I rounded the corner to the room Louisa informed me was Nathan’s office. The door was open and Nathan sat behind his desk staring down at an iPad, his brows pinched together and his mouth tight.
Tapping on the doorframe to catch his attention, I smiled and stepped over the threshold. His glance flicked up to mine and some of the tension left his face as he beckoned me into the room.
That was when I heard a voice. He was video chatting with someone.
Coming to a halt, I mouthed a silent apology and began to back away. He shook his head and indicated I take a seat.
‘So you’re not coming?’ His tone surprised me, and I wished I’d ignored him and left, even as I settled into the chair opposite him.
‘Darling, I’d love to come, you know that. But—’
‘Let me guess, the National’s starting a new season and you can’t possibly get away with the rehearsal schedule?’
He was talking to a woman and with growing unease, I suspected this was a personal rather than a business call. I sought a distraction, reaching for a magazine from his desk. It was a men’s magazine, but I flipped through the pages from back to front, focusing on anything to avoid the tense exchange happening before me.
‘You know what he’s like. I tried, darling. I really did.’
Nathan smirked, bitterness dulling the emerald of his eyes. ‘You know, Mum, one of these days, you might just grow tired of making excuses for him. I love you, but I have to go.’
He was talking to his mother? I forced myself to read an article on disposable razors, heat warming my face as I wished I could unhear what had just transpired.
Seconds later, Nathan ended his call and dropped his iPad onto the desk with a sigh. I lifted wary eyes to him, my heart thundering in my chest. Whatever demons he battled were contained behind the resigned weight of his shoulders and the imperceptible clench of his jaw.
‘Sorry about that. My mother.’
His half shrug said it all, but with a habit born of my profession, I said, ‘Are you okay?’
He sighed, his hand ruffling his hair as he shook off the last vestiges of his frustration. ‘Fine. Would you and Jess like to come to the Emmys? I have two spare tickets.’
Before I could answer, he stood, rounding his desk to perch on the front of it, his long legs crossing at the ankles. ‘Did you want something?’
His heated stare tracked me from head to toe and a slow crooked smile banished the disappointment from his eyes. He was back. Charming superstar Nathan—with his confident swagger and his underwear-combusting smile.
I wanted to probe, to dissect him and unearth his deepest wounds, to find a cure, a pill, a therapy to take away his pain. But it wasn’t my place and this wasn’t the time.
‘I’m sorry I disturbed you. I just wondered if I could use your Wi-Fi?’
‘You can disturb me anytime you want.’ Reaching behind him for a pen and Post-It note, he scrawled something before handing it to me. ‘The password.’
I glanced down at the yellow slip of paper in my hand, my breath catching. Beneath the password, he’d drawn a stick man with a sad face and the words I missed you.
My gaze flew to his, the swell of emotions so strong I had to look away just as quickly to diminish their intensity. I’d missed him too, but the words stuck in my throat, trapped by my fear and way too gargantuan to make it out of my mouth. I focused on the magazine in my lap, squinting at the cover image. Clinging to the lifeline it offered, I stared at the black-and-white shot of a shirtless and extremely fuckable Nathan.
How could I have missed that? I read the headline. ‘Seriously? World’s sexiest man?’ Well this was an opportunity too good to miss. A little light teasing would dispel the last of the awkward hangover from his conversation with his mother.
His jaw clenched as he mashed his lips together and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, one shoulder lifting in a shrug.
I clapped my hand over my mouth. I’d never seen him embarrassed before, and it was adorable. ‘Were you checking out who you beat for the position?’
‘Jake opens my mail. I hadn’t even noticed it.’ He grabbed the magazine and the pile of letters from the desk, covering his glorious image with the stack of correspondence.
I stood and reached for his arm, which was rigid under my grip. ‘You didn’t know you’d been voted the world’s sexiest man?’
He shrugged, his focus on tidying his immaculate desk. ‘It’s just a magazine, not a fucking Nobel Prize.’
I tugged on his arm. ‘I know, but wow! Who did you beat for top spot?’ I lunged for the magazine, yelping as he beat me to it and twisted it just out of reach. ‘Let’s have a look.’ My free hand snaked around his waist, where he held the prize behind his back.
‘No. I’m not interested. It’s a load of crap.’ Annoyance flashed in his eyes, but I continued, enjoying his discomfort way too much to stop. Who knew Mr Spectacular had an Achilles’ heel?
I’d almost reached the magazine when he shifted it again, raising his arm high above his head and thwarting my attempts to wrestle it from him. My hand landed on his hip and I stroked my fingers along the bumps of his ribs, digging them in in a brutal tickle that made him yelp and drop his arm.
My triumph was short-lived—both his arms came around me, steel bands caging me in until I was pressed against his chest, the magazine still clenched in his hand behind my back.
His eyes gleamed, wavering between humour and challenge. He wouldn’t let me win. ‘Well, if you’re scared for me to see in case I’d have voted differently …?’
He wasn’t buying it, his smirk mocking my attempts to conquer by stealth. I huffed, stopping short of stamping my foot. ‘If you don’t give it to me, Nathan, I’m going to take my new password and go and look it up online.’ I pressed my lips together, holding in my smile.
His lips twitched too as he released me, handing the magazine over with a sigh. Delighted he could laugh at himself, I snatched the publication from him, and he dropped his hands to my hips, tugging me forward so he could nuzzle my neck.
Flipping it to a random page, I ignored the delicious tingles curling my toes in order to prolong the teasing. ‘Oh wow! Well he’s smoking. I can’t believe you beat him.’ I hadn’t even reached the article, but he didn’t need to know that.
His head snapped back, the lust draining from his sultry stare as he tugged the magazine from my hands, tossing it towards the wastepaper bin in the corner. ‘Yes, yes, there are millions of men in the world sexier than me.’
Reaching underneath his T-shirt, my hands glided over his taut back muscles, his warmth seeping into my palms. ‘I wouldn’t go that far.’
‘You wouldn’t?’
‘No. You’re alright.’ I shrugged, my cheeks aching with the effort of maintaining a straight face.
His hand left my hip, cupping my chin and tilting my head back so he could lower his mouth to within a hairsbreadth of mine. ‘I am?’ His vulnerability slipped away as he pulled on his confidence like a costume. He knew the effect he had on my body.
‘Yes, I suppose.’ I lifted my chin, closing the distance between our lips and almost crying out when he withdrew.
‘But you didn’t miss me?’ Still close, his breath brushed my lips as his eyes flicked to my mouth.
I pretended to think about it, surveying the ceiling while my insides fluttered around the truth locked deep in my chest.
‘Do you want to know what I missed?’ He turned me, walking me backwards until the edge of the desk dug into the backs of my thighs and his solid warmth imprisoned me in front. Escape was the last thing on my mind.
I nodded, hypnotised.
‘I missed how beautiful you look asleep next to me.’ He leaned forward so his breath caressed my face, the space between our bodies sparking with electricity. My fingers twitched, desperate to pull his head down the last few millimetres until our lips touched.
‘I missed the throaty little noises you make when I kiss you here.’ He bent his head to my neck, his mouth hovering over the sensitive skin beneath my ear and creating tingles as strong as if he’d made contact. ‘And, most of all, I missed your luscious curves filling my hands.’ As he uttered the last sentence, he dragged me to him, one hand dropping to cup my backside, pressing me against his erection, and the other hand cupping my face so he could tilt it up to his kiss.
My head swam and I dropped the Post-It note to tangle my hands in his hair, his shirt, his belt—any part of him I could use to gain purchase. We parted, me panting and craving and ready to confess how I’d missed him too. But that led me far too close to the edge of the vulnerability chasm, and I shied away from the emotional bungee jump.
‘Luscious?’
He nodded, his smile widening as he lowered both hands to cup my buttocks. ‘I think that’s an accurate description.’ He lowered his mouth to my throat, sucking on that sensitive skin until I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped. ‘Perhaps not very anatomical. You’ll have to forgive my ignorance.’
‘I could give you an anatomy lesson, if you want one. Educate you on the correct terminology.’ I ran my finger down his throat over his Adam’s apple and into the neck of his shirt, finding the dip between his clavicles. ‘This, for example, is your suprasternal notch.’ I replaced my finger with a swirl of my tongue and when I looked up, his eyes had shifted from playful to glinting with lust.
‘I’m always up for a little self-improvement, Dr King. Teach away.’ He stepped back half a pace, releasing me and spreading his arms wide, one eyebrow raised in challenge and his eyes clear of his earlier turmoil. He was mine to play with, and who didn’t want the world’s sexiest man at their disposal?
Taking his hand, I led him to the room I knew was his from the tour Louisa had given us when we’d first arrived. The master bedroom was on the ground floor, and the guest rooms Jess and I were using on the first floor.
He closed the door behind us, heeling off his shoes and flicking on the sidelights, his hungry stare fixed on me as he moved around his space. Silently, he stopped before me, all trace of his earlier insecurities gone. He was in control, the self-assured and confident man who entertained millions.
I shivered under the intensity of his scrutiny. After four days of abstinence, and our playful interlude in his office, I was so turned on, I’d forgotten this was my idea and I was supposed to be exploring him.
Nathan’s hands followed the burn of his intense stare over my body as he quickly divested me of my clothing before dropping to his knees at my feet. ‘So, Dr King …’ He grasped both buttocks in his hands and pulled me to him. Kissing a path across my belly, he ran his teeth gently over my hipbone, nipping the skin there. ‘What is this called?’
In a haze of arousal, my mind scrambled to remember even the smallest detail from my years of studying the human body. I gripped his shoulders for balance, my gaze following the path of his lips over my hip. ‘That’s my iliac crest.’
He smiled, his lips leaving my skin, and his wicked green eyes locked on mine as he slid warm fingers underneath the waistband of my panties, tugging them down my trembling thighs.
‘Keep going.’ His tongue traced up to my belly button before dipping inside it and swirling around.
Darts of pleasure shot to my core and I cried out, tossing my head back. ‘That’s my umbilicus.’ My voice was breathy and embarrassingly needy. This was torture—why had I started it?
Taking hold of my hips, Nathan spun me around so I faced away from him and cool air caressed my backside, which missed the warmth of his hands. I gasped when he bit gently into one fleshy cheek, his mouth dipping to run his tongue along the seam where my buttock met my thigh.
‘And what do we call this delectable area?’ He mirrored the action on the other side—the scrape of his teeth followed by the slide of his tongue.
‘Gluteal fold.’ I gripped his wrists where they had hold of my hips, fearing imminent failure of my skeleton in keeping me upright. ‘Nathan.’
He spun me around again and pushed me backwards until the backs of my legs met the bed. Sitting on the edge, I watched enthralled as Nathan lifted my foot and raised it to his mouth. He kissed a path from the arch of my foot to my ankle, swirling his tongue around the bony protrusion.
‘Medial malleolus,’ I whispered, my toes curling. I followed his progress up my leg to the back of my knee, where he paused, prolonging the torture.
‘Popliteal fossa.’
‘I missed all these parts of you, Soph.’ He was on the move again and soon, the ability to speak would desert me. As I tried to hang onto to my sanity, I plotted my revenge. Nathan’s toned body was a perfect specimen of anatomical landmarks and he would suffer while I explored each and every one.
He licked a path of fire up my thigh and I spread my legs to allow him access. His broad shoulders wedged between my thighs, spreading them farther, and he blew his warm breath over my exposed sex.
Gaze locked with mine, he leaned in and used his thumbs to part me before slanting his mouth over me in an intimate kiss. His full lips sucked at my sensitive folds and he flicked his tongue at my entrance, lapping.
My hips ground helplessly against him and my hands tangled in his hair, holding him to me. He growled against my flesh as he speared his tongue inside me, pushing my thighs wider still. I dropped back onto my elbows, crying out as Nathan replaced his tongue with two fingers and sucked my aching clitoris into his mouth.
Lifting my legs onto his shoulders, I dug my heels into his back, urging him closer. Within blissful seconds I was teetering on the edge. I watched him, his fierce eye contact scalding me and his grunts and groans thrilling me, until I could take no more and I screamed out my orgasm, collapsing back on the bed as every muscle below my waist clenched.
Nathan lifted his head and kissed my inner thighs as the violent spasms diminished. ‘I missed making you come most of all.’ He stood, licking me from his lips as he shucked his clothes with jerky impatience.
When I could again form coherent sentences, I raised my head from the bed. ‘I hope you know what’s coming? The lesson isn’t over.’
It took me less than a minute to wipe the smug smile from his face.
***
‘Soph, wake up.’ Nathan lifted my hair and kissed my neck, running his hands under the covers to caress my bare backside.
‘Mmm, what time is it?’ I stretched, lifting my face from his pillow to pull him down for sleepy kiss. The surge of lust woke me fully and I blinked open my eyes to a dressed Nathan. I buried my head in his clean-smelling chest, hiding my disappointment at the fact he wasn’t naked and waking me for sex.
‘It’s early. I have to go for my interview, but I wondered if you wanted to come down to the studio today, you and Jess? I have to record a few hours of voice work, but then I’ll take you both for lunch.’
He had my attention now. I sat bolt upright in his king-sized bed and pushed my hair back off my face.
‘I’ll ask Jess. Who schedules interviews this early? You’re a megastar. Why do you need to interview?’
The sheet had slipped to my waist and he took advantage, cupping my breast and rubbing his thumb over my nipple. ‘Major Hollywood directors, that’s who. Breakfast is the only time slot he has for two months.’ He groaned, dropping his head to swipe his tongue across the peak he’d primed with his hand. ‘I have to go. If I’m late I’ll have to kiss his arse and spend the rest of my life playing sappy, rom-com heroes.’
‘So go.’ My arms circled his neck as I pressed my naked breasts into his chest. I wanted to drag him back into his bed and give us both a proper wake-up. I wanted to probe him about the conversation I’d overheard last night. I wanted to learn what motivated him even without the support of people who loved him.
He dragged me closer, his hands dipping to my waist as he kissed my neck, tickling me with his still damp hair. ‘Fuck, you’re all warm and soft and sleepy, and I want to climb back in with you and fuck you breathless.’
‘Mmm, yes please. You are the world’s sexiest man, after all.’
Grabbing my face, Nathan planted a final brisk kiss on my mouth and growled. ‘Text me if you decide to come to the studio? Jake can drop you.’ Collecting his phone from the top of his dresser, he shot one last longing glance at me before rushing from the room.
I jumped out of bed and strolled naked to the lavish marble bathroom. Smiling, I spotted the note Nathan had stuck to the mirror—a drawing of a stick woman next to a palm tree and the words Relax, beautiful girl. I traced the drawing with my finger. I had it bad for the world’s sexiest man. A man millions of women lusted after and would no doubt chase down the street if they spotted him. I flipped on the shower, shaking my head—I’d almost forgotten about them.
By eleven, I’d enjoyed a solitary breakfast on the terrace and a leisurely swim, but Jess had yet to surface, so I brewed a pot of tea and carried it to her room on a tray. I balanced the tray on one arm and tapped on the door.
‘Argh.’
I entered the darkened room and placed the tea on a nearby table.
‘Time is it?’ The mound on the bed spoke, one arm shooting out from beneath the covers to fumble with the clock on the nightstand.
‘It’s after eleven. What time did you get home?’
‘Dunno,’ she groaned, ‘Four?’ Jess emerged from the duvet, her hair a chaotic copper cloud around her face.
‘I’m sorry. Nathan invited us to the studio and then lunch. I’ll text him and say no.’
‘You go. I’m not really in a lunch kind of place.’ She eyed the tea, her mouth twisting as she clutched her forehead.
Perching on the edge of her bed, I stroked the curls away from her pale face. ‘I’ll stay here with you then. Do you want some painkillers?’
‘No, yes.’ She reached for her bag, lifting it up onto the bed to rummage inside for something to ease her headache. ‘You go. I’m going back to sleep.’ She swallowed two of the pills with some water from a glass on the nightstand. With a groan, she disappeared back under the duvet.
‘Jess? Did you have a good time with Tyler?’
Another groan.
‘A very wise woman once told me that life is short and I should seize opportunities.’
‘Soph.’ Her flushed face appeared over the top of the duvet. ‘Trust me, I seized, okay? Now will you please leave me alone and go and shag that gorgeous piece of man meat of yours?’
‘He’s not mine.’ At her glare, I held up my hands in supplication. ‘Okay, text me when you wake up, grumpy.’
‘I will. And Soph?’
‘Yes?’
‘Sorry—I had a bit too much to drink. I’ll be a better friend tomorrow, promise.’
***
Jake ushered me into the control room—an aptly named space housing a bewildering array of computers, speakers and mixing consoles, which appeared capable of flying space shuttles rather than recording and manipulating the spoken word. Behind the glass, Nathan sat in the recording studio, his face partly obscured by a large pop filter fitted to a microphone.
I’d guessed he’d be good, but I wasn’t prepared to be completely enchanted with him. He read each line of the script, recording it multiple times with as many vocal variations as he could produce with little more than a stick man version of his animated character for inspiration. His energy and enthusiasm never wavered despite the repetitive nature of repeating ‘You’ll pay for that!’ fifty times.
With an astounding range of facial expressions that could rival a gurning champion, he ‘acted’ each line to the hilt, his dedication to a process only the sound engineers and I would ever see a further glimpse into his personality.
Not content to sit on the stool and say his lines, he used his whole body, gesturing wildly with his arms and mimicking his character’s actions. He loved being a villain, and his skill and passion were mesmerising. He threw himself into it, committing fully, oozing confidence, and completely in his element. Simply watching him was exhilarating. My blood surged with renewed vigour through my veins, my pulse fluttered excitedly, and arousal flooded my girly parts, soaking my panties.
Despite my teasing, he was the sexiest man in the world, and Jess’s comment this morning, that he was mine, painted such an alluring picture that I had to remind myself he’d made no more commitment to me than admitting he’d missed me. I fidgeted in my seat and glanced at the clock. How long before I could drag him out of here?
My phone vibrated and I stepped out of the control room to answer.
‘Mum?’
‘Hello, darling. How are you?’
‘Is everything alright?’ I’d never placed my video call to Matty after all last night and guilt tightened my chest in a painful reminder.
‘Yes, the photographers have left us alone for days now and Dad’s blood pressure was down when the nurse checked it yesterday. A letter arrived for you. It’s from the hospital. Would you like me to send it on? I thought it might be important.’
‘No, just open it, please.’
‘Oh dear. I’d better read it to you. Dear Dr King. We have recently become aware of the media coverage of your high-profile relationship and whilst private, this presents several concerns for the security and patient care at St Mildred’s Hospital NHS Trust. We would welcome an opportunity to discuss this matter further with you and urge you to contact Daryl Beckwith at our Media Centre at your earliest convenience. Oh dear, Soph.’
I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut as if I could block out the unsettling news. ‘Mum, it’s okay. I’ll deal with it. I’ll contact them today.’
‘Will your job be affected?’
‘Mum, please don’t worry. It will be fine. I’ll sort it out.’
We chatted for a few more minutes, then ended the call. When I returned to the control room, Nathan had removed his headphones and was in conversation with the director. I gathered my belongings and left the booth, asking Jake to let Nathan know I would wait outside.
Once in the car park at the rear of the studio, I took a deep lungful of warm air and sat on a low wall facing the ocean. I expected to feel more panicked. Whilst concerned about the letter from my soon-to–be employer, I struggled to muster a fraction of the apoplexy such a letter would have created two months ago.
My thoughts were disjointed. Part of me was confident I would be able to reassure the hospital that their patients would be safe from harassment. Nathan would move on, date the next stunning model or actress to come along and I would be forgotten, relegated to insignificance, an extra with a minor scene in the long and distinguished career of Nathan Banks.
A larger, more insistent part of me clamoured to explore the possibility of a future between Nathan and I and the likely choices I would have to make. My career was important to me—I’d worked hard for many years to arrive where I was. Could I contemplate a professional compromise that allowed me a future with one of the world’s most famous faces?
As if I’d conjured him, he emerged from the back of the building, spotting me and striding in my direction. A smile tugged at his mouth and my body gave an answering jolt of awareness. The arousal I’d succumbed to while watching him work returned with a vengeance, liquefying my limbs as I rose to greet him.
‘I’m sorry that took so long.’ He pressed his lips to my forehead, his hand reaching for mine, entwining our fingers.
‘Nathan, that was astounding.’
The grin he shot me would light up Sunset Boulevard at night and still have enough energy to power Las Vegas. ‘It was?’
His joy was infectious, evoking my own and banishing all of my work-related worries. ‘You love your job and it shows. You are seriously talented.’
His smile dropped a few watts and his eyes clouded with insecurity. ‘It’s just a cartoon, but I’m glad you weren’t too bored.’
A dull throb twisted in my stomach, and I knew his father’s disapproval tugged at him, diminishing his enjoyment for a career he clearly loved and excelled at. ‘I could watch you work all day.’
He guided me towards his Range Rover Sport across the parking lot. ‘You are good for my ego, beautiful.’
I smiled. ‘You don’t need another woman telling you how fantastic you are.’
He opened the passenger door and I slid inside. ‘Maybe not. But a woman as intelligent and beautiful as you … a man could get used to that.’ He braced his arm on the roof, leaning inside the car to brush his lips over mine. ‘I think I might have to keep you forever.’
I froze, the vulnerability in his eyes scattering my sanity to the warm Santa Ana winds.
‘Stay? A few more days? Come to the Emmys with me?’
Jess and I had two days left in LA. I had a pressing issue concerning my future career and the word ‘yes’ fought to escape my mouth with a force I felt insubstantial to withstand. I choked it back.
When my answer wasn’t forthcoming, Nathan shot me a wistful smile and pushed away from the car, closing my door. Within seconds he’d buckled up and pulled out into the light lunchtime traffic.
I needed to get home, to meet with my employers and reassure them my personal life wouldn’t jeopardise patient care. But I was seriously considering his invitation.
‘I’ve received a letter from the hospital seeking reassurance my recent notoriety won’t interfere with patient safety when I start my new job in a couple of weeks. They want me to make an appointment to discuss it.’
Concern pinched his eyebrows together. ‘Will you lose your job?’
I shrugged and looked away, the tightness in my throat evidence of my emotional investment in this man.
‘Do you want me to help?’ He reached for my hand, entwining our fingers.
I raised a sardonic brow at him. ‘But thanks, anyway.’
The silence in the car on the journey back to Los Feliz was cloying, pulling at my resolve and rocking my very foundations. Now that the end was in sight, it seemed I’d fallen for him after all.