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  He grinned. “Can’t be going anywhere without having you first, baby.” Flipping her over, he undid her jeans and quickly pulled them off along with her cotton panties, grunting as she writhed against him and tried to clutch at her clothes. “I’m going to have to get you in skirts, and without the damn underwear,” he growled.

  He spread her thighs and settled in between, throwing her legs over his shoulders. His skilled lips and tongue made swift work of killing her lingering inhibitions and she was gasping with pleasure in seconds.

  His teeth nipped her sensitized clit and she arched off the stairs with a moan, her climax building at a blinding pace, and when he pushed two thick fingers inside her and stroked, she came with a shudder, her channel contracting around his fingers.

  “Damn, I’ll never get enough of that,” he muttered.

  In her dazed state, Nathan’s rough voice came from afar. She heard the sound of his jeans’ zipper and propping herself up on an elbow, watched as he kicked off his jeans and boxers. He pulled his t-shirt up over his head then reached for her and pulled off her top. He kissed the mound of her breasts before unclasping her bra from behind and sliding it off her shoulders. Then laying her back against the stairs, he claimed each pebbled nipple in a rough suckling kiss that had her groaning and arching towards him.

  He moved back up to press a kiss to her lips. “I want you on top, Aura.”

  Sitting back on the stairs, he lifted her on to his lap so her knees were on either side of him and she straddled his thick erection.

  She curled her fingers into the short dark hair of his chest as she let his hands on her bottom and hips guide her into position. The tip of his waiting shaft stroked her wet folds and she sank down on to it, taking him fully inside her.

  He dug his fingers into her soft flesh and closing his eyes, tipped his head back on a throaty groan.

  She moved, slowly up and down, glancing down at where they were joined and how he slipped in and out of her. The sight had her channel throbbing and clenching. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss against the exposed column of his neck, and then brushed her lips up over the rough stubble under his chin.

  He opened his eyes and arched up to capture her mouth with his, then gripping her hips with strong hands, rocked her faster against him.

  She broke the kiss, gasping at the punishing rhythm he set. He filled her completely, becoming her entire awareness. His shaft bulged, growing impossibly bigger inside her as his breathing roughened.

  Her own pleasure snowballed. “Oh, Nathan, I’m…”

  He twined his fingers into her hair and pulled her down for his kiss, and she exploded around his shaft, grinding down on him as he swallowed her wild cries of ecstasy. With one final thrust he ripped his mouth from hers and yelled with the force of his own climax as he shot his seed into her.

  She collapsed trembling into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck, and he held her to him, running a soothing hand through her hair.

  “We still need to get to the shops,” she murmured when she could once again think straight.

  His chuckle vibrated in his chest, against her cheek, and he kissed her hair. “Shower with me first, then I promise to let you dress.”

  * * *

  By the time they finally got out to her car, it was half-past-four. The shower had been slow and delicious, with Nathan kissing down the entire length of her body as he washed her, and then taking the opportunity to do more than just kiss. It was a miracle they’d made it out of the house at all.

  She’d bundled up against the cold in her blue wool coat, over jeans and a red buttoned top. Nathan looked like he’d just stepped off a movie set in dark jeans, black flight jacket, and dark-tinted aviator glasses hiding his eyes. She had to stop herself from goggling at him like an idiot. It was hard to believe someone like him was with her.

  She unlocked the car with her key fob, and his lips set in a grim line. His dark glasses hid his full expression from her as he walked around the front of the car to the passenger side. “This thing road safe?”

  Aura bit her lip. Her second-hand car wasn’t much of a looker—bug like, mint-green and a little muddy around the base from the winter roads—but it got her from A to B without too much fuss. But of course, he was more used to sleek plush monsters like the one he’d arrived in. Too bad.

  She grinned at him. “Perfectly safe. Get in and strap yourself down.”

  The corners of his mouth turned down, but he opened the door and squeezed himself into the passenger side.

  She got in the driver side, biting back a laugh at the scowl on his face as he realized his long legs weren’t going to stretch forward anymore than the seat allowed.

  He pulled at the seat release. “Doesn’t this damn thing move back any further?”

  “That’s as far as it goes.”

  “Christ, Aura, you need something better.” He shook his head. “I could—”

  “No.” She tapped the steering wheel fondly. “My little car and I go back four years. I’m very comfortable with it.”

  What had he been about to say? That he’d buy her a car? Probably not. You don’t sleep with someone a couple of days and then suddenly buy them a car. But Nathan was rich enough that such a gesture could mean nothing to him. She hadn’t wanted to find out though. That wasn’t their relationship and the thought of accepting anything from him felt inexplicably like charity.

  She started the engine and put the car into gear. It juddered beneath them as if it was waking up from a long cold sleep.

  Nathan clenched his jaw, but said nothing, choosing to look out his window instead.

  She pulled out on to the road. “You were quite good with Jason. I didn’t know you got on so well with kids.” The drive to the supermarket was only ten minutes, but his brooding silence was getting to her.

  “Neither did I.” His tone was dry. “Andy’s newborn is the only kid I’ve ever held, and that was just the once.” He glanced at her. “But Jason is great. It probably had more to do with his easy going nature that things didn’t dissolve into tears and tantrums.”

  “Give yourself credit. It looked like you were enjoying it too.” She shot him a smile. “I was actually a little concerned at first when Lisa handed him over to you. For a moment, you looked like he was a ticking time bomb ready to explode.”

  He grinned. “Did I now?”

  They reached a set of traffic lights, and the car trembled to a halt.

  “Hell, this contraption better not collapse around us.”

  “I’ve been told the backseat has less vibration. You’re welcome to try that if you want. It might feel more familiar too.”

  He glanced dubiously behind him at the narrow backseat that would probably have had him sitting with his knees up by his ears. “I do drive, Aura, but having a chauffeur is handy. It lets me get work done on the way to places.”

  The lights changed and she eased the car into protesting motion. “Are you always busy, Nathan?”

  “Yes. Though, these past few days…” He broke off and stared out of his window again.

  She longed to know more, but dared not press him. From what she’d heard him discuss with Andy that day, Nathan was still hands-on with his business even when he was supposed to be recuperating. What if he already regretted the time he’d wasted with her? Was she ready to hear him admit it?

  With relief, she pulled into the supermarket car park. Hopefully, if she kept the shopping quick and got something tasty for dinner, it might bring back the relaxed Nathan who’d been with her until now.

  The supermarket sign loomed up on one side of them, but Nathan’s head was swimming with questions.

  Why did she drive this old hunk of metal? Why didn’t she have her own business? And why were they still living in this same small house they’d moved into after Cathy married his father?

  His father had run a successful business, and he’d sold it several years ago for a large amount, so where had all that money gone?

&nbs
p; He’d never inherited a penny from his father, but then he’d never wanted to. All his childhood, the only thing he’d ever wanted was his father’s love, and he’d strived for it. Even when he’d been shipped off to boarding school at a tender age, he’d never let his grades drop below excellent, because that was the one and only thing that had brought a nod of approval from the old man, not a smile though, and never a hug.

  And then the divorce happened. His father had upped and moved on, just like that, happy with his new ready-made family. The only thing on his father’s mind after that was endlessly berating Nathan over his choice of girl friends of all things.

  More out of a sense of revenge than anything else, Nathan had taken his mother’s side as she played the victim to maximum advantage. He was all too ready to see his father as a lying cheating monster who’d been having an affair with his secretary behind his wife’s back. But when he’d turned to his mother after the divorce was finalized, he quickly found out she had no love or need for him, and within months she was married to husband number two, some stupid big-shot lawyer who’d turned out to be a crook.

  He learned that day that only the relationships he controlled, lasted. And since then, he’d never been at the mercy of anyone’s love or approval. He was always able to get up and walk away unscathed.

  Then what was it about Aura that had him all twisted up in knots?

  It had taken all the strength he’d possessed to stay away from her over the years, and coming back now was beginning to look more and more like a huge mistake.

  10

  Aura finished the shopping in record time, mainly because she rushed Nathan through all the aisles, since she knew by heart where everything was in her local supermarket.

  The reason for her lightning speed was that Nathan attracted a lot of attention, especially female, standing out as he did in a crowd with his tall, dark good looks and ‘don’t bother me’ glasses. Her jealousy meter had only been able to take so much.

  Not that he’d noticed all the captivated gazes on him. He’d contented himself with saying little and pushing the trolly for her. He hadn’t even offered much of an opinion when she’d asked about his preferences for dinner, other than suggesting the wine. In fact, the only time he’d grudgingly spoken more than monosyllables had been when the plump middle-aged cashier had taken one look at him and decided this god of a man was going to brighten her boring day. She’d engaged him in a relentless conversation about the dreary February weather with it’s biting cold wind, and how it all made her carrot-orange hair frizz like the fur on an electrified cat. She’d even praised his chivalry when he’d insisted on paying, and Aura, who’d been forgotten about, let him get away with it only because she didn’t want to cause a scene.

  Still, his tact and patience with people astonished her. It was nothing like the Nathan who’d snapped away at Andy. But then he’d just spent the last few minutes pushing a trolley after her without complaint. This new homely side of him was bowling her over.

  They stowed the last shopping bag in the car’s small trunk, and Nathan suddenly straightened, one hand shooting to his forehead.

  Aura looked at him in concern. “What is it? Do you have a headache?”

  A frown furrowed his brow and he paused for a beat, then shook his head, his hand falling away as he turned to her. “It felt like one was starting for a moment, but I’m fine.”

  “I should never have let you come with me. If you’d stayed home—”

  “Aura, it was nothing.”

  But she wasn’t listening. “How stupid am I? I didn’t even bring painkillers.” Her frantic gaze fell on the pharmacy two shops away from where they were parked. “Wait here in the car. I’ll just run over and get you some tablets.”

  “I don’t need them, and we could be back at your house in that time.”

  “I won’t take a moment. Just sit in here and relax.” She moved to open the passenger door, but he laughed and stopped her with a hand on her arm.

  His laughter had her staring up at him. It was so wonderful to hear it again.

  “I’m coming with you,” he said with a wry grin. “Because I suspect this contraption of yours will try to eat me alive once you’re gone.”

  * * *

  The pharmacy was neat and spacious inside, with an opticians taking up half the building and the pharmacy’s rows of medicines and products in the other half.

  A number of customers milled around, talking in rather hushed tones, probably awed by the smell of medicine around them that put them in mind of a hospital rather than a shop.

  Aura headed straight for the shelf of painkillers and picking out a box of the strongest tablets she could find, took them to the counter at the back of the pharmacy. Nathan sauntered a distance behind, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets as he glanced around the various shelves. She left him to his exploring.

  Two customers were in line before her and she waited patiently for them to be served first.

  “Aura.”

  She turned to see Bill approach from the opticians’ half. He was dressed casually in jeans and a dark-green padded jacket left open over a lighter green button-down shirt. He looked to be off-duty from the fire station.

  “Hey, Bill, how comes you’re here?”

  “Came to sort out my contacts.” He nodded towards the opticians. “And you?”

  She held up the box of tablets. “Painkillers.”

  “You okay?” he asked, frowning.

  “They’re for Nathan, not me.”

  At that moment, Nathan came up to them and Bill’s entire bearing changed. He stiffened and straightened. Aura looked from one to the other. Hardly an inch difference in height existed between the two of them, but Nathan drew all attention to him, like an inexorable dark force.

  “Right… Nathan.” Bill extended a hand. “How you doing?”

  “Bill, isn’t it?” Nathan grasped it in a firm handshake before letting go.

  “That’s right. See you got them bandages off.”

  “Yes.” He regarded Aura for a moment through his dark glasses. “They were getting in the way.”

  Heat scorched her cheeks at his meaning, and she glanced at Bill hoping he hadn’t picked up on it.

  But Bill just nodded. “Aura, I was going to come over later…” He shot an uncomfortable glance in Nathan’s direction. “I wanted to ask you something.”

  The line stepped forward as the customer being served left and the lady immediately before her went to the counter.

  “About what?” She braced herself to gently turn down any request for a date.

  “Excuse me,” Nathan said dryly.

  He left them and Bill stepped closer to her. “Seeing as it’s Valentine’s tomorrow, and Lisa’s got this date set up, I thought, you and I, we could tag along for a bit. Make it a night out for all four of us.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to say yes. It didn’t sound like an actual date, and no doubt Lisa would appreciate the company, at least for the beginning. Aura suspected Lisa’s reluctance to think too much about her mystery date had more to do with nerves than anything else. But how could she leave Nathan alone at home? And did she want to? Bill didn’t look like he’d take kindly to any suggestion of Nathan accompanying them.

  As she stood undecided, the pharmacy assistant, a bored looking girl with a short mousy ponytail, called from the counter. “Can I help you?”

  Aura stepped forward and placed the box of painkillers on the counter. “Just these, please.”

  Nathan loomed up behind her and plonked down another box next to hers along with a twenty pound note. “And these.”

  Aura gaped at the blazing orange and pink box. The words ‘Pleasure Me’ were emblazoned on it in large white letters, beneath which was written '24 condoms ribbed and dotted for extra stimulation’. It stood proud like a little flame shooting up from the drab grey counter, and every eye was turned to it.

  She groaned inwardly. If only the ground would open up and
swallow her right about now.

  The pharmacy assistant didn’t bat an eyelid, quickly ringing through their purchases and dropping both boxes into a carrier bag.

  Aura risked a glance at Bill.

  He’d turned brick red, the colour even reaching the roots of his blond hair. “See you later, Aura,” he muttered, before turning and striding away.

  She spun around and glared at Nathan as he took the bag and his change from the assistant. “How could you?”

  He placed a hand at her elbow and ushered her away from the counter and the line of customers behind them, his expression poker-faced. “How could I what?”

  She snatched her elbow back. “God, Nathan, you thoroughly embarrassed me and you drove Bill away.”

  He laughed. “What’s so embarrassing about it? And as for old Bill, maybe he suddenly realized he had more important things to attend to.”

  She glared at him, at a loss what to say. He could be such an insensitive pig when he wanted to be. With a shake of her head, she hurried away towards the car, not bothering to see if he was keeping pace with her or not.

  The drive back home was as tense as a mile-high tightrope walk. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Nathan, and luckily he’d sensed her mood and retreated back into the brooding silence of before.

  Once they reached the house, he helped her carry the shopping in, and then placing the bags on top of the kitchen table, shucked off his jacket and hung it over one of the chairs.

  He stood tall beside her in his dark-blue button down shirt and jeans, his arms crossed over her chest, his dark glasses still hiding his eyes from her. “You can’t keep up the silent treatment forever, Aura.”

  She dumped her coat next to the bags and narrowed her eyes at his challenge. “Really? Watch me.”

  Oh, she’d ignore him for the rest of her life if she had to.

  He smiled and took off the glasses, fixing her with his amused silver gaze.