"I think we achieved what we set out to do. There will probably be pictures of us everywhere by morning."
"Probably."
I opened the car door for her, and she slid elegantly onto the back seat, leaving me room to get in next to her. As Collins pulled away from the restaurant, I wrapped my arm around Juliet and drew her close. She snuggled into my side, and I kissed her forehead.
"I love you, Juliet." The declaration left my lips before I could think better of it. "I know it's soon, but that's how I feel."
Juliet burrowed closer to my chest and whispered so low I almost missed it. "I love you too."
Chapter Seventeen
Juliet
When I walked in through the front door, the house was quiet. I stood there for a moment, not quite ready to go further, and thought about what had just happened.
Nate hadn't planned to say I love you. I was certain of that. It had been a spontaneous declaration, revealing exactly how he felt in that moment. I'd said it back because there was no point pretending otherwise. As quick as it was, I did love him.
The question was what happened now. We hadn't spoken much in the car on the way home, not with Collins up front, pointedly pretending he couldn't hear our conversation. Needing a minute to come to terms with what had changed between us, I'd been glad of the silence. Now it threatened to suffocate me.
"Shall I make tea?" I asked Nate as he came into the house behind me.
"No."
I turned to find him staring at me, an unreadable expression on his face.
"What?" I asked, my tone somewhat belligerent.
"Come here."
There was no ignoring the command. I crossed the hallway to him. He took my face in both hands and kissed me. It started slow and unhurried, a tentative exploration to test the waters between us. Then I moaned, and the kiss turned frantic. Nate's arms closed around me as our tongues battled for dominance. I was no match for this man. He soon claimed the upper hand, taking my mouth like he believed he had every right to it.
As lust fired through me, he pulled back a little.
"Upstairs," he said. "My room, not yours."
I practically ran to his bedroom, any notion I might have had about acting sophisticated and worldly banished from my mind. Eager to feel his skin against mine, I didn't care if I showed how much I wanted him.
Nate followed close behind. He closed the bedroom door and crossed the darkened room to turn on the lamp on the nightstand, bathing us in a golden glow.
He came to stand in front of me, his hands reaching around to find the zipper at the back of my dress. Slowly he drew it down, his fingers trailing over my spine as he went, teasing me with the lightness of his touch. The dress slipped from my shoulders. I shimmied out of it, letting it fall to the floor.
Knowing how Nate insisted on having my full attention whenever we were alone like this, I held his gaze. In the beginning, I'd found it overwhelming to have him stare into my eyes and expose my inner thoughts. Now I found comfort in that connection.
"Turn around," he said.
I did as I was told. He unhooked my bra and drew the straps down my arms. There was something about the act of being undressed by Nate that made my clit pulse in anticipation. When his lips trailed down the side of my neck, warm and unhurried, a desperate need arose in me.
"Nate," I murmured, reaching around to tangle my fingers in his hair and pull him closer. I pushed back, rubbing my ass against the considerable bulge in his pants.
"Patience, Juliet." His voice held a mocking edge. "You'll get it."
"I'd better."
I gasped as Nate hooked his fingers in the waistband of my panties and ripped the delicate lace from my body. He gave me a gentle nudge forward.
"On the bed. On your hands and knees."
I hurried to the bed and positioned myself as he asked. Behind me, I heard the unmistakable sounds of Nate undressing. I sensed his approach and then his hands pressed on my shoulders.
