In Name Only - Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
A month later...
“Mr Scott, your mother is on line one?”
Nathan internally groaned at his PA’s words on the other end of the line. Great, just what he needed today. “Thanks, Wendy, you can put her through.” He took a deep breath and waited for the sound of the call connecting before speaking “Mom?”
“Nathan… It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“What can I do for you? I’m pretty busy so I haven’t got much time to—”
“I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday,” Deb interrupted. “I was hoping you’d come home considering it’s your thirtieth but I guess she’s wanting to keep you all to herself.”
Nathan sighed. And there it was. Not even a minute into the conversation and she had to make a dig at his wife. “This is my home, Mom, and it has been for a long time, long before I even met Haley. And actually what you said about her is wrong. She suggested we come back there for my birthday so I could celebrate it with my family but I told her I wanted to stay here and celebrate it with her since she’s my family, too now.”
“We’re your family, Nathan… Your blood family. What about Lucas and your Uncle Keith and Aunt Karen? I mean—”
“I’ve already spoken to them and thanked them for the gifts they sent and they’re cool with me not coming back right now. I’m pretty sure they understand my reasons,” he said pointedly.
“Were you even going to call me?” Deb asked, her voice somewhat shaky.
“Don’t act like the injured party here, Mom. You’re the one who pushed me away when you went behind my back like that and hired someone to investigate Haley. Oh, and let’s not forget how you decided you’d be the one to call her parents and tell them about our marriage.”
“I don’t trust her and neither should you,” she blurted out, the earlier shakiness in her voice having now completely disappeared.
“Here we go again,” he mumbled loud enough for her hear. “I trust Haley—”
“Oh, please! You’ve known her all of five minutes!”
Nathan shook his head as he listened to his mother listing all of the reasons why he shouldn’t trust Haley. Yeah, it looked like today was going to be yet another great birthday thanks to one of his parents. He could feel a headache forming and he rubbed his forehead, sighing under his breath.
“…and I hope you’re using protection bec—”
“I’m sorry but what’s that got to do with you?” he interrupted as soon as her words had registered.
“It’s obvious she’s going to try and get herself pregnant. Please, Nathan, be sensible here. If she has a child with you, then she’ll be entitled to more of your money when she divorces you and, mark my words, that will happen. For all you know, while you’re out at work she could be sleeping around and—”
“That’s enough!” he shouted.
“Nathan, I’m only trying to—”
“What, look out for me? ‘Cause you’re doing such a great job of it. Look, it’s too late and, anyway, you’re way off base with everything you’re saying. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you were pill popping again.”
“How dare you? You know how long I’ve been clean…”
“Yeah, I know,” he replied tiredly. “I’m sorry for saying that but that’s all I’m sorry for. Like I said before, unless and until you can accept Haley as my wife, then I don’t want anything to do with you. I can’t keep doing this with you, Mom… I love her and I trust her; I trust her more than I’ve ever trusted anyone with the exception of Luke and I’m not going to lose her. All this crap you keep spouting… not one bit of it is true and if you opened your eyes, you’d see that. You liked Haley before I met her so—”
“That’s before I realised what a sneaky little gold-digger she is and—”
Without another word, Nathan slammed down the receiver and released a heavy sigh. He felt like screaming and he definitely needed a drink. Pushing his chair back, he went over to the small drinks cabinet he had in the corner of his office and poured himself a large scotch despite the early hour. He was just about to down it when an idea popped into his head and he put the glass down. Turning off his computer and picking up his briefcase, he walked out of his office and stopped at his PA’s desk.
“I’m taking the rest of the day off, Wendy.”
The older woman smiled at him and asked, “Was the phone call that bad?”
“Worse,” he replied, smiling back at her. “There shouldn’t be any problems but if anything urgent comes up, Rick should be able to handle it.”
Wendy nodded. “Enjoy your weekend… Oh, and your birthday.”
“Thanks. See you on Monday.”
When he was sitting in his car several minutes later, he leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes. Why couldn’t his mother have wished him a Happy Birthday and left it at that instead of badmouthing Haley?
Today had begun so well; waking up his wife in his – and her – favourite way and getting his birthday off to a terrific start. He really hadn’t wanted to go into work but he’d had a couple of important phone calls he needed to make so he’d had no choice but now, after having spoken to his mother… He wished he’d stayed at home with Haley after all. God, he hated that she could still make him feel this way and to think he’d always thought his dad to be the worst out of the pair of them.
Shaking his head to clear it of the negative thoughts of his parents, he slid the key into the ignition and turned it. Knowing he would soon be seeing Haley, his mood immediately lifted and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he began the drive home.
* * * * *
Haley was just finishing setting the table when she thought she heard the sound of a key in the front door and she froze. She’d been planning Nathan’s surprise ever since he’d told her they’d be staying in Chicago for his birthday and so rushing out of the dining room, she pulled the door closed behind her and went to find him.
“Hey, baby,” Nathan said, smiling at her when she came into view. Placing his briefcase on the table by the front door and shrugging off his jacket and loosening his tie, he closed the short distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in tight to his body, lowering his head so he could feel her soft lips against his.
She smiled against his mouth, her arms coming up to twine around his neck. Reluctantly drawing back from him, Haley giggled at the way his lips seemed to follow her and she couldn’t resist leaning in and kissing him again. “How come you’re home so early?” she asked several moments later when the need for air had become too strong to ignore and she’d broken the kiss.
He shrugged his shoulders. The last thing he wanted was to tell her the real reason he’d ditched work since he knew she’d somehow feel responsible when the blame was firmly fixed on his mother’s shoulders. “I wanted to spend the rest of the day with you,” he finally replied.
Tilting her head to one side, Haley looked into his beautiful blue eyes and she was pretty sure he wasn’t being entirely honest with her but she didn’t know whether to leave the matter or push a little. “Okay.”
“Only okay… That kind of hurts, Hales,” he teased.
Laughing, she shook her head. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I just… well, you kind of interrupted my plans for the day.”
“Oh yeah? And what plans might those be?”
“Now that would be telling.”
“I’ll bet I can get you to reveal your secrets to me,” he whispered huskily into her ear as his hands slipped beneath the yellow jersey vest top she was wearing. His fingers traced idle shapes and patterns into her skin and he felt her shiver against him.
“Uh huh… I bet you could, too.”
“So, c’mon, what were your plans?” He began kissing a path from her ear down to the base of her neck while one of his hands played with the clasp of her bra.
“You really expect me to answer you while you’re doing that?” she asked, gasping when he grazed his teeth along her skin.
Nathan laughed and gave her waist a gentle squeeze before releasing her so she could concentrate. “Sorry,” he said, though his tone made it clear he wasn’t sorry at all.
“I’m sure,” she remarked, one eyebrow raised. Taking his hand in hers, Haley led him into the living room and pushed him down onto the couch, making sure she wasn’t in grabbing distance since she knew only too well he’d try and get her onto his lap.
“Why don’t you come over here?” he said, patting his lap, his smirk turning into a full blown smile which he could see had her wavering.
“I think I’ll stay over here.”
“You sure? I think you’ll find it more… comfortable.”
“Nathan…”
“Okay, you win.”
“Good. Now, you stay in here… Watch some TV or play a video game, but you’re not to come into the kitchen or the dining room. If you need a drink or something, give me a shout but don’t move.”
“Wow, you’re all kinds of sexy when you’re bossy,” he told her, loving the rosy blush that coloured her cheeks and he couldn’t help teasing her a little more. “Do I need to ask permission if I need the bathroom?”
“Listen, birthday boy…”
Raising in hands in surrender, he started laughing and mumbled, “Sorry,” which he so wasn’t. He loved riling her up and reaping the benefits.
“Yeah, you really sound it,” she said, joining in with his laughter. “Okay, I’ve got things to be getting on with so you stay here until I tell you otherwise. Got it?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Pointing her finger at him, she headed towards the door but couldn’t resist leaning down and pressing a kiss to his lips, her hand cupping his cheek. “Be good and no trying to find out what I’m doing.”
“I won’t,” he promised, brushing his lips against hers, his fingers playing with the ends of her ponytail. “I can’t wait to find out what you’re up to…” His tone grew a bit more serious as he said, “Hey, I know I’ve said it already but thanks for making today special, Hales. I really appreciate it.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Nathan, but you’re welcome. I just hope you like what I’ve got planned.”
“I’m going to love it,” he reassured her.
Giving him one final kiss, Haley straightened up, her fingers lingering on his cheek for a brief moment. “Remember, if you need anything, call me and I’ll get it for you.”
“Better be careful. I might just get used to having you waiting on me hand and foot.”
“Today’s the one and only day that’ll be happening so you won’t have a chance to get used to it,” she told him, patting him on the shoulder and quickly moving out of his way before he had a chance to grab her and delay her any further.
Nathan chuckled, shaking his head, as he watched her practically run out of the room and grabbing the remote control off of the coffee table, he switched on the TV and flicked between channels, hoping to find something that’d keep him occupied since Haley was too busy to help him out with that.
Kicking off his shoes and removing his tie, he undid the top two buttons of his shirt before lying down on the couch. As his eyes focused on the TV screen, his mind wandered and he couldn’t help thinking back to the conversation he’d had with his mother a short while ago. He didn’t understand what her deal was about him being married to Haley. She was hands down the sweetest, most generous person he’d ever met and while he could understand her, and others, being shocked at how quickly he’d gotten married, he genuinely thought they’d be happy that he’d found someone like her instead of marrying one of the women he’d previously been associated with. Hell, he could barely stand to be around some of them for the length of a date let alone being tied to them for the rest of his life.
Like he’d told Haley, he never thought he’d ever get married but now… being married to her, he could honestly say he loved it. He loved waking up with her and he loved falling asleep with her every night, their bodies cuddled together, the scent of her hair and her skin filling his senses. If he lost her… God, just the thought had him breaking out into a cold sweat. He couldn’t lose her… he wouldn’t and especially not because of his interfering mother. A woman who had handed him over to his father, putting her work before him and his welfare. Even when as a little boy he’d begged her to come home, telling her how his father treated him when she wasn’t there… she hadn’t come and he’d had to put up with his dad taking out his frustrations and anger on him.
Closing his eyes, Nathan took a long, deep breath before blowing it out slowly. His hands, which had started to clench into fists, relaxed and he flexed his fingers, his eyes landing on the white gold band he wore.
“Wow, that was a big sigh,” Haley said as she entered the living room again.
Tipping his head back against the armrest, he looked up at her. “Hey, you all finished?”
“Uh huh, although I still don’t want you in the kitchen,” she told him, kneeling down beside the couch and running her fingers through his thick hair.
“No problem since I was thinking we could go upstairs and make use of another room,” he told her, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Oh, really? Hmm, I wonder what room that might be.”
Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Nathan got up from the couch as Haley also stood up, their hands automatically intertwining. “I think you know,” he told her in a husky whisper, his face slowly inching towards hers.
She cupped the back of his head with her free hand, her fingers idly stroking over the nape of his neck, loving the way he shivered. Feeling how responsive he was to her touch was… God, it was a total turn on. Her tongue curled around his, coaxing it into her own mouth and the only sounds that filled the room were those of harsh, panting breaths.
Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, Haley broke the kiss and pulled him towards the stairs. “C’mon…”
“Did I tell you how sexy you are when you’re bossing me around?”
Throwing him a look over her shoulder, she gave him a saucy smile. “Yeah, I think you might’ve mentioned it.”
“Last one up the stairs has to do the dishes tonight,” he told her as he released her hand and pushed in front of her, taking the stairs two at a time.
“Hey! That’s not fair! Your legs are longer than mine,” she called out as she quickened her pace.
“It’s not my fault I’m tall and you’re… not,” he replied, his smirk fully in place.
“You know, I think I’ve got some things I need to check on downstairs.” She made to turn around and go back down but before she could take a step, Nathan’s arm was hooked around her waist and he’d pulled her into him.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Fusing their lips together, he kissed her passionately, his hands gripping tightly to her hips as he pressed his body flush against hers; letting her feel just how much he wanted her.
Without breaking the kiss, he walked them into their bedroom, his hands roaming all over her, and soon as they’d crossed the threshold he kicked the door closed.
* * * * *
“Now that’s what I call a birthday present,” Nathan said, his hands stroking up and down Haley’s back as she collapsed on top of him completely spent.
Giggling, she blew a raspberry against his neck. “It was more of a mutual present…” she told him, kissing her way upwards until her lips found his again.
“Yeah, it was…” His fingers threaded through her auburn hair, holding her steady as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding into her mouth to join hers in another erotic dance, their moans echoing around the room.
“God, I love you…” Haley panted long minutes later when the kiss finally broke.
The smile stretched across his face. He didn’t think he’d ever stop getting that little shiver that spread throughout his body whenever he heard her say those three words to him. “I love you, too, Haley.”
Her smile matched his and she nuzzled her nose against his. “We need to go downstairs,” she told him, pushing herself up so that she was now straddling his waist.
“Why? I’m very comfortable where I am, thanks,” he said, thrusting his hips up slightly and grinning at the way her eyes automatically fluttered shut.
“Well, if you don’t want your present…” she trailed off, her teeth biting into her bottom lip.
“I wouldn’t say no to more of this present.” He thrust his hips again and couldn’t help but laugh when she glared at him.
“You need to stop that, Nathan!”
“Make me!” he challenged, reaching up a hand and cupping her breast.
Covering his hand with her own, she reluctantly removed it and interlaced their fingers. “C’mon, please…” Her bottom lip jutted out and she gave him her best puppy dog expression, knowing it usually had him caving.
Tangling his fingers in her hair, he directed her mouth back to his and suckled her pouty bottom lip, releasing it with a pop a few seconds later. “That look isn’t always going to work,” he teased.
“Yeah? We’ll have to see about that.”
His fingers traced idle patterns across her back and he kissed his way from one shoulder to the other, sucking on her collarbone along the way. “You sure we have to go downstairs?”
The words were on the tip of her tongue to tell him no, that they should just stay where they were but, at the same time, she wanted him to see what she’d come up with for his birthday present.
“Feeling a little… conflicted, are we?”
Haley held on tightly to him as he planted open-mouthed kisses along her throat and she moaned loudly when he sucked on her chin. Tilting her head forward, she seized his lips in a hot, hungry kiss.
“We’d better get downstairs,” he told her, repeating her earlier words to him, his lips curved up into his trademark smirk. “Please tell me we don’t have to dress up or anything.”
“No,” she managed to choke out as he lowered his head and took her breast into his mouth.
“Do you want me to stop so we can go downstairs or—”
“Don’t you dare stop!” she interrupted.
Laughing against her breast, he carefully flipped them over so that he was now on top and inching his way up her body, he made sure to rub against her. When he took her lips in another intense kiss, his laughter soon died away as he got lost in the feel and taste of her.
* * * * *
Nathan watched with hungry eyes from his place in bed, propped up against several pillows, as Haley slipped one of his T-shirts over her head, smoothing the fabric down over her soft curves. Her hair was in complete disarray from their earlier activities, her skin flushed while her lips were full and kiss-swollen… God, his girl was hot! His fingers were itching to grab her and pull her back into bed but he knew that’d have to wait until later as he hadn’t eaten since early that morning and he knew she had to feel as hungry as he was right now.
“C’mon, Nathan, quit staring and get your cute ass moving,” Haley told him, picking up his boxers from the floor and throwing them at him.
He reluctantly got out of bed and pulled on his underwear, grabbing a grey T-shirt from his dresser and putting that on as well. Taking her offered hand, he let her pull him out of the room and they made their way downstairs and into the dining room.
“Happy Birthday, Nathan.” Her skin still had a light blush to it and she nervously shifted on her feet.
Nathan’s mouth fell open as he took in the table which was set for two. A small vase of fresh flowers sat in the middle with two candlesticks either side which had yet to be lit.
“I know it’s not much but—”
“It’s perfect, Haley. Thank you.” Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tightly, burying his nose into her hair which smelled faintly of her cherry-vanilla shampoo.
“You’re welcome,” she said, hugging him back. “Okay, you sit down and I’ll start bringing in the food. By the way, if anything’s dried out it’s your fault for not wanting to come down here earlier,” she teased.
“Don’t worry, you won’t hear any complaining from me,” he quipped, giving her a wink.
“Good.”
His eyes widened as Haley carried in more and more food but he definitely noticed the theme and he laughed. After lighting the candles, he went over to the nearby stereo and slipped one of Haley’s CDs into it before calling out to her, “Do you need any help in there?”
“No thanks. You could pour the wine though,” she called back.
Opening the bottle of white wine already on the table, he poured some into both of their glasses but he decided to wait for her before having some. When she entered the room a few minutes later, he stood up and took the salad bowl from her and placed it onto the table once she’d made some room for it. It looked like they’d be having leftovers for a good few days.
“Do you think we’ve got enough food?” he teased.
Haley giggled. “Yeah, I think I might’ve gone a little overboard but at least we don’t have to worry about cooking for a few days.”
“Very true and the time we don’t have to waste in the kitchen will be put to extremely good use, I can assure you.”
“Hmm, I bet.” Picking up her glass, she held it out in front of her. “Happy 30th Birthday, Nathan.”
Smiling at her, he picked up his own glass and lightly clinked it against hers before they both took a drink of the chilled liquid. “Thanks, Hales. And thank you for all of this… Spending today with you like this… it’s exactly what I wanted. Well, except for the going into work part and… uh, wasting those few hours there,” he told her.
Haley noticed a slight change in his voice before he went back to smiling at her and, not for the first time that day, she felt as if he was hiding something. She opened her mouth to ask him about it but he beat her to it when he again spoke.
“I’m sensing a theme here with the food though.”
“Oh yeah?” she said, her lips curving up into a smirk.
“Everything’s cold,” he observed. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen so many different types of salad.”
Laughing, she replied, “I did have a different menu planned but then this idea popped into my head and since I know how… um, hands-y you can be, I figured going with a cold menu might be the best option.”
“Yeah, and you weren’t wrong. I mean, if you’d gone with a hot menu it’d pretty much all be ruined by now.”
“It wouldn’t have all been your fault… I was the one practically dragging you upstairs.”
“Believe me, babe; no dragging was required. I was definitely ready and willing.”
“Mmm, you proved that… multiple times,” she said, her face heating up as she said the words.
Leaning towards her, he softly kissed her lips. “I love it when you blush.”
“I think you’ve said that before,” she whispered, her fingers trailing over his cheekbone.
Popping another kiss on her lips, he sat back in his chair and started digging into the mountain of food she’d prepared. “Yeah, and I don’t think it’ll be the last time you’ll be hearing me say it.”
“Me either… Now c’mon, let’s start eating before this gets cold,” she joked, loving the sound of his laughter and the way he was looking at her.
* * * * *
“That was amazing, Hales,” he told her, putting his fork down onto his empty plate and leaning back in his chair. “I don’t think I could eat another thing though.”
“Oh… I take it you don’t want any birthday cake, then?”
“Cake? You didn’t say there was cake.”
“It’s your birthday, Nathan, so of course there’s going to be cake,” she told him as she got up out of her seat and started to clear away the dishes. “I was going to buy one but I wasn’t sure what your favourite was so I baked one. If you don’t like it we can buy something when we next go out or—”
“Haley,” he interrupted, knowing that if he didn’t stop her now, she could ramble on forever working herself up into more of a state. “I love that you made me a birthday cake.”
“Really?” she asked shyly.
“Really. When I was little, practically every birthday cake I had was bought from a store. The only homemade cakes I ever had were ones that Karen made.”
“I’m not sure that mine will compare to Karen’s but it won’t kill you,” she teased.
“Good to know,” he said, pushing his chair back and helping her clear the table.
“Nope, you sit down, Mister, and leave all this to me.”
“Haley, I—”
“It’s your birthday and seeing as I didn’t actually buy you anything…”
“You didn’t?” he asked, trying to hide his disappointment.
Walking around the table, she twined her arms around his neck and pushing herself up onto her toes, she nuzzled his nose with hers. “I wasn’t sure what to buy you,” she admitted. “We still don’t know each other all that well and I spent hours walking in and out of stores and searching online for something… anything that I thought you’d like but you’re a pretty hard person to buy for. I mean, you have practically everything a guy could want so I ended up calling Lucas and he was a fat lot of good.”
Nathan burst out laughing at that. “Yeah, he’s kind of useless.”
“Anyway, I thought we could go shopping together and you pick out something you really want or need and I could get it for you and, in the meantime…” Haley trailed off.
“In the meantime what?”
“One of the stores I went into just happened to be Victoria’s Secret and I bought something which, while I’ll be the one wearing it—”
“Thank God for that,” he retorted.
“It’s something I think you’ll really like.”
“Oh, I bet I will.” Ducking his head, he brushed his lips over hers once… twice before slanting his head and deepening the kiss. His hands wadded the thin cotton T-shirt she wore, his fingers slipping beneath the fabric to glide across her bare back. “Let’s go upstairs and you can model it for me.”
“What about the cake?”
“We’ll take it with us.”
“Okay,” she mumbled, moaning into his mouth when he kissed her again and she gasped when he suddenly hoisted her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips.
By the time the doorbell sounded several minutes later, Nathan had her pressed up against the nearest wall, his hands cupping and kneading her breasts beneath her T-shirt which, if she guessed correctly, wasn’t going to be staying on for much longer.
“N-Nathan… There’s… Ohhh God… someone at the door.” He was sucking furiously on her neck, no inch of space between their bodies as he rocked his hips into hers, letting her feel just how aroused he was right now.
“They’ll go away in a minute,” he murmured, his teeth grazing the sensitive column of her neck which had her gripping his shoulders even harder.
“I don’t think they’re going,” she told him when the doorbell kept sounding.
“Damnit! I rarely have visitors here so who the hell could that be?” Resting his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing under control. He felt her gentle fingers caressing his cheek and he leaned into her touch.
“You get the door and I’ll get the cake ready for us to take upstairs,” she said, suckling his top lip into her mouth and then repeating the motion with the bottom one.
“We could just ignore it,” he suggested.
Hearing the chimes yet again, Haley sighed. “I don’t think we can. Whoever that is seems determined to see you.”
“Fine,” he agreed. “Promise me though that we’re not done celebrating.”
Smiling at him, she replied, “Not by a long shot, honey. Now, answer the door and see if you can get rid of whoever’s decided to interrupt our perfect evening.”
Kissing her one last time, he lowered her back down and smiled as he watched her head into the kitchen, tugging her T-shirt down as she went. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the front door and looked through the spy-hole; he couldn’t see anyone and he was just about to walk back to Haley, thinking that the person must have left, when the doorbell chimed again, causing him to curse under his breath.
Opening the door, his mouth dropped to his chest as the last person he thought he’d see any time soon was standing right there on his doorstep. “Mom?”
“Hello, Nathan. Seeing as you won’t come home for your birthday, I thought I’d come to you,” Deb said, smiling broadly at her son and seemingly ignoring the fact they had argued earlier that day. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”