Nate(84)

I worried it was dancing, but she was the same on her rest day, too.

Her premiere was coming up, so maybe it was that?

God. I was hoping it was because I was wracking my brain, and I had no clue what it could be. The more she pulled away, the more I became fixated on keeping her here with me.

I was at a loss, so I was on the phone with my sister.

“I don’t know what to do.”

I ran it down for her already.

She was quiet for a moment, a long moment. “You’re sleeping together?”

“Yeah.” I explained that.

“And you had the talk about where you guys were as being together together?”

I frowned. I hadn’t explained that. “Err, no.”

She expelled a snort. “You gotta talk to her.”

“I did. I tried.”

“Try again.”

“Aspen, you don’t get it. She’s not—”

“She’s female. Sometimes, you have to try more than once.”

“I did.”

Why was I fighting my sister on this?

“Try. Again.” She sounded exasperated. Then “Hey!”

A rustling sound.

“Nathaniel.”

I gritted my teeth, hearing my brother-in-law on the phone. Not because I was hearing Blaise, but because he’d taken to using my full name, and I wasn’t a fan of my full name.

“Asswipe.”

He grunted. “I’ll accept that.”

“Blaise!” From Aspen. She wasn’t amused.

His voice sounded from afar. I was guessing he turned away. “I’m a dude. You are not, and thank God you aren’t, but let me explain it to him real simple. Nate.” His voice was clearer. “Chicks want groveling. They want to be princesses. It’s not their fault. They were taught to want that before they’re out of the womb, man. You need to pamper her, and I’m not talking wining and dining. I’m talking you make them feel loved and cherished and respected. They’ve got like a Mason jar of feelings, and depending on your chick, it could be clear, or it could be all muddied up. I’m betting yours is muddied up from what Aspen’s shared with me, so you’re the rag. You gotta get in there and wipe that jar clean. Make it sparkle and shine and all that jazz, and when it is, typically, your chick will love you forever. You want her to love you forever?”

Love?

“Uh…”

Love?!

Blaise sighed on his end. “Oh, boy. That’s situation number one to handle. What do you want? You need to figure that out. When you do, either leave the jar alone or get in there and start cleaning.”

“You are—”

Blaise turned from the phone. “What am I?”

“I don’t know, but give me the phone back. Also, I love you. A lot. Also, I don’t expect to be treated like a princess.”

“I’m aware. That’s why I fell fucking hard for you, and you love me a lot because I make sure your jar is cleaned, babe.” Blaise was sounding smug. “Peace out, Nathaniel. Listen to me. I know my shit when it comes to women.”

Aspen was back on the phone, and she rumbled, “I hate to give him some credit, but he’s not wrong. It does sound like you need to know where you are sitting and then go from there.”

We talked a bit more, but the meat of the phone call was done. And I wasn’t sure if I had been helped or not. I needed to know what I wanted.

Got it.

I could do that.

But…

What did I want?





46





Quincey





I woke to kisses on my back.

Nate’s hand moved the blanket off me.

I was rolled away from him, half on my stomach, and I felt him kiss down my neck.

My shoulders.

He tugged my tank up and rolled it off my head, then went back and began kissing down my spine.

Pleasure was pulsing through my body.

I shivered, a good shiver and my insides were melting into one giant throb kind of shiver. I needed him. I wanted him.

I began to roll toward him because I was going to have him.

He held me down. “No. Let me do this.”

“What?”

But my breath hitched because I liked this. A lot.

I was excited about this.

But I growled because I wanted him, even if he was the one to start this.

He moved my underwear down, and then his mouth was there, and I was gasping.

“Nate!”

I heard and felt him chuckle at the same time.

It was sending me reeling.

His lips moved, searching me, and he was holding my hips in his hands. He was keeping me anchored for him.

Oh.

My.

God.

I couldn’t—I gasped when his tongue hit deep, and I grabbed for the bed to keep myself in place.

I didn’t need to worry. His hold on my hips was strong. He was holding me exactly where he wanted, and as a silent scream worked up through my throat, he angled my hips higher, and then I felt him line up behind me.

He lay almost over me, moving and grabbing my wrists in both hands, then he thrust in.

It was intense.

It was exhilarating.

I couldn’t stop writhing in place, moving with him, but he held me still. This was all him as he pounded me out.