Chapter One
Nathan shifted his head on the pillow in an attempt to get away from whatever was tickling his nose but to no avail as the object seemed to be following his movements. A familiar giggle coming from beside him finally brought him out of his slumber and opening one eye, he saw his wide awake wife lying on her side with her head resting in her hand.
“What have you been up to?” he asked, turning over so he too was lying on his side.
“Nothing,” Haley replied but the smile on her face gave her away.
“Oh really? I’ve got a feeling you’re the reason why I’m now awake at…” He trailed off as he looked past her to the alarm clock on her nightstand before continuing, “…seven thirty-five on a Sunday morning.”
“Okay fine, I couldn’t sleep.”
“So you had to wake me up too?”
“Uh huh. I thought you might want to, uh, keep me company.” A light blush crept onto her face as she said the words and it darkened when she saw the smirk that had slowly crept onto his face. “But if you don’t want to you should go back to sleep,” she told him as she made to get out bed only to be stopped by his arm wrapping around her waist and stilling her movements.
Pulling her back towards him, Nathan turned her so she was lying on her back with him half covering her body. “I always want to,” he whispered huskily into her ear before nibbling on the lobe.
Haley shivered at the contact and she let out a quiet moan when he began kissing a path down her neck, sucking and nibbling on the skin along the way. Her hands wandered over his strong, muscled shoulders before coming up to stroke the back of his neck, letting her fingernails rake gently over the skin there, knowing it was an erogenous zone for him.
“God…Haley…” he mumbled against her throat as one of his hands slipped under the T-shirt of his she was wearing to palm her breast. There was just something so sexy about seeing her wearing his clothes and it always drove him crazy. Now was no exception, especially when she was doing that thing with her nails at the same time.
“Kiss me,” she suddenly demanded, gently tugging on his hair to get him to move and comply.
Lifting his head from where it was resting in the crook of her neck, he kissed her jaw and slowly kissed his way upwards until his mouth was hovering over hers. He made no move to lower his head any further wanting to see what she would do.
Haley kept her eyes fixed on his, knowing what game he was playing. Instead of pushing herself up to capture his mouth, she instead chose to stay where she was with her head lying on her pillow. She let her eyes flicker from his eyes down to his mouth and then back up again, letting her tongue slip out to wet her lips which caused Nathan to release a tiny groan. She then turned the heat up just that little bit further, biting her lower lip in the way she knew drove him wild. A split-second later and his lips were firmly attached to hers, his tongue slowly exploring every nook and cranny of her mouth.
Giggling into his mouth, she broke the kiss and rubbed her nose against his.
“You’re evil,” he said chuckling as he looked into her rich chocolate brown eyes.
“Reeeally? Well I’ve had a good teacher.”
“The best.”
“Oh wow! I’m having a little trouble breathing,” she suddenly said and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing at the concerned look on his face.
“What?”
“You’re big head seems to be taking up all the room in here.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” His hand which was still under her shirt began tickling her side which he knew was a sensitive spot for her and he groaned when she started wriggling beneath him.
“Oh no! No Nathan…stop it…pleeeease!”
Knowing when to stop, he did so and massaged his hand over her in a soothing motion and he felt the tension leave her body. He loved that he could do that to her. Lowering his head, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth before flicking his tongue over the sensitive skin just inside it.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Haley pulled him down so his full weight was on her and she savoured the feel of him. Nathan was so much bigger than her and his size made her feel so safe and protected. One of her favourite things was when they’d walk down the street together and he’d have her tucked into the side of his body. It always felt so good...so comfortable.
“So, what do you have planned for today?” Nathan asked several moments later when he pulled back so they could breathe in some much needed air.
She shook her head. “Nothing except wanting to spend it with you.”
He smiled at her words and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Sounds great. I’ve got a suggestion to make though.”
Giggling, she asked, “Let me guess, does it involve this bed or our couch?”
He laughed at the look of surprise that flashed across her pretty features. “Ha! Nope, it doesn’t. Guess again.”
“You’re just saying that. Spending the day in bed is always your suggestion.”
“I know and it would be today too if it wasn’t so damn hot. This heatwave is becoming unbearable and I can’t wait for it to break.”
“God, me too. It’s been a nightmare at the café this week. So what’s your suggestion? Ooh wait, is it going to the beach?”
“No, but you’re getting warm.”
“Warm, I’m boiling hot,” she teased and seeing the intense look Nathan was giving her, she felt herself grow even hotter.
“Okay, do you give up?”
“Uh huh, it’s too hot to concentrate.”
“I thought we could hang out by the complex’s pool. You know, get the sun loungers out, fill the cooler up with some drinks and snacks and just relax down there for the day.”
A smile broke out on her face and she nodded. “That sounds great, Nathan.”
Lowering his head to hers once more, he kissed her lips for a long moment before kissing down her throat and latching onto her neck. He moaned against her skin when he felt her fingernails running up and down his bare back and his hand which was still under her shirt cupped and kneaded her breast.
Haley gasped for breath as she lost herself in the sensations he was creating within her. His wickedly talented mouth was sucking for all its worth on her neck and she knew he was going to leave a mark. She was definitely going to need to buy another tube of cover-up the rate they were going, she thought to herself with a smile.
Before they got too carried away, Nathan broke the kiss and jumped of bed, laughing when he saw his wife’s pouting face. “C’mon Hales, there’s plenty of time for that later.”
Staring at him incredulously, she said, “I’m sorry but who are you and what have you done with my husband?”
He smirked at her. “That’s a wicked sense of humour you’ve got there.”
Her face broke out into a smile. “I try. So, do you want to get the cooler ready while I have a shower or do y--”
“A shower? What’s the point if we’re about to get into the pool?”
“Are you kidding me? I can’t get into a pool when I’m feeling all hot and sticky and besides, I’m not going to go swimming just yet. We need to get our stuff ready plus I want to have some breakfast first which means we have to wait a while before we get into the water.”
“Okay fine, but I don’t see the point of having a shower and then getting dried only to then get wet when we start swimming.”
“Your objection is duly noted but I’ve a feeling you won’t still be objecting when I make a suggestion.”
“Oh really? And what would that be?”
“Hmm, I was going to suggest we kill time and shower together but if you’re not into that idea, then I--”
“I’m definitely into that,” he said interrupting what she was saying.
Haley bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing at how eager he sounded. Now there was her darling husband. “I thought you might be.” Getting out of bed, she made her way towards the bathroom. “We can have our breakfast while we’re getting the snacks and drinks together.”
“Uh huh,” Nathan mumbled, not fully taking in what she was saying as his eyes were riveted on her slim thighs which were encased in a pair of his boxers. He remembered her saying that they felt more comfortable on her and less restrictive than her own clothes did in the sticky, hot weather they were currently experiencing. Of course he had simply told her to sleep naked but he knew she still felt a little self-conscious doing that so hadn’t pushed when she had simply giggled before saying no.
Sensing he wasn’t completely listening to her, she went over to where he was standing and grabbed his hand, pulling him along behind her. “C’mon Nathan, let’s get going.”
Her voice brought him out of his thoughts and he started walking a bit faster. “I’m coming.”
Turning on the water and waiting for it to reach a comfortable temperature, Haley wrapped her arms around Nathan’s neck and raising up on tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his lips.
After stripping off his boxers, Nathan reached into the shower and wiggled his fingers under the water to test the temperature before turning it down slightly so it was a bit cooler. Turning to face his wife, he helped her strip off before pulling her into the cubicle with him, the sounds of their laughter echoing through the bathroom.
Less than ten minutes later, the pair were back in their bedroom getting dried off and dressed; Nathan paying particular attention to which swimming costume Haley was going to put on. Since they had gotten married her wardrobe had changed and while her clothes could still be considered on the conservative side, they were a lot more revealing than they had been when they had first started dating.
“What?” she finally asked, turning to face him from where he stood across the room.
“Nothing. I’m just wondering which suit you’ll be wearing.”
“Is that a fact? Well, come over here and tell me which one you think I should wear.”
His lips curved up into a smirk. “I’m happy to help,” he said as he closed the distance between them and looked through the swimming costumes she had laid out on the chair. He took his time looking over them, giving each one equal and careful attention before finally saying, “The purple bikini.”
“Why?”
“Because it looks awesome on you,” he told her honestly. “The purple looks great with your skin color plus it really shows off your…”
“Nathan!”
“What? I was going to say it shows off your curves.”
“Uh huh.”
“I was. And besides, it does all that without making you feel too uncomfortable.”
Haley felt her heart beat that little bit faster at his sweet words and moving in closer to him, she kissed his cheek before moving her face slightly to capture his lips with hers. She loved that he knew she still felt a little uncomfortable at times wearing certain clothes and never did anything to make her feel like a stupid little girl, something that on occasion she still felt.
“Thanks,” she whispered against his lips before pulling away. Seeing Nathan decked out in a pair of basketball shorts and a long, sleeveless T-shirt, she said, “Okay, you’re ready to go so you can start getting the stuff together to go in the cooler while I get dressed. Oh wait, did you put your sun cream on before you got dressed?”
“Yep. Do you want me to, uh, do you?” He wiggled his eyebrows causing her to laugh.
“Actually, you can just do my back for me. I can take care of the rest while you’re getting our stuff together.”
“Aww Hales, you’re no fun.” Walking over to her, he picked up the bottle of sun cream off the dresser and poured some into his hands before applying it to Haley’s naked back and shoulders. He laughed out loud when she yelped at the coldness of the cream. “Sorry babe, must have forgotten to warm it up between my hands.”
“Forgot my ass,” she mumbled under her breath. Wait till she got him in the water, she thought to herself with a smile.
“There ya go, all done.”
“Thanks honey. I’ll be out in a few minutes and I’ll get breakfast started.”
Lowering his head to hers, he caught her lips in what was to be a quick kiss but it once again turned heated very quickly. Feeling that things were headed in a particular direction, Nathan reluctantly broke the kiss and gave her a warm smile. “If I don’t get out of here now I can guarantee that we won’t be hanging out by the pool,” he told her and he watched her skin flush with a pink blush.
She nodded at him. “Then you’d better shoo.” Her hands flapped in a gesture of getting him away and he laughed at her antics.
“See you in a few.”
Haley joined in his laughter and as soon as she was sure he’d gone, she dropped her towel and quickly applied sun cream to the rest of her body before pulling on the bikini bottoms and then doing the same with the halter-neck style top. Making sure the clasp was fastened securely around the back of her neck and that the suit was on straight, she opened up her closet and pulled out a pair of shorts and a loose T-shirt and slipped both of those on top of her bikini. Lastly, she retrieved her flip flops from the floor of her closet and slipped her feet into them.
Finding her beach bag, she retrieved a couple of towels and stuffed them inside together with the bottle of sun cream. She was just about to leave the bedroom when she remembered something else and opening up one of the drawers of the dresser, she picked up a pair of sunglasses for them both.
“What’s in the bag?” Nathan asked as he watched her finally exit the bedroom and walk towards him.
“A couple of towels, sun cream and our sunglasses.”
“Have I told you lately how much I love your organisational skills? Gets me all hot.”
“Ha, I’ll remind you you said that next time you’re moaning about me being too organised.”
“Whatever. So, I’ve packed up the cooler with all the essentials so we shouldn’t have to run back up to the apartment too much.”
“Sounds perfect,” she told him walking over to where he was standing and kissing him on the cheek.
Fixing themselves a light breakfast, they ate in comfortable silence and a short while later they carried their things down to the pool. Considering the current heatwave, the pool deck was unusually empty for a Sunday morning. Heading over to the storage room, Nathan retrieved a couple of sun loungers and one of the picnic tables so they would have somewhere to place their drinks and other bits and pieces on.
Shaking out their towels, Haley lay them on each of the loungers before slipping off her flip flops and laying down. “Hey Nathan, can you pass me my sunglasses from inside the bag please?”
“Aren’t you forgetting something, Hales?”
“Um, I don’t think so. What do you mean?”
“I mean shouldn’t you strip off down to your bikini?”
She giggled at the look on his face. “Nope. I want to get used to the sun for a little while first before I do that so I’ll wait until I get into the water. But you, my oh so hot husband, can strip off now. You won’t find me objecting.”
“Is that so? Well, I don’t want to disappoint my biggest fan now, do I?”
Haley smiled as she watched him pull his T-shirt off and drop it beside his lounger before doing the same with his shorts, leaving him in just his black swimming shorts. Despite the shorts being quite loose fitting on his tall, lean frame, they still showed his toned body off beautifully and she felt herself heat up even further under his intense gaze.
“C’mon Hales, just lose the T-shirt…please?”
Biting her lip, her eyes locked with his for a long moment before she pushed herself up and pulled her T-shirt up and over her head, dropping it onto the floor afterwards. “There, happy now?”
His “Hell yeah” made her laugh which actually helped relax her and laying back down on the lounger, she closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the warm sunshine.
Nathan couldn’t take his eyes off her as she lay there before him, her skin glistening with the sun cream she’d applied. As he stood there, his fingers literally itched with the desire to touch her and he was just about to do something about it when her voice silenced him.
“You’re standing in my light so stop staring at me and go and sit down,” she playfully told him. “Oh, and pass me my sunglasses.”
Shoving his hand into the bag, he grabbed both their glasses and handed her pair to her before putting his own ones on. “How do you know I was staring at you? I could have been looking somewhere else.”
Turning her head to the side so she could look at him, she smiled. “I always know when you’re looking at me, Nathan.”
For some strange unknown reason he found himself blushing, something he rarely, if ever, did. Coughing to clear his throat, he returned her smile and simply replied with, “Good.”
“This is really nice,” Haley said a few moments later. “I’m glad you thought of this for us to do today.”
“Me too. So how long before we can get in the water?”
“I’d say about twenty-five minutes.”
“Okay.” He was already feeling a bit restless. He’d never really been one for laying out in the sun even when he would go down to the beach with a bunch of his friends. They’d usually have a game of volleyball or soccer or just toss a Frisbee around so doing this was a different experience. It still felt good though and if he had to choose, this would win hands down. Just being in Haley’s presence made him feel lighter and just…happy. He couldn’t remember ever smiling so much as he did when he was with her or even just thinking about her.
After laying on her back for a little while, Haley turned over onto her stomach and rested her head on her arms which she had folded in front of her. Her head was turned so she was facing where Nathan was sitting and she let herself watch him as he fidgeted restlessly on his lounger. One of his legs was bent and his fingers were idly tapping on his knee. It was a miracle that he was actually sitting there quietly instead of moaning about being bored.
“Do you want a drink?” His voice broke the silence a few minutes later and she chuckled. “What’s so funny about that?”
“Nothing. I just wondered how long it’d be before you’d have to do something. I know how bored you probably are.”
He quickly shook his head. “I’m not bored, Hales. It’s just hard sitting here waiting until I can get in the pool but the view is definitely making things easier.”
Blushing slightly, she glanced at her watch and said, “Well, you’ve got about five minutes to go so not long now. And since you’ve asked, I’ll take a bottle of water please.”
Leaning forward, Nathan opened up the cooler and retrieved a bottle of water from it before handing it to her and then grabbed a can of Coke for himself, popping the tab and taking a long drink from it. “Are you going to come into the water too?”
“Yeah, it’s too hot to just sit around.” Getting up from her lounger, she slipped her shorts off and placed them next to her T-shirt before walking towards the water and dipping one of her feet into the water, swirling her toes back and forth. “The water feels great,” she said looking at him over her shoulder.
Before Haley could say another word, Nathan had scooped her up into his arms and tossed her into the pool before jumping in himself. Coming back up to the surface, Nathan ran his hands through his hair and tried not to laugh as she splashed around and tried to get her footing.
“Nathan!”