She hit something else that brought up a slideshow of her photos. Nathan continued to peer over her shoulder. Standing that close to her nape was distracting. He turned to it, feeling that same temptation he’d felt all last night. It was all he could do to stop from leaning over and kissing it. She smelled so damn good the memory of kissing and sucking her neck that morning nearly suffocated him. Then he glanced back down at her screen to see more photos of her and Sam, and she stopped on one of another girl. “This is Heidi,” she said, showing him. “See how we look nothing alike.”
She was right. If he had to guess, he would’ve thought Sam her sister and Heidi her friend, not the other way around. Then she scrolled some more and he clenched his teeth.
“Why do you have so many pictures of you and Scott?”
Once again, he did nothing to tone down the demanding tenor in his voice, and once again, he didn’t give a shit. Yep, he wouldn’t even try to argue it now. He was one of those guys. He knew he had zero right to demand answers, but he’d never been one to hide his annoyance, and somehow he knew he wouldn’t be able to about this, even if he tried.
Aiyanna took his questioning in stride, continuing to scroll away at the many photos of her and Scott. “I told you. He’s my best friend.” She turned to him for a second. “He’s also my roommate.”
“You live with this guy?” he asked, his voice rising more than he’d anticipated.
“Yeah.” She nodded then went back to scrolling. “Him and Sam now that my sister moved in with her boyfriend. That’s why there are so many of her in here too.” She turned back to him with a frown. “I think maybe I did delete all the pictures of Jace and me because I don’t see any. I don’t think I had many of us to begin with. He wasn’t big on taking photos.”
But she had a shit ton of the guy she was supposed to spend New Year’s with in this remote cabin just days after she’d dumped her boyfriend?
Nathan backed away, his muscles tenser than expected. “Alright, forget it then. You don’t have to keep looking.” He started to the door. “We should probably get more wood in the fireplace.”
Why hadn’t he just stuck to his original gut feeling? Who the hell was he kidding? He’d never given a shit about what any of the girls he’d slept with so unceremoniously did when he wasn’t around. He never bothered to ask, nor did he think he’d care if he ever came across any photos of them with other dudes. Because even after sleeping with some of them more than once, he’d never felt what he thought he might be feeling for this girl already. Here he’d spent just one day with Aiyanna—slept with her one night where he’d done nothing more than hold her and sneak in a quick kiss to her neck—and already his feelings of entitlement were through the fucking roof. What the hell was wrong with him?
This just sealed it. There was no denying he’d be hopeless to stop anything sexual from happening if tonight took a turn and they went there. But no way would he be allowing himself to look at her in any other way than someone he’d happily have his way with until they were out of here because he already knew her going back to live with Scott was a deal breaker for anything else. Even if the guy wasn’t already her fuck buddy, he probably had such a hard-on for her, and like most girls, Aiyanna was fooling herself into thinking he was just in this for the friendship.
As irritating as it had been to see the screensaver of her phone and all the photos of her and her best friend, it was a good thing. It’d be the reminder he’d need. Nathan had caught the way she’d looked at him more than once already. Like she was already considering it. Even as annoyed as he felt right then, his dick was so ready to plow into her mercilessly. If she wanted to ring in the new year with a no-strings-attached bang—or two or three—she wouldn’t have to ask Nathan twice.
Only once they were out of here, he wouldn’t be looking back.
Chapter 8: Driving Me Fucking Crazy
Aiyanna
Being inexperienced was one thing. But being absolutely clueless was quite another. Aiyanna may have been inexperienced and a little clueless about many things when it came to men, but she’d have to be blind and stupid to not have picked up on Nathan’s irritation about Scott. He’d already pretty much admitted he was one of those guys, the kind she typically avoided. So why did hearing and seeing his blatant irritation about her ex and Scott excite her so much?
Could Mr. I-don’t-do-relationships actually be feeling for her what she’d begun to feel for him? And was he really going to be this openly barefaced about how he felt about the other men in her life? Was it possible she might be reading a little more into his sudden change in demeanor? Not just now but earlier when he questioned her about reading Jace’s messages? More importantly, if she was right about this, what, if anything, should she do about it?
She finished looking herself over in the bathroom mirror and walked out into the bedroom. Aiyanna had always been all about honesty, no matter how uncomfortable. She’d already told him the truth about Jace and her past. She’d just have to play this by ear and decide how much she should be honest about with a guy she hardly knew. Yet it was beginning to feel like she might have to tell him. It was crazy, but in just one day of knowing Nathan, she already felt like she knew him so well.
Taking a deep breath and trying desperately to calm the swarming in her belly, she stepped out into the front room again. Nathan was leaning over by the fireplace as he pushed a few of the pallet pieces around a bit roughly.
“Something wrong?” she asked, feeling almost guilty that she had to refrain from smirking.
“Nope.”
“You wanna beer?” she asked as she walked past him and into the kitchen.
“Yeah, I’ll take one.”
He was by her side and leaning against the counter so fast he almost startled her. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
Aiyanna took a nervous sip of her beer as she walked over to the barstool, and Nathan walked around the counter that divided the kitchen from the front room. He stood across the counter, facing her. The intense expression on his face was a little too telling. Whatever it was he was going to ask, she had a feeling this wouldn’t be as lighthearted as most of their discussions had been so far.
“Were you planning on having some kind of rebound New Year’s Eve with Scott so you could move on from your ex?”
Her jaw dropped. “No!” she said, not sure if she should laugh or be appalled, so she shook her head instead. “Scott is my best friend. I would never even consider doing anything like that with him.”
There was something else about Scott she knew she should share because she could already see the skepticism in Nathan’s still too intense expression. But she was saving that. Something in his eyes told her she should hold on to that information. She still wasn’t sure what exactly was going on in his head, and it might be better if she held on to that for now.
“Really? So you planned this trip, remote cabin, champagne, beer, and that dress,” he said, eyeing her from top to bottom, as he had since she first walked out wearing it, “with absolutely no anticipation of anything happening between you and him? You really think he did too?”
“I did and, yes, I do.” She sat up a little straighter, annoyed by the implication, not just about her, but Scott, whom he knew nothing about. “For your information, Scott and I often go out to dinner and even drinks, and nothing’s ever happened between us. We’re just friends and roommates.”
“You ever share a bed with him?” he asked, peering at her, then took a swig of his beer.
“No,” she said, squirming in her chair for some reason. “But I live in Southern California, Nathan. We don’t have snowstorms or the kind of weather that might call for the desperate measures that had us sharing a bed last night.”
“And we will again tonight,” he said without a flinch.
She stared at him for a moment, swallowing hard because she didn’t want him to see just how deeply that gaze of his affected her now. Somehow she got the feeling
getting in bed with him tonight would be so much different from last night. She wasn’t sure yet how she felt about that, only that her heart was going wild now just thinking about it.
Clearing her throat, she lifted her chin. “It is feeling colder already than it was last night.”
Nathan’s eyes remained on her for a few more silent moments until he walked over to the fireplace and threw in another plank from the pallets he’d taken apart. “We could always sleep out here in front of the fireplace if it gets too cold in the bedroom.” He walked back toward the counter where’d he’d been standing before and picked up his beer bottle again. “What did Jace think of you and Scott being so tight?”
Aiyanna shrugged. “He never really commented on it except to say he liked Scott. He’s very sweet and likeable. I think you’d like him too if you met him.”
That same almost abhorrent countenance she’d seen on him more than once now manifested itself as he took another sip of beer. “I’m sure Jace would think differently if he knew you were spending New Year’s with Scott at the romantic cabin he booked and paid for, for you to spend with him.”
She still didn’t think she needed to tell him everything about Scott, but she would let him in on one thing so he wouldn’t sound so smug and sure of himself. “Sam would’ve come with me if she could’ve gotten out of her plans with her mom to spend the holiday with her. She would’ve much rather spent it skiing with me, but she said her mom would give her a major guilt trip.”
Nathan didn’t look at all impressed, so she went on. “This is also the first holiday season in over two years that Scott is alone by the way. He’s been my best friend since middle school, but ever since he got in a serious relationship over two years ago, we started drifting apart. It’s why I got so close to Sam. I met her last year in school. We got to talking about our Greek backgrounds, exchanged contact info, and before you know it, we were good friends. She kept me company so often when Heidi was staying at her boyfriend’s it just made sense for her to move in. Then a few months ago, Scott’s relationship ended and he was suddenly single. Since my sister had practically moved in with her boyfriend and Scott who’d been living with his ex was looking for a new place, he moved in with us and we became the three musketeers.”
Nathan shook his head with a smirk, but it wasn’t one of his playful ones. In the short time she’d known him, she already knew he had several very distinct smirks: his playful one when he was teasing her and making her laugh, the wicked one when he seemed to be flirting and enjoying making her squirm that gave her heart a workout, and this one, the sarcastic one that had only made an appearance a few times, and there was nothing good-natured about it. But he didn’t say anything.
“What?” she asked, annoyed that he wouldn’t follow up the condescending smirk with a comment.
“Nothing.” He shook his head again, the smirk nearly flat lining. “I’ll keep my thoughts to myself because I already know you’re just gonna argue. Girls are so delusional when it comes to this stuff.”
“What stuff?” she said, sounding more ruffled than she wanted to, but he was really starting to get to her.
“Maybe the thought of doing anything more than just hanging out with him for New Year’s is something you hadn’t considered, but I guarantee you he had.”
“How can you guarantee something about someone you’ve never even met?”
“Because he’s a guy. I know how guys think. I’d bet my Harley the guy’s had plenty of wet dreams about you already.”
That last comment rattled her, distracting her from her thoughts momentarily. Not just the wet dreams part but the visual of seeing sexy tatted Nathan on a Harley. She’d been so ready to retort until she heard it. The moment she recovered from it she shook her head. “Not all guys think alike, Nathan. Just like not all girls think alike either.”
“Not true,” he countered immediately. “Girls are different. I’ll give you that. You’re more emotional than we are. Not all, but most girls, unlike guys, tend to think with their hearts when it comes to sex. And that’s what makes you girls so delusional when it comes to your sweet guy friends who you consider so loyal. You really believe the thought of having you under them, even if it were just for fun, has never crossed their minds. Trust me. If you’re around a girl you like and get along with, especially one as attractive as you, the thought is an inevitable one.” He shrugged with an all too smug smile and a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Any guy who claims it isn’t, is a liar. It’s all I’m saying.”
Once again his ending comments completely rattled her. He was practically telling her he’d had thoughts of having her under him.
She must’ve looked as rattled as she felt because he lifted his hand in the air and shook his head. “Let’s just agree to disagree on this, okay? One of your best friends is a dude, so you’re obviously not gonna side with me on this. Why don’t we get that dinner started instead?”
“Yes, let’s do that,” she said, getting off the stool. “Because you’re right. I don’t agree with you.”
“Big surprise there,” he said as he walked around the counter into the kitchen.
Since he’d agreed to make dinner, Aiyanna mostly watched off to the side as he told her about how often he cooked at the station and what other easy dishes he’d learned to make. She asked him more about his job, visualizing how amazing he must look in his firefighter gear. She’d seen plenty of hot-firefighter calendars and photos, and he most certainly was right up there with them all.
They sat down at the table to eat with the lantern they’d found in the garage lighting up the table. The meal was a perfect one, not too heavy but just enough to satisfy. When they were done, they washed the dishes together again, and he told her more about his siblings: his older sister’s mobile grooming business and his younger sister’s bakery that she only opened during the week.
When they were done with the dishes, they had another beer, and Nathan placed the phone on the counter and started the music. They didn’t have a speaker, but other than the crackling fire, it was so quiet in there it was loud enough. They chatted some more about his job and hers through a few of the songs that played.
Then the song “Blurred Lines” started playing, and he put his still nearly full beer down on the counter. He lifted his hands on either side of him and swayed his hips in perfect rhythm to the song, peering at her with smirk number two, the one that made her heart speed up and had her squirming already. Of course, his dancing was as sexy and as perfect as you’d expect dancing from a guy who looked like Nathan would be. A seasoned male stripper would envy the sexy rhythm of his hips.
“There are some songs you just automatically have to dance to,” he said, coming around the counter and holding his hand to her. “This is one of them. Tell me that beat doesn’t make you wanna dance? C’mon.”
Having no choice and because she didn’t want him to think her a dud—they were just dancing—she got up and did her best to match his swaying hips. But within seconds, it didn’t feel like just dancing anymore. His grinding his hips against her as he sang along to the suggestive lyrics had her tingling all over.
“Good girl,” he sang, staring in her eyes. ‘You know you want it . . .”
Aiyanna did what she had in the bedroom when he questioned her screensaver and all the photos of her and Scott. She went along, pretending not to pick up on the tension that he was clearly incapable of masking—especially now that it was becoming sexual tension. Instead, she concentrated on keeping her own moves as graceful as possible, given the shoes she was wearing.
He suddenly turned and bent over, shaking his ass at her, mimicking Miley Cyrus’s infamous performance of the song during the Grammy’s a few years back. Aiyanna laughed out loud. As nervous as it’d begun to make her when their bodies came so close they rubbed together, she was glad for his silliness. It broke the ice and she was able to relax a little. They continued even after the songs changed a few times, slowing only to take sips of their beers. br />
After the fourth or fifth song with them talking about their experiences in nightclubs and partying, which he had way more of than she did, Aiyanna had completely relaxed. Even when he’d get so close to her, her entire insides would go wild.
“Your feet hurting yet?” he asked, looking down at her shoes.
“They are actually,” she admitted. “But I could just take them off and keep dancing. I’m having fun.”
“Or we could slow it down,” he said, leaning over his phone and hitting a few things on the screen.
Aiyanna’s heart sped up again. Slow it down? A second later she found out just how slow when John Legend’s “All of Me” started up. Nathan turned to her with that gaze she’d been privy to a few times already, the same one she’d woken to staring down at her on his lap, the one he’d gazed at her with when she’d been caught staring at his lips earlier today. Then he held his hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her against his big hard body, slipping his arm around her waist and lacing his fingers with hers. He brought their laced hands around his own back. Visuals of just how hard she knew he was from the sight of him in his towel earlier made her heart thud even harder. This close she was certain he could feel it. Her only consolation was, as she brought her head against that hard chest of his, she could feel how strongly his heart was beating too.
His face came down to the side of her head as they started moving slowly to the song. She’d once been so jealous of her sister because her boyfriend called it their song. Now she’d forever think of this moment instead. The long intro finished, and the beautiful lyrics started up, making Aiyanna close her eyes and breathe in deep.
Just when she’d begun to relax in his arms, he whispered along with the lyrics into her ear. “You got my head spinning, no kidding, I can’t pin you down.” She tried not to tense up in his arms, and she was grateful he wasn’t facing her because her eyes flew open.
She waited without reacting because he let the next two verses go, and she’d begun to relax, until he whispered the next part in her ear again. “And I’m so dizzy, don’t know what hit me. . .”