by Ally Decker
Lori snorted, rolling her eyes. "Please. How many guys did you cross out during the first date? We all do it. First dates absolutely count." She smirked. "And if they end with sex, they count as a double."
"Your math is skewed," Claire told her and checked the time. "And I have to go. See you on Monday."
"Hopefully not before that. Have fun!"
Claire turned and headed to the nearest subway station. She had just enough time to shower and change before meeting Nate at Lights Up. He offered her the choice of a place, and she immediately decided on her favorite bar in the whole city. The fact that it was only three blocks from her apartment was just an additional advantage that might or might not turn out to be useful tonight.
She hid her smile in the collar of her coat as she took the empty seat on the train. She couldn't wait to meet Nate again, and if she hoped for a repeat performance of Wednesday night, then well. No one could blame her for that.
***
Nate picked the moment she was opening the door to stick his hands under her blouse and run his fingers over the skin of her stomach. Claire shivered and lost her balance as she pushed the door open at the same time, and they stumbled into her apartment.
She recovered easily and turned to Nate, who pulled her close and leaned in for a hard and hungry kiss that made her stomach tighten in anticipation. She licked into his mouth as she threw her hands over his neck to run her fingers through his hair, long enough to pull at them lightly. She loved the little hitch of his breath every time she did it.
Nate pushed his hands up over the naked skin of her back, unhooking her bra with ease. He backed a step and undressed her from the waist up so he could brush his thumbs over her nipples. Claire arched her body into his touch as the pleasure ran down her spine. She wanted to push his head down so he would suck on the hard nubs, but in the end, she pulled back. She wanted something else even more.
"Wait,” she said when he was lowering his head, as if reading her earlier plans. "Fuck me first."
He did not have to be told twice, apparently. She was completely naked by the time they got to the bedroom, and he pushed her down onto the bed before shaking his own clothes off quickly.
If Claire would ever not react to watching him strip, it would probably mean she was dead. She hoped she would get to undress him one day, piece by piece, and explore his body with her hands and lips. One day.
Nate covered her body with his in the next second, and every thought left her, leaving behind only yes and please and more. She pulled him in and spread her legs so he could slip his thigh in between them. He immediately moved it higher, right against where she wanted him, and he pressed even closer, giving Claire the taste of the friction her clit craved.
The heat rose inside her as she pushed back, shamelessly rubbing herself off against his thigh, but then Nate pulled his leg away.
He chuckled at her huff before kissing her hard. "You don't know what you're doing to me, fuck," he whispered against her lips. "One day, I'm going to let you come just like this, rutting against me, because that was one of the sexiest things I have ever seen." One of his fingers slipped between her folds and brushed over her clit, making her buck her hips, before moving lower, to her opening, and slipping just the tip of his finger inside. "But you wanted to get fucked. So we should do that now."
She tightened her grip on the back of his neck. "I'm waiting, then," she challenged, but her breath caught in her throat at the look he gave her, followed by the dirtiest grin she’d ever seen.
Once he was inside her, all she could do was hold on as he fucked her hard and fast. Claire was pretty sure he was going to have bruises from her grip on his arms, but he didn't seem to mind, and she was too out of it to let go. She had trouble breathing, let alone thinking. Everything was just sensations—heat and slick, and thrusts that made her body spasm against the waves of pleasure. When she finally came, she shuddered so hard, she was left trembling even after her orgasm was over. She felt him come as well when she was still floating from the high.
When their breathing came back to normal, he pulled out of her slowly, and her muscles tightened against the emptiness. When Nate moved away for a moment, a chill ran through her, but in the next second, he was back and smiling softly at her before leaning in. She thought he'd kiss her, but he brushed his nose over hers, over her cheek and the line of her jaw. He inhaled deeply, and Claire's hands found their way to his hair again. She angled his head down to pull him in for a kiss. On the outside, she finally stopped trembling, but there was something in her chest that still fluttered helplessly.
And if that wasn't scary, Claire didn’t know what was.
She was fine out on the streets, she was fine working the job, but this? The way Nate made her feel? It almost made her look for cover or a way to escape.
When they parted and lay on their sides, facing each other, she didn't open her eyes until he brushed his thumb over her cheek. And even then, she looked down at his neck, his collarbones, the dips of skin. She wanted to run her lips and tongue over his Adam’s apple, but for now, she just explored it with her fingertips. When he swallowed, and she could feel it under her fingers, she glanced up.
Nate was watching her carefully. There was no grin, no smile, no charm cranked up to a hundred, but his contentment was somehow still obvious to her. And it wasn't the self-satisfied pleasure of a good fuck, either. He just seemed... happy. Happy to be here, in this moment, with her.
Claire had no idea what to do with that. This, perhaps, might be even more scary than she thought—more than she could handle.
CHAPTER TEN
"I need a shower." Claire sat up so suddenly, Nate was still blinking in confusion when she was already out of bed. He didn't even get to say anything before she added, "I'll be out in ten" and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door.
Nate turned to lie on his back. He went through everything that happened since they'd arrived at her apartment, but if she was pulling back, as he guessed she was, he had no idea what caused it. She seemed really into everything they did, up to and including their last kiss. He was still coming down from the high when she ran her fingers over his throat, making him swallow against the sudden wave of affection. Then she looked at him, and a moment later, she was up and running, quite literally.
He hoped she didn’t expect him to just get up and leave while she was in the shower. There was no way he was sneaking out without goodbye.
Besides, Claire didn’t seem like the type who would have trouble telling someone to get out. If she wanted him gone, she would say so.
He decided to stay in bed and wait to see what was going to happen. He could use a shower himself, actually. Maybe that could be his excuse, a way to buy him more time to figure out what she wanted.
He sat up and leaned against the headboard, looking around the room. It was a small bedroom, with space only for a closet, a dresser and a bed. There were no decorations other than a framed black and white photo of New York City next to the closet and a few colorful necklaces hanging from a tree-shaped holder on the dresser.
There were two picture frames next to the holder, but he couldn't see the photographs from where he was sitting, and he didn't feel like getting up. Besides, Claire might be back any minute, and if she thought he was snooping around, there was a big chance he'd end up outside without his clothes on.
She was back before his restlessness could sneak in for good. She was dressed in a fluffy purple robe that covered her to her knees, and if she was surprised he was still here, she didn't show it. Nate decided to take it at face value.
"Do you mind if I shower as well?" he asked, getting up. He caught her glancing down on his naked body and it made him feel a bit better—she was still interested in that, at least—but he still didn't know what would come next.
Claire shook her head and met his gaze. "Of course not. The spare towels are in the closet on the left."
She stepped aside as he was crossing the room, and Na
te tried not to read too much into it.
He showered quickly, impatient to get back out there. At this point, he wasn't sure if he wasn’t just seeing things, his mind giving into its habit of seeking out potential problems in any situation, so that Nate could do his job and fix them before they made a mess. At work, it was very useful. In his personal life, it could create a mess on its own.
Nate toweled off and then tucked the towel around his waist, since he didn't take any clothes with him into the bathroom. He rolled his shoulders to let go of some of the tension and walked out.
Claire was sitting on the bed—made up or at least covered with a quilt—with her legs crossed and one elbow resting on her knee and supporting her head. She was dressed in flannel pajama pants and an oversized T-shirt.
It really didn't take a genius to figure out Nate wasn't staying, but maybe there was something in the fact that she was waiting for him? Or was she just decent enough to tell him to go?
"You want coffee? Or something to eat?" she asked, looking up at him between red wet curls falling into her eyes. Even without make up, her eyes still stood out and Nate found himself spilling his worry out loud.
"Do you want me to want something?"
Claire tightened her grip on her shin, and for a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Nate felt the silence pressing against his chest, even if there were sounds coming in from the window.
Finally, she sighed. "I just don't think a second sleepover in a row is the best idea. I'm not... It's not that we're moving too fast, but..." She shrugged.
"But we're moving too fast," he finished with a nod, the next inhale coming a little easier. He could see it, when he took a step back. The problem was that it didn't seem to matter to him when they were together.
Claire nodded. "Yeah."
Nate took comfort in the fact that she wasn't too happy setting this boundary, either. She didn't seem set on getting rid of him. She just chose to do the smart thing here.
"Okay." He nodded as well. "I wouldn't say no to coffee, though. Before I go."
She smiled at him and got up quickly from the bed before leading him to the kitchen. It wasn't how he thought the day would end, but he was still happy to be here for now.
***
Nate met Shawn at the elevator and tried not to grimace at his friend’s questioning look.
"Back so soon?" Shawn asked, pushing his hands into the pockets of his slacks. His jacket was thrown over his forearm, and top buttons of his shirt were open.
Probably coming back from yet another party, benefit, or something-or-other. Nate could never keep up with all the social events they were getting invited to. Thank God for Shawn, who actually liked to do those things.
"Yeah."
Shawn's brows went up. "Something went wrong?"
Nate shook his head, staring at the elevator panel. "No. Did something go wrong with your night?" After all, they did arrive home at the same time.
"Oh, no." Shawn's smile spread slowly. "Everything went really, really nice."
Nate resisted rolling his eyes, but barely. His friend’s ease with social events extended to ease with women, but more often than not, Shawn stuck to one night stands, which wasn’t exactly bad, but... Well. It wasn’t all that good, either.
By the time the elevator door slid open, Nate decided not to comment, but he should have known Shawn wouldn’t extend him the same courtesy. "Did the two of you have a fight?"
A few years ago, buying their apartments in the same building had seemed like a great idea. It had felt as if all three of them, Nate, Shawn, and Dean, had simply graduated from sharing a flat to a more adult—and expensive—version of co-habitation. It had happened almost by accident, too. Nate and Dean weren't supposed to go with Shawn to look at the apartment he’d found, but they ended up tagging along since they’d had nothing else to do for the time being. And somehow, in the end, they'd all left with one apartment each. Nate and Dean had even shared the floor, while Shawn had picked the apartment right above Dean's.
Nate's sister had told them they were co-dependent, but they'd ignored her. They'd known they made a great deal with the realtor and besides, game nights wouldn't have to get pushed off because of stupid things like traffic or laziness.
These days, having his best friends so close still worked great most of the time. But sometimes—like right now—the arrangement had its disadvantages, too. Shawn questioning Nate in the elevator about his dating life was definitely one of them.
"No. We've had a nice evening, and then I went home. Just like you did," Nate added, hoping against hope to steer Shawn away from himself and Claire.
The elevator stopped, and Nate stepped out, but Shawn blocked the door from closing.
"Fine. Are you going to see her again?"
"Yes." This, at least, Claire and Nate agreed on tonight. "We're going to see each other on Sunday. Happy now?"
Shawn nodded and stepped back. He smiled as the door started closing. "Night, Nate."
"Night."
Nate shook his head and headed to his door. And they called him overprotective. He was going to remind Shawn of tonight when his friend would even imply Nate was being overbearing.
He took off his jacket as soon as he got into his apartment, tossing it over the back of the couch, and headed to the kitchen to grab a beer. He wondered what to do with the rest of his night. He had no interest in TV, and he definitely wasn't going to work on a Friday night. He was a co-founder of his own company to make sure he wouldn’t have to do that unless there was an emergency.
He headed to the bedroom where he quickly changed and got under the covers, before sitting against his headboard. He sipped his beer and tried not to think that less than two hours ago, he was in Claire's bed. No, not going there. That way lay madness, and Nate had spent too much time overanalyzing the situation already. They were meeting the day after tomorrow, and that was it for now. Everything else would sort itself out. At least he hoped so.
Finally, he picked up his e-reader from the nightstand and burrowed into his pillow. The latest bestselling ridiculousness of a 'legal thriller' was the perfect way to distract himself and spend a stress-free night.
He almost didn't think of Claire for the rest of the evening.
Almost.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Claire hadn’t been on an outdoorsy date since college when everyone was counting money and being cheap. Now, she decided she just hadn't been dating the right guys after graduating.
Nate took her to the High Line where they ate brunch consisting of hot dogs and fries. They sat as far from the main path as possible, on the blanket he procured from his backpack, and they talked while watching people pass by. Claire also spent quite a lot of time watching Nate, because seeing him in jeans and a T-shirt was something new. He looked great in his suits, there was no denying that, but there was something in his casual look that drew her in.
Once the park became too crowded, they left. Nate caught her hand in his, and she didn't protest, weaving their fingers together.
"What do you want to do now?" he asked her, and she raised her eyebrows.
"I thought you were leading the show on this one."
He shook his head. "I figured out the first part, now it's your turn. Then we can switch again, if you want."
She chuckled. "How cooperative of us," she teased, but she had to admit that she liked that. She was wary of controlling men, bent on getting their way, and Nate making her co-captain of the day was yet another sign she wouldn't need to worry about that with him.
"We could ride down and see what matinees are playing on Broadway today." She laughed at his look. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Remember, we would both get our New Yorker card taken away for the lack of Broadway appreciation." She tilted her head, considering their options. Nothing particularly grabbed her, but she knew she wanted to stay outdoors. The weather was too nice to pass up on. "I'm fine with just wandering around. I haven't gotten lost in the city in ages."
She was curious if she could get a little of that wonder back, now that her default while out on the streets was more of a vigilance and risk assessment than admiration.
Nate squeezed her fingers and smiled. "Let's wander, then."
Wandering in New York City wasn’t easy, especially on a warm Sunday when it seemed like everyone had the same idea. Finally, they decided to head towards the Brooklyn Bridge and just kept turning into the nearest street whenever they noticed a big crowd up ahead.
They talked about their college days. Nate was two years ahead of her in school, but they went to the same clubs and partied in the same neighborhoods. Claire tried to imagine Nate younger, but he only groaned when she told him that.
"I was shorter than most of my year and had terrible habit of not ironing anything, ever. I looked terrible."
"You are not a credible source," she told him with a smirk.
"You are not asking my friends or family for any pictures," he said, and what was probably supposed to be a glare changed instantly when his eyes widened.
Claire's had to be wide as well, but she blinked quickly to distract herself. Meeting family and friends wasn't really third date material, right? Or maybe it could be, at least for the friends part, but their third date fell less than a week from their first meeting, so other rules should probably apply.
Not to mention that, technically, Nate had met her parents already. But she preferred not to think about that.
He didn't give her a chance to respond—or maybe he let her off the hook?—by quickly changing the subject to the life after college and her early days in the force.
Claire told him about her start in patrol, and he inquired about the stories from her days on the streets. She had probably never talked so much on a date in her life, and she regularly glanced at him to look for the signs of boredom or impatience, but she didn't find any. Sometimes one of her stories brought out a story of his, and he took over, but then it was back to her again. It wasn’t something she was used to, and she wasn't sure her past attempts at dating were that bad or if Nate was just that good at making her feel like he cared. But whatever it was, he stood out, even when Claire admitted the bar was hanging ridiculously low on this one.
