20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Nate
I wake to the sound of my phone ringing. Adalie groans and flips the pillow over her face, curling up into a ball. I sit up, fishing the device from my pants pocket.
Taylor is calling.
“Hey,” I say, reclining against the headboard. Adalie snuggles closer, her head sandwiched between my chest and her pillow. I wrap an arm around her, stroking my fingers along her back.
“Where the fuck are you?”
“Is something wrong?” I ask, alarmed at his worry.
“Yes. My brother didn’t come home last night. You’d better not have gotten into a wreck.”
“I didn’t. I’m fine.”
“Then where are you? I wake up this morning and your bike isn’t here. Why didn’t you come home?”
“Just a sec.” I mute the phone and lift the corner of the pillow. “Taylor wants to know where I am. What do you want me to tell him?”
“Whatever you want,” she mumbles against my chest. “I’m sleeping. Tell him he’s an asshole for waking me up.”
I smile and unmute my phone. “I stayed over at someone’s house last night. I’m still here and she’s pissed you woke her up.”
Taylor doesn’t respond right away. Then he says, “You never spend the night.”
I glance down at Adalie curled against me. With the pillow over her head, I don’t think she can hear Taylor’s side of the conversation. He’s right, though. I don’t stay at women’s houses. I like my bed. I like my privacy. I like my space.
“I know,” I say.
“Okay. Well. Next time you decide to spend the night at your girlfriend’s house, let me know so I don’t freak out.”
“She’s not—”
“Tell Adalie I’m sorry I woke her.”
He hangs up without saying goodbye. Dickhead.
I drop my phone to the floor and lift the corner of the pillow.
“Taylor says hi.”
She peeks out from under the fabric, her green eyes bleary with sleep. “I don’t like him anymore. What time is it?”
“6am. I’m going to have to go soon. I have to get to work. Don’t you?”
She shakes her head. “I usually get Sundays and Mondays off in the summer. Depending on what’s going on. It may not be summer yet, but wedding season has started. How long do you have before you need to leave? Do you want to shower or have something to eat?”
“I have a little time. About an hour. I mean, I’m the boss, so I can be a bit late.”
She gives me that sweet smile I love so much, and I kiss her. She’s draped over me, her lush curves pressed against the hard angles of my body.
“Let’s go for a shower,” she says. “Wait here for a minute then come to the room on the other side of the living room.”
“Why?”
She climbs out of bed, and I’m completely distracted by her cute ass until she shrugs into a silky robe.
“Because I want to cover my current works in progress. I don’t like people seeing my unfinished pieces.”
She turns, catching me staring.
“Why are we going to that shower?” I ask, unrepentant at being caught. I’d be happy to stare at her ass all day if she’d let me. “What’s wrong with this one?”
“Nothing. The other one is bigger, though.” She scans me from head to toe, her eyes lingering on my cock which swells under her gaze. “I figure we need the extra space.”
I laugh as she retreats from the room. A moment later, I pull on my underwear and follow her. The shower is running, but she’s not in there. She’s covering a painting with a sheet.
“Can I come in yet?” I ask.
She turns and holds out a hand which I take, letting her lead me to the bathroom. The shower has already filled the room with steam.
“I have some unscented soap I bought for my tattoo,” she says. “But if you want to wash your hair, it’ll have to be my shampoo.”
I stare as she unties the robe, and it slips off her shoulders to pool on the floor at her feet. She casts a glance at me over her shoulder, sending me a teasing grin. “You coming?”
I drop my shorts and step in behind her. She grabs a scrub puff that Dani assures me is called a loofa and adds some soap to it.
“Let me,” I say, taking the thing from her hand and rubbing it gently over her skin.
She watches me as I lather her right shoulder and arm down to her fingers then her left arm, avoiding the still bandaged tattoo. When I reach her breasts, lingering around her puckered nipples, she says, “I think you wanted an excuse to touch my boobs.”
My mouth kicks up in a smile. “Do I need one?”
“No.”
“I don’t want to have sex with you right now, Adalie,” I say, soaping up her belly next where that sexy piercing winks up at me.
She wraps those slick fingers around my hard cock with a mischievous smirk. “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” she says softly.
I bite back a groan as she strokes me a few times, clearing my throat before I say, “Let me rephrase.” I turn her around so I can wash her back, and my dick throbs at the loss of her touch. “I always want to have sex with you. But sometimes, I also just want to touch you.”
“Does that mean, when you’re done, I can touch you?”
“You can touch me whenever you want, princess.”
“Nate.” She says my name on a sigh, leaning back against me. “We should maybe talk about…”
“Yes. But not right now. Right now, I’m going to take this bandage off. Where’s that soap you were talking about?”
After she gets it for me, I ensure her shoulder isn’t directly under the shower spray and gently peel off the first corner of the bandage.
“Will this hurt?” she asks.
“Shouldn’t. Maybe a little sting.” I peel away the clear adhesive, less sticky now that it’s been wet. Adalie winces, but otherwise has no reaction. I clean the area with the scent-free soap then gently rinse the suds. I place a kiss on the shoulder, away from the new ink. “It looks beautiful,” I tell her.
She takes the soap from me next and starts washing my chest.
“It’s funny I’m here with just one little one when compared to you.” She skims her fingers over different areas of my tattoos. She washes each arm and down to my abs, hesitating before reaching my cock. “Do you use soap on your…”
She doesn’t look up at me, her cheeks flaming. I tilt her chin up. “Say the word, princess. You can use whichever one you’re most comfortable with. Cock, dick, penis. It’s just a word. You’re standing here, ready to touch it. You can say it.”
She swallows. “Do you use soap on your dick?”
“Yes, Adalie. I do. And you can as well.”
She rubs the soap between her hands then wraps them both around my shaft. This time, I can’t contain the groan, tipping my head to lean it on the shower wall as she strokes me. I hold her hips gently, wanting to feel her skin.
“Will it hurt you to not… come?”
“No,” I say. “But if you keep that up much longer, it won’t be an issue, anyway.”
“Do you want me to keep going?” she asks, her voice soft.
I crack my eyes open to look at her, so beautiful with the water dripping off the ends of her hair and rolling down her pale skin. “It’s up to you, princess. But if you get me off, I will be returning the favour.”
She strokes me a few more times, her fingers light and slippery with water and soap.
“I’ve never been really good at this,” she says.
“Trust me, princess. You’re doing just fine.”
“You’ll let me know if you want me to do something different?”
Immediately, I understand.
“You want me to give you direction?” I ask, leaning forward to press a kiss to her waiting lips.
“Yes,” she says.
“I want you to tighten your grip a little. My cock isn’t going to break.” I groan again as she does what I’ve asked. “That’s right. Now faster.” My fingers dig into her hips, not because I want to pull her closer. I just want to be holding her when I come and after all the touching, I’m so close. With the directions I’ve given her, Adalie brings me to the brink in only a minute. “Harder,” I tell her as my dick swells in those soft hands. She tightens her grip again and the pressure bursts as my orgasm rushes through me, covering her belly and thighs in hot, sticky cum.
“Good thing we’re in the shower,” she says.
I laugh and pull her against me, her hands leaving my cock to wrap around my neck.
“I don’t think I’ve ever come so fast,” I tell her.
“I’ve always been an overachiever.”
I laugh again, kissing her. I spin us so her back is pressed against the wall now.
“Put one leg up here on the edge of the tub,” I say. “Spread that pussy open for me, princess.”
She does as I’ve asked, and I slide a hand down her body to touch her clit. She gasps and her hips jerk toward me.
“You like to have your clit played with, don’t you?” I ask.
“Yes.” She whimpers as I circle the small bundle of nerves at her core. I’d paid very close attention to her sounds last night, listening to what she was telling me without using her words. Over the course of the night, I learned those whimpers mean she wants more of what I’m doing. When she groans, it’s because I’ve changed to something she doesn’t like. And when she screams, it’s because I’ve made her come. Again.
For someone who hadn’t ever been able to come with a man before, I’ve counted six over the last several hours. I guess I’m also an overachiever.
I rub her clit gently but fast in a motion I’d used to make her come last night and it works again this morning. She’s panting and making those cute little noises. I want to kiss her, but I also want to hear her. In the same amount of time as she took to get me off, she’s already moaning, her head thrown back as her nails dig into my shoulders.
“Nate, yes. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
Then she screams. Her orgasm pulses against my fingers, and I capture her lips. She clings to me as my fingers slow. Eventually, I turn her again so her back is pressed against my chest and I wash her hair. She doesn’t move, doesn’t try to help me other than to point out what product to use first and second. When we turn off the water, she points to a third and I massage the leave-in conditioner through her hair before wrapping us each in a towel and guiding her to her bedroom. I put her silky robe on her, the fabric slippery in my hands, then pull my underwear and pants on before seating her at her makeup desk in the corner.
When I pick up her hairbrush, she laughs before closing her eyes as I begin to brush her hair, a small smile on her lips.
“Can I ask you a very personal question?” I ask, gently working out a tangle.
“Sure. Though just because you ask it doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”
“Fair.” I pause. “How often does Elliot ask you for money?”
She opens her eyes, finding mine in the mirror. “About once every three to six months. He and Suzanne tend to live beyond their means, and he needs me to bail him out sometimes.”
“Does he pay you back?”
“Not usually. I’ve gotten better at saying no. But he’s also gotten better at making me feel guilty for saying no.” She gives me a wry smile.
“But he’s a doctor. Doesn’t he make more than you?”
She laughs. “Not even close.” She takes a breath. “Blue Vista has been doing very well for the past three years. Spencer, Derek, and I have earned in the low six figures. Vic, obviously has been making a lot more. With the ownership structure change, I’m going to be bringing in more. Which is why I didn’t tell anyone about that last night. Or intend to at all.”
“I didn’t realize that.”
She shrugs. “It helps that two of my best friends grew up rich. So they know how to make money. And how to invest.”
“Which two?” I ask, separating her hair into three sections.
“Vic and Spencer,” she says like I should already know this.
I shake my head, not getting her point.
“Vic Sterling and Spencer Cole?”
I’m still confused.
She laughs. “You haven’t heard of Sterling Properties or Cole Enterprises? They’re two of the biggest companies in British Columbia. Cole rivals some of the tech companies in the country if not the continent. Anyway. They taught me and Derek a bit about money management so we’re all doing very well. And that was before Spencer gained control of his trust fund. What’s that saying about rising tides lifting all ships?”
She watches me in the mirror as I braid her hair and tie it off with a blue and purple scrunchie.
“Thank you,” she says. “Do you braid Dani’s hair often?”
I shake my head, turning to finish getting dressed. “Not anymore. She likes to do her own hair now.”
“Curly hair is a little different to straight hair like Dani’s,” she says. “But you did a great job.”
A sudden image of another little girl comes to mind. She would have bright green eyes and curly red hair. Just like Adalie. My heart aches painfully even though I’ve never wanted another child. Every time I have to say goodbye to Dani, my heart is ripped out of my chest. I couldn’t go through that with a second child.
Then again, maybe it would be different if I had a serious commitment.
I pick up my shirt and Adalie touches my arm before I can put it on.
“Nate,” she says softly. “I want to talk about what this is.”
I turn toward her. She’s still only wearing that silky robe, the fabric coming together over the tops of those luscious breasts.
“I know we don’t have a lot of time to discuss it,” she continues. “You have to get to work. And you’re getting Dani later today, so she’ll be your priority over the next few days. But I need you to understand, I’m not a casual woman. Last night was… perfect. And I want to keep doing it, but if you want something casual, I have to be out.”
“I don’t want to be casual with you either,” I say, taking her hand in mine. “I never would have thought we would work, but the more time I spend with you, the more I think, why not us? Maybe it can work. It’s just…” I pause, thinking of how to explain this. “I’ve never had a long relationship. I’m not sure I know what I’m doing. And I don’t want Dani to get hurt. Could we not tell her right away?”
“We don’t have to tell her anything right now,” Adalie agrees. “Let’s see where this goes and if it gets really serious, we’ll tell her then.” She gives me that wry smile again. “Of course, that means we won’t get to be together this week except for Thursday, and I won’t be able to kiss you. But that’s a sacrifice I will endure.”
I chuckle before drawing her closer and kissing her.
“You mean like that?”
“Mm. Yes. Like that.”
She kisses me again and the knowledge that she’s still naked under that robe has me aching for her. I break away.
“Fuck, Adalie. I have to go to work.”
She laughs, bringing me back for another swift kiss. “Who’s stopping you?”
Then she lets me go and we get dressed. She follows me down to my bike, taking the visitor pass and sliding it into her sweater pocket.
“Are you going home to change?” she asks.
“No time. I should have asked Taylor to bring me some extra clothes.”
She smiles and flushes that cute pink. “Sorry. I guess that’s my fault.”
I wrap my arms around her, loving how she melts into me, tilting her face up to accept my kiss. “I’d rather be late, dressed in yesterday’s clothes, than leave before I have to.” I stroke my thumb over her cheek. “Thank you. For understanding about Dani.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Taylor:
You’re late. Quit fucking your girlfriend and get to work.
Me:
I’m on my way.
I pocket my phone and grab my helmet. “I guess this means when Taylor jokes about you being my girlfriend, I can’t say you’re not anymore.”
She grins. “I guess not. And I can’t tell my friends you’re not my boyfriend when they tease me.”
I cup the back of her head, stealing one more kiss before I put on my helmet and climb on my bike. “I’ll call you tonight, princess. Have a good day.”
I ride away from her through the underground parking lot, watching her in my side mirror until I turn onto the road and she disappears.