Caught by Her Read online

  I wasn’t sure how to respond. I said the only thing that I could, “I don’t understand, Nate.”

  He sighed and began tracing circles with his finger on my hip as he spoke.

  “I’ve been receiving messages, random ones like those I showed you before. I thought they were just wrong numbers, but then, last week, I had a message to say you were a liar and I shouldn’t trust you, along with that photo.”

  I flinched as if he’d struck me.. “Shhh, shhh,” he soothed me, tightening his grip as he kissed the back of my head before continuing to speak.

  I began to gnaw on my bottom lip. I didn’t like where this conversation was going.

  “That’s why I called you when you were out in a café. I would have headed over but you’d have been back in the office by the time I got there. Whoever has been sending the messages had sent me a picture of you and some guy. You denied twice that you’d been with anyone, but I knew different.” His tone lacked any accusation, but I still felt myself bristle.

  “It was only….”

  He squeezed me gently and talked over me, drowning out my explanation. “I know. You said it was Aaron. I should have handled it differently. I should have trusted you. The stupid thing is - I was more worried about your safety. I hated the thought of having to tell you that this whack job seemed to be stepping it up a gear. I reacted badly… it shouldn’t have been about the guy you were with…I do trust you, Lena.” He sighed and absent-mindedly kissed the top of my head. “Whether I wanted you to or not, you already owned my heart. I love you and I trust you. That’s a hard thing for me to do, harder to admit. I haven’t let anyone in since Clarissa and, well, we know how that ended,” he added wryly, despite his attempt at being upbeat I felt my chest constrict in sympathy for him. “When you accused me of taking the photos, I was so angry that you would think I would do something like that. I was seriously pissed! Lena, I’d never spy on you!”

  I could hear the hurt in his voice and remembered the look of disappointment on his face as I’d walked out. That look had enraged me but, in truth, I’d just been too angry to see what was glaringly obvious.

  “After everything that happened with your father and the letters; after everything that we’ve shared and been through, I really thought you knew me better than that. I was furious and I allowed my feelings to get in the way of making you understand. It was easier to push you away than to deal with everything. I had pulled back after the accident - you’d known and felt it. I should have just been honest; I should have explained. I didn’t want to love you. Giving your heart away makes you vulnerable - that’s not a feeling that I handle well, Lena. Clarissa hurt me, but I’ve also seen how your life can be decimated in the blink of an eye - men blown off their feet where they stood; a split second decision that could mean the difference between life and death. I guess I had my own walls up, too. I didn’t want to love you. And I did, I do, it just took me a little while to accept it. I’m sorry.”

  I twisted around in his arms so that I could face him, wanting him to see the sincerity in my eyes. “You didn’t push me away, Nate. You can’t take all the blame for this. I stormed off like an immature child, running away rather than tackling things head-on. We were both in the wrong, too quick to judge based on past experiences. We should have listened to each other; we should have talked properly. I’m sorry, and I love you too. I just…” I trailed off and paused, feeling self-conscious and trying to stop my smile from showing as I thought of his declaration, but I was confused.

  He cocked his eyebrow, “You just?...” he repeated, waiting for me continue.

  “I’m just a little thrown. I’m confused, happy,” I reassured him, “it’s just, with everything that happened I thought that you didn’t care about us. You told me that you didn’t love me. You’ve been acting so differently in the last few weeks that I thought I was losing you, then this past week I did, and now…I’m just shocked to hear you come out with ‘I love you’.”

  “Lena, I’m so sorry.” He pulled me in closer to him, so that I was nestled in between his legs. “I let you go because I thought it was easier. I was angry with you for accusing me but I used it as a get-out clause too. I’d been pulling away since the accident and this was my chance to let you walk and blame you. I didn’t want to lose you; my head’s just been a bit of a mess; I needed to get myself straight. It was never over. Being without you wasn’t an option. It’ll never be an option. I’m sorry it took me a while to sort my head out.” He looked apologetic, and I kissed his bare chest, laying my head on him, listening as his voice vibrated against my cheek as he spoke.

  “When I heard that car crash…” he sighed deeply, and my head rose and fell on his chest.

  It pained me to listen to his raw emotion, his words full of hurt and upset. “Fucking hell, Sweetheart, that tore me apart. I felt as if my heart had been ripped from my chest. I’ve never been so scared in my life as I raced to the hospital…well, I have…once before…”

  I swallowed hard, realising how difficult this was for him.

  “I got there and, even though they were telling me you were fine, you looked so tiny and pale in the bed…” He drew in another long breath and, for the first time it hit me just how much it must have affected him.

  I’d been so selfish, so caught up in myself and worried about Paul that I hadn’t stopped to consider what that phone call would have done to Nate. I didn’t think about how similar that would have been to the circumstances in which he lost both parents, how he’d had to listen to that call and not be able to do anything.

  I forced myself to listen to him as he carried on speaking, trying to ignore the torrent of abuse my mind was unleashing on me.

  “I was terrified and, yes, I was pulling away in the hospital, and afterwards too. I couldn’t deal with it. I told myself I was angry. I told myself over and over that I didn’t love you. I couldn’t afford to love you and leave myself open to the possibility of losing you. It makes no sense. There is no logic. I’ve missed you more than I can put into words, Lena; every single waking moment was filled with thoughts of you. Don’t think for a single second that I didn’t want you; that I wasn’t thinking of you. I’m addicted to you; consumed by you, swallowed up and drowned in you. My world, my life, my happiness all revolves around you, Princess, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I tried to tell myself differently and convince myself to hold onto the hurt and my bullshit until the second that I saw you tonight. It hit me, instantly, how stupid I’ve been. Fuck pride, fuck worrying about being hurt! Nothing hurts more than not being with you. Jesus, Lena, I know better than most how quickly life can change, how you need to grab onto the things that make you happy and never let them go. You’ll be pleased to know Gramps set me straight, he had some sparkling words of wisdom that I’m sure you’d approve of. It was his words going around in my head and seeing you that made me accept that I love you Lena Nicholls, and I’m never letting you go again.” He kissed me gently before pulling away and chuckling, breaking the heaviness of the atmosphere.

  I looked at him, flustered, wondering what he’d found funny at such an intimate moment.

  “I should apologise for ignoring you in the taxi, too. You seemed a little off-put…” He bent his bottom lip over as he pulled a face, trying to look repentant, but his eyes were alight with humour.

  “I thought you were angry! You seemed really tense. I thought we were coming here to fight,” I said, and he burst out laughing, his cockiness back in full effect.

  “Princess, the minute I saw you, the only thing I could think of was how I craved the taste of you, how I needed to be inside you. It took every single ounce of willpower and restraint to wait until you were inside the door, trust me!” I felt a stupid grin spreading over my face and he laughed.

  “You just want me for my body,” I pouted and he eyed me hungrily.

  I could feel how aroused he was again as I lay against him. I ran my hands lightly over him, turning myself on again at the feel o
f his hard body.

  This man was intoxicating; I couldn’t imagine that I’d ever get enough of him.

  He poked his tongue out, wetting his lips, and I couldn’t help but watch. His lips turned up into a lopsided smile as he caught the focus of my attention. “Go jump in the shower! I’ll come join you.”

  I groaned as he opened his arms to release me, immediately feeling colder.

  “Sweetheart, I want to taste you on my lips, just you” he winked.

  I giggled and got up to wash myself from our encounter at the door. I’d been in his company less than an hour and already everything felt right. The heartache from the last week seemed like a lifetime ago, I felt lighter, happier and stronger when I was with him.

  I stood in the shower and began to wash as I heard him putting some music on. Within minutes he joined me. Picking up the sponge, he lathered it up to wash my body. He stood behind me as the water ran over us. Once he’d cleaned me, he let the sponge fall to the floor and, running his hands slowly over my body, began to kiss and caress my neck.

  I let my head fall back against him, my arms hanging loosely at my side. His toned body was pressed up against me, his erection pressing into me. He’d placed his left arm around me, cupping my breast, teasing my already erect nipple. He nipped my neck, and I groaned as he slipped a finger inside me.

  Just a few short months ago I would have blanched at this action; it would have had me freaking out and fleeing the shower. Now I didn’t even flinch.

  I’d given myself to Nate - body, heart and mind, just as he’d said I would.

  He moved his fingers up and began to circle my clit, applying just enough pressure to make me whimper. Whispering in my ear how much he desired me, how much he wanted me, all the things he was going to do to me, turning me on even more than I was already.

  Within minutes I was ready to explode, my body close to breaking point, my legs shaking, his strong arm holding me as I trembled, crying out as I came again.

  I leaned back against him, sated, spent and exhausted, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

  He climbed out before me and quickly dried himself before holding out a towel. I stood and let him dry me before he led me back into the bedroom. I stood at the foot of the bed and he pulled the towel from me, letting it drop to the floor.

  He stood in front of me naked and I still craved him, He’d given me two orgasms, but I still didn’t think I’d ever get enough of him.

  As if reading my mind, his mouth twisted into the perfect picture of arrogance. “Now, about those promises I just made you.” He pushed me back onto the bed, a cheeky grin on his face. “Let’s go for number 3, yeah?” He teased as he dropped to his knees.

  I lay draped on the bed, him kneeling between my thighs, as he peppered kisses over the most sensitive parts of me. The music changed, whatever had been playing softly in the background stopped and a new song began. Nate paused for a moment, his head angled towards the music system before his expression altered. He stood slowly, moving to the side of the bed and catching me under the arms to pull me up the bed.

  I tried to catch his attention, unsure what was going on, I didn’t recognise the song and didn’t know why Nate had reacted to it.

  He climbed onto the bed with me, his body covering mine. “Change of plan, Princess. I’ll make good on those promises, but right now, I want you to listen to this song. This is perfect. I need you to know what you mean to me. I want to show you how much I love you, Lena.”

  He pressed a button and the song re-started as he brought his lips to mine. This time our kisses were soft and sweet, his hands cradled my face as his lips gently brushed mine. Our tongues tangled together in a slow dance as he began to make love to me as the music played in the background.

  This was completely different from our previous encounters.

  This was love.

  This was so incredibly intimate and sensual.

  Tears glistened in my eyes, and I fought to stop them falling. The emotional intensity was almost more than I could bear.

  This wasn’t about making me come un-done; this was about sealing us together, bonding us, sharing something incredible and powerful together.

  The words resonated deep within me as he kissed and caressed me. I’d never felt so connected to someone; it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. He maintained eye contact with me as he worshipped my body, his eyes telling me more than his words ever could.

  I thought I’d laid myself bare to Nate by telling him my secrets, but this was so much more than that. I felt totally exposed to him and instead of feeling anxious, I felt cherished and loved. My chest ached. My heart felt like it had swollen to burst.

  The sensations flooding my system were overwhelming me and I clung to him, my fingertips digging into his back, my nails raking up and down as I pulled him closer to me.

  I could feel myself climbing towards my third orgasm, my mind scattered, my emotions frayed and my body taut. I wanted to tell him I didn’t think I could cope with anymore.

  It was all too much.

  My words were garbled, moans indecipherable, I closed my eyes for a moment and heard him call my name through the fog of pleasure.

  “Lena, look at me, Princess.” His voice was strained but demanding.

  I opened my eyes as my body seemed to dissolve beneath me as a wave of pleasure washed over me, the intensity forcing a strangled cry from me. He slowed slightly as I rode out my orgasm.

  My body felt boneless, my senses overloaded, before he increased his tempo again, chasing his own release.

  Within minutes my name became a long drawn out moan on his lips as he reached his climax. He held his weight off me with his forearms but dropped his head down onto my chest. I could feel his heart beating against my own chest.

  He raised his head slowly, resting on his elbows he held my face between his hands, kissing me deeply. His eyes searched mine; I gave him a weak smile, before I knew it the tears I thought I’d held back were rolling down my face.

  “I don’t know why I’m crying,” I mumbled, and he held me tight.

  “Cos that was fucking intense,” he whispered into my hair and I gave up, letting the tears come freely as he held me, kissing my head and stroking my hair.

  He didn’t say anything else; he just held me, his hands offering comfort, his lips kissing my head. I was cocooned in his arms, as close to him as it was possible to be, and it felt perfect.

  He was everything - my sanctuary, my addiction and my peace.

  “I should have told you before now, but I’ll tell you and show you every single day how much I love you, Lena. You’re not just my princess, you’re my whole goddamn world and one day I’m gonna make you my queen, and I’ll be the luckiest guy that ever lived.” He grinned at me and my stomach flipped over.

  I already felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

  Nate

  I woke the next morning to find Lena lying next to me; wide-awake and propped up on her elbow. “Watching me sleep could be seen as kind of creepy, you know.”

  She grinned back at me, her whole face lit up and I loved how happy she looked. “I woke a few minutes ago. You looked so peaceful I didn’t want to risk moving and waking you.” her nose crinkled as she smiled and I leaned over to kiss her.

  I didn’t want to stop kissing her - my lips felt like they needed to make up for the lost time.

  “What are your plans for the day?”

  She replied instantly, “Whatever you’re doing.” I felt my face break into a huge grin reflecting, the look on hers. “I was going to check if that was alright, but you seem ok with it,” she teased.

  I cupped her face and peppered light kisses all over her as she laughed, feebly attempting to push me off.

  “I was actually due to go and visit Gramps this morning. I know he’ll be thrilled if you’re able to come?”

  “I’d love that!”

  I debated calling ahead to let him know that Lena was coming but there was
n’t time for him to arrange cakes, so I didn’t bother. He’d just get himself into a state. If I left early, I’d call in the bakery on the way and pick up something.

  Lena walked out of the bathroom and noticed her jeans and tee shirt laid out on the bed for her. “Lucky I left these here and that I wore a bra last night!”

  “Yeah, but no underwear.” I winked at her and she shrugged, her eyes flashing at me wickedly.

  “So you’ll be thinking all day about how I’m going commando under my jeans. I hope that’s not going to be too much of a distraction...”

  I was on her within a stride, “You’re a constant distraction to me, Lena.” I kissed her and her eyes fluttered closed, a soft exhale on her lips, and I wanted nothing more than to throw her back down on the bed. “This old man is a pain in my arse! C’mon, we haven’t got time!” I muttered crossly as I threw my clothes on, and she laughed heartily.

  “You love and adore that old man. Stop thinking with your dick!” I burst out laughing with her, unable to respond. I could hardly disagree whilst I was standing to attention.

  We parked and walked to the front door. Gloria saw me through the glass before I rang the bell and buzzed us through. She came out from behind the desk, her impressive bulk blocking our path as she stood with her hands on her hips.

  “Finally! A smile back on that handsome face of yours, but, oh, my poor broken heart! I cannot believe you’d bring another woman here with you,” she gave a loud, throaty laugh as she looked at Lena.

  “Oh, my darling! If I’ve got to give him up, I’m glad it’s to a pretty young thing like you, lucky girl.”

  I threw my arm around Lena, kissing the top of her head. “I’m the lucky one, Gloria”

  Gloria held her hand over her heart theatrically. “Young love, such a wonderful thing!” she announced before striding forward and hugging Lena, who looked bemused but returned the gesture. She waved us on and we walked down the corridor.

  Lena looked at me in amusement and I smirked. Women tended to like me, I wasn’t cocky. It was fact.