London Bound (3 page)

“Why alone? The kids bought my ticket and rented the apartment, which—in case you haven’t seen it—is
tiny
.” Fidgeting under his intense stare, she slumped against the booth’s back, feeling slightly defeated. “It was a gift from the kids, who had no desire to come along, and no one I know could take the time off. I almost didn’t come at all,” she confessed, “but I didn’t want Aaron and Em to feel bad and saw this as the perfect way to show them I’m okay on my own. That they don’t have to worry about me. Oh, God, I have to shut up. Honestly, what is it about you that has me blabbing like this?”

Her face heated—again—and she looked down at her lap, her gaze landing on where his large hand rested. His long fingers swept over her knee, enough that Meg’s skirt rode up just a bit and the pad of his thumb smoothed over her bare skin.

“Are you really going to waste your turn on
that
question?”

“No,” she said firmly. “Not wasting my turn; that was a rhetorical question. My
real
question...” She caught her lower lip between her teeth a moment as she hesitated. “Are you seeing any— Ah, do you have a big family? Thought I’d forgotten that one, didn’t you?”

He chuckled—a low, vibrating sound that had her nearly squirming in her seat as her stomach tightened deliciously. Even as a sliver of guilt—however ridiculous it was—wiggled deep inside, she realized she’d missed this. Being attracted to a man, having the butterflies when he looked at her, spoke to her, touched her.

“Not a big family. It’s just my mother, two sisters and me.”

“And you’ve taken care of them since your dad passed,” she murmured. Clearly, her assessment of him from those brief encounters in their building had been wildly off base. It seemed his dickish behavior then wasn’t the norm.

Nathan leaned forward, and the pressure of his fingers increased, pressing into her skin hard as he leaned forward. And, God help her, she wanted more. His lips grazed her cheek, his beard tickling, as he brought his mouth to her ear.

“And I’ll answer the other question, too, just because.”

His whispered words set of a series of tremors through her body, and her eyelids fluttered as she tried to keep them open.

“No, I’m not seeing anyone.”

Meg’s breath stuttered out, gusting over Nathan’s neck. He straightened, and his own breath hitched at the sight of her flushed face. Absolutely gorgeous. Flexing his fingers, he drank in her reaction—the brief closing of her eyes, her lips parting and the jerky rise of her chest as she inhaled sharply. She shifted her gaze to meet his, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to move forward and take her mouth, to find out if her lips were as soft as they looked. The desire to taste, to possess, shocked him with its strength.

“I didn’t need to know that,” she whispered.

He lifted a shoulder—the lazy gesture at completely odds with the riotous thoughts and emotions this woman evoked in him.

“Maybe,” he swept his thumb back and forth over the soft skin below the hem of her skirt, “
I
needed you to know that.”

She didn’t say anything, just reached for her wine. She drained the remaining liquid in one go, gasping slightly when she set the empty glass back on the table. Nathan smiled as he took a drink himself.

“Another?” he asked.

“I-I... Please.”

Nathan bit back a groan at that word on her lips, and his mind immediately went to imagining it under different circumstances. Reluctantly, he pulled his hand from her leg and turned to see if he could catch Georgia’s attention, taking the opportunity to shift and accommodate his cock, which pulsed insistently against the zip of his jeans. He hadn’t wanted like this in... Fuck, he hadn’t wanted like
this
, period. Something about Meg... He didn’t know what it was, and the possibility of anything happening between them—besides the drinks, conversation and some innocent flirting—was slim to none. She was only here for a matter of weeks, and while her husband may have been gone for some time, clearly, she hadn’t taken any steps toward a new relationship.

But Nathan wasn’t one to walk away from anything, and he sure as hell didn’t give up because of unfavorable odds. That wasn’t his way, never had been.

Georgia glanced over, finally, and he gestured towards his and Meg’s glasses. He rolled his eyes at the wide grin, waggling eyebrows, and nod he received. She was ridiculous—it wasn’t as if he were in here pulling all the time or anything. He couldn’t remember the last time he
had
pulled. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. It had been shortly before his sister had spiraled out of control, and his mum had called him in tears. So, nearly two months, at least. No wonder he was rock hard so fucking fast.

He faced Meg and took in her pink cheeks, the small frown tugging the corners of her mouth downward as she stared at her hands clenched in her lap. Reaching over, he took hold of her wrists, one in each hand. Her pulse raced beneath his fingertips, and he squeezed just enough to hear the sweet sound of her breathy gasp, again. He had to admit to himself it wasn’t just how long it’d been since he’d had a proper shag. It wouldn’t have mattered if he’d fucked earlier that day before he’d come to the pub; it’d make no difference. Somehow, he knew his reaction would be just as strong to this woman regardless of the circumstances.

“You all right?” he asked quietly.

The corners of her mouth quirked up, but her gaze remained lowered. She flexed her hands slightly, but didn’t try to pull away. No, the movement pushed Nathan’s fingers into her flesh harder.

“I’m fine,” she murmured.

“Look at me.” When she shook her head, he followed his gut and tightened his grip. “
Meg
. Look at me,” he repeated, keeping his tone low and even, but hard.

Her head jerked up immediately, and satisfied pleasure zinged through his veins.

“What has you so worried?” He released one of her hands to skim a thumb over the tiny furrow between her brows. “Why the frown, love?”

“Nathan, can we just—”

She stopped as their new drinks were set in front of them. Nathan glanced up at Georgia, who looked between him and Meg curiously but left quickly.

“I’m fine,” Meg said when they were alone again. “I’d like to keep going with our little game. It’s my turn.”

Deciding not to push, Nathan gave her a stern look. “Your turn? I don’t think so. I answered your question last
and
answered a bonus question.”

“No, you asked if I was all right, and I answered. So, it’s my turn.”

“How does that count as a question? That’s cheating,” he accused, nudging her playfully.

“You asked a question, and I answered. That’s how it counts. And, hey, another question answered. If anyone is cheating, it’s you.” She grinned, and an honest-to-goodness giggle bubbled from her lips.

“Fine, you win. This time. Ask your question.” He let go of her other wrist but, draping his arm across the back of the booth, brought his hand to rest between her shoulder blades.

They worked their way though their current drinks and ordered another round. Nathan followed Meg’s lead and kept his questions light. He learned about Aaron and Emily—their personalities and quirks—laughed at the stories she told about some of their antics. He noticed, as they shared about their families, she deliberately steered clear of any mention of her late husband. But there was a huge smile on her face, and she was more relaxed than before, so he let it be.

After settling their tab—and ignoring Meg’s protests when he handed Georgia his credit card and told her he was covering both of them—he helped Meg put on her coat, and they headed out into the damp night.

Nathan kept his hand on the small of her back as they slowly walked the couple of blocks to their building. Neither of them seemed in a hurry for the evening to end. Once inside, he followed her up the narrow staircase, thoroughly enjoying the glimpse of pale skin between her boots and skirt and the sway of her arse right in front of his face. Oh, the things he could do to that arse.

Meg stopped on the small landing outside his flat, fingers fidgeting on the sleeves of her coat. He smiled then unlocked his door. Loath as he was to go inside, he turned to say good night and maybe suggest getting together again. As friends, if that was all she wanted, though he wanted so much more.

Cold hands settled over his cheeks, and heat covered his mouth as he was pushed back against the still closed door. It took him a moment to realize... Meg was kissing him.

As much as he wanted to lose himself in the wet slickness of her mouth—which, fuck him, was just as soft and sweet as he’d imagined—she was shaking. Pressed up against him, her body trembled like a leaf in the wind.

Gripping her shoulders, he allowed himself to respond, to taste her—he was only human—for a brief moment before gently pushing and setting her away from him. He cursed himself and the damned manners his mum had instilled in him when Meg stared at him with wide eyes and brought her fingers to touch her swollen, glistening lips.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I thought you wanted... I thought... Well, shit, not so good at reading signals, am I?”

“Are you drunk?” He winced at the harshness of the question, even as he tried to think back to how many glasses of wine she’d had. She hadn’t acted like she was, but...

“I’m not drunk,” she said, her voice echoing in the small space. Cringing, she lowered her voice. “I’m not. Pleasantly buzzed, yes, but in full control of my faculties, thank you very much. It was several glasses of wine, sure, but it was over quite a bit of time. I appreciate the concern. You’re obviously a really nice guy and want to let me down gently, but if you’re not interested in...” She gestured between them. “You can just say so. I won’t take offense, and I swear I’d—”

“Meg!”

She startled and gasped, “What?”

He stepped forward, and, grabbing one of her elbows and sliding his other hand through her hair to settle on the back of her neck, he yanked her forward. Lowering his head, he whispered against her lips, “Shut up.”

A
shiver skated down Meg’s spine, anticipation burrowing in her stomach as Nathan’s breath whispered over her lips. Her eyes nearly rolled back at the delicious pressure of his fingers on her neck as he held her firmly.

Then, he took her mouth, and there was no nearly about it—her eyes rolled right back. So much pleasure from a simple touch, a kiss. She should have known, though. The fleeting touches in the pub had been enough to make her yearn, to want more than she had in such a long time.

“So deep in thought,” he murmured, nipping at her lower lip then sucking on it slowly. “Where are you, right now, love?”

Hands on his chest, she fisted the soft material of the blue sweater he wore. “I’m here with you. If you want me to be.”

“Oh, I want.” His hand dropped from her elbow to palm her ass. “Come inside with me.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Please.”

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers with a low groan. After a deep inhale, he straightened and, eyes locked on hers, reached behind to push the door to his apartment open. Hands firm on her ass and neck, he walked backwards, pulling her inside slowly. He was giving her an opportunity to change her mind, she realized. While she appreciated the gesture—really,
really
she did—she didn’t want slow, she didn’t want questions, and she didn’t want to stop what she’d started or begin to doubt a decision she’d had a hell of a time making in the first place. What she
did
want? More of his mouth and hands on her. The chance to touch and explore the hard edges of the body she’d seen earlier that day. To feel him against her, surrounding her, and God,
inside
her. Her pussy clenched, empty and aching, at the thought.

He let go of her ass to push the door shut, but his grip on her neck remained, like a brand, and she couldn’t deny that she loved it. The weight, the press of his fingers awakened things inside her she’d thought gone and buried long ago.

Nathan wrapped his arm around her waist and dragged her forward. His fingers shifted slightly, tangled in her hair. She whimpered, relishing the sharp sting as he pulled her head back roughly.

The hard length of his cock pressed against her belly, and she cursed the layers between them. Even though her coat was open and it was just their clothing, it was too much separating them and she longed to tear the material away, feel him skin to skin.

Bending forward, he settled his lips over her pulse and sucked. With a gasp, she slid her hands up to cradle his head. The soft hair tickled her palms, and the sensation, paired with the pull of his mouth and the smooth glide of his tongue, had her arching toward him, desperate for more.

Clit pulsing, she shuffled to press her thighs together. A whine lodged in her throat when Nathan shoved a knee between hers, preventing her from finding any sort of relief—however small and inadequate it would have been.

His forearm slid over the curve of her ass, and he grasped the hem of her skirt. As he pulled the garment up, she held her breath but let it out in a whoosh when he traced the edge of her panties.

He lifted his head and met her gaze. The vibrant blue of his eyes was nearly eclipsed by the dilated pupils. His grip tightened on her neck, just a moment, before he moved both hands to her hips and pushed her until her back hit the door. She didn’t have time to react or mourn the loss of his touch because he was right there. Pressed against her, roughly pulling her skirt around her waist. He cupped her mound, his warmth seeping through the thin cotton and melding with the heat she radiated.

“Bed?” She could only manage the one word, so lost in what he was doing, what was to come.

“Eventually.” He chuckled, a dark, decadent sound that smoothed over her, sending her even deeper under his spell. “First, though...”

Pulling her panties to the side, he trailed his fingers along her slick folds, slipping easily through her desire. Meg tried to cant her hips forward but his other hand still held her fast. It wasn’t enough; she needed...she needed...