Love Lessons (6 page)

“What kind of psycho-bullshit are they feeding you at university anyway?” Nate asked. 

“Says the guy who is pinned to the floor.” 

Okay, enough was enough, and not only was that knee really starting to hurt his shoulder, this was downright embarrassing.  Catching his brother by surprise, Nate twisted and flipped him over.  Once he had Mason’s shoulders pinned, he drove his knees into his chest to keep him down. 

“Now, do you have something to say?” Nate asked, slapping his face playfully.  Payback was such a bitch. 

Mason simply gave him one of his charming grins and said, “Yeah, I really built up an appetite taking your sorry ass to the mat
first
, which really, when it comes down to it, makes me the winner.”  He looked into the kitchen.  “Mom, can I sit by Gracie?”

“Fucker,” Nate said, ready to strangle him.  “And it’s Grace, not Gracie,” he said.

“That’s not what you call her,” he taunted.

“And it’s not what I’m about to call you—”

“That’s enough,” his father, Gary said as he stood, stretched lazily, then shut off the TV.  “Time to eat.  Leave your little brother alone, Nate.”  He shook his head at the two and grinned.  Nate smiled back at his father.  There wasn’t a man in town who loved his boys more than Gary Wright.  “You’re the oldest and the one who is supposed to be setting good examples.” He shoved Nate with his knee, pushing him off Mason.

Nate jumped up.  “But he started it,” he said, reaching out to help Mason to his feet.  Mason gave him a wink, and Nate ruffled his hair in return. Jesus, he missed the kid, but he seriously needed to lay off Gracie.  Of course, Nate knew he was flirting with her just to razz him. That’s what kid brothers did.  Even though Mason was brilliant, as the youngest in the family, he was carefree, easy going, and fun-loving.  Basically, he was the typical class clown and was always going out of his way to get under his oldest brother’s skin.  But when push came to shove, if anyone messed with a Wright brother, they messed with all four.  

Mason darted into the kitchen and plunked himself down next to Gracie before Nate could get there, and over the meal, they talked about Gracie’s hometown, which just happened to be where Mason was currently going to university.  The two actually had a lot in common.  Nate kept casting him glares, but no one seemed to notice as everyone was too busy eating and listening to Gracie and Mason laugh.  His brother was a goddamn troublemaker, for sure, and if Nate didn’t need his help this week, he’d break his damn neck.

Once dinner was over, Nate and Gracie helped his mother clean while the rest of the guys all fell back on the sofa to catch the rest of the game.  His mother handed them their coats, and he caught the grin on Gracie’s face as they walked back to the truck.

“What’s so funny?” he asked as they climbed in.

“Nothing really.  I was just thinking about something Mason said.”

“Forget about him,” Nate murmured under his breath, jealousy eating at his gut.  He knew his brother was just being a smart-ass, but damned if he couldn’t charm the bite off a snake.  The last thing he wanted was for Gracie to fall for him.

“What?” Gracie asked.

“Nothing,” he said and backed the truck from the driveway.

As he negotiated his vehicle through the snow-covered road, Gracie laughed again and said, “Now I know what Erin was talking about.”

“What do you mean?”

“She said she saw him last night at Grizzly’s.  She thought he was the biggest player of all of you.”

“She said that?”

“Yeah.”  She chuckled again.  “And she was right.”

He clenched the wheel harder, wondering if Erin had told her he was there, too.  Okay, so it was true, he had a reputation, and no doubt Gracie would think the brothers were all out on the prowl, when in fact, his reason for being there had everything to do with her.  He was trying to get her to fall for him, and it would simply complicate his mission if she thought he was out with another girl.

“So, uh, did she say anything else?” he asked.

Grace turned in her seat and looked at him. He cast her a quick glance then focused back to the road.

“Like what?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he said, staring ahead so she wouldn’t see the concern on his face.

“She just said she thought Mason was a player.”

“Do you think he is?”

She gave him a look that suggested he was dense.  “Yeah!” she said.  “He’s a Wright brother, isn’t he?”

He pulled into his parking spot, and they both got out.  When he met her at the front of his truck, he asked, “So you’re saying you think we’re all players?”

“I don’t think.  I know.”

He pulled the security door open, and she moved past him and headed to the stairs.  As she climbed, he couldn’t help but look at her sweet ass.  Christ, he swore he was going to take it slow, especially after the way she’d acted after their last kiss, but damned if he didn’t want to kiss his brother right out of her mind and make her forget she ever met him.  Plus, she thought he was a player and he wanted to show her that she was the only girl he wanted to play with.

When they reached their floor, he grabbed her and spun her around to face him.  Her eyes widened, and she exhaled quickly.

“Nate?” she asked.  “What are you doing?”

His glance moved over her face.  Jesus, she was so beautiful, and there was no denying that he needed her in his life, his arms, his bed.  He rolled his tongue around a suddenly dry mouth and said, “I was thinking we should try that kiss again.”

Her face tightened warily as his hands brushed with hers.  “I…”

Her sweet breath fanned his face, and he stepped closer until her body was pressed against his.  Desire twisted inside him, firing his blood.  He brushed her hair from her face as his tension built.  A pink tinge colored her cheeks as he put his mouth close to hers. 

“What do you say, Gracie?  Should we practice?”

A strange noise sounded in her throat, but when he wet his lips, he could see something in her give.  In a voice that sounded slightly unstable, she said, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.”

Oh, she was definitely wrong about that, because it was going to hurt all right.  In fact, it already hurt.  He shifted as his cock throbbed against his zipper.

“So, that’s a yes?”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice a soft whisper as one hand went to his chest.

Nate closed his hand over hers, holding it against him as his other hand went to her chin to lift her mouth to his.  Christ, he wanted her so much it was all he could do not to drag her to his place and take her for the rest of the night.  But he knew it was too soon for that. 

With her mouth poised open, he bent forward and brushed a soft kiss over her lips.  He felt a tremble move through her, and his chest puffed. 
Take that, baby brother!
 

“Nate,” she murmured, her fingers curling in his jacket.

Hearing his name on her lips, nearly sent him over the edge.  Need fueling his blood, his mouth came down hard this time, claiming her, branding her with his heat, letting her know in no uncertain terms that he wanted her to be thinking of him and him only—today, tomorrow…forever.

She pressed against him and made a sexy bedroom noise as her mouth moved under his, kissing back with the same passion and urgency.   Her hands moved to his hair, and she ran her fingers through it.  His cock thickened, and he called on every ounce of strength to keep it together.   

When he finally broke the kiss and pulled back, his heart thundered, because as he looked at her, he sensed he was getting to her and that she was actually beginning to see him as something other than a friend.   

Halle-fucking-luiah!

She opened her mouth, closed it, and then tried again.  “I…uh….”

Nate brushed his thumb over her kiss-swollen lips, put his mouth next to her ear, and whispered, “I’ll see you in the morning, Gracie.”

Grace sat at her desk and looked over the messages in her inbox.  Too bad she couldn’t focus on anything in front of her, compliments of a sleepless night.  Cripes, Nate’s kisses were definitely playing havoc with her hormones and her ability to get a good night’s rest.  She was either going to have to put a stop to them or make him finish what he started once and for all. 

For a moment, she wondered if there really was more going on with him, if his kisses had more to do with wanting her than they did with helping her.  As she considered that possibility, she opened the website for her favorite lingerie shop, considering what she’d wear if she ever found herself in bed with Nate.  But as she looked at the models—the tall, lithe kind of girls he gravitated toward—reality hit like a cold snowball and smacked some sense back in to her.

“Hey sunshine,” Nate said as he poked his head around the orange partition. “Audrey beckons.”

“Yeah, I know.  I’m coming.”  She quickly shut down the website and swiveled in her chair. 

“Everything okay?”  She looked at him and thought she caught a hint of a grin before he wiped it away.  “You look a little flushed,” he said and stepped farther into her pod, his mere presence overwhelming the small space—and her.

She eyed him, taking in the gleam in his eyes.  Was he messing with her?  Did he kiss her and leave her wanting more on purpose?  Did she dare ask? 

“I’m fine,” she answered, chickening out, too afraid to cause tension between them if this really was only about helping her.  Trying for casual, she pushed from her chair and smoothed her hand over her pencil skirt. 

“Are you sure?”  He shrugged and drove his hands into his pockets.  “You just seem a little…out of sorts.”

She gestured with a quick nod to her computer.  “Working on my strip.”

His glance went from her to her computer, then back to her again.  He came closer, close enough that she caught his familiar scent.  She squeezed her thighs together. 

“So you’re telling me you figured it out?” he asked, his voice a bit deeper than moments ago.  “Your Kate knows how to spot love when she sees it?”

“Not quite.”  She was about to push past him, but he moved with her, blocking her path before she could reach the hall, and when a warm shiver moved through her, she hoped he hadn’t noticed.  She jabbed him in the stomach.  “Move it, or we’ll be late.” 

“Gracie?” he said as he dipped his head, his mouth so damn close to hers she thought he was going to kiss her again.

“Yeah?” she asked, suddenly breathless, as her hand itched to go back to his stomach, to explore his hardness. 

“Will you be my Valentine?”

“Your…Valentine?” She blinked twice and expected to find him smirking, but instead, he was staring at her without a hint of teasing on his face. “You want me to be your Valentine?” she asked again.

“Yeah, I do.  Only thing is, we have to celebrate Thursday instead of Friday.”

She angled her head and did a quick calculation of her days.  “But Valentine’s is Friday.”

“I know, but that’s the day your strip is due.  So you have to have it all figured out Thursday night.”

Her heart missed a beat as understanding dawned.  This
was
about work, and he likely had a real date for Valentines.  “Nate…” she began, although she didn’t have a clue as to what she wanted to say. 

“The latest you can turn your article in is three am Friday morning, before the paper goes to print, right?”

“Yeah, which means I should probably spend Thursday night working on it if I want to make my deadline.” 

“You’ll make it.”

“Nate—”

“Just trust me on this, Gracie.”  He moved aside and gave a wave of his hand.  “Now come on before Audrey hands us our asses.”

She stepped past him and strolled down the hall, feeling very self-conscious with him behind her.  She stole a glance over her shoulder, and when he lifted his head, like he’d been staring at her ass, a sheepish look came over his face.

“What?” he asked.

He couldn’t have been?  Could he?

“Were you…?” She shook her head. “Nothing,” she said and turned her attention to those seated in the boardroom, waiting for them.  She walked inside and grabbed a chair.  Nate dropped down next to her.  

Audrey shut the door behind them, and all eyes turned to their boss when she sat.  “I’d like everyone to meet Lexi Edmonds.” Audrey waved her hand toward the pretty blonde seated across the table from Grace.  Lexi gave everyone a smile and flipped her hair from her shoulders in a flirtatious way as her glance lingered on Nate.  And why wouldn’t she?  The guy was smart, hot…single. 

Grace turned to see him and caught the way he was smiling back at Lexi.  When she felt a sharp stab of jealously, her insides clenched.  Oh God, this was so not good.  Nate had dated numerous women since she’d known him, and it had never bothered her before. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true.  It
had
bothered her, but now that she’d gotten a taste of him, felt his lips on hers, his body so close, she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want him all to herself. 

“Lexi comes to us from the Halifax Gazette and brings a lot of experience,” Audrey went on to explain.

Oh, I just bet she does!

“Nate,” Audrey said.  “I’d like for you to show Lexi around, since you two will be working closely together.”

“My pleasure,” he said, his gaze going back to Lexi.  

Sexy Lexi, who clearly wanted to be Nate’s playmate…

“Grace?”  Audrey said.

“Yeah.”  Grace lifted her eyes and took in the concern on her boss’s face. 

“Are you okay?  You look a little pale.”

“I…uh…” she coughed into her hand.  “I think I’m coming down with a cold.  I probably caught it from Nate.”

Nate leaned in to her, his breath warm on her neck.  “I told you, I’m not sick.”

Grace coughed again. 

“Why don’t you go grab a drink?” Audrey said.

She pushed from the table, thankful for the reprieve, and went to the bathroom.  She turned the water on and glanced at herself in the mirror.  When she caught the look on her face, it took her back to yesterday, when she had dinner with Nate’s family.  She remembered the look on his face when she and Mason had joked and shared stories.  As she thought about it, it occurred to her that the look on his face wasn’t all that different from the one on hers right now.  She put her hand on her stomach and thought about how she felt, how the idea of Nate and Lexi together—intimately—twisted her up inside.  Her mind raced, then came to a resounding halt.