Part 103 (1/2)

I drop my challenge and give myself over to Nate, shocked by how his control of the situation arouses me. Already sensitive from his mouth on me a few minutes ago, the o.r.g.a.s.m sneaks up and drags me away from the world into a blinding light.

The moment my muscles tighten around his fingers, Nate stops and drops his grip on my arms. He grabs my a.s.s and pulls my hips upwards, and thrusts into me. Hard. I fight the sound that escapes my lips as he fills and stretches me; I refuse to tell him how much I want him and how I've dreamed of this over and over.

Nate's slow smile returns. ”I've wanted to do this ever since the night I met you.” He moves slowly, teasingly. ”And every single time you p.i.s.s me off, I want to hold you down and f.u.c.k some sense into you.”

”That's disgusting,” I retort but I'm not convincing him or myself.

”Oh, I planned a lot worse, but I decided to be nice to you. One more smart word from you and I won't be.” He moves slowly, his hips rolling against me until he thrusts hard again. I swallow, my body lit with a burning need for Nate to lose himself the way I have.

Nate pushes into me again and again, faster and faster, l.u.s.t darkening his expression, eyes combing every inch of me as he maintains the rhythm. The ebbing pleasure resurges and I wrap my legs around his hips, matching his movements. Gripping his hair, I pull his face to mine as we kiss, the final unity Nate swore he didn't want. He doesn't stop kissing me, as he rocks his hips against me driving us closer to what we both reach out for.

I drag my mouth from his and suck in a dizzy breath, swearing as my vision darkens yet again.

Nate's large palm wipes hair from my face and he gazes down at me as he moves slowly again. I blink at his unguarded expression. Behind the l.u.s.t is something different. When was the last time he looked a girl in the face like this?

In this moment, the world falls further away. The distance from reality caused by the white world surrounding us retreats further, until this is Nate and me yielding to each other. There's no winner or loser in our game anymore; the new reality is we're equals. A match. Two people who understand more about each other than we admit.

Nate moves against me, his mouth parted and eyes closed as he gathers pace, reaching for his own release. The lightning trips along my spine and into my limbs once more, shocking me, and rewarding me with another grin from Nate.

”f.u.c.k, this is good,” he groans and pushes himself hard one last time and buries his head into my hair as he comes. Nate sinks onto me, our damp skin hot, bodies refusing to part.

Anch.o.r.ed together in the harsh frenzy of our lives, and the s.e.x we've avoided for years, the reason we've held back is clear.

I haven't only given over my body to Nate in this moment, but I've allowed what I swore I never would. Myself. My control. Open, exposed, and my need for him reflected in his eyes.

There's no going back from this.

Nate lies next to me, an arm across his face again. Is he deliberately covering his eyes? My body cools, but the tingling in my limbs stays, and my mouth smarts from the kissing Nate denies he does. I wait for the sinking regret I feel every time I do this with a guy, but the emotion doesn't come. We breathe in sync, not speaking, and Nate grabs the edge of the sheets, then folds them over me.

Still no words.

Nate stands and walks to the bathroom. My heart rate slows, and I'm luxuriating in the sensation still pulsing through when he kneels next to me.

”Riley.” Nate touches my face.

”Mmm?”

”Get into bed.”

I dive beneath the covers and Nate joins me, covering my body with his as if he never wanted to leave the moment behind. I hug him close, Nate curls a hand around mine, and our breathing synchronises as we drift to sleep, bodies entangled the way our lives have been since the night we met. Are we also headed back into a tangled mess once we step back outside the door?

18.

RILEY.

Something bangs onto the table next to the bed and I open a bleary eye. A mug. I look up. Nate. He grins down at me. ”Look. I made you a tea.”

”I hope it's better than the last one.”

”Everything improves with practice,” he says with a hint of a smile.

I sit and before I manage to cover myself up, Nate takes an eyeful and throws a smile at me. I peer at the tea. ”I like it stronger.”

”Is that right? Not strong enough for you?”

”Less milk.”

Nate bounces onto the bed next to me. ”Oh. Didn't realise we were talking about tea.”

He lies down, hands laced together behind his head and I push him. ”Watch your elbows. And yes, we were talking about tea.”

”Uh huh.”

As I sip my drink, Nate continues to stare at the ceiling and I take a surrept.i.tious look at the tattoo emerging from his jeans where his T-s.h.i.+rt has pulled upwards. Okay, at the hard abs I'd like to dig my fingers into again.

s.e.x with Nate was different to the usual no strings, for a million different reasons. Two years of frustration came out, our battle waging even in s.e.x. But how would it be any other way? The frustrated pa.s.sion held back that translated into resentment poured out into the most amazing, no-holds-barred s.e.x of my life.

What else could I do but challenge him when I heard what he said to Will? I needed to know which was the truth, the words spoken to Will or to me. I told Nate it didn't matter; and in the heat of the moment, the build up from the kiss earlier, I didn't care. I wanted s.e.x. With him. Then.

Today? Despite his strange tenderness this morning, I'm waiting for the triumphant return to the old Nate; for the taunts and hints, he won.

”What exiting things do we have lined up for today?” I ask. ”Brunch at a nice cafe? A walk in the park?”

”I can get you some cornflakes and we can hike through the snow. I saw Becca and Jason heading out with sledges.”

”No, thanks.”

”What? I can make cornflakes.”

”The sledging. I'm not going out in the snow again.”

”Don't you feel like running down the hill and getting the h.e.l.l out? I do.”

Of course he does. Not responding, I sip my tea.

Nate dives a hand beneath the sheets and runs his fingers across my belly. I tense as his fingers move downwards. ”So, uh, Riley,” he begins.

I take his hand and grasp. ”If this was a mistake, tell me now.”

I brace myself for the rejection.