the country on a whim and meeting the people who meant the most to her.
Nick was good with whims, and she was excited at the prospect of spending the holiday with him. But she held back, waiting, because this was a beautiful, expensive restaurant that they’d talked about but had never been to. It was intimate, and exquisitely decorated for the holidays, and she hoped that maybe Nick had a surprise of his own up his sleeve.
They’d been dating for six months, through her graduating NYU with a BA in psychology and Nick working his very fine butt off studying and passing the bar exam. Mia had gotten into graduate school and was currently halfway through her first year, and Nick was working around the clock to make a name for himself and reduce his monumental college debt—which was currently rivaling the size of the national deficit. So his restaurant choice had to mean something.
Was tonight the night he’d finally use the L-word?
Her heart picked up at the thought because that would be a most excellent Christmas present. But whatever his plans, Nick seemed in no hurry. He ordered appetizers, teased her about what she might have on beneath the Mrs. Claus outfit, and coaxed the details of her day out of her.
They ordered wine, and he touched his glass to hers, his eyes warm. “To a night like last night…,” he said silkily.
Last night had involved the secluded, deserted—and thankfully enclosed—rooftop patio of his five-story walk-up, where he’d loosened her inhibitions with slow, steady hands and an incredibly talented mouth, until she’d begged him to take her.
He’d acquiesced, twice. Just the memory made her go damp. “It’s supposed to rain tonight,” she said, her voice all Marilyn Monroe whispery, giving her away.
His smile was as slow and steady as his hands, and bad-boy wicked. He didn’t care about the rain.
“You’re wearing your new clothes,” she pointed out. “You’ll ruin them.”
He shrugged. After a lifetime of not having money, he never seemed to put much importance into possessions. In fact, he’d applied to work at a nonprofit law office providing restorative justice across the country. He wanted to try to save the kids who’d made some bad choices and needed help. If he got the job, he’d be traveling far and wide, and she’d lose him. She’d known this.
She’d fallen for him anyway.
Helplessly.
The question was still the same—had he fallen as well ? They’d both been given up at birth, but Mia had been adopted by a wonderful couple who’d become mom and dad to her. Nick hadn’t been as lucky, and didn’t feel the same need for ties that she did. He was a lone wolf.
She, on the other hand, had been born to be part of a pack.
Nick leaned in close and kissed her just beneath her ear. “Have you ever had sex in the rain, Mia?”
Her breath caught, and there was a lot more tingling in places that had no business tingling in a restaurant. “Is sex all you think about?”
“No. But I think about it a lot. With you.” He flicked her earlobe with his tongue, and somehow all the bones in her body liquefied.
“Are guys really that much of a slave to their libido?” she managed.
“It’s the testosterone. A guy’d follow his girl all the way to Siberia if he thought it might get him laid. Barefoot. Uphill in the snow, both ways.”
She laughed, and he smiled. “Love the sound of your laugh,” he said. “You don’t do it enough.”
She’d been a serious kid, and not just because she was adopted. She loved her family, both her adoptive parents and her birth parents. She was lucky enough to have them all in her life. But there was no denying that in spite of her luck and the wealth of love she’d been showered with, she was…well, serious.
And still looking for her place to belong.
She thought—hoped—that her place to belong was with Nick, and it filled her with a giddiness that was hard to contain. He filled her with giddiness.
Dinner came and
Nick was good with whims, and she was excited at the prospect of spending the holiday with him. But she held back, waiting, because this was a beautiful, expensive restaurant that they’d talked about but had never been to. It was intimate, and exquisitely decorated for the holidays, and she hoped that maybe Nick had a surprise of his own up his sleeve.
They’d been dating for six months, through her graduating NYU with a BA in psychology and Nick working his very fine butt off studying and passing the bar exam. Mia had gotten into graduate school and was currently halfway through her first year, and Nick was working around the clock to make a name for himself and reduce his monumental college debt—which was currently rivaling the size of the national deficit. So his restaurant choice had to mean something.
Was tonight the night he’d finally use the L-word?
Her heart picked up at the thought because that would be a most excellent Christmas present. But whatever his plans, Nick seemed in no hurry. He ordered appetizers, teased her about what she might have on beneath the Mrs. Claus outfit, and coaxed the details of her day out of her.
They ordered wine, and he touched his glass to hers, his eyes warm. “To a night like last night…,” he said silkily.
Last night had involved the secluded, deserted—and thankfully enclosed—rooftop patio of his five-story walk-up, where he’d loosened her inhibitions with slow, steady hands and an incredibly talented mouth, until she’d begged him to take her.
He’d acquiesced, twice. Just the memory made her go damp. “It’s supposed to rain tonight,” she said, her voice all Marilyn Monroe whispery, giving her away.
His smile was as slow and steady as his hands, and bad-boy wicked. He didn’t care about the rain.
“You’re wearing your new clothes,” she pointed out. “You’ll ruin them.”
He shrugged. After a lifetime of not having money, he never seemed to put much importance into possessions. In fact, he’d applied to work at a nonprofit law office providing restorative justice across the country. He wanted to try to save the kids who’d made some bad choices and needed help. If he got the job, he’d be traveling far and wide, and she’d lose him. She’d known this.
She’d fallen for him anyway.
Helplessly.
The question was still the same—had he fallen as well ? They’d both been given up at birth, but Mia had been adopted by a wonderful couple who’d become mom and dad to her. Nick hadn’t been as lucky, and didn’t feel the same need for ties that she did. He was a lone wolf.
She, on the other hand, had been born to be part of a pack.
Nick leaned in close and kissed her just beneath her ear. “Have you ever had sex in the rain, Mia?”
Her breath caught, and there was a lot more tingling in places that had no business tingling in a restaurant. “Is sex all you think about?”
“No. But I think about it a lot. With you.” He flicked her earlobe with his tongue, and somehow all the bones in her body liquefied.
“Are guys really that much of a slave to their libido?” she managed.
“It’s the testosterone. A guy’d follow his girl all the way to Siberia if he thought it might get him laid. Barefoot. Uphill in the snow, both ways.”
She laughed, and he smiled. “Love the sound of your laugh,” he said. “You don’t do it enough.”
She’d been a serious kid, and not just because she was adopted. She loved her family, both her adoptive parents and her birth parents. She was lucky enough to have them all in her life. But there was no denying that in spite of her luck and the wealth of love she’d been showered with, she was…well, serious.
And still looking for her place to belong.
She thought—hoped—that her place to belong was with Nick, and it filled her with a giddiness that was hard to contain. He filled her with giddiness.
Dinner came and
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