by Carrie Elks
“Did you know she used to compete for the state?” Frank asked. “Man, she could make running look easy.” It took Nate a minute to realize Frank was talking to him. Reluctantly, he pulled his gaze away from Ally’s direction.
“She did?”
“Yup. There was talk of her eventually meeting Olympic standards. She was that good.”
“So what happened?”
Nate took in a deep breath. His heart was hammering in his chest. He blamed the lack of oxygen after not inhaling for so long.
“Her mom died. After that her heart wasn’t in it anymore. She refused to do all the travelling it required. Said she didn’t want to leave her dad.” Frank lowered his voice. “Such a shame for her.”
“She was still good, though,” Lorne pointed out. “She got offered a full athletic scholarship at Cal State.”
Nate glanced to his right. The man had moved out of the way. There she was again, the last of the sunlight illuminating her hair, making her skin glow like she’d just stepped off a catwalk. He lowered his gaze, taking in her legs and that cast, swallowing hard when he thought about all she’d lost.
Not just her mom, but her future too. The desire that he’d been feeling for her ever since the first day they’d met mingled with something else, something softer that he couldn’t quite define.
Even from this distance he could feel the pull toward her. The only question was how long he could fight it.
Nate pulled his car into the driveway, pushing the button to close the gate behind him. The fireworks had finished half an hour ago. He’d looked around for Ally, intending to offer her a lift home, but there was no sign of her among the crowd of people spilling out from the boardwalk. So he’d headed back to the café and picked up his Lexus, and driven home through the dark California streets. He must have beaten most of the traffic because he’d made it home within ten minutes. Thank God, because he was exhausted.
There were a few lights on in the house – one in the hallway and another in the living room – but apart from that it looked deadly quiet. Climbing out of the Lexus, he walked up the steps, the metal keys in his hand rattling against each other.
He let himself into the house and pulled the front door quietly closed behind him. It was quiet. Maybe Ally hadn’t made it home yet. He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed, because his mind was full of questions he wasn’t ready to ask her.
“Ally?” he called out. There was no reply. Frowning, he put his bag down on the polished wooden floor and kicked his shoes off, then headed for the living room.
As soon as he pushed the door open he saw her. She was slumped on the sofa, her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted as she breathed rhythmically in her sleep. She must have left before the fireworks had started, or at the moment they’d ended.
He stood and watched her for a moment, trying not to feel like too much of a creep as his eyes took her in. She was so damn beautiful it made his heart pound. His lips tingled with the memory of her taste. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to center himself.
He was her boss, her friend. He couldn’t be anything else.
“Nate?”
He waited for her to say more, expecting her eyelids to open any minute. But they didn’t. Instead she muttered something unintelligible and turned her head, letting out a huff of breath like she was blowing out a candle.
He willed for her to say his name again, but her steady breathing returned and the room was filled with silence. For a second he wondered what the hell he should do.
Wake her up and help her get to bed? No, he wasn’t quite ready to take her to that room again. It had been hard enough painting her nails in there the other day, and that was before they’d kissed.
He wasn’t going to stay around while she was sleeping, either. Because yeah, he might not have been a creep yet, but give it a minute or two. No, he’d go and grab something to eat and do a couple more hours reading on the reports his team had sent in. Maybe by then Riley would be home to help Ally to bed.
He almost made it to the door before she spoke again.
“Nate… please.”
Damn. There was no way he could walk away. Not when she was saying his name. He was too damn curious to hear what else she had to say.
When he turned to look at her, she’d shifted positions again. This time she was laying on her left, her body angled toward him. She gave a little huff again, her lips pursing together.
“Ally?” he said, giving her one final chance to wake up.
“Wha—?” She lifted her head, her eyelids heavy, and her brow pulled down. “What time is it?” she asked, staring up at him.
“Just after nine. I’m sorry to wake you.” He reached up to scratch the back of his neck. “I saw you at the boardwalk. Did you leave after the fireworks?”
She ran her tongue along her bottom lip. “Just before. I got tired and my leg started to ache,” she said, her voice still thick with sleep. “Lucas brought me home.”
“You missed some good ones.” He kept his voice soft. His whole body felt tense, as though he was contracting every muscle. “Are you feeling okay now?”
He watched as she straightened herself up. Then her face wrinkled up. “Damn.”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded quickly. “My leg’s so itchy. Right above my ankle where I have no way of getting to it.” She shuddered. “It comes and goes, but right now it’s killing me. I don’t suppose you’d have a knife strong enough to cut this cast off?”
“I’m not sure your doctor would approve.” He was glad of the distraction. “Are you sure you can’t get it with your fingers?”
“I’ve tried, but the gap isn’t big enough.” She jammed her fingers into the rim of her cast to demonstrate. “Maybe you could just chop my leg off.”
“Have you tried a knitting needle?”
“What?”
“That’s what my mom did when I was a kid and had my arm in a cast. She’d push it down and it felt like heaven.”
“Well, I don’t have a knitting needle.” She looked at him hopefully. “Do you?”
“Nope. But I have an idea. Stay there.” He ran to the kitchen and pulled a chopstick from the drawer, coming back to the living room a few seconds later. “It’s not as strong as a knitting needle,” he said. “But if we’re careful it could work.”
“I’ll try anything once.” She took the chopstick from him, and jammed it down between her leg and her cast. Her brows knitted together as she moved it from left to right. “Damn, I can’t quite get to it.”
“Do you want me to try?”
She nodded, handing him back the chopstick.
Gently he took her leg, his warm fingers circling her calf. He held it steady as he pushed the long stick inside, moving it to the left as she directed.
“Right there. Scratch me,” she said quickly.
He did as he was told, moving the chopstick up and down.
“A little harder.”
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing, increasing the pressure of the wood against her skin.
“Harder, please.”
Okay, then. He wasn’t getting turned on by this. Not by the feeling of her skin, the aroma of her body, nor by the way she breathed out the words. Nor was he imagining her breathing those words out while she was lying beneath him in his bed.
Nope. Not at all.
“Oh God, that’s good.”
Her innuendos were killing him in the most delicious way. He could feel the need for her pulse right through him.
“Don’t stop, not yet,” she gasped. “I might need you to do this all night.”
This time he couldn’t help but chuckle. It was either that or groan. He slowly lifted his gaze to hers.
She smiled back at him. “Sorry. I couldn’t help it. You’re just too good at this.”
“Ally?”
“Yeah?”
“If I kiss you will you shut up?”
Ally’s mouth dropped open and she
stared at him with those big blues. “Probably not. But you should do it anyway.”
He tried to remind himself of all the reasons this was a bad idea, but his brain had an answer for every one of them.
I’m her boss.
Not right now. You’re not even at the shop.
She’s too young.
She’s an adult. And look at the way she’s staring at you.
She’s staying at my house.
Convenient, hey?
Dammit. He didn’t have any room for a relationship. Look what happened with Stephanie.
Stephanie who?
His pulse started drumming through his ears, silencing everything except that constant need. He pushed himself up from where he was kneeling, moving closer to her. His hand was still on her calf, and he slowly feathered his fingers up higher, past her knee and to her lower thigh. Her skin was so tender, so delightfully inviting. Before he knew it, he was stooping down to press his mouth to the soft flesh there.
“I thought you were going to kiss my lips,” she whispered.
“I am. But I like to do a thorough job,” he murmured against her skin. “Give me a chance.” He kissed her leg again, then lifted his face until it was level with hers. Reaching out, he brushed her blonde hair out of her face, then cupped her cheek with his palm. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“I’ve been waiting for the past few days.”
“So have I. And I’ve also been thinking about what a bad idea this is. And yet I’m going to do it anyway.”
“That’s basically my life’s mantra.”
“Looks like it’s turning into mine, too.”
“Welcome to the dark side,” she said, before he finally pressed his mouth to hers. “I think you’re going to like it here.”
18
Damn, the man knew how to kiss.
His lips were warm and soft as they moved against hers, making her breath catch in her throat as he ran the tip of the tongue along them, before sliding it against hers. Not too hard, not too gentle, just enough to send pleasure shooting through her, as he cradled her face with the palm of his hand.
Time passed like a foxtrot; quick quick slow, until she had no idea how long they’d been kissing. It could have been ten minutes or half an hour. Her lips felt tender and swollen, her skin tingling from the brush of his beard growth against her. All she knew was she didn’t want it to stop. Not when it felt this good.
Nate dragged his lips from hers, sliding them to her throat. His hand moved down, tracing the line of her collarbone where it emerged from her dress. “Can I?” he whispered, his fingers hovering at the top button of her dress. Below it were five more, leading to the waist band. He looked up at her with those deep eyes, and for a moment she was lost again.
“Yes.” She nodded. “Yes, please.”
He unfastened the buttons, pressing a kiss to her skin between each one. As he released the last, and pushed her dress open, she felt a shiver slide down her spine.
“Are you cold?”
“Not at all.”
Their eyes connected, and she felt electricity jolt through her veins. He gave her a half smile, then looked down at her exposed chest. His pupils dilated as he took her in. Thank God she’d worn a pretty bra today – a scrap of white lace with demi cups that pushed her up in all the right places. Nate must have liked it too, because he reached out to touch the swell of her breasts.
“So beautiful.”
He cupped them, taking their weight into his palms. He was taking his time, in no hurry at all to do anything but savor her. It was tantalizing and excruciating, making her want to beg for more.
Dropping his head, he pressed his lips against her stomach, his mouth warm and firm as he dragged it up the center of her ribs. He stopped at the fabric bow attached to her bra, then moved his lips to her breast.
“Oh!” Pleasure shot down to the tip of her toes.
“Is that good?” he asked, glancing up.
“So good.”
He smiled again, then did the same to her other breast, until they were peaked and tender. She could feel his hardness pressing against her, right at her center where she needed it the most.
“You taste like orange juice,” he muttered against her skin. “Sweet and bitter and everything in between.” She loved the way his voice was so thick with need.
His hand moved down, past the hem of her dress, his fingers feathering against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. His touch was delicate, and yet she could feel it vibrate through her body. Making every muscle clench.
“Is this okay?”
She was slick with anticipation. Her breath was ragged with need. And yet he still took his time, circling around her, avoiding the part of her that needed him the most. His mouth moved against hers, capturing her gasps with his lips, his tongue, swallowing them down as if he couldn’t get enough. Even with her leg in a cast she was able to move her hips to his maddeningly soft rhythm, closing her eyes to will him to move his fingertips higher… higher… just a half an inch more.
Oh!
“Nate,” she cried out, desire making her breathless. The way he was touching her was so maddeningly delicious. He was bringing her to the edge with his fingers and mouth, dangling her there until she couldn’t hold on any more. One more step and she’d be falling…
“It’s okay,” he whispered, his lips moving against her mouth. “I’ve got you.”
She opened her eyes to see him staring at her, his lids heavy with desire. His intensity took her breath away. Her head tipped back as she teetered at the edge, puffs of breath escaping her lips, arching her back and curling her toes as she finally reached the crest.
He held her as she fell, his breath short as she cried out his name, sensation overwhelming her until she had to squeeze her eyes tightly shut.
It must have been thirty seconds or more before she was able to open them again. Her entire body was still pulsating with pleasure. Nate was beside her on his oversize couch, his eyes dark as he stared at her. “Wow,” she breathed, when she finally regained her ability to talk.
He smiled, pressing his lips to the tip of her nose.
She bit her lip and moved her hand to press against his stomach. “It’s your turn,” she said, her voice thick with the pleasure he’d given her.
He slid his palm on top of her hand, pressing it to him. “It’s okay,” he said, still looking into her eyes. “I’m good.”
“You are?” she frowned. When was the last time a guy refused reciprocation from her? She wasn’t sure one ever had. “But you’re…”
“I’ll deal with that later. Right now I just want to look at you.”
If her face wasn’t already red with pleasure, it would be flushing. And yet there was no edge to his voice. No sign that he was anything but happy to have given her pleasure without receiving it back. She wasn’t sure what to say in response.
He pressed his lips to hers with the briefest of kisses. “Stop overthinking.”
“How do you know I am?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Your legs are tense as hell. I bet you want to run right now.” He pulled her bra cups up so they were covering her breasts, deftly refastening the buttons on her dress. “You’re wondering why I don’t want you to touch me, right?”
She nodded.
“Because I don’t want you to think I made you come for any other reason than I wanted to. It turned me on like crazy to watch your pleasure and hear you call out my name. But it’s getting late, and Riley’s going to be home soon, which means we don’t have a whole lot of time. And when you touch me, I’ll want you to do it all night. A quick hand job isn’t what I need from you right now.”
“When I touch you…” she repeated.
“If, then.”
She smiled into his eyes. “It’s definitely when,” she whispered. “There’s no if about it.”
He swallowed, making his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. “Okay, then. But right now I need to calm myself
down. How about I make us both some coffee, and we play Echoes of War?”
“Sounds good to me,” she replied. And what just happened between them? Well she’d think about it later, because right now she needed a distraction.
“I’m back,” Riley called from the front door. “No arrests, no underage drinking. We didn’t even have an orgy. You’ll be proud of me.”
Nate pressed pause on the game they were playing and gave Ally a wry smile. She bit her lip, reminding herself to act natural – whatever that was. She didn’t really have long enough to think about it because less than five seconds later Riley was bounding into the living room, the biggest smile on her face.
“Oh my God,” she said, looking from Nate to Ally. “Have you guys been playing that game all night?”
“Pretty much,” Nate said, sounding so much more nonchalant than Ally felt. “We went to watch the fireworks then came home to play. How was the movie?”
“Not as lame as your evening. We had fun even though the movie was awful.” Riley dropped into the chair beside the sofa.
“Where did you eat?” Ally asked her. Her voice sounded strange. She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of whatever was making it all croaky, and tried to ignore Nate as he grinned at her.
“At the mall. Laura’s mom treated us all.” Riley looked down at her hands, her brows pulling together as if she was thinking something through. Then she looked up. “Something interesting happened,” Riley said, biting her lips as she glanced at her dad. “Do you remember Charlie Prince?”
“I’ve never heard of him,” Nate said.
“It’s a her. And she comes in the coffee shop almost every day after school. Anyway, she was supposed to be going on the school trip to Los Angeles next week, but she’s come down with mono and she’s not allowed at school per doctor’s orders. So there’s going to be a place free, and I was wondering if I could go instead.”
From the corner of her eye Ally saw Nate frown. “Why haven’t I heard about this trip before?”
“Because it was full before we even moved to Angel Sands.” Riley shrugged. “But now it isn’t.”