by Force, Marie
We shake out the towels and walk back to the house. Natalie asks to use the bathroom, and Marlowe tells her where it is.
“Be right back,” Natalie says as she leaves the room.
The moment we’re alone, I look to my longtime friend for a reading on what she thinks of Natalie.
“Stunning and delightful,” Mo says quietly.
A knot in my chest seems to unfurl at her approval, that she sees what I do in Natalie.
“She’s young but surprisingly mature,” Marlowe adds.
“She’s been through a lot. I’m not so sure I’m good for her.”
“Yet you’re in love.”
I shrug. “I think I have been since the second I first saw her a week ago today.”
Mo squeezes my arm. “Nothing has to be decided right now. It’s only been a week.”
“I know.” I agree with her despite my misgivings. The more time I spend with Natalie, the deeper my feelings for her become—and I suspect she would say the same about me. Though we’ve known each other only a week, a lot has happened in that time. I’m old enough and experienced enough to know this is different. “I already feel more for her than I ever did for Val.”
Marlowe’s mouth falls open, but before she can respond, Natalie returns.
I’m well aware that I’ve dropped a bomb on my friend, but all my attention is on Natalie. “Ready?”
“Whenever you are.”
I kiss Mo’s cheek. “Thanks for having us.”
“My pleasure. And it was great to meet you, Natalie.”
“The thrill was all mine,” she says with that adorable smile I’ve grown to love.
Marlowe laughs and hugs her. “See you guys at dinner.”
When we’re back in the car and on the way to my house, Natalie says, “So did you two talk about me while I was in the bathroom?”
“Only a little. She really likes you.”
“She’s so cool. I was trying so hard not to act like a total dork around her.”
“I never would’ve known you were dorking out inside. You were very composed.”
“It was all an act.”
“You might be in the wrong business with those skills.” I can think of a million places I’d like to take her for a late lunch, but the potential hassle has me going home instead. We make sandwiches that we take out to the pool and pass a relaxing afternoon enjoying the sun and each other.
My middle-of-the-night decision to end things with her seems ridiculous now. I’d much rather live without the things I dreamed about than without her. She’s become as essential to me as the air I breathe. “Make room. I’m coming over.”
I scoot over to allow Flynn to join me on my lounge. Whatever was troubling him earlier seems to have passed. That he wants to be close to me fills me with relief and the jolt of excitement I’ve come to expect when he’s near. He’s very smooth as he arranges things so I’m lying in his arms, our legs intertwined and his lips a heartbeat away from mine.
“Hi,” he says with the sexy smile that makes me weak.
“How’s it going?”
“Never been better. This has been the nicest day I’ve had in longer than I can remember.”
“Me, too. Nicest day ever.”
“I’m dying to kiss you.”
“I’m dying to kiss you.”
“Really?”
I roll my bottom lip between my teeth and nod.
He cups my cheek as he brings his lips down on mine. The kiss begins slowly with just the gentle glide of lips, but the fire that simmers between us erupts as it always does. His hands are everywhere as his tongue takes possession of my mouth. He shifts ever so slightly, moving me so I’m on top of him.
The position is new to me, but he knows just what to do. With his hands on my bottom, he pulls me in tight against the hard length of his erection.
I try to get closer, and he groans, a deep rumble that vibrates against my lips.
Then his hands are on my breasts, stroking and rolling my nipples. My bikini top disappears while I’m lost in the kiss.
Flynn breaks the kiss and draws my nipple into his mouth, tugging and sucking until I’m nearly delirious from the desire that has me pressing against him, trying to get closer. All I care about is being as close to him as I can get.
“Flynn…” My hands are buried in his hair, holding him to my chest as he continues to suck on my nipple.
“What, honey?”
“I want…”
“Tell me. Anything. I’ll give you anything you want.”
“More. I want more.”
“I want to touch you.” His hand moves from my bottom to the front, pressing between my legs. “Here.”
“Yes. Yes.”
He tugs on the bow that holds my bikini bottoms together, and the fabric drops away, leaving me bared to him. “You’re a goddess, Natalie. A fucking goddess.” His fingers slide into the dampness between my legs, and he knows exactly where I need him to touch me. I feel like I’m going to break into a million pieces.
“Natalie… I want to put my fingers inside you. Can I do that?”
“Yes.” I love that he asked first, that he’s careful with me. It shows me how much he cares.
His fingers slide inside me, and I want to scream from the pleasure that seizes me. Then he curls them and pushes on a spot I didn’t know existed. I detonate, nearly pulling the hair from his head as I come hard. I float down from the incredible high to realize he’s trembling and his fingers are still buried deep inside me.
“Flynn…” I lick lips that have gone dry. Flattening my hands against his chest, I feel his heart pounding. His eyes are closed, and his jaw is doing that pulsating thing it does when he’s trying to control himself. “You’re making me forget all about my vows to never do any of this until I’m married.”
“You’re making me think about Vegas.”
“Vegas?” I have no idea what he means. “What about it?”
“Wedding chapels. They have a lot of them there.”
How is it possible to laugh when I’m lying naked in the arms of a man—willingly—for the first time in my life, with his fingers still inside me?
“Natalie…” His eyes are still closed. “I want you so badly. I know it’s happened so fast and I need to be careful with you.”
“You have been.” I kiss him, and his eyes open to meet my gaze.
“I’m afraid I’m going ask for more than you want to give and scare you in some way. You push every button I have.”
“I’m being terribly unfair to you.”
He withdraws his fingers, making me gasp from the pleasure of his touch, and then shocks me when he brings them to his mouth to lick them clean. I’ve never witnessed anything so sensual or earthy. “No, you’re not. You’re teaching me that waiting for what I want builds character. You’re showing me that anything worth having is worth waiting for. And you’re showing me that it’s possible to care for someone else more than I do for myself.”
His words touch me profoundly. “Flynn… I care just as much for you. I hope you know how badly I want what you want.”
An odd look crosses his face, but it’s gone as quickly as it came. “We should get cleaned up for dinner.” He helps me back into my suit, his fingers skimming over my skin repeatedly until I’m covered with goose bumps.
We walk inside together, and he starts the shower for me, but he doesn’t join me this time. While I wash and condition my hair, I think about what happened just now and how it felt to be held and touched by him. There were no demons, no fears or worries. There had only been pleasure unlike anything I could’ve imagined before him.
I’m officially wavering. My plan to avoid men and sex has been shattered by one incredibly handsome, sexy, kind, sweet man, but I can’t get past the fact that I’ve known him only a week. How could years of resolute determination be undone so quickly?
I need Leah, but she’s working a day shift at the bar. When I get out of the shower, I go directly
to my phone to text her. Can you talk?
Yeah, it’s dead here. Call me.
“Hey,” I say when she answers.
“How’s LA? Tell me everything.”
“I’ll tell you everything as soon as you tell me how my baby Fluff is doing.”
“She’s been a raging bitch all day because her mama went away and left her.”
“Don’t say that about her!”
“She’s in her usual cranky mood, but we’re hanging in there. Now tell me about LA!”
“It’s awesome. I met Marlowe Sloane today.”
I have to hold the phone away from my ear when she screams. “Shut the fuck up! What was she like?”
“Imagine the coolest person you’ve ever met.”
“Oh my God, I’m so jealous, I’m seething. First Flynn and now Marlowe. This is too crazy. Are you having so much fun?”
“We are. It’s been… Leah, I’m so confused.”
“How come?”
“I want to have sex with him.”
“Halle-freaking-lujah! It’s about fucking time!”
“It’s been a week, Leah.”
“He’s Flynn Godfrey, Natalie.”
“That’s got nothing to do with this. I don’t care what he does for a living. I care about him.”
“If you care about him, Nat, there’s nothing wrong with sleeping with him.”
I don’t bother to mention that I’ve already slept with him, because I know that’s not what she means.
“Nat?”
“I’m here.”
“Look, I don’t know your whole story, but I’ve managed to put two and two together to get that you went through some sort of trauma. I’m sorry for whatever happened to you. But if you care about this guy, really care for him and he cares for you, there’s nothing at all wrong with being with him. You know that, right?”
“I do. I know.” For some reason, tears are rolling down my face. Frustrated by them, I brush them away.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think I am.”
“I’m here if you need a friend.”
“Thank you. You said exactly what I needed to hear.”
“That poor guy won’t know what hit him when he gets pent-up Natalie in his bed.”
“On that note…”
Her laughter rings through the phone and makes me smile.
“We’re going to dinner with his family.”
“Jesus H. Christ! You’re going to meet Max and Estelle?”
“Yep,” I say, laughing at her reaction. “It’s their anniversary.”
“I think I just passed out over here. Have a fantastic time and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, which gives you permission to do anything and everything.”
I’m still laughing as we say our good-byes. She promises to give Fluff lots of kisses from me. I dry my hair and take the time to apply eyeliner, shadow and mascara before finishing up with lip gloss. I put on the same black dress I wore a week ago tonight for my first date with Flynn. As I take a final look in the mirror, I think about how I asked him to take me home after we left Leah’s bar.
I’m thankful he talked me out of that, because I would’ve hated to miss out on what’s happened since.
A soft knock on the door has me taking a deep breath to prepare for the evening ahead. “Come in.”
He steps into the room wearing a gorgeous gray suit with a black button-down shirt and no tie. He’s so beautiful.
“Natalie… You look lovely.”
“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
He holds out his hand to me. “Shall we go?”
I take his hand. “Flynn.”
“What, honey?”
“Later, after we get back, I think I might want to try.”
His body goes rigid with tension. “By try, you mean…”
“I want to have sex. With you. Tonight.”
Flynn releases a deep breath. “And you expect me to be able to function tonight after you’ve told me that?” He puts his arms around me and brings me in close to him, so close I can feel how aroused he is.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Sweetheart.” He drops his head to my shoulder. “Please don’t do this because you feel you have to. You don’t. I meant it when I said I’m in no rush. In fact, I think we should wait. More than anything, I want you to be sure.”
“I am sure.”
“Can I call in sick to my own dinner party?”
“Absolutely not. Let’s go.”
Chapter 18
I take him by the hand and pull him behind me as I leave the bedroom.
Outside, I discover tonight’s vehicle is a silver Mercedes sedan.
“Is there a car for every occasion?” I ask after we’re on our way.
“Just about.”
“Where do they come from?”
“I have a garage nearby and another in town. Plus the cars in New York.”
I run my hand over the black leather on the passenger door. “I like this one.”
“Consider it yours whenever you’re in LA.”
“I don’t have a driver’s license.”
“What?” He nearly drives off the road.
“Flynn! Watch where you’re going!”
“You really don’t know how to drive?”
“I’m sure I could if I had to, but I don’t have a license. I never have.” I don’t tell him that I left home before I got a license, that I was too busy trying to feed myself and get through school to be bothered with something like driving.
“Do you want a license?”
“I suppose I’ll get around to it at some point, but right now I don’t need it. I can walk everywhere or take the subway.”
“I’m going to need to teach you to drive. You know that, don’t you?”
“You need to, huh?”
“I do.”
“I might let you, but only if I can drive the Bugatti.”
“Oh, um, well…”
I bust up laughing at his stammering reply. “Relax. I’m just kidding. I’d probably wet my pants from fear of wrecking that gorgeous car.”
“Oh thank God. I was trying to figure out how to tell you no freaking way.”
“Anything you want, Natalie,” I say in a mocking tone. “Anything except my precious Bugatti.”
“You’re a brat,” he says on a rumble of laughter.
“At least you’re not thinking about what I said earlier.”
He blows out a deep breath. “How did I end up so outmatched by you, Natalie Bryant?”
Pleased to have gained the upper hand, for a minute or two anyway, I try to prepare myself to meet his family.
Tuned in to me as always, he reaches for my hand. “Don’t be nervous. They’re going to love you.”
I’m not sure what I was expecting when Flynn asked Addie to set up a dinner for his family, but it definitely wasn’t Frankie’s Steakhouse.
“Welcome back, Mr. Godfrey,” the valet says. “Nice to see you again.”
Flynn shakes his hand. “You, too, Anton.” I watch him slip the young man a bill. “Take good care of my baby.”
“Always do. How’s the Bugatti?”
“It’s loving life in New York.”
“Aww, man. That’s too far away. Have a nice dinner.”
“Thanks again.” Flynn rests a hand on my lower back and ushers me into the restaurant.
There’s nothing particularly posh about it, but the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. An older man with wispy white hair and a cane hobbles over to greet us. “Flynn, so nice to see you, son.”
Flynn hugs him. “You, too, Frankie. Thanks for putting this together for us tonight.”
“Always our pleasure to have the family here.”
“This is my friend, Natalie. Nat, this is Frankie, a Hollywood legend.”
He bows gallantly over my hand. “I don’t know about the legend part, but I do cook a mean steak.”
“That you d
o,” Flynn says. “Is everyone else here?”
“They’re all in the back room waiting for you.”
“Join us for dinner?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ll be right in.”
Keeping his hand on my back, Flynn doesn’t appear to notice all the people who notice him as we make our way through the dining room. “My parents had their first date here. It’s been their place ever since. Every important event in the Godfrey family is celebrated at Frankie’s.”
That they are faithful to their traditions and their friends endears his parents to me before I even meet them.
“Frankie is one of my dad’s best friends. They’ve had a running poker game with a bunch of other guys for fifty years. His wife died a year or so ago, and he hasn’t been doing very well. Dad’s been worried about him.”
“It’ll lift Frankie’s spirits to be with friends.”
“Hope so.” He opens a door to a room full of people, who turn to greet him en masse. A bevy of kids surrounds him, forcing him to let go of my hand. “Whoa! Easy, savages. You’re going to scare off my friend.”
“Unca Flynn, pick me up,” a towheaded blond boy demands.
Unca Flynn does what he’s told, seating the boy on his shoulders. “Natalie, this is Mason. He’s four.”
The little boy holds up four fingers, and I fall in love with his adorable little face. The sight of Flynn holding him on his shoulders does crazy things to my insides. He’ll make a wonderful father someday. Yikes! Where did that thought come from?
Before I can process the odd direction my brain has taken, we’re surrounded by gorgeous women, all of whom are tall, fair and athletic looking. None of them looks like their brother.
“Natalie, these savages are my sisters—Aimee, Ellie and Annie. Ladies, this is Natalie. Try not to be yourselves and scare her off.”
“Shut up, Flynn, and get out of our way,” Annie says.
Each of them hugs me and welcomes me, and one of them—it might be Ellie—asks what a nice girl like me is doing with an asshole like Flynn.
“Nice, El,” Flynn says with a laugh. “Thanks a lot.”
They all talk at once, overwhelming me with questions and excitement and a sense of belonging I hadn’t expected to feel with them.
“Ladies,” a stern female voice says from behind them. “Back off and let me say hello to Natalie.”
