Charles laughed. “Yeah, I got Linda a room down the hall.”
“I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,” Vanessa screamed as she fought with her covers.
Bam, bam, bam!
Her eyes flew open, and she sat straight up in her bed. Maybe the wind blew a shutter loose. She slipped on her robe and tentatively walked down the hall with her phone in hand.
Bam, bam, bam!
“Vanessa, open up, beautiful. I’ve got to tell you something.”
“Dude, she’s asleep.”
“Nathan?” she asked.
“Yes, baby. Open the door, please,” Nathan called back.
Vanessa opened the door and came face to face with a drunk Nathan and an angry Sam. “I’m sorry, Vanessa. He said he was coming here one way or another. I figured it’d be best if I brought him.” Sam expressed his apology with his eyes and frown.
“Yeah, sure.” She stepped aside for them to walk in. “Maybe I’ll make some coffee.”
Nathan walked up to her and cupped her face. “Vnessaaa, I gotta tell you something.” His smile was bright, but his words were slurred.
“So you said,” she replied as she cinched the belt on her robe.
Nathan held her head so she was forced to look into his eyes. “Ness, you’re worth waiting for, and I’m going to wait. I don’t care how blue my balls get.” He shook his head. “I’m going to wait. I’ll prove I’m not like that asshole.”
Vanessa gasped as her eyes grew as big as saucers and her face flushed.
Sam coughed. “Maybe I should wait in another room.” He walked toward the sunroom.
“Nathan,” she said before he placed a finger over her lips.
“I’m going to make it good for you. I won’t let it hurt you. We’ll take it easy, and I’ll get you relaxed. You’re going to love it when I make it hit the right spot. I promise.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My ring.”
“What ring?”
Nathan sighed heavily. “My Dick-ring.”
“Your what?” Vanessa asked with a cocked brow and pitched voice.
Nathan started unfastening his shorts. “Here, I’ll show you.” He pulled his dick out before Vanessa could stop him. “See,” he said holding his cock, and Vanessa felt her core clench. “My dick is pierced, but it doesn’t hurt.” He slowly shook his head. “It’ll feel really good. I’ll get another one if you like it.” He paused and seemed to be thinking about something before he shook his head again. “No. No, I won’t,” he corrected himself, “‘cause then I can’t have you for six months. No, you’re gonna have to like just the one.”
Vanessa didn’t know if she should cry or laugh. Nathan’s cock was pierced, and it was huge. It wasn’t even hard! What the hell was she going to do? Could she handle this man? They were so different. He’s on a motorcycle, and I haven’t even taken my training wheels off.
He tucked himself back in his shorts. “I’ll make sure you’re ready. I won’t hurt you.” The sincerity in his voice almost slayed her.
“Nathan, let’s get you some coffee, and then we can talk about what happened tonight. Sit here while I put on a pot.” She heard Nathan stumble then the creak of the chair when he sat. Once she got the coffee brewing, she turned around. Nathan’s head was propped in his hand with his eyes closed. She could hear his breathing, so she knew he was fine.
“Sam?” she asked as she walked into the sunroom. “What happened to him?”
“Where is he?”
“At the kitchen table apparently asleep.”
Sam raked his hand down his face. “I’m not sure about everything the two of you discussed, but when we got to the bar in Charleston, he was hitting the Jack pretty hard.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widened.
“Vanessa, for the love of God, do not ever tell him he can be with someone else.”
“He told you I said that?”
“Yeah, and I think that was the driving force behind tonight.” Sam put his hands on her shoulders. “Listen, things could’ve gone really bad tonight. I don’t know what came over him, but I do know this…he doesn’t need just any woman. He needs you.”
“What makes you say that?”
Sam shook his head. “Not my story to tell. But I will tell you that as long as I’ve known Nathan, he’s never had to work to get a woman.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “Make him do the work, Vanessa, for his own good…and yours.”
“But…”
“But what? I listened to the song with him. That about drove him crazy, by the way.” Sam chuckled. “If that’s truly how you feel, let him make this experience different. Enjoy the ride with him, but don’t make it too easy.” A smirk tilted his lips. “Then again, I guess the courts are taking care of that, aren’t they?”
“But, did you know his, um,” Vanessa looked at Sam’s crotch and wiggled her finger, “is pierced?”
“Again, not my story.” Sam raised a shoulder.
Vanessa nodded. “Look, it’s really late. Y’all should just stay the night. You can take the guest room, and we can just put Nathan in my bed.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, we’ll do what my grandparents would’ve done in this situation.” She looked everywhere but at Sam.
“Your grandparents? This I’ve gotta hear.”
She slapped his shoulder. “Stop. They’d put my grandfather between the top sheet and comforter while my grandmother slept under both. We’ll leave his shorts on.”
“Vanessa, he doesn’t want to do anything that could put you in a bad light.”
“You can leave your door open, and I’ll leave mine open. Not to mention, he’s passed out, Sam. Nothing is going to happen.”
“Until he wakes up,” Sam mumbled and shook his head as he followed Vanessa to the kitchen.
“Come on, Nathan, let’s get you to bed.” Sam helped Nathan to his feet.
Vanessa walked in front of them and had the bed ready by the time Sam got Nathan in the room. She flipped back the comforter and tucked the sheet between the mattress and box springs. Nathan sat on the bed, and she kneeled down to remove his shoes. When Vanessa stood, Nathan’s arms wrapped around her hips as his forehead rested on her stomach. He tilted his head to look at her. “What are you doing?”
“Getting you ready for bed,” she quietly said. “If you’re going to be sick, the bathroom is right there.” She pointed at the door facing the bed.
“I can’t take your bed,” he mumbled.
“You’re not. Now, lie back.” She nudged him back. When she turned from him, she walked toward the door to show Sam his room. “Your bathroom is across the hall.”
“Thank you, Vanessa.”
She furrowed her brows. “For what?”
“Opening the door.” He smiled.
“You’re welcome,” she said over her shoulder as she walked back into her room.
Nathan was in her bed. She wasn’t sure if she could sleep with someone in her bed since she’s never really shared a bed with anyone. Well, she was forced to share Charles’s bed when they stayed with his father while he was in college. She swallowed hard and slipped under the sheet.
Let’s hope this works.
12
Nathan moved his head and inhaled deeply. Flowers. Nice. As his mind awoke, his arm was wrapped around a body. Too small to be Sam. His hand moved and cupped a breast through a covering. What the hell? He slid his hand down and back up the body. Definitely Female.
Oh God.
Snippets from the night before came back to his mind. Jack Daniels—a lot of Jack Daniels. People. Diane. Her hand on my upper thigh heading for my cock. Walking out of the bar with my arm around her.
Fuck!
He slowly opened his eyes. Dark hair, not blonde. He tentatively looked around the room as sounds started to register. Waves crashing. He blinked his eyes as recognition flooded his senses, and he rose to his elbow. The woman next to him turned slightly…
Vanessa.
Relief and worry hit him at the same time, so he started taking inventory. He had on clothes, and he wasn’t touching skin. With hesitation and furrowed brows, he slowly lifted the comforter. His shorts were still in place, but he was on top of the sheet. A smile stretched his lips. His girl was cleaver. He settled back in bed and pulled her to him.
With Vanessa tucked under his arm, he tried to remember his actions from the previous night. How did he end up here? What did he say to her? Most importantly, what did he do to her? A heavy sigh left him. As much as he wanted to stay beside her, he needed relief more. His mind was racing, but his head was pounding. Damn. He rolled out of bed in search of ibuprofen and water. As he walked toward the kitchen, he saw Sam sprawled out on the bed in the other room. He was in his boxers and on top of the covers, so Nathan closed his door. Vanessa didn’t need to see that. He quietly opened and closed cabinet doors looking for pain relievers. The coffee pot was full of coffee which seemed weird, so he emptied it and started a fresh pot. With no luck in the kitchen, he turned for the bathroom in search of pain relief.
“Looking for these?” Vanessa stood at the corner of the kitchen in her robe and holding a bottle of heaven.
Nathan’s hands went to his head. “You’re an angel sent to save me, aren’t you?”
The smile that stretched her lips was enough to make some of the pain go away. If he could just bottle that up, he’d be set for life. God, she truly is beautiful. “Want some grits to absorb some of that alcohol?”
“You know how to handle hangovers?”
“Just what I’ve seen in the movies. Does it really work?”
“I don’t know about grits, but pancakes and waffles work.”
“Do you need to eat those often?”
“No, Ness. I’m sorry about last night.” He swallowed a couple of pills then turned to her. “You just…It’s just…” He blew out a frustrated sigh, took her by the hand and led her to the living room.
They sat down, and he sandwiched one of her hands between his. With one hand stretched out, palm side up, and her hand mated with it, Nathan looked at how much bigger his hand was than hers. How his hand wrapped around hers like a protective sheath. With a finger from his other hand, he traced between the bones in her hand. Finally, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. He slowly looked in her eyes as he pointed back and forth between them.
“Vanessa, I want this so badly I can taste it. Yesterday, the mixed signals and that fucking song got in my head.”
“You didn’t like the song?” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have told you.”
“Please look at me.” He waited for her to turn her face to his. “I loved that song, but I’ll love it more when I can make love to you.” He let out a heavy breath then looked toward the ceiling. “God, I almost screwed this up before I’ve even had a chance to take you on a date.”
Her mouth fell open as she watched him. When he was silent, she raked her top teeth over her bottom lip. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
He slowly shook his head because he didn’t want to tell her but needed to. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. With her hand still between his, she was forced to move closer to him, and a small smile appeared on his face because now more of him was touching more of her. With his eyes focused on the floor, he cleared his throat since he didn’t think he could look at her.
“I saw an old girlfriend last night.” She tried to pull her hand from his, but he clamped down harder and turned his head to lock eyes with her. “Nothing happened, but it could have. I mean…” He took a deep breath. “Shit, I’m not doing this right.” An exasperated sigh left him. “Ness, I’ve never wanted to explain anything to a woman before, but you…you make me want something I’m scared I can’t have.”
She tilted her head. “I don’t understand. You’ve got to help me understand, Nathan.”
He nodded. “I know. There are very few people that know my past, and none of them are women. Promise me you’ll at least hear me out before you walk away.”
She placed her other hand on his cheek. “You know my past. I don’t think there’s anything you can say that is worse than what I’ve lived through.”
His smile was sad. “We’ll see, beautiful.”
“So, you got drunk last night. Want to start there?”
“Before there. I thought coming here yesterday would help me keep a tight grasp on myself. Help to hold me over until we can be together—twenty-seven days. I thought these visits would make counting down the days easier.” He shook his head. “I’m not so sure anymore.”
“Why?” The innocence of the question was only compounded by her wide eyes and her demure smile.
“Because I’m at war with myself.” He was a little louder than he intended and regretted it immediately. He stood and walked toward the fireplace on the other side of the room where he stared at the family photos on the mantle. “Ness, I’ve never, ever felt a pull toward someone the way I have with you from the very moment I laid eyes on you.” Turning to face her, he caught her gaze and didn’t let go. “You were…are married. I’d never mess with a married woman, but there you were. When I met Charles, I knew he didn’t treat you the way you deserved. You needed someone better.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Not that I’m better, but…”
“So, you were interested in me because you pitied me?”
“God, no. Vanessa, you don’t see how beautiful you are because of the shitty situation your father put you in.”
“And that’s why you got drunk?”
“No, I got drunk because I’m falling in love with you and can’t make love to you.” He knelt in front of her as he eased her legs open to rest on either side of his torso while his hands rested against her hips. “From working beside you and seeing bits of the woman I know is inside you, through all the phone calls and texts, I’m falling in love with you,” he softly said. He reached up and cupped her face. “I scared you yesterday when all I wanted to do was take you into your bedroom and show you how good sex can be. Then you tell me to be with someone else because you don’t know if you can love me.”
He searched her eyes for some clue when he saw tears welling in them. “I want to take this slowly. I’m willing to take this as slow as you need, but please give me something here. Don’t tell me it’s okay to go off and fuck someone if you have feelings for me. If the words to that song—that I now can’t get out of my head—is how you truly feel, don’t tell me to do that.”
He tilted her forehead so he could lay his lips against it. After a beat, he pulled away to look into her eyes. “I want to make your fantasies come true, baby. I am not like that asshole. I won’t go be with someone else as long as I know we’re working toward the same goal. Is this something you want to pursue?”
She placed her hands on top of his as he wiped the tears that had fallen with his thumbs. “Nathan, I don’t know how to do this, and apparently I’m screwing up too.” She rolled her lips inward and closed her eyes. “I’m nervous because I’m having feelings for you that I’ve never experienced before. You make me smile, and my heart is happy. After all I’ve been through, I don’t know if I should feel like this. I do want to know what it’s like for someone to actually make love to me, but what if I freeze up? What if you’re too big, you know…” Her eyes dropped down toward his crotch.
A smile stretched across his face because he wasn’t in this alone. She’s just scared. “Oh Ness, slow. We’ll take it slow. I promise you, baby, you can trust me.” He gently laid his lips on hers but broke the kiss before he tried to deepen it when a thought came to him. “Why do you think I’d be too big?” His brows furrowed because she’d never seen him, much less felt him. He hadn’t let them get that close.
“Last night you showed me your, um, you know.” Her face turned bright red when she wiggled her finger toward his dick. “Yeah, the piercing and all. By the way, I’m not too sure about that.”
&nbs
p; Nathan’s smile turned mischievous before he reeled in his happiness. “Baby, I promise it’ll fit, and my piercing will heighten the sensation, but there’s so much more we need to discuss before you get to feel it.”
She nodded as his face turned somber. “There’s more to your getting drunk and showing up at my doorstep, isn’t there?”
Nathan nodded as he sat beside her again. He closed his eyes and rolled his head on his shoulders. “I’d like to touch you while I tell you if that’s all right.”
Her gaze shot to his. He didn’t move until she gave him a slight nod, so he opened his arms to let her dictate what she wanted to do. With her gaze bouncing between his, he could see the indecision on her face. Finally, she slid closer and let him put his arm around her. “Does this have to do with you seeing an old girlfriend?”
“Yes, but she was more than that.” He felt her try to move away from him, so he tightened his hold on her. “Please just hear me out before you move away. Please.” He took a deep breath when he felt her nod. He wasn’t looking into her eyes, so in some ways that made this easier.
“Her name is Diane. We met during training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. When we got our job assignments, we were both assigned out west. I was in Iowa, and she was in Vegas. We would see each other as our jobs permitted because we were both career oriented. It was a great arrangement. She knew, um, what the job could consist of and was okay with what had to happen undercover.”
He lifted a shoulder and tilted his head to the right and left. “About a year into our relationship, she wasn’t feeling well, so I took a couple of days off to go see her. While I was there, I found out the reason she wasn’t working was that she’d had an abortion.” Vanessa gasped and pulled away. This time he let her go as their eyes met, and he was sure she could see what was written in his.
He nodded. “It was mine. She never told me she was pregnant. She never gave me the opportunity to know, and she never gave me a choice to be a father. She took it all away because she wanted her career more.”
“Oh, God, Nathan. I’m so sorry.” Vanessa wrapped her arm around him. “I don’t want to be insensitive, but I don’t understand how that fits into last night. Were you just thinking about it?”
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