‘Was that so hard?’ I huffed under my breath as I started quickly unbuttoning my shirt.

‘Is this a race?’

I stilled my finger on the third to last button. ‘Huh?’

Nate chuckled. ‘You’re undressing for me. Hurrying through it makes it feel like an inconvenience rather than titillation.’

My arms dropped to my sides and I nudged a shoulder toward the back of the apartment. ‘Maybe we should go to my bedroom.’

‘If you’d be more comfortable.’

Exhaling, I fought through the belly flips and moved toward my room. I stood at the end of the bed and waited until Nate crossed the threshold and then, in what I considered a brave moment for me, I looked directly into his eyes and slowly began to unbutton my shirt. Nate grew still as I peeled it off my shoulders and let it drop to the floor, leaving me standing in my bra and slacks. I didn’t mind that part so much. It was the next part that I’d dreaded, but I kept Nate’s voice in my head, filling it with his compliments. Hopefully he would still think all those nice things once the pants were off.

I fumbled a little on the top button of my slacks, but Nate didn’t comment on it. The sound of my zipper was incredibly loud in the quiet room, and I felt the tension between us mount. With a deep breath I placed my hands on either side of my hips and pushed the slacks down, dropping my eyes with sudden uncertainty as I carefully stepped out of them.

I didn’t know what to do with my arms.

‘Babe.’ Through my lowered lids I watched Nate take a step toward me. ‘Liv, look at me.’

Arms hanging awkwardly at my sides, I slowly lifted my chin.

His expression winded me.

Heat and sincerity shone through it as he told me in a low, rumbling voice, ‘You’re gorgeous.’

My hand automatically self-consciously covered my belly, and I fidgeted as I thought about my thighs being on display. Nate took three determined steps toward me until I had to tilt my head a little to meet his eyes. He took hold of the hand that covered my belly and gently moved it back to my side.

‘Don’t hide from me.’ He bent his head to whisper over my lips. ‘Ever.’

I glanced down at his shirt with a nervous smile. ‘Maybe you could lose something so I don’t feel like I’m out to sea on my own here.’

He grinned at me and stepped back to casually lift his T-shirt over his head.

I sucked in a breath.

This was the first time I’d ever seen Nate shirtless and I was kicking myself for not going to those judo classes with him like he’d asked. He wasn’t the tallest guy, nor the bulkiest; in fact he was pretty compact, but every inch of his torso was roped with muscle. Between judo classes and weekly visits to the gym, Nate took care of his body, and I was enjoying every second of that upkeep.

Until my eyes drifted over the stylized ‘A’ just under his left pectoral.

Alana.

A ghost in the room.

I ducked my head, pretending I hadn’t been affected by the sight of the tattoo, and then glanced up at him from under my lashes with a faux-saucy smile. ‘I’ve seen worse.’

Nate laughed and threw his shirt aside. ‘You know how to make a man feel good.’

‘Oh, come on, you know you’re hot.’

‘It’s nice to hear that you think so, though.’

Hiding my surprise at his admission, I laughed lightly and replied, ‘I’ll be sure to mention it often, then.’

His mouth dipped toward mine again. ‘Appreciated.’

As goose bumps prickled across the swells of my breasts, I gestured around the room. ‘What now?’

‘Do you want to start with me or with you?’

I frowned in confusion. ‘Why would we start with me? I know what I want. This is about learning what you want, learning to be good at doing it to you.’

Nate immediately shook his head, a frown marring his brow. ‘How can you know what you want when you’ve only had sex once, Liv? You not only want to be confident you can get him off, you want to be confident in your own pleasure.’ His fingers moved to the buttons on his jeans and he began to undress. Blood whooshed in my ears as I watched. ‘Know what it takes to get you off and then let him know. If he doesn’t want to know how to get you off, then get him off you.’

At that my eyes drifted back up to his face and I snorted, relaxing a little. ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’

‘Make sure that you do. Sex is a two-way street.’

‘Okay.’

‘So … me or you?’

‘Uh …’

‘We’ll start with you.’ He kicked his jeans off. I admired his athletic body. He was by far the best-looking guy I’d ever seen in real life and I was about to have sex with him.

‘This is a little surreal,’ I murmured without thinking.

‘It’s about to get very real,’ came his deep, seductive reply.

‘Oh, boy.’

He laughed again and stepped back into my space, the back of his knuckles brushing down the curve of my waist and sending a lovely shiver rippling down my spine. ‘I’m going to take off your underwear,’ he whispered, his warm breath dancing across my mouth. ‘Are you ready for that?’

I’d already stood in front of him in my skimpy lingerie and somehow gotten through it without feeling like a heifer. In fact, surprisingly, Nate had made me feel kind of … hot. I nodded, a little tongue-tied, my eyes lifting to his as his fingers skimmed around my back to the clasp of my bra.

‘You really do have the most stunning eyes,’ he breathed as he expertly unclipped my bra, his own beautiful dark brown eyes penetrating mine.

I almost purred, my chest rising and falling quickly now as I felt his fingers caress my shoulder blades before drifting over the straps of my bra.

As he smoothed the straps down my arms he traced little circles in my skin. ‘Like silk,’ he whispered.

My bra fell from my body and Nate’s gaze dropped to my naked breasts. They swelled under his attention, my nipples puckering in the cold air. ‘Babe,’ he said appreciatively, and I shuddered at the feel of his warm hand cupping my right breast, his thumb sliding across the nipple. ‘Fuck me, you’re gorgeous.’

A light switched on inside me, its luminance shining from the very depths of me, and I knew Nate caught that light because when our eyes met again he grew very still.

‘Thank you,’ I managed to force out. For making me feel beautiful.

I didn’t have to say the words out loud. Nate got it.

In answer he crushed his mouth over mine in a hard, deep kiss, and cupped both breasts, thumbs gliding over the pebbled nipples. I gasped into his mouth as heat dove through my belly heading for my sex. Wanting to touch him but still unsure, I trailed my hands tentatively over his chest, learning the feel of him under my fingertips. He was warm, his skin smooth, and I felt his strength in the coiled, hard muscles of his body. I throbbed at the feel of him under my hands.

He broke the kiss and my swollen lips pouted in disappointment.

His grin was wicked as he edged his body into mine and kept going until I had to move with him. The back of my legs hit my footboard. ‘Get on the bed,’ he commanded hoarsely. ‘Lie back.’

I did as he asked, leaning up on my elbows, waiting excitedly for his next move. My eyes lowered to his black boxer briefs and my breath stuttered at the sight of his raging erection.

I did that.

A triumphant smile curled my lips, and my belly flipped at his low, pleased chuckle. It flipped even harder as his hands coasted up my outer thighs and his thumbs hooked into the lace edging of my panties.

I froze, my eyes darting to his.

‘Liv …’ His tone was reassuring.

Nodding, I lifted my hips to help him and couldn’t stop the blood heating my cheeks as he slowly peeled my panties down my legs and let them drop to the floor.

He took his time eating me up with his eyes. ‘I like the underwear, but I’ve got to say, I don’t think you’ve ever looked better than you do right now.’

Oh, wow. That’s so nice. Telling him I thought so might have spoiled the mood, though, so instead, still blushing, I croaked out, ‘What now?’

‘Lie back and trust me. I want you to tell me if you don’t like something I’m doing and let me know when you really like something I’m doing.’

The breath whooshed right out of me as I lay back, watching him as he got on the bed and settled his knees on either side of my waist. The heat from his body hit mine and he wasn’t even touching me. His cologne taunted me, its heady scent affecting not only my sense of smell but my taste buds as well. I wanted to find its origin on his body and I wanted to lick and suck and kiss his skin until he was groaning underneath me.

It seemed Nate had a similar idea in mind.

Hands braced on the mattress on either side of my head, he bent to graze his lips over mine. Back and forth, back and forth. Teasing. Tingling. Frustrating. Just as I was about to complain impatiently, he kissed me harder. I moved my lips beneath his, our tongues stroking each other in a deep mating that brought me new understanding of the sexual promise of a kiss. The kisses I’d had before had been mechanical – a bit like Will’s at Club 39 – and I’d felt nothing, not realizing that a kiss with someone you were attracted to, a sensual kiss, was a prelude to what was to come.

I gripped Nate’s waist as the kiss grew rough and breathless; I sighed into his mouth with pleasure as his erection stroked my belly. He groaned, his lips drifting from my mouth, across my chin, down my jaw. He kissed his way down my body, his mouth hot, hungry, and I held on, caressing his muscled back, sliding my hands up toward his shoulder blades as he moved downward.

When that hot mouth of his closed around my left nipple, my hips slammed against him in reaction. ‘Oh, God.’ My thighs gripped him as I urged him closer, my back arching for more as he first licked me and then sucked hard, all the while pinching my other nipple between his forefinger and thumb.

I felt a wet rush between my legs.

‘Nate.’ My fingers dug into his shoulders. ‘Oh, God …’

He lifted his head, his eyes black as he undulated against me, his dick pressing between my legs now, only the fabric of his boxer briefs shielding me from its throbbing heat. ‘You like that, Liv?’ he asked, his voice thick. ‘Like me sucking hard on your nipples?’

I flushed at his crude question but found myself nodding quickly. ‘Yes, I like it.’

He groaned and dipped his head again, licking my other nipple now. I’d had no idea my breasts were that sensitive. As he continued to suck and tease and torment me, I felt the coil of tension tighten in my lower belly.

‘Nate –’ I was panting hard, clutching his head in my hands as he circled his tongue around my areola. ‘I can’t … I don’t …’

Suddenly he was moving, sliding down my body, his hands cupping and shaping my breasts as he descended, his lips trailing wet kisses down my stomach. I shivered at the touch of his tongue across my navel and then tensed when I realized his destination was the apex of my thighs.

Nate caressed my stomach reassuringly, and looked into my eyes. ‘Open up, sweetheart.’

Biting my lip, I gazed down at him half in wonder and half in anxiety as I let my thighs fall open. Nate settled between my legs. His hand glided along the inside of my thigh and he asked, ‘You’ve never done this?’

I shook my head, too excited to speak.

A spark of mischief entered his expression. ‘I’m looking forward to this reaction.’

He kissed me there.

I shivered. It was nice.

And then I felt his fingers slide inside me and a mew of delicious surprise escaped my lips, bringing Nate’s eyes up to my face. They were intense, the mischief gone and replaced by sexual intent. His fingers slipped out of me and then back in. My hips pushed against them, trying to catch his rhythm.