“I’m afraid I’ll wake up and this will all be a dream.” She sighs.
“The parrot-napping? Or the sex?” I ask.
“Both got me off, so let’s go with both,” she deadpans.
We laugh, and I kiss her again. I taste champagne, strawberries, sex, and cherry lip gloss. It’s a potent combination.
“We’re going to remember this night for a long time,” I say, looking deep into her eyes.
18
Julia
Fuck, I can’t believe we forgot about last night. Or at least, we did for a while.
Now I think it’s come back to both of us at about the same speed. Which is making this cab ride super fucking awkward. The air between us is so thick with sexual tension you could slice it and put it on sandwiches.
I’ve got my hand folded in my lap, just to make sure I don’t touch him. Nate’s focused on staring out the window at the fascinating desert landscape. His throat moves as he swallows; it’s like I’m hypnotized by it.
My God, the way he rode me, and the orgasm . . . . How the fuck had I forgotten the orgasm?
“On the bright side,” Nate says, carefully not looking at me, “I think I realized where your laptop is.”
Once we’re back in the hotel, we ride the elevator up to his suite. Open the door, go into the bedroom, and bam. Right there in its cute little cherry red laptop case, set up on the now-made bed. Turndown service must have found it. It’s waiting all lonesome for me to scoop it up in my arms and go write more sex scenes.
Hello, beautiful. Mommy missed you.
“How much do you remember now?” Nate asks casually, pacing over to look out the window at the Las Vegas streets below. I stand there, looking over the bed. It’s got its pillows all plumped and in place, probably put on new sheets. The evidence of last night is all cleaned up. But the memories are a little tougher to scrub away.
Hey, that was good. Maybe I should put that in a Lola scene, when she’s straddling . . . never mind. Not the time or place for work.
“My memories are pretty clear now. We were naked a lot of the time.” I’m pretty sure I’m flushing all the way to the edge of my sundress, but that could just be the sunburn. You know, from being in the goddamn desert. “That part was okay. The naked bits. Parts. Whatever.” Stop, tongue. Stop it now. “Dammit, where’s Christopher Eccleston when I need him?” I moan.
“Who?” Nate asks, looking perplexed.
Awesome. Said it out loud. Go me. I look at him, and I find myself tracing the lines of his shoulder, the way his now sweaty shirt clings to the definitions of his chest and abs. Damn. Normally lawyers don’t have that much time to hit the gym. Unless he’s built this way naturally . . . .
“Your eye is twitching,” Nate says with concern, coming over to look at me. “Are you all right?”
Can I just hit rewind on this and go back in time?
“I remember everything,” I mumble, gazing down at my feet. “The shower. After the shower. Champagne and strawberries. Maybe that was the final glass that did us in, you know? Tipped us over into memory-wiping boozeville.”
“But we did remember,” Nate says, moving closer to me.
God, the way his dark blue gaze rakes over my body, it leaves me trembling, my panties growing damper by the second. He brushes his fingertips down the length of my arm, and I shiver in response. I’ve never had such a reaction before, and especially not to someone who, on most occasions, has been nothing but an asshole. I’ve always dated nothing but nice, comforting guys.
Then again, Drew was a nice, comforting guy who couldn’t handle a successful woman and retreated with his tail between his legs. Where did playing it safe get me? Exactly nowhere.
But I’m not thinking about that any longer. Because Nate’s here right now, and there is growing electricity between us. I can feel it, raising the hairs along my arms.
“Do you like remembering?” I ask, looking up at him. I place my hand on his chest, right above his heart. It’s beating faster and faster; always a good sign. What the hell? Live like your fantasies a little, Julia. I raise myself up lightly on my toes, just brushing my lips against his as I speak. “Did it turn you on?”
“It did,” he growls, and kisses me.
It’s light and quick at first, the heat between us sizzling as he pulls away. Damn, I don’t want him to do that.
I gasp when he pulls me tight against his body, trailing his hand down my back. I like it when he grabs my ass and finds my mouth again, kissing me deeply. Oh God. My clit’s already throbbing as I pull him backwards, falling onto the bed with him on top of me.
He kisses me with his eyes open, watching me. His hand glides slowly up my leg, my skirt falling around my waist. Almost to the magic spot, but he slides his hand back down again. Away from the magic spot.