“So you’re saying she has issues.”
Nat sighed again. “Yeah.”
Bridget shrugged. “Well, don’t we all?”
“Yeah.” Nat paused, then said, “She’s an accountant.”
Bridget threw her head back and laughed out loud. “Oh, boy. An accountant with commitment issues. She must be good in bed.”
“She’s mind-blowing.” The memory of exactly how mind-blowing got a little fuzzier every day, which only sharpened her need. She had no idea when she’d see Emily again, but until then, at least the phone sex was fantastic in its own right. “She’s really pretty. Blond, a girl-next-door type.”
“Well, I’m not surprised you’ve got a crush. The innocent-looking ones have always gotten you hard.”
“Yeah, well…” Nat took another bite of her sandwich, chewed, then set the rest down on her plate. “I really like her. And everything I know about her so far.”
“That’s great, Nat. Truly.” Bridget crunched on a piece of ice, folding her arms over her chest. “So how does she feel about your job?”
“It seems to turn her on.” In fact, telling Emily about some of her more memorable female clients had functioned as surprisingly hot verbal foreplay. Emily loved hearing about other people’s kinky fantasies almost as much as she enjoyed playing out her own. “She’s a very dirty girl.”
“Well, she sounds perfect for you. The all-American girl with a naughty streak.” Bridget was beaming. “Have you seen her outside of work yet?”
“We spent the weekend together. Our Friday-night appointment sort of lasted until Sunday evening. But I haven’t seen her again since then. We have been talking on the phone, though.”
“Every night?”
Nat rolled her eyes at Bridget’s teasing tone. “Maybe.”
“So is this a fuck-buddy thing or are you two, like, girlfriends?”
“Not girlfriends. Our exact status is…yet to be determined.” Nat shrugged, trying to act casual. Judging by Bridget’s sympathetic gaze, she was failing miserably. “We’re taking it one day at a time.”
“But you want to date her.”
“Absolutely.”
Bridget laced her fingers with Nat’s. “That’s where those pesky commitment issues come into play, huh?”
“Yeah.” Nat dropped her forehead onto her arm without letting go of Bridget’s hand. “I think I might get my heart broken.”
“You’re my hero for even trying.” Giving her a gentle squeeze, Bridget returned to her sandwich with gusto. “One of these days I’ll decide to get back on that horse, too. Assuming I meet a guy worth half a shit.”
Unlike Nat, Bridget had actually had a few boyfriends over the years. According to her, a potential partner’s attitude about her job was the single make-it-or-break-it factor as far as whether their relationship would last more than a week or two. Nat had never tried to date after falling into sex work. She hadn’t wanted to try to compartmentalize her feelings about what she did for money with a girlfriend in the picture. It seemed too emotionally complicated. She would most likely crave monogamy within a stable relationship, so it hardly seemed fair to ask a girlfriend to be faithful when she couldn’t do the same.
Even though she’d dreamed of a new career for a while, she wasn’t sure she was ready to take that leap. Besides, it was insane to even consider quitting her job when she’d known Emily only a few days. They weren’t even really dating. Yet the thought of continuing to fuck strangers turned her stomach. The past weekend had confirmed something that she had long suspected—sex was amazing when real feelings were involved. Knowing that, how could she go back to the way she was before?
“Fuck.” She shouldn’t be having these kinds of thoughts about a woman she’d just met. It was irrational. Crazy. Only one explanation occurred to her. “I’m falling in love.”
Bridget stopped mid-chew. “Whoa. Did Nat Swayne just say love?”
Without lifting her head, Nat muttered, “Don’t judge me.”
“I’m not.” Bridget set down her sandwich and pushed her plate aside. “Sweetie, I’m not. I’ve just never heard you talk this way before.”
“Well, I’ve never felt this way before.” Nat straightened with an embarrassed shrug. “I mean, I really like her.”
“I guess so.” Grinning, Bridget shook her head. “Falling in love.”
“With an accountant.”
“And just when I think life has finished surprising me.”
Nat laughed. What else could she do? “Trust me, no one is more surprised than I am.”
“I don’t know…I’m guessing Emily was probably shocked when her sexy hired stud suddenly fell head over heels for her.”
“That she was.” The memory of their pleasurable transition from client and escort to lovers warmed Nat, restoring the stupid grin to her face. “Fuck, I’m in trouble.”
“Maybe.” Bridget scooted her chair around the table until she was close enough to wrap her arm around Nat’s shoulders. “Maybe not. Either way, I’m thrilled for you. What’ve you been telling me for forever now? You need a change. Opening yourself to the possibility of love is a great start.”
“Well, let’s hope so.”
The waiter returned, doing everything possible not to look in their direction. Bridget snuggled closer to her and offered him a friendly smile, which he accepted with a tentative nod. “Can I get you two anything else?”
“I think just our bill.” Nat pulled Bridget tight against her side. “Or did you want something else, darling?”
“The bill sounds perfect, poodle.”
Nat pinched Bridget’s hip after the waiter scurried away. “Really? Poodle?”
“It’s endearing. Like you.” Bridget kissed her cheek, then scooted back to her side of the table.
Cuddling with Bridget only intensified her need for Emily. The gnawing ache in her chest led her right back into her earlier thought pattern. Was now the time to change careers, whether or not Emily was on board for more than casual sex? She sighed. “What if I can’t cut it in the culinary world?”
“You can. Your food is delicious and you know that. I’ve gained at least ten pounds since you started cooking for me.”
Nat raised her eyebrow and leered at Bridget’s cleavage. “In all the right places.”
“Oh, sure. So you can ogle them, but our poor waiter can’t.”
“That’s right.”
Bridget rolled her eyes, but gave her a fond look. “I have no doubt you’ll succeed in your culinary career. But you know what? If it doesn’t work out, I’m sure Janis would hire you back. You know you’re one of her top earners. And a client favorite.”
Bridget was right. Janis would probably hate to lose her. Currently she was the only butch escort at the agency, which meant she was always in demand. And she had more regular clients than anyone. If cooking didn’t work out, she could go back to escorting. That safety net made her feel marginally better about the thought of putting herself out there. Now if only she could overcome her fear of failure.
“Are you worrying about this right now because of Emily?”
“Kind of.” Nat hated to admit that she would make a life-changing decision because of a woman she’d just met, even if that was sort of what was happening. “You know I’ve been thinking about changing careers for a while. If there’s a chance Emily wants to date me—that we could actually have a relationship—I don’t want to keep fucking other people. It’s not even that I think she couldn’t handle that. It’s that I can’t.”
“Just give it a little time. See where things go with her over the next few weeks, and see how you feel about escorting. This just happened, Nat. These feelings are intense and brand-new and not something you’re used to, but you don’t have to make any decisions today. She’s not making any decisions today.”
Heat crept up Nat’s face. “I know. You’re right. I’m being silly.” Her phone rang before Bridget could reply, and even though Emily had never called at noo
n before, Nat scrambled to check the front display. Face on fire at the way her heart raced at the sight of Emily’s name, she ignored Bridget’s laughter and answered her phone.
“Hey, sweet girl.” She half-turned away from Bridget, too self-conscious to watch her reaction to their conversation.
“Hey, yourself.”
Emily’s obvious joy instantly restored her good mood. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Dirty things, I hope.”
Nat lowered her voice. “You have no idea.”
“Oh, I think I might.” Emily spoke in a bare whisper, leading Nat to believe she might very well be in her office at work. With the door closed, no doubt, but still. “I’ve been thinking about you, too. Extremely dirty things.”
She didn’t care that Bridget could hear. When she spoke to Emily, her libido always took over. “Is your pussy wet?” She looked up at Bridget’s giggle to find their nervous waiter staring at her, bill in hand. Nat took it with a sheepish nod, silent as she awaited Emily’s answer.
“Constantly, these days.” Exhaling, Emily said, “Colleen just texted me that she’s spending the night at her friend Kaysi’s house. I was wondering if you wanted to maybe see each other this evening. If you don’t have to work.”
No longer concerned about her audience, Nat sat up straighter in her chair. She’d never been so happy to have an empty work schedule. “Absolutely. May I buy you dinner?”
“That would be really nice.” Emily paused. “And then maybe we could go back to your place?”
Nat warmed at Emily’s palpable desire. The thought of being with her again in only a few hours was overwhelming. Though she wanted to take Emily on a proper date, it would be a challenge to keep her hands to herself during dinner. She wasn’t sure she would even try. “I think that part goes without saying, don’t you?”
“I hoped so.” She could hear the smile in Emily’s voice. “How about I pick you up at seven?”
“Sounds great.” Nat glanced around, relieved that the waiter had disappeared again. Bridget sat gazing at her fondly. Ignoring her indulgent grin, Nat turned away again and murmured, “Do me a favor, darling?”
Emily’s shaky exhalation was exactly the reaction she’d hoped to elicit. “Yes?”
“Wear a skirt.”
It took Emily a moment to answer. When she did, Nat had to strain to hear her quiet whisper. “Should I wear panties, or no?”
“Yes.” Nat paused, savoring the image of playing with Emily beneath her skirt, over her panties. “I want to work for it a little.”
“Okay.” Clearing her throat, Emily suddenly sounded far more composed. “Done. I’ll see you tonight, then?”
Nat imagined that a co-worker might have just passed by, or perhaps knocked on her office door. The thought of Emily in her business attire, soaking wet and ready for her, made her day. “I can’t wait.”
“Me, either. Bye.”
Nat chuckled as she hung up. Then she turned back to Bridget, wrinkling her nose at the amusement written all over her face. “What?”
“Sounds like you just made a date.”
“Seems that way.” Nat pulled some money from her wallet and set the bill at the edge of the table. “Hopefully the first of many.”
Bridget bounced in her seat and clapped her hands. “So cute.”
Nat was too happy to disagree. “I try.”
Chapter Thirteen
Emily had never been on a real date. At least not one that involved being led to a private table at a small, elegant restaurant by a stunningly dressed suitor who pulled out her chair, then ordered them an expensive-sounding bottle of wine without missing a beat. She folded her hands in her lap—over the form-fitting satin skirt she’d worn per Nat’s request—and tried to quiet her nerves.
She could do this.
Nat caught her gaze when the waitress left to fetch their wine. “I know I’ve already said it a couple times, but you really do look gorgeous tonight, Emily. Breathtaking.”
She managed an anxious laugh. “Likewise.” In fact, Nat had never looked better. She wore black, well-tailored pants, a crisp white collared shirt, and a dark vest—she was Emily’s ideal butch, a veritable wet dream. “Nothing on the menu will compare to how delicious you look.”
Nat dragged her chair around the table to sit beside her. Her light, vaguely spicy scent filled Emily’s nostrils, stirring a gnawing hunger that wouldn’t be satisfied by any of the decadent entrées the restaurant had to offer. Leaning close, Nat planted a kiss where her neck met her shoulder. “I love your skirt.”
“Thank you. I don’t usually have a reason to wear one.”
“A crying shame, with legs like yours.” Nat drew away, putting distance between their faces. Beneath the table, her hand landed on Emily’s knee and quickly slid upward. “I recommend the roasted lemon and garlic chicken. Or the pumpkin ravioli, if you want to go vegetarian.”
The gentle caress of Nat’s fingertips along her inner thigh rendered Emily utterly incapable of thinking about food. “Chicken sounds good.”
“Are you sure?” Nat tickled a path higher up the inside of her thigh, scratching her nail along the elastic leg of her silk panties. “The ravioli is divine.”
“Maybe…” Emily gasped as Nat’s fingers rubbed over her sensitive labia, through her panties. She cast a furtive gaze around the restaurant, making sure nobody was watching. “Maybe we could order both and share.”
“That works for me.” Nat circled the pad of her thumb over her clit. Her fingertips pressed lower, between Emily’s swollen lips, and sought out her entrance. “I love sharing with you.”
Their waitress appeared, breaking their heated eye contact. She gave them a friendly smile. “Have you two decided yet?”
Nat never ceased the motion of her fingers between Emily’s thighs. “We’ll have the roasted lemon-and-garlic chicken, and an order of the pumpkin ravioli.”
Emily held her breath and tried not to react as Nat settled into a particularly pleasurable rhythm. She stopped listening to the friendly conversation between Nat and the waitress, who seemed oblivious to what was happening under the tablecloth. When the waitress finally walked away after shooting Nat a final, flirtatious grin, Emily sagged in relief.
“Oh, you are cruel.” She whimpered when Nat retreated, closing her thighs to trap her before she could withdraw her hand entirely. “Don’t stop.”
Nat wriggled her fingers between Emily’s thighs until she spread her legs slightly. Then she resumed her gentle teasing with a contented sigh. “You feel so good. I can’t wait until after dinner.”
“If you aren’t careful, I won’t be able to, either.”
Kissing her ear, Nat whispered, “That’s okay.” She hooked her finger in the crotch of Emily’s panties and tugged the material to the side. “I can take care of you right now.”
“Nat—” Emily inhaled sharply as Nat penetrated her in one swift motion. She gripped the edge of the table, knuckles going white from the effort not to cry out. “Oh…my.”
Nat eased away, propping her chin on her hand and doing a perfect impression of a dutiful listener. “Nobody will know. Not if you’re quiet and pretend that you and I are having a nice, innocent first-date conversation.”
Rocking against Nat’s hand, Emily cleared her throat and folded her hands on the table. “What do you want to talk about?”
Their waitress, a pretty brunette who clearly liked Nat, winked at Emily as she returned with their bottle of wine and poured two glasses without saying a word. Emily felt like she should speak, if only to distract from the subtle flexing of Nat’s arm and the pleasure she knew was written all over her face. But she didn’t trust her voice not to shake.
“Thank you.” Nat dismissed the waitress with a polite nod, then picked up her glass with her free hand. She continued to finger Emily with slow, deliberate thrusts as she took a sip. “I hope you like the wine. It’s one of my favorites.”
Emily lifted her glass an
d took a tentative sip. The bold flavor surprised her—she hadn’t taken a drink in years. “I’m actually not much of a wine drinker.”
Nat’s hand stilled. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, it’s okay.” Emily took another drink, hoping it would calm her racing heart. “It’s not that I won’t drink, I just don’t generally choose to.”
“Because your parents were addicts.”
“Yes.” Emily set the glass on the table. Then she closed her thighs on Nat’s wrist. “Please don’t stop.”
Nat curled her finger inside Emily, stroking a spot on the front of her vaginal wall that sent pleasurable shudders through her body. “I wonder what everyone here would think if they knew what I was doing to you right now?”
“That I’m a lucky girl.” Emily kept her expression stoic as she studied Nat’s face. Her eyes had gone dark and an air of sensual longing softened her rough edges. “And that you’re ridiculously sexy.” Her attraction to Nat hit her full-on, almost as though she was seeing her for the first time. Adrenaline made her palms sweat. “Honestly, Nat, you could have anyone you wanted.”
“Then I guess I’m the lucky one.” Nat gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. “Because I want you.” She moved her thumb up to circle Emily’s clit, sliding a second finger inside to join the first. With slow, hard strokes, she rubbed Emily’s clit and G-spot simultaneously.
“Oh, fuck,” Emily whispered. She turned her face away from Nat, bringing her fist to her mouth in a desperate attempt not to cry out as she came. The rhythmic contraction of her inner muscles around Nat’s fingers felt divine and made her thighs quake, which only seemed to encourage Nat to rub her clit more furiously. When the waitress suddenly appeared to deposit their salads in front of them, it took all of Emily’s willpower not to scream.
The Night Off Page 13
