Hooker (L.A. Liaisons Book 2) (20 page)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Cheesetastic

“WHERE ARE WE going?” I asked Nate for the twentieth time in the past two hours.

“Crazy.”

I rolled my eyes and leaned back in the passenger seat of his car, letting my hand drift out the window to ride the wind. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in March, and all I’d been told was to pack an overnight bag. “You’ve already reached that destination, thank you very much. Is there some special occasion we’re celebrating that I don’t know about?”

“I can’t just take my girlfriend away for a weekend?” He glanced over and saw my raised eyebrow and then said, “Okay, fine. But it’s cheesy. You’ll probably throw up.”

“Sometimes I like your brand of cheesy. But if I need to, I’ll stick my head out the window.”

“Fair enough. We met two months ago.”

“Yeah…”

“So, that’s it. We met two months ago. On the train—”

“Oh my God, you cheesy, romantic bastard. This is an anniversary sort of thing, is it?”

“Or…a just-because thing.”

I shook my head, laughing. “Oh, Dimples, who would’ve thought such a sentimental sap was underneath those sexy suspenders? Should I start taking you to chick flicks and forcing you to read love stories?”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a good love story.”
 

“Is that right.”

“
The Great Gatsby
.
The Remains of the Day
. Love is the central theme, so maybe it’s rubbed off a bit.”

“I love that you’re such a book nerd. It’s seriously hot. Is that where we’re going? Some place you can read to me in a meadow while I feed you grapes?”

“Not sure we’ll find meadows, but grapes are a definite. In some form or other.”

“Oooh, well, count me in.”

“Seeing as you’re already in the car, you don’t have a choice.”

“And that right there is why I was single for so long. You get in a relationship, and bam! All your free will goes away.” As Nate laughed, the twinges of guilt that I’d lived with for weeks now, but tried to keep at bay, resurfaced to remind me they were there.
 

Ace had been shooting in San Diego for three weeks, and last weekend I’d made a quick “impromptu” visit to the set, which was a crazy experience in and of itself. It had been enough to be seen going in and out of the places he’d be, so we hadn’t had to make any public appearances, for which I’d been grateful. I enjoyed spending time with Ace, but every minute with him was one I was missing out on with Nate.

But I wasn’t going to think about that this weekend. I was going to enjoy myself with my guy and whatever he had planned.

A few minutes later, we were parked and strolling into the foyer of Bridgefield Winery.
 

Oh yes. Loverboy had taken me to a winery. Hands off, ladies.
 

The trickle of a waterfall we passed and the light hum of Italian opera playing in the distance greeted us as we walked up to the check-in desk.

“Wait, are we staying here too?” I whispered.
 

“That okay?”

“Is that okay? I’m in freakin’ heaven.”
 

“Welcome to Bridgefield,” the deeply tanned woman behind the counter said. “Checking in?”

As Nate gave her his information, my gaze drifted over to the open glass double doors that offered a gorgeous view of the lush greenery spread out for acres and the hills in the distance. The sky today was a cloudless blue, and without the city lights, we’d be able to lie underneath the stars later, or maybe enjoy the square bonfire pit with the rocking chairs gathered around it. It was so peaceful here, and with the chaos that had crowded my brain for too many weeks now, it was a welcome relief.
 

As the woman handed Nate a clipboard and pen, she peered at me over her glasses. “You look familiar. Have you stayed with us before?”

My limbs turned to ice as I froze and sent up a silent prayer that she wasn’t thinking what I hoped she wasn’t thinking. When I didn’t answer right away, Nate looked over at me.
 

“Uh, no,” I said, finding my voice and pulling my hat down farther.
 

I wasn’t about to mention I’d gone wine-hopping here with the girls a couple of years back, because first, that wasn’t where she would’ve recognized me from, and second, I was ready to get the hell out of there before the real reason I looked familiar hit her.
 

“Hmm. I can’t seem to place where I’ve seen you before,” she said, pushing her glasses up her nose as she continued to scrutinize me.
 

Shit, let it go, woman.
 

“I get that a lot,” I said, before casually slipping behind Nate. Then she handed him a keycard and gave him directions to our room and we were off, away from the prying eyes of anyone who could blow my cover.
 

That had been a close call.
Too
close. I guess I could’ve pulled out the short black bob for the drive up, but I didn’t think it would be necessary to freak Nate out. I’d only been using scarves and hats around him because the wigs seemed a little extreme, but rare moments like this had me panicking that maybe I’d need to put them to good use after all.
 

When we reached room 112, I teased, “Will you be carrying me over the threshold too?”
 

Nate dropped his bag just outside the door. “You read my mind.”

“Whoa, I was kidding,” I said, batting him away. “How about you open the door instead, Romeo.”
 

He laughed as he leaned in for a kiss. “You do know this is a romantic weekend getaway, and I plan on spoiling you, right? I’m gonna need you to get on board with this.” His teeth nipped at my bottom lip, teasing until I wrapped my arms around his neck and crushed my lips to his.
 

“You can do that…in bed. Please and thank you.”
 

With my mouth swallowing his groan, he inserted the room key—though it took several tries—and shoved the door open, and we tumbled inside. I let go long enough for him to grab the bags from the hallway, and as we entered the dark room, the soft flickering of battery-operated tea light candles spread out around the room greeted us. At the end of the king-size bed were more candles, along with flower petals, chilled wine, and glasses.
 

“Wow,” I said softly.
 

There’d never been any candles and rose petals anywhere in my past relationships. No weekend getaways, no romantic gestures anywhere near this level. Had I just been deprived of romance this whole time, or was Nate an exception to most men?
 

His arms went around my waist from behind me, warm and strong, and then one of his hands snaked down lower. “You don’t mind if I have you all to myself for a private tasting, do you?”
 

The kiss he planted beneath my ear echoed through my whole body, and I shivered. Covering his wayward hand with mine, I pushed his fingers down even farther, until it reached the apex of my thighs.
 

My head fell back on his shoulder as he teased me, achingly slowly, over my jeans. Pressed up against me, I could feel his erection growing with every stroke he gave me. Just as my breath hitched and I grabbed the back of his neck, he was pushing me away.
 

“It’s rude to tease,” I said, watching as he set the pair of glasses on the table and began to uncork the bottle of wine.
 

“What? I said I wanted a private tasting.”

My bottom lip popped out. “I thought you meant of me.”

“Oh, I did.” He poured us each a glass of the chilled, golden liquid and handed me one.
 

“Are we toasting happy anniversary?” I teased.

“How about cheers, smartass, now go get naked.”

I took a long gulp and set my glass on the nightstand. With my back to him, I flirted with the edge of my top and then pulled it up over my head, tossing it over my shoulder. He caught it, and when I faced him and unbuttoned my jeans, he held up his hand.
 

“Don’t you fucking dare,” he said.
 

“Oh, I dare,” I said, unzipping my pants just as he lunged and tackled me to the bed.
 

And then…it was
on
.
 

Nate’s hands were on me everywhere, running down my sides, up over my breasts, unbuttoning my bra. He slid it down my arms, and then he straightened, sitting back on his knees. His lips quirked as he looked down to what I was staring at. “You like these?” he asked, pulling on the straps of his suspenders.
 

“Mhmm, I do.”

He unfastened one and then the other. Crawling over me, he pushed my arms up over my head and touched my lips lightly with his. “Then I guess we’ll have to put them to good use. What do you say?”

I moaned my approval, and he gathered my wrists together with one hand and wound his suspenders around them with the other. His lips trailed a path of kisses down my neck…my shoulder…settling on the pointy tips of my breasts.
 

Arching my back up off the bed, I rubbed against him, needing the friction, since I wasn’t able to touch. His hips ground into mine, and his hands moved quickly, peeling off my jeans to reveal the ice-blue lace panties I’d bought just for this weekend. Knowing it was the only color he could really see had me consciously picking out clothes just for him.
 

The warm, wet feel of his tongue between my thighs had me bucking up, a quick swipe that had my breath rushing out. Then the panties were discarded and his mouth was back on me, and
fuck
, I wanted to spear my hands into his hair, to hold him there or push him away because the pleasure was too intense. Writhing underneath him, my arms desperately trying to wriggle out of its hold, I cried out as the wave crested and then crashed spectacularly, sweeping me away with its powerful pull.
 

I was trembling as I came down from the high, and as Nate’s mouth left me, his hands massaged the outside of my thighs to soothe.
 

 
When I caught my breath, I glanced over at the wine glasses by the bed. “And here I thought you’d be using the wine for a little private tasting.”

“That had been the plan, but fuck, you taste better than anything out of a bottle.”

Oh fuck me
, that might be the best compliment I’d ever heard.
 

As he kissed his way up my body, I lost myself in his touch, his caress, both gentle and strong, and in the dirty sweet nothings he whispered as he filled me so entirely that I couldn’t imagine ever feeling complete without him.

* * *

THREE HOURS AND four—count ’em, four—orgasms later, we were still tangled in the sheets, the lights off and the doors leading outside open so the wind could breeze in and we could see the stars.
 

“It was like this where I grew up,” I said. “So quiet at night and you could see out for miles.”

“Must’ve been nice. The view wasn’t anything like this in Michigan. All I remember is snow for months.”

“Snow is pretty.”

Nate’s chest vibrated with laughter. “Yeah, because you’ve never been in it.”

“True. Maybe you’ll take me there sometime.”

“Maybe so.” I could hear the grin in his voice. “Speaking of…do I get to meet your parents anytime soon?”

“Uh, you really want to talk about my parents while we’re naked?”

“You’re avoiding the question.”
 

“I’m not—” I started, and then shook my head. “Sorry to dash your dreams, but they’re not visiting until next year. So
if
I’m still putting up with you then, I guess I’ll let you tag along,” I said with a wink.
 

He clutched at his heart. “
If
, she says. Don’t you guys Skype every week?”
 

“Hold on. You want to Skype with me and my parents? Really?” A slow smile spread across my face. “You liiiiike me, you want to kiiiiiss me—”

“Oh bugger off,” he said, and that had me laughing. “See? You’re already rubbing off on me.”

“Maybe don’t say
that
particular expression when you meet them.”

“So it’s
when
now, huh?” His grin turned arrogant.
 

“Yeah, I guess I’ll claim you.”

“That’s good to know,” he said, as his hands played in my hair. “So you know the project I’ve been working on?”

“The one you’ve been talking about but not talking about for weeks? No, I have no idea,” I said, grinning as I nudged him with my knee. “Please tell me more of nothing about it.”

Nate was on top of me in a flash, his eyes twinkling as he pinned me to the bed. Laughing, I struggled to escape, but gave up when he interlaced our fingers over my head.
 

“We’re booked for showcases next month. I want you there.”

“Mhmm, I think I can make that happen,” I said, lifting up to catch his lips in a kiss, but he dodged out of my reach.
 

“Promise?”

A fleeting thought of checking in with Ace went through my head, but even if something came up with him, there was no way I would miss Nate’s big event. It was only one night, after all. He could deal.
 

“On second thought, I might be busy that day…” I teased, pushing my hips up against his.
 

“Don’t make me tie you up again and force you. I’ll do it.”

I pulled my left leg out from underneath him and wrapped it around his hips, pushing him down onto me as I arched into him again. “How bad do you want me there?”
 

His eyes glazed over with lust at my sexual invitation.
 

“Pretty fucking bad,” he said, licking his lips as one hand came down to hold the leg I had around him firmly in place. His mouth went to my neck, brushing so light against my skin that I shivered. “Tell me…will you come for me?”

“Come for you…or with you?”

“With me,” he said, his lips grazing mine. “Always.”

A whispered “yes” lingered in the air as I rolled on top of him, giving just as good as I’d been given.