Chapter Thirteen
When Markie entered the bedroom, she smiled when she saw Nate lying back on the bed. He sat up when she closed the door. They stared at each other, and Markie pulled her T-shirt off, dropping it to the floor, then unclasped her bra and slid the straps from her shoulders.
Nate stood, walked toward her, and stopped in front of her. She lifted his shirt up over his head and tossed it. As she stared into his eyes, she knew she was falling in love with him.
His hands reached out and unsnapped her jeans, then lowered the zipper. Markie kicked off her flip-flops.
Nate got to his knees in front of her, looking into her eyes as he pulled her jeans and panties down, then he leaned forward and moved his tongue along her slit. His hands slid around to her ass as he pulled her closer.
Markie groaned, then gasped when he pulled her slit apart and moved his tongue against her clitoris. She raked her fingers through his hair.
As her legs started to shake, Nate sucked on her clitoris. Markie put her hand over her mouth as she cried out when she came.
Nate stood, pressed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately, pulling her into his arms. Markie wrapped her arms around his waist, then slid them to his belt buckle. She unhooked it, unsnapped his jeans and lowered the zipper. Nate removed his wallet, took a condom out, and tossed the wallet onto the bed. She hooked her fingers into the belt loops and tugged his jeans down.
Nate stepped out of them, picked her up and carried her inside the bathroom where he set her on her feet, then turned on the water in the shower.
They stood in the bathroom, steam billowing around them like fog. Their eyes locked, burning with a need that only each other could quench. Their bodies glistening with sweat from the steam. Markie could see Nate’s cock was already hard, thick and pulsing with desire, while her nipples hardened to stiff peaks.
“Fuck, Markie,” Nate growled, his voice raw with lust. “I need to be inside you. Now.”
Markie nodded, with excitement. She stepped closer to Nate, their bodies almost touching, close enough to feel the heat radiating off each other.
“I want you so much, Nate,” she whispered, her voice husky with desire. She took the condom from his hand.
Without a word, Nate stepped forward and pressed his lips to Markie’s, kissing her with an intensity that made her knees weak. His hands roamed over her body, making her moan into his mouth, her desire growing.
Nate broke the kiss and grabbed Markie’s hand, leading her into the shower. The hot water pounded down on them, steam filling the air as they held each other. Nate’s hands roamed down her body, tracing the curves of her hips and ass. He pulled her even closer to his body as he slid a hand down between her legs.
“Markie,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with desire. “You’re so fucking wet for me.”
Markie moaned, her hips grinding against Nate’s, as she reached down and wrapped her hand around his cock, stroking him slowly, then she rolled the condom down over him.
“Nate,” she whispered, her breath catching as he slid his lips along her shoulder. “I need you. Please.”
Nate picked her up, put her back against the wall and guided his cock inside her. She groaned as he entered her, then wrapped her legs around his waist, and he began to thrust.
Their bodies moved together in rhythm. Markie’s nipples were hard against his chest. Nate grasped her ass in his hands, as he continued to move.
Markie’s moans grew louder as she neared her orgasm.
“Don’t stop, Nate,” she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nate increased his pace, and she cried out as she came, her orgasm ripping through her body.
With a final thrust, Nate came with a low, deep groan. They remained locked together, panting and gasping for breath as the water rained down over them.
Nate raised his head, stared into her eyes and Markie smiled as she watched his lips lift into a grin.
“I’m crazy about you,” he whispered against her lips.
“I’m crazy about you too,” she whispered back.
And they both knew they wouldn’t have it any other way.
****
As Nate watched Markie get ready, he realized how lucky he was to have found someone who fit so perfectly into his life. Despite their initial clashes, they were now perfectly in sync, like two gears working seamlessly together.
When she looked over at him, she smiled, making him grin. He watched her place the hairdryer on the counter, walk toward him, and then stood on her toes to kiss his lips.
“I won’t be long.”
“I know, baby. Take your time. I’ll be downstairs.” Nate kissed her forehead, then left the bathroom and out of the bedroom. He couldn’t stop smiling like a man who had just found his missing puzzle piece.
He felt himself falling for her, and the thought only brought a warm sense of contentment instead of fear or doubt. After all, he had been searching for that one special woman for a while, and now he was certain she was right in front of him.
As Nate entered the kitchen, he grinned when he saw Stella and Lola waiting for him and Markie.
“Hi, Nate,” Lola greeted him with a warm smile.
“Ladies,” he greeted them both. “You both look lovely.”
Stella playfully rolled her eyes as she motioned to her dress. “Pfft, this old thing,” she teased.
“This old thing she just bought yesterday.” Lola added with a wink. Stella laughed and shook her head. “Is Markie getting ready?” Lola asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Nate replied. “She was drying her hair. She said she wouldn’t be long.” He watched as Lola tilted her head, looking at his hair.
“Your hair looks damp too,” she observed with a sly smile.
Nate bit his lip and nodded sheepishly. “Nothing gets by you, does it?”
Lola chuckled knowingly. “Not much.”
Just then, Markie walked into the kitchen and everyone’s attention turned to her. Nate couldn’t help but notice how her cheeks flushed pink at all the attention. She looked at him with wide eyes, questioning the stares.
“Why is everyone staring at me?”
He walked toward her, placing a gentle kiss on her lips before gazing into her eyes.
“Because you’re beautiful,” he said sincerely, watching as she blinked quickly before thanking him quietly.
Turning to her mother and aunt, Markie told them they looked beautiful.
“Of course, we do,” Lola replied with a twinkle in her eye . “Let’s go. I’m starving and I’d bet money you two are.”
Nate looked at Markie to see her frown. “I told her you were drying your hair and she mentioned that mine was damp too.”
Markie burst out laughing. “Leave it to her. I told you that woman didn’t hold back.”
“We should all have an Aunt Lola,” Nate said, then took Markie’s hand and they all left the house.
They all piled into Stella’s SUV, with Nate in the driver’s seat and Markie in the passenger seat beside him while Lola gave directions from the back.
When they arrived at the pub, Nate parked and opened the door for Stella before noticing Markie had already gotten out and was holding the door open for her aunt.
Inside the small restaurant, a friendly server came to their booth and took their drink orders. Nate opted for a soda while the women indulged in glasses of wine.
“I see who’s driving,” the server joked with a laugh.
“Yeah, I’m not sure how I got roped into that one,” Nate chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s not my vehicle and I’m not from around here.”
“Where are you from?” the server asked curiously.
“Clifton, Montana.”
She grinned mischievously. “Looks like I should take a trip.”
After taking their orders, she winked at Nate as she walked away, causing the women to giggle.
“I’m sitting here with three women, and yet she still flirts,” Nate teased, making Markie laugh.
“She knows a good-looking man when she sees one. Besides, we could all just be friends,” she replied playfully.
Nate raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a grin. “Being your friend is the last thing I want from you, Markie.”
Stella laughed loudly when Lola sighed dramatically, earning chuckles from both Markie and Nate.
As the night wore on, Nate couldn’t help but notice the women getting a little tipsy, their laughter ringing out in the pub. He shook his head in amusement, wondering how he was going to help three of them into the SUV. But he realized that Markie hadn’t had too much to drink.
Nate helped Lola and Markie’s mother, Stella, into the car. As he opened the back door for Lola, she gave him a playful smile and placed her hand on his cheek.
“I’m so happy you love my niece,” she slurred, before climbing inside. Nate couldn’t help but chuckle at her drunkenness as he pushed the door closed.
He settled behind the wheel and heard Markie and Stella laughing loudly. It seemed like Markie might have had a little too much to drink after all. She climbed onto the seat next to him and tried to buckle her seatbelt, but burst into giggles when she couldn’t figure it out.
Nate reached over and snapped it into place for her, smiling as she gazed at him with adoring eyes. He leaned in and kissed her lips, causing her to break into an even bigger smile.
“Get me home, I have to pee!” Stella declared between laughs.
“We just left the restaurant. Couldn’t you have gone before we got into the car?” Lola scolded her sister.
“I did, but I have to go again and there’s no way I’m getting back out of this car and going inside. I’d never make it,” Stella explained.
Nate chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you home as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, Nate. You’re such a good man. My daughter sure picked a good one,” Stella praised him, causing Markie to nod in agreement.
As they drove, Nate couldn’t help but steal glances at Markie. But as they pulled into the driveway, he noticed that Lola had her eyes closed and he wasn’t sure if she was asleep or just resting. He really hoped she wasn’t asleep.
“Great,” he muttered to himself. He was going to have to wake her up because there was no way he could carry her inside and keep an eye on the other two.
Stella stumbled out of the car and made a beeline for the front door, giggling as she fumbled with the lock. Nate couldn’t help but laugh at her.
He stepped out of the truck, walked around the truck to help Markie and Lola. As he opened the back door for Lola, the house alarm suddenly went off, causing Lola to burst into a fit of laughter.
“She forgot to turn the alarm off,” Markie said, laughing.
Nate sprinted into the house and immediately spotted Stella coming back from the downstairs bathroom, her hands clutching her stomach as tears streamed down her face. Her laughter echoed through the foyer. Above it all, Nate could hear the persistent ring of the telephone.
“I had to go too bad to turn off the alarm,” Stella said, still laughing.
“What’s the code, Stella?” he shouted over the blaring alarm.
She tried to yell it out, but couldn’t stop laughing. Finally, she managed to gasp out the numbers, but even after Nate punched them in, the alarm continued to screech. He glanced toward the front door and saw Markie and her aunt entering, both doubled over with laughter.
“Do you know the code?” he asked Markie urgently. “The phone was ringing too.”
She sauntered toward him, still giggling, and looked at the panel with a glint in her eye. With expert precision, she punched in four numbers and just like that, the alarm fell silent. Nate couldn’t help but shake his head and let out a small sigh. Of course, Stella had given him the old code.
“I bet it was the alarm company,” Markie mused. “Uh oh. No one answered. That means—”
Her words were cut off by the blaring sirens of police cars pulling into the driveway. They all froze for a moment before Markie burst into uncontrollable laughter again, and he saw Stella and Lola sitting on the stairs, laughing.
“Great. Just fucking great,” Nate muttered under his breath as he headed outside to deal with the unexpected visitors.
****
The following morning, as they drove home to Clifton, Markie kept her sunglasses on. The sun was making her head pound like someone was inside with a sledgehammer.
“I didn’t think you drank that much,” Nate said, and she could hear the laughter in his voice.
“I can’t hold my wine,” she whispered.
Nate nodded. “I see that now.”
Markie slowly turned her head, lowered her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes.
“Do you find this funny, Jefferson?”
“Me? Find this funny?” He chuckled. “You bet your sweet ass I do.”
Markie laughed, then groaned at the pain in her head.
“I feel for my mother and Aunt. Those two were plastered, but I’m so glad they had a good time.”
Nate nodded. “They’re both wonderful women.”
“Yes, they are. Could you stop somewhere so I can get a coffee? I didn’t feel like having one earlier.” She laughed. “I heard Aunt Lola in the bathroom, and it sort of killed any idea of putting anything in my belly.”
Nate laughed. “I’m sure it did.”
“I’m trying to talk my mother into moving to Clifton.”
“That’s a good idea. What about your aunt?”
“She said she would if Mom did.”
“That would be good for you. I can tell they both love you.”
“They do. I love them too. I know they have each other, but I’d love for them to be there.”
“I’m sure. It’s good having family close.”
They’d been on the road an hour before they found a diner and Nate pulled into the lot. After parking, they entered the restaurant and found an empty booth. Markie picked up a menu.
“Everything looks good. I’m suddenly starving,” she said as she glanced over the plastic covered menu.
“Good morning, would you both like some coffee?” a woman asked them, with a smile.
“Markie?”
“Yes, please.”
Nate nodded. “For both of us, please.”
“Be right back, sugar.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nate looked at the menu. “I’ll get the Western Omelet.”
“That sounds good. I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back,” Markie said.
“I’ll order for you.”
“Thank you. Oh, and a glass of milk too.”
Nate grinned. “Alright.”
Markie smiled, then made her way to the ladies’ room. As she did, she looked out the window and stopped. She thought a car in the parking lot looked like Jarrett’s, and she quickly glanced around the diner, but didn’t see him.
“Seriously, Markie. More than one person drives a car like that,” she muttered, as she entered the bathroom.
****
Nate watched Markie stop when she looked out the window, then glanced around the diner. He saw her shaking her head, then she disappeared into the ladies’ room. What was that been about?
“Ready, honey?”
“Yes, ma’am. Two Western Omelets and a glass of milk. Thank you.”
“I’ll have that to you in no time, honey.” She winked at him, then returned to the kitchen.
When he saw Markie returning, he slid from the booth, held her hand as she slid onto the bench, then sat back down.
“I just placed our order.”
“Did you remember my milk?” she asked him with a smile.
“Yes, ma’am.” Nate frowned. “What did you see or think you saw?”
“I thought I saw Jarrett’s car but then realized he’s not the only person who drives a car like that.”
“What does he drive?”
Markie mentioned a very expensive luxury sedan.
Nate shook his head. “Of course, he does. I suppose your mother bought it for him.”
“Well, he sure doesn’t have the money to buy it.”
Nate sat back in the booth. “So, your mother knew him because he played golf and worked with your father?”
“Yes. My dad seemed to like him, but I think Jarrett just wanted to make him think he was a good person. When my father passed away, Jarrett was at the house almost immediately and I thought that was so nice of him, but if I had known then what I know now, he would have never gotten in the door. A month went by before he started pursuing my mother. She didn’t marry him right away; it was almost a year before she did. I still think it was because she was lonely.” Markie sighed. “I hate how taken in she was by him, but she was still reeling over losing my father and that asshat knew all the right things to say. They’ve been together two years now. He’s slick, I’ll give him that.”
“I’d like to give him something. My fist in his face.” Nate clenched his fist on the tabletop.
Markie placed her hand over his. “Maybe he won’t bother any of us.”
Nate raised an eyebrow. “Do you honestly believe that?”
“No. No, I do not. He’s vindictive. If he can stoop to stealing my mother’s pills, he could stoop to anything.”
“I agree.”
“Here you go, sweethearts. Enjoy,” the woman said as she set their breakfasts down, along with the glass of milk, then she refilled their coffee cups, and walked off to refill others.
“She reminds me of Connie.” Markie grinned.
“Yeah, with all endearments.” Nate smiled, then cut into his omelet, speared it with his fork, and put it into his mouth. He groaned. “Damn, that is good. Almost as good as Connie’s. Almost .”
“Usually, it’s these little diners that have the best food and not to mention, wonderful service.” Markie gazed out the window. “It looks like it’s going to be a pretty day.”
“Rafe joked about it snowing soon.” Nate grinned.
“I can’t wait. I love winter.”
Nate picked up his napkin, wiped his mouth and looked at her.
“You know, if someone loves winter, there’s a ninety-nine percent chance they’ve never owned livestock.”
Markie laughed. “True, but being a vet, I’m sure I’ll have to go to ranches to take care of them with snow up to my ass.”
Nate laughed. “Okay, I’ll give you that one.”
Markie leaned across the table. “You can give me anything you want. Any—” She immediately stopped when the woman appeared beside their booth.
Nate couldn’t help but laugh at Markie’s pink cheeks.
“Oh, no need to stop on my account, honey. Looking at him, I’d say the same thing if I was a lot younger. A lot younger .” She laughed and Nate did too.
“Nothing to say, Markie?” Nate asked.
Markie’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “Just for that, you’ll be sleeping alone tonight.”
The woman laughed again and looked at Nate. “I know she’s lying. She’s beautiful and looks like she has a temper, but she ain’t stupid. She knows she has a good man.” She winked at Markie, making her laugh.
“True. No matter how mad he makes me, I’d never kick him out of bed.”
The woman burst out laughing. “I told you she wasn’t stupid. Is there anything else I can get you two?”
Both said no and Nate smiled at her. “We want to get back on the road to get home.”
“Where is home?”
“Clifton, Montana” Markie said.
“Oh, I’ve been there. I fell in love with that place. I’d love to go back.”
“You should. The summer is filled with tourists, so you’d have to make a reservation, but I heard there’s a two-year waiting list to stay at the Clifton Bed and Breakfast and the Bur Oak Guest Ranch,” Markie said.
“I stayed at the B and B the last time. Clifton is such a picturesque town. I’d move there if I could, but I love my diner.”
“You have a great place here. It reminds us of the one in Clifton.”
The woman smiled. “I ate there. It has wonderful food, and the atmosphere is great. Let me get the check for you. I’ll be right back.”
Once they got back on the road, Nate saw Markie lean her head back and close her eyes. He smiled, knowing she was as ready to get home as he was.