Fight With Me (20 page)

“Hmm…” I answer.

“I need some verbal communication, baby,” he chuckles.  “I need to know that you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.”  I open my eyes and gaze up into his beautiful face.  My hand glides up his tattooed arm, over his shoulder, and I run my fingertips down his stubbled cheek.  “More than fine,” I add.

“You didn’t tell me to stop,” he murmurs.

“I might have killed you if you stopped.”

“I didn’t hurt you?” he asks, his gray eyes worried and searching mine.

“Stop worrying about hurting me, ace.  I’m not made of glass.  You didn’t hurt me.”  I kiss him gently, then bite his lower lip and lave it with the flat of my tongue.  “I think I have a new taste for being tied up.”  I smile up at him shyly and he laughs.

“I think I have a new taste for tying you up,” he responds with a delighted grin.

“What are we doing this weekend?” I ask with a yawn.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Can I have a hint?”  Damn, he wore me the hell out.  I can’t keep my eyes open.

“We’re not staying here,” he responds and snuggles me more firmly against him.

“Where are we going?” I whisper.

“You’ll find out tomorrow.  Go to sleep, sweetheart.”  He kisses my forehead and I fall into a restful sleep.

***

“You don’t need to bring all of this crap.”  Nate and I are standing in his bedroom with my suitcase open on the bed.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I ask, hands on my hips.

“No.”

“Then I need all this crap.”  I glare at him, secretly delighted with him, and enjoy the view.  He’s pulled his hair back, is wearing a white t-shirt under a black sweater and dark blue jeans.  His arms are crossed over his chest, making his biceps flex.

Yum.

“Julianne, I want to take the bike.”

“Okay, tell me where we’re going and I’ll downsize my stuff.”

“I’m not telling you where we’re going.”

“Then how do I know what I need?  Let’s take the car.  It’s called compromise, ace.”

He sighs, rubs his face with his hands in exasperation, and glares at me when he sees my smile.

“Why are you grinning?”

“Because you’re hot when you’re frustrated with me.”

Nate chuckles and shakes his head.  “Fine, bring all your shit.  We’ll take the Mercedes.”

“See?  That wasn’t so hard.”  I tap his cheek playfully as I walk past him to the bathroom to gather my toiletries.

“Wait, you have more shit to pack?”

“Yep,” I call over my shoulder.

“Jesus,” he mutters and I laugh.

“Okay,” I shove everything in my suitcase and zip it up.  “I’m ready.”

Nate picks up his overnight bag, which is much smaller and weighs far less than my bag, grabs the handle of my rolling suitcase with his other hand, and ushers me out of the room.

“Let’s go.”

Chapter Twenty One

Nate pulls his shiny black Mercedes SUV into the parking lot of his father’s gym and throws it in park.

“What are we doing here?” I ask.

“I have to run in for a second to talk to my dad.  Wait here?”

“Okay.”

He leans over and swiftly kisses me, then hops out of the car, leaving the engine running.  I watch his fine form stride through the front door of the building and sit back to wait.

Where is he taking me?

Clearly we’re not going far because we’re driving and we both have to work Monday morning.  Maybe he’s taking me to Portland for the weekend?  That’s only a three hour drive.  Or maybe up to the little resort town of Leavenworth?  Or the San Juan Islands?

There’s so much to do here, it could be anywhere.

I check my phone and send Natalie a text, letting her know we’re going somewhere out of town in case she tries to reach me and I don’t have cell service.

Just as I finish with the text, Nate climbs back in the car.

“Okay, ready?”

“Sure.  Everything okay?” I ask.

“Yep, just needed to check in with Dad for a minute.”  He smiles over at me as he pulls out of the lot and toward the freeway.

“Okay, so are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I pull his hand into my lap and lace our fingers.

“The beach.”

“Really?” I feel the face-splitting grin on my face.  “I love the beach!”

“Good.”  He kisses my hand and lays them both in my lap again.  “I have a beach house in a newer little town called Seabrook.  It’s about a half hour north of Ocean Shores.”

“You own the house?” I ask.

“Yeah, my dad and I do.  He uses it too.”

“I like your dad.” I really do.  Rich has been nothing but sweet to me since the first time Nate took me to their gym.

“He likes you too.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I bite my lower lip, nervous to ask, and he glances over at me, then back at the freeway.  Traffic is pretty light this morning on Interstate 5 South.

“Of course, anything.”

“Where is your mom?”

Nate signals and changes lanes.  “She died when I was seven.”

“I’m sorry,” I murmur.

“Don’t be.”  He squeezes my hand and smiles reassuringly.  “It was a long time ago.  She had breast cancer.  It’s been just dad and me ever since.”

“He never remarried?”

“No,” he shakes his head and frowns.  “I know there have been women, but he never paraded them around me.  I thought he might remarry after I was grown and gone, but he seems content with the gym and dating here and there.”

“What was her name?” I ask quietly.

“Julie,” Nate responds softly and I gasp.  “My dad called her Jules.”  He looks over at me, his eyes bright.

“Is that why you don’t call me Jules?” I ask.

“Partly,” he shrugs and changes lanes again.  “I don’t have a weird fixation on your name or anything, baby.  I’ve slipped up and called you Jules a few times.”

“I know, it makes me smile, but I like that you call me Julianne.”

“You do?  I thought you hated it.”

“I hate it when other people call me that, but it’s different with you.”

“Honestly, honey, I just think your name is beautiful, and it suits you.”  He kisses my knuckles again and I melt.

Damn, he says the sweetest things sometimes.

“Are you getting all mushy on me, ace?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood.

“Never.  I’m a man.”

I laugh and squeeze his hand.  “You’re my man.”

“And only yours, baby.”

***

“This is incredible!”  I climb out of the car and stand facing the beautiful light blue two-story home with lots of large windows and a wrap-around porch.  There are tall evergreens surrounding the house, and I can hear the waves crashing on the shore on the other side.

“I was expecting a small beach cabin.”  I turn back to Nate and grin as he pulls our bags out of the back of the SUV.

“I know it’s bigger than I probably need, but it came up for sale last year and I snatched it.  This is a new community, and the real estate is a good investment.”  I follow him up the steps to the front door.  There is beautiful outdoor furniture on the porch, and the door is a wide pine door with an oval frosted glass window that has a beach scene etched in it.

“I also work with a rental company and they rent it out here and there for me, as well as I donate time to charity auctions.”

He unlocks the door and walks in ahead of me.  “Make yourself at home.”

“Wow.”  The space is large and open, and was clearly professionally decorated in a beachy theme, but in a subtle, non-annoying way.  The furniture and art work are in shades of white, blue and gray.  There is a magnificent stone fireplace in the center of the space with logs all set up and ready to light.

The kitchen and dining room are in the back of the house, facing the incredible views of the ocean.  It’s overcast but mild today, and the water is a deep gray-blue, beating up the shoreline.  I can’t wait to get out there.

“Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour.”

“What’s up with you and sexy kitchens?” I ask, pointing to the truly sexy kitchen.  It boasts all white cabinets and cupboards, black granite countertops, and stainless steel, top of the line, appliances.  The space is large, with plenty of counter space.  The adjacent dining area has a long black table with seating for ten.

“I need good kitchens to cook in.” He shrugs and I grin at him.  “Let’s go upstairs.”

There are three good-sized bedrooms with an en-suite bathroom for each, along with a spacious loft, complete with a pool table, and the master suite, which I immediately fall in love with.

“Oh, this is spectacular.”  I walk straight to the French doors that open out to a covered balcony and walk outside, breathing in the salty air and looking out at the water.  There is a one hundred and eighty degree view.  “This, right here, is my favorite part.”

Nate walks up behind me, wraps his arms around my middle and kisses my neck.  “This is what sold me too.  There is glass to enclose this, but I like hearing the water and feeling the breeze.”

“Oh, don’t close it in.  It’s perfect.”  He smiles against my neck and I turn in his arms, hugging him close.  “I love it.”

“I love you,” he responds and tips my chin up to meet my gaze.  “I love you,” he repeats, his voice and eyes raw, and I feel tears prick the corners of my eyes.

“I love you, too.”

Nate kisses me, gently moving his lips over mine, back and forth, nibbling at the corners of my mouth.  He finally pulls back and kisses my nose, then my forehead.

“Let me show you the master suite, before I make love to you on this balcony.”

“Later?” I ask as my stomach clenches at the thought of making love to Nate on this amazing balcony.

“We’ll see what we can do.”  He smiles and takes my hand, leading me back inside.  The bedroom is beautiful, with a king sized bed and the same white, gray and blue colors that flow through the whole house.

The master bathroom is simply breathtaking.

“Oh, I’m moving in,” I murmur, not catching the surprised look on Nate’s face as I circle the room.  “I love this bathroom.”

The tile is gray and blue, and the tub is large enough for two, white, and claw-footed, with shiny chrome fixtures.  There are two white pedestal sinks with oval mirrors hanging above them.

The tub sits in a glass alcove, with the same view as the balcony.

“I love how the view is as much a part of the house as the décor is.” I comment and turn around to find Nate leaning against the wall, watching me.

“What?” I ask.

“What did you say when you walked in here?”  His face is serious, and his arms are crossed.

“Um, that I love this bathroom?”  I’m completely confused.

“Before that.”

“I don’t know.” I shake my head and frown, and then it hits me and my cheeks flame.  “Oh.”

“What did you say?” he asks again.

“I said I’m moving in here.”  I grin sheepishly, then wince.  “It’s just a girl knee-jerk reaction to this bathroom, Nate.”

He shakes his head and looks down, clenching his eyes closed.  What the hell?

“Hey, I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”  I walk over to him and take his face in my hands.

“You didn’t.”  He swallows and wraps his arms around me, pulling me in to lean against him as he leans on the wall.

“What’s wrong?”

“Move in with me.”

“Here?” My voice is shrill with shock and I know my eyes are wide.

“No, in the condo.  At home.”

“Nate…” I look down at his chest, trying to collect my thoughts.  My stomach is suddenly in knots and I can’t breathe.

It’s too soon.

“Look at me,” he whispers and I do.

“It’s kind of soon, don’t you think?”

“I don’t give a fuck about that.”

“Let’s enjoy our weekend, and talk about it when we get back.”  I need time to process this, but I know this is the wrong thing to say when his face falls and his eyes get cold.

“I’m sorry I brought it up.”  He starts to push me out of his arms, but I hold on tight.

“Stop it.”  My voice is hard, surprising both of us.  “I didn’t say no, Nate.  I said let’s talk about it some more.  I want to be with you.  Let’s enjoy this beautiful home of yours and relax, just the two of us, with nothing else to worry about, for the next thirty-six or so hours.”

His face relaxes into a smile and he hugs me, tucking me under his chin.  “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll talk you into it.”

I just laugh and squeeze him tight.  “Let’s go for a run on the beach.”

“A run?” Nate asks as I pull out of his arms and walk into the bedroom to open my suitcase.

“Yeah.  I haven’t worked out much this week.”  I know Nate goes to the gym every morning before he follows me into the office.  “I need a run.”

“Okay.”  We pull on some workout clothes, our running shoes and hoodies and head downstairs to the back porch.

“Wow.”  The wrap around porch that does indeed circle the entire house, is extended out farther in the back, over a steep decline in the terrain that leads down to the sand below.  There is an outdoor kitchen, and plush furniture on the covered space.  The railing is made of thick rustic logs, most likely native to this area, and there is a long stairway that leads down to the beach.

Half way down the decline, the stairs stop at a large gazebo with more plush furniture and a fire pit.  It would be a great spot to sit in the evening with a glass of wine, roast some marshmallows and watch the sunset.

Nate leads me all the way down to the sand.  “Well, the climb back up is going to be one hell of a workout,” I remark dryly.

He chuckles down at me.  “Why do you think the gazebo is there?  I don’t need anyone having a heart attack on my property.”

We walk down to the shoreline where the sand is packed and wet and silently start to run, setting a steady, even pace, running in silence, listening to the water, the birds, and our feet as they rhythmically hit the sand.

We run around drift wood, over seashells, and even spot the carcass of a sea lion, most likely washed up during the tide.

“If you want to run ahead of me, it’s okay,” I say, breaking the quiet.  “I know your legs are longer than mine.”