Fringe Benefits (10 page)

Connor nodded again. “If anyone would know her best, it would be Beth.”

“Which means I need to figure out how to get her to let her hair down—figuratively and literally.” Nate’s mind kept skipping back to his college psychology class, and although he wasn’t sure why, something niggled at him. “A control freak.”

“Pardon?” Ben asked.

“She’s a control freak,” Nate said a little louder. “A type A personality.”

“Duh.” Connor plucked a tortilla chip from his bowl and shoved it in his mouth.

Although the guys started talking about the baseball game, Nate had no interest at all because his mind was too consumed with Dani.

She was a neat freak. Whenever they cooked together, she was precise in measuring everything rather than just eyeballing the spices or ingredients. She even had a small scale to weigh the meat. On their runs, she checked her pulse and distance monitor constantly, adjusting her pace or lengthening her stride to some technological command. At school, she stayed late to grade papers on the day they were due, even if it meant working right through supper.

At home, there was never anything out of place. He could hear her running the vacuum at least twice a week, and when he went upstairs to get a snack, he’d find her dusting or straightening.

It wasn’t normal.

“Nate?” Ben brought him back to reality.

Time to put these new friendships to good use
. “Do you guys think Dani has OCD?”

Dani didn’t get home until after midnight, and she was really glad Beth had been designated driver. Most of the time she wasn’t much of a drinker. Being sotted meant she said and did things she couldn’t truly control, so she usually enjoyed a couple of margaritas and stopped. Tonight she’d had four, and she was feeling pretty damned relaxed.

Her frame of mind about Nate had shifted somewhere around the third drink. While she could probably blame the alcohol, the attitude change was more a product of the Ladies. They’d slowly and steadily knocked down the bricks in the walls Dani had built to protect herself from him. They’d used logic and played up her intellectual attraction instead of focusing on the physical pull. They’d talked about their own marriages, using their husbands as proof there were still good guys out there and that she might have just discovered one.

By the fourth margarita, Dani had been ready to go straight home and jump him.

“Hey.” Nate sat up from where he’d been lying on the couch. He threw the crocheted afghan aside. “Sorry I fell asleep up here. Once they get the satellite hooked up downstairs, I can watch stuff downstairs.”

“I told you earlier, it’s fine.” She dropped her purse on one of the kitchen barstools. “I don’t watch TV much anyway. Someone might as well get some use out of it.”

On his feet, he folded the afghan and laid it over the back of the sofa. “Have a good time with the Ladies?”

“I did. Enjoy the baseball game?”

He stepped around to lean against the back of the sofa. “Yeah.”

They stood glued to their spots and stared at each other. The air between them sizzled with anticipation as Dani silently talked herself into doing exactly what she wanted to do, which was to be in his embrace.

In the end, Nate met her in the middle. As she rushed to him, he gathered her into his arms.

“Why can’t I keep my hands off you?” he asked.

“Probably for the same reason I’m gonna do this.” Rising on tiptoes, she looped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

The heat rushing through her veins was incredible. What was it about this man that affected her far more than a pitcher of margaritas ever could? She quit trying to figure out the riddle of Nate Ryan and simply enjoyed him.

Before she could heighten the kiss, he let out a low growl and slipped his tongue into her mouth. She replied with a soft moan and rubbed her tongue across his. When she threaded her fingers through his short hair, she was surprised how soft it was.

He smelled so good, fresh and clean and masculine. She wanted to drown in his scent and his touch. Clutching at his shoulders, she leaned back against the kitchen island and let him rest his weight against her body.

*   *   *

Nate had never been a guy to question good luck, especially when that luck put Dani in his arms. Something—or perhaps someone—had helped her get past the roadblocks that had stood between them. If the Ladies had caused the change, he was going to send all three of them bouquets of roses and boxes of chocolates.

She tasted sweet, and a hint of lime was on her breath. Although she seemed relaxed, her speech wasn’t slurred and she’d been steady on her feet. She wasn’t drunk. Tipsy, maybe.

That thought caused him to pause. Ending the kiss, he eased back just enough to look at her.

Her lips were red, her eyes clear. A flush covered her cheeks, spreading down her neck.

Passion?

Or alcohol?

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened them, she was smiling at him. All he wanted to do was kiss her again. “Dani… how much did you drink tonight?”

“Not much. A few margaritas.”

“A few? How few?”

At least she didn’t take a long time thinking about her answer. “Four. Pretty sure I stopped at four.”

He had no idea if a woman her size could handle four margaritas, especially if the bartender used a heavy hand with the tequila. Despite the way his groin throbbed, he knew he couldn’t take advantage of her. “I should head downstairs.”

She fisted her hands in his shirt and pulled him into another heated kiss.

Dani made him so hot so damn fast, he knew when they finally came together, it would be incredible. But he wasn’t about to make an event that special become something she resented once her head cleared.

Nate let the kiss go on until he could dredge up the strength to finally bring it to an end. He loved that she followed him with her lips when he pulled back. “Oh, Dani. You have no idea how hard it’s gonna be to go back to my apartment.” He grabbed her wrists and gently eased her arms away from him.

She nibbled on her lower lip before she said, “You can come upstairs instead. If you want to…”

“I want to. I really,
really
want to.” After brushing a quick kiss over her pouty lips, he hurried to the basement door. “But not tonight.”

He passed through the door, shutting it quietly and hurrying down the stairs before he could change his mind. He almost tripped over his own big feet, making him laugh at the thought that he was going to end up breaking his neck because he’d been stupid enough to turn down sex with a woman he wanted desperately.

After getting ready for bed, he was still wound as tightly as a yo-yo. Lying on his lonely bed, he stared at the slowly rotating fan, wishing it could hypnotize him into a sound sleep. His thoughts were so full of Dani—of her taste, the scent of her perfume, and the feel of her body molded to his—that he couldn’t turn off his brain. Or his body.

Nate gave serious thought to taking matters into his own hands before his mind caught on to a new topic. Back at the Carpenter house, he’d thought about all the odd things Dani did and had speculated whether she had OCD. Although the men hadn’t gone out of their way to convince him that he was wrong, he did feel a little less like she might actually have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Her habits might be extraordinarily neat, but the guys had made some great observations, pointing out that Dani was quite capable of letting go—if she had the proper motivation. Robert shared a story about how much fun she’d had when they were constructing the house. Evidently, she’d taken red paint and decorated the subfloor before the carpet was put in place. Whoever pulled up that carpet in the future would find what looked like a massive bloodstain and
Get out!
scrawled in huge letters.

Connor’s story was about how Dani ran a race where people gave money to a charity by buying packets of colored powder to toss at the runners. Then she’d challenged all of her students to show up and pelt her with color. She’d spent quite a bit of the day looking as though she were wearing a rainbow.

Even Ben had shared a story about how Dani had been so exhausted from her housewarming party that she’d left the entire house a mess of dirty dishes and cups until she got a good night’s sleep.

No one with OCD could tolerate one, let alone all three, of those events.

Nate might have convinced himself that she wasn’t OCD, but she was a woman who kept far too tight a rein on herself, especially her emotions. If he was going to win her heart, he’d have to wage a battle to not only allow him in, but to get her to see and treat him as an equal. A very hard thing for a control freak.

How was a guy supposed to handle a woman like that?

Women like Dani needed a guy to be strong, to take the lead and show them that it was okay to let someone else be in charge. It was the only way to win her heart, and if he did, the prize would be more than worth the effort.

To make Dani his, he’d have to show her it was okay to let go.

*   *   *

Nate was already stretching the next morning when Dani came outside to run. “Good morning!” he called. “Ready to rock and roll?”

“Are you planning on running with me every day?”

He tried not to take offense to her disgruntled tone. “Pretty much. Unless I break a leg or something.”

She came to stand right in front of him and folded her arms under her breasts. “Why are you doing this to me?”

“I beg your pardon?” When she rolled her eyes, he put his hands on his hips. “I’m not trying to be difficult, Dani. I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Throwing her hands in the air she started pacing. “Yes, you do! You’re driving me crazy! And you damn well know it!”

“I assure you. It’s not on purpose.”

She stopped long enough to stomp her foot. “See? There you go again.”

Nate let out an exasperated sigh. “No. I honestly
don’t
see. Can you stop fuming long enough to explain why you’re so pissed at me? Last night, I thought things were good… or at least getting good.”

“They’re not good! They’re confused! I mean, one minute you’re acting like you want me; then you’re back to this let’s-just-act-like-friends stuff.”

“You think I don’t want you?”

“You walked away from me last night. I was ready to…” Her pale cheeks flushed red. “You know. And you turned me down. What the hell else am I supposed to think?”

Reminding himself it was time to take the lead, to show her she didn’t have to always be the strong one or the one who made every decision, he caught her and pulled her into his arms. Then he kissed her soundly.

After easing back, he couldn’t stop grinning as he stared down at the bemused expression on her face. “Do you still think I don’t want you?”

“Then why didn’t you go upstairs with me last night?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“Because it wasn’t the right time.”

“Because I was drunk?”

Nate kissed her forehead. “You weren’t drunk. A little tipsy maybe…”

Dani slid her arms around his waist and rubbed herself against his growing erection as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

His response was passionate until he realized they were standing in the middle of the driveway. Making out in public was frowned upon in general. Two teachers passionately kissing—especially in such a small town—could equal getting fired.

Stepping back, he took deep breaths until he could regain control. Thankfully, it was cool enough this morning that he’d worn his sweats and not more-revealing running shorts. “How far today? I liked the path around the lake. We could—”

“Go upstairs. We could head upstairs and—”

He wouldn’t let her continue. “No.”

“Why?”

Nate raked his fingers through his hair. “Dani, I want you. I do. It’s just…” A heavy sigh slipped out. “I’ve been down that road before—the sex before the relationship doesn’t work. Let’s get to know each other better first. Let’s work on the relationship. The sex will come.”

Dani snorted at him. “That’s the worst pun I’ve ever heard.”

At least he could chuckle, despite the seriousness of the conversation. “I meant what I said. I want us to be something more. Something other than just a couple of people who have sex and pretend they care about each other. I like you. I want to get to know you first. And I promise that if we take our time, the sex will only be better because of it.” At least he hoped so. This was all too new to be sure.

She fisted her hands and closed her eyes.

“Why’d you change your mind?” he asked.

Her eyes flew open. “What?”

“Why’d you change your mind about having a relationship with me?”

Instead of a reasonable explanation, he got a shrug. “Can’t we please just… do it? The waiting will drive me crazy.”

So this wasn’t about her softening toward him; this was about her calling the shots. “Oh, my dear Dani. You can’t stand to let someone else have control. Can you?”

“Nate…”

“I’m going to make love to you.”

She grabbed his hand and started dragging him toward the porch.

He planted his feet. “But not yet. Not until we have the relationship thing down first.”

“You’re serious?”

“Dead serious.”

Her eyes searched his. “What do you want, Nate? What do you really want?”

“You. In every single way possible. Your mind. Your heart. Everything.”

Dani fiddled with her pretzels, not at all interested in eating. The Ladies sat with her at the lunch table, chuckling at her predicament. “I have no idea why you all think this is so damned funny.”

“It
is
funny,” Beth replied. “That man knows you too well.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jules let out a snort. “Oh, puhleeze. You are Miss Control Freak, and Nate knows it.”

“And that’s funny because…?”

“Because,” Mallory said, “we love that he’s not going to let you lead him around by the nose.”

“Because,” Beth said, “we think he’s gonna be very, very good for you.”

Jules popped open her soda. “Because it’s about time you found a guy who can give you exactly what you need. And I don’t mean an orgasm.” She laughed before taking a sip.

Not sure whether she should scold her friends or simply stand up, grab her food, and walk out of the lunchroom, Dani just shook her head. “I thought you were my friends.”

Beth put her hand over Dani’s where it rested on the table. “We are your friends. That’s why we’re happy for you.”

“You’re happy for me? Nate turns me down flat and you’re
happy
for me?” A few deep breaths didn’t help ease her growing anger and frustration.

Mallory nodded. “Admit it, Dani. The guys you’ve dated have all been a bit… well… a bit accommodating.”

“Meaning,” Jules said, “that you could easily boss them around, and you were bored with every single one of them after three dates.”

“You need a guy like Nate.” After dipping her celery in her jar of peanut butter, Beth pointed it at Dani as if to emphasize her point. “Let him lead the dance. You might find out it’s nice to have someone else call the shots for once.”

Having her friends point out what Dani had tried so hard to ignore only made her angrier. “If I’m that bad, if I’m really that much of a control freak, then why are you all stupid enough to be friends with me?”

“Because you’re a wonderful person,” Beth replied. “Shoot, Dani, we all have faults.”

“Especially where men are concerned,” Jules said. “Friends don’t let friends make huge mistakes and get in their own way. If all of you hadn’t pointed out how stubborn I was being with Connor, I might’ve missed the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Mallory nodded. “Same goes for me and Ben. The three of you did so much to make sure I understood how truly sorry he was for hurting me, and I’m grateful for it every single day.”

“Dani,” Beth said, her eyes growing misty, “you were the one who brought Robert to me when you knew I needed him most. Now it’s our turn to help you and Nate. We’re only telling you these things for your sake. Please don’t think we’re being mean.”

“Far from it,” Mallory said. “We love you, honey.”

Jules nodded. “We really do.”

“We want to help you because we see something good happening in your life,” Beth added.

Jules tossed Dani a lopsided grin. “And we don’t want you to screw things up for yourself like all three of us almost did.”

*   *   *

The Ladies’ advice clung to Dani for the remainder of the day. It was difficult to concentrate on teaching the intricacies of
Macbeth
when her thoughts were on Nate.

Her friends were absolutely right. Her need for controlling everything had gotten out of hand, and it had taken Nate to point it out and the Ladies to make sure Dani opened her eyes. Just recognizing how nitpicky she’d gotten about everything—from her house to her life—made her shake her head in disdain. It was a wonder they hadn’t all demanded she go to her family doctor and get something to help with her anal-retentive nature.

She stayed late at school to finish grading essays, not in a hurry to face Nate. The biggest problem was that she had no idea how to change things. Her life was in a rut, each day nothing but a parody of the movie
Groundhog Day
. Same damned thing, day in and day out.

Sniffing back tears, she punched the garage door opener, wincing when she saw Nate’s car. Not only had she endured her friends forcing her to open her eyes, but also Dani was sure Nate would continue to press his point.

Once she killed the engine, she sat in the car, wondering if there was any way at all to avoid her tenant. She just wasn’t up to another round of the “What’s Wrong with Dani’s Life?” game.

Then her stomach growled. She’d been so upset at lunch, she’d barely eaten. Supper was already late and would be even later since she’d have to cook herself something. After flirting with driving straight to McDonald’s, she settled on going inside, searching for something in the freezer, and tossing it in the microwave.

Heavenly aromas filled her nostrils the moment she stepped into the house. Spices mingled with the scent of roasting meat made her mouth water in anticipation. She kicked off her shoes, hung her tote on a hook, and peeked from the mudroom into the kitchen. “Nate?”

“Wait!” He smacked a wooden spoon against a pot, set it aside, and then hurried to her.

“Did you make supper?” she asked, feeling stupid the moment the question slipped out. “Duh. Of course you did. What—”

Nate stopped her with a kiss.

Dani surrendered, letting him hold her close as he lazily stroked her tongue with his. When he pulled back, she smiled up at him.

“Now… wait right here.” He hurried back to the kitchen island and picked up a folded piece of black satin. “I’ve got something for you.” He let the material drop, holding tight to an attached ribbon.

It was a blindfold.

Her first thought was that the man had lost his mind. “You’re joking, right?”

“Joking? About something this important?” he scoffed. “Not in the least. Tonight you get your first lesson in trust.”

Still concerned, she put her hands on her hips and tried to glare him out of the idea. “You really want me to be blind? That seems kinda mean.”

He settled his hands on her shoulders, smiling down at her, blue eyes twinkling. “It’s not meant to be mean, Dani. It’s meant for you to surrender a little of that precious control of yours and learn that you can trust me.”

The man was serious. Despite the grin, he was really serious. Panic bubbled inside her. “I’d be blind, Nate. I’ll trip and fall and probably break a leg. I mean, I’m super clumsy and—”

Nate’s smile dropped to a deep frown. “There’s not a single thing about you that’s clumsy. You’re graceful and strong and you damn well know it. This is about you not trusting me enough to give me this one meal, this one night, to show you that I’d never let you get hurt.”

His accusation hit her hard. Added to all the things the Ladies had said at lunch, the conclusion was obvious. Dani didn’t trust Nate—at least not yet.

He was offering her a chance to change things. All she had to do was give in.

For once, she listened to her heart and not her head. “Fine.” She closed her eyes. “We’ll do it your way. So have at it. Blindfold me.”

“Really?”

She opened her eyes so she could give him an exasperated glare. “Really. You want me to show I trust you by letting you lead me around like Stevie Wonder—”

His victorious grin was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes again.

Nate gently put the black material over her eyes and tied the ribbons behind her head. “Too tight?”

“No,” she replied, feeling a cross between fear and excitement when she realized the blindfold did an excellent job of blocking out everything. Not even a sliver of light could enter. “Now what?” It was no wonder that her voice quavered.

Her hearing seemed heightened, his shuffling footsteps telling her he’d moved behind her. His arms snaked around her waist and he pressed his front against her back. A moment before his lips brushed the sensitive skin of her neck, she felt his hot breath and inhaled the spicy scent of his cologne.

With a content sigh, she dropped her head to the side.

*   *   *

Nate hadn’t expected her to surrender without a fight, but the resistance she’d given had been token at best. He nuzzled her soft skin as he brushed aside her silky hair and kissed and licked her long neck.

She shivered and let out a mewl.

Damn, she pleased him more than she could know. This wasn’t easy for her, to give him the privilege of guiding her through their meal… and what he planned after. He wasn’t about to disappoint her when she’d given him her tentative trust.

“Now what?” she asked in a whisper.

“Now, we enjoy dinner.”

Moving in front of her, Nate took her hands in his and walked backward to lead her to the barstool he’d pulled out. He’d set their places at the bar, knowing if he fed her on the couch, he’d probably jump her before the meal ended. No, the kitchen was safer. For now.

“Up we go.” Hands on her waist, he lifted her.

Dani’s hands clutched his biceps, her grip tight enough to reveal her fear. Yet she didn’t let out a squeal, only allowed herself to be plopped onto the seat.

Nate turned her stool so she faced the bar. “Let me get our dinner ready.”

She delicately sniffed the air. “Mmmm… it smells wonderful.”

“Good. I spent quite a bit of time making some special things for you.”

While he assembled their plates, she kept tossing out theories on what he’d prepared. He neither confirmed nor denied her guesses, enjoying her nervous chatter. He set their plates next to his barstool, poured two glasses of wine, and then took his seat.

“I’m gonna make a mess if I try to use a fork,” Dani said.

Nate grabbed her wrists only a moment before she would have put her hands in the middle of her food. “No fork, baby. I’m going to feed you.”

Her lips dropped to a frown. “I’m not a baby.”

“That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it.”

“Oh, I
know
what you meant. It’s you who doesn’t get it, Nate. I’m not anyone’s ‘baby.’ I’ll never be anyone’s ‘baby.’ Got it?”

This was a battle he was willing to lose, and he couldn’t really blame her. The term did seem a bit demeaning now that he thought about it. “You win.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“So what endearments am I allowed?” he asked.

She thought it over. “You know… I’m not sure.”

“Well, then, no ‘baby,’ but the rest we’ll just play by ear. Let me know if I hit on one you like.” He picked up one of the small pieces of the appetizer. “Now open up. I made something unusual to start us off.”

It wasn’t a surprise when she didn’t immediately comply. Dani was never going to be a woman who gave anyone, even someone who loved her, blind obedience. “I’m allergic to—”

“Pineapple. I know. I checked with Beth to be sure I didn’t use anything you didn’t like or might be allergic to.”

She cocked her head. “That was very thoughtful.”

He let out an exasperated sigh, one she’d heard often from many people.

She reached out for him. “That came out wrong. I just thought it was a little above and beyond what most men would’ve done.”

His hand grasped hers. “I keep telling you, Dani, I’m not like most men.”

Holding tight to him, she put her other hand on his arm, sliding it up to his shoulder and then his neck so she could finally brush her knuckles against his cheek. “Lesson learned.”

He kissed her fingers and then put her hands back on her lap. Then he picked up the food again. “Open up, Dani. Trust me, you’ll like this.”

A few heartbeats passed before she opened her mouth.

Nate put a dainty piece of the appetizer in her mouth. She chewed, an appreciative hum coming from her lips.

“Is that Gorgonzola?” she asked after she’d swallowed.

“You’ve got a good palate. Here’s another bite.”

This time, she parted her lips without being asked.

Feeding Dani was so damned erotic. Each time she opened her mouth, Nate had to close his own eyes to block the sensual image. Her lips were so full, so sexy. Every now and then, her tongue would dart out to lick away bits of food from those lips or the corners of her mouth. Even imagining the things she could do to him with those lips and that tongue had his cock hard and aching.

She fawned over the portabella mushroom with the melted Gorgonzola, a dish his stepfather had taught him to prepare. It was a good thing Mark was a good cook since Nate’s mother could start a fire just by boiling water. Nate had taken to the skill, and now he enjoyed coming up with his own creations, some of which he now shared with Dani.

“That’s amazing,” she said after he fed her the first bite of the entrée. “Portabella mushrooms. Gorgonzola cheese. Filet mignon. You must’ve spent a month’s salary on this dinner.”

He’d probably spent more than he should have, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. “Ah-ah-ah. You’re not supposed to be worrying about anything tonight. Remember? Let me do the worrying for both of us.”

His own appetite was forgotten as he focused on pleasing Dani, putting small bites of the food he’d lovingly prepared into her mouth and savoring each of her startled and appreciative expressions.

Dessert almost pushed him over the edge. Nate swiped his finger through the meringue on the coconut cream pie and then said, “Open your mouth, sweetheart.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Sweetheart?”

“You said you weren’t anyone’s ‘baby.’ Figured I’d try ‘sweetheart’ this time.”

After a few seconds, she smiled. “That might work.”

“Well, then… open up, sweetheart. I have a special treat.”

A smile played over her lips before she slowly parted them.

Desire punched him in the gut so hard he let out a harsh breath.

“Are you okay?” Dani asked. “You sound like someone hit you.”

“So your hearing’s become more acute? Interesting.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Now here’s dessert.”

She opened her mouth and let him put his meringue-covered index finger inside. Then her lips closed around it. Her hands rose to grab his wrist, and she started licking his finger like some sweet treat. It didn’t take much imagination to picture her savoring his cock in the same manner.

With a seductive smile, she released his wrist. “More, please.”