Page 67 of Before I Tell You

“Do you like it?” I ask, feeling suddenly shy as I look down at myself. All of my confidence has disappeared, and I’m starting to wonder if this was a dumb idea.

I hear him clear his throat and instantly look up into his dark eyes, which are busy raking over my body. He steps toward me, closing all space between us, and then backs me firmly against the door. His breath quickens as his hand slowly reaches out to touch me.

“Do you know how to tell if a man likes what you’re wearing?” he asks. He traces the thin lingerie strap with his finger, following the seam across my breasts, past my waist, and down to the laced edge at the top of my thighs, causing warmth to spread between my legs.

I timidly shake my head, shuddering beneath his touch.

“It’s by how fast he takes it off you. And baby, all I want to do right now is rip this off your body,” he says with no hint of humor, looking down at me with a raw intensity I’ve never seen before.

We aren’t making eye contact because he’s too busy exploring all of me, which causes my heart to race faster and faster. His finger now traces the other side of me. I hear his breath hitch as he reaches the bottom, and as if he can read my thoughts, begging him to take me, his lips come down desperately on mine.

His hands cup the sides of my face and then run all the way down my arms. Suddenly he’s pulling my arms away from my sides and bringing them against the wall above my head as far as they can reach. Then, only having to use one of his hands to restrain my wrists in place, he brings his other hand back down to my waist, pulling me closer to him, allowing me to feel the hardness of his length. A small moan escapes from me as his hand finds itself between my thighs, providing a tiny amount of relief from the building pressure inside me.

And then, just like that, it stops.

Nathan pulls his mouth away, giving me a chance to catch my breath as I rest my head against the door. He looks down at me, breathless, but there’s also concern etched on his face.

“Natalie, are you sure?” He removes his hand from between my legs and wraps it tightly around my waist.

I can only shake my head up and down.

His hand moves gently to my face, and his thumb begins to glide across my cheek. “You’ve had a lot to deal with these past few days. I just want to make sure—”

But I cut him off.

I don’t want to think about anything.

I just wanthim.

I wanthimmore than anything in this whole world.

I look right into his eyes. “Please. I need you.”

And suddenly his lips are back on mine.

He releases my hands from the door and brings his own hands down to cup my ass as he effortlessly picks me up. I instinctively wrap my legs tightly around his torso, gripping his body to mine. With ease, he carries me up the stairs and to my room, where he delicately lays me down on the bed.

He pulls his sweatshirt and shirt off over his head, and while I wait, I run my hands over his solid body, exploring every muscle all the way down his stomach.

Oh my God. Nathan has an eight-pack.

My finger traces over every ridge of his abdomen, and I find myself wishing I was using my tongue instead.

He’s watching me curiously, and I start to feel self-conscious, so I pull my hand away, but he stops me. His hand wraps around my wrist, and he places the palm of my hand back on his skin. A sly smile appears as he takes my hand and brings it further down, over his jeans, and right between his legs. “Do you feel what you do to me? You make me so fucking hard.”

I bite my bottom lip and feel the warmth between my legs turn into a searing source of heat, knowing that I am the one responsible for him being so turned on.

Nathan positions himself on top of me and holds my gaze before placing delicate kisses along my jawline, making a perfect path down my neck to my collarbone. He pulls the straps down from my shoulders then brings the whole piece down to my hips, exposing my breasts. His mouth drags down my skin to attend to my breasts, sucking and licking every inch of them, making me moan uncontrollably. I pull on his hair, and he looks up at me with a little smile as he licks one of my nipples and uses the pad of his finger on the other.

As I shift against his mouth, Nathan slides the nightie down the rest of my body, tossing it on the floor. The only thing left on me is the matching pink lace thong, which Nathan looks very pleased to see.

His fingers loop through the sides of the thong, and I think he’s about to pull it off until his head lowers to plant a soft kiss on top of the fabric over and over and over again.

Holy fucking hell.

After he pulls the panties off, he sits up, getting a full view of me completely naked. I have never in my life felt more vulnerable than I do at this very moment. But Nathan takes his time, gazing down at me with incredibly appreciative eyes.

He places his hands on my thighs, separating my legs more as he kneels between them, letting out a deep breath. “You have no idea how much I need you right now.”

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