“I just grabbed what I thought you’d need for the morning,” he says with a look of concern.
“As long as I have clothes to wear tomorrow morning, I think I can manage until I get home to shower,” I tell him.
“Well, we’re actually going to have to be up and back here at eight. Mom is cooking breakfast for all of us and then Jake and Erin are going to open their gifts. We can use the shower at the house, though,” Nate tells me.
“That’s fine,” I say before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. “We’ll worry about that part in the morning. How are we getting back there,” I ask as Nate starts to lead me towards the shed.
“ATV,” he replies and points to the big machine sitting next to the even bigger mower.
“Really? I’ve never been on one,” I confess as Nate throws the bags on the rack at the back, and hops on. He slides all the way forward and gives me just enough space to slide between the bags and his body.
“It’ll be a slow ride. If you want, sometime I’ll take you back on the little trails we have and we’ll tear it up.”
“I’d love that,” I reply before I can think too much more about it. Chances are, I’m not going to be around for any future rides.
Nate fires up the machine and I grab a hold of his tuxedo shirt tucked in around his waist. I feel his muscles ripple against my hand as I hold on tight and press my boobs firmly against his back. I feel him tense against me before he says, “You better wait until we get to the campsite before you start that. Otherwise, we’re going to hit a tree.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” I purr in his ear over the noise of the four-wheeler. “I better hold on, huh?” I ask as I reach down and grab a hold of his growing erection. I hear Nate suck in a deep, hissing breath. “Okay, I’m ready now,” I tell him sweetly.
“Devil woman,” he mutters before throwing the machine in gear and pulling it out of the shed.
It doesn’t take us but a couple of minutes to get to the creek bank. I can see the small tent Nate has set up on a patch of thick grass between the shack and the creek, but what draws my attention is the air mattress on the ground next to it.
Nate makes quick work of throwing the duffle bags inside the tent and pulling out the bedding that was placed inside to keep the bugs out of it and begins to cover the air mattress. I watch from the side as he sets up the bed before strolling over to me. No, stroll isn’t the right word. Stalk is more like it. He looks predatory as he approaches me with hunger in his intense eyes. Like I am the lone doe in a wide open field with the preying mountain lion.
Nate grabs a hold of my hands with his much larger, stronger ones and pulls me flush against his firm body. I go willingly. His lips are on mine in a flash. There’s a slight urgency in the kiss, but also a sweetness like he’s cherishing me. His hands release mine and move to my hair. I love the way his hands fan around my scalp, holding me firmly in place to ensure I don’t go anywhere. Hell, doesn’t he realize that there’s no other place I want to be?
Nate begins to slowly step backwards so that we’re kissing on the move; moving towards the makeshift bed under the bright night sky. When I hear his dress shoe hit the edge of the air mattress, he stops. His lips stop and he looks deeply into my eyes. It’s in this moment that I know. I know that I have fallen head over heels in love with Nate Stevens. But the scary part is that it doesn’t shock me as much as I thought it would. Worried? Hell, yeah. The day I leave Rivers Edge is going to be the most painful day of my life. Leaving Nate behind is going to hurt more than any heartache I’ve ever felt…times ten.
Nate runs his hands down my neck, massaging and savoring the touch of my skin. I exhale deeply and close my eyes. His touch is pure magic.
Slowly, Nate’s hands move to my back and they start to tug on the zipper at the back of my dress. It’s a black strapless piece with a white stripe around the hemline. My strappy black wedge sandals give me an extra few inches, which aligns me even closer to Nate’s perfect lips.
Nate lowers the zipper and I feel the material loosen from my body until it reaches my lower back. Earlier in the week, I went to the mall with Avery after work, and we grabbed some new lingerie from a store she frequents. I chose a black satin strapless bra with a lace overlay and matching thong panties. The efforts of my purchases are written all over Nate’s face as he drops my dress to my ankles.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on,” he murmurs against my lips as his hands explore my bare skin and snake around to touch my naked ass.