Jules drops her bag on the couch and turns to look at me, her pretty eyes wide and her mouth dropped.
"What is this?" she asks.
"I knew we wouldn"t want to cook." I shrug, pretending that it"s no big deal.
"More of your minions?" she asks, making me laugh.
"Yes, my minions."
I leave the suitcase at the foot of the stairs, planning to carry it up later, and flip on the sound system, satisfied as John Legend starts to croon out of the speakers.
Jules has walked over to the fireplace, looking at the flames, her arms folded over her chest. The light is bouncing off her beautiful blonde hair and pale skin, and I can"t resist her. I wrap my arms around her from behind and bury my nose in her neck, breathing her in.
"You are so s.e.xy, Julianne."
"Hmm," she murmurs. "You"re not so bad yourself, ace."
I smile at her silly nickname for me, then kiss her soft neck. "Come on, let"s eat."
"Okay."
We pile our plates full of delicious-smelling pasta and white sauce, salad and bread and I open a bottle of her favorite champagne.
"Wow, you went all out."
"Wait till you see what"s for dessert," I respond.
"Chocolate cheesecake?" she asks with a grin.
"You guessed it," I respond. You so did not guess it, baby.
G.o.dd.a.m.n it I"m nervous. I"m thankful that my hands are steady as I pour the pink champagne into flutes and we sit at the table to eat.
"To you," I hold my gla.s.s in the air and she follows suit. "The most beautiful woman in the world."
"I"ll drink to that," she winks and sips her champagne and I can"t help but chuckle at her.
When our food is consumed, Jules jumps up and kisses me square on the mouth, and before I can grab onto her and pull her on my lap, she pulls back, flashes me that s.e.xy grin, and says, "Wait here. I"ll be right back."
She leaves out the front door with her keys in hand, and then returns less than thirty seconds later with a large black box in her arms.
"What the h.e.l.l is that?" I ask.
"Your birthday present," she responds with a grin.
"Baby, you didn"t have to give me anything."
Just please don"t say no. That"s the only gift I need.
"Uh, duh. Nate, it"s your birthday. Of course I got you a gift." She clears our dinner plates and sets the box on the table before me. "Open it."
I pull the lid off and peel back the silver tissue paper to find one framed photo resting on a photo alb.u.m.
I pull the frame out and stare in awe at the photo. Jesus Christ, it"s her. It"s Julianne, but she"s not wearing any clothes. She laying on a bed, on her belly, and she"s smiling at me the way she does when she knows that I"m hot for her.
f.u.c.k, I"m hot for her right now.
"Say something, ace."
I look up into her uncertain eyes and grin. "You"re so d.a.m.ned beautiful."
She smiles sweetly in relief and I lean over to kiss her, wrapping a hand in her long, soft hair. She pulls back and whispers, "Open the alb.u.m."
There are pages and pages of her, in the s.e.xiest lingerie I"ve ever seen, wrapped up in a sheet, stark-a.s.s naked, all in different poses. All s.e.xy as h.e.l.l.
I close the alb.u.m and scoot my chair back and then pull her into my arms, her a.s.s resting in my lap, and kiss the s.h.i.t out of her. I run my fingers down her soft face, and over her breast, feeling the nipple harden as I play with it between my fingers. With a soft moan she stands, hikes her skirt up around her hips and straddles me.
"Right now, fast and hard, ace." Her blue eyes are on fire with l.u.s.t, and who the f.u.c.k am I to say no? She"s my every fantasy.
I rip her underwear in two and throw them on the floor as she smirks.
"I"ll buy you more next week."
"Yes, you will."
She unfastens my pants and I yank them down around my thighs, and suddenly she"s on her knees, my d.i.c.k in her sweet little hands and her pink mouth is wrapped around it, sucking hard.
"f.u.c.k, baby," I gently grab her hair and guide her head up and down as she jacks me off with her fist. My b.a.l.l.s tighten, and before she can make me come in her hot mouth, I yank her up by the shoulders and she straddles me again, guiding me inside her and all conscious thought evaporates. All I can think about is pounding in and out of that sweet p.u.s.s.y.
"Oh, Nate, yes." She throws her head back and I kiss her neck as she rides me, thrusting up into her wet softness.
"Christ, you"re so wet, honey."
"Mmm..." she moans, and her muscles tense around my shaft, and I can feel the o.r.g.a.s.m building in her. She"s going to take me with her, and I start to move faster, cupping her a.s.s in my hands and bringing her down on me harder.
"Oh, Nate, I"m gonna come, babe."
G.o.d, I love hearing my name come out of her like that when I"m inside her. I look down to watch her, to watch us and see her red tattoo, and I"ll be d.a.m.ned if it doesn"t make me even hotter.
"Come for me, my love," I whisper to her and watch in awe as she bites her bottom lip, clenches her eyes shut, and grips onto my hair as she explodes around me, grinding down so hard on me that it almost hurts, and I feel my own climax take me as I still, pushed all the way inside her heat, and spill myself inside of her.
She collapses onto me, her arms wrapped around my shoulders and face buried in my neck, breathing hard.
"Happy birthday," she murmurs and I laugh.
"G.o.d, honey, you"re amazing."
She"s so f.u.c.king amazing.
"I take it you like the pictures?" She leans back and grins down at me.
"I love them. Natalie?"
"Yeah, Nat took them."
"Remind me to thank her too."
"I hope you just send her a thank you card or something, rather than thank her this way."
"Um, yeah, that sounds like a good plan." I brush her hair off her cheek and pull her down for another kiss. "I have something else for you," I whisper against her lips.
"You do?"
"Yes, come on." I lift her off me and tuck my d.i.c.k back in my pants while she shimmies her shirt back down and open the back door.
"I"m not wearing any shoes."
"Here," I lift her easily and she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek.
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
When we get down to the gazebo, I nod my head in satisfaction. It"s decorated exactly the way it was the first time I brought her here, when I gave her Mom"s necklace.
"Oh, Nate, this is beautiful."
"I"m glad you like it." I pour her another gla.s.s of champagne from the bottle the catering company left down here, and we settle on the plush couch.
"Julianne," I take her hand in mine, and the nerves are back. f.u.c.k. I take a long pull off the champagne. She"s looking at me curiously, her head c.o.c.ked to the side.
"Nate, it"s okay."
My eyes dart to hers, and my stomach immediately settles. That song she loves, I Won"t Give Up starts to play through the speakers, and I know. This is my moment.
I clear my throat and look down at our linked hands, and then back up into her perfectly blue eyes, searching for the words I"d practiced every day in my head for the past two months.
"I love you, Julianne. I"ve loved you for a long time. You and I are a team, in every way. You amaze me with your strength, with your kindness, and the love you show everyone around you, including me." Tears leak out the side of her eyes and I reach over to catch them with my fingertips.
"Don"t cry, baby," I whisper. I can"t stand it when she cries. "Jules, we were meant to be. I knew it the minute I first saw you." I kneel before her and pull the red Cartier box out of my pocket and open it so she can see the vintage-style diamond engagement ring I picked out for her a month ago. More tears fall out of her wide eyes as she stares down at it and then back up at me in awe and surprise and love, and I don"t need to search for the words anymore.
"Marry me, Julianne. Share my life with me. Be mine for the rest of my life." Her lips tremble before they spread into a wide smile and she launches herself into my arms, holding me tightly around the neck, her face buried against me. "Honey, I need to hear the words," I murmur with a chuckle.
"Yes." She pulls back and holds my face in her hands, looking deeply into my eyes. "Yes, Nate, I"ll marry you."
I rest my forehead on hers and breathe a long sigh of relief.
"Thank you," I whisper. "Can I put this on you now?"
"h.e.l.l yes, ace." She laughs and wipes her tears away as I slide the ring on her tiny finger. She holds it up and admires it. "You did good, babe."
"I"m so glad you approve," I reply dryly.
"I do." She smiles sweetly at me and my gut clenches in love and l.u.s.t and she hugs me tightly again. "I love you Nate."
"I love you too, Julianne."
"Did you say something about chocolate cheesecake?"
The With Me In Seattle Series continues with Will and Meg"s story in the third book, PLAY WITH ME. It is scheduled for release in March, 2013.
Acknowledgements:.
To Alvin: Thank you for being patient while I chase this dream of mine. I love you so much.
To my Naughty Mafia girls: Kelli Maine, Emily Snow, Katie Ashley, Mich.e.l.le Valentine and Ava Black. You rock my world, and I love you guys!
Mom and Dad: I love you both so much.
To Lori: Your friendship is amazing and I love you to pieces!
To A.L. Jackson and Molly McAdams: You two are the best sprint buddies ever, and I am so thankful for the friendships I"ve found in you. I love you both BIG!! xo To Niccole Owens: I am so thankful that you and I have found each other. You are talented and the best person to brainstorm with ever! The next bottle of wine is on me.
To my beautiful beta readers: Nichole Boyovich, Kara Erickson, Samantha Baer, Sali Powers, and Holly Pierce. You are the best!
To the authors and bloggers who have dedicated time and energy on me and my work. Thank you so, so, so much!
And as always, to you, the reader. I hope you enjoy Jules and Nate"s love story.
Happy Reading!.
xo.
end.