Justice Falling (Falling #3)(33)
I glanced at the lovely Camille. She worried her lips with her teeth and held her hands so tight her knuckles had turned white.
I wove a path around the bar, slid my hands to her waist along her thighs to push her knees wide apart. She gasped as I pressed in between her open legs, caging my body exactly where I wanted to be. Her skirt was safely guarding her modesty but this close, I was able to fully gage her feelings.
“It’s not a big deal. I’m sorry I asked. That was uncalled for. You tense up when I mention Ty’s name.” Again her shoulders tightened. I cupped each side of her neck, rubbed the area where her shoulders met and massaged the tension until she was a wet noodle in my arms.
She groaned and tilted her head back. I took that as an offering of her delectable neck. I placed long slow kisses from the tip of her chin down the underside along the front of her neck to the hollow between her clavicles. There I dipped my tongue and swirled it, tasting her. Her hands slowly became more inquisitive, her nails dragging along the bare skin of my forearms, driving me insane with lust. My sweet Camille had no idea what she was doing to me. If we didn’t stop soon, I’d have her laid out bare on my kitchen counter. She deserved better than that. So much better. Camille deserved to be worshiped, and I planned on doing just that.
Chapter 9
Nate pulled away and slid his hands along my arms from the ball of my shoulder down to my fingertips. Chills raced along the skin he caressed. With a sweetness that could only be seen in his eyes and the tilt of his head, he brought my hands to his lips and proceeded to kiss every finger.
With a deep breath and a calming sigh I answered him. “It’s really okay that you asked. I put it out there. I’m embarrassed that he was the man I gave myself to but it was a very brief relationship. It only lasted a little longer than a month and ended poorly. He’s not a good man. Not like you are.” I held his hands, and repeated his motion kissing each of his knuckles instead.
When I looked up, I was surprised to see a glacial, icy glare. “What do you mean he’s not a good man, Camille? Did he hurt you?” He said through clenched teeth.
“Nate, it was a long time ago. I barely remember. Right now, I want to focus on us, you and me. Tonight.” At that moment a buzzer went off. For a few long moments, Nate ignored the blaring alarm. “You’re going to burn our dinner and then how are you going to woo me with your cooking prowess?”
His features softened and a coy grin melted the anger from his face. “You’d be surprised at my abilities, Precious. Cooking is but one of my specialties.” He waggled his brows and placed a sweet kiss to my wrist, then moved from between my legs to manage the rest of the dinner duties. Instantly, I missed having him there. His warmth had seeped into my skin and straight through to my soul. Who knew that dominant, Alpha, Type-A personality, Nathaniel Walker, would end up being a gentleman? That was a most pleasant surprise.
I was certain that his aggressive, confident nature would flow into his relationships, but he was treating me like a lady, being the perfect…well, the perfect man. Not pushing, or taking advantage as he had when we first met. It would be all too easy for him to steamroll his way into my panties. I almost wished he would push a little harder. I wanted to let go, be with him in all ways. He’d had me on a slow burn since the moment we spoke on the phone two weeks ago. Watching him cook, move around his kitchen, all tight muscles and strong arms had my body tingling in places it hadn’t in so long. Every time Nate put his fingertips to my skin, it electrified, sparked, turned on something that had long sat dormant.
We ate his home cooked chicken marsala paired with the most scrumptious caprese salad I’d ever had at the bar in his kitchen. He asked about my online schooling and whether I enjoyed working for Hank. I explained that I was holding out hope that at my six month review, I’d get a raise and full medical benefits. He frowned at that information. Probably something he’d never had to worry about. What I didn’t share was that if a raise and benefits occurred, I’d be able to afford to quit stripping at Gems, which was the ultimate goal. It would also give me more time in the evenings to work on my studies, allowing me to get through my coursework quicker. As was my new habit, I made sure to change the subject back to him so he couldn’t barrage me with questions about things I wasn’t prepared to answer.
Nate told me more about his family and how happy he was that his brother Collier had found his soul mate in London, Hank’s sister-in-law. He shared the experience they had a few months prior when Collier almost died the night of Hank and Aspen’s wedding in a nasty car accident. Then after medical tests, found out that her best friend Tripp, who I hadn’t met yet, was a match and gave him a kidney.
“That is wild! I can’t believe that. And you say Collier and Tripp weren’t close?”
Nate shook his head. “Quite the opposite actually. The two men barely tolerated one another,” he laughed.
“And he still donated his kidney to him?”
Nate nodded and took a bite of his pasta and chicken with a huge grin on his face. I loved that smile. It could make any dark day brighter. “Wow. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for London. And now they’re the best of friends?”
“Yeah. It all worked out aces!” Nate stood, went to the fridge and pulled out some fresh pears. He set them on the cutting board and started slicing.