hold on to that when he went away again.
”Olivia?” he said after a while.
”Yes?”
”You know I have to leave in a few days, to get that business done in Paris and some other places?”
”Yes, I know.”
”It’s going to be a week of only work for me, with a really intense schedule. But we’ll call as often as possible and after that week I’m getting the rest of the year off from work.”
”Really?” she said, lighting up at the thought. ”Do you think you could spend some of that time here with me?”
”Yes,” he smiled. ”I was hoping you’d let me hang with you that whole time, as a matter of fact.”
”Are you serious?” she exclaimed, thrilled to the core at the prospect. ”Will you spend Christmas here with me?” she asked eagerly. ”We usually go up to my grandparents for the holidays.”
”I’d love to,” he smiled, ”if they’ll have me.”
”They would be thrilled. When I called to ask if we could use the cabin this week, I told my grandpa about you, how special you are and how happy you make me. I know they’re dying to meet you.” She smiled happily at him.
Then, suddenly, she came to think of something that made her frown with worry.
”But what about your family, Nate? Won’t they be disappointed if you don’t spend Christmas with them?”
”I think they’ll be okay with it. My mom already knows about you. She’s thrilled I finally found someone to love. I think she’s hoping I’ll make her a grandmother again soon,” he added with a wink.
She laughed.
”Maybe we should get to work on that right away, don’t you think?” she teased. ”We don’t want to disappoint her now, do we?” she asked, cocking her brow wickedly at him.
”Great idea, babe, I’ll get right on it!” he joked and moved as if to mount her again. Then he bent down to kiss her instead.
”But now you’re distracting me again,” he murmured. ”I was actually going somewhere with that.”
”Oh yeah? Where?”
”You know that Thanksgiving is coming up soon?”
”That’s a big holiday in your country, isn’t it?”
”Yes, it is,” he said, ”and this year in particular, I have a lot to be thankful for.” He smiled tenderly and pulled a wayward curl back behind her ear. ”I was wondering if you would like to come with me and spend Thanksgiving with my family?” He seemed to be holding his breath, waiting for her reply.
She looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.
”Really?” she finally croaked. ”You want me to meet your family?”
”Yes, I do. Very much,” he murmured. ”Will you come?”
”Yes,” she whispered. ”Yes I will, if you really want me to.”
”I do. I can’t wait to introduce you to them,” he beamed and planted a kiss on her forehead.
”What if they don’t like me, Nate?” she asked, suddenly overcome with nerves.
”Don’t be silly, sweetheart, they will adore you,” he promised. ”Just like I do.”
”I hope so,” she fretted. ”Don’t you think they’d rather you had met some nice cowgirl instead of me?”
”No cowgirl in the world could ever make me as happy as you do, love, and that is all that matters to them. That I’m happy. They will love you and be so happy for us. I promise.”
”How many days do you think you can get off work?” he asked a little later.
She thought about it for a moment.
”Rashid won’t be happy to give me time off so soon again but he knows he owes me, so he won’t put up much of a fight. How many days should I ask for?”
”A week would be good, ten days even better, ’cause I want to show you where I live too. I want you to meet Sadie.”
”But you live close to your parents, don’t you?” she asked in confusion. ”In Oklahoma?”
”Actually, I live in California,” he said, squirming a little under her gaze.
”Why?” she asked, even more confused.
”It’s a long story, love,” he hedged, ”and I will tell you all about it soon, I promise. I just don’t want all that,” he made a sweeping gesture, ”to encroach on this,” he pointed to the space between them. ”I’m so completely happy here with you, and we only have a few days left before I have to go back to all that. And I would prefer not to think about it right now.” He looked down at her and traced circles across her skin as he spoke. ”After you’ve met my family and see where I come from, I’ll tell you all about that other part of my life, the complicated part.”
”You’re scaring me now, Nate,” she whispered. ”Are you a drug dealer or something? An arms dealer? What?”
”No, no,” he laughed. ”It’s nothing bad, nothing like that at all. I promise,” he said, when she still didn’t look convinced. ”It’s just that I have sort of a high profile in certain circles,” he said, struggling to explain without giving away too much, ”and I don’t want all that to come between us now in the beginning, when we’re just getting to know each other. Trust me, none of that is real, it’s just part of my job. A truly bizarre part of my job,” he added, staring off into space, a crease forming between his brows.
”I don’t understand,” she admitted.
He looked down at her again, so much tenderness in his eyes.
”I’m Nate, just Nate, the man you fell in love with by some crazy miracle. The man who loves you more than words can say.” He caught her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes. She felt as if he laid his soul bare for her to see.
”Please, trust me, Olivia. I’m just Nate, your Nate, for as long as you’ll have me.”
”Forever”, she whispered.
”Forever it is then,” he echoed and kissed her.
* * *
That night she had the nightmare again. The one where she was locked in her mother’s apartment, and George was there with them, savagely beating her mother’s limp body on the floor. She was shielding the twins in the corner, covering their eyes with her hands. But there was no one there to cover her eyes and she couldn’t look away. She woke screaming and threw herself off of the bed, her only thought to get out of that apartment. But strong arms caught her and held her tight. Nate’s voice hushed her softly in her ear.
”Shh, it’s okay, Olivia. It was just a bad dream. I’m here, baby, you’re safe. I will never let anything happen to you. You’re safe, sweetheart, I’m here.” He turned her around so she could see him. ”I’ll never let go. You’re safe with me, baby.”
She was shaking so hard, her teeth rattled.
”T-t-t-turn on the l-l-l-light, p-p-p-please,” she stuttered.
He did as she asked.
”There. Better now?” he asked, cradling her in his arms.
She wasn’t able to answer him yet. She just clung to him, waiting for the tremors to abate.
He kept stroking her hair, it was oddly soothing. She nestled into his chest, slowly calming down.
”I’m sorry if I frightened you,” she said at last.
”Don’t worry about it, love,” he murmured. ”But what did you dream, that terrified you so?” His eyes burned with curiosity and concern.
She looked into them, deliberating for a second. She didn’t really want to tell him this story. It was too dark, and still too painful to talk about. But she didn’t want to keep anything from him either. So she took a deep breath.
”Nate,” she began, ”I haven’t told you what really happened to my mom.” She paused, her mouth suddenly dry with fear. She didn’t want to remember this.
”Go on,” he prompted gently.
”I need some water first,” she said, and tried to get up.
”No, stay, I’ll get it for you.”
He was just gone for a few seconds, but she started shivering as soon as his arms let go of her. He saw that, and drew her into his embrace as soon as he returned. She drank some water, and then she continued.
”I really don’t want you to have to hear this story, Nate. I wish I didn’t have to tell you, but I can’t stand keeping anything from you either.”
”It’s okay, baby. I want to know what it is that frightens you so. I want to know everything that’s happened to you. I’m strong enough to take it, Olivia, whatever it is.”
”Okay then,” she acquiesced. ”My mother, Lilian was her name.” She hadn’t said her name out loud in such a long time, because it hurt too much, but it felt like a release, saying it to Nate now. ”She didn’t die in an accident.” She started trembling again, and Nate wrapped his arms tighter around her. ”George, my stepfather, the boy’s father, he… he killed her, Nate. He killed her,” she repeated and looked up into his eyes, letting the despair she felt bleed out of them.
Nate was quiet for a few seconds, just staring at her in horror. Then he crushed her to him.
”Oh, God, Olivia, I’m so sorry. So very sorry to hear that.”
”And then he killed himself,” she said.
”Oh, baby,” he took hold of her face and looked at her with such tenderness and pain. ”I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to say.” He was quiet for a second, searching her face with his loving gaze. Then he gasped. ”Was it you who found them?”
”No, Nate,” she looked at him disconsolately, ”I was there when it happened.”
He stared at her in shock.
”You were there?” he whispered in utter horror.
”We all were,” she said hollowly.
”What do you mean?”
”The twins too,” she said, staring at something far away. ”He held us all hostage, Nate.” She looked up at him, feeling her face go numb with the terror of that day. ”She had finally mustered the courage to leave him, a few months before. We were hiding in a new city, and things were starting to look up; the women’s shelter had gotten us an apartment. No one was supposed to know where we were.” She pushed herself to continue.
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