The Absence of Olivia(53)
“Nate,” I groaned against his mouth, loving the way he growled when he heard his name come from my lips. If we’d been anywhere else even remotely more private I’d be peeling my shirt off, hoping he’d take me and never look back. But we were outdoors with plenty of people right on the other side of the falls. Anyone could walk back there and find us.
I pulled away from his mouth again, but he wouldn’t let me go far. His hands gripped my face, gently holding me to him, our foreheads pressed together. I felt his fast and fevered breaths pant across my face. My hands rested on his chest feeling his heart beat rapidly.
“I’m sorry,” he finally whispered.
“You’re sorry?” I asked, afraid he regretted the whole exchange. Afraid he thought he’d made a mistake. All the important men in my life had made a mistake with me.
“Lyn, baby, I’m sorry I did that here – in broad daylight. I’m not sorry I kissed you – not at all.” His hands moved reverently over my cheeks and down my neck, as if he just needed to put his hands on any part of me available. My eyes closed at the feeling of his rough and calloused hands moving over my sensitized skin. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I first met you. I’ve been trying to read you, trying to figure out if you’d want that.” He swallowed thickly and I watched his Adam’s apple bob, biting my lower lip to keep myself from moving my mouth toward it. “Tell me you wanted it,” he whispered, his eyes darting back and forth between mine, anxiety apparent in his expression.
I moved my own hands up to wrap around both sides of his thick, corded neck, making sure I said my next words with as much conviction as I could muster. “I’ve never wanted anything more than for you to kiss me.”
He breathed out a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around me, holding me for a few minutes, letting both our bodies come down from the kiss-induced high we’d climbed to just moments before.
“You’re a fantastic kisser,” I said, my voice soft and playful, hoping to lead us out of the thick and heavy moment and back into the light. He squeezed me a little tighter and I felt a slight laugh rumble through him, doing absolutely nothing to calm the arousal I was trying to keep at bay. He leaned back and then gently tucked another tendril of hair behind my ear.
“I must have been inspired.”
“Well, here’s hoping you get inspired again sometime.” I winked at him and this time he let out a legitimate laugh. And just like that, we were back to the easy lightness we’d shared with him all day. One minute he was kissing me like he needed to devour me and the next we were laughing and making jokes. Something in the back of my mind told me this is how it’s supposed to be. It doesn’t always have to be hard or sad or forced. Happiness is light.
I shook my head, trying to free my mind of the profound thoughts making themselves known while I was sitting on an attractive man’s lap.
I stood up and grabbed my camera, draping it around my neck again, and then Nate stood and took my hand, grabbed his backpack, and led me out of the cavern, back in to reality.
Chapter Fifteen
Present Day
“Well, here we are again,” Nate said as he put his truck into park. The afternoon sun was shining through the windshield and his cheeks were just a little pinker for spending the day outdoors.
“Thank you for a great day. It was a lot of fun.” I fiddled with my camera, trying to make it seem like I was putting things in order, when really I was stalling, not ready to leave him yet. When I felt his fingers under my chin I stilled, then lifted my eyes to meet his, which were a lot closer than they just had been.
“I’d like to see you again. Soon.” His face was achingly close, his thumb and forefinger putting just enough pressure on my chin to make my insides melt.
“I’d like that too,” I breathed.
He waited only a moment before he leaned forward and pressed the softest and most patient kiss against my lips. It was a far cry from the urgent kisses we’d shared behind the waterfall. There was still need, but it was simmering instead of boiling. When he finally pulled away, I was breathless. His body moved and I opened my eyes fully, and then realized he was pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He flipped it open and produced a business card.
“This has my cell number on it. I already have your number, now you have mine. I’d like you to use it. I’ll do the same.”
“Okay,” I replied, taking the card from his fingers. I held his gaze for a moment, and then turned to reach for the door handle.
“Hey,” he said softly, making me turn in my seat. “Soon.” That one word sent shivers all through my body and made the air stall in my lungs. I nodded weakly then opened the door and climbed down from his truck. I walked to the door of my studio, noticing that my clothes were completely dry. I was glad for that because I didn’t want to have to go home just yet. I wanted to get some work done.
My mind was still back in the truck with Nate and his kiss, his hands on me, and I didn’t notice that only the bottom lock was turned. Didn’t even pick up on the fact that the deadbolt was unlocked. I did, however, notice the lights were on. I stopped only a few feet in the studio when I saw Devon sitting in my fancy chair behind my desk.
“Devon,” I said, shocked to see him. “What are you doing here? How’d you even get in?”