7. Dessert
seven
Having been taken by surprise, I knew that nobody was going to eat the ziti casserole I’d prepared the night before if I left it here. When I opened the freezer, I found that it was stacked to the brim with frozen pizzas and microwave meals—there was no room.
Sighing, I shoved it into the oven and turned up the heat. It shouldn’t go to waste. Besides, perhaps the big shot lawyer would appreciate my cooking after all.
I hadn’t packed anything suitable for a Christmas party, but I did have a red dress in my suitcase that could do the trick. I paired it with a matching shade of lipstick and my dangly jade earrings.
“That’s what you get for surprising a gal, Nate.” Honestly, I never liked the name ‘Nate’.
Backing up a couple of steps, I turned to the side in front of the mirror and scanned myself from the head up. Gathering my hair up with both hands, I looked at my neck and couldn’t decide. Should I wear my hair up or down?
“Up. Definitely up.” Travis’ voice startled me, so I quickly turned around to see him standing at the door. He jingled his keys and took off his hat. “Lookin’ good, Jones.”
Downstairs, and as I held my casserole, I found a white limo waiting for me. The young driver resembled a gorgeous runway model with golden hair and light hazel eyes, donning an impeccable suit. It made me wonder if everyone Nathan Wright knew looked like they could star in a box office motion picture.
And then we got to his apartment building, and it took a lot of effort for me to hide how intimidated I was. I never knew anyone who lived in a two-story penthouse overlooking Central Park. Again, it was as though I had stepped onto a film set.
“So, what made you change your mind?” Nathan asked as I watched his magazine-worthy hands pour my wine.
“Your case-winning argument?”
“You don’t need to flatter me.”
“Oh, no. Your ego must be just fine.” I pulled my gaze away from his hands with superhuman power. “I figured, after Mother Nature ruined my Paris plans… I owed it to myself. I’m spending the holidays volunteering, so, why not? Right?”
God, if only his piercing eyes would get off me for a minute.
Soon, the food was served. It was delicious, followed by those Swedish treats that smelled heavenly.
“They’re not made to be watched, Sophie,” he said.
I licked my lips and said nothing. Something was drawing me to him, and I pictured him feeding me one of these rolls with his hands. Shaking away the thought, I took a deep breath and picked up the knife and fork.
Upon the first bite, I felt my senses come alive. The look on my face must have betrayed me, because Nathan slowly stood up and approached me, leaning over dangerously close. I whispered, “What are you doing?”
“Hitting on you.”
“You should do it right, then.” I cut a little piece of dessert and took his hand, making him pick it up from the plate.
Slowly, Nathan bridged the gap between us, so his hand was inches away from my lips. I parted them and took the pastry into my mouth. He watched me, his dark eyes flickering and shining with hunger, causing the knots in my stomach to tighten. Suddenly, Nathan placed one arm on either side of me and blew out a breath.
“How am I doing?”
I blinked and tilted my head back to look up at him. “With what?”
“Hitting on you,” Nathan replied with a slow, sultry smile. “Should I cut my losses?”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
Without warning, my tongue darted out, and I licked his fingers one by one. Surprise flickered across his features before I leaned back and ignored the pounding in my ears.
I had no idea what possessed me to do that.
Normally, it takes a while for me to warm up to people, especially with guys like Nathan, who are used to getting everything they want in life, and women falling at their feet. But, in spite of the fact that I felt out of my element, and my stomach being a bundle of nerves, I knew one thing was for certain.
I wanted Nathan, more than I’ve wanted anything in a long time.
Nathan’s smile stretched from ear to ear, making the blood roar in my veins. He cupped the back of my neck and then pressed his lips to mine. A low, guttural noise released from the back of his throat, reverberating straight to my core as he pressed himself against me. A warm breeze wafted in through the open window behind me, caressing my bare back before Nathan”s arms moved from the back of my neck to my waist, rubbing me over the dress.
Every inch of me was on fire.
He nipped on my bottom lip and my mouth automatically parted, his tongue darting in. He tasted like wine and cinnamon and sugar, and I couldn’t help moaning into his mouth, pressing myself flush against him.
Nathan maneuvered us backwards, so my back became pressed against the kitchen counter. Wordlessly, he picked me up with ease and set me down on the edge, my feet dangling off of the floor. His eyes stayed on my face, his hands rolling up the sleeves of my dress. With a smile, he pushed up the folds of my red dress and ran his fingers over my exposed skin, causing goosebumps to sprout.
I linked my fingers over his neck and kicked off my heels. “Have I told you how much I like your apartment?”
Nathan smirked. “Just the apartment?”
I brought my mouth closer to his. “I guess you’re okay too.”
Nathan chuckled against my mouth. “We’re just getting started.”
With that, he kissed me soundly, forcing me to dip my head backwards. I let out a low moaning noise and tugged on the edges of his silky gray shirt. When I managed to pull it out of his trousers, Nathan growled, his mouth moving to my neck. He pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses there while I fumbled with his belt, growing more desperate by the passing second.
When his mouth traveled up to my ears, unexpectedly nipping at it, I inhaled sharply and caught the scent of musk and something else I couldn’t identify that had my eyes rolling back. The man smelled like someone had bottled up masculinity and woody sexiness, and he had doused himself in it. It made my mouth water.
All at once, Nathan hoisted me up and carried me in the direction of the dimly lit, carpeted hallway. At the end of the hallway, he paused, kicked a door open and stumbled into a spacious bedroom, painted in muted shades of gray and brown.
We stumbled onto the bed, a jumble of limbs and heavy breaths. He wasted no time in peeling the dress off of my body, and I made quick work of his suit, leaving him in his boxers. I paused to take him in, my heart jumping into my throat.
He was muscular but lean, all the hours he clearly put into his fitness showing on every single inch of his body. He was without a doubt the sexiest man I’d ever witnessed in my entire life. My eyes skimmed over him hungrily a couple of times, coming to a halt when I focused on the erection straining against the fabric of his boxers. Nathan smirked at me before pulling them down and kicking the fabric off, revealing his erection.
Holy shit.
He was huge.
My throat turned dry at the sight, and color rose up my cheeks.
“Like what you see?” Nathan crawled onto the bed and framed my face in his hands. “You look pretty sexy right now, Sophie.”
I lowered my head and bit down on my lower lip.
It had been too long since I’d been with a man.
Nathan nodded and ran his hands up and down my arms, helping me out of my bra and panties. “You’re so beautiful.”
I stretched out on the mattress, and he lifted my arms up over my head. When he kissed me this time, it was different, slow and sensual, as if he was teasing an answer out of me. I linked my legs over his hips and shifted, urging him closer. He grunted, and his hand drifted between us until his fingers darted in between my wetness.
Nathan used one finger to tease me, then another.
Sweat broke out across my back and across my forehead.
His mouth moved from my mouth to my neck, grazing the sensitive skin there as his fingers coaxed my release. I arched my back and cried out, my orgasm ripping through me.
“That’s it Sophie,” he smiled against my neck and withdrew his grip from my hands. Then he lifted himself up and in one quick thrust, he was inside of me, stretching myself to my limits. I gasped, wounding my fingers through his soft brown hair and tugged. Nathan responded by easing out and pushing back into me, even deeper this time, eliciting a moan.
Of their own accord, my hands traveled down to his back, tracing the muscles there. His skin was taut and firm to the touch, a runner’s body, and I enjoyed acquainting myself with every inch of it. Nathan leaned back and looked down at me, a strange glint in the depth of his expressive blue eyes. He bent down to kiss me, and I lifted my head up, tasting the sweet wine mixing with cinnamon on his breath.
He was intoxicating.
His hands moved to my dangling earrings, and he tugged. “You should only wear these from now on.”
I lifted my hips up and ground against him, desperate to feel every single inch of him filling me up. “Why?”
“Because you are fucking beautiful, Sophie,” he told me underneath his breath. “And you shouldn’t hide that. Do you have any idea how crazy you’re making me right now?”
With that, he buried his head in my neck and thrusted harder, his pace changing. At first, he was slow and gentle, taking his time. Not for long, however, because his movements became frenzied, as if he couldn’t contain himself any longer. I raked my fingers over his back, and one hand traced the length of my neck before settling on my chest. He pushed my breasts together, and shivers of desire raced up and down my spine.
It was as if I was going to explode into a million pieces, and I didn’t care.
Not as long as he kept touching me like that.
Like I was the only thing that mattered in the world.
Over and over, we moved against each other, until the mattress beneath us began to creak and groan. When his breathing turned heavy, it reverberated inside of my head and washed over me. Nathan was all I could see or hear or feel, and I loved every minute of it.
Without warning, I came again, panting and writhing underneath him as I exploded around him. As soon as my chest loosened, and I could breathe again, I sat up, and Nathan eased out of me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and took him into me. Then I wrapped both of my arms around him and drew him closer.
Nathan looked at me and held my gaze.
I looked into his deep blue eyes, and my heart skipped a beat.
Together, we moved, rocking back and forth against each other until a thin sheen of sweat broke out across Nathan’s forehead. He dug his nails into my sides, sending dual waves of pain and pleasure ricocheting through me. He pressed his mouth against my neck and ran his tongue back and forth, sending shivers of delight pulsing through me.
When he parted his mouth and sank his teeth into the sensitive flesh, I bucked hard and cried out his name. He threw his head back and let out a deep, throaty growl. In the background, I heard jazz music wafting through the speakers, and the intoxicating scent of him wafted up my nostrils.
Again.
I couldn’t get enough of him.
In silence, we moved, our bodies engaging in a sensual, primitive dance until Nathan’s breathing quickened. He shifted, and his rhythm changed, so I could hear his skin slapping against mine. Suddenly, he was jerking and panting against me. When warmth pooled between my legs, it prompted another orgasm, lightning quick and leaving me breathless. When we both regained our bearings, I threw myself onto the mattress and stared up at the ceiling.
Next to me, Nathan did the same.