You Are My Air: Breathless Book 1 (21 page)

I paused in surprise. "Your best friend is a woman?" I couldn't hide my suspicious tone.

"We're just friends, sweetheart," he reassured me. "We've never been anything more. Sydney is like a sister to me. In fact, she's the one who insisted I invite you over tonight."

I paused again, not sure how I felt about this revelation. I wasn't usually a jealous person, but the thought of another woman spending time with David really bothered me.

"Natalie," David said in an understanding voice. "I've known Sydney for five years. I have no interest in her in any way other then as my friend, I promise. I have dinner at their place every Wednesday, and I really want you to meet them. I think you'll like them both."

"Are they nerds like you?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, Sydney is a bit of one," he said with amusement. "Jensen is definitely
not
a nerd."

"Okay then," I said. "I'd love to meet your friends."

"I'll pick you up." I could hear how pleased and excited he was about this. "Is six too soon for you to be ready?" I glanced at the clock. It was almost five thirty, and I had more than enough time to change and freshen up.

"I'll see you at six."

"I can't wait to see you again, Natalie." His voice got a little rough as he said my name.

"Me too, David," I whispered into the phone. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too," he said with affection. "See you shortly, sweetheart."

"Bye," I said breathlessly and ended the call. I sighed deeply. I hadn't seen David since Sunday night, but he had called me on Monday and Tuesday night. We had stayed up much too late talking both times, ending each call with hot phone sex that only left me needy and wanting more. In those three days, I learned two things. One, my feelings for him were a lot deeper than I cared to admit, since I thought about him constantly. And two, sex with him had turned me into a sex-starved maniac, which meant I'd been a hot and bothered mess since Sunday. Between both, I was afraid of how I'd react when he showed up here in thirty minutes. I'd either be a blubbering idiot or jump his bones in the hallway.

I pushed myself away from the counter with a sigh and hurried into my room, heading into my closet to find something to wear tonight. After a few minutes of glaring at my wardrobe, I picked out a slouchy gray sweater and skinny jeans, then dug out my gray suede boots. I dressed, and spent a while freshening up my hair and makeup. I ended up having ten minutes left to wait so I curled up with George on the couch and watched the local news while I waited. By the time David knocked on my door, I was a bundle of nerves and not really sure why.

I leapt up and hurried to the door to answer it. He smiled broadly when he set eyes one me. "You look beautiful, Natalie," he said, and before I could decide between the blubbering or the bone jumping, he stepped forward and swept me into his arms and kissed me. The kiss was mind-blowing and toe-curling, and it left me panting and completely out of sorts when he finally ended it. His eyes were a dark stormy blue, filled with need and want. "We'd better leave before I get carried away."

"Definitely." I fought to keep my hands from wandering down his body from where they were wrapped around the back of his neck. He stepped away, and I took a moment to admire how his broad shoulders filled out the black long sleeve Henley he was wearing. I grabbed my purse and took his hand as he led me into the hall. I had a lovely view of his ass filling out his jeans.

By the time we got to the car, my libido was a little under control, and we chatted about work and other trivial things as he drove. It was so good to be with him again. I loved his calm reassuring presence. No matter how jangled my nerves or how much I was worrying about something, he always made me feel calm and relaxed.

Eventually, we pulled into a complex of industrial looking condos. We pulled into a driveway next to a green pickup and a blue sedan. David helped me out of his car like he usually did, then led me to a door to the right of a one-car garage and rang the doorbell. A moment later, the door opened revealing the dark-haired guy that I remembered from the race, dressed in jeans and a green T-shirt. He was maybe an inch taller than David, but more muscular. He wasn't quite as imposing as Ford, but damn close. He smiled after he opened the door, which instantly changed the intimidating demeanor I remembered into something welcoming. His green eyes were open and friendly as he looked at me.

"Hey," he rasped out in a low rumble. "It's nice to meet you officially, Natalie. I've heard great things about you." He stole a glance at David after that last remark, a sly twist lifting a corner of his lips. David managed to look a little embarrassed, which amused me to no end. "I'm Jensen." He reached his hand out, and I shook it, pleased with his firm self-assured grip. "Come on in, Sydney is just about done cooking dinner."

Jensen led us up some steps and turned into the kitchen on the right, just past a short hallway that led to another part of the condo. The walls were mostly exposed brick with dark-red cupboards, and a beautiful dark wood floor. The room smelled amazing and I was looking forward to eating whatever it was that I was smelling. I could hear bluesy music playing low somewhere else in the condo.

A curvy petite woman with long wavy dark hair turned from the stove and gave me a welcoming smile. She had large vivid gray eyes that softened with adoration as she glanced at Jensen. He came up to press a gentle kiss to her temple. The deep connection between the two of them was immediately evident, and I'd never seen a man look at a woman the way Jensen looked at his wife. It transformed this fearsome man into this soft affectionate being who obviously worshiped the ground she walked on. It was beautiful, and I realized that this woman was absolutely no threat whatsoever. Sydney and Jensen only had eyes for each other.

"Sydney, this is Natalie." David placed a warm hand at the base of my spine that almost gave me the shivers.

Sydney's smile was wide and genuine as she approached me. She looked adorable in jeans and a pink v-neck sweater. She reached out and shook my hand in a firm grip. "I'm so happy to meet you." She turned her smile on David for a moment. "You guys can go ahead and have a seat at the table. Dinner will be ready in a moment."

"Thanks for having me over," I told her, then threw out my next comment to gauge her reaction. "It's nice to see that this nerd has some actual friends."

Sydney's eyes widened at my comment, then she smirked at David. "I like her already."

"Me, too," Jensen added with a smirk of his own as he looked at David with unconstrained glee in his eyes. "For once I'm not a victim of all the sarcasm dished out around here."

"Don't worry." I gave Jensen a wicked grin. "I'll get around to you eventually."

"Watch out, Jensen." David smiled affectionately at me. "She's a whole lot meaner than I am."

"I have a bad fucking feeling that the three of you are going to end up ganging up on me." He scowled at each of us in turn.

"But you make it so easy, baby." Sydney patted Jensen's cheek. His scowl faded into a soft smile immediately at her touch. "Now sit down. It's time to eat."

Jensen, David, and I took a seat at the kitchen table, and Sydney carried a dish over and placed it in the middle of the table. "I hope you like chicken enchiladas."

"It's looks wonderful." I breathed in the heavenly smell. "I'm kind of jealous. I can't cook worth a damn."

"Well, thank God, I'm not the only one," Jensen said with a smirk. "At least you won't harass me about it that like these two do."

"Let me guess." I returned his smirk. "You end up doing the dishes all the time."

"You got it. Here and at David's house," he said in mock exasperation. "You'd think there'd be some fucking gratitude for that."

"I got your back," I told him. "I'll help you do the dishes tonight."

"Good," Sydney added, "maybe there'll be a little less whining about it tonight." Jensen scowled at his wife, but she smiled back at him, completely unaffected by it.

"I don't whine," he said with indignation. "I complain. There's a huge fucking difference."

She patted his cheek again. "Keep telling yourself that, baby." They stared at each other for a moment, both of their faces softening. They were adorable together.

"How long have you two been married?" I asked as Sydney took each of our plates and served the enchiladas.

"Three and a half weeks," Jensen announced proudly as he looked at his wife with adoration again. No wonder they were all warm and fuzzy, they were newlyweds.

"Wow," I said. "Congratulations. How long have you been together?"

"Almost five months now," Sydney said a little sheepishly.

I tried not to, but I ended up staring at them in shock. After witnessing first-hand the mess that was my parent's relationship, I couldn't imagine marrying someone in such a short amount of time.

"The best five months of my life," Jensen added with a huge grin.

"It was a whirlwind. I know," Sydney said to me as she noticed my stunned expression. "But he's the one. I knew from the second I laid eyes on him." She looked over at her husband with a gentle smile that he returned. "Anyway, that's enough about us." She looked at me with interest. "I want to know about you, Natalie."

The rest of the meal was filled with easy conversation and a lot of laughter. David was right. I did like them. They were both so genuine and open. I could see why David was close friends with them, and if things worked out with David like they seemed to be, I was looking forward to being friends with them too.

After dinner, I helped Jensen with the dishes like I promised, while David and Sydney harassed us from where they sat at the table watching. At least until Jensen had enough, and told them if they weren't going to help they could get the fuck out of the kitchen. I had been shocked at first by how much profanity Jensen used, but he was so friendly and easy to talk to that I didn't even notice it after awhile.

David and I spent another hour or so after that chatting with them in their living room, that was also decorated in warm soothing earth tones. I can honestly say I had a great time, and I was looking forward to seeing them again. While we all talked, David sat close to me on the sofa with his arm around me, unashamed to show me affection in front of his friends. It warmed me up inside, and made me impatient to get David back to my place, so he could show me a lot more.

I slowly became more and more aware of David's body so close to mine as he started rubbing small circle on my shoulder with his fingertips. The heat between us grew exponentially until David announced that he needed to take me home since we had work in the morning, and we needed to get some sleep. From the look on Jensen's face, he didn't believe that anymore then I did. I had no intention of sleeping when I finally crawled into my bed tonight, and I didn't plan on being there alone either.

David and I said our good-byes then he led me out to his car. Once we were both sitting in his Audi, he reached over and cupped my face in his hands and looked at me with dark needy eyes. He kissed me. He was fierce and demanding as his tongue pushed into my mouth, and he took what he wanted. When he finally pulled away my lips felt swollen and my body thrummed with desire. "Can I stay with you tonight?" he whispered breathlessly.

"Please," I answered him, and my voice was just as breathy as his.

"Good." A smile pulled at one corner of his full lips. He kissed me briefly once more then started the car and drove us to my apartment while the sexual tension between us grew thicker with each passing moment. We couldn't get there soon enough, and I couldn't wait for him to unleash all of it on me.

CHAPTER EIGHT

David

I felt like I couldn't breath as I drove us back to Natalie's apartment. I don't think I ever wanted a woman this badly. She was all I had been able to think about for the last three days. I kept thinking about her body and how good it felt to be inside her. I kept missing her, wanting to talk to her and hold her. I needed Natalie so much it hurt, and it terrified me. It almost felt like an addiction, and I was in withdrawal. I tried to stay away from her until next weekend to give myself the space and time I needed to adjust to our new relationship, but it had been killing me. Talking on the phone and masturbating with her hadn't been enough, hadn't even been close to what I needed. When I called Sydney, and she suggested I brought Natalie over for dinner tonight, I had jumped on the opportunity, calling Natalie before the fear took over, and I talked myself out of it.

By the time I parked my car in the parking garage, I was trembling and almost dropped my keys when I got out of the vehicle. I couldn't even speak as I pulled her out of the passenger seat, her scent overwhelming me. I didn't dare to kiss her yet. I feared that once I started I wouldn't stop until she was naked and under me.

"You were kind of quiet tonight," she said as she walked next to me toward the elevator, our fingers twined together. I was so hyper-aware of her body's proximity to mine that I almost missed her speaking. It was true. I was quiet tonight. From the moment that I looked at her tonight, I'd been trying to hold on to my control, and it took nearly all of my attention. I didn't want to go to Sydney and Jensen's place anymore. It had taken everything I had in me not to pick her up and carry her to her room the second she opened her door. I wanted to pull her clothes off and run my lips and tongue over her entire body. I wanted to taste her and bite her and fuck her.

I didn't answer her until we were waiting for the elevator to open. I pushed her back against the wall, holding her there with my body as I whispered in her ear. "I missed you and I needed you so badly tonight that I could barely follow the conversation, let alone speak." I brushed my fingertips down the side of her silky soft cheek. My lips hovered over hers by mere millimeters as I breathed her in.

Baba's words suddenly popped unbidden into my head. "
Vona vashe povitrya?"
she asked me on Sunday. She had been referring to the phrase
ty moe povitrya,
 which meant; you are my air
,
in Ukrainian. It was something said between lovers and Baba had once told me that her husband, my grandfather, had always said that to her. It took on new meaning as I looked at Natalie, panting for air and feeling my chest constrict as I fought the urge to kiss her, afraid I'd lose control. I thought staying away from her for a few days would make this easier, but I had only succeeded in making my need for her worse.