Nathan was right though. He was nothing like her ex-husband. Not even in the same realm. He was honest with her. That was the biggest thing. Nathan would never lie to her. Not about something important.
That didn’t silence the doubt ringing in her head. Was this lingering insecurity from her marriage, or something she needed to consider more seriously?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE NEXT THREE WEEKS passed quickly for Nick. It didn’t take him long to finish the install, and when he was done, he was out of reasons to visit Tara and Nathan.
That didn’t prevent him from stopping by as their schedules allowed. Between work, meeting with Antonio, and the odd times they needed to film to be live when people in the US were awake, that wasn’t often.
It was probably for the best. What the three did was fun, but he wasn’t a part of Tara and Nathan’s lives. Whatever they said about their relationship, he wouldn’t be a long-term piece of it. He’d go home in a week or two, and they’d go back to... He still wasn’t sure he understood. But it seemed to work for them.
Now Nick was with Antonio, in his office. Justin, Antonio’s partner, had joined them for the conference call with Fiona.
Nick didn’t realize their technology was capable of what she had just proposed, but he wasn’t going to let that show with the audience he had. “Sounds fantastic. We can do that with our current crew, too.”
“They’ll love the challenge.” Fiona’s reply was cheerful.
The four had held several meetings like this, looking for good intersections in their technology.
Nick had helped Tara and Nathan find a new roofer, and though he didn’t ask for anything in return, she’d pushed Antonio to give Nick more of an ear.
Antonio intended to anyway, but said a recommendation from his sister didn’t come easily, so it was worth a lot.
“Have you thought about medical supplies? Auto parts?” Justin asked.
“The system is made to scale and move laterally for any industry. It’s dynamic and flexible.” This was Fiona’s element—digging into the tech.
Justin was an idea guy. When he and Fiona played off each other, it was a trick to keep up, but it was fascinating to watch. They’d come up with several new app concepts, and had one that was a favorite for the two companies to collaborate on. Justin and Fiona were hashing out details, so they could move on to contracts.
The tangent about just how flexible things were continued a while longer, until Antonio said, “This isn’t going to change anything, is it?”
“No.” Justin shook his head. “I’m convinced. We’re solid.”
“Perfect. Fiona, we’ll let you go. Thank you for calling in so early.” Antonio’s accent was different from his sister’s. It was rarely obvious, but occasionally Nick heard a hard consonant or long vowel sneak in, that were more American.
“No worries. I’m excited to move forward with this.” Fiona was chipper. She’d never had a problem with early mornings. The five am she’d had to be on for this call was asking a bit much, but she hadn’t complained. “I’ll talk to you all soon.”
The line disconnected.
Nick was feeling great about this arrangement. Each meeting uncovered more collaborative potential.
“You up for lunch?” Justin asked.
Nick should get back to work, but it would wait a little longer. This was an opportunity to further build the connection between the two businesses. Plus, he enjoyed their company, and that they knew the best places to eat. “Sounds great.”
“I’ll go get Emily.” Justin squeezed Antonio’s hand.
Antonio nodded, a faint smile crossing his face.
Nick noticed the three weren’t overt in the office about their relationship. But the little gestures were there. It was sweet to see. He still didn’t understand how anyone kept that up long-term, but it looked sincere.
Antonio turned to Nick. “Do you have any thoughts?”
“Just that this is going well. I’m excited about the project’s potential.”
“Me too.” Antonio leaned in, forearms resting on his desk. “I’ll send the contract through Legal this afternoon, then turn it over to you for the same. After that and finalizing due-diligence, we can put this machine in motion.”
“Sounds great.” Nick kept any lingering concern from his voice. Things could still fall apart at this stage, despite the synchronicity of everything. Antonio may see the cash flow issues and decide he didn’t want to get involved with that kind of risk. This wasn’t just one company signing another as a vendor, this was a business partnership, similar to what Nick had with Rinslet. An international distribution deal that made Nick’s tech available to Antonio’s company and allowed them to share resources and work on joint development projects.
Nick hadn’t lied about or hidden anything. The deal would be fine. He hoped.
There was a knock, and Tara stepped into the open doorway. “Good. I caught you both.” That accent drove straight to Nick’s cock. Especially with the memories of what else she did with her tongue.
He’d seen her less than a week ago, but he missed her company. And Nathan’s. It was strange that he felt the absence of people he’d only spent a few days with, so strongly. But he did.
“What’s up?” Nick asked.
She gave him a wide smile. “Passed Justin in the hall. He said I could interrupt. I hope that’s all right.”
“Sure,” Antonio and Nick said in unison.
Tara crossed the room to give Antonio a quick hug. “You didn’t invite him, did you?”
Antonio shrugged. “It never occurred to me. You haven’t been in years. Why do you care?”
“You skipped for seven years and now you act like it’s yours,” Tara teased.
Whatever they were talking about, Nick was curious.
“It’s as much mine as anyone’s.” Antonio gestured to another seat. “My name is on the placard.”
Tara shook her head and remained standing. “Dad’s name. Don’t make me nitpick details with you.” She looked at Nick. “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”
Not a question he expected to hear outside of the United States. He’d planned to work, then spend the weekend in his hotel room. Splurge on room service. Call Fiona and wish her a happy holiday. She was spending the day with her two new boyfriends, in Tokyo. It would be her and Nick’s first Thanksgiving apart, and it was an odd feeling. But Nick wasn’t going to fly home just to eat a little turkey alone, then come back here. “I hadn’t given it a lot of thought.”
Tara leaned her weight against the edge of Antonio’s desk. The posture elongated her torso and showed off her incredible curves. “The company always celebrates, because we have so many US contractors. You should come.”
They hired people from all over the world, who were backpacking across Europe. Bianchi International felt like it added new perspectives to their process.
“I can’t intrude.” A little spark in the back of his head never completely walked away from what had happened with him, Tara, and Nathan. He never got this hung up on a one-night stand. Why was this different?
Tara rolled her eyes. “On a potluck with us and twenty to fifty of our employees? That’s not the kind of event that can really be crashed.”
“You’re certainly welcome,” Antonio said. “I should have thought to invite you sooner.”
“You have to come.” Tara’s expression was bright and enthralling. “What will you do otherwise? Splurge on room service and watch whatever’s on cable?”
Nick was both disturbed and impressed she’d picked up so easily on his plans. “When you put it that way, I’d love to. Tell me when, where, and what to bring.”
NATHAN HAD FORGOTTEN what a production these dinners were. And how much he enjoyed it. Growing up, Thanksgiving was something to be dreaded. The entire family showed up, and spent the better part of a day barely hiding their disdain for each other.
For this, the company leased a banquet hall for the day,
and set tables around the room. Nothing formal.
Dining was set up as a potluck buffet. Various dishes were brought out and replaced as the day went on. People came and went as their schedules allowed.
He and Tara planned to be here for the whole event. Help out as needed. Meet some new faces.
So far, they’d spent most of their time talking to Nick. Nathan expected a stab of jealousy, but it was gone. He’d reconciled the situation and liked having the guy around.
“Tell me what this is.” Nick pointed to his plate.
“Blini,” Nathan said, the Russian rolling off his tongue.
“Why isn’t it a crepe?”
Tara had worn a light smile all day. “Because Sergei is from St. Petersburg, not Paris.” It was good to see her relaxed and back to herself again. After the initial rush of hate, from the list with her ex’s name being released, things died down. After a few days, she stopped getting the hate mail. The event had faded into the background.
Nick sectioned off a piece of the thin, pancake-like dish, and scooped some orange onto it.
He took a bite, and screwed his face up. “It’s not sweet. It’s fishy.”
“It’s caviar.” Nathan couldn’t suppress his laughter.
Nick seemed to consider this, then took another bite. “Okay, so it’s decent when I know what to expect. Caught your show the other day.”
“Just the one?” Tara asked.
“I catch them all, but I was thinking of a specific episode.”
Pink dusted Tara’s cheeks. That was sexy.
Nathan had expected the night they all spent together to gnaw at him. But each time he looked back, all he found was fun and heat. Hell, diving into the thought now was a great reminder of how hot they were together. Heat raced along his skin. He wouldn’t mind seeing that again.
“You only watch for the eye candy?” Nathan teased.
“I don’t mind, but I like the art too. The Zerg rush of ladybugs was incredible.”
Nathan laughed at the phrase. “You talk like that, people are going to figure out both how old you are, and that you’ve got a nerd tucked away inside.”
“I’m not hiding either one.” Nathan pushed his plate aside and leaned back in his chair.
Tara glanced around the room. “We’re going to start wrapping up and cleaning up soon. I hope your holiday wasn’t too lonely.”
“It was fantastic. Thank you. And Fiona thanks you too, for making sure I had company.”
“First Thanksgiving apart?” As Tara talked, she gathered the dishes from the table, and arranged them in a neat stack.
Nick nodded. “We’re both adults. It probably should have happened sooner.”
A pang echoed in Nathan’s chest. It was the same feeling as the last time Nick talked about family. It didn’t matter that his was only one person, Nathan didn’t understand missing the people he was related to by blood.
He also didn’t want to dwell on it. “Do you have plans for the rest of the night?”
“Pretend I’m not going to work, but do it anyway? Most of the places I deal with are closed for the next three days, so I expect a lot of quiet time.”
“Come back to our place.” Nathan didn’t know where the offer came from. Nick was a great guy, but they’d spent most of the day with him.
A shadow crossed Tara’s face.
“Maybe.” Did Nick see that too? “How can I help with clean-up?”
Tara nodded toward the kitchen. “There are serving dishes that need to be matched with lids and put in the fridge.”
“I can handle that.” Nick headed toward his assigned task.
The instant he was gone, Tara turned a scowl on Nathan. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know. It just came out.” He hadn’t expected her to be upset at the offer.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TARA WASN’T MAD AT Nathan, but his invitation caught her off-guard. The night the three of them spent together had filled her head with fantasies rather than sating a craving. Asking Nick if he wanted join them back home triggered an avalanche of images. Of her being pressed between the two men. Of Nathan watching while she rode Nick...
And they were only talking about hanging out.
Even if sex were part of the conversation, things had been tense with Nathan for several days after the last time. Part of that was on him, and the rest on her. Either way, it was a risk.. Especially for something fleeting.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Nathan said. “I thought this would help Nick take the edge of the loneliness.”
“So the two of you aren’t at war anymore?” she asked playfully. No reason to freak out over this.
“We were never at war. I needed to deal with some insecurities, and I have.”
That was good to hear. “What did you have in mind?”
“Nothing special. Spend some time together. Talk. Maybe finish off that bottle of red in the fridge.”
She was blowing the entire thing out of proportion. “I like the sound of that.”
Nathan stood, grasped her fingers, and pulled her to her feet. He settled his hands on her hips and leaned his weight against the table, pulling her into him. The casual intimacy sent pleasant shivers up her spine.
“And if more happens...” He left the words hanging.
She should have guessed. “Nathan.” What did she want to say?
“You didn’t let me finish. Would you mind?”
“I don’t want this to get complicated.” She did want another night with Nick though.
“So we agree to keep things simple.”
She had to know. “Why do you want this?”
“Same reason you do.” The corners of his mouth quirked up. “So I can watch the two of you together again.”
She loved that playful smile. Was she wrong to have this craving, specifically where Nick was involved? He wasn’t here to stay. She could suggest they find a different guy, but she wasn’t interested in that.
Despite Nathan’s suggestion, she was complicating the situation, and they hadn’t done anything yet. Today.
“I’m only interested if things just happen,” she said.
“Sex doesn’t accidentally happen. Nick’s not going to slip and fall and have no idea how his dick got inside you.” As Nathan spoke, he trailed his lips in a lazy line down her neck.
She sighed into the gesture. “My point is, don’t force anything.”
“I won’t.”
Now that she’d let the ideas of another night with Nick surface, they weren’t going anywhere. His touch still teased her dreams. His taste. His kisses.
Desire sparked everywhere Nathan touched, dancing with promises Nick’s hands joining in.
NICK LAUGHED. “ZOMBIE apocalypse, definitely.” He was having a great time. The topics had tripped from one to the next for hours.
“Too easy,” Tara said. “No one wants to be stuck in a zombie movie. There’s all the running, and the gore, and the danger of having your brains munched out.”
“What’s your answer? I assume it’s not obvious.” Nick kept his tone playful. The way Tara and Nathan thought, their tangents, kept him guessing.
She scrunched up her face and twisted her mouth. “I never want to be a RomCom heroine.”
That was definitely unexpected. “Why not?”
“It’s the cheesy guys, isn’t it?” Nathan chimed in. “You can’t stand the thought of being pursued by someone who’s armed with bad one-liners and stocked with enough ego that only the love of a pretty woman can tame him.”
“Busted.” Tara shrugged. “At least partly. I’d hate that kind of competition.”
Nick rolled the phrase over in his head. “Are you saying you’re a bad pick-up lines kind of person?” If he was wrong, that could be a dangerous assumption, but the atmosphere made him think it wouldn’t backfire on him, regardless.
“I absolutely am.” Tara almost sounded proud of it. “A horrible line is different coming from a woman. It’s p
layful and endearing rather than obnoxious and presumptuous.”
Nick had to think about that. On the surface, there was a lot of merit to the statement. “I’d hate to be the individual trapped in your sights.”
“No you wouldn’t,” Nathan said. “You’d eat it up. Stunning lady like this approached you and said Did you fall from heaven? Because I’ve always wanted to be boned by an angel, and you’d stammer and stall and say Okay.”
Nick enjoyed watching Nathan get into this as much as he did Tara. It was a different kind of attraction than what drew him to Tara, but the pull was impossible to ignore. He liked Nathan’s easy attitude and carefree approach to life. That wiry frame was a good memory too. He didn’t suspect Nathan had any trouble finding interested parties, cheesy lines or not.
Nick also hoped he’d be a little smoother than Nathan suggested. “I’d probably laugh first. And then agree. But this scenario isn’t fair. I bought Tara a graphic novel in my pretend pick up scenario. I’ve set a high bar.”
Tara’s smile was worth the joke. Nathan’s wasn’t bad either.
“I don’t have to try as hard,” Tara said.
Nathan looked between them. “Are you talking in general, or with him specifically?”
Nick didn’t care. It was true. He’d already said yes to Tara once, and the temptation to taste her again hummed over him.
Tara shot Nathan a look Nick couldn’t interpret.
“I’m not.” Nathan sounded indignant.
That was curious. “Not what?”
Nathan looked at him. “Not pushing for Sex Round Two.”
For weeks Nick managed to hold at bay the desire to be with Tara again. Hell, with Nathan, too. With a few simple words that control unraveled. Vivid images filled his thoughts of kissing along Tara’s smooth skin. Hearing her soft gasps. Feeling Nathan’s eyes on them, his hands and body colliding with Nick’s, as Nick slid inside Tara.
“You just said it. How is that not pushing?” Tara didn’t sound upset, despite the words.
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