Real Men Don't Break Hearts(29)

Hot and spicy. Damn, that only made her blood pump even harder. He’d been talking about food, but she felt as if she’d just had phone sex.

She told herself this wasn’t a date, so she shouldn’t tart herself up. No slinky dress or jewelry or special makeup. The only thing she allowed herself was some racy red underwear beneath her printed maxi-dress and a slick of pink lip gloss on her mouth.

By the time she pulled up outside Nate’s house she was buzzing with excitement. When he opened the door to her, Nate’s eyes widened, too, and she could have sworn he was equally roused at the thought of what was going to happen that night.

But he was obviously more used to this casual sex thing, because he greeted her smoothly and led her through to the living room where he poured her a glass of wine and opened a beer for himself. For a few minutes she gabbed on about the gift shop, wondering if she was doing the right thing or whether she was being annoying.

“I’m talking too much, aren’t I?” she eventually said.

“If it helps you relax…”

She rolled the wineglass between her palms and made a deprecating moue. “Shoot, am I that obvious?”

He grinned. “I think it’s cute.”

“So are koalas.”

“Yeah, I see the resemblance. Same fluffy ears, cute button nose, and guileless expression.”

She shook her head. “You’re not helping.”

“Maybe this will…” Eyes simmering, he plucked the wineglass from her, set it aside, reeled her into his arms, and kissed her.

His merest touch was all she needed. The nervousness burned away, and she kissed him back, matching his hunger. With his lips still on hers, he backed her up slowly until the edge of the bookshelf nudged her butt, and once he had her nicely trapped, he ravished her mouth even harder. Heat shot through her like erupting lava. She grabbed him round the shoulders and pulled him closer until their hips were locked together. Her body was ready to fry; she couldn’t wait to feel his skin against hers.

Pushing down the strap of her maxi-dress, he suckled on her throat. “Sweetheart, how do you like fast food?” he muttered against her hot, damp skin.

She raked her fingernails down the back of his T-shirt, pulling it free from his waistband. “I love fast food as long as it’s hot.”

“Good.” He swung her up into his arms and strode toward the door. “Because this is going to be very fast and very hot.”

It was fast and hot, and also incredibly tasty.



Ally was stretched out on his bed, panting and stunned but very satisfied, while Nate was lying on his side next to her, his chest heaving and an equally dazed expression on his face.

“That went off like a rocket,” he said between gulps.

Once they were breathing normally, he stretched out one hand and drew lazy circles over her belly. “I’ll give you the full menu later on. Ten mouth-watering courses all with matching wines.”

A shiver ran through her. Even though he’d just thoroughly taken her, she wanted more. One touch from him and she morphed into a sex glutton. She turned her head to him and gave him a saucy smile. “Will there be dessert?”

“You bet there’ll be dessert.” He teased her breast with his fingers, drawing a whimper from her. “Whipped cream, cherry pie, caramel fudge…whatever you like.”

What was he talking about? Were these euphemisms for kinky sex she was too demure to have heard of?

“Uh…you are just talking about different kinds of dessert, aren’t you?”

He lifted his eyebrows. “What did you think I was talking about?”

“I don’t know.” She glanced down at her aching flesh enslaved by his hand. “Sex, maybe. Dirty sex.”

With a throaty laugh he hauled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. “Would you like to have dirty sex with me, Ally?”

The rumble in his voice set her quivering. She’d like to have any kind of sex with him. She’d let him do just about anything to her. The idea turned her to mush.

He nibbled on her earlobe and began to lick her neck. “Dirty, smutty, filthy sex…mmm. I like how your mind works.”

Trouble was, her mind wasn’t working. Her mind had been taken over by a sex-crazed deviant. Her mind and her body. She had a virus rampaging through her, and there was nothing she could do except let it run its course.

She turned toward Nate and let the fever sweep over her once more.



“…and the best man got smashed before the reception and started bad-mouthing one of the bridesmaids during his speech. He had to be dragged off, according to my aunt.”

“Mmm,” Ally mumbled, straining to keep her attention on Tyler.

“What’s wrong?” Tyler filched a fry from Ally’s plate, dunked it in ketchup, and popped it into her mouth. “You look like you haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”

Ally sat up and suppressed a yawn. She’d arranged to meet Tyler for lunch at the Red Possum on her Monday off, but she was having trouble staying awake. That’s what happened when you had vigorous, mind-blowing sex with a fit and gorgeous man two nights in a row.

“I’ve been listening,” she said, feeling guilty for not paying attention. Ally knew Tyler was only trying to support her by dwelling on the mishaps of the wedding. “The flower girl tripped over the bride’s train, and the best man was drunk.”

“At least your sister’s okay.” Tyler picked up another of Ally’s fries. “So you spent Saturday night at her place? Is that why you didn’t show up here?”

Oops. Too late Ally remembered that Tyler had badgered her to meet her here at the Red Possum on Saturday night, but Ally wasn’t ready to tell her why she hadn’t made it. Her firecracker fling with Nate was sparking hot, but she feared it would be over soon. Maybe in a couple of days, maybe in a couple of weeks. She wasn’t sure, but she did know it couldn’t last, and so, for the moment at least, she preferred to keep quiet about it.

“Sorry about standing you up,” she said. “I completely forgot.”

Tyler waved her fry. “Don’t worry about it. I was with friends, anyway. I had a good time, even if you didn’t.”

Ally picked up her burger, aware of the faint, pleasurable throb that still lingered in her muscles. She couldn’t tell Tyler yet, but she’d had a damned good time Saturday night. Maybe the best she’d ever had.

…

Nate pulled into his driveway just in time to see Mrs. Bennett letting her mutt take a whiz against his gate post. He hopped out of his pickup truck and strode toward his neighbor. Her fluffy purple slippers and sour expression were blights on the early morning freshness, but today he wasn’t in the mood to pick a fight with the old dragon.

“Morning, Mrs. Bennett. I see your dog’s making himself at home.” He directed a pointed look at the dog.

The old lady scuffled about in her slippers, an uneasy expression in her sunken eyes. Obviously she hadn’t expected him to be outside at this early hour and usually he wasn’t, but he’d spent last night at Ally’s apartment and slipped out at six because he had to be at his landscaping job by seven.

“He’s only marking his territory. It’s in their nature. Can’t stop him.” She aimed a surly glower at him, daring him to contradict her.

He could think of one way to stop the mutt. Cut off his balls. “That looks more like a full bladder to me. Next time, make him pee on your gate before you take him for a walk.”

Her mottled cheeks darkened, and her lips flapped, but she didn’t seem to know what to say.

“See you later.” With a brisk nod he brushed past her. Not long ago he would have been fuming at Mrs. Bennett, but today he felt too buoyant to argue with anyone.

He bounced into his house, feeling as if he could bench press a hundred kilos. Maybe it was because he’d spent the night with Ally. Their fifth night in a row, and it just kept on getting better. A month ago he would have snickered at the idea that prim and proper Ally Griffin would be any good in bed, but he’d learned she wasn’t at all prim or proper; she was more than good…she was dynamite. And it wasn’t just about sex. It was her. There was something about her that captured his attention. She didn’t try to pretend she was something she wasn’t. She was real and honest, and oftentimes he caught himself smiling and realized he was thinking about Ally.

She was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

And that was very good and very bad, depending on which way you looked at it. Good because it demonstrated he’d moved on from the superficial affairs he used to prefer. He’d progressed as a person, which was one of the goals he’d been shooting for when he’d moved back to Burronga.

But no matter how good it felt to be with Ally, it would also be bad to get too caught up. She didn’t see him as anything more than a cathartic fling. She wanted to change herself, break free from old habits, and he was about as different as she could get.

Besides, why would he want to turn what they had into a proper relationship? It was just something light and easy. Uncomplicated. And when it ended neither of them would get hurt.

He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the hot shower. The scent of Ally and the sex they’d shared last night soon washed away, but the memory lingered on for the rest of the day, indelible and unforgettable.