Page 42 of A Lot Like Forever

“Maybe I’m just all kinds of fucked up after the excellent example my parents set of marriage.”

“Swearing doesn’t suit you,” he said with a frown. “I’m a goddamn cursing machine, but every time you say thefword it makes me . . .”

“What? Want to tell me off because you still think of me as the kid sister?” she interrupted, trying to be serious but unable to hold back her chuckle.

“I think it’s fairly obvious I don’t think of you as anyone’s kid sister after what we’ve been doing.” He reached for her hand. “But back to my question.”

“How about we save that conversation for another day?” she said.

“You don’t want to talk, that’s fine by me. I just didn’t pick you for a no-strings-attached kind of affair. Then again, you’re on the rebound.”

“How about you stop asking questions and make me a coffee with that fancy machine of yours? Then we can eat the rest of your even fancier bakery goodies instead of talking?”

He slipped his hands around her waist, hands on her backside as he shoved her forward against him, his mouth rough on her now where before it had been soft. She loved the change in him, how he could go from gentle lover one minute to rough and wicked the next.

“I’d eat you up if I could,” he murmured against her lips. “And I don’t give a damn if you don’t want to talk.”

“Once again,” she whispered, “the feeling is most definitely mutual.”

She squealed when Nate slapped her hard on the butt, escaping and running inside ahead of him, her feet bare and her hair loose. She felt good. Better than good, she felt amazing, like her old self, like there was nothing in the world she couldn’t accomplish if she set her mind to it. She’d always had big dreams, to have an art gallery of her own one day, to become one of the most respected women in the art industry once she’d finished her post-grad, and she just needed to find her feet again and make it happen. Nate was fun in the bedroom, but he was also one hell of a businessman, which meant there was more than one thing she could learn from him.

He caught up with her, grabbing her from behind and planting a wet, delicious kiss to her neck. Although right now she was happy with him just teaching her all the bad things he knew. They could talk business another day.