Chapter Four
“Hey, Haley, is Nathan in?” Lucas Roe asked, smiling.
Haley returned his smile, shaking her head. “No, he's still with your dad. Do you want me to give him a message?”
“No, that's okay. I'll call his cell later. It's nothing urgent. So, how's everything with you?”
“Things are good, thanks. What about you?”
“Can't complain. Oh, by the way, Brooke said she'll give you call later this week.”
“Great. Tell her I said hi and I'll speak to her soon.”
“Will do.” Lucas was just about to turn and leave when he saw Nathan walking towards him. “Hey, man. I was looking for you.”
“Can it wait?” Nathan asked. “It's just, Dan's out of the office for the next few days and he's given me a ton of stuff to do on the—”
“Moran case? Yeah, I know. He mentioned this morning that it's top priority. You and Haley are gonna have your hands full.” The smile he wore turned into a frown when he noticed Haley's cheeks suddenly flush a rosy pink.
“So, what was it you wanted?” Nathan quickly asked when he noticed the curious look he was shooting his gir—Haley.
“It was just to let you know I can't make it to the bar on Friday night since Brooke's booked us an appointment with a wedding planner. Apparently, they had a last minute cancellation.”
“Okay, no problem. After the week I'm likely to be having with this case I'd have probably ended up bailing on you.”
“Now I know why Brooke's going to be calling me,” she teased her former boss.
“Hey, if you want, you can always go to the wedding planner in my place,” he quipped.
Laughing, she replied, “Thanks but no thanks. She's all yours, buddy.”
“I'd better get back to the grindstone. Good luck with the case, Nate. If there's anything you need let me know.”
“Thanks, Luke. See you later.”
When he had left, Nathan smiled warmly at Haley. “Ms James, can I see you in my office, please?”
The richness of his voice gave her tingles and she simply nodded her response. Pushing back her chair, she got up and smoothed down her skirt before picking up her notepad and a pen.
As soon as she had entered his office, the door shut behind her and she found herself pressed up against it. Dropping her pad and pen, she wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck and returned his kiss, parting her lips to welcome his tongue into her mouth. Despite their conversation on Saturday at her apartment, she was already re-thinking what she had said to him about wanting to wait before they had sex again. Right now, all she could think about was pushing him down onto his big leather chair and climbing on top of him.
God, what was he doing to her?
“Do you, uh, want to come over for dinner tonight?” Haley found herself asking in between kisses.
“Will there be dessert?” he teased, sucking on that spot behind her ear.
“Maybe...”
“I'll definitely be there, then.” Reluctantly drawing back from her after one more kiss, he crossed the room and took a seat on the corner of his desk. “We're probably going to have to stay late tonight though,” he informed her. “Dan wants this case wrapped up before he gets back.”
“I'll stay as late as you need.”
“Thanks, Haley. I really appreciate it.”
“Well, it's kind of my job,” she replied, her lips curving upwards into a half-smile before she bent down and picked up the pad and pen that she had dropped.
“Yeah, I know but I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful for all the times you've stayed late.”
“Even if some of them weren't necessary?” Haley couldn't resist teasing him.
“I knew that would come back to bite me in the ass,” he joked.
When their laughter had faded, she got serious. “Okay, what do you need me to do?”
Retrieving a file from his desk, he handed it to her. “Dan's amended the two reports in there so if you could make the necessary changes that'd be great. Oh, and print off the—”
“The cover letters? Yeah, I know.”
“Sorry,” he replied sheepishly.
Haley saw the little pout he wore and she thought he looked adorable. She was just about to reach out and stroke his face when the door suddenly flew open and she quickly retracted her hand.
Entering the office, Dan Roe didn't fail to notice the close proximity of his two employees. “Uh, sorry to interrupt but I just need another word with you, Nathan.”
“I'll go and get started on those amendments,” Haley said, giving the two men a small smile. Closing the door behind her, she quietly sighed and hoped that Dan hadn't noticed anything untoward between her and Nathan.
* * * * *
Later that evening as they took a break from working to eat the Chinese take-out they had ordered, Haley asked, “Did Dan say anything to you about us?”
Nathan shook his head as he took a sip of water and swallowed it. “No, why would he?”
“I don't know. I guess I was just worried that he might have noticed how close we were standing. He had a strange look on his face as I passed by him.”
He laughed. “He always has a strange look on his face.”
She didn't argue with him on that one. “I should've been more careful though.”
Reaching over the desk, he took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb along her knuckles. “It's a good job he didn't come along a few minutes earlier when I had you pinned up against the door. Now that he might've had some questions about.”
“Nathan!” she admonished. “I'm serious. We have to be more careful.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “I'll do my best to keep my hands off you in the office.”
“You're incorrigible,” she huffed.
“My mom's been saying that for years.”
“I can see why.”
His smirk deepened. “So, listen. Do you want to go and catch a movie this weekend?”
“I-I don't think that's a good idea, Nathan.”
“What, why not?”
Picking at the label of her own bottle of water, she hesitated in answering.
“Haley?”
“It's just... Tree Hill's a small town and if we're seen together outside of work... C'mon, you know how fast gossip travels here and I know we could just say we're friends hanging out together but it would still probably raise questions and—”
“You're cute when you ramble, you know that?” he teased.
Haley felt her cheeks heat up. “Shut up!”
“Alright, what about this for an alternative. You come over to my place and we'll rent a couple of movies and I'll make us dinner.”
“You can cook?”
“Yep and I'm pretty damn good, even if I do say so myself. So, what do you say? Is it a date?”
Looking at their still linked hands and then back at his face, Haley nodded shyly. “Yeah, it's a date.”
* * * * *
After a hellish and exhausting week, Friday finally came around and Haley couldn't have been happier. After tidying up her desk and logging out of her computer, she was just about to rap her knuckles on Nathan's open door when she saw he'd reclined his chair slightly and was lying back with his eyes closed. The strain of the past few days was clearly etched upon his face and before she could stop herself, she said, “Maybe we should cancel tonight.”
Nathan's eyes flew upon hearing her words and he frowned. “Why?”
“It's been a hard week and, well, you look really tired so I thought—”
“I don't want to cancel,” he told her. “If anything, knowing we were hanging out tonight is what's kept me going.”
“Yeah, me too,” she confessed. The smile he gave her in response to her admission sent a lick of heat through her. “Okay, I'm going to go home and change so I'll see you at your place in a couple of hours.”
Pushing himself out of his chair, Nathan walked towards her and, after closing the door, he brushed his lips over hers. “I, uh, was thinking... if you wanted to, you could maybe spend the weekend with me. I'm not expecting us to do anything,” he said, remembering their previous conversation, “but I—”
“What if I want us to... do something, I mean?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Maybe. I just don't want us to rule anything out,” she murmured before nuzzling her nose against his.
Slanting his head, he stole her lips in a mind-melting kiss which resulted in them both being breathless when it eventually ended.
“I-I'd better go,” Haley said.
“Yeah, okay. I'll, uh, see you soon.” Opening the door for her, he ran a hand through his hair as he watched her make her way towards the elevator bank. He could still taste her on his lips and her words about them possibly doing stuff when she came over tonight were reverberating in his head.
Tonight couldn't come quick enough.
* * * * *
The butterflies that had taken flight during the cab ride to Nathan's apartment had settled down by the time Haley had arrived at his place. While he was in the kitchen adding the finishing touches to their dinner, she was taking a look around his home and, she had to admit, it was nothing like the bachelor pad she had envisioned him living in. Instead, it was light and airy with modern furnishings and contemporary artwork on the walls.
“I'll bet you were expecting tons of black leather and chrome, right?” he quipped as he carried a steaming dish of macaroni and cheese to the table situated by the window overlooking the Cape Fear River.
“Possibly,” she retorted. Seeing what he'd set down onto the table, she looked at him. “You made me mac and cheese?”
“Yeah... I remember you telling me a while ago that it was your favorite thing to eat so I thought I'd make it for us tonight. It's probably not as good as yours though.”
Her heart swelled at the fact that he'd not only remembered that little piece of information about her but that he'd also cooked the dish for her. Raising up onto her toes, she pressed her lips against his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Mm, that was delicious,” Haley told him a short while later after they had finished eating.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. It's almost as good as my mom's.”
“Almost, huh?”
She shot him a half-smile and then winked at him. “Almost,” she repeated.
“I'll just have to keep practicing then,” he teased back. Rising from his seat, he collected their dirty dishes and cutlery and said, “I'll just go and get our dessert.”
Watching him go, Haley hesitated for a brief moment before she also rose from her chair and followed him into the kitchen. A part of her felt that she was rushing into things but the bigger part of her was tired of always being so cautious. As much as she might have tried to deny it to herself immediately after the fact, she'd loved being with him last Friday night. He'd made her feel things she had never felt before and she wanted to feel that way again.
“Haley?” Nathan noticed her standing in the doorway with a faraway look in her eyes. “Is everything okay?”
Bestowing him with what she hoped was a reassuring smile, she closed the distance between them and cupped his face between her palms. “I want you,” she told him.
“I want you, too... so much.” Slipping his fingers in the belt loops of her jeans, he pulled her even closer so she was pressed flush against him. Seizing her lips in a fiery kiss, he lost himself in the taste and smell of her. He growled in the back of his throat when he felt her palm rubbing his erection through his pants. “God, Haley...”
“Where's your bedroom?”
Taking her hand in his, Nathan led her out of the kitchen and to the opposite end of the apartment where his bedroom was located. “Are you sure?” he asked once they were inside.
“Yes,” she simply stated. “So sure.”
“Thank God,” he mumbled, causing Haley to laugh.
Their laughter faded as their gazes locked. He watched as she pulled her green and black silkscreen T-shirt over her head, revealing the black push-up bra she wore beneath it.
“Your turn,” she whispered, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth as her fingers then popped the button on her jeans.
Nathan didn't need telling twice and he made quick work of unbuttoning his shirt, tossing it onto the nearby armchair. He couldn't tear his eyes off of Haley as she pushed the faded denim jeans down her slender thighs and he swallowed thickly when she turned slightly to hold onto the foot of the bed and he saw she was wearing a thong that matched her bra.
“Damn.”
Haley blushed. “Do you like it?”
Speedily stripping off the rest of his own clothing until he was also down to his underwear, he replied, “Like it? I love it. You look incredible, Haley.”
Her blush deepened. “You don't look so bad yourself.”
Nathan chuckled. Walking over to her, he trailed a fingertip over the swell of her ample breasts and enjoyed the shiver that appeared to run through her. Reaching behind her, he popped the clasp of her bra and slowly slid the straps down her arms, letting it fall to the ground.
Caressing the side of his face, his late-in-the-day stubble prickling the pads of her fingers, Haley pushed herself up onto her toes so that her mouth was right by his ear. “I want to explore every inch of you,” she whispered. “Can I?”
If possible, his cock grew even harder at hearing that. All he could do was nod and the next thing he knew she was directing him to get onto the bed which he was more than happy to do. Climbing on, he made himself comfortable in the middle of his king-sized bed; lying on his back and folding his arms behind his head. He watched as she, first, released the clip holding her hair up and a mass of honey-blonde curls tumbled around her shoulders.
Keeping her eyes trained on his face, the butterflies in Haley's stomach took flight for a second time that night as she hooked her fingers into the waistband of her thong and slowly drew the flimsy scrap of fabric down her thighs and legs until it pooled around her ankles. Crawling onto the bed and straddling Nathan's legs, she did the same thing to him until he was lying before her gloriously nude. Her mouth watered as her mind conjured up a whole variety of things she could do to him this weekend.
Kissing her way up his body, she couldn't help moaning as their skin rubbed against each other and the sounds grew louder still when her wet pussy slid along the underside of his cock which was curved up against his belly.
“Fuck!” Nathan exclaimed. They had hardly done anything and yet he already felt like he was going to come. Gripping her waist, he flipped them over and urgently fused his mouth to hers, kissing her long and deep; his tongue thrusting into her mouth and mimicking what he hoped their lower bodies would soon be doing.
“Yesss!” she hissed, feeling the head of his cock bumping her clit as it slid back and forth along her slippery folds.
Shifting his position slightly, Nathan reached over to his nightstand and retrieved the pack of condoms he'd bought on his way home tonight. Ripping off the cellophane, he opened the box and grabbed one of the square packages from inside of it, tearing open the foil wrapper before finally sheathing himself with the thin latex.
Taking himself in hand, he placed his throbbing erection at her entrance and slowly pushed forward. Leaning over her, he braced his weight on his forearms which rested either side of her head. He kissed along her cheek until his mouth hovered above her lips.
“Kiss me,” she pleaded and he instantly complied.
Her legs were wrapped around his waist and her heels dug into his butt, spurring him on; not that he needed any encouragement. Her pussy was so wet and snug around his shaft and the rhythmic clenching of her feminine muscles was pushing him closer and closer to the edge.
Wanting Haley to come with him, his fingers found her nipple and he tugged on the sensitive nub of flesh which rewarded him with a series of breathy sighs and moans.
“That's it... don't stop... please don't stop,” she begged, undulating her hips in time with his movements. Slipping a hand between their bodies, she began frantically rubbing her clit and just a few seconds later, she cried out his name as the tight coil in her belly suddenly unraveled and then snapped.
Hearing his name fall from her lips as she climaxed combined with the feel of her sheath contracting around his cock was his undoing and, within moments, he followed suit, experiencing one of the most powerful orgasms of his life.
* * * * *
Sunday night came around far too soon for both Nathan and Haley. He watched as she packed her travel bag and he felt a pang of something he couldn't quite name.
“Are you sure you can't stay tonight?” he asked her.
Turning to look at him, Haley shook her head. “I'd love to but... I didn't bring any of my work clothes with me and—”
“I could set the alarm for an hour or so earlier and drop you back in the morning,” he offered.
“We'd better not risk it. Someone could see us and, besides, it's probably better that we have a little time to prepare so we don't have this weekend written all over our faces. Tomorrow we're back in the real world where we have to pretend we're just work colleagues.”
“You know that's not all we are though, right?”
She smiled warmly at him, her heart skipping a beat. Going over to the armchair he was sitting in, she plopped down onto his lap and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I know. This weekend was perfect and I loved every second of it.”
“But?” he prompted.
“But, we need to be discreet about our rel... about us.”
“You can say relationship,” he told her. “This isn't just sex for me, Hales... I want us to date and for you to be my girlfriend. If that's not what you want though ju—”
“It is what I want,” she quickly interjected. “I guess I'm just scared of what might happen if we're caught out. I'd hate for either of us to lose our jobs.”
“It won't come to that, I promise.”
Kissing his lips softly, Haley rested her forehead against his. “We need to be more discreet than we were this week. If Dan had walked in a couple of seconds later he would've seen me stroking your cheek.”
Nathan knew it was a serious topic but he couldn't resist trying to lighten the mood a little. “Hey, it's not my fault you can't keep your hands off me.”
She swatted his bicep. “Nathan!”
“Okay, okay,” he capitulated. “I know it's a serious matter. I promise I won't do or say anything in the office that might get us busted.”
“Thank you,” she said, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. When, a moment later, she tried to get up from his lap she found she couldn't. “You want to let me up?” The subsequent smirk he wore made her tummy flip.
“I was just thinking... we didn't make love in this chair over the weekend. Maybe we should remedy that before you go.”
Closing her eyes, Haley recalled the various places in his apartment where they had made love over the last couple of days. His bed had seen a fair amount of use but they'd also utilized the couch and the impressive double shower. She would never forget looking up at him and seeing his hard, muscular body glistening with the powerful spray of water raining down on him as she took him into her mouth. His eyes had been as dark as midnight as he'd stared down at her.
“So, how about it?” he quipped, his voice bringing her out of her reverie.
“How about we save that for next time?” she offered.
“Fine,” he pouted.
Biting back the laughter she could feel bubbling up in the back of her throat, she kissed away his pout. “C'mon, walk me downstairs.”
“I'm not driving you home?”
“It's probably better that you don't. Discreet remember?”
“Yeah, I know.” He hated that their relationship had to be conducted so damn secretly and he inwardly cursed Dan for the rule he'd implemented. Just because an employee romance had soured in the past and caused friction at the office, it didn't mean that would be the case for everyone else.
Sliding off of his lap, Haley zipped up her black holdall and picked up the strap and slid it onto her shoulder, only for Nathan to remove it so he could carry her bag for her.
They walked hand-in-hand down the stairs and within a couple of minutes they were standing in the lobby.
“I wish you'd stay,” Nathan murmured against her lips before capturing them in a soft, tender kiss.
“I want to stay,” she told him, “but I think it's better this way. We need to be ca—”
“Careful, I know.” He ran a hand through his slightly mussed hair.
Cupping the side of his face, she ran her thumb back and forth along his cheekbone, popping one final kiss onto his lips. “I'll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” He watched as Haley exited his building and headed towards the cab she had booked a short while ago, standing there until she had gotten into the vehicle and it had driven off.
As he made the way back up to his apartment, Nathan couldn't help wondering what the future held for them. Being discreet while their relationship was still so new was one thing but surely she didn't expect for them to keep it a secret forever, not unless she wasn't expecting it to last between them.
He mentally berated himself for sounding like such a girl. If the situation was different, he could discuss it with his best friend but he couldn't do that on this occasion since Lucas was Dan Roe's son and while he knew his friend wouldn't betray him, he couldn't risk anyone finding out... at least not when Haley was continuously telling him they needed to be discreet.
Closing and locking the front door of his apartment behind him, he headed for the fridge to grab a beer. Lord knew he needed it.