She laughed and waited until he sat to clink bottles with him. “How about that. Here’s to our anniversary, Nathan.”
He clinked, picked up his burger and started unwrapping. “You know, I bought you a gift. Very, very expensive jewelry. Unfortunately, I lost it.”
“Oh, gosh, how ironic.” She balled up her wrapper and tossed it into the garbage. “I bought you a Lexus, but it crashed on the way to the dealer.”
“Ooh, tough luck.” He took an enormous bite of his burger, which looked so delicious that she took an enormous bite of hers, too.
“Mmm.”
He shoved a fry into his half-full mouth. “Mmm-hmm.”
Good idea. Kim copied him happily, thinking how terrified she’d been opposite Dale that sauce would drip off her fork or she’d drop food in her lap. How long before she got to a place with him where she could be completely comfortable like this? Maybe they’d get closer on their date tomorrow, since Kim would be going without makeup, dressed down, the way he wanted her. Though actually, she’d kind of gotten used to seeing herself in the mirror with a few minimal cosmetic touch-ups, and liked the change.
Nathan’s cell rang; he reached into his pocket, checked the display and put the phone back. “Steve.”
“Don’t want to talk to him?”
“He’s going out tonight. Wants company.”
“And?” She ate another fry. “We can watch the movie another night.”
“I’m not up for any more nights like that. At least not with him.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t interest me anymore.”
“Did you tell him?”
Nathan lowered his hamburger. “Are you suggesting I share my feelings?”
“D’oh!” She smacked her fist on her forehead. “What was I thinking?”
“I’ll share them with you instead. I’m no longer interested in anonymous sexual contact.”
“Wow.” She was so surprised she put her burger down. “Why not?”
“Because I’m…” He glanced toward the window, then back toward her, obviously nervous. “No longer interested.”
Kim snorted. “That’s fact, not feelings.”
“Okay.” He set his face in concentration. “What I’m feeling is…”
Kim waited. “Ye-e-s?”
“A need.”
“Okay.” She nodded encouragingly. “A need. For something besides anonymous sex.”
“Yes.” He met her gaze, his dazzlingly serious; her heart reached out to him.
“You can tell me. It’s totally safe.”
He nodded solemnly. “I need…custard.”
Gotcha. Again. Kim rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, I get it. Women share feelings, men share facts. Let’s have custard and watch the movie.”
“See how easy that is?” He got up and went to the freezer, thumped their frozen custard servings down with a flourish. “Voilà. The final siege on our hearts this evening, Culver’s daily flavor, turtle cheesecake. Only in the Midwest do they work on finding new ways to add more fat to fat.”
“Amen.” She lifted what was left of her beer. “Here’s to fat.”
“Another bottle?”
“Sure, it goes so well with custard.”
He grinned at her sarcasm. “Yeah, sorry, I’m fresh out of liqueur du turtle cheesecake.”
They went into the living room with their dessert and spoons, Nathan bringing along another six Heinekens, as well.
“You want the lights out?” She headed for the lamp, anticipating his preference for watching TV in the dark.
“Yeah. It’s more like a movie theater.”
“Okay.” Kim turned off the light, settled onto the couch and covered herself with the blanket she kept there; she inevitably got cold watching TV, and would certainly get cold eating something frozen. While Nathan loaded the movie, she took her first bite. The custard was dreamy, cheesecake-tasting vanilla with bits of real cheesecake, sweet threads of caramel, chocolate chips and toasted pecan pieces. She was pretty sure she could feel her hips expanding as the creamy richness slid down her throat.
“Good?” He joined her on the couch, pried the plastic top off his cup.
“Orgasmic.”
He opened a beer and handed it to her. “Good to hear.”
“Want under the blanket?” She lifted the edge and held it toward him. “There’s plenty.”
“Sure.” He sat close; she felt the warmth of his legs next to hers and wondered if she would regret the offer. It was oddly intimate, sharing a blanket in a dark room.
The movie started with a split-screen view of a man and a woman walking down a city sidewalk, heading toward each other from opposite directions. The next half hour was a bewildering collage of apparently unrelated scenes that depicted too many of the dramatic and complicated situations that kept the couple from meeting, which they were obviously destined to do.
Maybe he was just in her brain, but Kim swore the guy looked enough like Nathan to be his cousin. The woman was dark, exotic and extremely sensual, which meant Kim wouldn’t be eligible for that role. The action played out over an insistently throbbing sound track with occasional throaty female singing in some language Kim didn’t recognize, punctuated by ecstatic cries that sounded as orgasmic as the frozen custard, and were sort of embarrassing.
She and Nathan made nervous comments here and there, but gradually the movie became more coherent. The couple met, were attracted. Each had a significant other, but it soon became clear they weren’t going to let that stop them.
Thoroughly engrossed, Kim finished her custard and her second beer, and took the third one Nathan offered without thinking, until she started drinking it, that she hadn’t really wanted another one.
On screen, temptation was finally given the green light. The couple met in a darkened hotel room. For a long time they stood facing each other, fully clothed, including identical trench coats. The man undid the belt of the woman’s coat and slipped it off her shoulders to reveal a tight scarlet cardigan, fastened top to bottom with tiny pearl buttons. Their profiles were barely visible in the dim light.
The woman reached out slowly and undid the man’s belt, pushed his raincoat off his broad shoulders to reveal a black T-shirt stretched over his astounding physique.
Kim drank from her third beer, suddenly aware of Nathan next to her, and the fact that they were about to watch these two people…what? Fade to black? Make out? Have sex all over the screen? Gah, she hoped not the latter. With any luck the scene would hint at the passion then cut away to tasteful afterglow.
The hero reached for the heroine’s sweater, started unbut-toning it from over her unfairly large breasts. Kim poured more beer down her throat, really uneasy now. Should she say something to break the tension? Suggest they fast-forward if the action got too steamy? Grin and bear it?
Beside her, Nathan watched, beer at rest on the couch’s end table. If he felt at all uncomfortable he sure wasn’t showing it. She wished she’d insisted they keep on the lights. This could get really awkward, the two of them sitting close beside each other under a blanket in the dark with sex happening a few feet away.
The sweater was peeled off. Underneath, the woman wore a black lace bra that cupped her full breasts, hinted at the darkness of her nipples. The man murmured to her, then the screen was filled with their lips meeting, separating, tongues visible.
Kim froze, kept her face to the front and darted a glance at Nathan. His index finger was playing with the top of his beer now, circling the opening.
The man kissed down to the woman’s chin; she tipped her head back; her eyes closed in ecstasy as his mouth made its way down farther; his large, tanned hands covering the black lace holding her breasts, his tongue exploring the impressive cleavage between them.
Kim didn’t move. A blush was heating her face, but there was heating going on in other parts of her body, too. Beside her, Nathan shifted.
She closed her eyes. Then opened them again, b
ecause she didn’t want to miss anything.
The man’s lips tasted her nipple through black lace. Nathan blew out a breath. “Kim.”
Her heart started pounding. “Yes?”
“This is…pretty hot.”
“Ya think?”
“I didn’t know it was going to be like this.”
“Do you want to switch it off?”
“No.” He turned, his face dimly illuminated by the light from the TV. “But I’m getting really turned on.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say. “Me, too” would only cause trouble.
He turned back to the screen. She did, too.
The man’s shirt was off. His body looked like Nathan’s. The woman’s bra was off. She did not look like Kim at all.
They stood facing one another, then the man brought his hands up to cup those incredible rose-nippled breasts with a look so reverent Kim got a lump in her throat.
His skin was darker than the woman’s, his hands rough and masculine on her body.
Nathan let out a soft groan, shifted again on the couch. “Kim.”
“What?”
“This might kill me.”
Me, too. She couldn’t admit it. “It’s… I can see why.”
“Are you feeling it?”
“Nathan…”
“Shhh, okay.” He put his hand above her knee, squeezed reassuringly and let go.
She didn’t want him to let go. Her knee burned where he’d touched her. She was getting terribly turned on. This was horrible. She couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t leave. She wanted Nathan to do to her what the guy was doing on screen.
The man had bent down, picked up the woman and carried her over to the bed; twisted so she landed on top of him. Her rich, dark hair tumbled over his chest; she kissed his sternum, following a path downward until Kim’s eyes shot open. They weren’t going to show that.…
The camera switched to the man, the look of intense bliss on his face. Then a brief aerial shot of her between his spread legs, her hair providing tasteful cover; his hands on the back of her head, urging her on.
A half gasp escaped Kim; she couldn’t help it. Her third beer went down. She was buzzed, horny as hell, vulnerable to the guy next to her. This was torture. This had the potential to end up somewhere she didn’t want it to be.
A new shot with the man on top. Kissing those breasts, traveling down to her stomach and beyond. The motion slowed; he reached his target, hovering over her off-camera thighs with a hungry gleam in his eye.
Oh, no.
His tongue emerged from his half-open mouth. Even his tongue was sexy. He lowered his face.
Kim shifted, straining her hips up against the seam of her jeans. New shot, aerial again, floating in a wide circle, the man’s head between the woman’s legs, his hands on her breasts.
“Kim.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t take this.”
“Should I turn it off?” She was whispering.
“No.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Are you turned on?”
She closed her eyes, bit on her lower lip. “Yes.”
His breath drew in sharply. He said her name on the exhale.
“Nathan, it doesn’t mean I—”
“Undo your jeans.”
“I’m not going to sleep with—”
“I’m not asking you to.” He was fumbling under the blanket. A zipper went down. “We’ll each take care of—”
“No. I’m not sitting here masturbating next to you.”
“Look.” He nodded to the screen. His hand moved under the blanket.
She should be turned off. She should be priggishly horrified. She should throw back her side of the blanket and stomp off righteously to her room.
Yet the knowledge of what lay under Nathan’s side of the blanket, the idea of him touching himself, getting more and more turned on, was so arousing she felt she could come just by squeezing her thighs together.
“Kim.” He turned and gazed at her. What must be his, er, free hand, emerged from the blanket and followed a path from her temple to her cheek. “I won’t touch you. Unless you want me to.”
“No. No.” Yes. Yes, please.
He turned back to the movie. The man was on top now, moving slowly, making love to the irresistible brunette, his pleasure and hers revealed in their expressions, the motions of their hands, the soft moans and cries. Then the camera switched, and he was kneeling behind the woman, who was on her hands and knees, his buttock muscles rippling through the forward-back motion of sex. The woman’s breasts swung free, along with her rich mane of hair; her mouth was open in ecstasy.
“Kim.” That whisper again, devil on her shoulder.
“What?”
“Come with me.” His fingers touched her thigh lightly, thumb moving back and forth, then his hand slid upward, brushed across her hip and disappeared, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.
On screen the woman was now on top, sitting upright, her strong thighs gripping, rising up and down, her breasts swaying. The man’s hands reached to cover them, his fingers playing skillfully. She tipped back her head, arched her spine.
Nathan gave a low groan; the blanket moved faster. Kim gave in.
Jeans unsnapped. Unzipped. Her hand reached down, fingers started working. Beside her Nathan moaned in time with the man clutching the woman’s hips, thrusting up inside her, their bodies shrouded in shadow.
Kim’s breath turned to panting. She needed more room, more access. She leaned back hard on the couch, pulled up her leg, spreading farther.
“Oh.” The syllable escaped without her permission. She was aware Nathan had lost interest in the movie, was watching her face, watching her pleasure herself, and that knowledge kicked her arousal into higher gear. She was going to come for him. She was going to come big and drive him into completely insanity.
She rubbed harder, whispered only for him, “I’m almost there.”
“Yes.” He barely made a sound, as if someone were strangling him.
She closed her eyes, arched and let herself go, sighing in pleasure at the exact same time the woman on screen reached her own release.
Nathan let out a stifled moan; Kim opened her eyes, wanting to share his moment, and found him still watching her. She held that gaze until he finally came down, laid his head on the back of the couch, breathing powerfully.
On screen, the heroine was now in her office with a pile of files, talking on the telephone about a matter of urgent company business.
Kim had no idea what to say. How had this happened? Why hadn’t she been thinking of Dale and their reenergized connection? Why only being with Nathan? Pleasing Nathan? Wanting to be made love to by Nathan?
She forced back her panic. It was okay. They’d both gotten carried away. Nathan hadn’t touched her, nor she him; this changed nothing between them. Consenting adults, friends, turned on by a movie, were open and liberated enough to take care of it. A practical solution. Much better than sitting there getting so horny they did something together both of them would later regret.
“Kim, look at me.”
Her panic came back, an instinctive fear that she couldn’t ignore. What did he want? Was he going to say some horrible line from the Man’s Guide? Don’t get any ideas that this meant something. Or that was hot, could you go get me another beer?
She couldn’t bear it.
“Look at me?”
She looked, but it was like dragging her gaze through Super Glue. His expression was calm, thoughtful, curious, almost hopeful. What was he feeling? She couldn’t ask. He’d never tell her. He probably didn’t even know.
This man would never tell her the sun rose and set over her bed.
She needed right now to stop wanting him to.
“You okay?” The tenderness in his tone undid her. It was all she could do not to break down and start bawling.
“Sure. Tell your friend that was some movie.” Her voice cr
acked. Her lip started trembling. She looked away with the excuse of zipping her jeans. He picked up the remote and turned the movie off, leaving the room dark except for the streetlight glow through the unshaded windows.
Silence. Silence so profound she had to look back at him. He swallowed, appearing uncertain now. She couldn’t stand it.
“What’s the matter, nothing in your guide covers what to say after getting off with your female roommate?”
He didn’t crack a smile. She wasn’t joking. Still he said nothing.
“Well, this was great. Let’s not do it again.” She got up off the couch, headed for her room.
“Why not?”
She turned back. Why not? “Because, Nathan, oddly enough, in sexual matters, women prefer to feel at least the tiniest bit special.”
“You were right there with me, Kim. Every second.”
She sagged against her doorway. What was wrong with her? She knew what she was doing when it happened; now she was acting as if it should have meant something. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I got so upset. It was just…unexpected, I guess.”
“It was definitely unexpected.” His voice turned hoarse; he cleared his throat. “I’ll never forget what you looked like when you came.”
She studied him, trying to interpret the emotion she glimpsed behind those words. But, as usual, understanding what Nathan was feeling was an exercise in frustration.
Though come to think of it, understanding what she was feeling right now about Nathan wasn’t going much better.
All she knew was that something had started while they sat together in front of that scene, something that probably had its origins the first time he kissed her. And she wasn’t at all sure now that it could be stopped.
NATHAN LAY IN BED, a lost cause, since at two in the morning he wasn’t even close to sleeping. On the one hand memories of Kim haunted him, of the way she’d abandoned herself to the erotic images on the screen, the way she’d ditched her shyness and reserve and become a totally sexual creature.
He’d probably never sleep again.
On the other hand, her parting shot. Women prefer to feel at least the tiniest bit special. The irony was sickening. She had no idea. And that was the problem right there: she had no idea. His bumbling attempts to show he wanted to become the man in her life had been inadequate. He should have made love to her tonight. He should have told her how he felt. He should have…
Long Slow Burn Page 14
