“And?” he raises an eyebrow.
“I used to go to the gym he works at. He was – probably still is – a trainer. I was young and stupid enough to think he was cute. We went out on two dates, Nate, I had sex with him one time, and he went stalker crazy on my ass. I told him I wasn’t interested in seeing him again, he raised a fist, and I knocked a couple of those pretty teeth out.”
I walk to Nate and reach out to touch him, but he backs away from me.
“Stop this,” I whisper.
“You don’t understand. It makes me sick that he ever touched you.” He runs his hands through his hair again and looks up toward the sky and then back at me. “I know that you weren’t innocent when I met you, but I don’t ever need to meet anyone that has been inside you. Even if he hadn’t been an asshole, I still would have wanted to kick his ass.”
“Nate, he means less than nothing to me. You saw that yourself. I told you to kick his ass.”
“Yeah, that was new too. I’ve never asked permission to protect someone before.”
So this is what this is about.
“Do you know what it means to me that you had the control to take care of me before you took care of him?” He frowns at me and I keep talking. “You’d never hurt me, babe.”
I take a deep breath before I continue. “Besides, I came face-to-face with the woman who still has your last name, Nate. I wanted to pull her heart out of her asshole, and maintained my composure. I won’t do it again.”
“I told you, I don’t have anything to do with her anymore.”
I just tilt my head to the side and stare back at him impassively until he sighs deeply and shakes his head.
“Point taken.”
“If I let myself think about the fact that you were married, or think about the women you’ve been with, Nate, it’ll kill me. I refuse to think about it. I’m with you now, and I know I’m the only one with you now, and that’s all that matters.” I step toward him again and cup his face in my hands, run my fingers through his hair, and he doesn’t move away, but he doesn’t touch me either.
“Thank you for tonight; for protecting me, and making me feel so loved.”
“I do love you,” he whispers and I smile up at him, so in love with him.
“I know.” I whisper back, and Nate’s arms come around me, pulling me into him. He tucks my head under his chin and just hugs me close. I wrap my arms around his torso and cling to him as he rocks me back and forth, kissing my hair.
“So, um, does this mean you’ll stay?” I ask and my stomach settles when I feel him chuckle against my cheek.
“Yeah, I’ll stay, baby.” He kisses my hair once more and I pull back. Nate grips my chin in his fingers and tilts my head back. “You are mine.”
A slow smile spreads across my face. “Ditto.”
“Jesus you’re beautiful.”
I’m suddenly cradled in Nate’s arms and he’s fumbling with the keys, unlocking the front door, and carrying me inside. He sets me down in the foyer, closes and locks the door, and stalks toward me slowly as I back up toward the stairs.
“Do you know what you do to me?” he asks, his voice low and rough, his eyes narrowed and his hands in fists at his sides.
“What?” I ask breathlessly.
“You make me want things I’ve never wanted before. You make me want you. You make me fucking hard.”
My heels hit the bottom step and I climb the stairs slowly, backward, unable to stop looking at him. I get about five steps up when he mutters, “Stop.”
He unbuttons his shirt as he climbs the steps below me and peels it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. He reaches the fourth step and is eye level with me. I’m gripping the handrail for balance, mesmerized by his beautiful gray eyes. He’s still not touching me, yet my skin is humming in anticipation.
“Touch me,” I whisper.
He leans in and brushes his lips across mine, lightly, and pulls back again, watching me.
“Please touch me,” I whisper again.
His eyes travel from my hair, over my face, down my dress to my shoes and back up again. “Sit on the stairs,” he commands.
I frown, and he narrows his eyes. “Sit.”
Chapter Twenty Seven
I lower myself to the stairs and look up into his face, wondering what the fuck he’s going to do next. He unbuckles his belt and opens his slacks, and just when I think he’s going to free his cock so I can go to work on it, he kneels in front of me.
I feel my eyes widen and roam over this angry, beautiful man. He’s kneeling before me, still not touching me.
“Lean back on your elbows,” he whispers, and I comply.
“Pull your skirt up around your hips.” Again, I comply, and I feel my breathing quicken. I feel completely exposed, because I am, from the waist down. I wasn’t lying when I said I wasn’t wearing underwear.
Nate’s eyes dilate and he sucks in a deep breath. His eyes are narrowed on my *, and his hands are flexing in and out of fists, and I know he’s dying to touch me.
“Touch me, babe,” I whisper.
His molten gray eyes find mine as he reaches up and tucks a stray curl of hair behind my ear, sending shivers down me.
“You are so beautiful, Julianne.”
“Touch. Me.” I whisper again and he clenches his eyes closed for a heartbeat and looks back down my body again, raking me with his gaze.
“Nate.” I get his attention with the strength of my voice. “You won’t hurt me, my love.”
He growls and plants his fists on the stairs at my hips and pushes himself up to kiss me, slipping his tongue in my mouth, tangling and sliding along mine. This kiss is urgent and needy. I wrap his hair in my fingers to hold him to me, but he backs away, panting, eyes on fire and says, “Elbows on the stairs.”