Tangled Web (15 page)

“You do realise that Chase is going to flip his lid, don’t
you?”
 

I rolled my eyes at Adam.
 
As I went to reply Nathan quickly continued.
 

“In Adam’s defence I don’t think he was the first person to
report back to Chase about us.”
 

I laughed.
 
There was
no way in hell I was going to tell Nathan that it was his precious Louise that
reported back to Chase on our activities.

“The whole damn restaurant is probably gossiping about us!”
I yelled.
 
Nathan covered his mouth at my
outburst to stop from laughing.
 
I
noticed several people stopped to stare at my outburst, Adam and now Sophie
included.
 
“Oh what are you looking at?”
I snapped, turning away towards the elevator.
 
As we were waiting for the elevator to arrive I felt Nathan watching me.
 
I turned to look at him and burst out
laughing which caused Nathan to smile.

“I have an idea,” he whispered, stroking my cheek.
 
“Come back to my place.
 
No interfering brothers.
 
No meddling parents.
 
Just you and me.”
 

I smiled and leaned into his hand when he said this. “That
sounds perfect,” I whispered.

Entering Nathan’s apartment, I stopped in the doorway to
look around.
 

“The last time you were here you were running out on me,” he
said, frowning.

“That won’t happen again.” I smiled, allowing Nathan to pull
my jacket off.
 
I toed my shoes off and
shrank a few inches.
 

Nathan grinned when I dropped a few inches due to the loss
of my heels.
 
“Come in, shorty,” he said,
taking my hand.
 
“I have a very special
lady I would like to introduce you to.”
 

Obviously he didn’t have another woman here but I still got
jealous. As we entered the kitchen Nathan let go of my hand and dropped to his
knees.
 
What the...?
 

“Come on, girl,” he said, patting his knees.
 

I could hear something tapping the tiles and suddenly the most
beautiful black and brown little dog was climbing onto Nathan’s lap.
 
I quickly dropped to my knees and began
petting the dog.

“Her name’s Jessie,” Nathan said.

“She’s beautiful.
 
Aren’t you Jessie?” I asked.
 
I
admit.
 
I may have been talking a bit squeaky
but I absolutely loved dogs.
 
I was never
allowed one due to school but I always wanted one.
 
“Can I hold her?”

“How about you take her in the lounge and I’ll get us a
drink?” He grinned at me.
 

Jessie was quickly in my arms and I was settling us both in
front of the fireplace.
 
Nathan followed
with two glasses of wine and started the fire on a low setting.
 
Jessie was currently on her back in between
us having her stomach tickled.

As Nathan handed me my glass of wine he leaned down and
kissed Jessie.
 
He couldn’t have been
sexier but seeing him being soft with his dog made me want to take him to
bed.
 
I was unsure whether it was to
cuddle him or keep him up all night long at this point.
 
I needed help.

“I’m sorry about my father earlier,” I whispered, staring at
the fire.

“Hey.” Nathan turned my face to his.
 
“I don’t care what he thinks.
 
Or my brother.
 
Or anyone else we come across.”
 

My eyes filled when he said that.
 
I’d never been overly emotional but I could
tell he meant every word.

Nathan slid closer so our knees were touching and framed my
face with his hands.
 

Every time he put his hands on me I wanted them
everywhere.
 
I always felt safer when I
was with Nathan.
 
I tilted my head up for
him to kiss me and his tongue quickly sought entry.
 
His lips were so gentle as his tongue gently
massaged my own.

Nathan placed his hands on my hips as I circled my arms
around his neck.
 
Without warning Nathan
picked me up so I was kneeling over him and pushed me down against his
hardness.
 
I moaned into his mouth as he
did this and he pulled his lips from mine to kiss and suck my neck.

I looked at Jessie and she was flat out.
 
It felt wrong doing this in front of the
dog.
 
It was like parents having sex with
kids around.
 
“Nathan,” I whispered.
 
He grunted into my neck but didn’t stop
massaging my neck with his lips.
 
“We
should stop.”
 
That got his
attention.
 
He pulled his head back and
looked at me shocked.
 
I didn’t want to
stop.
 
Especially with his lips swollen
and red from our kissing.
 
“I’m not having
sex with you in front of the dog,” I threatened.

He growled and picked up the sleeping dog.
 
I giggled.
 
He was so gentle with her she didn’t even wake.
 
I laid back down on the rug and Nathan joined
me, resting his weight on his arms.
 
As
he stared at me I began feeling a little uncomfortable.
 
“What are you....” I began but he quickly cut
me off.

“I love looking at you.
 
Knowing the chance you’re taking by being with me.
 
You’re so beautiful, Chloe,” he said,
pressing an open kiss to my cheek.
 

I dug my fingers into his shoulders when he did that.
 
Whenever Nathan kissed me on the cheek it
immediately made me horny as hell.
 
I
think it was because he didn’t just press his lips to my cheek but I would
always feel his tongue peek out and taste my skin.

“Can I taste you Chloe?”
 

I moaned when he asked this.
 
I’ll admit I was extremely nervous about him doing that.
 
I’d only done basic things in the
bedroom.
 
No one has ever done that to
me.
 

“I’ll be good to you,” he said, somehow knowing exactly what
I was thinking.

I nodded in reply, too afraid to say anything.
 
His hands were quickly pulling my top up,
kissing my stomach as he went.
 
I took
over, pulling my top off the rest of the way and his hands were quickly on the
button of my trousers, sliding them down my legs.

Nathan ripped his shirt up over his head which caused his
hair to stick up in all directions.
 
It
was extremely sexy.

He blew on my belly button which caused me to breathe in
sharply.
 
His lips made the slow path
down lower.
 
As I looked down he parted
my legs and rested his chin just above my clit.
 

“Everything okay?” he whispered, stroking the outside of my
thighs.
 

I leaned up on my elbows and quickly nodded. “Just
nervous.
 
No one’s ever...” I
whispered.
 
I could feel my cheeks colouring
with embarrassment.

“Fuck, I love that I’m your first in this.”
 
Nathan slid lower and pressed a kiss to my
hip.
 
He trailed his lips over to my
other hip and placed several kisses there.
 

I tilted my hips up trying to drive him to where I needed him.
 
Nathan’s fingers slipped underneath the
elastic of my knickers and pulled them down my legs.
 
His head was soon back between my legs.
 
The way he was staring at me made me want to
slam my legs shut.
 
He must have sensed
that I was beginning to panic as he placed a gentle kiss to the top of my
clit.
 
My hips shot up off the floor and
his hands quickly held me down by my hips.

Nathan’s tongue slid down lower and sucked my pussy into his
mouth.
 
Watching the way his mouth moved
against me had me trying to move against him.
 
Fuck this wasn’t going to take long.
 
I could feel my climax building already.
 
As his mouth began sucking my clit his hands shot up to grasp my covered
breasts.
 
I moaned out loud as he did
this, my arms collapsing and my head resting against the floor.

Nathan began sucking me in earnest and I moaned out
loud.
 

My hips began rotating to drive him closer.
 
“Fuck, Nathan.”

“That’s right, baby. Fuck, you taste so good.”
 

My hands shot down to grasp his hair and held him against
me.
 

Nathan began nibbling and sucking as he slipped two fingers
inside me and began fucking me with them.
 
“Come on, Chloe.
 
Come for
me.
 
Come all over my tongue, baby.”

That was all it took.
 
I quickly climaxed around his fingers as he buried them to the
hilt.
 
I came so hard my eyes slammed
shut.
 
Nathan placed gentle kisses around
my clit and began kissing his way up to me.
 
I grabbed his head and pulled his lips to mine.
 
I thought tasting myself would be a turn off
but it just made me want him even more.

“I want you,” I whispered, sucking and biting his lip.
 
His hands were quickly undoing his belt and
ripping his trousers down.
 
As he reached
for a condom I placed my hand on his.
 
“I’m on the pill.” He just stared at me as I said this.
 
“I’m mean... if you wanted to.
 
I trust you, Nathan.”
 
Still nothing but him staring at me.
 
Why did I have to say anything?
 
I probably just freaked him out.
 
“Never mind...” I whispered, completely
ashamed.

“Are you sure?” he whispered.
 

I nodded my head and he quickly lay down over me again.
 
He kissed me gently on the lips.
 
Nathan slowly guided himself to where I was
wet for him and slid himself into me.
 
My
nails dug into his shoulders as he continued to press himself into me.
 
Without the barrier of a condom there seemed
to be so much more of him.
 
More to
touch.
 
More to feel.

“Fuck,” Nathan moaned, dropping his head into my neck.
 
As Nathan began moving my hips began to meet
him.
 
Nathan grabbed the back of my head
and tilted my head up, kissing and biting my neck.
 
Soon enough Nathan began moving faster.

I quickly wrapped my legs around him and all I could hear were
our moans filling the air and the sound of him moving against me.
 

“I need you to come for me,” he said urgently.
 
“I can’t hold on much longer.”
 

That was all it took.
 
I climaxed around him as he thrust into me.
 
His teeth bit into my shoulder as he came
inside me, his lips gently soothing where his teeth bruised flesh.
 

“Every time just gets better,” he whispered, gently soothing
where he no doubt left his bite marks. Nathan’s hands slowly wandered down to
my ass.
 

I thought he was getting ready to go for round two at first
but he stood up with me in his arms.
 
I
wrapped my legs around him as he carried me up the stairs afraid he might drop
me with my added weight but he was soon settling me into his bed and wrapping
me up in his arms.

Sleep rapidly claimed me and judging by the way Nathan’s
breathing evened out so did he.

Chapter Eleven

When I woke up the following morning I was alone.
 
I sat up wrapping the sheet around me.
 
Nathan’s side of the bed was barely
warm.
 
He must have been up hours
ago.
 
I checked the clock.
 
5:30. Why so damn early?
 
I went to Nathan’s chest of drawers and
grabbed one of his t-shirts to pull on.
 
Can’t go walking around naked.

I came out of the bedroom to hear Nathan talking secretively.
 

“I don’t care what you think.
 
She’s not going anywhere!” he angrily
whispered.
 

Oh, goodie.
 
Here we
go again.
 
I sat on the top of Nathan’s
stairs tugging the t-shirt down so it covered me as Jessie came padding into
the lobby.
 
I tapped my knee and she
trotted up the stairs wagging her tail.
 
I settled her into my lap and stroked behind her ear.
 
That earned me a few slobbery kisses.
 
I giggled and settled her down beside
me.
 
She immediately flopped over onto
her side.
 
Guess it was too early for her
as well.

“Don’t you dare tell me anything about her like you know
her!” the voice shouted back.
 

Not whispering like Nathan.
 
It wasn’t just any voice.
 
I knew
that voice as well as I knew my own.
 
I’d
heard it every day since I was born.
 
Chase!
 
What the hell was he doing
back so early and coming straight here?
 
Over-reaction much.

“Watch your mouth!” Nathan snapped.
 
“I won’t have you waking her,” he
whispered.
 

Chase chuckled.
 
It wasn’t
my Chase.
 
This laugh was so cold and
nasty.
 
This wasn’t a side of Chase I was
used to witnessing.

“You can drop the act,” Chase coldly said.
 
“I know the only thing you value about her is
her name.”
 

I can’t say the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.
 

“If you think I’m going to stand by and let you and your
brother tear her apart…”

“I’m in love with her,” Nathan whispered.
 

No words could have shocked me more.
 
I slapped my hand over my mouth to stop from
making a noise.
 
I can’t believe he said
that.
 
I can’t believe Nathan actually
said the words.
 

“I didn’t intend to…” he continued.
 
“When I first went for her, I admit, it was
because she was your sister.”

“I fucking knew it!” Chase seethed.
 

I could feel the anger radiating from below.
 
My heart hurt a little at Nathan’s admission.

“The more time I spend with her, she’s just…”
 

Nathan sounded lost.
 
Like he wasn’t sure what was really happening.
 
Or what to say.
 
Like he was scared.
 
I understood completely because loving Nathan
was never supposed to be a part of the equation.
 
I didn’t want to love Nathan because I knew
that Nathan didn’t let many people in.
 
If he did let you in, there was no way of getting out.

“How sweet,” Chase mocked.
 
“You may love her but what makes you think she’ll ever return those
feelings?”
 

I was so worried that Nathan could use my feelings against
me.
 
Against my family.
 
Instead my own family were trying to use
me.
 
Chase appeared at the bottom of the
stairs walking towards the front door with Nathan following him.
 

“I came back early to make sure Chloe wasn’t doing something
stupid,” he chuckled.
 
“I can see now she
wasn’t the stupid one.
 
How does it feel
to be played by a Johnson?” he spat, walking straight out the front door
without looking back.

I have never been so ashamed of my own family as I was right
now.
 
I wasn’t sure if Chase actually
believed that or if he was just trying to put a brave face on.
 
Either way he was wrong.
 
Nathan grabbed the door roughly and I was
sure he was going to slam it.
 
He gently
closed the door I guess so not to wake me.
 
I quietly padded my way down the stairs leaving a snoring Jessie on the
landing.
 
I kept my eyes on Nathan’s back
as I came down.
 
He was leaning against
the door, with his forehead resting on his arms.

“Fucking hell.” He sighed.
 
He looked like a man that was losing the fight.

He was dressed only in a pair of sweatpants and for the
first time I noticed he had a tattoo on his right shoulder.
 
As I got nearer I noticed it was a picture of
a full bloom oak tree.
 
I wondered what
the significance was.
 
It seemed like a
strange thing to have tattooed on your body.
 
As I wrapped my arms around his waist he tensed.
 

He pressed his hands over mine and squeezed them. “How come
you’re up so early?” he whispered, turning his head over his shoulder.
 

I cuddled my head into his back, pressing a kiss to the
centre of his spine.
 
He shivered as I
did this.
 
I barely came up to the middle
of his back due to my shortness.

“My brother has a big mouth,” I said.
 
There was no point in pretending I didn’t
hear.
 
He knew I must’ve heard.
 
I slid my hands up his chest and pressed my
hand over his heart.
 
It was beating so
hard I felt like it was going to come through his chest.
 
“Your heart is beating so fast.” I brushed my
lips against his skin.

He sighed, turning around to face me.
 
I dropped my arms and held onto the waistband
of his pants.
 
“Did you hear everything?”
He placed his hands on both sides of my neck.
 
I nodded in response which caused him to frown.
 
He sighed in response.
 
“I wish you hadn’t,” he said, pressing a kiss
to my forehead.

“Why?” I stared into his brown eyes.
 
He shook his head refusing to answer.
 
He crushed my head to his chest and squeezed
me to him.
 
I could feel his palms
tightening into fists against my back.
 
He was anxious.
 
I’d bet my money
he was scared I heard everything else.
 
What scared me was that he believed Chase’s harsh words that I couldn’t
love him.

 
“I’m glad I got up
early,” I said. He huffed as he rested his chin on top of my head.
 
My fingers gently stroked up his spine.
 
He tensed as I did this.
 
I stood up on my toes and brought my lips to
his ear.
 
“Otherwise I wouldn’t have
heard you say that you love me.”

He tensed up, pulled me back roughly so that he could look
at me.
 

I wasn’t expecting him to glare at me.
 
This wasn’t the Nathan I’d come to know over
the time we’d spent together.
 
I was no
longer looking at my sweet Nathan who could be gentle with me.
 
I was looking at Adam’s Nathan who was a cold
and brutal businessman.
 
I was looking at
Chase’s enemy.
 
I could strangle Chase
for this.
 

“I don’t know what you think you heard Chloe,” he growled,
grabbing me roughly by my arms, “but that is not the case.” He pushed me back
roughly as he said this and turned to walk away.

Seriously?
 
That was
how he wanted to play things?
 
There was
no way in hell I was going to put up with this.
 
I refused to be pushed aside like some Sophie.

“Hey,” I shouted, quickly throwing myself in his way.
 
“Don’t do that.
 
Don’t just cast me aside when it gets hard
like you can’t be bothered.
 
There’s no
need to push me away just because you’re scared.”
 
His eyes narrowed as I said this.
 
Instead of calming him down I was just
angering him further.

“I’m not afraid of you,” he seethed, bringing his face closer
to me so that we were nose-to-nose.
 
I
could see it in his eyes.
 
He’d rather
push me away than admit that he felt anything for me.
 
If that was how he wanted it then….

“I’m afraid of you,” I whispered.
 

He pulled back in shock when I said this.
 
Some of the anger left his eyes but not
completely.
 

“I’m afraid of the person I am when I’m with you.”
 

He frowned when I said this.
 

“I’m afraid of the way you make me feel.”
 
I stroked my fingers down his cheek.
 
His eyes closed in return.
 
He could deny it for as long as he wanted but
he couldn’t lie to me.
 
“Most of all,” I
continued whispering, “I’m afraid that I love you.”
 

His eyes shot open in response.

I pulled my hand away and walked towards the lounge.
 
I noticed my dress and underwear were folded
neatly on the chair.
 
I dragged his
t-shirt up over my head.
 

Nathan let out a gasp behind me followed by a muttered,
“Fuck!”
 

Men were so easy!
 
I
rolled my eyes.
 
I slipped into my thong from
the previous night and was in the middle of fastening my bra when Nathan
stepped up behind me placing his hands on my hips.
 
He had to be joking.
 
I slapped his hands away and quickly pulled
my dress on.

I bent down to slip my shoes on and grabbed my jacket and
purse from the side table.
 
I stormed
past him towards the doorway and had just opened the door when Nathan roughly
grabbed me by my wrist.

“Chloe!” He choked.
 

I didn’t want to look at him.
 
I was afraid that if I did I wouldn’t be able
to follow through on what I was about to do.
 

“Don’t go like this.…”
 

I closed my eyes.
 
I
didn’t like doing this to him but I had to. I turned around and he gasped when
I looked at him.

“Nathan,” I said, the lump in my throat making it
difficult.
 
“I have to leave.”
 
His finger came up and stroked a tear from my
cheek that had spilled over.
 
“I’m sure about
my feelings for you.”
 
He swallowed
heavily as I said this. “You need to be just as sure.”
 
I pulled away and disappeared out the
door.
 
As I travelled down to the lobby
in the elevator I had this silly idea in my head that Nathan would come to his
senses and stop me from leaving.
 

I ran from the building and flagged down a taxi, realising I
was the silly one.
 
He never stopped
me.
 
I guess that was my answer.
 
As I made my way home I allowed the tears to
leak out. I couldn’t help but feel like I just said goodbye to the only man
I’ve ever loved.

As I made my way inside Chase’s apartment I noticed Chase’s
suitcase next to the settee.
 
Crap, I
wanted to avoid him.
 

He came out of his bedroom with a tie in his hand.
 
“Hey sis,” he greeted me with a beaming
smile.
 
He came over and gave me a tight
hug.
 
“I missed you, kid.”
 
He pulled back and frowned at my lack of
reaction.
 
“Everything, okay?” he
asked.
 
I wanted to be pissed at him but
then I remembered he had no clue I was listening in on his conversation with
Nathan.

“Sure.”
 
I gave him a
tight smile.
 
“I just want to take a
quick shower before work.”
 

He nodded when I said this.

“I’ll give you a ride if you like?”

This was the Chase I knew but after seeing the way he was
with Nathan I hated that I was doubting every word that slipped from his lips.

“That’d be great. I stayed at Nathan’s last night so I just
need to freshen up.”
 
I was staring at
him waiting for a response.
 
His jaw
tightened but apart from that.…
 
Nothing.
 
“Actually,” I continued, “we kind of had an
argument this morning…”
 

He scoffed. “I don’t really care. Chloe.
 
I don’t care about anything to do with
Walkers and I’m not surprised,” he said arrogantly while knotting his tie.
 
“That’s what those Walkers are like.”
 
I nodded playing along as he said this.
 
“You’re better off without him,” he said,
turning away to make some coffee.
 
“He
wasn’t right for you.”
 
What an
asshole.
 
“Hurry up and get ready if you
want a lift,” he said without turning around.
 
“I want to leave by 7am.”