It took a few dates for Nate to invite Shay back to his place for dinner. There was no way she could host him at Sawyer's because she had little doubt that Sawyer would listen at the door and make unnecessary comments.
When Shay arrived at Nate's, he opened the door to the smell of something delicious, classical music playing softly in the background, and an overall warm atmosphere. Shay couldn't help but think that, once again, it felt like coming home.
"I brought some wine," Shay offered him the bottle with a shy smile.
"Thank you," he took it and waved her into the apartment, taking her purse and placing it on a chair by the door. "You look lovely," he commented as his eyes took in her pretty pink sundress and sandals.
Nate looked good too. He was wearing slacks and a dress shirt, and Shay couldn't help but admire how he filled out his clothes. Of course, it always helped when one had a good tailor, which Nate probably did.
Shay smiled and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, suddenly shy. "What's for dinner?" she asked. "It's not one of those trick jobs where you pick it up from a local restaurant and rush home to mess up the kitchen, so everyone thinks you cooked it, is it?" Shay teased.
Nate smiled. "No. There's this handy invention called a crockpot. You put it on in the morning, and it is done by the evening." He led the way to the kitchen across the room and placed the wine bottle on the counter while he found a corkscrew.
Shay could only stare at him dumbfounded. Nathan Wright, head of Wright industries, used a crockpot!
"Is something wrong?" Nate asked with a frown.
"I thought only busy soccer Moms used crockpots," Shay shook her head as she crossed the room to join him.
"Not a soccer ball in sight," Nate smiled as he pulled the cork.
Shay wandered over to the crockpot and lifted the lid looking in at the bubbling contents.
"It's a spicy pineapple roast pork with lemongrass rice." Nate moved to stand behind her, picking up his fork and scooping out a little with his left hand while his right hand reached around from the other side to keep it from dripping on her dress. "Here, try it. If you don't like it, we can order something else."
With his arms wrapped around her, she was sure she would enjoy anything.
Shay delicately took a bite, chewing slowly. "It's delicious," she complimented when she had finished.
Nate hadn't moved from behind her, and he slowly set the fork down, then took the lid of the crockpot from Shay's hands and replaced it.
"You smell good," Nate said as he nuzzled her ear. Shay felt something stir deep in her belly as her legs turned to jelly, and she had to grab the countertop to keep from falling.
"Should we eat now or wait?" Nate asked.
Shay took a shaky breath and turned to face him, and Nate made no room for her as her body slid against his. If anything, he moved in closer, trapping her against the countertop with his arms to either side of her.
"Are you going to kiss me now?" Shay asked, licking her lips in invitation.
"I-I had thought about it, y-yes." His eyes met hers with such trust as he stuttered through the statement. It caused Shay's arms to wrap around his neck and pull his face toward hers.
"Please stop thinking and start doing. Didn't you tell me only last week that you are a goal-oriented person?" Shay raised her eyebrow.
"You're not a goal, Shay. You're a gift."
When Shay closed her eyes and swallowed hard at his words, she felt his lips brush her forehead, eyelids, and cheeks before slowly taking her lips with his own in a gentle kiss. Her whole world exploded, and she couldn't help the little cry that escaped from her as her arms held him even tighter to her.
She had dreamt of being held in Elevator Man's arms just like this, but she had never dreamt it would feel like coming home.
"Shay, open your eyes and look at me, please." Nate lifted her chin, and Shay slowly opened her eyes as if awakening from a dream.
"What do you want?" Nate was watching her closely.
"I want you to make love to me, Nate. I want to feel more of what I feel right now." She let loose with a shaky breath.
"What do you feel?" His eyes scanned her red cheeks and heaving breast.
"I feel warm and mushy, giggly and excited, beautiful and admired." Shay cleared her throat. "I thought of a goal like you wanted me to, Nate."
Nate remained silent as if he knew that it was taking her a moment to find the courage to say what she wanted.
"I want to have enough confidence to wear only your suit jacket with nothing else just for you." Shay bit her lip. Just saying it out loud was a goal.
Nate's face flushed, and his eyes darkened as she said it, making Shay's knees even more wobbly.
"W-we can m-make that h-happen right now if you like?" he suggested, clearing his throat.
Shay giggled and hugged him closer. "No, I'm not quite ready for that one yet, but it is a goal."
"It's a great goal!" Nate insisted with a grin.
"Will you kiss me again?" Shay asked.
Nate needed no further encouragement as his lips caught hers once more. The kiss was much less gentle this time as he invaded her mouth and senses. They slowly moved to the couch, and they were well and truly into a heated make-out session which Shay was thoroughly enjoying when someone started pounding at Nate's door.
"Nathan! I know you're in there with your latest floozy!"
Nate froze, and his whole demeanor changed. He didn't let Shay go as he rested his head against her shoulder and took a deep breath.
"Nathan, open this door now!"
"Who is it, Nate?" Shay softly asked into his ear while still holding him. They had gone from hot to cold in record time, but neither of them was letting go of the other one.
"It's my father," Nate held her tight for a moment more before he sat up and ran his hands through his hair. "He's supposed to be in Hong Kong, cleaning up the mess he made."
Nate looked over at her when he banged again. "I don't want to open the door, but I'm going to have to, and as lovely as you look," he reached out and stroked her face and let his finger trace down her cheek, neck, shoulder, and top of her breast, "you should probably go straighten your clothes."
"What about you?" Shay asked as she stood, looking at Nate's hair and rumpled untucked clothes as she reached out and wiped lipstick from his mouth.
"I'm not worried about me," he stood and waited for her to close the door to the bathroom before he opened the door to the apartment.
*******
Nate waited until Shay was safe behind the bathroom door before admitting his father.
"What do you want!" Nate growled as he closed the door behind him. He was careful to keep his voice down, hoping his father would follow his lead, but he should have known better.
"I'm sorry, am I ruining your romantic evening?" Martin Wright asked in a condescending voice.
"Yes, actually, you are." Nate started to tuck in his shirt as his father glared at him.
"Your latest conquest can wait. I need you back in Hong Kong. It is getting worse, not better. I thought you said you had fixed it!"
"Did you follow the instructions I left you, or did you go off half-cocked like you usually do?" Nate walked toward a mirror by the door and straightened his hair.
"I was running the company long before you were!" Martin blustered.
"I'll be happy to step down anytime. All you need to do is say the word and it's all yours again." Nate called his bluff, knowing he would do no such thing. He had run Wright Financial into the ground before Nate had taken charge, and the reason Martin was in Hong Kong was that it was the only place where he could do the least amount of damage since he relied heavily on other people to speak the language. There, he was just a puppet.
"Always so dramatic, Nate! You're just like your mother.
"I will be in the office Monday morning, and we can deal with it then." Nate was finished with the conversation. "Now, if you don't mind. I want to get back to my evening."
"Your whore you mean!" Martin snorted.
Nate had lost all respect for his father long ago, which was why he had stopped stuttering in front of him, and he would be damned if he let Martin Wright treat, much less say, anything negative about Shay.
Nate stepped toward his father, who took a step back. "I'm sorry that you ruined your own life, but I'm sure as hell not going to let you ruin mine too!"
They stared each other down for a moment.
"I apologize, son. I didn't know that she meant so much to you. I insist on taking you both out to dinner. Unless you don't want to be seen in public with her." Martin's lips turned up in a semblance of a smile.
It was a dare and not one Nate felt he could turn down.
*******
Shay heard Nate's father's voice, but Nate was surprisingly quiet. She couldn't hear what was being said, so she turned her attention to her reflection and blushed at what she saw. She looked like a wanton. Her cheeks were red, her lips were swollen, and her hair stood on end.
She looked sexy. She had never looked sexy before.
Damn Nate's father!
Shay repaired her hair and face as much as she could, and after a few minutes of silence on the other side of the door, she slowly opened it.
Nate and the man she guessed to be his father were in a standoff.
"Shayne Richards, this is my father, Martin Wright. Father, this is Shay," Nate introduced them.
Shay nodded toward the older man, who was still trim, balding, with flushed cheeks that hinted that he drank too much. He looked nothing like Nate, and Shay disliked him intensely.
"Shay, my father would like to take us out to dinner," Nate informed her. "We both understand if you don't want to go." Both men's smiles were forced.
"Ummm," Shay licked her lips and looked to Nate for guidance, and Nate gave her a kind smile.
"Alright," she agreed.
They made arrangements to meet at a very high-end restaurant in half an hour.
"What if we can't get in?" Shay whispered as she watched Nate put on a tie and coat. It felt as if they were moving in the wrong direction.
"Unfortunately, we'll get in." Nate turned to her. "You do not have to do this, Shay."
"I have a feeling that you need me to, Nate."
Nate neither denied it nor confirmed it as they left an open bottle of wine and his crockpot meal bubbling away forlornly on the counter.