“That’s true. She was born right before I got my undergraduate degree.”
“So?”
Anthony is trying to figure out her reasoning and then finally he gets it. “I think I understand your confusion. I was nineteen during my senior year at UCLA. I started college when I was sixteen.”
Natalie blinks and then shakes her head. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Because that’s how it worked out. I tested and got in early.”
“No,” she says, annoyed. “Why didn’t you tell me you were so much younger than me?”
“I don’t know. I’ve dated older women before. Besides,” he says, getting annoyed himself, “you can’t be that much older than I am.”
She doesn’t say anything.
“How old are you exactly?” Not that he really cares. He’s mostly curious to see why she’s stressing so bad.
Natalie sighs. “I’m thirty-five. I’ll be thirty-six in May.”
“See,” he says. “Only six years.”
She looks at him like he’s a moron. “Six years is a lot.”
Anthony rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s go. You can stress while we’re getting caffeine.”
ON THE WAY to get coffee, they stop at the drugstore for condoms. Except Natalie doesn’t want to go inside. She’s too embarrassed. “I’ll guard your motorcycle. You won’t even have to pay me. Well,” she reconsiders, “maybe only ten bucks.”
“Very funny. This neighborhood looks perfectly safe. Come on,” he takes her hand, “I’m not letting you wiggle your way out of this. It’ll be good for you to face down some of these fears.”
Once they’re standing in front of the condom section, Anthony puts on a show, trying to decide which ones to buy.
“Should we get the ultra-smooth, or how about the contoured ones for the ladies?” Anthony deepens his voice on the word ladies. “Fire pack, maybe? That sounds kind of dangerous. I’m worried they might sting. What do you think, Miss Natalie?”
Natalie is peeking around the corner, praying to God no one she knows sees her. “Let’s just grab some jumbos and go!”
Anthony chuckles and then finally reaches for a box without even looking at it. She suspects it’s the same brand he’s used for years. “You need to get over your embarrassment. So we’re having sex, who cares? It’s nobody’s business but ours.”
They head down one more aisle, where Anthony picks up a razor and shaving cream. He holds his hand up. “I know what you’re going to say, but at some point, I will need to shave. Trust me on this.”
Eventually, they make their way to the front.
The cashier is a young woman who almost swallows her tongue when she gets a look at Anthony and then smiles when she sees what he’s buying. She looks at Natalie too, but in a more confused—she’s with him?—kind of way, or at least that’s how Natalie interprets it.
“Thank God, that’s finally over,” Natalie says once they’re outside again. Anthony tucks the bag in a small storage compartment on the back of his bike.
They climb aboard and Natalie is already looking forward to the ride. Maybe I should buy a motorcycle. She imagines herself as one of those badass motorcycle mamas you see cruising around town. I could even get a tattoo. She already feels tough wearing the aviators Anthony bought her.
The sky is gray overhead with the occasional sunbreak as they ride and there’s the scent of diesel and wet pavement in the air.
The Ducati is purring loudly as they pull up to a Starbucks. People are sitting at tables out front, a few of them turning to watch as Anthony parks his bike. The notion of going inside Starbucks both repels and fascinates Natalie.
“It feels like I’m going behind enemy lines,” she says as they walk up to the store.
Anthony puts his sunglasses on top of his head and holds the door open for her. “It’s good to occasionally see what the enemy is up to.”
The place is crowded. Lots of people talking and waiting for drink orders.
Natalie glances around with interest, surprised at the crowd. Hmm, maybe we should keep La Dolce Vita open on the weekends.
Anthony orders his usual espresso breve and gets Natalie a nonfat latte. She doesn’t want any food yet, but he gets himself a chocolate chip cookie.
They stand close to each other as they wait for their coffee. Anthony holds her hand. At one point, he even bends down to kiss her, lingering longer than he should. Natalie’s stomach goes quivery as she inhales his musky scent. He’s like a drug she can’t get enough of.
A small table near the window opens and they grab it, sitting with their knees, legs, and arms touching. In truth, she’d sit in his lap if she could and something tells her Anthony wouldn’t object.
“And what’s this I see?” Natalie points to his bag with disapproval. “You’re already cheating on my cookies? That was fast.”
He smirks. “Of course not. I’m only observing the enemy, like you are.”
Anthony pulls the cookie out and takes a bite. She can’t help watching his reaction as he eats it. “How does it taste?”
“Terrible. Nothing compares to your cookies, Miss Natalie.”
“Hmph. That better be the truth.”
“Do you want some?”
Natalie accepts a small piece and has to admit it’s not bad, but it’s not as good as hers, either. She glances around at some of the people. There’s quite a mixed crowd of casual and dressed up. As usual, women are staring at Anthony. Some of them discreetly, but others are not so discreet, though she has to say he ignores them all and focuses solely on her.
“So, how many lovers have you had?” she asks curiously.
Anthony nearly chokes on his coffee. He puts the cup down. “You want to discuss this now?”
“Nobody can hear us.” Which is true. The place is busy and they’re sitting close together, talking quietly.
Anthony takes a deep breath and lets it out. “To be honest, that’s probably not a number you want to know.”
“Is it that high?”
“When I was younger I got a lot of female attention.”
Natalie can’t stop her snort of laughter. “When you were younger? Are you blind, Anthony? You still get a lot of female attention.”
“I know, but it’s different now. My perception has changed.”
“Why is that?”
He shrugs. “I was a young horny guy back then and women were constantly approaching me, so it was hard to resist.”
“And now what? You’re not horny anymore?”
He gives a low chuckle. “I’m definitely still horny, but like I said, it’s different. All that attention has become noise, like static. I’m not interested in bedding a bunch of women I barely know.”
“So you’re like a serial monogamist now?”
Anthony glances around. He grins a little and seems embarrassed that she’s called his number. “Something like that.”
“Answer me this. Are you still in the double digits?”
“Yes.”
“Barely, though, I’ll bet.”
He takes a sip of his coffee. “Hey, I’m just an innocent boy here. You’re the cougar lady trying to sink her sharp claws into me.”
“Don’t say that!” Natalie laughs despite herself. She’s been trying not to think about their age difference.
“Are you still stressing about that?”
She toys with her coffee cup. “Of course. Six years is a bigger age difference than I thought.”
“What if it were reversed? And I was six years older than you—would it matter then?”
“No.” She thinks about Peter and Lena. They don’t seem to care. In fact, Lena is older than Peter by more than six years. “I’ve just never seen myself as the cougar type.”
“Come on, Natalie. Those labels are nonsense. I hope you realize that.” He takes her hand and entwines their fingers.
“Yeah, I know.”
They’re gazing at each other. She can’t pull her eyes away, but at least it
seems to be the same for him, too. He’s so good looking it’s ridiculous. But as she gets to know him she’s finding she likes his personality even more than his looks.
“So how did the phone call with your sister go earlier?” he asks. “Did you tell her you invited the evil landlord into your bed?”
“No, not yet.”
He takes a drink from his coffee, watching her.
“I told her I was spending the day vacuuming the house and cleaning the bathrooms.”
His brows draw together. “Why?”
“Because she wanted to come home and it was the only thing that would keep her away.”
“So you didn’t tell her we’re together at all?” It’s clear Anthony doesn’t like this. He sounds annoyed and pulls his hand away.
“I’ll tell her eventually. And Blair, too, but it’s going to be weird. Everybody is really angry about what you did.”
Anthony releases a frustrated breath and looks out the window. “And what about you?” He meets her eyes. “Are you going to get past this?”
Natalie is still angry about what happened, but she wants Anthony. She wants him a lot. “Yes, I’ll get past it. It’s like you said when you came over last night. This relationship is about you and me.”
“So you’re going to tell people we’re involved? You can’t just start lying to everyone.”
“I know. I’ll tell them.”
Anthony frowns to himself. He doesn’t like lies and he doesn’t want to be anybody’s big secret. Ironically, the women he dates usually want to show him off. This is the first time someone has tried to hide him in the closet.
“They might not like it at first,” he says, taking her hand again, rubbing his thumb over her baking scars. “But they’ll come around. And even if they don’t, it’s your life to live, not theirs.”
“I know. Just let me figure out how to handle this, okay?”
“All right, fair enough.”
They finish their coffees. Anthony pulls his sunglasses off his head and puts them back on. “I’d say we accomplished our mission today. Are you ready to leave, Miss Natalie?”
“Ready when you are, Moondoggie.”
He takes the shortest route back to her house. Usually he takes the scenic route if there’s a choice, since he enjoys riding his bike, but he can’t wait to get Natalie alone. He’s been trying to hide it, but the anticipation of having her again has become unbearable. He’s intensely aware of her. The way she looks, feels, and smells. It’s been a struggle to keep his hands off her.
Once they’re parked in her driveway, he locks his bike and practically pulls her to the front door, his jeans tight with the erection that’s been plaguing him since Starbucks.
“I can’t wait,” he murmurs in her ear as she unlocks the door. “I’m already hard thinking about all the things we’re going to do.”
He can tell she likes hearing this as she fumbles with her keys. Once the door is open, and they’re inside the house, Natalie turns to him.
“Do you want me, Anthony?”
“Yes, you know I do.”
There’s a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Then you’re going to have to catch me first!”
To his surprise, she suddenly runs past him. He’s so startled he doesn’t even grab her and before he knows it she’s already gone around the corner.
What the . . . Anthony stills for a moment and then grins. He likes this kind of game.
Thinking ahead, he opens the bag from the drugstore and pulls out a condom, slipping it into the front pocket of his jeans. Then he walks into the living area. Natalie is standing on the other side of the room, near the bottom of the stairs, watching—waiting.
Their eyes meet and lust slams through him.
“You’re a naughty girl, Miss Natalie. Teasing me like this.”
He knows she’s expecting him to go around the furniture and make a run for her. That’s the most obvious path.
“Somebody has to make you earn it for a change,” she tells him.
So that’s what this is about. He glances to the side, letting her think that’s the route he plans to take.
And just when she starts to relax, he suddenly grabs the edge of the couch and leaps over it. He lands only a short distance away from her.
“Aaah!” Natalie shrieks with girlie laughter. She starts running up the stairs with him right behind her. His fingers graze her shirt, but she’s surprisingly fast.
She makes it to the top and he can hear her laughing as she runs down the hall.
“I’ve almost got you!”
“Ha!” Then she runs into her bedroom and slams the door shut.
When he reaches for the door, he finds it locked. He rattles the knob. “Let me in, Natalie.”
“I don’t think so.” He can hear her voice on the other side.
“The door is locked.”
“So it is,” she agrees. “Guess you’ll have to figure out that one next, Professor Smarty Pants.”
Anthony grins. He bends down to examine the brass knob. It’s just a simple interior lock. He figures there’s a pushbutton on the other side, so all he needs is something pointy to fit in the center hole and release the mechanism.
He stands up, considering for a moment what he can use. A nail would work, or a paper clip. Anthony goes downstairs and finds a paper clip on a small desk down near the kitchen. Straightening it out, he heads back upstairs, chuckling to himself. He can’t remember the last time he had this much sexy fun.
When he reaches her door, he tries the knob again to make sure it’s still locked and then pushes the paper clip inside. He fiddles around a few seconds until he hears the mechanism pop.
“I hope you heard that,” he tells her. “Because that’s the sound of your doom.”
He turns the knob and enters.
Natalie is standing on the opposite side of the bed. There’s a smile tugging on her mouth, but her eyes are heated.
“And now you’re mine.” He moves toward her. “To do with as I please.”
Her eyes flicker toward the door.
“I don’t think so.” He smirks.
She’s breathing hard watching him. “You haven’t caught me yet!” And then she makes a final run for it.
This time he’s faster though, and grabs her around the waist. Natalie squeals with laughter. She tries to squirm away, but he holds her tightly as she grips his arms, pushing at him. Her breasts are smashed against him and the whole thing reminds him so much of his boxing fantasy his groin aches and he’s getting even more aroused.
“Let me go!” she says.
“No way, I have plans for you.”
She goes still in his arms. “Seriously, let me go, Anthony.”
Immediately, he releases her. “What’s wrong?”
She pushes him away. “Nothing’s wrong!” And then she laughs and runs for the door.
“Dammit!” A few choice swear words stream from his mouth as he starts chasing her again. “The gloves are off now, Natalie.” He sees her at the end of the hall. She’s trying to lock herself in the bathroom, but he gets there in time to shove his foot in the door before she can close it. “This game only has one ending. And I think you know what it is.”
She’s still struggling with the door, grinning at him. “I said I’d make you earn it, didn’t I?”
“We’ll see who’s earning what here.”
He manages to shove his knee inside and then pushes the door wide enough so he can slip through. She backs away, but there isn’t any place for her to go.
“I can’t believe you faked me out like that.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” She smiles sheepishly and has the decency to look embarrassed. “Lindsay used to do that to me and, if it’s any consolation, I always fell for it, too.”
“No, that’s not any consolation.” He steps closer. “Don’t do it again.”
She blinks. Her hair is messy, eyes bright.
And then he reaches out and kisses her hard. Natalie moans
. Her arms immediately wrap around his neck. He’s holding her tight and their kiss turns into something else, something crazy. Mouths feeding on each other, tongues and teeth colliding.
He grasps her ass with both hands. “Wrap your legs around me,” he breathes urgently.
She does and he lifts her, carrying her until her back is pushed against the wall. They’re still kissing greedily, bodies rubbing in all the right places, setting each other on fire. Anthony feels like he’s losing his mind.
He puts her down, grabbing the front of her jeans, trying to get them off her. His hands are shaking. Both of them frantic, fumbling.
“Now, now . . .” Natalie chants, and it’s making him even crazier.
Somehow he tugs her jeans and panties off. He wants Natalie naked all over, wants to touch her and see all she has to offer, but at this point all he can think about is getting inside her.
Thank God I brought a condom.
He pulls it out of his pocket and holds it between his front teeth as he unbuttons himself and shoves his pants down, his erection finally free.
Natalie is watching him, her breath choppy, the blush high on her cheeks. She looks dazed and Anthony can’t help thinking that she’s beautiful. Her lips are parted, the color like wild berries.
He pulls the condom from his mouth and kisses her again. Just because he can.
Finally, he tears the packet open with his teeth and quickly slips the rubber over himself.
“Grab me again,” he tells her and when she does, wrapping her legs around him—he lifts her up, and then situating himself, brings her down—impaling her.
God. His eyes fall shut.
They both groan. Her arms and legs tighten around him and it’s so sweet—so hot.
Still holding her, he drives upward and the two of them begin moving together. Natalie moans and sobs with every thrust. It feels so right, Anthony never wants to leave this moment, wants to stay inside her like this forever.
Eventually, Natalie starts squirming against him and he knows what to do. He slips his hand between her legs in front to help, rubbing his fingers where she needs it. She immediately goes nuts. Clutching him, digging her nails into his shoulders as she cries out with her climax. And then it hits Anthony, too. His self-control crashes and ecstasy ricochets through him. It’s already white-hot before the final explosion comes and he groans, holding her tight, blind to everything but his release.
Year of Living Blonde (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 1) Page 30
