Page 40 of The Bartender's Baby

He flipped around to shut off the burner and pointed a stern finger at the dog. “Luce, cover your eyes.” Then he faced me again, serious. “Here or on the couch or?—”

“Here. Now. I can’t stand it.” My heartbeat pounded in my ears and between my thighs. “I need to come. Now.”

He stood there grinning like an idiot, his gaze lazily roving over me as if he had all the time in the world, while I was here sweating and panting and losing my goddamn mind.

I gripped the hem of his shirt and yanked, glowering up at him. “Be a good boy and give me an orgasm before I tear apart your gorgeous kitchen.”

“Ourgorgeous kitchen,” he corrected, curling his fingers over the waistband of my leggings. He pulled them down just enough to slip his hand inside my underwear, his other hand up my shirt, teeth tugging at my earlobe. “I’ll be a good boy for you, and when you come, I want to hear you scream my name.”

I tilted my head, needing his lips on mine, releasing my first moan into his mouth as he teased his fingers up and down the seam of my pussy. He moaned right back at the wetness he found there.

Already, I was close, and he’d barely touched me, but that was pregnancy hormones for you.

Finally being allowed to touch Nate didn’t help either.

His fingertip circled my clit as he bent, licking at my nipple after he pulled the cup of my bra down. “Shit,” he murmured against my skin. “Do you know how long I’ve had to look at these tits and pretend they didn’t do anything for me?”

“About as long as—” I sucked in a breath when he plunged his finger inside me “—as long as I’ve had to put up with you rubbing my back when I solved some problem for you.” I licked my lips. “Or when you’d pat my hip when you passed behind me.”

He stopped his ministrations and raised his head to meet my gaze, eyes curious. “I didn’t even think about that. Do I do that with other people?”

I shook my head. “I think you might’ve seen my black belt come out more often if you did that to more people.”

“Huh.” He went back to teasing the overly sensitive bud of my sex, his eyes narrowed on my lips when I licked them again, my breathing fast, my heart rate spiked. “So, that’s what gets you going? Some friendly pats on the back?”

I rolled my hips, letting my head thump back against the refrigerator. “I liked that we were comfortable enough with each other that you could treat me like that. It was second nature. And I liked feeling special. You treated me special.”

“Mm-hmm.” He kissed me again. “Because you are special. I’ve always known it.” He twisted my nipple between his fingers as he rubbed my clit, and I was so close, shaking in his hold. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Yeah, I feel it. You wanna come?”

“Yes. Fuck, yes. Make me come.”

“You know what to do.”

I did. I knew what to do to make this thing between us real.

I stared at him, my eyes on his, unblinking even as I fought to keep them steady. “Nate. I need you to make me come.”

He smiled into a kiss then he curled his fingers into me, finding that swollen spot inside me. With only a few strokes, I careened headfirst into an orgasm. The first one in months that I hadn’t given myself.

“God, that feels good,” I mumbled, arching my back as he licked down my throat, scratched his beard along my collarbone, and scraped his teeth on my nipple. “Ooh, Nate, yes.”

“Want another?”

I wouldn’t mind another, but not at the moment. “I’m hungry,” I told him. “And tired of standing here with shaking legs.”

He chuckled and straightened up, dragging his wet fingers out of my underwear. Then he righted my clothes, careful not to smear my slickness on anything as he did it. “Go sit,” he instructed, turning toward the sink to wash his hands. “I made rice and veggie stir-fry. Are you still no meat?”

“I don’t know. Somebody walked by me with a cheeseburger at school the other day, and it smelled really good to me.”

He nodded as he dried his hands. “We can try tomorrow.”

“You going to cook for me again?”

“Every day,” he said, plating up the food to set it in front of me along with another personalized water bottle, this one clear with purple writing on it.Drink water and mind your business. He added some slices of fresh lemons and limes to it because this man paid attention.

Once he sat down, I asked him about the new bar. He told me he’d spoken with Liam’s brother, Collin, a chef who seemed interested in Nate’s plans. They’d made arrangements for him to visit for a few days, which seemed really positive. He also asked about school and my group project, which was going terrible. Surprise, surprise. But I was concerned about more important matters.

“We have to talk,” I said, and he nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

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