She's Like The Wind (Angel Sands 2)

She shook her head, smiling as she sat back on the bed. “No. I want you to come back to bed.”

He slid onto the mattress beside her, placing his half-full cup on the table. “I was thinking what a great idea it was for Riley to go on this field trip,” he said, turning on his side to face her. “And wondering whether there are any others she can go on.”

Ally laughed. “You’ve changed your tune.”

“Yeah, well maybe I’ve been a bit too much of a helicopter parent. She’s proved she’s trustworthy. I should give her more of a break.”

“You won’t hear any argument from me.” Ally slid her hand around his waist.

Nate winced at the sudden coldness from her palms. “You’re freezing.” He pressed his hand over hers.

“It’s cold in here without you.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s sixty-five degrees already.”

“That might be warm to a Seattle guy, but this California girl feels the cold.” She shivered to make her point.

“You want me to warm you up?” He didn’t wait for her answer before he pulled her against him.

She tugged at his t-shirt. “This should go,” she told him. “I need direct body heat or else I might freeze to death.”

There was a smirk on his face as he pulled it over his head, messing his thick hair up even more. Then he put his arms around her, laying back on the mattress until she was nestled against him, and pulled the covers up over them.

She pressed her lips to his chest, breathing him in. Nate swallowed. “Did you sleep okay?” he asked.

“I was out like a light for the night.” She smiled against his skin. “Well, all three hours that were left of it.” She looked up at him. “How about you?”

“Like a dog. You wore me out.”

“That’s what happens when you get old.”

Nate barked out a laugh. “Enough of the old. I’m not that ancient. I still have all my own teeth.”

“I know.” She closed her eyes, remembering how they felt as they scraped softly against her breasts. God, she really could do it all over again. “How old are you, anyway?”

“Didn’t your dad teach you it’s rude to ask?”

“I just want to know our age difference. For science.” She shrugged.

“Since you asked so nicely, I’m thirty-nine.”

She lifted her head up. “You got the big one next year?”

“This year.”

“Wow.” She nodded. “Are you going to ask me how old I am?”

“I already know. You’re twenty-seven. I’ve seen your resume, remember?”

“So that makes it twelve years between us. Soon to be thirteen. I guess it’s not so bad, is it?”

“It depends, I guess,” he said, his brows furrowing as he thought it through.

“On what?”

“On what we both want out of life.”

She reached out to trace her finger across his chest, moving it in circles. “What do you want out of life?” This conversation was getting deep, especially since it wasn’t even six in the morning. It made her chest feel tight, as though she was only a few sentences away from panicking. She held her breath and waited for his answer.