Chapter 17
Olive
Icannot believe I’m here with Nate. Not that I’ve been with a lot of men, but I’ve never felt like this before. The attention he’s giving me, the way he makes me feel... It causes emotion to catch in my chest.
I can’t cry in the middle of sex—at least not the first time.
My eyes find his face, which I immediately regret. It definitely doesn’t help me tamp down the emotion building inside me.
There’s arousal evident in his features, but there’s something else… It’s an emotion I can’t even define. It seems more than just simple happiness. Whatever it is, I find it hard to believe that I would be the one who put that expression on his face.
Nate’s body weight settling on top of me pulls me back to the moment. A whimper escapes my throat as his tongue drags up my neck, settling right below my ear. “Baby, stay with me. There’s only one thing you need to think about right now, and that’s how fucking amazing this is between us.”
A sharp bite to my earlobe has me moaning his name.
“Fuck yes, I love hearing my name on your sweet lips.” Nate kisses me deeply, his tongue tangling with mine as he slows his hips. I moan into his mouth as he presses into my core, the pressure on my clit almost too much.
I reach down and grip his waist, keeping him where I need him as I move my hips to meet his. “Nate, I’m so close. Please don’t stop.”
“Yes, baby. Take what you need. I want you to come while I’m so fucking deep inside of you.” His answering groan to my movement turns me on even more.
He presses in harder, and with only a few more circles of my hips, my muscles contract around him. The noise that leaves my mouth matches the intensity of my orgasm. Nate growls above as he pumps into me a few more times before letting out a low groan as he follows me over the edge.
As our movements slow, I whisper, “Holy shit.”
Nate hovers over me as he catches his breath. Lifting his head, his gaze meets mine, and he lets out a small laugh. “My thoughts exactly.”
His lips take mine in a deep, soul-wrenching kiss as he rolls his pelvis against my overly sensitive clit. I moan softly as our kiss slows, and he kisses me one more time before slowly pulling out of me. My eyes trace his body when he heads to the bathroom to get rid of the condom.
I didn’t get a chance to admire him when we first got to his room.
He isn’t crazy muscular like Ian, but every muscle is well-defined, and it’s clear that he works out regularly.
I smile when I take in his tousled hair.
He has this perfect balance of boyish charm and strong masculinity.
It almost makes me forget about why this would never work between us.
Or maybe why I’m too scared to give us a chance.
Despite always thinking I was so strong, I’m beginning to doubt that.
I’m not sure I’m strong enough to heal from the heartbreak of losing Nate while also trying to be there for my brother.
I can’t afford to be weak when my brother depends on me so much.
It’s not fair to him for me to be selfish about something I’m not sure will last.
Almost.
Sadness makes my skin crawl when I think about what I wish could be our reality. Maybe if my brother was more stable, things would be different. But that isn’t the case.
I push myself up to sitting. As sad as it makes me, I know it’s time to get my clothes on and head back to my room. My feet hit the floor, just as Nate’s deep voice has my head popping up. He stalks toward me, naked. “Why the hell are you getting out of bed?”
I give him a questioning look while gesturing to my clothes strewn across the floor. “I was going to go to my room.”
His face falls. “You can’t leave.” Flipping the covers back, he plops on the bed behind me.
His strong arms encircle my waist, and he pulls me back onto the bed before covering us with the blanket.
I let him settle me into his side as his arm wraps around my shoulders, and I relax my head on his chest. “See? Isn’t cuddling better than you leaving? ”
My finger toys with his chest hair as so many emotions fill me. Anxiety and dread linger, but I can’t deny the bliss I feel with his skin, soft and warm, against mine. I admit quietly, “Yeah, you’re right. This is better.”
Nate places a sweet kiss on the top of my head and teases, “I’m glad we’re establishing early in our relationship that I’m right most of the time.”
My body tenses at his choice of the word relationship.
Seeming to understand my internal freakout, his low laugh vibrates below me as his arm tightens around me.
I don’t want to admit it, but I would be disappointed if I left him and returned to my room alone. Being near him is comforting. Calming. Peaceful. Even if this is all I ever get, I want to soak it up for as long as possible.
I force my muscles to relax, and Nate makes a pleased hum as I snuggle deeper into his side. The rhythmic motion of his chest rising and falling and the soft scrape of his fingers on my shoulder have my eyes slowly drifting closed.
Lips and teeth teasing my neck wake me up. I blink my eyes open a few times as a warm, hard body moves behind my back. When I wiggle my hips, I’m met by a groan. Nate’s hardness presses into my ass. Despite just waking up, I’m already incredibly turned on.
Nate kisses my neck again lightly as his hand slides between my legs. “I need you just one more time before I have to go to work. Okay, baby?”
“Okay,” I moan out breathlessly as his fingers slip through my wetness. Nate slowly circles my clit, and the sensation causes my skin to explode with goosebumps. “Nate, that feels so good.”
“I know, Olive. You’re fucking amazing.” I want to argue that it’s him who’s amazing, but forming words is difficult with him touching me like this.
As his fingers leave my clit, two slide inside my pussy.
I shift my hips even more against his hard cock, smiling at his deep moan.
“Being inside of you is my new favorite place to be.”
“Please,” I whimper.
His hand leaves my wetness, and I hear the tearing of a wrapper. As he puts the condom on, his warmth leaves my back momentarily. Nate adjusts my hips and lines himself up, much too slowly for my desire as I writhe below him. But then he’s sliding inside me, his girth stretching me to perfection.
“Goddamn,” he growls.
All I can respond with is a moan. Pleasure is making my brain fuzzy.
Nate gently pushes me onto my stomach, never losing our connection.
I love how comforting his weight on my back is.
I make a sound of protest when he pushes himself off, holding himself up while he pumps himself in and out of me. But I need more.
“Nate, harder, please.”
His only response is to run his tongue up my spine. Giving me more of his weight, he moans my name in my ear.
I rub my clit as Nate alternates between slow strokes and harder thrusts.
Within seconds, I’m exploding around him.
He grunts as he pumps inside of me. I remove my hand from under me and grip my pillow as Nate presses into me one last time before settling on top of me.
My body feels boneless. I can’t decide if it’s from the intense pleasure or comfort of being with Nate.
His lips brush my shoulder. “You’re perfection.”
My heart clenches at his words. I’m sure it’s just post-sex bliss that made him say that, but the reverence in his voice almost makes me believe it.
Cold air drifts over me as Nate lifts off of me. His hands find my butt cheeks as he massages them and squeezes each in his large hands. “This ass,” he mutters, as if he is talking to himself. I can’t help but smile.
He releases me, the bed shifting, and I watch his sculpted ass as he walks across the room to the bathroom.
Panic fills me at the positive emotions overwhelming my system. He’s making this too easy. He’s too irresistible. He’s making me too hopeful.
You know how this is going to end.
I’m not strong enough to survive when Nate decides I’m too much and my life is messier than he bargained for.
Not wanting to risk him coming out of the bathroom and convincing me otherwise, I hurry and put my clothes back on and rush into the hallway. As the door clicks closed behind me, I close my eyes briefly. Devastation at knowing I need to walk away rolls through my body like a tormenting wave.
Sucking in a deep breath, I square my shoulders and tell myself to stop being selfish. Benny deserves to be my focus. I need to remember that he’s the most important person right now, not me.
Realizing I shouldn’t be lingering outside Nate’s door for so many reasons, I rush down the hall to the elevator. Once I’m back in the safety of my room, I collapse on my bed and let the tears flow.
Eventually, exhaustion takes over. I slip into a deep sleep, filled with dreams of a hard body and kind, expressive eyes.
I shuffle out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me. My ringing phone mixes with voices on the TV. “Hi, Cade.”
“Babe, are you getting ready? We have a concert to go to!” Cade’s perky voice greets me.
I sigh and lean back in bed, adjusting the towel around my legs.
One perk the company offered with this job is the entire flight crew gets a free VIP ticket to one of Jenny’s concerts.
I couldn’t care less about going to the concert, but it’s something to do.
Which means I’ll also have to see Nate. I’ve successfully avoided him for three days besides passing each other while doing our jobs.
There’s no way Cade will let me get out of it, though.
“I just got out of the shower. What time do we have to leave?”
“The car is picking us up at six. We have backstage passes, which means free food and drinks in the green rooms!”
At least that’s one positive. I don’t have to worry about paying for dinner tonight. I assure Cade I’ll be ready in time and hang up, immediately checking for any new messages.
Nothing.
I feel torn. Relief that there’s nothing about Benny. Sadness because there’s nothing from Nate.
Which is ridiculous because I never texted him, even though he gave me his number. So, there’s no way he would have mine. But that does little to quell that intense feeling.
And you’ve already decided you’re too chicken to be with him, and there’s no reason to continue any sort of a relationship.
I sigh as I head into the bathroom to get ready, with that reminder replaying in my head.