by K. I. Lynn
“This was all Nathan’s idea,” she said. “He wanted to be romantic, but wanted you to be comfortable, so I offered up our house as a little retreat for you two.”
“Wow, I’m…impressed.” I glanced back at Nathan who was closing the trunk and heading our way.
She held the door wide for me as I hobbled through. “How’s your leg doing? You look good, and you’re getting around so much better.”
I sighed. “I can’t wait to have this thing off.”
“Just a few more days! Then the two of you can go on weekend trips with ease.”
George came down from the second floor moments later and greeted Nathan and me, before the two of them headed out for their own weekend getaway. It would be Nathan and I alone all weekend…not at home.
I wasn’t sure what we were having for dinner, but Nathan said we were staying in. We both headed up the stairs to get ready. I began to wonder if we were having deli sandwiches, because there was no one else around to help him cook.
We were in the spare bedroom that would be ours for the weekend getting dressed when I heard a small laugh behind me.
“Why are you laughing?” I scowled up at him through the reflection in the mirror.
“Because it’s sad and ironic at the same time,” he said and stepped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“What is?”
“I hate it, but you now will have scars that match my own. Together we make one whole person,” he paused before continuing, his voice low in my ear. “Together we are one whole heart, one whole soul.”
My head craned to look up at him over my shoulder; his eyes were soft, his hand moved to cup my face, his thumb making light circles on my cheek.
My gaze locked on his. “I love you.”
His head bent down, and his lips found mine. It was hard and soft, building in intensity until I was somehow turned around and pinned against the wall.
I groaned when he pulled away, the lust in his eyes making me light up. “I need to stop, Honeybear, or we won’t make it to dinner.”
“We can always stay here.” I pulled him back to me.
“Not tonight, baby. You’ve waited way too long for me to take you on a date.”
I pouted when he pulled away, but smiled when he whispered to me, “Later, my little insatiable minx.” He nibbled on my ear, and nipped at my neck. “I will make you come again and again.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
He left after that, running downstairs to work on something, leaving me to finish getting ready on my own. I sat down at the vanity and studied my reflection. I looked as nervous as I felt. My hands were even shaking as I pulled the eye shadow from my makeup bag.
My mind was whirling and not down a good path. It was the first date I’d gone on in years, and it was rather unconventional at that. What if he found out something he didn’t like? What if, on our date, I wasn’t what he thought I was? What if he found he didn’t want me?
Ridiculous, I chided myself. Not going to happen, Lila. He loves you. He’s a good person, and he makes you so happy. This is what you deserve, to be happy with Nathan.
I squared my shoulders in the mirror and stood up to locate the shoe I would be wearing.
“Lila!” Nathan called out a few minutes later, and I headed toward the stairs.
“Ready!”
He beamed at me and helped me down the stairs; my body buzzed with excitement.
Our first official date.
He sat me down and picked up what looked like my sweater. He began walking, and I followed him through the house, happy to soon be rid of my hindrance. Instead of heading toward the kitchen or dining room, Nathan headed to the back door.
“Where are we going?”
He smiled at me. “Outside.”
“Outside?” It was then I understood why he was carrying my sweater.
“Come on, Honeybear,” he said, holding the door open so I could get through.
What awaited me on the other side of the door was not what I was expecting. There was a gazebo lit up by strings of lights all around, and candles that sat on an elaborately decorated table.
It was a whole other world nestled in between the trees. Cloth was draped all around, weaving in and out of the intricate wood work. The table was beautifully set and covered in cloth the color of the wine that sat atop it and was sitting next to a bouquet of matching roses.
“Nathan…” I trailed off, so overwrought with emotion.
“Do you like it?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me.
“It’s beautiful.”
We headed down the lit walkway, tears welling in my eyes. Nathan helped me take a seat, setting my crutches against the wall. He kneeled in front of me, took my head in his hands, his eyes searching mine for discomfort. His body was tense, waiting for my reaction.
I was blown away by it all. “It’s so wonderful. I didn’t know you had such a romantic streak in you.”
After I was done speaking, he relaxed, chuckling as he leaned forward to kiss my lips. “Well, I figured I had a lot to make up for. We should’ve had our first date long ago.” He took a seat and poured the wine. “Plus, my mom helped out with the decorations. She wanted us to feel like we were somewhere else.”
There were rolls sitting in a basket we nibbled on. I still wasn’t sure what was going on, but received my answer when the back door opened and someone came out with a tray. She placed it on a small table against the gazebo wall and picked up two small plates, setting them down in front of Nathan and me before retreating.
“You hired a waitress?” I looked from the salad in front of me to the retreating form of our silent guest.
“And a cook.” Nathan took a bite of his salad. “I wanted to take you out, but it would be difficult for you with your cast still on.”
“So you opted for a mix?”
“Exactly.”
We worked on our salads, me picking out the tomato and giving it to Nathan, him picking out the olives and putting them on my plate. It was a strange symphony I had a feeling would develop more over time.
“Ah, missed one,” he said, picking up the olive with a fork. Instead of placing it on my plate, he held it out in front of my mouth. I let out a small laugh before opening my mouth and letting him put the fork inside. It was going to be an interesting evening.
Dinner arrived, and I cut off a piece of pork and held it on the fork in front of Nathan’s mouth. He quirked an eyebrow at me, smiling as he leaned forward to take the bite.
I opened my mouth and pointed my finger toward it while making a little feed me sound. He swallowed hard and his eyes darkened.
“The next time you do that, I will put something in your mouth and you will suck on it, choke on it, and then swallow what I give you.”
I drew in a sharp breath and began squirming in my seat. “Promise?”
He growled, stood up, and then leaned across the table. His fingers grabbed hold of my jaw, pulling me toward him. Lips pressed to mine, pouring passion into them, biting my lower lip as he pulled back.
His thumb swept across my bottom lip, then the back of his fingers caressed my cheek. “I’m trying to be good here, baby, but if you keep this up I will pull out my cock right here, onlookers be damned.”
“You should know by now that whenever you want me I’m yours.”
He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips, placing light kisses. “I know, baby, and don’t think I won’t take full advantage of it in the future. In public, in private, I’ll take you when I want.”
I wiggled in excitement for that day to come. He sat back down and stared at me with a heated look.
As we worked on our dinner, conversation flowed, fingers caressed, and happiness surrounded us. It was the lightest I’d ever felt.
I wanted every day to feel like this.
The outdoor heaters kept the chill out of the fall air, along with the wine in our system. Nathan no longer objected to the wine since I wasn’t
on any medications that could have bad interactions with it.
“Come on,” he said, getting up from his chair and walking over to me.
“Where are we going now?” I asked as he scooped me up in his arms.
He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. “Dessert.”
“The bedroom?”
He laughed out loud at my comment and shook his head. “No, I have something else planned before I take you there and have my wicked way with you.”
Nathan carried me down a small path toward the pool house. The lights were off, a soft glow was created by a candelabra sitting on a small table with a bottle of something and a covered plate. There was a double-wide padded lounge chair covered in blankets that Nathan sat me on before pulling the blankets around me.
He then pulled the cork off what turned out to be champagne. He poured two glasses, handing one to me, then sat down under the covers next to me. It was so romantic, and nothing I could have foreseen happening to me in my life. I sipped the bubbling wine while he pulled the plate and a couple of napkins over. He took the cover off, and I licked my lips in anticipation; there were chocolate covered strawberries filling the dish.
He picked one up, placed it at my lips, and I bit into it, the juice from the berry leaking out and dripping down my chin. Nathan took care of it, his head leaning down, tongue lapping at the trail, following it back up to my lips where he kissed me.
I grabbed one and mimicked him, placing it in front of his mouth. He flicked his tongue at the end and smirked at me before biting into it.
I wanted to be the berry.
I leaned forward and kissed him before he was even done, catching him by surprise. He moaned against my lips and leaned into me, his fingers caressing my neck.
His lips moved against mine, his tongue seeking mine as a strong, slow pace settled over us, and it was different than any other time. His strong hands held the feverishness of his touch, but they were lighter, almost reverent, as they moved along my skin.
“Feel how much I want you, how much I need you. It’s all for you, baby, only for you,” he whispered, planting kisses along the length of my neck.
It was petting, making out, warming up. Normally we were so worked up that we passed the bases and exploded. He was taking over my body, wrapping me in his warmth, his love.
We stayed under the stars cuddled under the blanket, reveling in each other deep into the night. We were enjoying being together without anything holding us back for the first time.
CHAPTER 16
Finally, after so long, my cast was off. My ankle was very stiff, and I’d lost some muscle, but I could walk on my own, shower without the blue boot, and my freedom returned. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as we left the doctor’s office, regardless of how much cave woman leg hair was revealed under that damn thing. Nathan was chuckling at me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close as we walked to his car.
“If I’d known it would make you this happy I would have ripped that damn thing off of you weeks ago. It got in the way,” he whispered in my ear, nipping at my lobe.
“Mmm, yes, but we managed just fine.”
He smirked at me. “You didn’t get knocked in the head by it multiple times. Really ruins the mood.”
I swatted at his arm. “It didn’t seem to stop you regardless. And seeing as you had a lobotomy, no harm done.”
We stopped in front of the car and he pulled my body flush with his. “Yes, well, I was inside you for the first time in over two months. Do you really think anything, including the ending of the world, could have made me stop?”
I smiled up at him, biting my lip. “Come on, let’s go home.”
“Excited about something, baby?”
“Yes! A shower without the blue boot!”
He stared down at me, balking. “A shower?” He pouted.
“Yes, but you know very well what can be done in the shower.” I winked up at him. “Thanks to all those handles you installed.”
His eyes darkened, his fingers clenching. “Shower it is!”
I giggled, yes giggled, at his excitement and got into the car.
Life had taken a definite turn for the better. I was happy for the first time ever.
I had freedom since my cast was removed and was in physical therapy to help gain back strength in my leg. It was incredible to be able to walk on my own and get around, doing everyday simple tasks I took for granted before.
My next step was to drive, and I couldn’t wait to do that again.
I’d already planned how it was going to go, but I hadn’t told Nathan. I turned to him after work on a Friday before sitting down for dinner. “I’m going car shopping tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Let’s eat,” he said, pulling my chair out for me.
“Without you.”
He held his breath and looked at me in what seemed like slow motion. “Why?” The word was drawn out.
“I want to do this with Andrew. You know I love how possessive you get, but I need to focus on buying a car tomorrow, not worry about how worked up you might get when a slick car salesman gives me a look that has nothing to do with desire and everything to do with making a sale.”
“I wouldn’t –”
“You would, and you do. Andrew’s more reserved and doesn’t react like you do. Even if he did, it wouldn’t matter, because I don’t feel that way about him.”
“What way?” He frowned, holding onto his anger, trying to tamp down his natural reaction to go off.
“The way I feel about you. If Andrew gets jealous, oh well. I mean, I don’t want him to feel that way about me, but if he did –”
“He does.” Nathan’s lips twitched.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “It doesn’t matter. What I’m saying is I can’t focus on buying a car; not if you’re going to try and claim me during the test drive to prove something that doesn’t need to be proved. I’ve already discussed it with Drew, he’s done the research for me, he’s knowledgeable about cars, and I trust him.”
“I don’t.” His hands gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white from the force.
“You should. He’s done nothing to warrant your distrust.” My voice went soft, and I made it as soothing as possible. I reached out and touched the back of his hand. “Please, don’t fight me on this. It’s not a big deal.”
“I want to be a part of these types of things in your life,” he said, his eyes pleading with me.
“And you will. But this one I need to be as stress-free as possible.” I gave him a sympathetic smile. “Please, trust me.”
“I do.” He blew out. “I’m trying to trust him.”
I opened up his hand, releasing it from the table and leaned my head against his open palm. “Drew and I were a long time ago, and it was nowhere near the depth of us. I tried to open up to him, but he didn’t understand.”
“He never will, because he’s never had to go through something terrible.”
I kissed the inside of his hand. “Let’s talk to him about this tomorrow. Give him ground rules.”
“Give him a cup because he’s gonna need it if he gives you any look I don’t want.”
I shook my head. It was never going to change, no matter what I said. “Men.”
“I’m serious – I’ll kick him in the nuts so hard he won’t be able to sit in any damn car you choose to test drive.”
“I’m sure you will.” I kissed his cheek, sat down, and he dished up my plate for me so we could finally eat.
Andrew showed up the next morning, smiling and radiating with excitement.
Nathan was the opposite.
“Hey, we need to talk for a minute before we leave to go do this,” I said.
He nodded, then gave Nathan a wary look. “What’s going on? Did you punch a hole in her bedroom wall?”
“No.” I smacked Andrew’s arm. “He would never do that to my place.”
“I don’t do that anymore, anyway,” Nathan grumbled.
“Yeah, whatever. I’ve heard you’re still doing that shit and smoking, which I don’t like. Lila, don’t forget you quit smoking for a reason.”
I rolled my eyes. “Will you stop, already? We’re not discussing any of that. Quit trying to meddle. Just listen for a minute.”
“Fine. What do you need to say that’s so important it’s keeping us from getting your new car?”
“Sit down, please,” I said, motioning to the couch.
Andrew stood rigid in place. “No thanks. I’ll stay here.”
“Jesus,” Nathan gritted, crossing his arms over his chest. “You see… I told you he wasn’t going to listen to you.”
“I’ll listen to anything she has to say as long as it makes sense.” Andrew flexed his biceps, which wasn’t as impressive – he was so skinny.
“Sit.” I pointed at the couch.
Andrew finally did as I asked, heaving an annoyed sigh as he did.
I stood between both of them and took a deep breath. Nathan took a seat across from Andrew, glaring at him.
“I love you, Nathan, and only you,” I said before turning to Andrew and speaking to him. “I’m so happy with Nathan. I love our friendship, but that’s all it will ever be. I hate seeing the two men most important to me duking it out all the time. This fighting is making me not happy. Do you really want me to be not happy?”
They both stared up at me and looked at each other before speaking at the same time. “Okay.”
“Keep your hands off her,” Nathan said, leaning forward and holding his hand out, offering it to Andrew.
Andrew grinned, taking Nathan’s hand. “Hurt her again, Thorne, all bets are off, and I will kick your ass. I may even run over it with her new car if the mood strikes me.”
They both laughed and the air seemed clearer.
Men were strange creatures. I didn’t get it, but it worked, and I was able to leave without worrying about Nathan being upset.
We spent an entire Saturday visiting car dealerships, trying out all the cars Andrew had formed in his list.
By the end of the day, he had me shelling out way more than I’d anticipated, one and a half times what I’d paid for my Malibu. I called Nathan to get his opinion, and he agreed with Andrew.