Propositions (11 page)

“Jess. Slow. We’re in no rush. Tonight, you’re mine.”

Her blood heated and curled through her veins as he worked his magic. Her fingers clawed at his back, drawing him closer to her so she could press her breasts into his chest. The friction of skin on skin, the contact of her body to his, ignited the air all around them.

His lips were everywhere. On her mouth. On her face. On her neck. His warm breath, playful nips and licks danced across her skin as he continued to thrust inside her. Near panting for her breath, she drew her knees up beside her so he could penetrate her even deeper.

The sound of the guttural groan within his throat sent shivers through her from her head down to her toes. Her insides throbbed uncontrollably, begging for more as he pushed into her. Her heartbeat pounded. Her muscles ached. She grabbed on to his butt cheeks and let him ride her to the edge.

Her back arched and she cried out his name as she came, her body convulsing and flooding with rivers of intoxicating bliss. Muscles relaxed in satisfied contentment. She opened her eyes to focus and realized Nate was coming too. As his body shuddered, his eyes never left hers. His gaze remaining dark, smoldering and intense, making her heart beat erratically in her chest.

That had been one of the most sensual, tender orgasms she’d ever had in her life.

This type of … lovemaking … was entering the gray area she so desperately wanted to avoid.

He fell beside her, wrapped his arms around her and drew her into his chest. She felt amazing, scared out of her wits and utterly exhausted. She rubbed her hands over his chest, feeling his heart beat next to hers. She just needed a moment to catch her breath. Yes. She’d get up and leave in just one minute.

* * *

Jessica stirred. She was dreaming of making sensual love to Nate until the dawn broke in the eastern sky. His kisses … His touch … The warmth of his lips on her shoulder curled her lips into a smile. The movement of his body as he snuggled into her from behind. It made her feel safe and secure. It felt so real. She could even feel the hairs on his legs brushing against hers, and the smooth skin of his chest pressing against her back.

Jessica’s eyes shot open. “Nate?”

“Morning,” he said, as he continued with his trail of kisses.

“Sorry, I fell asleep.” Panic crept across her. “I’ll be out of here in a sec.”

As Jessica tried to wriggle out of his grasp, Nate draped his heavy arm over her chest. “You’re not going anywhere.” He rolled on top of her to restrain her even further. He laced his fingers with hers and pinned them back against the pillow. She started to melt like a marshmallow in a fire as he nuzzled his way down her neck.

“I shouldn’t have stayed. You know that.” Her body seemed to have a mind of its own as it responded to the touch of his lips.

“Why do you insist on leaving?” He edged his way down her body.

She bit her lip as he reached her breasts, taunting her nipples to erection with the tip of his tongue.

Oh God. That feels so good. No … Focus.

“You know why. This is too much.” Jessica squeezed her eyes shut and tried to slow her racing heart.

Nate stopped and gazed down at her. A slight furrow etched his brow. Just as he opened his mouth to say something the doorbell rang.

“Are you expecting someone else for the weekend?” Jessica cocked one eyebrow up at him.

“No, not at all. I’ll see who it is.”

Jessica grabbed a spectacular view of his naked bottom as he picked up a thick black robe from his chair. He headed out the bedroom door, leaving it slightly ajar.

Jessica heard voices and panicked.
Oh shit!
It was Brooke, his assistant. What the hell was she doing here? Jessica’s clothes were on the floor in the living room, and her bag and coat were on the table. Brooke would surely notice Nate had someone here.

Their voices came through the door.

“I have all your flight schedule and itinerary for you,” Brooke said. “Your plane leaves tomorrow night via Singapore at one o’clock in the morning.”

Jessica shook her head with disbelief. He was leaving? Via Singapore. To where? Why hadn’t he told her?

Jessica heard the sound of a newspaper being rustled. “Your little party last night made page three in the papers. Who’s this you’re kissing on the boat deck. It’s such a blurry photo taken from miles away.”

“What?” Nate sounded stressed.

“Oh shit!” Brooke hesitated. “I didn’t know you
still
had company. So you did have a lucky night. About bloody time!” There was a cheekiness in her voice. “Oh … Oh my … Isn’t … isn’t that the dress Jessica was wearing? Oh … Oh my God, you didn’t. Did you? With Jessica?”

Jessica cringed from her hiding place in the bedroom. She wished she could be engulfed by the mattress and disappear.
Busted!

“Brooke, it’s not what you think,” Nate said.

“I think a lot of things, Nate. What am I supposed to
not
think? So, it’s Jessica in the picture? I’ve suspected there was something going on, but I’ve kept my mouth shut. Was last night the first time?”

Jessica heard Brooke gasp as, no doubt, Nate shook his head.

“No. You’re right. It’s been going on for a while.” Nate sounded distressed.

“While I’m glad you’re finally getting some—”

Jessica was stunned that his assistant talked to him so bluntly.

“—it’s a good thing you’re leaving. Maybe this whole thing will blow over without too much notice.”

“Let’s hope so. Not a word of this to anyone. Okay?” Nate said. “Thanks for the itinerary. That’s all for now. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Oh, I’m gone. You don’t have to ask me twice. You are so right, though. You will be talking to me about … this … whatever this is.”

A moment later, Jessica heard the front door close. She flopped back down on the bed and pulled the sheet up over her head. She heard Nate walk back in to the room.

“Jess? You okay? Um, I guess you heard Brooke.”

“Yep.” She lowered the sheet. “When were you going to tell me you were leaving?”

Nate looked distraught. “Please get dressed and we’ll talk. I’ll go put the kettle on.”

When she walked out into the dining area, Nate had made two cups of tea. Jessica slipped into the chair beside him at the table. She curled her fingers through the handle of the white china cup and savored the first sip.

“I had a call from London yesterday,” Nate began. “The board meeting has been brought forward to next week. Originally I was just going to Singapore to spend the school holidays with Lucy, but now she’s going to stay with me in London while Rachael goes to a conference in Edinburgh and the nanny takes a week off.” He swiveled his cup around in his hands, a solemn look on his face.

“Oh.” Jessica was startled by the sudden news. “So when will you be back?”

“Two weeks. Not long.”

She couldn’t hide the disappointment in her face as she stared at her tea. Two weeks without Nate sounded like a very long time to her. She missed him already.

He brushed her hair back behind her ear, his soft touch filling her with warm desire. “Will you spend the day with me?”

Jessica turned her face toward him. His blue-gray eyes looked like an ocean that she could swim in forever. Alarm bells were going off in her head—but she ignored every one of them. Something had changed between the two of them last night. Something that meant a bit of time apart would do her good. But he wasn’t gone yet. “I’m going to watch Conner play rugby later on this morning. How about dinner tonight—before you go?”

“Dinner?” He raised his eyebrow. “Dinner sounds wonderful, but it feels like I’ve eaten at every restaurant within walking distance of here. Can you recommend somewhere else we could go?”

“How long has it been since you had a home-cooked meal?” Was she really digging herself into a deeper hole? Surely one dinner before he left would be fine.

“Let me see. I left home when I was seventeen, so … fifteen years.”

“Are you serious?”

“Not quite, but it has been a bloody long time.”

“Would you object to me cooking you dinner … at my place?” She’d made the offer so she couldn’t really back out of it now.

“You can cook?”

“I’m no master chef, but I can whip up a mean chicken and pesto pasta.”

“I’ll bring the wine.”

In her house at Point Piper, a few miles from the heart of the CBD, Jessica stood at her kitchen bench and fussed over making fresh pesto while she awaited Nate’s arrival.

After Conner’s game, she’d spent the afternoon shopping for groceries; her fridge was usually bare because she often ate out or ordered takeaway. She cleared the unopened mail off her buffet and had taken several magazines out of their plastic packets and put them in her magazine rack. She ran through a final checklist in her head. Yes, the dining table was set with polished cutlery, wine and water glasses, and she’d bought fresh flowers and placed them in a vase in the center of the table. Yes, she’d cleaned the downstairs bathroom and put out fresh handtowels. Yes, she’d tidied and vacuumed the floor, in spite of the fact her cleaner had only come three days ago.

Why the hell did I invite him for dinner? At my house of all places. It’s like a date when we shouldn’t be dating!

Jessica knew she’d crossed the line by inviting him to her home. But so many lines had been crossed, it now all seemed to be scribble on a page. Apprehension had taken up residence all day in every one of her muscles. Bringing him to her house felt too personal. But after she’d stayed with him last night, their casual sex was no longer just casual. Her black and white relationship with Nate was suddenly a colossal mess of color. Butterflies fluttered within her belly as she watched the minutes tick by and muttered an obscene number of profanities.

She jumped when the doorbell rang just shy of seven. She checked over the food once more, making sure everything was in place before she headed across the room and opened the door. Dressed casually in jeans that hung low on his hips and a long-sleeved black jersey sweater that stretched firmly across his chest, Nate’s blue-gray eyes lit with warmth as she greeted him.

* * *

“For you.” Nate handed Jessica a bottle of red wine.

“Thank you. Come in.” She stepped aside and let him enter.

He glanced around the house. It was nothing like he expected. He had envisaged strong lines and contemporary furnishings like her office. But no, this was all neutral and urban country. Big wooden dining table and chairs, leather couches and timber blinds.

Coats hung on a stand by the entrance, and a few pairs of exercise shoes were lined up neatly in a row underneath it. A rack by the couch was overflowing with
Times
and
BRW
magazines that didn’t look read. Color-coordinated cushions lay scattered across the couches. Photos and artwork of countryside scenery lined the walls.

It made him miss his home. It had been three months since he was at his house in London and nearly a year since staying in his apartment in New York. It had never bothered him until recently, but seeing this before him struck a chord. Was it that he wanted more stability in his life? Maybe even to settle down?

Like that’s ever going to happen!

“You have a lovely home.” Nate said as he walked across the timber floor toward the kitchen.

“You should take a look of the view I have down over the harbor.” She swept her hands toward the bi-fold doors that led out onto the patio. He took a quick glance but he preferred the view of her bottom swaying in front of him as she walked. The delicious smells from the kitchen drew him back from his wandering mind.

“I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble for dinner. It looks like you’re making a feast?” Nate observed the mass of food sprawled across the benchtop as he opened and poured the wine.

“Pasta for dinner and apple crumble with hot custard for dessert. I did cheat and buy the custard.” Jessica smiled.

“I’m impressed. It looks amazing.”

“Wait until you taste it before you make such a bold statement.” She laughed as she took a glass from him. “Cheers to home cooking.”

“Cheers.”

It felt like for the first time they were truly alone. No staff loitering around outside closed doors, no sneaking in and out of his apartment. It was nice, for just a while, to not have to be the boss, or worry about being caught in a compromising position with Jessica. For the first time in a long time Nate was able to relax. He felt like a man on a date.
A date?
That put a serious note on things. He liked Jessica a lot. But seeing his picture spread across several papers and in the headline news today was not what he needed. It had given him a firm reality check. Two weeks away would do him some good. Without Jessica around he might be able to think straight with the head on his shoulders and not the one between his legs. He needed to refocus. But as he drank from his glass, unable to take his eyes off Jessica, he knew that was going to be extremely difficult to do. But he still had a few hours up his sleeve.

“Hmm. I have another proposition for you.”

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“How does wine, sex, then dinner sound?” Nate said as he curled his arm around her waist and pressed his lips into neck, just below her ear. He lingered there enjoying the feel of her skin on his mouth and the smell of her sweet perfume.

“That sounds like a grand plan.” She took his hand and led him upstairs to the bedroom.

* * *

Jessica couldn’t hide the playful smile on her face as she ate dessert on the couch with Nate. He stood and cleared the plates away and was returning to the living room with the bottle of wine when he stopped in front of an old family portrait on the sideboard.

“The family?”

“Yeah. I really need to move that photo. I don’t need a picture of my ex-husband lying around anymore. I just never seem to get around to doing odd jobs around the house.” Jessica watched him closely as he looked at the photo.

“You were so young when you had Conner.” Nate looked uneasy as he held the frame in his hand. “How’s it been going with Troy?” There was a sudden edge in his voice. “No old feelings for him bubbling to the surface?”

“It’s been a crazy couple of months, but no.” As if she’d tell him that she had many sleepless nights pondering that very notion.

“You’re sure?” Nate’s intense glare made her feel uncomfortable. Did she detect a hint of jealousy in his tone?

“Yes.” Troy had certainly stirred many dormant memories but she wasn’t about to let Nate in on that. She was still trying to place how she felt about him. But regardless, it was nothing compared to how she felt about Nate. No other man had ever made her feel this way. “I’m occupied elsewhere at present.” She bit her lip as she looked at him.

“Oh, I see.” A smile touched the corner of his mouth and he turned away to look at the picture once more.

She couldn’t read his expression. At times he was an open book, but now he possessed a poker face that would put any gambler to shame. Just when she desperately wanted to know how he felt, she couldn’t read a thing from him. She couldn’t deny the chemistry between the two of them. In spending time together she realized how compatible they were—in business and in their interests. She was standing at a crossroad and didn’t know which way to turn. Being discovered by Brooke and the press just shed a new light on how stupid they’d been. Now she battled with a new dilemma. Should she continue their affair and face a broken heart when he left in a few months, or break it off now? A little pain now, rather than later.

Maybe if she knew how he felt, it might make the decision easier. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Nate?”

“Yeah.” He glanced over at her. “What’s wrong?” His face washed over with concern. With a few long strides across the room he was sitting beside her on the couch.

“We need to talk.” Jessica saw that flicker of horror in his eyes, which wasn’t going to make this easy. She took a large gulp of her wine. “You’ve avoided the topic all evening. I saw the picture of us in the paper and online. We need to prepare for some PR fallout.”

She’d read the article written by Kelly White, Meredith’s copywriter. Meredith had been digging around Nate for weeks and she finally had her card to play.
“Like Father, Like Son! Nate Somers With Mystery Woman. Who Is She?”
While there had been no direct names dropped, the article speculated about it being her with Nate. Lucky the photograph didn’t capture her from the distant angle. Security around the boat had worked wonders.

She saw his hand tighten its grip on his leg. “Brooke will talk with you if anything further happens in the next few days. We had a couple of calls today from reporters digging around but we’ve managed to deflect them.” He grimaced, looking uncomfortable. “I’m hoping this just disappears. I don’t think I’m that much of an interesting subject.”

“Will Brooke tell the team?” Jessica asked. “The launch is getting too close; we don’t need the media suddenly focusing on us and not the hotel. I like to create media frenzies for my clients, yes—but not when it involves their personal life … or me.” She closed her eyes. She couldn’t face being humiliated or her reputation being ruined. She was a fool to think that they could keep their affair secret.

Nate shook his head. “She won’t tell anyone.”

Being photographed would make Nate more of a target now. There would be more paparazzi and reporters lurking around the hotel and at every corner.

“Things have changed between us,” Jessica went on. “You know it has. It’s not
just sex
anymore. I really like you … a lot. But in the light of things, we need to be realistic. The launch is more important than anything else. So, what do you want to do? Do we lie low? Be more careful? Stop
—
” She didn
’t like the sound of the last option but was
 everything worth the risk to be with him for just a few more months?

He took her hand in his. He hung his head low and avoided looking into her eyes. “I can’t afford to have any more bad PR at the moment. Especially gossip that mirrors my father’s behavior. I’m sure you can understand that.”

She felt a crushing pain in her chest. Nate wasn’t anything like his father. He wasn’t married and, although she had no way of knowing for certain, she didn’t think she was one of many women that Nate was sleeping with around the world.

Silence lingered in the air. His touch felt clammy as he toyed with the fingers of her hand, holding it on his lap. Jessica jumped when his phone rang loudly in his pocket. He grabbed it from his jeans and answered it with annoyance. It was his driver outside ready to take him to the airport.

He turned to her. “Look, I have to go. I’ll see you in two weeks.”

Jessica’s aching heart lurched. “Is that it? Can you honestly say that nothing’s changed for you? I think I’m falling for you and I’d like to know how you feel about me. Am I really nothing more than a quick fuck to you? Has Rachael left you so cold that you’ll never let anyone in?” Was she so blinded by her own feelings for Nate that she missed vital signs? “Is everything always about business with you?” She wanted to slap herself in the face as she heard her own voice. For so long her life had just been about business, but now things were changing because she had developed feelings for him. That wasn’t supposed to be part of their deal. Right now she didn’t care if they both made headline international news. She knew right then that she wanted to risk everything to be with him for the next few months.

He grimaced at her comment before standing up and retrieving his jacket and wallet from the table. She stood up and followed him to the door. “You and I are so alike,” he said. “Business has to come first. And I have to go and attend to mine. I’ll call you from London.”

“Right. So that’s it?” Frustration was bubbling to the surface. “No more us, is that what you want?”

“Jess, don’t.” His jaw flexed as he spoke, his eyes full of concern.

“Don’t what, Nate? Sorry, I momentarily forgot that this was just an affair. No strings attached, right?”

He sighed. “I have to go.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her body hard up against his. He pressed his lips tightly to hers and took the breath from her lungs. She tried to push him away, pressing the palms of her hands into his chest. But his arms held on to her so tightly, feeling so strong and protective around her. Her brow furrowed as his lips smothered hers. His kiss so full. Intense. Passionate. She struggled, but all her efforts were futile and her knees grew weak. She opened her mouth and kissed him in return, entwining her hands around his neck. With one final deep luscious kiss, he released her from his embrace. His breath was hot upon her skin. “I’m so sorry, Jess, but this is how it has to be. No strings because business always wins. Always will. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

Nate slipped out the door. Jessica stood there stunned, staring at the back of it. Her heart struggled to pump her blood through her constricted veins.
What just happened?
She ran her hand through her hair as she recalled the last few minutes of conversation and replayed it over and over in her head. ‘
Business comes first
,
business wins’
. She had told him that she was falling for him and somehow their conversation went off on a different tangent.
Fuck!
Her heart beat painfully as she realized he was gone. Business came first. They had to avoid the gossip. She could only conclude that their affair was over. Work was his priority and always would be. And who was she trying to kid? Because work was her priority as well.

Come on.
She tried to pull herself together. This was a good thing. A little pain now instead of a total heartbreak at the end. That was the logic. But why was it so hard to even contemplate moving? Her whole body ached and she felt emotionally drained. Surely this was for the best, because there was no possibility of a happy ever after in the story of Nate and Jessica.