Page 34 of Long Hard Road

“Wait.” He caught my hand. “I don’t have anything with me. Protection. Do you?”

“No.”

He pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Then we need to go slow. Make sure we don’t go too far, okay?”

“How far do you want to go?” I shifted my weight over him slightly, eliciting another groan.

“Fuck. We should probably stop now.” His hand was gentle on my cheek. “Because once I get started with you, Madison, I’m never going to be able to stop.”

His thumb brushed over my lower lip. “I should go back to my room,” I said unconvincingly.

“Don’t go. Stay with me tonight.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Please?”

“On the sofa?” It was barely big enough for Nate’s large frame and it certainly wasn’t big enough for both of us. “We could just go to my bed.”

“Not a good idea. Too tempting.” He tightened an arm around my lower back. “I’m comfortable just like this.”

“You can’t be,” I said with a laugh. “I’m literally lying on top of you.”

“Mhmm.” His eyes drifted shut. “Best blanket ever.”

With his arms wrapped so tight around me, I couldn’t have left if I wanted to. But despite my weak protest, I really didn’t want to leave. His body was warm and solid beneath me and even though he was made of solid muscles, his chest was a perfect pillow for my head. “Good night, Nate.”

“G’night, angel.” A hand shifted up to my head, sliding through my hair before resting gently, as a sigh relaxed the mountain of muscle beneath me. A few deep breaths later, we were both asleep.

I expected that things would be awkward between us the next morning, but Nate solved that problem by not being on the sofa. Instead, I was resting in the indent our combined weight had pressed into the cushions with a blanket pulled over me. The thought that I was alone was followed quickly by the urge to pee. My late-night water break had caught up to me.

Just a couple of steps outside the bathroom door, I realized the shower was on and the door was cracked open almost a foot. I edged closer without thinking about it. My body felt like it was being pulled in that direction. The edge of the shower came into view first. Another step and my breath caught in my throat at the sight of Nate’s glorious backside. I had never understood people with an ass fetish until that moment. His was so tight and round, it begged for my hands to squeeze it, for my fingers to dig into the soft flesh.

“Want to join me?” he asked without turning around.

“Sorry. I didn’t know you were…” I trailed off because we would both know it was a lie. I’d obviously heard the shower, just like I was obviously drooling over the sight of his ass. “I’m going to start making breakfast.”

“I’ll be out in a minute. Can’t take much longer in the cold water.” He turned just his head and winked at me. “I’ve had a few too many cold showers since you got to town.”

There was nothing for me to say that would make our exchange less awkward, so I chose to just walk away. If I had stayed any longer, there was a good chance I’d be joining him in that cold shower.

Nate was only in the shower long enough for me to get some bacon on the stove and the coffee pot brewing.

“If you keep wearing those clothes in front of me, I’m going to need another cold shower,” he said, stepping into my kitchen wearing just a pair of gray sweatpants. Rather than discuss my lacy pajama set, I started cracking eggs into a bowl.

“Where did you get those pants?” I asked.

“Found some of Freddy’s things still in the closet in the guest room. Smell a bit stale, but not a bad fit, surprisingly.”

I had to agree. His ass looked good even covered in gray cotton. “Can you grab me a whisk from that drawer?”

Nate obliged and then moved to the stove to flip the bacon. We worked together to finish making breakfast, moving easily in the small kitchen. He handled the bacon while I whipped up some fluffy scrambled eggs. Then he poured the coffee while I grabbed the toasted bread. We settled at the island to enjoy our meal with minimal conversation.

Nate snagged the last piece of bacon from my plate and made a happy murmur. “Bacon is one of my favorite things. Almost as good as sex.”

“I wouldn’t know,” I said. Then I processed what I had just accidentally admitted and froze with my coffee mug an inch from my lips.

“What?” Nate was staring hard at me with half the piece of bacon still pinched between his thumb and finger.

I had never been so happy to hear a knock on the door. “Better get that,” I said, racing away from a conversation I wasn’t ready to have.

“Madison! Don’t open that door.”