by Avery James
“It’s a nice hotel,” Abby said.
“I hear some of the guests are real prats. I want to see something real. Another bar, a restaurant, an all-night café, anything. You seem like you know what’s what. Show me around?”
“Did you know you’re exactly my type?” Abby asked. “Handsome, charming, and completely focused on one thing.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Nolan replied. “For what it’s worth, you’re not my type at all.”
Abby scoffed. “Is that right?” she asked.
“Yeah, you’re far too smart and interesting. I like my women dull. Helps boost my fragile male ego.”
“I think I’ll have that drink,” Abby said.
Nolan motioned to the bartender and ordered what sounded like the most Scottish drinks possible. The bartender came over and poured three small glasses. Nolan handed her one of them, and when she took a sip, it tasted like someone had bottled flaming sod. “That’s something,” she said when her throat stopped burning long enough for her to speak.
“Smooth, right?” he asked.
“I might concede defeat and ask for that cran-tini,” she said.
“That was twelve year,” he said. “I’ll skip you ahead to the eighteen. Take a sip, not a shot.” He handed her another glass. This time, she sipped the drink. This one was mellower, with more complex and robust flavors. It still burned a bit at the back of her throat, but she was able to appreciate that there was something interesting about the way it tasted.
Nolan smiled and took a long sip from the first glass, and then they started talking. It was mostly small talk, flirty banter back and forth that really meant nothing, but Abby loved every second of it. There was something about Nolan that just drew her in. And, as they finished off the Scotch, she started to wonder what it was that made her like guys like him. Why couldn’t she just fall for someone nice and simple instead of hoping someone like Nolan would have the emotional maturity to make things work? He was handsome, though.
Once the glasses were empty, she decided to take Nolan up on his request. “I’ll give you that tour you were asking for,” she said. She knew exactly where to go. A plan was starting to take shape in her mind, one Nolan would be perfect for. She pushed her stool back from the bar. “Are you coming?” she asked. Nolan placed a hand on her back and gave a little nod.
Chapter 2
Abby’s plan, which she would not be sharing with Nolan, was to bid farewell to her 20s in the most Abby way possible: a one night stand with a gorgeous man who had no interest in anything more. On Monday, she’d tell Maggie she was ready to be set up on a date with a responsible man with a boring job. But for tonight, she was going to enjoy herself.
“An official tour,” she said. “Hmm. If we hurry, we can catch La traviata at the opera house.” She watched Nolan’s eyes go wide as he wondered what he’d gotten himself into. “Not a fan?” she asked. She shook her head vigorously. “Don’t worry. You will be. Ooh, and then you can come meet my parents!”
Words could not express the look of fear on Nolan’s face as he wondered how badly he’d misjudged the situation. She could almost see the wheels turning as he tried to think of some excuse to step away. It took all of Abby’s willpower not to burst into laughter. She grabbed her phone off the bar and quickly snapped a picture before cracking a smile. “You should see the look on your face right now,” she said. She pulled up the picture on her phone and showed it to him.
“You’re messing with me,” he said. He breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. Just like that, she’d managed to get past the façade he’d put up for himself. She’d stolen a genuine moment.
“I know a place,” she said. “Don’t worry. My parents won’t be there.”
“You’re not going to let that one go, are you?” he asked.
Abby reached out and placed her hand over his. “You’re cute when you’re flustered,” she said.
“Cute,” he replied. He tried to imitate her tone, but his smooth accent shone through. “I can start with cute.” He turned his hand so that her palm rested against his. There was something that just felt right about holding his hand.
“Something tells me you won’t end with it,” she said.
He grinned and tapped his fingers against her palm. “I’m in your hands, Abby,” he said. “Where we end up… that’s your call.”
Abby leaned into him, close enough that she could smell his cologne and feel his breath, close enough that her lips were just inches from his. She could feel his muscles tense as she stopped just short of kissing him. She had a theory about first kisses, one she swore by. You could tell everything you needed to know about a guy from a first kiss. It was a declaration of intent and a demonstration of ability. If the guy jammed his tongue into her mouth like he was drilling for oil, it was time to move on. If he was too timid, she was probably wasting her time. She wondered what it would be like to kiss Nolan. She had a feeling that she’d soon find out.
“How about we head out?” she said. She got up from her seat and slid her hand over his shoulder as she slipped around him.
“Out sounds good,” he replied. Nolan finished off his drink and placed the glass down. She had the player wrapped around her finger, but something told her he had a trick or two up his sleeve.
Outside, the night air was warm, and the sky was clear overhead. Fall and spring were always the best seasons in D.C., and this September was shaping up to be particularly wonderful. Abby leaned against Nolan as they walked and he slid his arm around her shoulder. It felt so natural that Abby barely noted it.
She’d lived in the neighborhood for years when she’d first started out at Haven. She’d lived in a tiny walk-up apartment, the only perk of which was the view from the roof and its proximity to a whole bunch of good bars—well, bars that were a hell of a lot better than the one at the Dorset anyway. But she had a different location in mind.
She stopped in front of a liquor store and told Nolan that they’d reached their destination. “About that drink you offered to buy me,” she said.
“You mean the one back at the bar?” he asked.
“No, the one I want,” she said. “I’ve figured out what you can get me.”
Nolan shrugged and followed her into the store. He was a guy who probably could afford to fly to Burgundy and pick the grapes right off the vine if he wanted to. “Well, I can’t wait,” he said. Abby could feel his eyes on her as she walked up and down the rows of wine. This was where she came to buy champagne after she first got her job at Haven. It was where she stocked up for Maggie’s bachelorette party. She knew exactly where she was headed and yet she decided to take a slight detour past the expensive reserve rack full of bottles that cost well over a thousand dollars apiece. “I think I’ve found it,” she said, picking up one of the most expensive bottles in the store. She held it up and looked at it. “Wait, nope,” she added, putting the bottle back down. “It’s over here. She walked over to the bargain aisle and picked up the $10 bottle of wine she’d given up on once she could afford something better, but for a trip down memory lane and a goodbye to her 20s, it couldn’t be beat. “You wanted to know what it’s like to be young in this city. I intend to deliver.”
They paid for the bottle and headed back out. Abby grabbed Nolan’s hand and pulled him along the smaller side streets that led to their destination. It had been a few years since she’d been back, but she knew each step by heart. She wondered if the door would still be unlocked the way it always had been or if she’d have to improvise. When they reached a nondescript brick building, Abby announced that they’d arrived.
“Here?” Nolan asked as they walked around the back of the building to the back entrance.
“Best spot in the entire city,” she said as she tried the door. Sure enough, the lock was still broken.
“Your place?” he asked.
“Not for years,” she replied. As she pulled the door open, she nodded ahead. Nolan seemed more than intrigued. H
e followed her. He had the bottle of wine in one hand and her hand in the other. Every few steps, Abby would look back and catch his glance. It had been so long since she’d been in this building, and even longer since she’d brought a guy there. When they reached the top of the stairs and paused for a moment before opening the door to the rooftop deck, she wondered for a moment if she’d made a mistake. But the moment they stepped back out into the night, her doubt was gone. As the rooftops followed the slope of the hill downward towards the river to the south where the bridge stretched across to Arlington, and the thousands of lights that made up the low-slung city skyline cast a soft glow over them, she knew she’d made the right call. “You wanted my favorite drinking spot in the city? This is it.”
Nolan walked over to the edge of the roof and looked out at the view for a moment. “I don’t suppose you have a corkscrew up here,” he said after a long pause. “I can always try the old shoe trick.”
“Hold on,” Abby said. She walked over to the table where she used to sit and sip wine. Sure enough, there was a bottle opener right there. She handed it over to Nolan. “Or if you really want to impress me, you could do the shoe thing.”
“I’ll play it safe,” he said as he uncorked the bottle.
“Somehow I doubt you play it safe,” she said.
“Sneaking away to be seduced by a beautiful woman isn’t safe?” he said. He took a sip of the wine straight from the bottle. “That isn’t half bad, you know.”
Abby laughed. “It’s not very good either,” she said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite like you, Abby Hardigan,” he said.
“Why do you keep using my full name?” she asked.
“I like the way it sounds,” he replied.
“You don’t have to do that, by the way,” she said.
“Do what?” he asked.
“Tell me things you think I want to hear. I’m not naive. I’ve known guys like you before. It’s all wine and roses until it isn’t. Let’s save some effort and tell the truth.”
“Well, Abby Hardigan,” he said, “the truth is you’re beautiful, and I’ve wanted to undress you since the moment I laid eyes on you. If I’m being completely honest, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed you fully dressed as well.”
Abby scoffed. “Is that right?” she asked.
“You have a rather wicked tongue,” he said. “It seems like it could get you into trouble.” He brushed the tip of his thumb against her lower lip before leaning in for a kiss.
“Is that a problem?” Abby asked, pulling back just enough to keep him in suspense.
“No,” he said. He pressed his lips against hers as if he were punctuating his sentence. The sweet warmth of his tongue surprised and thrilled her, and there was a tenderness to his kiss that she hadn’t expected. He coaxed a soft moan from her lips as he deepened the kiss and ran a hand across her back, and Abby raked her teeth against his lip, holding out the kiss for just a moment longer. It was nothing short of sensational.
She took the bottle of wine from Nolan’s hand and took a sip, barely able to hold back her smile as she looked at him.
“Well, that was crap,” he said flatly.
“What?!” Abby exclaimed. She watched Nolan’s eyes light up.
“Now we’re even,” he said as he leaned in for another kiss, this one even better than the last.
Abby scoffed. “How was that one?” she asked.
“Just awful,” he said as he planted another slow kiss on her lips. He ran his hands down her sides and locked them on her hips. “I think I’m going to need all night to improve upon that,” he said.
“All night?” Abby asked.
“God, you’re sexy,” he said. He slid his hands over her ass and pulled her hard against himself. She wondered for a moment how many women he’d told that. The look in his eyes seemed so sincere, and she couldn’t help but feel herself drawn to him, but it was just a line. “I think I’m falling for you,” he added.
“Don’t say that,” Abby said. “I’m not that kind of girl.”
“So what kind of girl are you?” Nolan asked.
As Abby thought of possible answers, she heard a loud creak. She looked up to see her old downstairs neighbor stepping out onto the roof deck and lighting a cigarette. She looked directly at Abby and gave her a nod. Abby felt frozen in place. “The kind who thinks it’s time to head back to the hotel,” she whispered to Nolan.
Nolan didn’t even pay attention to the neighbor, who just nodded as Nolan scooped Abby up and carried her to the stairs.
Chapter 3
“Are you kidding me?” Abby asked as she pushed a curtain aside and looked at the view from Nolan’s suite. Everything about it put her rooftop to shame. The view equaled or surpassed the view from her old rooftop in almost every way. And this one didn’t have the drawback of ex-neighbors walking in on them. The room was nicer than the rooftop, too. There was the wide king bed with what looked like silk sheets, the couch and loveseat arranged around a flat screen television, and about half a dozen other places she could imagine herself having her way with Nolan. If she were being honest with herself, a true nostalgia tour of her twenties would have included bringing him back to the overstuffed apartment she’d shared with roommates. On second thought, the suite would do just fine.
As Abby turned all this over in her mind, she realized Nolan was looking at her with an amused grin. He had that whole detached confidence thing down, with the slight bit of distance that made her want to find out more, that made her want to please him instead of wrapping him around her finger. He stepped beside her to look out the window before turning towards her. He let his eyes linger on hers, and she wondered what he was thinking. She knew she had to get out of her head. “So you were just going to let me think that I’d shown you some incredible view?” she said. “Here I was thinking I was showing you something new.”
“I told you I wanted you to show me your city,” he said. “And now I’ve seen a piece of it. You could have walked me to the gates of Hell, and I’d have loved every minute of it.”
“Well, Congress isn’t in session tonight,” she said. She turned hip to hip with him and placed her hand on his chest. “Otherwise, I could have brought you right past the gates.” She couldn’t help but smile.
“I think I’ve been there before, too,” he said.
“Congress?” she asked.
“The gates of Hell,” he said with a smile. Abby couldn’t help but grin back. She bit her lower lip as she played with the buttons on his shirt, undoing them one by one. She pulled the shirt open and kissed the top of his chest, then looked up to see the excitement in his eyes, the need. He ran his hands down her back and pulled her tight against himself as he leaned in for a quick kiss. Abby could feel the heat of his arousal.
“Maybe I can bring you somewhere else then,” she said. She slid one hand down to Nolan’s belt and listened to the way he exhaled as she ran her hand lower, rubbing against his erection. “Or you can show me the way.”
Nolan laughed, a playful light in his eyes. “If you’re in the mood for a little fire and brimstone, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Fire? Yes. Brimstone? No,” she said, scrunching up her nose. Careful, she thought. I’m starting to like you. She could smell his cologne, a deep cool musk, as she rubbed her cheek against his skin before kissing his chest again.
“I can live with that,” he said. He placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up to kiss her, but this kiss wasn’t like before. There was an underlying firmness, a force to the way he deepened it, making her want him even more. She locked her lips against his and teased his tongue as he grabbed her hips and pulled her up. God, he’s a good kisser, she thought. As she wrapped her legs around him, he pressed her against the floor to ceiling glass. Then he lowered his lips to her neck and sent a flutter of excitement through her as he licked and kissed her skin.
It was like he knew exactly how to drive her wi
ld. She tried to pull his chin up to kiss him again, but he decided to lower his lips to her collarbone just above the neckline of her dress. At the same time, he rocked his hips against hers, and she felt the heat of his desire. He wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. She could feel it as he pressed against her. She could hear it in his breaths. If their first kiss was a declaration of intent, what was this?
Was he going to make her beg? That wasn’t her style. As Nolan leaned back, she tightened her thighs around his hips. He worked his hands across her back to the zipper of her dress and started to unzip it slowly. The cool air felt great on her skin, highlighting the warmth of his fingertips. His hands glided across her back and slipped her dress straps from her shoulders. He slid his lips back across her naked collarbone and kissed her bare skin.
Abby wondered if she should kick off her heels, but decided against it. It was time to show him that two could play this game. She slid her fingers around another button and started to undo his shirt, kissing his chest as she moved lower.
She felt a rush as Nolan swung her around and started across the room for the bed. He carried her effortlessly, and when he placed her down on top of the comforter, she couldn’t help but look into his eyes. “I wasn’t done with that shirt,” she said.
He undid the final button and tossed the shirt to her. “It’s all yours.” She could feel his eyes on her, looking at her breasts and her strapless bra. She pulled the shirt over her in a display of false modesty and unhooked her bra, tossing it to him, while leaving herself just barely covered.
Then she tossed him the shirt and watched his excitement bloom. “I’m all good,” she said. Before she could beckon him forward, Nolan climbed onto the bed and placed a scorching kiss on her lips. Abby fumbled with his belt as he kissed her.
Then he kissed her neck again and started working his way lower, cupping her breasts as he sealed his lips against her nipple. Another rush of excitement flooded her as he teased her with his tongue.
