Seclusion
Title: Seclusion
Author: Diane
Pairing: Nathan/Haley
Rating: Teen Rated
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing!
Spoilers: Set post ‘How Can You Be Sure’ but before ‘The Games That Play Us’.
Warnings: None
Summary: A day spent together at the beach…
Author’s Notes: This story is written for the ‘Boys of Summer Challenge’ at dareyouto_write. It’s also written as an early birthday present for Amanda. I hope you like it! *hugs*
Thanks to Brynne for beta-ing this baby for me. :)
Haley James frowned at her reflection in the mirror. Turning from side to side and then so her back was facing the glass, she glanced over her shoulder to see how she looked from behind. Damn it. Why did she have to suggest to him that they spend what was apparently going to be the hottest day of the year so far at the beach?
She debated whether or not to call him and suggest they do something else instead but the truth was she had been looking forward to them spending a day together with no interruptions from any of their friends. It was just the thought of him seeing her in the bikini she had recently bought that was making her feel so nervous.
Actually, it was more of a tankini than a bikini; the top was cut in a flattering halter-neck style while the bottoms were more like shorts so it wasn’t like she was going to be totally on display but still, so far he’d only seen her in a one-piece swimsuit which was pretty different from what she had on now. At least in her eyes.
She had actually surprised herself by buying it instead of the one-piece she had originally been looking at in the store. The fact that their make-out sessions had become even hotter now they had said ‘I love you’ to each other probably had more than a little something to do with her decision, she mused. While things between them had…developed, they still hadn’t ventured into seeing each other naked. Well, if you disregarded her having seen him topless when they’d gone swimming together on previous occasions.
Her cell phone’s ring tone suddenly broke the silence and she smiled as she recognised the tune she had programmed into it just for him. Picking it up off her dresser, she pressed the button and spoke, “Hey you.”
“Hey back.”
Haley’s smile grew wider as she listened to his deep voice.
“I’m parked outside, do you want me to come in or…” he asked.
“No, you stay where you are. If you come inside we’ll never get out of here what with there being no parental supervision,” she teased.
“Damn, I knew I shouldn’t have called first. You nearly ready?”
“Almost, just give me five minutes and I’m all yours.”
“Really?”
Shivering at the slight change in his tone, she could picture his face which she knew without a doubt would have his usual sexy smirk plastered all over it. God, she loved his smirk.
“Nathan…”
“C’mon, get that cute ass of yours moving, we’re wasting valuable time here.”
“Fine, let me just get dressed and…”
“Woah! You’re not dressed? I’m definitely coming inside now.”
“No, you’re not and I am dressed. Well, sort of. I’m wearing my swimming costume so I just need to throw on my shorts and T-shirt and I’ll be right there.”
“Five minutes, Hales, otherwise I’m coming in to get you.”
“Five minutes, I promise,” she said, smiling at his eagerness. “See you soon.” Clicking off the phone, she placed it inside of her beach bag which was already packed with the items she considered essential for a day at the beach. She quickly got dressed into her cut-off denim shorts which hit her at mid-thigh and a baggy, blue and white T-shirt which was nice and comfortable, just what she needed on such a scorching hot day. Picking up her brush from her vanity unit, she made short work of pulling it up into a high ponytail, securing it with a scrunchie.
Pushing her feet into her flip flops, Haley grabbed the bag off her bed and made her way downstairs, making a quick detour into the kitchen to grab the cooler she had packed earlier that morning. After exiting and then locking the front door, she made her way towards Nathan’s car and her smile grew when she saw him standing by the passenger door, leaning up against it. She bit her lip as she watched him standing there in a pair of basketball shorts and a sleeveless grey T-shirt, his eyes covered by his sunglasses.
As his girlfriend approached him, Nathan took in her smiling face and he felt his own lips curve upwards. It was funny, he thought to himself, but since he had gotten together with Haley, he knew he was smiling a lot more than he ever had before. While he’d always had this reputation as being cocky, there had always been a sullen quality to him that had some people keeping their distance from him. It felt nice to have someone who had pushed past his crap and who called him out when he was acting like an ass which wasn’t as often as it used to be, or at least it felt that way these days.
“You look deep in thought,” Haley told him when she was standing directly in front of him.
“Just thinking about how hot you look in those shorts,” he teased. “I’m looking forward to seeing you out of them.”
“Hmm, really? And how do you know you will?”
“Because you told me yourself you’ve got your swimsuit on underneath it so I’m assuming we might be taking a dip into the water, and unless you want to swim in those heavy shorts…”
“Okay, smartass.” She giggled at his smirking lips and pushing herself up onto her toes, she pressed her lips against his.
Nathan’s lips immediately parted and he felt her tongue slide into his mouth whereupon he curled his own tongue around it. What with the heat of the kiss coupled with the heat of the sun shining down on them, he felt his body burning up and reluctantly, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.
“How about we get going, Hales? It’s way too hot to be doing that here.”
Nodding her head, she replied, “You’re right. Although I’m thinking a crowded beach isn’t going to be the best place to do it either.”
Giving her another kiss, he winked at her before taking the cooler and her bag from her.
“What’s that wink for, Nathan?”
“You’ll see.” Closing the trunk, he came back to stand beside her and opened the door for her, gesturing for her to get in.
Haley watched him closely for a few minutes and knowing that he could be as stubborn as her when he wanted to be, she got into the car without asking him again what he was up to. Biting her lip to keep from laughing, she waited until he had closed the door before she let herself chuckle quietly. The surprised look he wore on his face was priceless and she was sure he had been expecting her to put up more of a fight.
Once he had started the car and pulled out onto her street, Nathan laced his fingers with hers and rested their hands on his thigh. Turning her face to look at him, they shared a smile before his eyes returned to look at the road. Whatever it was he had in store for them, she had a feeling it was going to be good.
* * * * *
“Nathan?” she called out as he walked slightly ahead of her carrying most of their stuff, leading the way to his still secret destination.
“We’re almost there, Hales.” Stopping where he was, he turned to face her and waited for her to close the distance between them.
“You said that a few minutes ago. It’s too hot to be walking when we could be lying down enjoying the sea breeze,” she told him.
“C’mon, you don’t want to be stuck here with everyone else, do you? Look at how much quieter it is down this stretch of the beach.”
Glancing around her, Haley saw that he was telling the truth. The area they had just walked past had been pretty crowded with a mixture of teenagers sunbathing and playing games of volleyball and soccer as well as families enjoying being together in the bright sunshine.
Where they were now was practically deserted and the air seemed slightly cooler somehow which felt really nice against her skin.
“Where we’re stopping is just around these rocks,” Nathan informed her.
She grinned knowing that he’d obviously had the same idea as her about wanting them to be completely alone together without fear of their friends interrupting them. Speeding up, she overtook him and gasped when she saw just where he had brought her.
“It…it’s beautiful, Nathan.” Her eyes took in the small secluded spot which was shielded on either side by rocks which looked to be as smooth as polished granite.
“You like it?”
She couldn’t fail to notice the shy tone in his voice and she nodded her head. “I love it. It’s like our own private beach or something.”
He laughed. “I know. I’m pretty sure none of our friends know about this place which was another good reason for bringing you here.”
“Good thinking. How did you find this place though?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“A long time ago actually. I’d thrown this party at our beach house one night and… I don’t know. I felt this need to get out of there and I found myself walking for a while and I ended up here. After that it became this place I’d come to when I needed to think about stuff or just hide from my dad.” He paused for a moment, debating on whether to say what he had been about to. “Uh, you’re actually the first person I’ve ever brought here.”
The smile she rewarded him with confirmed he’d made the right decision.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. They stared at one another for a moment before she broke the silence. “Come on, let’s get this all set up so we can go into the water before we eat.”
“So I do get to see your swimsuit then, huh?”
“Maybe.”
Walking over to her, he placed the stuff he was carrying down onto the sand and then wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her in close to his body. Lowering his head, he covered her mouth with his own and kissed her softly. He was just about to pull back when he heard her moan his name and he dove back in for another kiss. His fingers disappeared beneath the hem of her loose T-shirt which he had gathered up in his hands and his eyebrows raised when he felt the bare skin of her waist.
“What?” she asked when she saw his confused look.
“I, uh, I thought you had your swimsuit on underneath.”
“I do.” Realising why he was looking at her that way, she giggled. “It’s not a one-piece.” She felt her face grow warm at her revelation and knew she was blushing. The look he now wore though had the butterflies in her stomach, which had settled and apparently had been resting, begin flapping around wildly again.
“Can I see?”
“Uh, now?”
Nathan nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go for a swim, you know, like you said and then we can just lie out in the sun and relax.”
Haley hesitated for a brief moment but then found herself nodding her agreement. “Okay.” Rummaging around in her beach bag, she produced a bottle of waterproof suntan lotion and handed it to him. “You should put some of that on before we get in so that you don’t burn.”
“Sure.” Taking it from her, he pulled his T-shirt off over his head and dropped it onto the blanket he had just spread out onto the sand before removing his basketball shorts, leaving him in his swimming shorts.
Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him and she unconsciously licked her suddenly too dry lips. She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip to stop herself moaning when she watched his large hands rubbing the suntan lotion into his chest and arms and when her eyes met his, she blushed at the knowing look in his eyes.
“See something you like?” he drawled although he inwardly groaned at the cheesy line. Somehow in that moment he didn’t care how cheesy it sounded as he watched his girlfriend’s face closely. Handing her back the bottle of lotion, he said, “Here, you do me.”
Haley’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Huh? I-I mean…huh?”
Nathan couldn’t help it and he burst out laughing. “Sorry,” he mumbled before asking, “Could you do my back for me?”
“Oh, uh, right.” Taking the bottle from him, she flipped up the cap and squeezed some lotion into her hand before rubbing it between her palms and then applying it to his back. His skin felt hot to the touch and she savoured the feel of his strong muscles as she massaged him.
He could have stayed there all day having her touch him with her soft, gentle hands but his fingers were literally itching for him to be touching her so he took a step forward and turned to face her. “Here, let me do you.” There was something about the way she constantly blushed at his choice of words that was a serious turn on for him.
He patiently waited for her to take her T-shirt off and he smiled reassuringly at her when she finally did so. He couldn’t help but stare when he saw her standing before him in a black and white trimmed bikini top. It didn’t matter in the slightest that it was a bit more conventional than some of the bikinis he’d seen girls wearing over the years… On Haley it looked amazing. Hell, anything on her looked amazing.
The bikini top’s style really flattered her curvy figure and drew his eyes to her cleavage. From the first moment he’d taken an interest in her, he knew she had a kick ass body but seeing it and being able to touch it, within limits, well, that was a different thing altogether.
He held his breath as she unfastened her shorts and pushed them down her hips and legs. The matching bottoms she was wearing again flattered her body shape and his eyes roamed all over her body, paying particular attention to certain attributes of hers. Before she had a chance to turn so he could apply the lotion to her back, he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her in close, bending his head so he could kiss her.
Haley moaned into his mouth as the kiss intensified. Her tongue slid and stroked against his while her hands kneaded his shoulders, sliding easily along his skin thanks to the lotion. Tilting her head slightly, she allowed him to deepen the kiss even further and one of her hands wandered up into his hair, her fingernails scraping gently across his scalp and down the back of his neck.
She could feel his hardness pressing up against her and she rubbed her body against it, liking the noises emanating from him in response.
Ever since the night at the bus stop where they had confessed their love for one another, the edges of the lines she had drawn for herself had begun to blur and it was getting more and more difficult to put a stop to things. And the thing was, there were occasions where she didn’t want to put a stop to anything. Nathan was so gentle with her, so caring. A stark contrast to all the rumours she had heard about him over the years. His experience should have been an issue but when they were together, when he was lavishing his undivided attention on her, it didn’t seem to matter at all. He loved her and she loved him and that was what was important.
Breaking the kiss, she smiled against his lips and kicking off her flip flops, she waited for him to do the same and then with his hand in hers, she led him towards the sea.
“Uh, I didn’t put any lotion on you.”
“It’s okay, I actually put some on before I got dressed this morning. You can always put some more on me afterwards,” she told him. “C’mon, I’ll race you.” Dropping his hand, she started running but she didn’t get very far before Nathan overtook her.
“Get those legs movin’, shorty,” Nathan called out to her before turning and then walking backwards into the ocean, his smiling face beaming at her.
“I’ll give you shorty,” she huffed as she ran towards him. As soon as she was close enough, she placed her hands onto his shoulders and pushed him under the sun-warmed water. Releasing her hold on him, she tried to make a fast getaway but she wasn’t fast enough.
Catching her ankle, he pulled her towards him which caused her to go under and she came up spluttering. “Hey!”
“What, you ducked me first.”
“So? You called me shorty?”
“I thought I’d try out a nickname on you.”
“Oh really? Well, you’ll have to come up with something better than shorty if you want me to keep you around.”
“You won’t be getting rid of me.”
“A little cocky, aren’t we?”
Bringing his arms around her, he pulled her flush against him and lowering his head so his mouth was by her ear, he whispered, “You tell me.”
Haley blushed, knowing exactly what he was referring to and shyly glancing up into his face, she saw the way his eyes were sparkling with amusement. Her heart felt light in her chest at how carefree he seemed in that moment, something she was sure not many people got to witness.
Twining her arms around his neck, she pulled him down for a kiss, suckling first on his bottom lip before repeating the action with the top one. Her fingers idly played with the hair at his nape as their lips, tongues and teeth feverishly duelled. She gasped into his mouth when he lifted her up and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his hardness pressing insistently against her. When one of his hands drifted down to knead her breast, she bit his lip and he drew back from her and looked into her face for any sign that this wasn’t what she wanted.
“Hales?”
“Don’t stop…please,” she told him. Taking a moment to glance around them, she was pleased to see that the rocks of their secret hiding place were completely obscuring them from anyone’s view, not that anyone was around to see them anyway.
Nathan needed no further encouragement. His lips fused themselves to hers again while his hand kneaded her breasts in turn, using the web of skin between his thumb and forefinger to pinch her nipples. The noises emanating from her were turning him on even more if that was at all possible.
Haley’s fingers threaded through his hair, wandered down all around his back and shoulders while her thighs tightened their hold on his hips as she gave herself over to all of the wonderful sensations currently coursing through her body thanks to her boyfriend’s extremely talented hands.
Without letting herself think too much about it, she reached behind her with one hand and popped the clasp on the halter-neck of her top and slowly slid it down so it pooled around her waist. She heard the hitch in Nathan’s breathing when he realised what she had done and she felt him tighten his grip on her waist.
“I love you,” he whispered against her mouth and then repeated the words in between kisses as he kissed a path along her cheek to her ear. “Hold on to me,” he instructed as he released his hand from her waist so that he could touch her with both hands now. His hands cupped her face, his thumbs stroking back and forth along her cheekbones before they wandered lower and cupped both of her bare breasts.
“You are so beautiful, Hales. That bikini looked hot on you,” he said against her mouth, kissing her lips slowly before continuing. “But you look even hotter now.” He gave her that smirk of his and she literally felt her insides turn to mush.
She could feel herself blushing again but she kept eye contact with him. “You’re looking pretty hot yourself, Mr Scott.” Slanting her mouth over his, she kissed him fiercely, pouring into it every little bit of love and affection that she felt for him.
When the need for air became an urgent issue, they broke the kiss and rested their foreheads together while they each caught their breaths. Nathan’s lips latched onto her neck, suckling the skin softly as he felt her breathing regulate again. Bending his legs, he dipped them into the water since the heat from the sun felt so strong against his shoulders and he knew that she hadn’t applied any fresh lotion since they had arrived at the beach. Even though the water was warm, it was still nice and refreshing as it lapped against their skin.
“How about we go back to shore and have some food?” he suggested.
“Oh, uh, okay… If you want to…” Haley trailed off quietly, a feeling of disappointment washing over her.
Bringing his hands up to her face once more, he cupped her cheeks between them and directed her gaze to him. “Hey, we’ve only gotten started,” he told her, giving her the smile he saved just for her. “We’ve got the whole day to ourselves so let’s enjoy it and not rush anything.” Kissing her lips softly, he pulled back and looked at her again, adding, “I just want to be with you.”
Haley traced her fingers along his jaw-line, returning his smile as she did so. “I just want to be with you, too.”
“Good.” Taking her hand in his, he began leading her back towards the sand but he suddenly felt her try and pull her hand away. “Hales?”
“My top,” she said, blushing profusely. Looking into his face, they stared at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing.
“Oops!”
“Oops is right. Stand in front of me while I fix it,” she told him.
“No one’s around. You could stay topless if you want, you know.” He yelped when she pinched his arm. “Hey!”
“No one’s around now, Nathan, but I guarantee, if I was to stay topless, not that I would of course, someone would come around those rocks and get an eyeful.”
The mere thought of another guy seeing her the way he was seeing her right in that instant had the blood boiling in his veins. “Turn around and I’ll fix it for you,” he told her which caused her to giggle.
After securing the clasp, he wrapped his arm around her front and caressed her tummy for a moment, enjoying the feel of her petite body pressed against his. Taking her hand in his, they shared another smile before they began moving through the water, eager to find out what the rest of the day had in store for them.
Fin