Once and Again: Petal, Georgia, Book 1 (11 page)

Well that wasn’t the story he’d expected at all. Beth had mentioned Mrs. Travis having some problems, but she hadn’t been specific and had told him to ask Lily.

He knew a few things about parents who drank too much, but his experience wasn’t hers, though it was hard not to frame it all from his perspective. “If she’s falling, it’s only going to get worse.”

“I know. I’m here because she’s with her friends all day and Chris is gone. Polly is with them, and she told me on the sly that they all planned to have her stay the night with one of them. I hate that they all know. But I don’t know what else to do. Stay there. Which I do, of course. But Chris asked me to talk to her about it, and so I went to the counselor we’ve seen a few times to run over some ideas with her on how to broach the subject. I get to do that when I return home.”

He ached for her. Knowing that pain. Knowing she wanted to help both her mother and her brother. Knowing firsthand that no one could make Pamela stop it unless she wanted to.

“On top of that, my sister was in my apartment when I got back today. She picked a fight. I should have let it go. It’s not like she actually cares about what we’re arguing over. She just wants to upset me and make me lose my temper. So she won today.”

He had a few opinions about the useless Nancy Travis, but he kept them to himself, knowing Lily needed to talk it through.

“I used to think that when we got older we’d get past this. Maybe I’m not trying hard enough. But she’s convinced our father is coming back and convinced our mom should take him back. She said some pretty unforgiveable stuff. I replied in like fashion, I guess. Not my finest moment.”

“What’d she say?”

“Nancy?” She paused to take a few sips of her drink. “Man that’s going to hit me in a few.” She smiled up at the server. “Can we get some bruschetta while we’re looking at the menu?” The server assured her he’d get right on it and left to make it happen.

“You’re good at that.” He grinned, putting his menu aside.

“At what?”

“With servers. You smile at them and they only want to please you.”

She blushed and then laughed. “Oh yeah, right.”

“First at the Sands and right now. You’re a beautiful woman and your smile is gorgeous. You were beautiful then too. But now you’re more.”

She stopped laughing and took him in, clearly weighing what he’d said. And where this was going.

“I want you. You know that.” He shrugged.

“Nancy claims you and she dallied.” The look on her face told him she thought it was a lie, and he relaxed a little. “I know she’s lying. She just wanted to hurt me.”

“Would it have? If it was true. Which it isn’t.” He wished that hadn’t sounded as coy as it had.

Again the long pause. “Yes it would have.”

That felt good.

“She did come on to me. Several times.”

“While we were together?”

The server brought out the bruschetta, took their orders and retreated.

It was his turn to pause because he’d never told her. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her then and he sure as hell didn’t now. But he had to and he hated it.

“It doesn’t matter. She was pitching but I wasn’t catching. She’s not you, baby. Never. Ever in a million years would she be. I know you might have trouble believing that after the kiss you walked in on. But that’s the truth. I didn’t even want that kiss. It was one very brief moment when I thought about the alternatives. A half a breath and it was over. But you came in before it was over and then you left. And I was an idiot and this is what got us here. I don’t want any lies between us now. I want to make it work this time around. Your sister doesn’t have your best interests at heart. She never has.”

Lily breathed in deep, and he tried not to groan when she took a bite and then swiped her tongue over her bottom lip to catch some tomato.

“I don’t know. She’s…difficult. Ugly. Resentful even though she’s at fault for her own messes. My mother lets her get away with it. Hell, maybe it’s me. Maybe I
have
been handed everything so I’m spoiled.”

She finished her drink and he signaled for another. He wanted to fix this for her.

“No. It’s not you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? When she came on to you.”

“I didn’t want to hurt you. It didn’t mean anything to me.” It wasn’t as if he’d even considered the rather crudely
repeated
offers from Nancy anyway. He’d always wondered if she’d done it just to hurt Lily and he didn’t want any part of that. And Nancy Travis was a pale shadow of her sister. That’s why she was so angry and resentful. Lily was vibrant and lovely. Caring.

“And if Tim came on to me? How would you feel about me not telling you?”

He bared his teeth a moment at the thought. “That’s different.”

One of her brows rose. “It is? Pray tell, how?”

“Tim and I are close. And he’s not a psycho like your sister.”

She held back a smile but he saw it in her eyes. “That’s a lame excuse.”

“It is. But it’s the one I’ve got. Now. On to better things. When do you have to be back home?”

Her gaze locked with his. “This is a bad idea, Nathan. We did this before and it didn’t work. Took me a long time to get over.”

“It could have worked. We had the connection then and you can’t deny we still do. I’m older and a lot wiser I hope anyway. You are too. It didn’t work because I was a stupid boy. But I’m a man now and I won’t lose you again. We’re here. I have a room in this very hotel. I want you naked. I want to be in you. I want to know what you taste like now.”

Her breath caught and her pupils swallowed the iris.

“I don’t have to be back until tomorrow.”

Chapter Eight

It had been foolhardy to come back to the hotel with him. She knew it and had zero plans to halt the inevitable between them. Each step they’d taken, it had felt right. She’d fallen into a rhythm with him as they’d talked. One she hadn’t realized she’d missed with such ferocity until she had it again.

And now in his room he watched her every move. Looked at her like he wanted to take a big bite. “You’re a thrilling man, Nathan Murphy.” She swallowed hard and gave over to what she wanted. No more arguing. She wanted him as much as he appeared to want her. And she saw just how much in his gaze, in the swell of his cock against his zipper.

His grin was feral and a shiver went through her. He nearly prowled as he led her back into the bedroom. Fascinating. This man gave off his masculinity in a warm radiant wave. He took up all the air around her, stealing her breath.

“Am I now?” His voice had lowered, and the memories of what came next flooded straight to her pussy.

She nodded and hoped he didn’t see the gulp.

He got close enough to touch but hesitated. Teasing. Just barely away. So close the heat of him slid over her skin. And then he licked up the side of her neck and bit her earlobe. That was good enough to make her lock her knees to keep standing.

And he was only getting started.

He’d been a foreplay sort of man before. He’d tease her all night long before they’d fuck. They’d go out on a date and he’d slowly drive her crazy with lingering touches, soft kisses at first. Hotter and hotter he’d build her up. Sometimes he’d make her come at least three times before they got down to business.

It had been a fine quality in her first real lover.

But
this
Nathan was a grown-up. He owned his power as a man, as a sexual, attractive male in his prime. His attentions were so intense they were nearly physical. “I s’pose you’ve learned a few things in the last six years or so.” Of course her voice was breathy and sort of stuttery.

He paused and threw his head back on a laugh. Unable to stop, she drew closer, tiptoeing up to kiss the hollow of his throat. His laugh died on a near moan, and his hands slid into her hair, sending her combs somewhere else. “I like it down.”

Ha! So did she, but he probably meant her hair.

She watched as his fingers undid the buttons of her blouse. “I have, I like to think, worked on my skills. Purely because you should be the best you can be at things.”

It was her turn to laugh.

He tipped her head just so, and she closed her eyes as his mouth, hot and wet, found the spot right behind her jaw. She may have whimpered, but it could have been in her head. Nathan’s hands on her, his mouth, made her dizzy.

“I do seem to recall that was a spot you were partial to,” he murmured, his lips a whisper against her skin as he spoke.

“Yes. You have a good memory.”

He bent his head to her again, kissing along her jaw and up to her lips. She wound her arms around him, arching to get closer and certainly not minding the tingles barely shy of pain as she pulled against his hold.

He nipped her bottom lip and slid his tongue over the sting. “You are so good at this.”

“Yeah?” He took another kiss, just a brief, but deep slide of lips and tongues. “It’s because you taste so good. I can’t get enough. I’ve wanted this, thought about this pretty much nonstop since you walked into my classroom a little over a month ago.”

He said the best stuff.

The next kiss wasn’t so brief. He left her breathless and dizzy as he stepped back and she stepped forward, not wanting to lose contact.

He touched her and it sent her back but not in the same way it had before. Now she was different. She wished that meant it didn’t affect her as deeply, but the opposite was true. The woman knew what this meant. The woman knew this sort of connection was rare.

Knew the absence of that connection as well.

He kissed her shoulder as he bared it, pushing her blouse from her arms. “So beautiful.” He looked down at her breasts, and she was mighty glad she’d worn the cute panty and bra set that day.

“These make me want to sigh happily.” A brush of his lips over the curve at the top of the right and then the left breast. Two deft moves and the bra was a thing of the past.

“You’re very good at that.” She sent him a raised brow and received that grin in return. The grin made her shiver with anticipation.

“You have a pierced nipple.” He said this with awe in his voice.

“Yes.” She had to lick her lips to get the words out. Especially once he pulled just right on the bar.

“When?”

It had been a silly impulse when she’d been visiting a friend in Nashville. She was glad she’d done it though because it made her feel sexy just knowing it was there. Made her feel good when a man knew how to tug on it right. Which was rarer than she’d thought it would be.

Not so Nathan.

“I’ve had it four years now.” She groaned as he licked over the nipple and sucked it into his mouth, his teeth grazing as he did.

“It’s sexy.”

She smiled, feeling quite sexy right at the moment with his hands all over her and his mouth against the side of her breast.

“You taste good, Lil. I’ve missed your salt and sweet skin.” He licked over each rib and went to his knees, stealing her breath as he slid his hands up her calves and then pulled her close enough to press his face against her pussy through her skirt. Just enough to make her gasp.

“What are you wearing under this skirt?” He said it as he slid the hem up to look himself. “Ah, matching panties. I like that. Not enough to leave them on though.” He hooked his fingers on the waistband and pulled down.

She stepped from them, mesmerized by the way he looked there, on his knees, staring at her pussy like it was the loveliest thing he’d ever seen.

There was no shyness with him. Funny that. But she trusted him to find her beautiful. Felt beautiful and sexy when he looked at her. Even so, it nearly drove her to her knees when he licked his lips while drawing closer. A ragged moan tore from her when he pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh.

“Do you still like having your pussy licked until you make that sound—God that sound—where you sort of gasp and moan?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

Again the grin.

“You’re not naked.”

“I’m afraid if I take my pants off my cock will be in you before I get a chance to do anything else.”

She unzipped her skirt and stepped from it, leaving the heels on. “I want to see you, Nathan.”

He surged to his feet, and in one quick movement, his shirt was off and wow, was his upper body pretty. She circled him, getting close enough to lick over a nipple, enjoying the way he shivered. “You weren’t the only one who’s learned a few new tricks. In the interest of skill building of course.”

“I’m not sure if I should clap or frown that another man had this view. Shit! Is that…?” He took her arm and looked at her back where a tattoo swirled up her spine. “You have a tattoo and a piercing too?”

She’d bet money his old skeezebot of a fiancé had neither. Ha.

“I do.”

“On the bed. Ass at the edge. I
will
make you come on my lips before I get my cock in you. Leave the heels on, I want to feel them against my ass when I’m fucking you.”

Hoo boy.

She moved and then sat, watching him get rid of his pants and underwear.

“I’d remember that in a dark room with a blindfold on,” she murmured, taking in the sight of long, tall, hard Nathan Murphy with his burnished skin and acres of muscles.

He landed on the bed and pulled her close. “First I want to kiss you a while.”

As if she’d argue?

She rolled against his body and they both paused to draw in a ragged breath as skin slid against skin. “You feel good, baby.”

She wanted to be the only woman he remembered this way. Wanted to the one he compared all other women to for the rest of his life, and the way he kissed her, taking a leisurely and yet very thorough tour of her mouth, made her believe that might be the case. At least in some part.

Her hands slid over all that warm, taut skin. She caressed every part of him she could reach as he plundered her mouth with his teeth and tongue. She denied him nothing and he took until she was dizzy with want. Her pussy was wet, so wet she’d have been embarrassed with anyone else. But with him? She knew he’d make it better. Knew he’d ease that ache.

He rolled so she came to rest on top of him, and the memories that had caused her so much pain before softened so that she could enjoy them again. Know that this was different, and yet just as good. Maybe better.