by Carrie Elks
“Then give me the details. When is it, how many teachers are going, what will you see? And more importantly, how much is it going to cost me.”
“That I can tell you. Charlie’s mom’s happy to offer it for half price, which means a hundred and fifty dollars. You’ll get rid of me for four days, three nights, so I figure that’s a great value all round. And if you really want to make me work for it, I’ll come to the shop every weekend to pay you off.” She smiled expectantly at him. “So can I go?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Her smile dissolved. “Well you need to think fast, because if I don’t snap it up somebody else will.”
“I said I’d think about it.” Nate’s voice was firm. “You won’t be able to do anything about it until Monday anyway.”
“But if I’m going I need to get some new clothes. The trip starts on Tuesday. There’s not much time.” She tipped her head to the side. Was she batting her eyelashes? Ally couldn’t quite tell from where she was sitting.
Nate took a deep breath in, then muttered something to himself.
“What?” Riley asked, leaning forward.
“I said you’re supposed to be grounded.”
“Apart from school,” Riley said, still full of cheer. “And this is definitely school. I can promise not to have any fun at all if it helps?”
Ally sniggered. She couldn’t help it. Sometimes Riley reminded her so much of herself as a teenager.
“You’re no help,” Nate told her.
“Sorry.” But Ally couldn’t get rid of the grin.
“That’s what happens when you spend your night killing soldiers,” Riley said. “Father daughter arguments become entertainment.”
“We’re not arguing,” Nate protested.
“Not yet. But only because you haven’t said no. I’m keeping the big guns waiting until then.” Yep, Riley really was batting her lashes. Ally wasn’t sure how much longer Nate would be able to hold out.
He closed his eyes and shook his head, letting out a sigh. “Okay, you can go.”
Wow, that was quicker than she thought.
“Seriously?” Riley sounded genuinely shocked.
“What? Did I make it too easy for you? You can go because it’s educational, and because you proved yourself trustworthy tonight. But I’ve still got a close eye on you.”
Riley launched herself at Nate, throwing her arms around him as she thanked him profusely. “I need to call Charlie,” she said, pulling herself away. “And then I need to start packing. What do people wear in LA, anyway?” She looked at Ally. “Oh God, there’s so much to do.” She turned on her heel and ran for the hallway, raising her hand in goodbye. “Laters, people.”
Ally slowly turned to look at Nate. “You’ve made somebody very happy.”
“That’s what I live for.” He raised an eyebrow. “On the plus side, we only have to listen to that level of crazy for the next couple of days.”
After that, Riley would be gone. For three nights. The realization struck Ally like a ten ton truck.
She was going to be alone in the house with Nate, and the mere thought of it made her heart pound.
19
Leo just asked me to sit next to him on the bus. That’s a good sign, right?
Ally bit down a smile as she read Riley’s text, then immediately hit the reply button.
It’s a great sign. Now relax and try to enjoy yourself. L.A. is an amazing city.
Maybe she needed to take that advice herself, because she felt herself shiver as Nate’s tires crunched on the driveway, quickly followed by the slam of his car door as he climbed out.
A few seconds later he was opening the front door and walking up the hallway. His face split into a smile as he looked into the living room and saw Ally there. She grinned back as a thousand butterflies decided to beat their wings in her stomach. “How was your day?” she asked as he slumped on the sofa next to her.
“Busy.” He ran his hand through his thick brown hair. “I have some investors and my management team coming down to check out the Beach Café, and I’m planning to pitch the Coastal Coffee idea to them. So, I spent most of the day running numbers and creating slides for the presentation, which left them one short behind the counter.”
“I could probably come back to work, you know,” Ally suggested, glancing down at her leg. “I’m much more mobile than I was, and not in any pain. If I did some short days I could make a difference.”
“Our insurance won’t cover you like that. Even if it was a good idea, which it isn’t.”
Ally sighed.
“What’s with the rush to get back? Are you getting bored of saving the world?” Nate asked, his voice teasing.
“Something like that. I miss people and talking, and conversations. I even made Brooke take me grocery shopping with her today so I could get out.”
“There must be a lot of things you could do with your time,” Nate said, his brows knitting together. “All those things we put off because we’re too busy working.”
“Like what?”
He ran his finger along his jaw, deep in thought. “I’ve always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail.”
“Well that would be a great idea if my leg wasn’t in a cast.” She smiled ruefully. “Can you think of anything else?”
Nate was silent for a moment. “No,” he said. “I can’t think of anything I’d want to do that wouldn’t involve full use of both my legs.” His expression softened with sympathy.
“You know what I miss the most?”
“Apart from the coffee shop?”
She laughed. “Yeah. And apart from running.”
“In that case, you’ve got me stumped.”
“I want to walk on the beach as the sun goes down. Feel the warm sand against my toes, let the waves lap over my legs as I make my way along the shoreline. I don’t even want to run. Just an hour without this damn cast and those crutches and I swear I’d be happy.” She sighed, remembering how beautiful the beach had looked on Saturday night. She’d stayed safely on the boardwalk, but her whole body had itched for the sand. “Ignore me. I’m just feeling sorry for myself. You’re the one who’s had the busy day, you should be relaxing, not listening to my tales of woe.”
“Maybe I find your tales of woe relaxing.” He glanced out of the glass doors that led from the living room to the deck. “The sun looks beautiful tonight,” he murmured.
She followed his gaze. The orange ball of fire had almost hit the horizon, and it was licking long flickering flames into the darkening ocean. Everything looked still out there, as though the rest of nature had stepped back into the wings while dusk took center stage.
When she glanced back, he was looking straight at her. There was that darkness in his eyes again. They made her shiver.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Where?”
“To the beach.”
“I can’t use my crutches on the beach,” she told him. “They’ll sink.”
“We’ll do it the old fashioned way. Just you and me.”
He held his hand out and she took it. The next moment he was sliding his arm around her waist, pulling her to standing. Then they were walking – well he was, she was hopping, really – over to the glass doors which he pulled open, letting in the evening air.
It smelled of salt and ozone. She closed her eyes and breathed it in. He helped her onto the deck, and down the steps. His hold gentle and yet so reassuring.
It didn’t take long for them to walk through his yard, past the lilacs and the sagebrush to the iron gate that separated the house from the beach. Nate released it with his free hand, pushing it open with his hip as he held her waist in his palms to help her down the steps to the sand.
“We should take our shoes off,” he said, helping her sit on the wooden step that bordered the sand. “Or in your case, shoe. It’ll be easier that way.” He tugged at the laces of his oxfords, pulling them off one at a time. He then pulled his socks off and stuffed the
m inside. Ally followed suit, sliding her sandal off, and putting it next to his shoes on the steps.
“Let’s hope nobody throws them in the trash,” she teased.
“I still owe you a pair of running shoes for that.” The hint of a blush stained his cheeks. She’d never thought of men as beautiful before, but the word was so perfect for him. Looking at him felt like staring at a perfectly sculpted statue. He made her heart hurt in such a good way.
“I think I’m the one who owes you,” she said, her voice soft.
He stood and reached for her again, pulling her up until she was balanced. She could feel his shoulder muscles flex beneath his shirt where she held him.
“Ohhh…” she sighed as her foot sunk into the sand. It still held the warmth of the day, but didn’t burn like it sometimes did. “God, I’ve missed this.”
“You want to head down to the water?” he asked.
“We can’t. Not with my cast. The doctor said I couldn’t get it wet.”
“You won’t get it wet,” he said, pulling his arm tightly around her waist, encouraging her to lean on him. “I promise.”
He was staring at her intently. “Okay, then,” she breathed, her whole body reacting to his closeness.
They took their time walking down the sand. Not just because it was harder to balance on the uneven ground – though that was reason enough – but because they were in no hurry. The spectacle ahead of them was only getting better as the burnished sun sank into the ocean.
“We should stop here,” Ally murmured. The waves were kissing the sand two feet ahead of them. Any further and they’d be lapping over her cast. “This was always my favorite part of the day when I was a kid,” she told him, her eyes trained on the horizon. “Dad used to let me play by the ocean while he closed up the café for the evening. When he was done he’d bring down a drink and a bag full of whatever he hadn’t sold that day and we’d eat it overlooking the sunset.” She smiled, remembering the way the sandwiches had tasted – a little stale, a little crunchy from the grains of sand that inevitably got into them, and yet good enough that she’d always eat it all up. “It would be the one time of the day when it was only him and me. No customers, no fellow business owners popping in to chat with him.”
“Do you miss him?”
“I guess I do. But it’s weird because I’m angry at him, too. I’m not sure if I want to hug him or scream at him.” She breathed in a fresh lungful of salty air. “Although right now I’m not doing either because we’re not talking.”
Nate inclined his head, looking at her through the corners of his eyes. “Why not?” he asked. “Because he sold the café?”
“Partly,” she admitted. “But also because he left without thinking about what it would do to me. I worked like crazy trying to keep that place running, and he sold it anyway.”
“But he made sure you still had a job,” Nate pointed out. “It was part of the contract.”
She’d unblocked her dad the day after the fireworks, but hadn’t had the energy to message him. There was plenty of time for that. The sea breeze lifted the ends of her hair, making them dance against her skin. She wrinkled her nose as they tickled her lips. “And there was me thinking you employed me because you thought I was a fabulous manager.”
“You are.” The corner of his lip pulled up into a half-smile. “Normally when I buy a place I bring in a new team. But I’m glad your dad asked for you to stay. Otherwise we wouldn’t have met.”
Her eyes caught his, and she felt the connection between them like a fist to her chest. She filed away her thoughts about her dad in the little compartment in her head she saved for things she wasn’t ready to process right then. She’d worry about him another day, because right now all she could think about was Nate.
She could hear the beat of her pulse as the blood rushed through her ears, mixing with the lapping of the waves as they pushed against the shore. Her chest felt too full to breathe, yet her lungs were desperate for oxygen. And all the while they were staring at each other, their eyes locked together as his arm pulled her against him, tipping her head up so their lips were only a breath apart.
“Damn!”
A crashing wave came in from along the shore, spraying foam toward them on the sand. Before she had time to react, Nate was scooping her up into his arms, lifting her out of the way of the water as it soaked his tailored pants.
Still holding her, he ran up the beach. Ally wrapped her arms around his neck, biting down on her lip in an attempt not to laugh at the expression on his face. But the impulse got the better of her as she collapsed into a series of giggles.
They made it up to the steps where they’d left their shoes. The bottom of his pants clung to his legs, flecks of sand covering the dark blue fabric where he’d kicked it up as he ran.
“Are they ruined?” she asked, as he scooted down and helped her sit on the bottom stair.
“I’ve no idea,” he said. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ve got more pairs.”
She reached out to touch his cheek. “My knight in shining armor,” she murmured. “Always ready to save a damsel in distress.” She traced the line of his jaw, feeling the sharpness of stubble against his smooth chin. “Thank you for saving me.” She glanced down. “And I’m sorry about your pants.”
“At least one of us got to paddle today.” He moved his hand over hers, pressing her palm to his face. Slowly, he turned so his lips were pressed against the center, kissing her hand before he looked at her with heavy eyes.
“Do you want to go inside?” he asked.
She could tell from the tone of his voice that he wasn’t just asking if she wanted to walk back to the house. Her heart raced as she considered the real meaning. Did she want to go inside and shut the world out so it was only the two of them? Was she ready to carry on where they’d left off a few days earlier?
When, not if.
“Yes, please,” she said, more certain than she’d ever been before. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than go inside with you.”
20
They didn’t even make it inside before the urge to kiss her overwhelmed every cell in his body. They stopped at the door, where he spun her around, pressing her back against the glass as he inclined his head to brush his lips against hers, tasting the warmth of her gasp as she arched herself into him. She was clinging to his neck, her body sandwiched between the door and his firm chest, making certain there was no possibility of her losing her balance.
He slid his arm around her waist, pressing his palm into the dip of her back. Curling the other around her jaw, he angled her face so he could kiss her harder.
Her lips tasted of salt and strawberries, an intoxicating combination. She filled every sense he possessed. He welcomed it, wanting to be so full of her he couldn’t think properly. The need to possess her pushed everything else away.
Their first kiss had been delicate and sensual, as they’d sat on that bench overlooking the beach. Their second had been full of desire – to connect with her in a way that showed her exactly how he felt.
This third time? It felt like a communion. Their lips moved together as though choreographed, their bodies melting into each other until he wasn’t sure where she ended and he began. And from the way her breath hitched as he threaded his fingers through her silky hair, she felt the same urgent need he did – to come together and never part.
She was still in his arms when he unlatched the door and slid it open. He helped her inside, hooking his arm around her, keeping her steady as she lifted her cast high enough to clear the doorway.
“You okay?”
She nodded, her eyes sparkling. Her lips were already pink and swollen from his kisses. He loved that he’d done that to her. “I’m more than okay,” she said.
“Do you want to stay out here? Or should we go to my room?” He eyed her carefully. He was desperate to touch her, to taste her, but only if she said yes.
Her smile widened. “Your room?” she said, raising an eyeb
row. “I’ve never been in there before.”
Yeah, well he wanted her in there now. He could picture her on his bed, her blonde hair fanned out against the dark blue sheets, her wide eyes staring up at him as he took every inch of her in. His mind was full of the memory of her from the other night; the way her thighs were warm against his arm as he touched her, the way her breasts tasted as he worshipped them with his mouth. He wanted to feel that again, to feel her tighten against him as she reached her peak, her body melting as she rode a wave of pleasure.
He let out a mouthful of air. If he kept thinking that way tonight was going to be over before it had even begun.
“Come on. It’ll be faster if I carry you.”
She didn’t protest as he scooped her up into his arms, her legs dangling, and arms wrapped around him. Her eyes were as heavy as his, reflecting back the desire that had taken over his body. As far as he was concerned he couldn’t get to the bedroom fast enough.
When he laid her down on his bed – freshly made this morning, thank God – she looked just as delicious on there as he’d imagined. But she had way too many clothes on. He licked his dry lips, wondering where to start. His hands ached to feel her thighs, her chest, her waist.
“Nate?” she questioned when he hesitated a moment too long.
Time to stop over thinking this. He’d passed the point of no return days ago. Climbing onto the bed, he slid his body over hers, and the first thing he touched was her face. It was right, because that was where she was, the very essence of the woman he couldn’t get out of his mind.
He kissed her, savoring her with his lips and tongue. His hands slid down to her waist, pushing her tank up so he could feel the warmth of her skin against his palms. She moaned into his mouth, just the slightest of noises, and yet it vibrated right through him. One of her legs was hooked around his waist, pulling him closer, the other – her bad one – was splayed out. And her hands, oh God, her hands, they were pressing against his ass, dragging him in, until the sensation of her against him was driving him crazy.