But might have been was better than knowing exactly what she was missing. Right?
Oh, what a load of bull. She wanted him. Even if he was leaving. Even if it was going to hurt later.
“Frankie?” Nate was back, standing in the doorway of the office. “You got a second?”
She nodded and was surprised when he closed the door. Her body tensed, but she kept her expression as neutral as possible. She wondered if he was going to quit.
“I really appreciate you giving me some space.” He dragged a hand through his hair.
She laughed stiffly. “You look like you’re about to apologize for something.”
“I am.”
“Well, please don’t.” She didn’t really want to hear about how he regretted getting what he’d asked for.
He grew quiet. Then took a deep breath.
“Okay. But I want you to know something. I’m dying to be with you. Tonight. Now. Right now.” His eyes leveled on hers and they burned. “Would you consider giving me a second chance?”
Good Lord, was Santa Claus a fat man in a red suit? Of course, she would.
She got up from the chair because her body suddenly needed to move. Anticipation had replaced the dread she’d felt and the sweet rush was a hell of an improvement.
“Well, ah, it was pretty good,” she said, trying not to come across as desperate. Although what an understatement that was.
Hell, with the door closed, she was tempted to sweep her computer off the desk just so they had a flat space to get busy on.
“It was a hell of a lot more than good for me,” he said in a low, sexy tone.
Frankie looked at him, remembering the feel of him against her. “I want more of you,” she said softly. “God help me. But I want more.”
Nate came around the back of the desk and took her into his arms, pulling her against his body. With his hands on her hips, he drew her in close and she felt his arousal.
“So do I.” His voice was deep, husky.
She put her hands against his chest and held him back. “But I don’t expect you to stay once September gets here. This is just casual sex, okay?”
That was a lie, of course. She liked him. She really did, even though he was arrogant and demanding and she didn’t know enough about him.
When the fall came, she was going to have a big clean-up job to take care of after he’d left, but she wasn’t about to try and tie him down just so she felt better about sleeping with him. First of all, she was an adult, which meant she was fully capable of making a bad decision and having to live with the consequences. And second, he didn’t owe her anything. Two and a half weeks ago they’d been total strangers and in another five or so, he would go back out into the world on his own.
“This is only causal sex,” she repeated, as much for her own benefit as his.
Nate’s eyes blinked once. “Whatever you say.”
“So, are you going to the pharmacy or am I?”
That night the restaurant was a madhouse. People were actually waiting for tables and Nate was in his element. She’d never seen someone work so fast or so well.At the end of the evening, even though she was wilted from all the work, she went to her office to add up the receipts. She had to go through them twice. They’d done five thousand dollars worth of business.
Was it possible that miracles really did happen?
When the phone rang, she picked up. “White Caps.”
There was static and then, “Frankie?”
“Alex! Where are you?”
“Heading for home, believe it or not.” More static. “—be there in about a week.”
“A week?”
“—then we’re heading back out—America’s Cup training—”
“Alex?”
“—better go now. See you soon.”
“I can’t wait to see you!”
“Same h—” The connection broke.
She hung up the phone smiling.
“Who was that?”
She looked across the room. Nate was leaning against the doorjamb. He’d taken a shower and changed into cut-offs and his hair was wet, curling against his neck.
“Ah—my brother. He’s coming for a visit.” She got to her feet, feeling awkward.
Nate stared at her from under low lids, anticipation coming off of him in waves, but she wasn’t exactly sure how this was supposed to work between them. He answered the question by striding into the room and putting his hands on her waist.
“It’s late. We should get to bed.”
She slid her arms around his neck. “Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing.”
Upstairs, she drew him into her bedroom and had a moment of trepidation as he undressed her. But the moment they fell onto her bed and his body was on hers, she stopped thinking. The sensations he roused as he suckled her br**sts and swept his hand between her legs were all her brain could handle.
What a lover he was. Relentless, he pleasured her over and over again until she didn’t think it was possible for her to cl**ax one more time. Unfortunately, he refused to let her reciprocate. Every time she tried to reach for him, he stayed just out of range. He was generous to the point of frustration and she had a feeling he was making up for leaving the night before.
But his pleasure was hers.
“Why can’t I touch you?” she moaned, trying to get to his erection.
His voice was rough in her ear. “Because I’m going to come the instant you do. God, I’m so hot for you.”
And then he went back to work on her.
The only time he paused was to put the condom on.
His body was taut over hers as he came back to her. She reached for his h*ps to pull him down, but he resisted, resting his forehead on hers. His breath was ragged.
“Frankie, look at me. I want to see your eyes.”
And then he sank into her body, filling her, stretching her. He was slow at first but then his thrusts gained power until she was cl**axing again. As her body grabbed onto his, he went rigid, her name torn out of his throat.
As dawn came, Nate rolled over, pulling Frankie tightly against his body. He had to get up in a matter of minutes to start breakfast and wanted to savor the quiet moment.She stirred in his arms. “Is it morning already?” Her voice was groggy as she rubbed her eyes.
“Unfortunately.”
They’d made love twice more during the night and had fallen asleep only an hour before, but Nate felt like he could run a marathon.
He trailed his hand down the smooth plane of her stomach and then onto her thigh. “You know something?”
“What?”
Nate shut his mouth. He was going to say he could really get used to waking up next to her, but he thought about her casual-only limits.
Hell, his own casual-only limits.
As he kept his lip zipped, he thought, well, wasn’t this was a new one. Usually women wanted him to talk to them and he had nothing to say. Or nothing they’d want to hear, to be more accurate.
But, God, after last night, he wanted to let loose with a whole stream of romantic drivel. She’d rocked his world and not just physically.
Frankie rolled over and looked up at him.
Man, he liked the color of her eyes.
“What?” she prompted.
“I gotta go.” He dropped a kiss on her mouth and then got out of bed quickly. He was pulling on his shorts when he caught her smile.
“You’ve got a beautiful body, you know that,” she said, eyes going low.
He paused, glanced at the clock.
Breakfast could wait a little longer.
Chapter Twelve
F riday night, Joy looked up from the hostess stand and froze.
Gray Bennett towered over her, a smile on his sexy-as-hell face. He was dressed in white linen pants, a navy blue blazer and an open necked shirt. He was tanned, his hair was a little on the long side, and he looked better than any man had a right to.“Hello, Joy.”
She cleared her throat, not willing to take a gamble on her voice. “Good evening.”
“How are you?”
She smiled, feeling a glow come over her like a heat lamp had been turned on above her head.
“Really well.” Now that he was here.
“This place is packed.” He glanced out across the tables. “I didn’t know you had to make reservations.”
She blurted immediately, “I can make an exception for you.”
As well as making a fool out of myself, she thought. God, the eagerness in her voice made her want to wince.
He just smiled. “If you wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all.” But she prayed he didn’t have ten people with him. “How many?”
“Just my father and I.”
Joy glanced to the door and saw Mr. Bennett talking to the mayor and his wife. Gray’s father had had a stroke over the winter and was still recuperating, leaning heavily on a cane.
“I’ll put you on the lake side. Come right this way.”
She could feel him moving behind her and saw some of the other diners look up and whisper. Gray Bennett was something of a local celebrity, considering all of his political power and connections. It wasn’t often that someone who hobnobbed with world leaders floated through town.
Although she knew the women would have stared if he’d been no more than a garage mechanic. That masculine air of his was an aphrodisiac like none other, capable of putting oysters in the shade.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked as he sat down.
“A bourbon would be great.”
“I’m sorry, we only have wine.”
“Then a glass of something white is fine. And one for my father, too. Assuming he eventually ends his conversation with the mayor.” He smiled up at her and opened his menu.
On the way to the kitchen, Joy checked her watch. If everything went well, he’d be in their dining room for over an hour. Longer if he ordered dessert.
Sweet heaven, he was too handsome to look at.
As she poured two glasses of wine, she practiced the list of specials in her head, hoping she could come across smooth and in control. Like him.
She was heading for the double doors with a tray when Frankie called out, “Joy! We’ve got a problem.”
Joy paused, looking through the round glass portals at Gray’s table. He was helping his father sit in a chair.
“Joy!” Frankie’s voice was sharp.
“What?”
“Grand-Em is back in the Lincoln Bedroom. Mr. Thorndyke just called. Can you go calm her down and get her into her own room?”
Joy squeezed her eyes shut. Not tonight. Not with Gray here.
“Pickup!” Nate called out.
“Joy?” Frankie said, coming over urgently and taking the tray from her hands. “I’ll take these drinks out. Where to?”
“Table twelve,” she replied.
Frankie shot over to Nate, put the two entrées he’d just plated on the tray next to the glasses and pirouetted out into the dining room.
A moment later Joy followed, on her way to the Lincoln Bedroom. As she passed by Gray’s table, she heard Frankie telling him and his father about the specials.
She was out in the hallway before she had to look back. Gray was laughing at something Frankie had said, a big, wide smile on his face, his eyes creasing at the corners.
And then suddenly, he looked at her. He actually looked right through the crowded room, directly at her. His smile lost some of its breadth and those stunning, shrewd eyes narrowed on her face. Joy stopped breathing.
As far as she was concerned, the whole world stopped moving.
But then Frankie looked over with a frown, as if she’d caught Gray’s change in mood and was curious what the cause was.
Joy hurried away.
Holy Moses, what was that, she thought.
She took the stairs two at a time even though her legs were about as stable as her heartbeat.