“Okay.”
He turns away from me again, leading me from the room, toward the bedrooms. God, he’s something to look at. Especially in jeans, which I’ve never seen him in before. His shoulders are so broad, and his t-shirt hugs the muscles across his back. His jeans fall off his hips in that sexy way that toned men have that make women sit up and drool.
And I don’t know what it is about a sexy man barefoot in jeans, but holy shit.
Are we seriously going to jump right into bed? No, hey, would you like a drink? Or would you like to watch a movie?
Just, welcome to my home, get in my bed?
Nate leads me down the hall and points out a guest bathroom and an office. Then he walks right past his bedroom and stops at the door at the end of the hall. He opens the door and walks in, and I follow, completely confused.
“This is my spare bedroom. You’re welcome to use it while you’re here.” He places my suitcase on the ottoman at the end of the beautiful queen-sized bed. The headboard is black swirly wrought iron and the bedding is blue and green, matching the nautical themed artwork on the walls.
“I’m not sleeping in your room?” I ask and cock my head to the side, studying him.
“You’re welcome to sleep in my room if that’s what you want, but I don’t want to assume anything. I told you that I wanted to spend the weekend with you to get to know you better, and that’s the truth. If you sleep with me, I won’t be able to keep my hands off you, and if there is no sex this weekend, I’m okay with that.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You’re okay with no sex?”
“It’ll kill me because all I’ve thought about for the better part of a year now is getting your beautiful body naked, in the light this time so I can see you, but there’s time for that.” He walks back to me, those beautiful gray eyes on mine, and runs his fingertip down my cheek. “You are so lovely, Julianne. I love your gorgeous blonde hair and your blue eyes. And I so enjoy your smart mouth.”
Holy. Crap.
But then my snarky side rears her ugly head for a moment. We haven’t slept together since last summer, and I know, just by looking at him, that he wouldn’t lack for willing bodies to bang, should he so choose.
He leads me out of the bedroom and back into the great room.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“Water would be great.” I need to keep a clear head while I’m processing all of this. No sex? With Nate? Why stay here then?
“I have a question.” Nate crosses the living space to the kitchen and pulls water and a beer out of the fridge and saunters back over to me.
“Shoot.” He passes me the water and we both sit on a plush, light brown couch. I kick my flats off and pull my feet up under me and settle in.
“If you don’t want to have sex with me, why am I staying overnight? We could just meet up during the day.”
His beautiful gray eyes turn arctic, and I know I’ve said the wrong thing.
“I didn’t say I don’t want to have sex with you. I said it’s up to you. And I want you, here, for a full forty-eight hours. I don’t want you to run away from me this time.”
He takes a pull off his beer and glares at me.
Okay.
“Any more questions?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
“One. How many other women have you fucked since I was here last?”
Chapter Three
Holy fucking shit! Why did that just come out of my mouth?
Because I want to know.
Nate’s eyes go wide, and then pissed off again. “Julianne, if you had been paying attention to me over the past year, you’d have noticed that I’m not interested in any woman, for fucking or otherwise, except you.”
Oh. Really?
He pulls his sleeves up to his mid-forearms and runs his hands through his hair in frustration, and my eyes zero in on his right arm.
“What is this?” I scoot closer to him and can’t help but run my fingers down his arm.
“A tattoo.” A smile tickles his lips and I smile back at him.
“Does it go all the way up your arm?”
“Yes. It’s a sleeve.”
Oh my God, it’s sexy. It looks tribal, and it swirls around his forearm, from just above his wrist, disappearing under his shirt.
“So, my conservative-looking, suit-wearing boss has a tattoo and has his penis pierced?” I ask with a smile.
Nate laughs and takes another pull on his beer. “Yes. You didn’t seem to mind the piercing, if memory serves correctly.”
And just like that my panties are soaked and I am on fire. No, I didn’t mind at all.
“No, I don’t mind it.” I smirk. “I just didn’t expect it. How long have you had this?” I run my finger down his arm again, and Nate grabs my hand and kisses it, then links his fingers with mine and rests them in his lap.
“Since my early twenties.”
“Were you a bad boy?” I ask, teasing him.
“Oh, I think I still am on occasion.” He’s grinning, a full out grin, and it just takes my breath away.
“You don’t smile enough,” I murmur.
“I don’t?”
“No, you have a great smile.”
“Thank you. Want to know a secret?”
“Definitely.”
Nate’s still grinning, and he has an edgy, bad boy sparkle in his sexy gray eyes. He props his gorgeous feet on the ottoman in front of him, crossing them at the ankle.
“Most of my front teeth are fake.”
“What? Why?”
“Because they got knocked out.”
“Oh my God! Were you in an accident?” What the hell happened to him?
Nate laughs, and I’m completely confused.
“No, I used to fight.”
“Fight with whom?”
“With other guys who signed up for it.”
“I’m lost.” I’m frowning at him. What the hell is he talking about?
“I used to be a UFC fighter, Julianne.” He’s still smiling, delighted with himself.
“You do MMA?” I ask. I shouldn’t be surprised, that’s exactly the kind of body he has.