Starring You and Me

by Susan Coventry

  “You wouldn’t dare,” she teased.

  “Try me.”

  Nikki wiggled out of his arms and made a mad dash for the house, but Nate caught up with her in a few long strides and tackled her to the ground. Bentley bounced around them with delight, anxious to join in the fun.

  Nate pinned Nikki’s arms to her sides and straddled her, careful not to crush her. Then he leaned down and took her mouth in a toe curling, spine-tingling, heart-pounding kiss.

  “Ready to go in the house now?” he asked.

  “Yes, please,” she replied breathlessly.

  He helped her up and then turned his back toward her. “Hop on,” he instructed, motioning to his back.

  “A piggy-back ride, really? I haven’t done that since I was a kid.”

  “Time’s a wastin’, little lady. Hop on.”

  Nikki clumsily climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him. “Don’t drop me,” she ordered from her six-foot perch.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

  Don’t ever let me go, she thought as he carried her all the way up to the house.

  Chapter 44

  Nikki was swamped the week before her trip to California. She submitted an offer on the house that Caroline Watson was interested in, with a request for a response within forty-eight hours. Nikki also spent a great deal of time with Cindy, bringing her up to speed on Branson Realty’s office procedures and current book of business. Nikki gave her strict instructions to call, text, or email should anything important arise while she was out of town. She gave the same set of instructions to Rosa, who finally snapped at her after the fourth reminder.

  Once she felt somewhat assured that her business was in good hands, Nikki turned her attention to her family. First, she called her parents to tell them she’d be leaving, and then she called Julie.

  “OMG, sis, that sounds so exciting. I wish I could go with you! You have to send me pictures.”

  “I’ll probably be pretty busy, but I’ll try.” It was the least Nikki could do, since Dylan and Julie had agreed to take Bentley for her again.

  “If you meet Channing Tatum, will you get his autograph for me, please?”

  “Calm down, Julie. I don’t even know if he’ll be there. Besides, it’s a charity event, not a fan fair. I’m not going to embarrass myself in front of all Nate’s friends.”

  “Well, then, at least try to snap his picture for me. C’mon, Nik, throw me a bone here.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, but no promises.”

  “Oh, and send me a picture of you and Nate all dolled up.”

  “If I do, you have to swear not to post it on Facebook.”

  Julie hesitated for a minute. “Ok, fine, spoilsport.”

  Nikki had to laugh at Julie’s exuberance. “I love you, Jules. I’ll call you as soon as I get back.”

  “Have fun and be good, but not too good!”

  After Nikki hung up, she brought out her suitcase and went about packing. She had already looked up the weather forecast for L.A. and discovered that the average temperature in October was seventy-nine degrees! She dug in the back of her closet for her summer clothes and a bathing suit. As she arranged things in her suitcase, Nikki reflected on how far she and Nate had come since their first meeting. She credited him for breaking her out of the cocoon she’d been living in and showing her how wonderful love could be with the right person. Instead of feeling fearful about their future, she now felt hopeful and excited. She couldn’t wait to see his home in California and meet the people that he called friends.

  Her heart was light when Jeff and Nate pulled up to her house on Friday morning, but her suitcase wasn’t!

  “What the hell do you have in this thing?” Nate teased as he hauled it out to the car.

  “Just a few things I might need. I like to be prepared.”

  “We’re only going for a few days, not a few months!” Nate gave her a quick peck on the cheek before helping her into the car.

  “Women need more stuff than guys do,” she huffed. “Good morning, Jeff. Nice to see you again.”

  Jeff glanced back and forth between Nate and Nikki and chuckled. “Yep, it’s official. If you two are arguing about luggage, you’re definitely a couple.”

  They both grinned as Nate tucked her in close beside him in the back seat.

  “Where’s Tess?” Nikki asked.

  “She flew out yesterday; couldn’t wait to see surfer boy.”

  Nikki punched his arm playfully. “Why do you call him that? Don’t you like him?”

  “Austin’s an alright guy, but I don’t know if he’s good enough for Tess.”

  “You sound like a big brother.”

  “Well, she is kind of like a sister to me, and she deserves the best.”

  “She can’t have the best, because I’ve already got him.”

  “Aww…” Jeff said from the driver’s seat. “How sweet.”

  Nate didn’t say a word, but his smile said it all.

  The star treatment began the minute they arrived at the Oakland County airport, where Nate had chartered a private plane. He shook hands with the pilot and the flight attendant and then introduced Nikki and Jeff. The flight attendant was an attractive, curvy young woman with long, glossy black hair and an olive complexion. Nikki observed as the bombshell held on to Nate’s hand a few seconds longer than necessary and practically batted her eyelashes at him. Jeff witnessed Nikki’s eye roll and shook his head, laughter dancing in his eyes.

  Nikki forgot all about the Kardashian wannabe as they boarded the plane and she took in the luxurious accommodations. So this was the way movie stars travelled! The five-hour flight didn’t sound so daunting after all.

  Miss Kardashian, aka Marissa, was actually quite pleasant and very attentive as she continuously offered up drinks and snacks and probably anything else Nikki would have asked for. Despite the comfortable surroundings, Nikki squeezed Nate’s hand so hard during take-off that she left red marks.

  Once they were safely in the air, Nate unpeeled her fingers from his hand and shook it out. “I might need a medic when we land. I can’t feel my fingers.”

  “Sorry. I forgot to tell you I’m afraid to fly.”

  “You forgot to tell me? So it just slipped your mind?” His eyebrows were raised, an amused expression on his face.

  “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I don’t fly that often, and I get a little nervous, especially during take-off,” she explained.

  “It might have been nice for me to know that ahead of time, Nik. I would have brought you something else to squeeze to death besides my hand.”

  Jeff sat two rows behind them with his headphones on, and Ms. Kardashian was up front, preparing more drinks, so Nikki and Nate were somewhat alone. “Let me kiss it and make it all better,” she said.

  Nate twisted his body around to face her and eagerly held out his damaged hand. Nikki put it up to her mouth and placed a series of soft kisses on the red marks. She motioned Nate forward with her index finger and put her mouth to his ear. “There’s a lot more where that came from,” she whispered and tugged on his earlobe with her lips.

  Nate’s cheeks were flushed as Marissa brought them a tray of fresh drinks. “Is there anything else you need?” she asked innocently.

  Nate shot Nikki a look that said he was full of need while Nikki sweetly replied, “No, we’re good, thanks.”

  “Speak for yourself, sweetheart,” Nate groaned as Marissa sashayed down the aisle.

  Chapter 45

  Nikki made sure not to squeeze Nate’s hand too hard as the plane touched down smoothly in Los Angeles. The minute they landed, Jeff went into motion. Nikki hadn’t even thought about the chaos that would ensue at the airport once people discovered Nate Collins was in their midst, but she was about to experience it firsthand.

  Jeff had already phoned ahead for a porter to transport their luggage to a waiting car, but they had to get through the throngs of people at the ai
rport first. Nate donned a plain navy-blue ball cap and dark sunglasses before they deplaned. He grabbed Nikki’s hand tightly and instructed her to hang on, no matter what might happen. Jeff led the way down the ramp, and they followed behind, heads tilted down.

  They had barely taken a few steps into the airport proper before people began shouting and cameras started flashing. Nate’s name was called out from every direction as the paparazzi clamored for his attention. Nikki did as Nate instructed and clung onto him for dear life as Jeff barked at people to step aside.

  “Who’s the woman?” someone yelled, getting a little too close to Nikki for comfort.

  “C’mon, Nate, tell us who she is.”

  Nate remained silent, and Jeff continued waving the reporters away, but they weren’t giving up that easily. The paparazzi followed them through the entire airport, shouting out questions and snapping photos as they went. Nikki couldn’t get to the car fast enough, and as soon as they were safely inside, she let out a huge sigh of relief. The dark-tinted windows provided privacy as Jeff pulled away from the curb, and they settled into the plush leather seats.

  “Welcome to my world,” Nate said somewhat apologetically.

  Nikki was shaken, but she wouldn’t complain; she was here in California with the man that she loved, and that was all that mattered. She leaned over and gave Nate a gentle kiss, hoping it would reassure him. “I’m ok. Everything’s good.”

  Nate swung his arm around her and pulled her tightly against him.

  Jeff glanced at them in the rearview mirror. “Hey, you two lovebirds, I’ll have you home shortly,” he teased.

  Nikki blushed, and Nate leaned over to whisper in her ear, “I can hardly wait.”

  Nate pointed out places of interest as they made their way through the streets of Los Angeles and into the posh community of Beverly Hills. Nikki had been to San Francisco on a family vacation years ago, but southern California was like a whole other world. Palm trees, their fronds swaying in the breeze, framed pristine white stucco houses with immaculate landscaping. Each home was more magnificent than the previous one, and Nikki couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be a real estate agent here. Of course, the home prices were astronomical, which meant the commissions would be… Enough about business; she was on vacation!

  Jeff wound the car up the hilly streets until they reached La Peer Drive.

  “Is your zip code 90210?” Nikki asked, giggling at her reference to the once popular television show.

  Nate smirked, and Jeff chuckled. “It’s actually 90211,” Nate replied, deadpan.

  The houses on his street were modest compared to many they had passed, but they were still spectacular in their own right. Nikki couldn’t get over the display of color from all the flora and fauna that surrounded each home. Jeff pulled up to a gated driveway and punched in a code that allowed the gate to swing open. The gate closed automatically as they wound up the curvy driveway to the front of the house.

  As they exited the car, Jeff extracted their luggage from the trunk and made as if to carry it inside.

  “It’s ok, man, I’ll take it from here,” Nate said.

  “Ok. Call if you need me, but I have a feeling you won’t need me for a while.” He winked at Nikki and slid back into the Mercedes.

  With Jeff gone, Nikki turned and gave her full attention to Nate’s bachelor pad. It was designed in the typical California Spanish style, with numerous arched windows and doorways. Painted in neutral beige, with a red-tiled roof and a mahogany front door, the home exuded warmth and charm, in keeping with its owner.

  Nate unlocked the door and pushed it open, and then turned to collect their luggage as Nikki stepped inside. The spacious foyer opened up to a high-ceilinged living room with arched windows along the entire back wall. Through the windows could be seen a red-bricked patio with plenty of outdoor seating and, beyond that, the sparkling blue water of an oval-shaped, in-ground pool.

  Nate’s decorating style was in keeping with his masculine, carefree personality. Rich, chestnut-brown leather couches and a rough-planked coffee table were the focus of the living room. A large, flat-screen television was housed in a dark wood entertainment console encased by bookshelves. The only feminine touch in the room came from a fluted crystal vase brimming with fresh-cut flowers in reds, pinks, and yellows. Nikki didn’t have to wait long to find out who’d put them there.

  “Tess just sent a text that she came over earlier and stocked the fridge for us,” Nate relayed, joining her in the living room.

  “That was sweet of her,” Nikki commented distractedly.

  Nate must have read her mind because he offered to show her the rest of the house before lunch. Nikki was surprised to find out that this house was actually one thousand square feet smaller than the rental house in Clarkston. With all the gorgeous real estate options, Nikki wondered aloud why he’d chosen this one.

  “I don’t need a huge house for one person, and half of the time, I’m not even here,” Nate explained as he swung open the double doors to his bedroom. Just like the living room, the bedroom furniture was simple and masculine, which was in stark contrast to the downy white bedcovers and menagerie of brightly colored throw pillows.

  “Tess said I needed those,” he said, following the path of Nikki’s gaze.

  Nikki was tempted to dive onto the inviting bed and take him down with her, but the tour wasn’t over yet. After her quick perusal of the other two bedrooms, they moved on to the kitchen and dining area, which every real estate agent knows is the heart of the home. Top-of-the-line appliances, exquisite cherry cabinets, granite countertops, and a well-equipped island made up the space. The windows were designed to let in the maximum amount of light and offered an unobstructed view of the sprawling backyard.

  “Your home is beautiful, Nate. It suits you.”

  Nate was busy rifling through the refrigerator in search of lunch. “Speaking of suits, how about we take a dip in the pool after lunch?”

  The day was heating up quickly, and it would most likely reach eighty degrees soon. “Sure, sounds great.”

  Nate whipped them up some fully loaded sandwiches with a side of crisp dill pickles and tall glasses of fresh-squeezed lemonade. They ate contentedly while they chatted about the charity ball and Tess and Nikki’s shopping date. When they were finished, Nate offered to clean up while Nikki changed into her swimsuit.

  Wriggling into her tankini turned out to be more stressful than their walk through the Los Angeles airport. Nikki hated wearing a bathing suit on her best day, but she knew she’d better get used to it if she planned to hang out in Cali! If only she weren’t a sucker for chocolate and potato chips! Once the suit was firmly in place, she decided she didn’t look half bad. The black and white striped tankini top gave her “girls” the right amount of lift, and the plain black bottoms created the illusion of slimmer hips. If Julie had been there, she would have certainly chastised Nikki for being too self-critical. In her defense, what woman truly loves herself in a swimsuit? Ok, maybe there were a few such women in California, but not so much in the Snow Belt. Nikki stepped away from the mirror and slipped into some flip flops, which also felt odd in October, but hey, when in Rome…

  “Are you ready yet?” Nate called as he entered the bedroom.

  “All set,” she replied, anticipating his reaction.

  Nate’s eyes lit up at the sight of her, and he motioned for Nikki to spin around so he could appreciate the full view, after which he let out a long, low whistle that made her toes curl in her flip flops.

  “You like?” she asked, enjoying the attention.

  “Oh yeah,” he replied, stalking toward her.

  “Now wait a minute, mister. It took a lot of work for me to get into this contraption, and you promised me a swim.”

  Nate ignored her protests and whipped his shirt off before stepping into her space. Nikki couldn’t help but run her hands over his lean, hard chest as she admired his physique. Suddenly, her chest was smashe
d against his as he brought his hands around to firmly cup her bottom.

  Nikki was acutely aware of Nate’s arousal pressed against the scant fabric of her bathing suit.

  “We can do this here or in the pool; your choice,” Nate said with a husky voice.

  “Hmm… decisions, decisions,” she teased.

  “You better make it quick, or I’m going to decide for you,” he warned, nuzzling her neck.

  Nikki tipped her head back, contemplating her choices while he placed warm, wet kisses along her neck and shoulders.

  “Time’s running out,” he reminded as he dipped his head into her cleavage.

  Nikki was intoxicated by the sight of Nate’s golden brown locks nestled between her breasts, but something about the image of the two of them naked in his pool was even more enticing. Plus, she had never had sex in a pool before; it sounded kind of… adventurous.

  “Pool,” she practically shouted.

  Nate raised his eyes to hers and chuckled gruffly. “Pool it is. Let me get my trunks on, and I’ll meet you out there.”

  “Why bother if they’re just going to come off?”

  Nate raised his eyebrows at her boldness. “I’m not going to waltz outside naked. What if the neighbor kids happen to be spying through the fence or something?”

  “Neighbor kids? Seriously?” Suddenly Nikki wasn’t sure this was such a good idea.

  “Don’t worry, Nik, they’re probably still at school. Besides, I don’t think they can see much through all the landscaping. Now scoot. You don’t get to see the goods until we’re in the pool.”

  Grinning, Nikki left Nate to change and went out to the patio. She scanned the area for any signs of life and, satisfied that she was truly alone, sat down at the edge of the pool and dangled her feet in. The water was cool and refreshing compared to the hot sun beating down on her shoulders. She tipped her head back, closed her eyes, and basked in the beauty of the day. She might have dozed off if Nate hadn’t cannonballed into the pool with a loud yell. He emerged from the water with a smirk and whipped his wet hair back, sprinkling her with water droplets in the process.