Dating and Other Dangers (16 page)
Read Dating and Other Dangers Online
Authors: Natalie Anderson
Was that what he thought? Her heart wrung—he was so wrong.
‘But you
do
need people.’ He bent, grasping her upper arms. ‘And you
want
to be valued. You want to be loved, and you should be—just for you.’
She didn’t bother trying to hide the tears
slipping down her cheeks. She just wiped them with uselessly wet fingers.
‘You
are
valued, Nadia. You
are
loved.’ His voice dropped to a whisper. ‘
I
love you.’
‘You don’t.’ He couldn’t. He just couldn’t.
He looked distressed and his fingers tightened. ‘Please believe in me. In us. In yourself. I know there’s courage in you, Nadia. Please trust me.’
‘But I’ve been such a bitch. You can’t possibly like me when I’ve been so horrible.’
The desperate pinch in his features lessened. So did the pressure on her arms. ‘Well, I’ve been a jerk too.’ A smile flashed then. ‘And, yeah, there’ve been a couple of seconds when I didn’t
like
you—but I absolutely love you and I always will.’
It was a mountain blocking her throat now, so she couldn’t speak at all. She couldn’t actually think. There was just amazement and disbelief and relief and the sweetest warm feeling trickling through her.
‘WomanBWarned does a lot of good things. Put in a few more checks and balances, Nadia. Make it better. Don’t destroy it. And let me
help
you—not because I don’t think you can do it on your own, but because I
care
. Let me be beside you, cheering all the way.’
She smiled, the block in her throat melting.
‘You don’t want to be involved in WomanBWarned.’
‘Yes, I do—because it matters to you and I can see what it could be.’ He sighed. ‘It doesn’t matter what any of those people think about me …’ He hesitated, looking almost shy as he muttered, ‘All that matters is what
you
think of me.’
A rainbow burst in her chest, flooding her with colour and warmth and light—and, yes,
courage
. Real genuine courage to go for what she truly wanted. ‘Ethan, I think the world of you.’ She stretched up on tiptoe as if she could make him believe her if she was closer. ‘You’re the sunshine, the air—you’re everything to me. I love you.’
He smiled, but in his eyes there was still a scared look. ‘Really?’
‘It shouldn’t be so hard to believe.’ She ran her fingers down the hard planes of his chest. ‘Let me prove it to you.’
He covered her hand with his and stopped its journey down his flinching abs. ‘I don’t want to think we’re just about sex. I mean, it’s the best
ever
with you, but there’s more to us than—’
‘I know that.’ She put her fingers over his mouth. ‘Take me to bed, please, Ethan—and
make love
with me.’
Still he hesitated. ‘I thought you didn’t want to …’
His bedroom. She remembered now—she’d been such a bitch she’d refused to go into his room last time she was here. ‘Those women are a part of your past,’ Nadia said. ‘I might not like it that much, but I do accept it. Just like you’re willing to accept WomanBWarned.’
‘You know I’m only interested in one woman now,’ he said seriously. ‘And there weren’t really that many notches.’ His eyes suddenly danced. ‘And last week I got a new bed anyway. I thought I’d turn over a new bedspread.’
‘Instead of a new leaf?’
‘Yeah.’ He held her closer still. ‘And it’s so much better than I’d ever have believed.’
‘So I’m going to be the first in your new bed?’ she teased.
‘And the last.’
He hoisted her up and she wound her legs round his waist. He moved quickly. They stripped quickly. But when they lay down they both intuitively slowed. It was love-making at its simplest—face-to-face, arms entwined. The moment of completion was sublime. She clamped her legs together, locking him inside her. He kissed her deeply so they were
as close and connected as possible, taking up only the narrowest space in the super-size bed.
‘I love you,’ he whispered again.
She answered him over and over, until ecstasy hit and sent her to paradise. Clinging to him tightly, she took him with her. She rested on him after, coasting her hand down his chest, joyously free to caress him as she pleased. And she was
so
pleased—so in love.
‘Let’s go on a date.’ She lifted her head, energised by a resurgence of elation. ‘We could go dancing—I’d love to dance with you.’
‘No. I’m not ever going on a date with you again. Not ever.’
She stared down at him, her breath catching.
‘Neither of us are in the dating scene, okay?’ he said intently. ‘We’re in a
relationship
.’
‘A what? ’
‘You heard.’ He grinned—although it was a little short on his usual confidence and heavier on self-consciousness. ‘You’re the woman I want to be with. The only woman. Whatever it takes, Nadia. Even—’ he breathed deep ‘—commitment.’
She clapped a hand over her mouth to hide her giggle of incredulity—and of delight— because there was no doubting his sincerity.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled it back so he could see her smile and kiss it. ‘You and I both knew the minute we laid eyes on each other that we were going to end up in bed together,’ he said huskily. ‘Now we’re just staying there the rest of our lives.’
‘In bed?’
He rolled his eyes. ‘And you accuse
me
of wanting only one thing?’ But he nudged his hips up, pressing between her thighs and proving that he, too, still wanted
that
as much as ever.
Nadia reached her arms round him and hugged him as close as she could, amazed to discover that she could feel so happy. It surged and swamped and then radiated out of her. It couldn’t be contained. He gave her the confidence, the certainty she craved—not just with his actions, but now with words too. His actions had been telling her for days what she’d been too chicken to believe. He’d been there for her. He’d wanted her, challenged her as much as helped her, made her laugh as much as he’d made her mad, and she loved him more passionately than she’d ever thought possible. With him, her heart was infinitely huge.
And finally she could truly believe—he was strong, supportive, sexy and
hers
.
‘I won’t let you down, Nadia,’ he whispered, his expression filled with pure liquid promise.
‘I know.’ She framed his face between her palms. ‘I won’t let you down either. It’s going to be fun.’
He smiled, his face as handsomely charming as ever, and full of inner emotion. ‘It’s going to be for ever.’
WomanBWise
!
I’m Nadia Keenan—formerly
OlderNWiser
on
WomanBWarned
. I know we’ve been counting down to our whole new look for a few weeks now, and I’m so thrilled to be able to unveil it today!
First up—you’ve noticed the change in name, right?
I know my old ID said I was wiser—fact was, I wasn’t. I’m still not. There’s so much I have to learn… We all do, right? But we can get there together …
So, welcome to the launch of
WomanBWise
. I hope you like the new format, I think it’s pretty easy to navigate your way round. We’ve incorporated several of your suggestions from
our “feedback frenzy”, and we’ve added in a few new ideas of our own. There are a couple more boxes to fill in when you register, but we think it’s worth the extra five seconds. And remember your privacy is important to us. We don’t share your personal info with any third parties.
Some exciting new features include our online shop—you can get our too-cute tee shirts, and we also have a very nifty personal alarm that’s little enough to conceal in the tiniest of evening bags—or, even better, on yourself. And if you’re a girl who likes bubbles at a party, be sure to pick up one of our cute bottle stops that fits onto your mini-bottle. You sip through a straw so there’s no chance of your drink being spiked. It fits soda and juice bottles too and, again, will tuck into your purse super-easy.
Our personal safety items aren’t about being paranoid, but about being prepared when you get your party shoes on. We’re all about making smart, strong, safe choices. And we’re about building a sisterhood that supports. Mr 3 Dates and You’re Out was right—we women
do love to share. And so we should—the good as well as the bad!
Yes, there’s a new section for your best date destination ideas, and a section for success stories—there’s one up there already. You might have read about them before…they had a little blog war going for a while there;)
Dating, dancing, going to dinner and meeting new people should be a fun and positive experience. But sometimes it doesn’t work out. Sometimes bad stuff happens. So let’s listen, clue each other in, and learn—so we can move forward and maybe make fewer mistakes …
And as you all begged for it, there will be a regular blog from Mr 3 Dates—our man from the dark side. I know how popular his views are with you all!
Meanwhile, he and I are now up to date number 128. Yes, I know its only three months since our first dreadful movie date, but we’ve been having a few two-date days. Actually, Ethan insists we’re no longer dating, but that we’re in a relationship. He’s given me a diamond to try to prove it.
But we are dating—because how can
I run a dating divas support centre if I’m not dating?
Oh okay—to settle his nerves, I confess online, in public and unreservedly, that I’ll be dating him the rest of my life …
Which just goes to show that even the burnt-by-boys girl and the scared-to-settle guy can get over it when they meet the right one for them …
So get out there, get dating, and have some safe, sexy fun. If fate has her way you’ll find your one when you least expect it. But, no matter what, remember that we’re all here to help, listen and laugh along the way—and we’ll be wise women together!
Love, Nadia.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II BV/S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
® and TM are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
First published in Great Britain 2011
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Natalie Anderson 2011
ISBN: 978-1-408-91752-7
