“Let’s do that first.” Nate’s hand tightens around mine as we descend the steep hill leading down to the Market.
When we reach the cobblestone street below, I take a deep breath and look around. This is the heart of Seattle. Business men and blue collar guys, families and couples, and people of all shapes and sizes and colors. There are musicians on the sidewalk, singing and playing instruments for change, and they are incredible, drawing quite a crowd.
I love the sights, sounds and smells.
“I’m so glad you suggested this.” I smile up at my man. “I haven’t been down here in ages, and I love it.”
“Me too.” Nate kisses my forehead and leads me into Starbucks. We order our drinks and wander through the market, starting at the end with my tiny donuts, so we can munch on the hot, soft goodness while we wander.
“SALMON!” Someone yells, and a large gray salmon goes sailing through the air in front of us. A man in orange pants held up with brown suspenders catches the fish and throws it back to the guy in the same outfit behind the fish counter.
Nate and I smile at each other, and watch the fish throwing show for a few minutes, sipping our coffee and eating our tiny donuts, soaking up Seattle.
More fish sail back and forth, the men yelling and putting on a fun show. Nate and I pick out two large lobsters, and they are packaged in a box with a handle for easy carrying.
With his hands full of lobster and coffee, I push a bite of donut in his mouth and we continue through the market, winding through a sea of people. It’s impossible to shop at Pike’s Market in a hurry. There are too many people, especially on a weekend.
Nate and I choose our salad veggies and he buys me a gorgeous bouquet of fresh tulips and gerbera daisies.
“Thank you, babe. These are gorgeous.” I bury my face in them and breathe in their sweet fragrance and smile up at him.
“Like you.” He kisses my nose, tosses his empty coffee cup in a nearby garbage, and presses his hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the Market and onto the sidewalk.
I look up and freeze. Fuck.
“What’s wrong?” Nate asks and follows my stare. “Shit,” he whispers.
Not twenty feet away from us is Carly from the office. She’s turned away from us, looking at a hand-made scarf. She pays the vendor and turns her head our way, and her eyes catch mine. I hold my breath, just waiting for her to say something, but she doesn’t. Nothing in her expression changes, and it’s as though we’re strangers. She gathers her shopping bags and walks in the opposite direction of us without looking back.
“She saw us,” I whisper.
He kisses my forehead and nuzzles my ear with his nose. “Don’t worry,” he whispers.
Suddenly, a little brown-haired boy about three years old stops in front of Nate, crying, and looks up at him. “Daddy?”
“Hey, buddy.” Nate sets the lobster on the ground at his feet and kneels before the little guy who is obviously lost. “Are you looking for your daddy?”
The boy nods and continues to cry. Nate pats his little shoulder reassuringly and smiles gently. “What’s your name.”
“Bwian.”
“Brian?”
He nods again. “Okay, Brian, let’s find your daddy.”
Nate hands me the lobster box and takes Brian’s tiny hand in his and looks around. He doesn’t have to look far as a panicked-faced man comes running over to us.
“Brian! You can’t wander away like that!” He pulls the boy up into his arms and kisses his cheek and smiles ruefully at Nate. “Thanks. I swear, you turn your back for a second…”
“No problem,” Nate smiles back. “I’m glad you found him.”
I’ve taken in the whole scene with a bit of awe. Nate is so easy with kids. They just seem to be pulled to him.
And for the first time in my life, the thought of having kids doesn’t scare the shit out of me. Nate would love us, protect us, and just be… Nate.
Could I be a wife and a mom full time, not consumed with work?
Maybe.
Nate turns back to me and smiles, takes the lobster box out of my hand, and laces our fingers together with his free hand. “Ready to head home?”
Oh. My. God.
Yes. I could definitely make a family with this man. And it renders me speechless.
“Baby?” He frowns when I just stand here, staring at him.
I shake myself out of my trance and grin. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty Nine
“Wake up, baby.” I’m on my stomach and my arms are under my pillow, cradling my head. Nate brushes my hair off my face and kisses my cheek.
“What time is it?” I mumble.
“Six,” he murmurs and kisses my shoulder. Mmm… that feels good. I’m not ready for Monday.
“I don’t want to get up.” I keep my eyes closed.
“I know,” he whispers and runs the flat of his hand down my spine to my ass and back up again and I groan. Nate kisses my cheek and nibbles my earlobe, and my body comes awake. “Grab the pillow, baby.”
I pull my arms out from under the pillow and grip each end in my fists. I open one eye and gasp at the sight of my sexy man, long black hair loose, tribal tattoo down his right arm and another down his left side, looking all sleepy and sexy and mine.
“You’re sexy,” I murmur.
“I want you,” he whispers.
“I’m right here, ace.”
He plants a wet kiss on my shoulder and whispers in my ear, “Don’t let go of the pillow.”
One of his hands glides back down my spine to my ass, and he strips the covers off me to the end of the bed. He moves between my legs, pushing them apart with his knees, braces himself above me with his fists on either side of my torso and kisses his way down my back to my ass.
“Nate,” I whisper.
“Yes, baby.” He licks and nips each of my cheeks and slides a hand up my inner thigh, finding me wet and waiting for him. “Fuck, Julianne, you’re so wet.”
“I need you inside me, babe.”