A few seconds later, Nate stepped through the bathroom door with a towel secured around his waist.
Nikki didn’t speak as she watched his expression morph from surprise to approval to desire.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” Nate said gruffly, pointing to his towel.
“Why? It’s a good look for you.”
“I like your look better.”
“You haven’t seen it all yet.” Then, embracing her adrenalin-filled burst of confidence, she did a slow turn to reveal her backside, which was covered by no more than a small scrap of lace. When she turned back around, Nate’s expression had darkened, and he stalked toward her like a predator toward its prey.
“I thought you came over to talk,” he said, arms slipping around her waist.
“After,” she whispered, right before Nate’s lips crashed down on hers. Their movements became frantic; the wall that had been between them moments ago crumbled at their feet.
Nate reluctantly pulled away just long enough to unhook her bra, which she had chosen for its easy-access front closure. He used both hands to push the material away and expose her breasts. Nate’s gaze heated as his thumbs brushed over her nipples, causing Nikki to gasp in response. He slid the straps off her shoulders and flung it to the side. Nikki squirmed with anticipation as Nate trailed his index finger over her stomach and into the top edge of her panties. He kneeled down in front of her, which caused stimulation overload, and placed heated kisses along the same path his finger had just traced. As he started to remove her thong, she perched on the edge of the bed so her feet dangled off the floor. Instead of removing her shoes, Nate pulled the panties over them and slid back up her body.
“Leave the heels on,” he said breathily in her ear.
Nikki smiled with satisfaction. Damn—the shoes were turning out to be a blessing and a curse! Her feet were killing her, but there was no way she was taking them off now. There was one last barrier between them, and it was Nikki’s turn to take the bull by the horn (pun intended) and remove Nate’s towel. She interrupted his very thorough exploration of her torso by placing both hands on his drool-worthy chest and pushing him back. Nikki ran her fingertips over his pecs and across his defined abs before coming to rest at the edge of the towel. His eyes begged her to keep going, and she didn’t hesitate. The towel disappeared with a flick of her wrist, and she was rewarded with an unobstructed view of this gorgeous hunk of a man. She reached out and grasped him with both hands and began to massage him with a steady rhythm. Nate studied her movements as if he were memorizing every stroke. Just when Nikki was really getting into the groove, Nate scooped her up and pinned her to the mattress.
“You have to stop that for a few minutes,” he panted, leaning over her.
Nikki puffed out her bottom lip and gave him her best pout. “Spoilsport.”
Nate’s laugh rumbled between them, warming her to the very core. “Ladies always go first.”
“Such a gentleman,” she teased.
In a fluid motion, he positioned them so they lay alongside each other. Nikki tilted her body toward him and ran her fingers through his still-damp hair. She loved this up close view of him, his expressive eyes, straight nose, and those full lips that descended on hers as their limbs entwined. The rest of the world melted away as Nikki gave herself over to the pure, uninhibited pleasure of loving Nate; his hard body against her soft curves, his generous lips and warm tongue, his large hands caressing every inch of her.
At some point, Nikki became aware of him reaching across her to the bedside table. He had the condom on within seconds and was poised at her entrance. Nikki was already so worked up that she felt ready to explode before he was rooted deep inside her. A few minutes later, she forgot all about her painful shoes and anything else that existed south of center as Nate rocked into her with all his might. She clenched around him and took everything he had to give, giving back in equal measure. It didn’t take long for them to reach the peak together before floating gently back down to earth. Nate propped himself up on his forearms and gazed down at her with an infectious grin, the one she now recognized as his “after sex smile.”
“So, is there something I need to know about you and feet?” she asked, trying to keep from laughing.
Nate looked confused at first, but then the lightbulb clicked on. “Oh, I get it, because I asked you to keep your shoes on.”
“I’m just wondering if this is a thing with you, because I only own two pairs of heels.”
Nate laughed loudly and shook his head. “I don’t have a foot fetish or anything, if that’s what you’re asking. I just thought you looked hot, standing there in nothing but the shoes and…”
“You decided to torture me by making me keep them on!”
“Were they hurting you the entire time?”
Nikki put her finger and thumb close together and said, “Yeah, a little bit.”
“Was it worth it? All that pain, I mean?”
“Oh, it was definitely worth it,” she replied with an “after sex smile” all her own.
Chapter 23
Nate and Nikki cleaned up, dressed, and went out to the living room to talk. Now that her seduction scene was over, Nikki padded out barefoot, heels forgotten, as they settled onto the couch.
Nate eyed her expectantly as she gathered her thoughts.
“I really came over here today to apologize. Well, that and the sex thing too.” She flapped her hands around, somewhat embarrassed by her admission.
“Continue,” Nate said patiently.
“I overreacted yesterday, and while I’m not completely comfortable with some aspects of your lifestyle, I know that I enjoy being with you, and I don’t want things to end. I mean, it will have to end when you go back to L.A., but I’d like to keep seeing you while you’re here.” She delivered the last sentence matter-of-factly, although she felt a twinge of sadness as she said it.
Nate cleared his throat and took her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb as he pierced her with his intense gaze. “I accept your apology, although I understand why you reacted the way you did. That was your first experience with the paparazzi, and even though I’ve had plenty of practice, I still get riled sometimes. Don’t expect them to give up now that they know about us; it’s only going to get worse.”
Was he giving her another chance to back away? “I think I’ll be able to handle it better the next time.”
“Do me a favor and try to focus on you and me and forget about the paparazzi. We shouldn’t let them ruin the good thing we’ve got going.”
“So, concentrate on the good stuff, huh? I might need a little more material to work with,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
Nate reached for her other hand and clasped it in his warm grip. “That can be arranged, but first, I have a question for you. Why are you so sure that we won’t see each other after I move back to L.A.?”
She obviously couldn’t slide anything past him; Nate had proven time and again that he paid close attention to every word she said. “Well, I don’t see how things can continue. I mean, your life is there, and mine is here, and I don’t see that changing, do you?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I’m willing to keep an open mind about it.”
Nikki was stunned; surely he wouldn’t give up his career for her. “If you’re referring to us maintaining a long-distance relationship, I know several people who have tried that, and it never works.”
Nate shook his head and let go of her hands. “Never? That’s a pretty strong word to use. Besides, I know several people who do make it work. Look at Tess and Austin, for example. There are all kinds of possibilities if you’re open to them.”
His irritability was showing, but she didn’t back down. “What possibilities? Are you going to give up acting and move back to Michigan? Or, wait, maybe you expect me to give up my business and move out to California.” Nikki’s voice was raised, but she couldn’t stop herself. They may as well lay all their cards
on the table now before this relationship went any further.
Nate slapped his hands on his knees, stood up, and started pacing. “I don’t know all the answers right now, but damn it, I’m not going to fence myself in. There are ways to make things work if you really want them to.”
“Now you sound like Tess and Rosa.”
“Rosa?”
“Never mind.” Nikki was as exasperated as he was.
Nate’s back was to her as he looked out over the expansive back lawn. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair before turning back to face her. “Can we just put this topic aside for right now? I really don’t want to argue with you.”
Nikki stood up and went to him, wrapping her arms snugly around his waist. “I don’t want to argue either. That’s not why I came over today.”
“I know,” he said as he pulled her head to his chest. “Stay with me tonight.”
“I can’t. I have to meet with the Rosenfelds, the couple I told you about who are having a difficult time finding a home.”
“I see, so the Rosenfelds rank higher than me.”
Nikki peered up at him and knew by the twinkle in his eyes that he was teasing. Still, she needed Nate to know that her job was important to her and she wasn’t interested in giving it up, even for him. “I’ve been working really hard to find them the right place, but they can’t seem to agree on anything. I’m determined to find something for them this week.”
“What kind of house are they looking for?”
“Preferably a ranch, since Mrs. Rosenfeld broke her hip last year and has trouble navigating stairs.”
“Aren’t there a lot of those on the market?”
“Yes, but something has been wrong with each one of them. The kitchen is too small, or the living room is too large; the list goes on and on. It’s frustrating, but I think I’m narrowing it down each time I meet with them.”
Nate bent down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “You really like your job, don’t you?”
“I love it, and that’s one thing that I can say with certainty.” There was no mistaking the determination in her voice or the seriousness of her expression.
“I think it’s great that you love your job, Nicole. I feel the same about mine too, well, most of the time anyway.”
Nikki felt a sense of relief that they had reached some kind of mutual understanding. She reached up on her tiptoes and laced her arms around his neck. “I really need to go,” she said, even though her body indicated otherwise. Being this close to Nate, even fully clothed, tested her resistance.
He pulled her closer, and she felt his hardness press against her. “I don’t want to make you late, but if you keep rubbing up on me like this, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
Nikki giggled. “Well, I don’t want to explain why I’m late to the Rosenfelds, so I better leave right now.”
Nate walked her to the front door, where she slipped back into her painful heels.
“I’ll miss you tonight,” Nate said, handing over her purse and keys.
“When will I see you again?” she asked, attempting to sound casual.
“I’ll call you tomorrow night.”
“Sounds good,” she replied.
“Do you want me to walk you to the car? The last time you were in heels, you almost fell, as I recall.”
Nikki scowled. “I did not almost fall. I stumbled, but I caught myself.”
Nate chuckled. “That’s not how I remember it, but hey, whatever you want to believe.”
Nikki gave him a little shove, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him. Her desire flared as Nate’s lips descended on hers and gave her a toe-curling, spine-tingling kiss that left her reeling.
“What was that?” she asked when he released her.
“That was a ‘think about me tonight when you’re in bed’ kiss.”
Nikki motioned Nate forward with her index finger, and when he was close enough, she whispered in his ear, “Only if you think of me in these heels and nothing else!” With that, she turned and waltzed out the door, leaving a very aroused man staring after her.
Chapter 24
Nikki was practically skipping when she arrived at her office Monday morning. Her meeting with the Rosenfelds had gone well the night before, and she had slept like a dream. Thinking of dreams, she recalled a very explicit one about a certain tall, sculpted actor with gorgeous eyes and a panty-melting smile. All in all, life was good until about two hours later when Rosa called Nikki over to her desk.
Rosa stared wide-eyed at something on her computer screen and quickly swiveled the monitor around so Nikki could see too. There she was in a succession of pictures that had been taken the other day in front of Nate’s house. The pictures themselves weren’t bad; Nikki actually felt pretty good about how she’d photographed, but it was the captions underneath that caught her attention. Nate Collins’s latest conquest; Local real estate agent falls for popular actor; Bad boy Nate Collins seduces the girl next door.
Rosa studied her boss intently, awaiting her reaction. Nikki’s emotions crossed her face one after another as she read the brief article that accompanied the photos. Once she finished reading, she faced Rosa and shrugged. “I knew it was coming,” she said. “They actually didn’t say anything so bad.”
Rosa raised her eyebrows. “I’m proud of you. I was expecting a much stronger reaction than that.”
“Nate and I talked yesterday, and I feel a lot better now. You were both right, ok. Is that what you want to hear?”
“It’s not about being right, boss. I just want you to be happy.”
The office phone rang, and Chad Johnson’s name appeared on the display. “This will be for you. Do you want to take it?” Rosa asked.
“Sure, send him through,” Nikki replied, walking back into her office.
“Hi, Chad,” she answered politely. They hadn’t spoken since their disastrous dinner date, which felt like ages ago.
“Hi, Nicole, how’s business?”
“Really good. How are things going over there?”
“Well, our phones have been ringing off the hook. It seems like everyone knows that Nate Collins is in town, and suddenly, Clarkston is on the map!”
Nikki grinned, thinking of her intimate knowledge of Nate Collins. “Well, that’s a good thing, right?”
“Mostly, yes, but we’ve also been fielding some calls about you.”
Nikki squirmed in her chair but reminded herself to keep calm. Whatever it was, she could handle it. “Who called about me?”
“Let’s see, the Detroit News, and just about all the local papers within fifty miles of here. Oh, and there was even a call from some gossip magazine in New York City.”
Nikki waited for Chad to get to the point of his phone call, although she could already guess what his agenda was. She said, “I know there’s been some buzz recently, because some reporters approached me at my office.”
“So, is it true? Are you dating Nate Collins?”
Nikki was fairly certain that Chad’s interest in her had waned, especially since their last encounter, but she could still detect a hint of jealousy in his voice. She debated about whether to tell him the truth or feign innocence but settled on the truth. “Yes, it’s true, but I’m not interested in selling my story to any newspaper or gossip magazine.”
Chad was silent for a beat. “I understand you wanting to maintain your privacy, but it sounds like it’s a little too late for that. There are already pictures of you on the internet, and as people find out, I’m sure there will be more.”
Nikki tried to tramp down her frustration before it became full-out anger. Chad’s condescending attitude came across loud and clear, but she didn’t want to lash out at him again. “I appreciate your concern, Chad, but I know what I’m doing.”
“I hope so, because, from everything I’ve read, it sounds like the guy is a real player.”
“You don’t even know Nate, so you have no right to judge him,”
she replied.
“I may not know him, but I know his type. He’s used to women falling at his feet because of his fame and money and good looks, but in the end, you’ll be just another notch on his bedpost.”
Nikki was flabbergasted. She knew Chad had a thing for her, but she never, in a million years, would have expected him to stoop this low! She didn’t trust herself to say anything else in her or Nate’s defense, so instead, she ground out, “No comment,” and slammed the phone down. It took several deep breaths before she felt calm again. She delved into her work for the rest of the afternoon, glad for the distraction. Every so often, her thoughts drifted to what Chad had said, especially the part about her being one of many women in Nate’s bed, which riled her up all over again.
As if that incident wasn’t irritating enough, she received an email from Linda Shiffman at the Clarkston News, asking if she’d seen her pictures on the internet. Linda closed her email by asking Nicole to reconsider going on record to confirm that she was dating Nate. Nikki replied with her standard “No comment,” and shut her computer down for the day.
As she drove home that night, Nikki reflected on how different she’d felt when the day had first begun. She’d gone from feeling confident about her relationship with Nate to feeling apprehensive and uncertain. She kept reminding herself to focus on the good and to let the rest go, but it was difficult. Why was it that whenever they were together, she felt nothing but pure pleasure, but when they were apart, she was filled with doubt? Maybe some of what Chad said was true; she had fallen for Nate’s charms rather quickly, even though she’d resisted at first. She didn’t usually go for the “bad boys,” but maybe Nate was so skilled that she had fallen before she’d even known what hit her. Nikki quickly dismissed that idea; she wasn’t with Nate because of his fame, wealth, or good looks (although there was something to be said for his hotness!). No, what she was attracted to was his strength of character, his honesty, his openness, and his determination.
Starring You and Me Page 11
