I slid my hands onto her hips, running them over her curves. What this woman did to me was criminal. “It’s like this, Ms. Robinson. I’ve really liked getting to know you over the past month.” I pressed my lips to her forehead. She tilted her neck to the side, and I followed her silent direction, letting my lips trail down her neck.
“Six weeks, Nate.”
I nodded. “Yes, six weeks.” I pressed a kiss to her collarbone. “So I think we look at this text from Ivy not like your day went downhill from whatever that shit show is you have brewing at work, but as a gift for us to get to know each other even better.”
Elle ran her hands up my back. “Are you saying we will get to know each otherbiblically?”
I took a step back and observed her wide smile as I cheered inwardly as she felt more and more comfortable being herself.More of that, Elle, more of that.
“Oh no, Ms. Robinson. I think we absolutely need to still take this slow. The biblical knowledge will come.” I leaned in to kiss her forehead, then stepped back. “But tonight, after the day you’ve had, I’m offering up a kick-ass dinner, beverage of choice, and bingeing some Netflix series on the couch. That is, unless you’d rather read.” I gestured to the living room. “As you can see, I have plenty of material.”
Elle’s eyes went a bit watery. “Am I dreaming? Surely you are mythical, right?”
I paused, not sure how to respond, but felt it needed to be with some care. Why me wanting to take care of her would provoke tears was something I needed to figure out. “Not mythical, no. And not all my intentions are innocent, Elle.”
“Do tell,” she murmured as she blinked back the waterworks and looked to gain some steel in her spine on the spot.
“I mean, I do want to help you out. You’ve had a hell of a day. And it seems ridiculous to crash at Ava’s when I have a perfectly good spare room or two here.”
“And you want me in the spare room?” She arched a glorious brow in my direction with a look of disbelief.
“Well, want and need are two different concepts, as my mom liked to tell me growing up. But for tonight, I need you there so I can stick with the plan.”
“And that plan is…”
Why did it feel like this was such an important conversation? Like you-better-not-fuck-this-up type of conversation? “I want to get to know you better. I want to give you a safe place to land after a rough day. And”—I leaned over, placing my hand on her waist before tugging her to me—“I want to absolutely get to know you in the bedroom and out, but not today. Today has been a lot.”
Elle stepped into my arms, wrapping hers around me and resting her head on my chest. “Nate?”
“Mm-hmm?”
“Thanks. It has been a day.”
I moved to pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then lower. I was dead serious about taking this slow,ish, but her neck was sending out a call that I couldn’t ignore. “So you’ll stay?”
A sigh vibrated through her body as she tilted her head to the side, clearly asking for more.
“I’ll stay. How can I repay you?” She raised an eyebrow at me.
My dick perked up, and I said some silent words to tell him that it was not the time. “How about you help me with that listing for my place in Chicago?”
She slapped a hand to her forehead. “Shit, sorry. I got sidetracked earlier. Yes, we can absolutely get that done. And we still have to look over that book list for Ava and Gabby.”
“Yep, we’ll get that done. And you’ll give my wholetake it slowidea a try?” My lips trailed up and down her, apparently not understanding what message I was trying to get across.
“Tonight.” She let out a small gasp and moved in even closer. “Tonight we can take it slow, as long as that’s what this apparently is. After that, we’ll see.”
I nipped her collarbone. “I like this take-what-I-want version of you, Elle.”
“Not sure where she came from,” she murmured. “Maybe that’s what happens when your life gets shot to shit.”
I moved back, thinking of her texts about work this afternoon and now her apartment. “How can I help? Do you want to go to your place now and grab some stuff?”
She rose up onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You’re supersweet, Nate.” She stepped away and picked up her phone. “Address?”
I rattled off my address to her without question.
Elle shot off a text. “There,” she said as she placed the phone back down. “I’ve asked Ava to swing by and grab some stuff for me and told her I was staying with you. If we’re lucky, she’ll actually pack items I need and not just what she thinks you’d like.”
