by Ellis, Aven
I’ll never break your heart, I tell him with my kiss. If you let me have it, Nate, I’ll protect it forever.
A breath escapes Nate’s lips as I kiss him there. I move my mouth up his muscled arm, desire burning through me with each taste I have of him.
Nate lifts my head. His lips are on mine, passionately kissing me. His hands are tangling in my hair, skimming my waist, and now he’s pulling me back with him, toward the bedroom.
“Everything,” Nate murmurs against my lips, “about you is so sexy.” He kisses me again. “Your touch, your skin, your confidence.” Then he kisses me hard on the mouth. “I want you. I have to have you. All of you.”
We’re all over each other, our bodies entangled, and I’ve never dreamed I could want a man as much as I want Nate.
We reach his bedroom, stopping right at the edge of his bed.
Nate slides his hands to the bottom of my tank top, lifting it off. My heart is beating out of my chest now. Nate then skims his fingers over the waistband of my jeans, unbuttoning them, and putting his hands over my hips.
I gasp aloud from feeling his fingertips dance below the fabric, teasing me by touching the top of my panties.
I wind my arms around his neck. I’m starting to tremble. Nate slides his fingers down, slowly easing my jeans off, over my hips, and tracing the edges of my silk panties with his fingertips.
“Nate,” I whisper, feeling desire building to something I have never experienced before. “What are you doing to me?”
“You’re so gorgeous,” Nate murmurs, sliding my jeans down, his hands skimming over my legs.
I step out of my jeans, standing before Nate in sheer black silk panties and a bra. I reach for Nate, my fingertips grasping his belt buckle. I want to undress him now. A groan of desire escapes his lips while I undo his belt, my fingertips torturing him as I run them along his boxer-briefs. I tug his jeans off, and then we’re together, barely clothed, about to make love for the first time.
Nate brings me to him, now skin on skin, his hands in my hair, his lips gently showering my face with kisses. I’m shaking, I’m hot, and I feel desired and cared for at the same time.
“Do I need a condom?” he whispers in the darkness.
“Yes,” I whisper back.
Nate lowers me onto the bed, his hard body entangling with mine. He reaches around and unhooks my bra, easing it off, and I gasp aloud at the sensation of his warm skin against my breasts.
“I want you,” I beg, sliding my hands up to his face, feeling his stubble with my hands, pulling his face toward mine. “I have never wanted a moment more than this.”
We’re inches apart. I’m desperate for Nate to kiss me, to take me, to love me.
“I want you to know,” Nate whispers in the darkness, “before I make love to you, that you are beautiful. I know men have said that to you endlessly, but I mean all of you, from the inside out. Your passion and confidence make you beautiful. Your kindness makes you beautiful. Your intelligence makes you beautiful.”
Tears fill my eyes. I hold his face in my hands. This is what he meant when he said to believe him. Nate is speaking from his heart, and these words are his truth.
And my truth is that I love him.
“Make love to me,” I say to him, emotion overtaking me. “Give me my first time, Nate. Show me what this is supposed to be.”
Nate kisses me, his mouth taking what he’s wanted all night. I know I’m about to make love for the first time.
With the man I love.
“Look at us,” Nate says softly. “Could this be any more perfect?”
I smile happily. We’re each propped up on our elbows, facing each other in bed as the sun comes up over downtown Dallas, with Marabou curled in between us, fast asleep.
“No,” I say. “It couldn’t be. This is right.”
After making love all night with Nate, I know that is our truth.
This—us—is right. And making love to Nate was a completely new experience for me. It was passionate and very, very, sensual. Yet with Nate, he instinctively knew when to be gentle and sweet when we made love. He was protective of me and of what I needed emotionally from him.
And he gave me everything, from sexual pleasure I’ve never known to emotions I didn’t know were possible.
I love you so, so much, Nate. You’re everything to me. And I know, in time, I can be everything to you, too.
“I wish I didn’t have to practice this morning,” Nate says, his eyes soft with emotion. “I’d rather stay in bed with you all day. I want to be with you, Bae.”
I reach over and stroke the side of his face, relishing the feel of his stubble against my fingertips.
“I know, me too,” I say honestly. “I want to be with you, too.”
“I want to make love to you this morning.”
My body immediately responds to his words, but I decide to tease him a bit first.
“Aren’t you tired?” I ask, grinning.
“Why? We only did it twice last night.” I laugh, and he does, too.
“What do you have going on today?” Nate asks.
“I have to do some recipe testing,” I say. “And place some orders, but that’s it. No classes or consultations today.”
“You can work here, in my kitchen, if you want,” he offers. “I have more space than you do back at your place. Then I can make us lunch when I get home.”
Butterflies flutter in my stomach as he invites me to stay. “I’ll have to run home and get my baking supplies, but that sounds good.”
“What are you testing, anyway?” Nate asks, wrapping his hand around mine and bringing it to his lips, kissing it gently.
Shit. Do I really even want to tell Nate what I’m working on?
“Um, stuff for CiCi,” I say simply.
Nate lifts an eyebrow. “Your face tells me there’s more to this.”
I sigh. “Okay, but you can’t laugh.”
“I won’t promise that at all.”
His eyes are dancing, and despite my embarrassment, I can’t resist him.
“Fine. I’m working on passion-themed desserts for a party she’s hosting.”
“Passion themed?” Nate says, a quizzical look passing over his face. “I thought you said she was off men.”
I want to throw the cover over my head before telling him the rest of this.
“She is. But she’s having a party for her friends. A passion party.”
“What?”
“My mother is having a sex toy party,” I blurt out.
Nate studies me for a moment as he takes in my words. Then he roars with laughter, so loudly that Marabou pops his head up.
“No. Just no. You have to do this for your mom?”
“Yes. Just yes,” I quip. “So I have to think of sensual desserts for the menu.”
Nate lets go of my hand and trails his fingers from my shoulder to my arm, and then back up again. “So what are you thinking?”
“Um,” I say, trying to focus when I’m distracted by his touch, “First I’ll have my go-to baker test some passion fruit dark chocolate cupcakes.”
“Nice. What else?”
“I’m going to make champagne truffles,” I say. “Chocolate fondue with fruit. And I know she’s not thinking of this, but some of her guests will be married or in relationships . So I’m thinking about doing something sexy with chocolate, like a chocolate bath mix or chocolate body paint, in a take-home bag. And that’s what I need to test today.”
Nate’s eyes flicker sexily. “So you haven’t tried any of these items before? Like chocolate body paint?”
My face begins to burn. “Uh, no. Have you?”
“No. But today is a test day, right?”
“Yes.”
“I think,” Nate murmurs, his hand skimming down over the University of Minnesota hockey T-shirt he’s given me to wear, “we’ll test these ideas tonight.”
My pulse skyrockets. My sexy dreams of chocolate with Nate are going to become a reality.
“So you’ll take a chocolate bath?” I ask flirtatiously.
“Only with you in it.”
I don’t know if I can survive the sexiness that is coming my way this evening.
Nate kisses me again, and I slide my hands up to the back of his neck, kissing him passionately on the mouth.
“Mmm,” I murmur against his lips. “I like that idea.”
“So do I.”
We kiss again, and as Nate’s fingers skim over the waistband of my panties, I have a feeling Nate might be rushing out the door to make practice on time this morning.
However, there will be no rushing tonight when I plan a sensual, romantic evening for the two of us.
And I can’t wait to flip the table and give Nate a night like he’s never had tonight.
Chapter 24
Changing on the fly: Changing players while play is going on — Nate
“Mr. Johansson,” I say flirtatiously as I lightly rap on the bathroom door, “this is your chocolate concierge. Are you ready for your services this evening?”
“Do they include making love to a sexy blond?” Nate flirts back. “Because that is the treatment I desire most tonight.”
I smile happily. “Perhaps we can add that on to your treatments tonight if you find the evening to be to your liking, Sir.”
Nate opens the door. He’s wearing the white spa robe I’ve provided him, and my pulse flickers the second I see him.
“I already know the evening will be to my liking,” Nate says sexily, his eyes moving over me.
I’m standing before him in another short, silk kimono robe, but this time, I’m not using it as a fashion piece. Right now, I’m using it to cover up the mocha-colored lace and silk bra and thong I have on.
I step into the marble bathroom, carrying a tray filled with my supplies for the evening. I set it on the spacious countertop and pick up a bottle of cognac.
“While tonight includes testing chocolate body paint and ending with a chocolate coconut bath, I thought we’d start with a cognac and chocolate pairing,” I say, pouring the amber liquid into two glasses. “This is a Hine Antique XO Cognac, from France.”
I put the bottle down and hand a snifter to Nate, who instantly wraps his hand around mine over the glass. Heat sears through me from that simple touch.
“Tell me why you chose this one,” he says, gazing at me through his long eyelashes.
“It’s very complex,” I say. “Swirl the cognac and inhale it.”
I remove my hand from the glass, and Nate does as he is told.
“Close your eyes.”
As soon as his eyes are closed, I explain what he is detecting through his senses.
“As you inhale this cognac, you will come across many notes. Vanilla and honey. Baked apple. But there’s also spice. Licorice. And finally, a hint of chocolate,” I say. “All of which will create a long-lasting experience on your palate. Now take a sip.”
Nate lifts the glass to his lips and slowly takes a sip of the amber liquid.
“Keep your eyes closed, and tell me what you think,” I say.
“Very complex,” Nate says. “And lingering.”
“Good,” I say, taking the glass from his hand and placing it on the marble vanity.
Nate opens his eyes and reaches out for me, his hands finding my hips, and draws me to him. “I think you need to experience cognac in a new way,” he says sexily. “From my lips to yours.”
Then Nate closes his mouth over mine in a slow, steamy kiss. I taste the cognac on his tongue and my body floods with heat in response. I savor the rich flavor of the amber liquid, I feel his stubble scratching against my skin, I inhale his cologne wrapping around me. Oh, this is hot. Sensual. I don’t want this kiss to end.
“What’s next?” Nate murmurs against my lips.
Can I remember what’s next after a sexy kiss like that?
“I’m going to feed you chocolate,” I say, kissing him again, “and you’ll see how the chocolate experience is enhanced by the cognac on your palate.”
I reach for a piece of luxury dark chocolate. “Close your eyes again.”
Nate does as he’s told, his hands still on my hips, his thumb tracing over my hipbone back and forth in a slow, torturous way that makes a shiver whip down my spine.
I reach for that hand and bring it to the chocolate. “Feel it. Tell me what it feels like. Use touch as part of the experience.”
Nate brushes his fingers over the piece of chocolate. “Smooth. Very smooth.”
“Good,” I say. “Now inhale the scent of the chocolate.”
Nate lifts the chocolate to smell it.
Then I take the chocolate from him, my fingertips grazing his lips. “Take a bite,” I say softly, “and you should hear a snap. This indicates a well-tempered chocolate.”
Nate bites the piece in half, and I tease him by letting my fingers linger on his lips before removing the other half of the chocolate. His chest rises in response, and then I draw my hand back.
“Now let the chocolate melt in your mouth,” I say. “Feel how rich it is with your tongue. What flavor do you detect? Now you can complete your tasting, and tell me what you experienced.”
Nate swallows the chocolate, and his eyes flicker open. “I can’t tell you anything about it.”
“You didn’t experience anything?” I ask, shocked. “The rich dark taste? The silkiness of the chocolate? The scent of the Madagascar vanilla?”
“Oh, that? Yes,” Nate says, putting his hands back on me, sliding up my ribcage. “But all I could sensory explore was you. How gorgeous you look tonight, with your hair cascading down over this sexy little silk robe. How passionate and intelligent you sound when talking about chocolate and how fucking turned on I am by that. When I was supposed to inhale chocolate, all I could smell was this beach perfume that lingers in your hair and on the base of your throat. When I was supposed to be letting chocolate melt on my palate, I ached to be melting into you. When I was told to taste the chocolate, I wanted to taste your lips with mine. And now I want to make love to you.”
Nate claims my mouth with his, walking me backward out of the bathroom with intense kisses burning against my lips.
“What . . . about . . . body paint?” I manage to get out.
“I’m changing on the fly,” Nate says quickly, his hands tangling in my hair as he directs me to his bedroom. “That will be Round Two.”
“No more foreplay?” I ask as Nate’s fingers are now undoing the knot on my kimono.
“That was the hottest foreplay I’ve ever had,” Nate says, his fingers struggling to work while he’s kissing me.
Need surges through me with that admission. I moan against his lips, and Nate picks me up. He carries me to the bed, gently placing me down, and he tosses off his robe. Nate drops over me, and now his mouth is all over my body. I rake my hands through his dark-brown hair, and he groans in response. Then I run my hand over his tattooed arm, thinking the past is finally behind him now. That he is with a woman who loves him and treasures him and will never let him go.
Nate undoes the sash and opens the kimono, and a gasp escapes his lips.
“I love the way you dress for me,” he whispers, his eyes flickering over my mocha-colored lingerie. “Sweet and sexy, just like you.”
My heart
soars. “I’m glad you find sweet sexy.”
“Yes,” Nate whispers, his fingertips dancing over the edges of my bra cups. “You’re good. You’re sweet.” He pauses and places a gentle kiss right in the center of my chest. “I love that about you.”
My eyes fill with tears. He’s not saying it, but that kiss told me everything.
Nate loves my heart.
As we begin to make love, I know we’re meant to be together. This isn’t just a connection of sex. It’s a connection of two people who respect each other, admire each other, enjoy each other. What a relationship is supposed to be—fun and passionate and intellectually rewarding. He supports my career, just as I support his hockey playing. We are better individuals because of what we found together.
And soon Nate will be able to say it. Nate will know this is what he wants forever, that I’m the woman he can move forward with, and this time, his love will be returned for the rest of his life.
So I close my eyes and lose myself in the arms of the man I love, knowing my future is set.
“Are you sure you made enough of these, Kenley? They’re so small.”
I grit my teeth as CiCi stands over my shoulder, peering down at dark chocolate brownie bites I’m placing on a tray. After two weeks of planning, the Friday night has arrived at my mother’s spacious home in Frisco.
The Passion Party Night.