Juliet was quiet for a moment. "He's a proud man?"
"It runs in the family. You've met Eileen."
She gave me a pointed look, but I wasn't about to admit I could be too proud to ask for help sometimes. She turned her glass slowly on the table.
"Do you visit him?"
"I went to see him about a year after I bought this place." The memory sat uneasily in my mind. "He was in the flat with the curtains drawn in the middle of the afternoon. I sat with him for a couple of hours and told him about the estate, about what I was trying to build. He didn't give a shit."
"Oh, Nate." Juliet was quiet for a moment. She reached across the table and covered my hand with hers. She left it there for a moment, then picked up her glass. Though I didn't need her sympathy, I was loath to refuse the comfort she was offering.
After a while, I drew back my hand. "Thank you for the delicious dinner. It brought back memories, the good kind."
She smiled into her glass. "Chef Michel would have hated it," she said with a rueful grin.
I threw back my head and laughed. Juliet had a remarkable talent for cheering me up. I only hoped that when the threat from Garrett was gone, I would be able to persuade her to stay.
Chapter Thirteen
Juliet
As I placed our wine glasses in the dishwasher, I couldn't help thinking about what Nate had shared with me. We both had issues with our fathers, it seemed. Neither was a particularly positive influence in our lives.
While my mother was an overbearing presence at times, at least she showed an interest. My father was apathetic about everything, including his only child. I often wondered if he'd always been like that or if my mother had driven him to the point where he could no longer summon the energy to care about anything but his collection of classic cars. Those he had endless enthusiasm for.
Deciding it wasn't worth expending energy on worrying about a relationship I didn't actually miss, I set the dishwasher to run on its eco-friendly cycle. Something I'd noticed since arriving at Mist Hollow was that both Nate and his aunt were big on saving the environment. They recycled everything, and only organic pesticides were used in the kitchen garden and vineyard.
As I straightened, I suddenly became aware of Nate right behind me. His hands settled on my shoulders, and he turned me to face him. There was no mistaking the intent in his eyes.
He kissed me with wild ferocity from the start, and I matched him with equal fervor. His hands tangled in my hair as I clutched the front of his shirt. He lifted me onto the counter and stepped between my legs.
We were clumsy as we tore at each other's clothes. Buttons flew from my shirt as Nate ripped it open. I fumbled with his belt, desperate to feel him inside me. Shoving his pants and boxer shorts down, he freed his rock-hard erection.
Not bothering to remove my bra, he yanked it down and latched onto my breast, his mouth hot against my skin. He lapped my nipple with his tongue until it drew up into a tight peak. A shiver went through me as he bit down on my tender flesh, hard enough to leave a mark but not to break the skin.
"Fuck, Nate!" I moaned as pleasure coursed through me.
Nate spread my legs wider. Growling as he realized my jeans still formed a barrier between us, he popped the button on them. I lifted my hips and he dragged them down my legs, taking my lace panties with them.
Cool air whispered over my drenched pussy before the heat of his body warmed me. He tested my readiness with his finger before impaling me on his length. This wasn't the time for gentle exploration. Our fucking was raw, frantic, and sloppy.
I clawed at his shoulders as he possessed me with long, slow strokes that reached deep inside my welcoming body. My head fell back, knocking against the cabinet behind me. I didn't care. A sound tore from my throat as Nate bent to nip the base of my neck with his teeth. Pain and pleasure mingled as Nate gave me exactly what I needed.
"You're so fucking tight!" he groaned as he drove his cock into me again and again. "So fucking perfect. Look at how well you take my cock."
I wrapped my legs tight around his waist, trying to pull him deeper, matching his pace. The sounds of our flesh coming together filled the room.
"More," I urged, my hands tangling in his hair and tugging hard.
Nate didn't disappoint. His hips snapped forward faster, the brutality in his thrusts increasing beyond anything I'd experienced before. It was too much and somehow not enough. He was deep inside me, his masculine scent surrounding me, and I needed something I couldn't articulate.
"Look at me," he ordered, his voice strained.
I forced myself to meet his gaze, burning with desire. His face was tight with concentration, his jaw clenched. My orgasm hit me suddenly, coming in a harsh blinding wave that made my entire body shake. I cried out helplessly as dots floated before my eyes.
Nate kept moving, chasing his own release. His thrusts became erratic, losing their rhythm. With a final low groan, he buried himself. His head dropped to my shoulder as he shuddered violently.
We stayed like that for a minute, panting breathlessly.
