Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
NATE
I finally manage to pull her away, using the excuse that I need to get her a drink and show her around. They don’t let us go until I promise we’ll all talk again before the day is over, and as we walk away, I can hear them talking about how she’ll fit right in with the whole family.
My grandparents house is built into the side of a sloping lot. A large bungalow with a walk out basement that leads to the sprawling backyard and rolling hills beyond. While I could have taken her out the patio doors off the kitchen to the large deck that overlooks the land to join everyone in the backyard, I opt to lead Savanna downstairs to give her a tour of the entire house.
At the top of the stairs, I halt, gripping Savanna’s hand tightly to bring her to a stop as well. She turns to look at me, her eyes curious, and I glance towards the basement. It should have occurred to me before I decided on this route that it would potentially be triggering for Savanna. “We can go out the other way if you’d rather.”
There’s a furrow in Savanna’s brow as she glances down the stairs, then back to me. It takes her a moment, but something she must see on my face makes recognition dawn. “I’m okay, Nate.” She gives me a reassuring smile, bumping her shoulder into me. “It’s open and bright, with no door.”
I assess her for one more moment before giving her a nod, satisfied that I won’t be putting her into a bad head space by taking her downstairs. A second later, I’m guiding her again.
The stairs leading to the basement open up to a large games room with a pool table and shuffleboard—the setting for many late night competitions between me and my cousins during family gatherings. Beyond that lies a casual family room filled with oversized couches and chairs, and a big screen TV that fills almost the entire wall beside the corner with a small wet bar.
To my surprise, the basement is empty. With a family as large as ours, it’s not often you find these rooms unoccupied at one of our get-togethers.
There’s a small tug on my hand when I reach the bottom of the stairs, and I pause, glancing over my shoulder to where Savanna has also stopped, one step higher. The difference makes us eye level and I move to face her. She’s glancing around the open space, then casts a quick look back up the stairs. Ensuring we’re alone.
When she finally looks at me, she’s chewing on her bottom lip, worry in her gray eyes. “You didn’t mind, did you?”
My eyebrows raise in surprise. “Mind? Mind that you shut my aunts up before they could utter a single word?”
Savanna blows out a breathy laugh then nods.
“Are you kidding?” I ask, my voice low as I step closer to her. My free hand finds her hip, my fingers sliding across the delicate fabric of her dress, the warmth of her body seeping through to me. I swear she shivers at the touch, leaning closer. Seeking more. “It was the sexiest thing I think I’ve ever seen. No one ever challenges them, or meets them head on. It was brilliant.”
Her cheeks flush at my praise. “Spur of the moment idea while I was freshening up.”
Freshening up. In a room with a lock where no eyes could pry. Because of me and what we’d done in the truck. My cock twitches at the memory, my eyes darting to her lips. Soft and pliable. She’d yielded to every brush of my lips, every stroke of my tongue.
“Nate…”
My name is a gasp of air. Her chest rises in such a way that I know she’s being assaulted by the same memory. The movement draws my attention down to where her exposed skin is flushing, the blush disappearing below the neckline of her dress. I found out in the truck that there was no bra, though the way the material lays doesn’t show what I’m certain is happening beneath. In the truck her nipples were taut and ripe for playing with, and the way her breath hitches, I know I’d find them the same now.
With deliberate slowness, my eyes peruse back up to her face. Every lick of heat that we tamed before coming inside has roared back to life. Her handling herself upstairs was oxygen to my fire, my intense stare the same to hers. Neither of us move, our heavy breaths the only sound beside the din of noise from the outside party, and the aunts upstairs. We’re completely alone down here, just the two of us. It would be so easy… so fucking easy.
I’m a man of restraint, but fuck if I can find it now. In a single blink, I make a decision. Slipping an arm around her waist, I haul her up against my body, and lift her off the step. She gives a soft squeal of surprise, music to my ears, and releases her hold on my other hand, grabbing onto my shoulders. My feet are already moving, taking us down a hallway off the main rooms that lead to the downstairs bathroom and a row of bedrooms. All spares for guests who spend the night.
The hallway turns to the right and the second we’re out of sight from anyone who may walk through the game room, I’ve got Savanna pinned against the wall opposite a bedroom door. Her back is barely pressed against it when her lips are crashing into mine. Picking up where we left off in the truck.
I groan into the kiss, my hips pressing into hers, cock straining against the fly of my jeans. She lifts a leg, hitching it against my hip, and I grab hold of her thigh, my fingertips digging into the bare flesh where her dress has ridden up.
Our tongues war for position; one second I’m sweeping through the warm crevice of her mouth, tasting the mint of some gum she had earlier, the next she’s flicking the roof of mine. I swallow her moan as my fingers creep up her thigh, her hips grinding into mine, both of us looking for any friction that may ease some of the fire burning inside of us.
It’s no use. The only thing that will curb my desire for her will be being inside of her.
We could use the bathroom. Or one of the bedrooms. The one at my back would be perfect. Or the one further down the hall, further away if someone were to come in and use the bathroom. We’d have to make it quick, but I can work with that. I’m confident it won’t take much to get her off, and I’m wound as tight as ever.
“Fuck,” I hiss, wrenching my lips from hers. Fuck. I don’t have a condom. I don’t have a fucking condom with me.
Savanna is gasping for breath, her fingers curled through the hair at the back of my head. “What? What’s wrong?”
My forehead falls to hers. I blink a few times, breathing hard, trying to think through the fog of desire and need pounding through every inch of my body. It’s like a god damn drum that beats to some music only my blood can hear. It thunders in my ears.
“Nate?”
I blow out a breath, pulling my head back. “I don’t have a condom with me.”
“Oh.”
Disappointment flashes in eyes clouded with the same need I feel. Her hips shift against mine. Not in a move to turn either of us on further, but in an effort to move away from me, to help us both.
I can still make this better for her. I’ll have to wait to bury myself inside of her, but it doesn’t mean she needs to be left longing the entire day.
Holding onto her thigh, I drop down to my knees in front of her. She gasps in disbelief above me, the sound making me smile.
“Nate!”
Her leg is over my shoulder before she can whisper another word, but a sound has me freezing before I make another move.
A door opens and closes. The door to the basement in the living room. Footsteps sound across the wood floor, indicating someone has come inside from the backyard. Fuck. We’re at my grandparents’. Jesus Christ. In my lust filled head, I’d basically forgotten where we were.
Delirious with need. That’s what she makes me.
My eyes dart to Savanna’s and I put a finger to my lips. Her eyes are wide, her chest not even moving with her breath. She heard it too. Knows we’re not alone.
I cast my gaze to the side as whoever came inside approaches. When I turned the corner in the hallway, I didn’t go any further, and from where we ended up, I can see the bathroom door. If anyone were to glance in this direction while headed into the bathroom, they’d see us.
Neither of us moves when the footfalls enter the hallway. Not even to breathe. Then I see who it is and nearly sag in relief. Jordan. As much as I don’t want to be caught by anyone, if I had to choose, I think it would be her. Not that I need my sister seeing any of this, but she’d be the only one to keep her mouth shut about it. Plus, it’s easier to explain to someone who knows both Savanna and me than someone who doesn’t. I think.
But she doesn’t even notice us. She goes straight into the bathroom and closes the door. I look back to Savanna who is gaping at me, the terror of being caught written with the twist of her mouth and large eyes.
I’m still uncomfortably hard in my jeans, but my problem is sorting itself out with the interruption and realization of what I was about to do—or rather, where I was about to do it. Releasing Savanna’s leg, it slips from my shoulder and I’m on my feet again, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. One to calm us both down. Reassure us that we weren’t caught, and things are fine.
While Savanna fluffs her dress and straightens the top of it out, I adjust myself in my jeans. Once. Twice. Blowing out a deep breath, I close my eyes for a moment, flexing my thigh muscles to pull the blood into them instead of my cock. I may need to walk around for the entirety of the afternoon flexing muscle after muscle, willing an erection away.
A soft, warm hand touches my cheek, pulling my attention to her. She silently asks me if I’m okay. I nod, giving her a smile, my head turning to press a kiss to her palm. Then I take her hand and lead her back through the hallway to the main room.
It was stupid. Stupid to steal her away in my grandparents’ house with my entire family lurking about. I don’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t. There wasn’t a single brain cell firing off any kind of smart thoughts. There was only need, only desire. On both our parts, apparently.
Our hands entwined, Savanna presses in close to me, perhaps sensing my thoughts. I glance down to her to find her smiling knowingly, but with a shyness that wasn’t there minutes ago.
I plant a gentle kiss to her hair as we make our way through the family room. “I’m sorry,” I murmur.
She shakes her head, her grin widening. “Don’t be. It was…exciting. One of the most exciting things I’ve done in a long time.” Savanna glances back towards the bathroom before adding, “It’s not just you. I want you that much too, Nate.”
I open the sliding glass door to the backyard, letting her step out ahead of me before shutting the door. “I shouldn’t be putting you in—”
I’m interrupted by a familiar voice calling out. “Savanna?”
We both turn to look across the patio space of the backyard, finding my grandmother standing there with a glass of white wine in her hand, a stunned expression on her aging face. I’m sure I look much the same. They know each other?
“Mrs. Miller?” Savanna replies, sounding just as flabbergasted as I feel. She’s quicker to recover, however, taking the few steps that separate us from my grandma. “What are you doing here?”
“Me?” My grandmother’s eyes are wide, her mouth slightly agape. She presses a hand to her chest, shaking her snow-white covered head. “Child, what on earth are you doing here?”
My grandma looks to me, then back to Savanna, things clicking into place for her. A delighted smile crosses her face that warms me to my core. I don’t care how they know each other. I’m thrilled my grandma seems to already know and approve of Savanna, her delight increasing as I gather myself enough to join the two women and put an arm around Savanna.
“Nathan, I heard you brought a date with you, but I never would have guessed it would be Savanna.” My grandma reaches out and touches Savanna’s hand. “My goodness, dear, how are you?”
“Is that Savanna?” I hear my grandpa say from our left, and we all turn to look in his direction. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
He looks between us, the same way my grandmother did, connecting the dots before his grin broadens. “Nathan, my boy, you didn’t tell us you had a new girlfriend!”
He claps my back in approval then turns his full attention to Savanna. “How you doin’ sweetheart? You ready for preseason? What did you think of the big blockbuster trade?”
Hockey. Right. Savanna mentioned the trade to me, and I remember wondering what my grandpa would think about it, knowing he was a huge hockey fan. Cheering for the San Rocco Rampage, the team closest to us geographically, while Savanna cheered for the Colorado Blizzards, the two teams making some huge trade that I didn’t understand but had seemed to irritate Savanna.
Savanna waves a hand dismissively, her eyes rolling. “You guys got the better part of the trade, in my opinion. Nicholas Austin for Bennett and Rutta? Austin was one of, if not the best forward we had. I know they had to make room on the salary cap, but my heart broke a little when I heard.”
My grandpa shoots her a Cheshire cat smile. “I thought of you right away when I heard the news.”
I feel like I’ve entered the twilight zone. My eyes dart back and forth between the two, listening to the casual conversation like they’re old pals.
“He did. I was sitting in the living room with him. The first thing out of his mouth was, ‘I wish we knew where Savanna was so I could gloat over this’,” my grandma interjects, causing the three of them to laugh. “I told him it was rude to gloat, but he assured me you’d understand as a hockey fan.”
My grandpa smirks. “I also told her that you’d throw it right back if the situation was reversed.”
It’s a known fact in my family that it can take my grandparents time to warm up to someone new, but no one ever lets that stop them from bringing dates. I’ve always thought it took them time because all the cousins learned early to bring someone along if we didn’t want to face the aunts and their swarms of questions. It probably got hard for them to keep up on the revolving door of dates that were coming and going.
For them to already know Savanna, and obviously like her—did my grandfather call her sweetheart?—I feel mind-blown.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” I ask, scratching the back of my head as I look between the three of them. “How do you all know each other?”
They exchange glances. I know there’s a story there judging by the looks that cross each of their faces, but it’s Savanna who finally turns to look at me, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “You remember the day we met in the elevator?”
I nod.
She shifts where she stands, her fingers fidgeting with the skirt of her dress. “Remember how I told you I was with clients, and walked in on that thing?”
I nod again, my eyebrows pulling downwards as I frown, thinking about that asshole of a boss she had.
Savanna gestures towards my grandparents. “Meet the clients.”
My mouth falls open. I stare at the three of them, putting it together. My grandparents were there, experiencing her boss fucking a woman in a boardroom?
They’re a little old fashioned; they believe in getting married before having kids, not living with your partner until you’re married, and if they had it their way, I’m sure no one would have sex before they’d said ‘I do’. They’ve had to evolve over the years, though, because I know not one of us from my generation has followed all those beliefs.
For them to walk in on someone having sex, not just in a place of work, but somewhere they do business, I can only imagine the outrage they felt.
My face and neck burn thinking about the hallway from a few minutes ago. The hallway in their house. I don’t even want to think about the outrage they’d feel if they knew what Savanna and I had been doing. What I’d wanted to do. What I’d been about to do if Jordan hadn’t walked in.
“We tried to reach you the next day, but the receptionist told us you’d quit,” my grandma says with a frown. “I was disappointed we couldn’t get a hold of you, but thankful to hear you weren’t working for them anymore.”
“I packed my stuff right after you left,” Savanna tells them, waving her hand in the air. “There was no way I could stay there after that. And, as it happens, I met Nate on my way out of the building.”
She turns her smile on me. I’m still reeling from the last minute of conversation, but I manage to return the expression, despite the fact I think Savanna’s lips are still red and swollen from our impromptu make-out session.
Her gaze turns perplexed, and she looks between me and my grandparents, a thought suddenly occurring to her. “But wait, how do you guys know each other?”
I gesture towards the couple opposite us. “Meet the grandparents.”
Savanna’s eyes move between me and them, widening. It’s her turn to put everything together, and I wonder if I looked as dumbfounded as she does now. “Oh wow. What a small world.”
Embarrassment aside, my heart warms as my grandparents watch us, and I watch Savanna. I squeeze her to my side, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “The smallest.”
“I like her, Nathan,” my mom says as she steps up beside me.
I’m standing on the upper deck, gazing down where Savanna is with my sister, and a few of my cousins and their spouses, around the large firepit in the center of the patio. Jordan came and stole her a little while ago, saying she wanted to introduce her to some of the family without me around. Savanna seemed more than happy to go with her, even though I was a little concerned what might be said without me around.
Again, I should have known better; every awkward situation I’ve put her in she handles with grace and ease. Her “I got this” attitude is so sexy. Watching her down there now, I can’t help but feel that she fits in perfectly with all the crazy that can go on in this family.
I glance at my mom. “Me too.”
“I know. I can tell.” With a knowing smile, she takes a sip from her wine glass. “Been a long time since you brought a girl to one of these things.”
I take a drink of my beer and nod, thinking about what Danny said earlier. He thought it was five years since the last time I brought a girl around, but I think it’s been longer than that. I’ve never been one to bring a date just so everyone would leave me alone. There haven’t been many girlfriends that I’ve felt serious enough about to introduce to this crazy bunch. Mostly because I didn’t want any of them getting the wrong idea about where things were headed when my aunts started talking about marriage and kids.
“This one is different,” I tell her, my eyes drifting back to the blonde below.
“I know,” she repeats, her voice near singsong. “I can tell.”
I raise an eyebrow, turning to her, amused she thinks she knows everything before I tell her. What I don’t admit is she normally does. “Oh yeah? What else can you tell?”
“Oh, my beautiful baby boy,” she murmurs, wrapping an arm around my waist in a side hug. I’m hardly a baby the way I tower over her. “If you don’t settle down and marry that woman one day, I’ll be mighty surprised. I’ve never seen you look at a woman that way, nor have I seen a woman look at you the way she does.”
Putting my arm around her shoulders, I hug her tight to my side. My mom has always been perceptive, so I’m not totally surprised that she’s figured out my feelings for Savanna.
As if Savanna can sense we’re talking about her, she looks up at the deck where we’re standing at the rail, her face lighting up in a smile I know is meant for me.
I smile right back. “One day, mom. One day.”
“Seeing the two of you together today is the best birthday present you could give this old woman, Nathan,” she says, sighing with contentment.
I lean down and press a kiss to the top of her head, giving her an extra tight squeeze. “I love you, mom. Happy birthday.”