“You know, you’re the one thing I miss most about this city,” Nathaniel said, and he felt her reach out and touch his knee. He took it as an open invitation, and he leaned towards her, taking her face into his hands. Their lips met, and he could tell that she was swooning. He himself felt a little lightheaded. When they pulled apart, he caught himself staring at her. It was hard not to stare. Nathaniel fancied himself a gentleman –or at least when the mood suited him he did, so he drove her back to the hotel and walked her back to her room. They shared another sweet kiss before he returned to the presidential suite for the evening. He went to bed, surprised at how flustered Lillian had made him.
Chapter 6
Nathaniel sat in the back office of the shelter, his laptop seated in front of him on the small desk as he listened to a pitch team from back home in California drone on and on about some new app that lacked a lot of depth. He tried hard not to roll his eyes at the interns who had done virtually nothing as far as prep work. It was rather disappointing. “All right, that’s enough,” Nathaniel said, waving his hand towards the computer screen. “Seriously. I’m done. You kids can leave.”
Adam, who was seated in the meeting room on the opposite side of the country, nodded along with Nathaniel. “You kids are excused,” Adam said and waved them out of the room. Nathaniel watched as Adam turned in his spinning chair to face the enormous screen that Nathaniel’s face was plastered on as they video chatted with one another for the conference.
“Well, that was an overwhelming disappointment and a ridiculous waste of time,” Nathaniel said. “Those interns ought to be escorted out of the building for that bullshit. Ten minutes of blabbering, and I couldn’t even tell you what the hell the app they were talking about is supposed to do.”
“I think we should green light it,” Adam said out of nowhere, and Nathaniel laughed –assuming that the man was joking. Adam’s face remained stoic as he stared back at Nathaniel from the other side of his computer screen. “I’m serious, Nathaniel.”
“Greenlight it? For what reason? It was total crap,” Nathaniel said.
“I just have a gut feeling about it,” Adam said. “They’re totally lacking a solid concept, but I think if I put the right person in charge those bozos might actually be onto something.”
“You’re really serious?” Nathaniel questioned.
“Who is the app genius, you or me?” Adam retorted.
Nathaniel rolled his eyes. Adam had certainly been the one to suggest greenlighting their greatest successes as far as apps went. Nathaniel, however, had put his cards on some rather impressive failures –for apps, at least. Nathaniel shook his head. “I know, I know. You’re the app genius, but seriously, what do you see in that?”
“Just trust me on this one. Greenlight it for me,” Adam said and waited for Nathaniel to respond.
“You really think it’s worth the time and money?” Nathaniel asked, still not quite sure what the kids were even trying to accomplish.
“Trust me,” Adam said with a slight smirk.
“All right, all right, fine. I’ll call your secretary and have her send me the paperwork to sign. You better be about to make me some serious money, Adam, because you and I both know that pitch was shit,” Nathaniel said, shaking his head and already reaching for his cellphone to have Adam’s personal assistant send him what he needed.
“You know I always do,” Adam said and winked at him. “So, Tony tells me you’ve bene spending some time with a lady out that way? You’re not falling for a Troy native, are you?”
Nathaniel laughed. “That kid just can’t keep a secret, can he? You remember Lillian Thompson?”
Adam sat upright. “No way.”
“That’s right,” Nathaniel said, crossing his arms and grinning back at his friend.
“Damn. I’m going to turn into a third wheel again, aren’t I?” Adam joked. “I haven’t heard that name since we were kids. You followed her around like a dumbass. What was it she used to always call you? Was it dumbass?”
“Dipshit,” Nathaniel said. “Yeah.”
“Where the hell did you run into her at?” Adam asked.
“The shelter.”
“Was she a volunteer?” Adam asked.
“No. Honestly, she was a… customer,” Nathaniel said.
“Damn,” Adam frowned. “Hate to hear that. She was a sweet kid. Troy wasn’t good to her, I guess. New York has a way of doing that to people. You and I lucked out. Have you gotten her in the sack yet?”
“Come on, man, it’s Lillian,” Nathaniel griped.
“Oh, so you got to woo her, right?” Adam questioned. “Treat her like a lady just because she was your little elementary crush, huh? That’s cool, man. You do you. But, damn, you better woo her quick. You’ll be coming home in a few days.”
“Yeah, I know. Believe me, I’m trying,” Nathaniel said.
“Well, I’ll let you go. I got a lot of shit to get done today,” Adam said and threw up a peace sign before Nathaniel closed his laptop.
Nathaniel quickly called Adam’s assistant, Katie, and the woman answered in the same perky tone she always does. “Hey, Katie,” Nathaniel said, returning her friendly demeanor the best that he could. “Could you send me the paperwork for the last pitch Adam and I just sat in on?”
“Hard to believe that shitty proposal made it all the way to the top dogs,” Katie grumbled and then let out a slight gasp; Nathaniel guessed that she had probably meant to put him on mute. Most likely she was talking to someone else. “Sorry, sir,” she said. She did not have the sort of laid back relationship with them that Tony did. She was more professional acting than Tony, but Tony knew how to get things done just as well. “So you’re turning it down?” she asked.
“Actually, I’m greenlighting it, but you’re right –it was a shitty proposal,” Nathaniel said, trying not to laugh at the poor woman. “It needs word, but it looks like Adam is taking it under his wing. Anyways, just get the paperwork my way.”
“Of course, sir. Oh, really quick, while I have you on the phone, I don’t know if you noticed, but I spotted a discrepancy in the accounts-”
“The thirty thousand?” Nathaniel questioned. “Because, yeah, I caught that. We figured it out.”
“Um… no, sir. We were ten thousand off in the trust fund this month,” she said.
“What the hell?” Nathaniel griped. “Someone in accounting is getting fired. I swear. I’ll have Tony look into it for me. Ask Adam about it too. I know he made a lot of transactions this month with the shelter opening, and I think he got sloppy. But thanks for letting me know.”
“Of course, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
“That should be all,” Nathaniel said. “Thanks, Katie.”
He hung up the phone and waited around for her to email him the documentation for the app. He signed off on the proposal, rolling his eyes slightly. It really had been a shitty proposal.
Chapter 7
Nathaniel found himself blushing slightly as he watched Eliza on the computer screen. She was dressed in some black lingerie that had him sweating. The lacey outfit looked almost like a frightfully short baby doll dress that didn’t quite cover her ass. It was see through, so Nathaniel could see her slightly erected nipples. The outfit had a tiny pink bow set in her cleavage. The matching underwear certainly did justice to her curves, making her ass seem slightly larger than it actually was. The look was topped off with a matching garter.
“What do you think?” she said and did a slow turn so that Nathaniel could admire her from all angles.
He instinctively loosened his tie. “Phenomenal choice in attire for our virtual date this evening,” he said. He sat with his laptop seated in his lap, and he could feel his erection pressing up against the piece of machinery.
She plopped down on her bed; she had her laptop set up on some piece of furniture so that she could stay back slightly –allowing him full view of her from head to foot. He was wondering how this could possibly be the same
woman who had made him so miserable on their first date that he had his assistant make up a bogus story just to get him out of there. “So listen,” Eliza cooed, “I don’t think I can wait until you get back home to California before we have a real date. How about I come out to Troy?”
Nathaniel could feel his throat tightening as he eyed her. He shook his head, but he smiled. “I’ll be home in two days,” he said. “You’re telling me you can’t wait two days?”
She laughed. “I suppose I can. I’ll just have to find a way to satisfy myself until then.”
“Oh?” Nathaniel spoke. He could feel himself lunging forward as though he thought he could reach through the computer and grab her.
“Mmm hmmm,” she said and slowly started to slide one of her shoulder straps down.
“You sure are making me anxious to see you in person,” Nathaniel said, and he frowned when Eliza stood up and threw on a robe.
“I got an early morning,” she teased.
“Oh, that’s not right,” Nathaniel said.
“It’s not, but I suppose this is a bit of revenge after I got ditched on our first date,” she huffed.
“I said I was sorry,” Nathaniel pleaded. “Come on, don’t tease me like that.”
“Fine. You get one little peak,” she said and dropped the robe. She unhooked the back of her outfit and the little shoulder straps, and she dropped it to the ground –leaving behind nothing but the matching bottoms and garter.
“Okay, I don’t think I can wait two days,” Nathaniel said, and a tense throbbing in his groin became evident to himself when she began playing with her breasts. She certainly moved fast for someone so uppity. “You should just book yourself a flight and come on out this way. I can show you a night you won’t ever forget.”
“I don’t think so, big guy,” she said, slowly dropping her hands so that he could get a full frontal view of her breasts again. “I’m a west coast girl. I think I’ll stay put and let you come to me. Have a good night, all right?” she winked at the camera, and Nathaniel’s screen went blank.
Hot damn, he thought and grabbed at his groin. He looked at his Rolex; he had a date with Lillian in five minutes, and he had a raging boner. “Fuck,” he said. He stood up and walked rapidly around the hotel room, trying to alleviate it as quickly as possible. He couldn’t get Eliza fondling herself out of his head, so it was quite difficult to get himself presentable again. Once he was ready, he checked his watch. He was late.
Nathaniel hurried into the elevator and rushed out the front door of the hotel, looking around for Lillian. He frowned –had she returned to her hotel room when he didn’t show? He felt someone tap his shoulder and spun around to see Lillian sporting a sexy red dress. She had done her hair and makeup –although she had been fairly conservative. Her hair was slightly curled, giving it a more voluminous look. “Whoa,” he said, his breath being taken away
“Sorry I’m late,” she said. Her face turned red and she handed him his credit card. “I, um, went and picked up something before our date.”
“What would that be?” Nathaniel questioned and slipped his card back into his pocket.
“I’ll show you later,” she said.
Nathaniel took her by the arm. “We’re eating at the hotel restaurant tonight. I hope you don’t mind?”
“Seems really fancy to me,” she said embarrassingly. “You sure are spending a lot of money on me this week.”
“I’m doing fairly well for myself. I can afford to spoil an old friend,” Nathaniel assured her.
They headed to the restaurant, and soon they were enjoying some wine and an assortment of cheeses that were complimentary with the meal. They laughed and talked on and on about old memories. Nathaniel smiled and decided to make the jump away from their childhood –something he had since avoided. “So what happened to you?” he asked finally. He had avoided the question for two previous dates at risk of offending her. “I mean, I don’t mean to judge, Lillian, I’m just concerned. I care about you, you know?”
She smiled at him. “Yes, I know.” Her smile faded. “After high school I joined the military. Army. It was supposed to be a non-combat role. We were being flown in right over Libya when our plane went down. Our communication systems were down, so we had no way of calling in for help. Our translator died in the crash, and we had to leave him behind. We were behind enemy lines for twelve days. I saw a lot of shit. It was my first and last tour after I was diagnosed with PTSD. I tried getting a job back home here in Troy, but I couldn’t hold down a job. I remember working as a cook at this restaurant; it was my first civilian job. Someone dropped a box of silverware that had just been washed, and I lost my mind. I swear, I thought I was back in Libya for a minute… I wound up hiding out in a broom closet with a damn butcher’s knife. My boss called the cops on me, and I spent a few nights in jail. I didn’t hurt anyone, thank God, but I almost did. And it’s the same everywhere I go. I can’t afford therapy. I can’t get shit from the VA hospitals. I’m just sort of stuck where I’m at. I lost my apartment. Lost my car. Can’t really get a good job if I can’t drive myself. Things just got worse and worse until I wound up sleeping on a bench and going to homeless shelters just to get a decent meal.”
Nathaniel listened to her with a keen ear. He was impressed to hear about her life in the military, and she was proud of it. She had gotten her mystery tattoo after the incident in Libya –her and the guys in her troop had all gotten matching tattoos, each a different playing card. She had been awarded the choice of the ace of spades after saving a fellow solider after he had gotten shot in the leg by enemy fire.
He watched her tell her story with extreme sadness, and the mood started to rub off on him. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“There’s no reason to be sorry. I did it to myself,” she said.
“No, you didn’t. You served this country, and you haven’t been able to get the help you need after coming home. That is not your fault, Lillian,” he offered her a sincere smile. “For what it’s worth, I’m really glad that I got to meet you again. Over the years, I would think about you from time to time. I miss those days. Honestly, I had the biggest crush on you when we were kids.”
She laughed. “Honestly, Nate, I knew that. It was kind of obvious.”
Nathaniel laughed. “Yeah, I suppose it was.”
They ended their meal on a happier note, reflecting on happier times. Nathaniel walked around conversations about himself –still keeping the true nature of his job and his wealth a secret. He walked with her to the elevator and boarded it with her, still hooking his arm into hers. “I really enjoyed dinner,” he said to her and kissed her.
The elevator doors opened, and he stepped out to walk her to her hotel room. They reached the room and they stood there kissing for a moment before she pulled away and asked, “Do you want to come inside?”
Nathaniel grinned. “I’d love to.”
He followed her inside, and without saying a word they both went straight for the bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind them, their lips interlocked, and Nathaniel slowly pushed her up against the door. He ran his hands up and down her back, and she moaned slightly –causing him to instantly become hard. His usual confidence in the bedroom was replaced with an unfamiliar sense of nervousness. His hands fumbled slightly when he worked them up underneath her dress. His lips traced her neck, and her fingers played with the hair on the back of his head. His fingers reached her underwear, and he realized she was wearing lace. “Um… that thing you wanted to show me later…?”
“Oh,” she said, blushing. “I think you found it.”
Her dress dropped to the floor, and Nathaniel pulled back away from her for a moment to examine what it was she had on. A hot pink pair of panties and matching bra that made his insides melt –a perfect accent to go along with that gorgeous blonde hair of hers. “Dear God, woman!” he said and pulled her back into him, drawing her closer towards the bed. He dropped his suit jacket and threw off his shoes and tie before the
two of them fell onto the bed together. Her hands worked quickly to unbutton his shirt, and she pulled it open and looked at his chest once she had accomplished the task.
Her eyes lit up, and she reached out and touched his chest with her hands, stroking him. “Damn, Nate,” she said. “You’re certainly not that little boy from New York anymore, are you?”
He laughed, removing his shirt and unbuckling his belt. “I’d like to think not,” he said as he got down to just his underwear. He rolled her onto her back and climbed on top of her; he took a moment to admire the lingerie she had picked out, realizing she had planned on this at the start of the evening if she had gone underwear shopping. The thought made him grin, and he got her out of her bra and knelt down. He sucked on one of her breasts, and she groaned. He felt her hands reach up around him and start to pull his underwear down; she was certainly eager, and he liked that. He tossed his underwear and then pulled hers down in one, quick motion.
He kissed her breasts and then worked his way down her body towards her groin with his tongue, and he spent some time licking her womanhood to get her ready. From the corner of his eye, he could see her hands gripping the sheets. Her back arched, and she let out an almost pitiful sounding cry. He could not wait any longer, and she was plenty wet now. He pressed himself into her, and she grabbed at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a deep kiss.
This was quite different from some of his past sexual encounters that had been nothing but naughty one night stands and short winded relationships. Nathaniel wanted her to enjoy the evening as much as he was, so he took his time –and hearing her pleasurable moans were certainly worth the extra effort. “Oh, God, Nate, I’m cumming,” she mumbled, panting slightly.
He moved quicker, his cock sliding in and out of her with force and precision until she let out a scream. He muffled the sound by pressing his lips into hers, and he could feel her shutter underneath him. “Oh God…” he grumbled just as he was ejaculating within her, unable to hold out any longer.
Utterly Yours (Book Two) (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) Page 3
