"What"s wrong?" I lean my belly against him and gaze up at him. "I"m sorry if you don"t like the tat, Nate..."
"I love it. It"s s.e.xy as f.u.c.k, and I love seeing part of me on you. I"m just surprised that it"s what you chose." He looks down at me with a frown, looking a little confused, and a knot forms in my belly. Maybe it was presumptuous to get this particular tattoo this early in our relationship?
"I should have talked it over with you first," I close my eyes and look down. "It just seemed like the right thing to do." I shrug and grin. "And I love it. I think it looks s.e.xy. Natalie is going to wig out when she sees it."
"It"s kind of a commitment." He murmurs and I swallow. "Like moving in together."
s.h.i.t.
He tilts my chin up with his fingers, making me look him in the eye and I calm at his loving, happy expression. He"s right. I"ve committed to having a piece of art that reminds me of him permanently displayed on my body. Why am I fighting the idea of living with him?
"Okay," I whisper.
"Okay what?" he asks, gazing intently into my eyes, as if he"s trying to read my mind. His hands tighten at the small of my back and I smile shyly.
"Okay, let"s move in together."
"Seriously?" He"s still searching my eyes, hope and love moving across his face, and I"ve never been more sure about anything in my life.
"Yes. Seriously. Let"s start looking into it this week."
Suddenly Nate"s face splits in two with the widest grin I"ve ever seen on him, and he lifts me and spins me around with a loud, "h.e.l.l yeah!"
We"re both laughing as he sets me back on my feet. He cups my face in his hands and kisses me gently but deeply, lovingly, and I melt against him.
"Thank you," he murmurs. "Come on, let"s go for that ride." He hands me the helmet and I frown down at it.
"Can"t I ride without this? I like the wind in my hair."
"h.e.l.l no. Safety first." He fastens the helmet on my head and then puts his own on and we climb on the bike. I snuggle up behind him, wrap my arms around his belly and lean my cheek on his back, between his shoulder blades. "Where do you want to go, baby?" he calls back to me.
I take a deep, contented breath and smile. "I don"t care. Just go."
And he does, taking off out of the parking lot and toward the freeway, driving fast but not recklessly. I know he"s more careful when I"m with him, and it makes me feel safe. He merges onto the freeway heading north, but exits about five miles later and takes us on a ride around Lake Washington, on little roads I didn"t even know were there. The view is amazing, and I watch the pretty boats on the water, and it occurs to me that it"s almost the end of May already, and the weather is warming.
The motorcycle hums loudly, drowning out the noise that seems to constantly surround us, and I just lean against my man and enjoy the wind, the view and the feel of him against me.
A few hours later, we pull into Nate"s parking garage and he helps me off the back of the bike. "How was that, Miss Montgomery?"
"Awesome. It was an awesome way to spend the day. Thank you." I stand on my tip-toes and kiss his lips. "Now, let me feed you."
"What do you have in mind?" he asks.
"I"ll forage through your kitchen and come up with something." He leads me into the elevator and pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me, as the elevator makes the climb to the thirtieth floor.
"You can start leaving lists for the housekeeper. She"ll get whatever you want."
"That"s kind of... awkward." I scrunch up my nose and look up at him.
"Why?"
I shrug. "I don"t know. I don"t mind doing the shopping."
"Julianne, buying groceries is part of her job. It"s fine. Besides, if you"re going to live here with me, you need to get used to it."
I look up at him again and search his face. He smiles and kisses me lightly. "I can"t wait to have you here, permanently."
I grin up at him, and none of the nervousness or fear at the prospect of living with Nate settles in my belly. Instead I"m excited and happy at the thought of being together.
"I"ll start a list tonight."
Chapter Twenty Eight.
"What do you want to do tomorrow?" I ask, basking in post-o.r.g.a.s.mic bliss. We are cuddled up in bed, the blankets wrapped around us, my head on his chest. Nate"s fingers are thrumming up and down my back.
He f.u.c.ked my brains out in the shower, and then dirtied me up again when we got to the bed.
I"m not complaining.
"How do you feel about going down to Pike"s Market? I"d like to get some fresh produce and cook for you tomorrow night."
"Sure, sounds fun. I love downtown."
"You"re moving in with me." He whispers and I grin.
"I am."
"Tomorrow." he says simply.
I giggle and kiss his cheek. "I think I have some phone calls to make, some packing to do, and you and I need to talk about logistics."
"I"m ready for your things to be mingled in with my things. Your clothes in our closet, and you, in our home, every day."
"G.o.d, you say the most sweet, mushy things to me, babe."
"I"m serious."
"So am I. This is new to me." I run my fingers through his impossibly soft, long black hair and sigh. "It feels like we"re moving really fast."
"No, Jules, we"re playing catch-up. I"ve wanted this with you for the better part of the last year. I screwed up last summer with you. I won"t let you go again."
"I"m not asking you to let me go. I don"t want you to let me go." I kiss his chin again. "I love you so much. It feels fast, but it feels right. I want those things too."
I sigh and bury my face in his neck and breathe him in. He wraps his arms around me and hugs me close, and I know, without a doubt, this is where I want to be; in his arms, for the rest of my life.
"Go to sleep," he whispers and kisses my hair.
"Ready?" Nate asks, smiling down at me. We just stepped onto the sidewalk outside his building, which happens to be just a few blocks up from the market and waterfront. We"re going to walk down today.
He"s delicious in faded blue-jeans and a long-sleeved, white b.u.t.ton-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up his forearms. The weather is finally warming in the early summer sun, and we"re taking advantage of it today.
"Ready," I confirm and he twines our fingers as we stride toward downtown at a casual pace.
"You look beautiful today," he murmurs and kisses my hand. I"m also in blue-jeans, black ballerina flats, and a red tunic top cinched at my waist with a thin black belt.
"Thank you. So do you." I lean my head on his warm, muscular shoulder, then kiss it, as we wait at a crosswalk. "So, what are we shopping for today?" I ask.
"Greens and veggies for a salad and fresh lobster." He pulls our linked hands around to the small of my back and leads me across the street, watching for crazy drivers. I love how he protects me, and watches out for me, while still making me feel like we"re partners.
"Sounds delicious."
"Anything you want to grab while we"re here?" he asks.
"Tiny donuts and Starbucks." Pike"s Market boasts the very first Starbucks cafe ever built, just across the street from the vendors. There is also a booth that serves delicious, fresh tiny donuts that melt in your mouth. They are both must-haves when I visit.
"Let"s do that first." Nate"s hand tightens around mine as we descend the steep hill leading down to the Market.
When we reach the cobblestone street below, I take a deep breath and look around. This is the heart of Seattle. Business men and blue collar guys, families and couples, and people of all shapes and sizes and colors. There are musicians on the sidewalk, singing and playing instruments for change, and they are incredible, drawing quite a crowd.
I love the sights, sounds and smells.
"I"m so glad you suggested this." I smile up at my man. "I haven"t been down here in ages, and I love it."
"Me too." Nate kisses my forehead and leads me into Starbucks. We order our drinks and wander through the market, starting at the end with my tiny donuts, so we can munch on the hot, soft goodness while we wander.
"SALMON!" Someone yells, and a large gray salmon goes sailing through the air in front of us. A man in orange pants held up with brown suspenders catches the fish and throws it back to the guy in the same outfit behind the fish counter.
Nate and I smile at each other, and watch the fish throwing show for a few minutes, sipping our coffee and eating our tiny donuts, soaking up Seattle.
More fish sail back and forth, the men yelling and putting on a fun show. Nate and I pick out two large lobsters, and they are packaged in a box with a handle for easy carrying.
With his hands full of lobster and coffee, I push a bite of donut in his mouth and we continue through the market, winding through a sea of people. It"s impossible to shop at Pike"s Market in a hurry. There are too many people, especially on a weekend.
Nate and I choose our salad veggies and he buys me a gorgeous bouquet of fresh tulips and gerbera daisies.
"Thank you, babe. These are gorgeous." I bury my face in them and breathe in their sweet fragrance and smile up at him.
"Like you." He kisses my nose, tosses his empty coffee cup in a nearby garbage, and presses his hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the Market and onto the sidewalk.
I look up and freeze. f.u.c.k.
"What"s wrong?" Nate asks and follows my stare. "s.h.i.t," he whispers.
Not twenty feet away from us is Carly from the office. She"s turned away from us, looking at a hand-made scarf. She pays the vendor and turns her head our way, and her eyes catch mine. I hold my breath, just waiting for her to say something, but she doesn"t. Nothing in her expression changes, and it"s as though we"re strangers. She gathers her shopping bags and walks in the opposite direction of us without looking back.
"She saw us," I whisper.
He kisses my forehead and nuzzles my ear with his nose. "Don"t worry," he whispers.
Suddenly, a little brown-haired boy about three years old stops in front of Nate, crying, and looks up at him. "Daddy?"
"Hey, buddy." Nate sets the lobster on the ground at his feet and kneels before the little guy who is obviously lost. "Are you looking for your daddy?"
The boy nods and continues to cry. Nate pats his little shoulder rea.s.suringly and smiles gently. "What"s your name."
"Bwian."
"Brian?"
He nods again. "Okay, Brian, let"s find your daddy."
Nate hands me the lobster box and takes Brian"s tiny hand in his and looks around. He doesn"t have to look far as a panicked-faced man comes running over to us.
"Brian! You can"t wander away like that!" He pulls the boy up into his arms and kisses his cheek and smiles ruefully at Nate. "Thanks. I swear, you turn your back for a second..."
"No problem," Nate smiles back. "I"m glad you found him."
I"ve taken in the whole scene with a bit of awe. Nate is so easy with kids. They just seem to be pulled to him.
And for the first time in my life, the thought of having kids doesn"t scare the s.h.i.t out of me. Nate would love us, protect us, and just be... Nate.
Could I be a wife and a mom full time, not consumed with work?
Maybe.
Nate turns back to me and smiles, takes the lobster box out of my hand, and laces our fingers together with his free hand. "Ready to head home?"
Oh. My. G.o.d.
Yes. I could definitely make a family with this man. And it renders me speechless.
"Baby?" He frowns when I just stand here, staring at him.
I shake myself out of my trance and grin. "Yeah, I"m ready. Let"s go home."
Chapter Twenty Nine.