Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(80)

Olivia gasped behind me. “They’re doing it again, Ollie,” she whispered from her seat on the couch.

“Let me know when they’re not doing it.”

I laughed against Nathan’s mouth.

He pulled away, smiling, and lifted his hand to wave at the kids.

“Bye!” they both yelled.

“If you guys aren’t busy later, maybe we could meet up for dinner or something?” Nathan opened the door and stepped outside.

I leaned my shoulder against the doorframe, fighting the smile of my life. “We’ve never met up for dinner before…Would this be a date?”

He grinned, answering quietly, “You bet your sweet fucking ass it’s a date. Do you have any idea how badly I’ve been wanting to take you out? Seriously, Jenna, I plan on dating you so much, you’re going to get sick of it.”

“Doubt it.” I winked at him.

His hands flew dramatically to his chest. “Is that what it feels like to be winked at?”

“Every time.”

“Damn.” Nathan looked back at me as he walked to the stairs. He disappeared to the floor below. “I just winked!” he yelled.

“I felt it!”

“Yeah, you did!”

I closed the door and laughed into my apartment.





Chapter Twenty





NATHAN




I stayed true to my word and took Jenna on a date every chance I got. We hit nearly every restaurant in Dogwood Beach (excluding my own, since I wouldn’t be paying for a meal there). And on the evenings I worked late—when she couldn’t hold off on making something to eat for her and the kids—we went somewhere for dessert.

She was happy, so fucking happy—even though the kids tagged along on our dates. We never went out just the two of us. We couldn’t. I felt like every moment I had with her was being chaperoned.

Not that I didn’t like us all being together. I did. I liked Oliver and Olivia a lot, but I wanted to be alone with Jenna. Needed to be alone. Two weeks of practically zero intimacy aside from what could be done in front of our kids led to a substantial amount of daydreaming on my part, and I did that shit everywhere.

At work. Driving around. At home, with Jenna five feet away from me…

“Are you listening to me? Nathan…”

I lifted my head, dragging my gaze off the granite countertop I had zoned out on, and met Jenna’s curious stare. She stood right across from me. “Mm? Of course I was listening. I always listen.”

“Yeah?” Her brow lifted in challenge. “What did I just say?”

“Something about the kids…” I was guessing.

“What specifically about them?”

I tugged at the knot in my tie, loosening it as I glanced into the family room. The three of them were huddled together on the couch, watching something on TV. They hadn’t moved since I got home—however long ago that was. I’d completely lost track of time, and my focus.

In my head I was trying to remember how Jenna moved beneath me.

“You have no idea what I was saying. Just admit it.”

Jenna was smiling when I looked at her again. Her hair had been in two braids this morning before I left for work, but it wasn’t now. It fell past her shoulders in thick, dark curls.

“I like your hair like that,” I said.

“Thank you.”

“You’re too far away from me. Come here.”

She walked around the counter, watching me closely as she moved. “Do I need to be over here next to you to get that admission?” she asked, stopping in front of me.

“I’m not admitting to anything, aside from wanting you over here.” I gently held her waist with one hand. Two and I’d pull her against me. I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t bet on my own restraint at this point.

“You know, I can tell when you’re thinking about other things. It’s okay if you weren’t listening.” Jenna popped the top button of my shirt, flicked my collar open, and sighed as her fingertip grazed my throat. “I miss you,” she whispered. “So much, Nathan. God, how long has it been?”

I pinched my eyes shut and groaned. “We’re on day thirteen.”

“It feels longer than that.”

“Tell me about it.” My eyes flashed open, and I grabbed her wrist when I felt her touch move down my chest and reach my stomach. “Don’t,” I said. “I’ll admit to anything right now. Just please, keep your hands above my waist.”

Jenna laughed. “I wasn’t going to go any lower than your belt.” Her green eyes narrowed, and in the quietest voice she said, “Admit you want me to go lower.”

My voice echoed hers in volume. “I want you to go lower.”

“Admit you thought about me at work today and got hard.”

I cocked my head.

She cocked hers, losing most of her smile when I remained silent. “Okay, I totally wish I wouldn’t have said that now…sorry.”

“I thought about you at work today and got hard.” When she grinned up at me, I added, “More than once.”

“I think about you constantly,” Jenna admitted, sounding a little shy all of a sudden. “Especially when I’m trying to get something done. I was reviewing this document today for my boss and I completely lost my focus. I had to restart the same paragraph six times. It was so frustrating.”