Starring You and Me
Page 8
Nikki nodded, following his train of thought.
“So then it was awkward and uncomfortable for both parties, not to mention the rest of your co-workers. The same situation occurs in my line of work. Let me tell you, it’s agonizing to shoot a love scene with someone who hates your guts! I learned that it’s better to maintain a professional distance than to date my costar.”
“But you could still be attracted to them, right?”
“Sometimes I am, but it all goes back to the buffet, Nicole. I’m much more interested in a home-cooked meal these days.”
He gazed at her with such intensity that it made her squirm. “Nate,” she whispered, leaning toward him, “am I the home-cooked meal in this scenario?”
He kept his eyes locked on hers. “That depends; do you want to be?”
She replied with one simple word. “Yes.”
Chapter 15
Once Nate was given the green light, he didn’t waste any time. “Good, because I’m starving.” With that, he reached over and grabbed Nikki around the waist, pulling her down on top of him.
Nikki’s giggle faded away as his expression turned serious. “I’m not just playing around, Nicole. Make no mistake that I want you, but not just physically; I want all of you. I’m interested in a real relationship, not a fling.”
“I’m beginning to understand that.” They were just a couple inches apart, but it was too far. “Nate, can we stop talking now?”
His brow softened, and his face broke out in a huge grin. “Oh yeah.”
And then he was kissing her. Hands started roaming: his up and down her spine as he pulled her closer; hers through his still-damp hair. Nikki was very aware that the only material between them was her thin cotton pajamas and his towel, which was becoming looser from all their jostling. As their kiss intensified, so did their movements. Nate’s large, warm hands slid up the back of her pajama top to caress her smooth, soft skin. Nikki’s endorphins kicked in, and she lifted herself off his chest and tore her lips away long enough to demand, “Shirt. Off.”
Nate whipped his shirt off in a flash and tossed it to the floor where Bentley was snoozing contentedly.
“Ok, whoa!” Nikki exclaimed, not caring if she sounded like an excited teenager. She had seen plenty of shirtless pictures of Nate on the internet, but they didn’t do justice to the vision before her.
Nikki sat back on her haunches, admiring his sculpted chest and arms, until Nate said, “Feeling a little bit like a slab of beef right about now.”
“Sorry, I can’t help it. I mean, how much work does it take to look like that?”
“Nicole, how about a little less talking and a lot more kissing, huh?”
“Sorry,” she repeated. “Where were we?”
“We were right about here.” He leaned over and claimed her mouth again as she let her hands roam over the chest and abs that she had just been ogling.
Nate jockeyed them around so that she straddled him, his towel dipping dangerously lower by the second. He broke off their kiss again to mutter, “Your turn. Shirt off.”
Oh boy, here we go. There’s no turning back now, thought Nikki as she slowly lifted her pajama top over her head.
Now it was Nate’s turn to stare, and his penetrating gaze seared her with its heat. He didn’t utter a word, not one. He just drew in a deep breath and released it roughly. When she couldn’t take the silence any more, Nikki reached out, grabbed his hands, and placed them on her bare breasts. “That’s better,” she whispered as he began to massage them. When he flicked his thumbs across her nipples, she thought she’d pass out right then and there. Encouraged by her response, Nate leaned forward to replace his hands with his mouth. Nikki clasped her hands around his head and directed him right where she wanted him to be. Sitting on his lap, she rocked against him, causing the towel to slip down a little further.
Suddenly Nate broke away and looked up at her, desire burning in his eyes. “Should we take this into the bedroom?”
This is it, my last chance to turn back. Who am I kidding? “Yes, but I have to say one last thing.”
“Make it quick,” he said gruffly.
“I haven’t been to the buffet in a long time, like months, maybe even a year or more.”
Nate put his index finger to her mouth to shush her. “It’s ok, Nicole. I’m actually glad to hear it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Now, no more talking.”
She nodded and then stood up and led him to the bedroom, leaving their shirts behind on the living room floor.
Chapter 16
Once they were inside her bedroom, Nikki closed the door and leaned back against it. Nate was standing a few steps away with his back to her bed, the towel loosely hanging on his hips.
“Are you ready for this?” His voice was low and deep.
She nodded, although she didn’t budge.
“First things first,” he said, and in a swift motion barely discernable to the human eye, he yanked on the towel and let it fall to the floor.
Nikki’s hands flew to her mouth in shock and then awe as she let her eyes slide over his very buff, very bare, very aroused body.
Nate’s smile curled up with pleasure at her reaction. “Meet with your approval?”
Nikki’s mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton, so she nodded yes in response.
Nate pointed to her pajama bottoms. “Fair is fair.”
You can do this Nikki. She hooked her fingers into the waistband of her flannel bottoms and her underwear at the same time and shimmied out of them, averting her eyes as they hit the floor. When she finally got the courage to look at Nate, his satisfied grin was still in place. He crooked his index finger in a come here motion as he backed up toward the bed. Nikki felt like she was in a trance as she moved across the room. When Nate couldn’t back up any further, he reached out and closed the remaining distance between them. The air whooshed out of her as bare skin met bare skin, and any reservations she had flew out the window.
Somehow, they ended up on the bed, their bodies tangled together. She was aware of his hands, large and masculine yet amazingly gentle, touching her everywhere. Wherever Nate’s hands went, his lips followed, until she turned to jelly in his arms. Suddenly, Nikki was flipped onto her back and Nate leaned over her, supporting his weight with his forearms.
“I have a condom in my wallet; I should go get it.”
They were both breathing heavily, and even though she should have agreed, Nikki didn’t want him to move, not even for a second. “It’s ok, I’m on the pill,” she whispered.
Relieved, Nate dipped his head into the curve of her neck and placed a tingling trail of kisses down to her shoulder while his left hand skimmed up and down the length of her body. Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more teasing, she felt his erection press up against her entrance. Nikki was on fire for him and opened herself up completely, relishing the fullness as their bodies became one. Once he was snugly rooted inside her, Nate began to move, slowly, exquisitely. He cupped her face with his hands and, amid their rhythmic movements, demanded, “Open your eyes.”
When did I close them? Nikki’s eyes fluttered open to behold Nate’s enthralled expression mere inches above her. She took in every detail of his handsome face: the specks of brown, blue, and green in his eyes, the faint laugh lines around their outer edges, the straight line of his nose, the fullness of his bottom lip, the five o’clock shadow on his jawline. Her senses were heightened as her breasts rubbed against his chest and their hips danced in unison.
Nate’s breath hitched. “I’m really close, Nik.”
Her lust-filled brain registered that he had used her nickname for the first time. “Me too,” she panted.
Those must have been the magic words, because their rocking became urgent, and she grasped Nate’s magnificent butt like a lifeline as he thrust into her. The room filled with a symphony of sounds: his and her moans and sighs of pleasure, and then… shudders of sweet release.
Nate propped himself up on his side, completely comfortable with his nudity. “Why are you covering up? You’re not feeling shy now, are you?”
Nikki hadn’t felt shy when they were in the heat of the moment, but suddenly, she felt very exposed. There was no doubt that her body image had suffered after John had broken up with her. She had always felt reasonably comfortable in her own skin until his affair. After that, Nikki had begun to scrutinize every little detail of her body, questioning her attractiveness. Her breasts were average sized, she had curvy hips and a nicely rounded butt, and her stomach was relatively flat. She didn’t have any unsightly scars or moles, and her limbs were toned and shapely. Yes, overall, she felt pretty good about herself, but…
“Hello, Nicole, anyone home?” Nate waved his hand back and forth in front of her face.
“No, I’m not shy. I just got a chill.” At least it was a partial truth.
“I can solve that problem. Come here,” he said and pulled her into his arms.
Nicole nestled her head against Nate’s shoulder as he wrapped both arms snugly around her. Nate’s body heat instantly warmed her, and she relaxed into him.
“That better?”
“Much,” she replied.
“So, what were you really thinking about a minute ago?”
After all the questions she had asked him earlier, she felt like she owed him an honest answer. “I was actually thinking about my ex.”
“Ouch. Not something a guy wants to hear after he just made love to a woman.”
Damn, why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut! She ran a hand over his chest in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. “Believe me, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Whew, that’s a relief,” he said, chuckling. “I’m guessing your ex is the one who put you off men. I’ve been meaning to ask you about him, the jerk.”
“Jerk is too mild a term as far as I’m concerned.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
What a loaded question. Here she was lying naked in Nate’s arms, digging up old, painful memories about another man. Nikki wasn’t sure now was the right time, but Nate was obviously curious. “I’ll give you the short version,” she said before plunging in. “John and I were together for a few years, and I sort of assumed we would get married one day. Anyway, he went to Chicago on a business trip, and while he was there, he cheated on me. These things happen all the time, right? So you’d think I would have been more prepared, but I was completely blindsided; I never would have expected that from him. After we broke up, I sort of closed myself off from men. Thanks to John, I have serious trust issues.”
Nate was quiet for a moment, absorbing her explanation. “You realize that not all men are like that, right?”
“I guess so, but I’ve seen it happen to so many people, and I promised myself it would never happen to me again.”
“So you decided to shut down and become a nun? Have you considered that you might miss out on a really good relationship because you’ve already doomed it to failure?” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
“I haven’t completely closed myself off; otherwise, you wouldn’t be lying here naked right now. I’ve just decided that I don’t need a man to make my life worthwhile. I happen to think my life is full and rewarding the way it is.”
Nate looked stung as he pulled away from her and abruptly sat up. “I’m not insinuating that you need a man, Nicole. What I meant is that you shouldn’t write off all men because of one asshole’s stupidity.”
Nikki wished that they had never started this conversation, especially after the wonderful intimacy they had just shared. She hated the look of disappointment in Nate’s eyes as he stood up, putting even more distance between them.
“Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be out of your hair,” Nate said as he stalked out of the room.
Nicole wanted to run after him, but part of her wanted to crawl back into her shell and hide. She’d just had the best sex of her life, but that didn’t mean they had a real relationship. Nate might not hurt her the way John did, but why should she get close to him when he was leaving in a matter of months?
“Damn!” Nikki shouted to the empty room.
Chapter 17
Nikki scrambled out of bed, pulled on her pajamas, and went after Nate, who was already dressed except for his shoes. “You don’t have to go,” she said softly.
“Why should I stay? You’ve already decided that all men are pigs, and I’m a man, so…”
Nikki was surprised to see the vein bulging at the side of his neck. This was the first time she’d seen him angry, and although she took some of the blame, she refused to take it all. “You’re the one who wanted to know about my past, so I told you the truth, and now you’re upset about it?”
“What I’m upset about is your preconceived notions about men and relationships. I happen to think we’ve got something special here, and I’m open to pursuing it, but if you’re just waiting for me to screw up…”
Nicole shook her head vigorously back and forth. Despite her fears, she didn’t want Nate to walk away. He deserved to be given a chance. “I don’t want you to leave,” she stated firmly. “Please, stay with me tonight.”
Nate’s hazel eyes bored into her, searching for the affirmation he needed to keep him there. He must have found it, because, the next thing she knew, he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her neck. She clung to him like a vine, unwilling to let go.
“Ok,” he said, “I’ll stay.”
Nikki sighed with relief, grabbed his hand, and led him back to her bedroom.
The next morning, she was awakened by the loud caw of crows outside her window. She grabbed the spare pillow and buried her face in it. Wait a minute, last night, the spare pillow had Nate’s head resting on it. She jerked upright and scanned the room. There were no signs of his presence other than the indentation in the mattress. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and saw his note.
Went home to change and go for a run. Meet me for breakfast next door at 9.
Thank goodness he wasn’t still mad at her, but after that last round of love-making, how could he be! Don’t get cocky, Nicole.
It was only eight o’clock, so that gave her plenty of time to get ready. First things first, she needed to let Bentley outside. She shoved her feet into some slippers and padded out to the living room. Bentley was curled up in his doggy bed looking as content as she felt, which was odd, because he usually didn’t nap until after breakfast. The mystery was solved when Nikki entered the kitchen and saw another note that Nate had propped up by Bentley’s food bowl: I fed Ben and I refuse to call him Bentley. Nikki laughed out loud and then went about her usual morning routine. She checked her phone and saw that she had a missed call from her brother that had come in when she had been occupied last night. Nikki decided to call him back before she hopped in the shower.
“Hey, brat,” Dylan answered.
“Hey, yourself. Sorry I didn’t get your call last night.”
“No problem. I figured you might be with a client or something.”
If he only knew!
“The reason I called,” he continued, “is to remind you that it’s Mom’s birthday next weekend and it’s your turn to host.”
Nikki had been so caught up with Nate that she had forgotten. “I remembered,” she lied. “What day is good for you guys?”
“Julie has a baby shower to go to on Saturday, so Sunday would be better for us.”
Nikki’s sister-in-law doubled as her best friend, which was perfect, because Nikki didn’t have any sisters. She still got together with her college girlfriends on occasion, but most of them were married with children, so she didn’t see them as often as she would like. “Sounds good; let me figure out the menu, and I’ll let Julie know what to bring.”
�
��What’s wrong with telling me?”
“Come on, Dylan, Julie does all the cooking over there, and you know it!”
“You got me there. Ok, we’ll see you next weekend. Try to stay out of trouble.”
Dylan’s last phrase was an ongoing joke between them. The irony was that he was the one who always got into trouble as a kid, not her. Nikki was the rule follower, the straight-A student, the one who didn’t take risks, but now Dylan’s words struck a chord. Nikki was already in trouble, and its name was Nate Collins!
Chapter 18
As she climbed the stairs to Nate’s deck, Nikki was greeted with the smell of bacon wafting out of the kitchen. She peered through the glass door to find Nate wielding a spatula in his “Kiss the Cook” apron. Her breath hitched as she thought about kissing him again. If today’s kisses were anything like last night’s kisses… lost in her own dream world, she didn’t realize that Nate now stood on the other side of the glass, grinning from ear to ear.
He slid the door open and immediately wrapped her up in a tight bear hug. “Were you just going to stand there and spy on me all day?” He looked down at her with a twinkle in his eyes.
Nikki pushed him away in defense. “I wasn’t spying!”
“And here I was worried about the paparazzi,” Nate teased as he sauntered back over to the stove.
He had already set their places at the kitchen counter. Nikki hopped up onto a stool and took a long swig of orange juice as she watched him move around the kitchen. “I’m so glad you can cook,” she admitted, inhaling the sweet smell of waffles.
“It’s one of my many talents.” Nate wiggled his eyebrows at her as he dished out scrambled eggs, bacon, and waffles.
Nikki almost choked on her orange juice. “Yes, I’m aware.”
He came around and joined her at the counter. “Dig in.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes while Nikki marveled at how everything tasted as good as it looked, kind of like Nate. She could easily get spoiled by him, in more ways than one!