AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What?” he asked with a forced innocent twinkle in his green eyes. “I came down here to put out a fire.”
Amelia cast a glance in the direction where Parker disappeared. “There’s no fire between me and Parker.”
“Clearly,” Nate mumbled.
“What fire were you thinking of?”
“I understand Brittany is here.” He sighed. “I didn’t want her to make things uncomfortable.”
“Uncomfortable for whom? Me? Or for you, when I leave?”
Nate scowled down at her. “Leave for where? You don’t have a job, remember?”
“Perhaps not with MET.” Amelia bit her lip. At this point in their relationship—whatever that meant—Amelia knew she needed to stop with her fabrication. In truth, she hadn’t expected to hit things off with Nate outside of a bed. Getting to know him made it harder to face leaving at the end of the month. Grandmamma would be home Monday and Amelia gave herself a couple of weeks to get her settled into the new arrangements and then she’d head back on the Azúcar tour. Reality TV was her life. Southwood would never be as exciting.
So, recalling her plans to leave town in a week, she talked herself into keeping it to herself that she’d been suspended and not fired. She had something slick to say but any form of comment was lost in a gasp when Nate spun her around and dipped her. He held her body close to the ground, cradling her head and lower back.
“Let’s not talk about the future,” Nate whispered in her ear, “at least nothing after the next few hours.”
Amelia’s right brow rose in curiosity. “Only a few hours? Why, Nathaniel Reyes, I do declare,” she said in her utmost Scarlett O’Hara imitation.
* * *
The rest of the evening blew by in a breeze. Nate held Amelia’s hand the entire evening, dragging her with him through every joint-bachelorette-bachelor game possible from Never Have I Ever and the newlywed game to a good, old-fashioned soul-train line. Only couples were invited to hang out in the VIP section, and Nate was grateful for Sam and Emily playing Cupid. Instead each man pulled a slip of paper with a name on it from a top hat and then the women did the same. The names were all male characters from different movies. He guessed each movie was a romance. Nate drew the name Darius Lovehall. When Amelia sauntered over to him and displayed her name, Nina Mosley, he remembered the movie Love Jones. Not all couples were matched perfectly like they were but Nate didn’t care. The prize for matching up the fastest was crowns for a king and queen, courtesy of Lexi and her shop. The winners also had the time to share a slow dance before the group left for a decked-out party bus to bring everyone home. Nate had been so sexually charged watching Amelia lick buttercream icing off her naughty-themed cupcake and sucking the lime after her tequila shot, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to make it out of the bus.
“You didn’t have to walk me to my door,” said Amelia.
Nate took Amelia’s house keys from her hand and shook his head as they walked up the ramp he’d built with his own two hands. “Of course I did.”
“Afraid the bogeyman might be waiting?”
“If he goes by the name of Parker Ward.” Nate grimaced. “Seems like he was everywhere tonight.”
“Whatever.”
Before sticking the key into the door, Nate turned to wink. “Hey, I’m pulling out all the stops here to make sure you’re not planning on saving a dance with him tomorrow.”
“I can’t save a dance?”
“No,” said Nate, trying to contain his desire as her airy giggle filled the night air. “You’re to only save everything for me.”
The bus’s horn blew and took off, laughter echoing in the early morning hours. The passengers they’d partied with tonight hung out the window waving goodbye. If Nate didn’t know any better, he was sure his brother was driving the bus.
“Your ride seems to have left you,” said Amelia, nodding in the direction of the disappearing red taillights.
“Remind me to kill my brother tomorrow,” Nate grumbled. He took her keys and opened t
he front door. “Mind if I use the phone to call a cab?”
Amelia batted her lashes and shook her head. “It’s late, Nate. And it’s not like you haven’t spent the night here before.”
“True.” Nate cleared his throat. He opened the door with ease and stepped aside to allow her inside. When he reached to hand her the house keys, Amelia clasped her small, soft hand with his and gave him a sly smile as she pulled him through the doorway.
“But this will be the first night you sleep in my bed.”
Not needing another word, Nate stepped farther inside and kicked the door closed with his foot. Amelia guided him through the living room to the stairs, occasionally giving him a seductive blink when she glanced over her shoulders. She took two steps before him and brought herself to his eye level.
Nate steadied himself as Amelia leaned forward to press her lips against his. Immediately he swiped his tongue into her sweet, frosting-flavored mouth. He increased the intensity of the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his hard body. Every inch of him ached for her. His fingers traced her heart-shaped derriere. Their tongues danced to the rhythm of their moans. Amelia’s fingers traced his shoulders, his chest and the waistband of his pants. She fumbled with his belt buckle and he sighed with desire as the strap of leather hit the stairs. He was ready...so, so ready.
