Page 1 of Nothing At All

Chapter One

Lila

“So what do you think about us going away one weekend?” Dan called from his spot on my couch, where he was nursing a beer and streaming some documentary on shipwrecks.

I paused in putting on my earrings, a flutter of anticipation under my jaw. “I'd love that.”

The idea made me giddy – two whole days of only me and Dan and nothing to do but–

“Where would you want to go?” His deep voice interrupted my imagination, stopping the fantasies of everything I wanted to do with him “You like the mountains?”

I like you.

A smile tipped up the corners of my lips. I did. We'd been seeing one another six months, exclusive the last three, a slow build of something wonderful, hot and a little wild.

“I could be pleased anywhere.” I fitted the other earring in place. “Do you want to go to the mountains?”

“This cabin I found is pretty nice.” He paused, and I stepped into my heels, the designer ones I splurged on and wore wherever I had an excuse.

Dinner with my boyfriend's coworkers really wasn’t a reason.

Dinner with my boyfriend completely was.

“So it’s off season . . . that means it's less expensive.”

He frowned at the screen, and I smiled, putting an extra sway in my hips as I crossed from my bedroom door, just in case he looked up. He didn’t, but that was just Dan when he was focused.

It was kind of cute. Kind of sexy.

Especially when I was his focus.

His attention shifted, though, when I straddled his thighs. His phone hit the cushion next to us, and his face lit up as he cradled my hips with his hands. “Well, hey.”

I pursed my lips in what I hoped came off as a sultry pout and leaned forward, bracing my forearms on his solid chest. He was as serious about his fitness as he was about his financial health, and I loved it. Still pouting, I played with the collar of his t-shirt under his sweatshirt and flicked a glance at him under my lashes. “Fiscal responsibility is hot.”

He grinned, a flash of white, even teeth with the tiniest gap next to one incisor, good humor and a hint of lust glinting in his dark blue eyes before he rocked my pelvis into his. “You're hot.”

Resisting an urge to preen – what woman doesn't love hearing that from her man? – I edged closer so my lips were a breath away from his. He had a gorgeous mouth, a little wide, his bottom lip slightly fuller than his top one. “Tell me about your savings account, sweetheart.”

His deep laugh rumbled under my wrists. He slipped his hands to my butt and squeezed. “It's big. Growing every second.”

“Mmm.” I brushed my mouth against his, inhaling the barest trace of beer over mint. I wiggled against the bulge behind his zipper, and he groaned, another deep vibration I felt under my hands. He flexed his hands on my ass. “Compound interest.”

“Oh, my interest is definitely compounding.” He nuzzled below my jaw before a warm sigh blew over my skin. “If we don't go, we'll be late.”

A suggestion that we not go . . . or be a little late . . . hovered on my tongue. except he was excited about introducing me to his friends from work, even if he had that rigidity about always being on time.

On one hand, it made him a reliable boyfriend – I never had to worry he wouldn’t be where he said he would be when he said he’d be there.

On the other . . . spontaneity was not his strong game.

“Fine.” I pulled back enough to drop a gentle peck on his lips before climbing off his lap. “Let’s go.”

He stood, a loose athletic roll of his body, and adjusted his fly with one hand. And all of that was hot. He was just beautiful, poetry in motion and all that.

I was smitten. Not forever smitten, of course, but fully invested right now smitten.

With my minimal crossbody slung over my shoulder, we walked out to his truck. He paused in the open passenger door, frowning at his phone while I fastened my seatbelt. Brows drawn together, he muttered “five, ten minutes“ while counting off on his fingers.