Chapter One
Hearing the doorbell ring Friday evening, Haley James decided to stay exactly where she was which was sitting at her desk in her bedroom and typing away on her laptop. One of her roommates could answer the door for a change, particularly since it was no doubt one of their boyfriends calling for them as per usual.
As much as she got on with and liked Louise and Ann Marie, at times they treated the apartment like a hotel; coming and going at various times of the day and night. And despite the fact that even though the majority of people calling by the place tended to be for them, it was rare for either of them to actually answer the door whenever the bell rang.
Still, the fact they weren’t always around meant she could have much needed peace and quiet to work on her assignments as well as having the privacy to conduct her telephone calls without fear of one or both of them eavesdropping on her conversations.
She sighed loudly when the bell rang again and when it sounded for a third time, she groaned before pushing her chair back and getting up to go answer it. Opening the front door, she screamed when she saw who was standing out in the corridor.
“Oh my God! What are you doing here!?” she cried, throwing herself into his arms.
“It’s nice to see you, too,” Nathan Scott said, laughing as he embraced his girlfriend tightly and lifted her off of the floor.
“I’m sorry, but I so wasn’t expecting you,” she told him before cupping his face in her palms and drawing him in for a long kiss.
“Now that’s the kind of greeting I was hoping for.” Bringing his hand up to her face, he stroked his thumb back and forth over her cheek. “Can I come in then?”
“Of course you can. God, where are my manners tonight?”
Picking up his bag which was by his feet, he placed his hand in hers and let her lead him into the apartment. “I’m guessing my appearance here is a bit of a shock.”
“You can say that again. I thought you weren’t able to make it down here this week,” she said as she pulled him into her room.
“I know you did but that’s what I wanted you to think so I could surprise you. Did you seriously think I was going to miss your twenty-first birthday, Hales?”
“Ooh, you’re terrible you know that. I thought you couldn’t get away from work because of that big project you’re working on.”
“I booked the time off months ago and I kept double-checking with them to make sure there weren’t any problems,” he confessed before adding, “I didn’t think there would be though seeing as I only needed to take a Friday off.” Dropping his bag onto the floor in a corner of the room, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in as close as he could. “There was no way I was going to miss seeing you, not for something this special.”
Haley blushed at hearing everything he was saying. It didn’t matter that they had been together for almost three years; he still had the ability to make her feel the same way he did when they first started dating.
“I just wish I’d had some warning. I must look such a mess and…”
“And nothing. You look beautiful as always.”
“I’m wearing pyjama pants and an old T-shirt plus I’ve got my glasses on.”
“So? I’ve seen you wearing your glasses before and you look hot whatever you wear. Anyway, I always love seeing you wearing my clothes,” he said gesturing to his old Celtics T-shirt that she had snagged from him ages ago.
“Nathan…”
Carefully slipping her glasses off of her face, he placed them onto her desk and then gently removed the scrunchie from her hair, causing her long auburn locks to tumble down around her shoulders.
“Where are your roommates?” he asked huskily, his face slowly inching towards hers while he waited for her answer.
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” she whispered. Before their lips could meet, she went over to her door, closing and locking it securely and she then returned to his warm embrace. Twining her arms around his neck, she stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly.
Nathan parted his lips, accepting her tongue into his mouth and letting it tangle wetly with his. One of his hands slipped under her T-shirt and he drew lazy patterns onto the silky skin of her back while the other kneaded her ass and pressed her even closer to him.
It had felt like so long since they had last been together but it was times like these, when they were in each other’s arms, that the long distance between them ceased to matter. They had known from the beginning when they entered into their relationship that it would mean months apart while they continued their college education, but thanks to a constant stream of telephone calls, e-mails, IM sessions, and letters together with as many visits to each other as they could arrange with their respective schedules, they had managed to sustain a strong relationship, although there had been a few bumps along the way, particularly in the early stages.
Haley’s hands wandered underneath Nathan’s sweatshirt and she grazed her fingernails over his well defined abs; smirking against his mouth when she heard him moan. “You like that, huh?”
“You know I do,” he said, playfully swatting her butt. “I’ve missed you, Hales.”
“I’ve missed you, too, and I’m so happy you came down here for my birthday.”
Taking a seat on her bed, he pulled her down onto his lap and intertwined their fingers together. “I wouldn’t have missed it. C’mon, it’s not every day you turn twenty-one.”
She buried her face in the nook between his neck and shoulder and breathed him in. Having him there in her arms almost felt like a dream but smelling his warm, familiar scent just made it that much more real. It was one of the many things she missed about him when they were apart.
Kissing his neck, she began sliding his sweatshirt up his body and only drew back from him so she could pull it over his head. She reattached her lips to his neck and slowly began kissing her way upwards to his mouth while her hands touched all over his chest and then his back before making their way into his hair where her fingernails raked across his scalp.
Nathan moaned incoherently into her mouth as her hands and lips worked him into a frenzy. He had missed her so much, and he couldn’t wait for her to finish college so they could be together properly. They had recently talked about the possibility of living together, and even their families had come to realise that it would be happening sooner rather than later. All coherent thought left his head the moment he felt her unbutton and unzip his jeans and then felt her small hand wrap around him.
“Hales… oh God…”
“I want you now, Nathan… I can’t wait.”
“Me either,” he whispered against her lips before seizing them in a fiery kiss. Grabbing the hem of her T-shirt, he pulled it up and over her head and he couldn’t take his eyes off her braless breasts. His hand automatically came up to cup one of them in his palm and he massaged it gently before repeating the action on the other one. He circled her nipples with his thumb, causing them to harden even more before tugging them between his fingers. He watched her head tip backwards as the sensation rolled through her and his name left her lips in a breathy sigh.
Her hands pushed at his shoulders and he took the hint and lay down on her bed, bringing her with him and he groaned when she shifted position and straddled his waist, grinding her lower body against his. His breathing was ragged as his hands explored all over her chest and back before coming around to caress her flat stomach.
Nathan was just about to flip them over when she suddenly got up off of him and stood at the foot of her bed.
“Wha—Where are you going?”
Haley shook her head. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” she said reassuring him. Unlacing his sneakers, she pulled them off together with his socks and then began working on removing his jeans followed by his boxers. She couldn’t help blushing when her eyes met his and she watched as he lay there, gazing at her intently with his arms folded behind his head. When he was completely naked, she let her eyes roam all over his body, making sure she made up for all the time they hadn’t seen each other. She could feel her heart racing and the blood pounding in her veins, and just as she was about to climb back onto the bed, he stopped her.
“Aren’t you a little overdressed?” he teased, gesturing to the plaid pyjama pants she still wore.
The pink blush on her face and chest deepened, but she slowly nodded and hooking her fingers into the waistband of the pants and the panties she wore underneath, she pushed them down her hips and legs before kicking them off when they reached her feet. Taking his offered hand, she climbed back onto the bed and on top of him, audibly sighing at the feel of their naked bodies touching after being separated for so long.
Nathan’s hands took on a life of their own as he stroked and caressed every inch of her creamy skin that was within his reach. Pushing himself up a bit, he captured her lips and kissed her hard and deep, slipping his tongue into her mouth and letting it playfully duel with hers. He growled at feeling her fingernails curling into his shoulders as her hips ground against his, and when she shifted her position on top of him, he felt his cock slip between her slippery wet folds.
His body felt unbearably hot as she moved over him at a faster pace and he gripped her hips to still her movements. He could already feel the faint stirrings of his orgasm and the last thing he wanted was to come outside of her body. Flipping them over, he raised his body slightly above hers even though everything in his being was screaming at him to just go ahead and bury himself inside of her.
“Nathan!” Haley cried out, her full lips pursed in a cute little pout. “Don’t stop… please!”
Lowering his head to hers, he kissed her pout before pulling back. “Don’t worry, baby, I’ve got no intention of stopping. I just want to slow things down a little…” he whispered huskily before trailing his tongue along her jaw-line and working his way down to her neck.
His mouth suckled on her salty skin and he then bit down with blunt teeth which had her crying out and digging her nails into his back. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist and he felt her tilt her pelvis back which caused his cock to slip inside her slightly and he groaned at the feel of her hot, moist flesh surrounding the tip. One of his hands slipped between their bodies and he kneaded the soft mounds of her breasts in turn, savouring the silkiness of her skin. Moving down a little, his mouth latched onto one of her nipples and he suckled it for a few long moments before swirling his tongue around and around it and then moving on to its twin.
Haley’s breathing hitched in her throat as she gave herself over to the delicious sensations she was experiencing at her boyfriend’s talented hands and mouth, not to mention another part of his anatomy. Her fingers ran through his thick, dark hair and when she felt like she couldn’t take anymore, she tugged on it to get his attention. She watched through heavy lidded eyes as he looked up at her while his mouth remained on her breast, his tongue tracing a wet path around the sensitive little nub. God, he just oozed sex, she thought to herself.
“C’mere,” she whispered, her voice thick with all the lust she was feeling.
Giving her the smile he reserved solely for her, he inched his way up her body, making sure that every part of him slid against her. His fingers laced with hers as their mouths met yet again in a deeply passionate kiss.
“Please, Nathan…” she panted breathlessly. “I need you now…”
Nathan nodded at her, his eyes fixed on the large chocolate pools looking back at him. “Are you still—”
“Uh huh,” she replied quickly, knowing what he was asking. After only a few months of dating, she had surprised him during one of their weekends together by telling him she had decided to go on the Pill so they didn’t have to keep relying on condoms. The reaction she had gotten from him that particular night was still in her top ten list of their hottest moments together.
All conscious thought flew out of her mind the second she felt him slide even deeper inside of her and she reflexively tightened her thighs around his hips; releasing a loud moan when he bumped her cervix. There was nothing better than having him joined with her so completely and it sometimes amazed her just how perfectly he fit her. On the days when she felt overly romantic and girly, she let herself believe that it was as though he was made just for her.
“You okay?” he asked, his forehead resting against hers and his lips a hair’s breadth from hers.
“More than okay,” she told him as her hand came up to cup his cheek in her palm. “I love you… so much, Nathan.”
“I love you, too,” he said smiling down at her. “You’re the only one I’ve ever loved… will ever love.”
Her eyes shone with tears as she took in his words, and she bit her lip in an attempt to stop them from falling. “N-Nathan…”
“I mean it, Hales. You’re everything to me.”
“The same goes for me, baby.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down on top of her and revelled in the feel of his strong frame pressing her down into the soft mattress beneath her. Kissing his mouth softly, she whispered, “Make love to me.”
His smile widened and slanting his mouth over hers, he kissed her with everything he had within him. Their breaths mingled as their tongues slid together and explored every little crevice. As they kissed, he began moving his lower body and mimicked what his tongue was in that instant doing to her mouth. He knew that by not having been with her for some time this was going to be over pretty quickly, but he was determined to bring her with him. Sliding a hand between their bodies, his thumb circled her clit and he felt rather than heard the cry she released into his mouth.
He increased the pace of his thrusts as well as the movement of his thumb on her clit and he could tell from the hitch in her breathing that she was close. Changing tactics, he stroked the sensitive bundle of nerves before pinching it between his fingers and the scream that came out of her practically rattled his teeth with its ferocity. He broke the kiss so they could breathe in some much needed air and took the opportunity to change his position; hooking her thighs over his forearms and pushing her back further so he could slide in even deeper.
Haley was almost sobbing with the intense pleasure that was threatening to consume her. Sex with Nathan was always intense but this… this was something more and she couldn’t get enough of him. Each time she thought it couldn’t get any better than what she was experiencing in that precise moment, she had to eat her words because he always did something that added that extra little something that made it feel even more wonderful than it usually did.
When she felt him slide his fingers inside her and crook them forward, hitting her G-spot, her hips bucked automatically and she sunk her teeth into the skin of his shoulder while one of her hands gripped his bicep. His thick, hard length continued to pound into her and she knew she would be falling over the edge any second now. The swirling feeling in the pit of her stomach grew stronger and stronger and without warning, she threw her head back and opened her mouth in a silent scream as her orgasm ripped through her.
Nathan couldn’t take his eyes off of her face as he watched her in the throes of passion before she fell over the edge and burying his face in her neck, he continued to thrust deeply into her. He licked and suckled on her skin, savouring her unique taste. The words she was whispering into his ear about how much she loved him and all the things he did to her were spurring him on and with just a few more strokes, he exploded inside of her and filled her with his warm seed.
His body collapsed on top of hers and all you could hear in the room was the sound of their harsh panting breaths. Reluctantly, he withdrew from her body and turning over onto his back, he gently pulled her towards him so she was half lying on top of him. Bringing up a hand to her face, he smoothed away the sweaty strands of hair that clung to her skin and he gave her a slow, sexy smile.
“Hi,” she said shyly, moving even closer to him.
“Hi yourself. How’re you feeling?”
“Not bad,” she teased before saying, “Amazing… the same way I always feel when we’re together.”
Lifting his head off the pillow, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her softly, sucking on her bottom lip before releasing it. “I know what you mean.” He picked her hand up and intertwined their fingers and he couldn’t hold back the smile when he saw the silver charm bracelet that was dangling from her wrist. It was his very first gift to her which he gave her on the night of her high school graduation.
“So, how cool is it that your birthday happens to fall on a Saturday?”
She giggled. “Pretty darn cool considering it means you could come and spend it with me.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I would’ve found a way to be here even if was the middle of the week.”
Kissing his cheek, she asked, “When do you have to leave?”
“Trying to get rid of me already, huh?” Haley pinched his arm in retaliation. “Hey!”
“Serves you right.” She laughed. “I’m only asking so I know how long I’ve got you for.”
“I know, baby. I’m booked on the latest flight out on Sunday night that I could get so you’re stuck with me for a good while yet.”
“Good,” she stated, pressing a firm kiss to his lips. “Now, I wonder what we can get up to with an entire weekend at our disposal.”
“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” he told her before rolling on top of her and seizing her lips with his.
* * * * *
“So, where is the terrible twosome tonight?” Nathan asked a long while later as they basked in the afterglow of another session of lovemaking. Haley was sprawled across his chest with her head resting on his shoulder and the fingers of one hand drawing lazy circles on his sweat-slicked skin.
She laughed at his question. “I’m not sure. I didn’t even know they’d gone out but then again, it is a Friday night.”
“Right, as if that makes a difference,” he said, running his fingers up and down her back. “Anyway, I’m not complaining since it means we’ve got the place to ourselves.”
“I know,” she said before kissing his jaw and then snuggling back down into his warm embrace. “I still can’t believe you’re here, Nathan. I really didn’t think I’d see you until next month at the earliest.”
“Want me to pinch you so you know you’re not dreaming?”
“I’ll pass, thanks.”
Shifting his position so that he was laying on his side facing her, he looked her straight in the eyes. “I told you before, Hales, I wasn’t going to miss your birthday. Speaking of which, I hope you haven’t got plans for tomorrow night ‘cos I’ve booked us into Amalfi’s for dinner.”
Haley beamed at him. “Are you serious?”
“Would I lie to you? I made the reservations a while back, and I made sure to confirm them tonight before I came over.”
Amalfi’s was Haley’s favourite Italian restaurant which she’d discovered on a night out with her two roommates when they had decided to go out and get to know each other better. On one of Nathan’s trips to see her, she had taken him there and he had enjoyed it just as much as she had and it had become one of their special places.
Snuggling in closer to him, she tilted her head back and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, you know that, but I’m glad you’re happy,” he told her squeezing her hand which was in his.
“I’m always happy with you.”
Sliding his hand up her arm, he cupped the back of her head and brought her face closer to his so he could kiss her again. For as long as he lived, he didn’t think there’d be anything better than kissing Haley James. “I’m always happy with you too,” he told her seriously a moment later.
If possible, her smile widened even further and she felt all giggly and girly inside at hearing those words from him. The comfortable silence was only broken when her stomach growled and she realised that she hadn’t yet eaten dinner. Her plan had been to work a while longer on her English assignment before making herself something to eat.
“Hungry?”
Haley laughed. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”
“Hey, I resent that!”
“Aww, baby, c’mere.” Her fingers resting just under his chin, she drew him in for a kiss. “Are you hungry, too?” she asked after she’d broken the kiss and resumed her comfortable place beside him.
“Now you come to mention it, I am feeling pretty hungry. Must have something to do with all the exercise I just had.” He burst out laughing at the look on her face. “What?”
“You’re incorrigible, you know that.”
“I aim to please,” he teased. “So, what do you feel like eating? Chinese, pizza, Thai?”
“I don’t know… you choose.”
“How about Chinese?”
“Okay. The takeout menus are in the kitchen,” she told him as she slid out of bed and grabbed her robe from the hook on her door and pulled it on. She knew he was watching her and the thought of his lust-filled gaze looking her up and down made her heart race. Turning to face him, she saw he was pulling up his boxers and was heading her way, no doubt to follow her out of the room.
“Uh, where do you think you’re going?”
Nathan frowned. “With you, where else. We can order our food, wait for it to arrive and then eat it in bed. Why, doesn’t that sound good to you?”
Her hand came up and she smoothed away his frown lines. “If you’re coming out there, you need to put some more clothes on because I’m not having those two stare at you even more than they already do whenever you visit.”
“They’re not even here, Hales.”
“I know, but I’ll put money on them suddenly arriving home when you’re standing in the kitchen in nothing but your boxers and I’m not taking that chance. Sorry, baby.” She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed his mouth hotly.
“Nothing to be sorry for, honey,” he said against her lips before kissing her again. “Anyway, I love you undressing me so I won’t be objecting to you having to do it all over again.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to put your jeans back on. I’ve got a pair of your sweats in my dresser, so you can wear those.” Seeing the confused look on his face, she smiled and added, “Easy access.”
Seeing the twinkle of mischief in her eyes had him smirking back at her. “Nice.” Grabbing his Celtics shirt from the floor which she had been wearing when he had first arrived, he pulled it over his head and slipped his arms through the holes and then taking the black sweat pants she was holding out to him, he pulled those on too.
“Do you need me to put my sneakers back on too?”
“Funny,” she replied, swatting his ass. Unlocking her door, she took his hand in hers and led him out of her bedroom and into the kitchen which was just off of the living room. Rooting around in one of the drawers, she found the menu for the local Chinese restaurant and knowing that Nathan knew exactly what she liked, she handed it to him. While he was on the phone placing their order, she grabbed a tray and placed napkins and cutlery on it together with a bottle of beer for him and a bottle of water for herself.
“You’re not having a beer?” Nathan asked as he placed the phone back in its cradle.
“No, I don’t feel like it tonight. I’ll definitely have some wine with dinner tomorrow night,” she told him with a smile.
“Not too much though ‘cause I’ve got plans for us after dinner.”
“What plans?”
He shook his head. “Nope, my lips are sealed. I want it to be a surprise.”
“Aww, Nathan, c’mon. You know I hate surprises. Just give me a clue then… a little hint of what I can expect.”
“No, you’ll find out tomorrow night. All I will say is that you should pack an overnight bag.”
“Why? Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise, Hales. I don’t need to explain what that actually means, do I?” His smirk was in full force and he had to bite his lip to stop from laughing at the current expression on her face.
“You’re lucky I love you,” she told him with a huff.
“I know and I love you too. Don’t worry, by this time tomorrow night you’ll know what your surprise is. I promise.” Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her as close to his body as he could and using his fingers to tilt her head back slightly, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her slowly, making sure to explore every part of it with his tongue.
Making their way into the living room, they collapsed onto the couch and continued kissing; it was only the ring of the doorbell that interrupted them.
“That’s probably our food,” he told her, gently extricating himself from her embrace. “Why don’t you go and take the tray into the bedroom and I’ll be there in a couple of minutes?”
Nodding her agreement, Haley got up from the couch and went into the kitchen while Nathan opened the door and paid for their food. After he had closed the front door, he stood there for a moment and thought about his plans for the following night. He couldn’t help feeling nervous and a little apprehensive about what he had arranged for her birthday, and he just hoped and prayed that she liked it.
Hearing her call out his name, he smiled and followed her beautiful, lilting voice. Oh well, he’d know soon enough what she thought of his plans.