Bring on the Wonder Ch. 02

When she was done with her toilette, Lizzie turned in his arms and rose onto her toes to give him a kiss. He held her against his chest and buried his nose in her hair.

"I want to make love to you, Lizzie."

She drew back and smiled, placing her palm against his cheek. "You always do."

He shook his head and tangled his fingers in her hair. Holding her head, he tipped her chin up and kissed her, claiming her lips in a slow, sensual kiss that could leave her in no doubt of how he wanted to make love to her.

"Not like this," he replied, his words washing over her lips on a sigh.

She blinked eyes now foggy with desire at him and nodded as much as she could while he held her head. He nodded as well and flicked the bathroom light off. Then he took her hands in his and led her out to the bed.

They climbed on together and lay facing each other. Nate reached out and brushed her hair back from her face. She turned her face with the caress and kissed the pad of his thumb when he stroked her lips with it. Her eyes looked luminous in the dim light of the bedroom and when she blinked again, her dark lashes opened over unshed tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He reached for her, bringing her into the circle of his arms. He gave her a tight squeeze and rolled her onto her back.

"I love you, Nate. Thank you so much for tonight."

He smiled and kissed her, taking his time to taste her and tease her out of this sudden melancholy. "You'll have many more opportunities to thank me for many other nights like this one."

She looked at him, her eyes flickering back and forth between his. He wondered what she was looking for there, and wondered if she would find it. He left himself open and exposed to her gaze, wishing that she'd find comfort in his eyes, in his face, in the strength of his arms around her.

She must have found whatever answer she sought because she placed her hand at the back of his neck and drew his face down to hers. Their next kiss obliterated any and all doubts or fears. Their lips met, soft at first, then with greater pressure. Nate felt the slickness of her tongue glide across his bottom lip and opened his mouth to let her in. She teased and tickled his lips with her tongue and he groaned at the way she stirred him like no other woman ever had. With just a kiss.

He ran his hands down her naked sides, pressing at her waist and smiling against her mouth at the way she twitched. He knew she was ticklish and moved his touch past that spot. She sighed into his mouth and licked his upper lip before nipping his bottom one. He lifted his head to see her grinning at him.

"Tease," he whispered and nipped her bottom lip in return. He kissed his way across her face to her ear where he licked and traced the contours of her ear. All the while, he exhaled hot breath across her skin and used his body weight to keep her still. He knew when he kissed her here and on her neck, she couldn't hold still. He loved to drive her crazy so he did it often.

He put his palm against her hip to hold her down and switched to her other ear. Her fingers clenched and relaxed in his hair as he kissed and licked her skin. He fully intended to kiss and lick every inch of her tonight, if only to find out how many times she'd scream his name. It was such a heady feeling to be able to undo her like this. He felt like the biggest man in the world when she clung to him and parted her legs at his touch.

As he continued to caress her naked body, he started to kiss his way down her neck. Lizzie lifted her chin and held her hand in his hair, keeping his mouth on her. Her breathing was short and ragged already and Nate gave himself an imaginary pat on the back. He lifted himself onto his elbows on either side of her head and brushed her hair back from her face.

"Lizzie," he whispered and kissed the tip of her nose. "My Lizzie."

She gave him a sultry smile and ran her fingertip over his lips. "I am yours, Nate."

He nodded, his heart skipping a beat. He bent his head to taste her lips again. And again, until the heat built between them again into an inferno.

Nate took her hands from behind his head and held them against the pillow she laid on. She strained against his hold, her lips seeking his. He drew away, planting teasing, quick kisses on her lips, cheeks, and neck. Then he moved down, dragging his tongue along the column of her throat. She turned her head with a gasp and arched under his grasp.

Pausing at the juncture between her neck and shoulder, Nate sucked on her skin, lapping at the spot with his tongue until he was sure there'd be a mark. Lizzie jerked in his hold, her legs scissoring beneath his body.

"Nate! You'll leave a bruise."

He chuckled and lifted his mouth to survey his handiwork. There was only a faint mark on her pale skin and he lifted a hand to touch it. "I know."

She tsked at him. He met her gaze for a moment before lowering his entire body to rest along hers. She gasped at the feeling of his weight settling over her and let her legs fall open on either side of him so her body cradled his. Planting her feet on the bed, she tilted her pelvis and Nate clenched his jaw when he felt the evidence of her desire for him.

He clutched her thigh and moved down her body. He dragged his mouth over her throat and the mark he'd made on her. He kissed his way across the swell of her breasts, stopping at one succulent nipple for a taste. She let out a ragged moan when he clamped his lips around it and sucked hard. Then he flicked his tongue over it a few times before moving onto the next one. He went back and forth between her breasts, caressing and kissing and sucking on them until she was panting for release.

With one hand, he pressed her legs open wider and kissed a path across her stomach. The closer he got to the wet heat between her legs, the harder she panted.

"Please, Nate. Oh, please."

"Easy, Lizzie. I'll take care of you." He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the inside of her thigh. "You know I'll always take care of you, baby."

She nodded, her eyes squeezed shut. Nate grinned and kissed her other thigh, moving an inch higher. He went back and forth between her legs, a little higher each time until he pressed a long kiss right on her soaking core. She shuddered and drove a hand through his hair to hold him there. He opened his mouth and licked her, one long lick from top to bottom and back again.

"Oh God."

Nate felt her fingers flex in his hair and he glanced up to see her tossing her head back and forth. He licked her again, watching her reaction. The third taste distracted him utterly and he forgot about watching her. He delved into her body, sliding his tongue in as deep as he could. He lifted a hand to rub her clit in hard, tight circles. She leaked, warm and lovely, into his mouth and he lapped her up.

God, he loved the taste of her. Loved the way she rose against his mouth and he would die over and over for the taste of her coming all over his tongue.

"Nate! Oh God, Nate, yes!"

Nate clamped his hands on her hips to hold her down as she bucked and writhed with her orgasm. He kept her hips pinned to the bed as he continued to devour her essence. He loved making her come like this. Of course, he loved making her come in any way possible. He licked her all over for a few more seconds before kissing his way back up her body to her lips.

"You're such a good girl to come for me so fast."

She let out a breathless laugh and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I try."

"God, Lizzie. You don't even have to try."

They kissed, bodies rubbing together as they savored the feeling of being naked together.

Nate put his mouth to Lizzie's ear. "Put me inside you, baby."

She shivered and reached down for where his hard length was trapped between them. She stroked him once and he bit down on her ear lobe, not hard, just as a warning. With a laugh, Lizzie angled him towards her ready body and he felt himself sinking into all her silken heat.

"Oh, Jesus, Lizzie, you feel so good."

She groaned in response and lifted her hips to meet his first slow thrust into her. Nate moved in her, stroking in and out a few times without lifting his head from her neck. He enjoyed the feeling of her opening for him, the way she tugged him closer, as if there were any possible way to be closer than this.

Bracing himself on an arm, he lifted his torso to look down at her. She blinked up at him, her eyes dark with lust and love. Nate kissed her and she moaned into his mouth at his next deep thrust. He teased her for a few moves after that, with shallow, rapid thrusts that had her arching off the bed. Her breasts pressed into his body, her nipples hard against his chest.

He watched her face as he continued to move in her. She closed her eyes, then she opened them on his next hard, deep push. Her breathing was ragged and harsh and her fingers dug reflexively into his shoulders. Nate kept his movements erratic, exulting in his control over her right now. Ninety-nine percent of the time, she had him wrapped around her little finger but this time, she was begging him. For what, he didn't think even she knew, but she was at his mercy.

Nate moved his hand to clutch her chin. "Open your eyes, Lizzie."

She did, opening them to narrow slits. For a long moment, Nate stared into the sapphire orbs, reading every one of her emotions and love for him there.

"You belong to me, you hear me, Lizzie?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Your body belongs to me." He emphasized his words with subtle moves of his hips. He rotated a little one way and then back the other. She moaned, her eyes rolling and her eyelids drooping low again.

"Don't you close your eyes. Look at me."

She opened them wide to stare at him, her breath nothing more than shallow pants.

"You are mine."

"Yes, Nate. I am yours."

Nate nodded, satisfied with her response. With that, he started to move faster, with purpose. No more teasing, no more playing around and making himself feel like the man for driving her insane. He claimed her then, taking her with every hammering thrust of his hips. She responded in kind, lifting her legs to trap his body to hers and lifting her head to kiss his chin and neck. He let her, and let out a loud groan when she squeezed her body around him. After that, he was a goner, just like always.

He pounded into her harder and faster until he felt that quickening in his belly and lower. Then he tensed, crying out her name.

She gasped and moaned as he moved in her, his rhythm shot to hell. He felt her tightening around him, milking him as she started to come along with him. They rode the wave together, mashed up words of love falling from their lips. Somehow, they ended up kissing, tongues tangling in a lazy, slow exploration following the peak of their passion.

After a time, they rolled to their sides and Nate tucked her against his chest. She pressed her nose to the hollow of his throat and inhaled.

"Sleep, my Lizzie."

He felt her lips curve in a smile.

"I love you, Nate."

"I love you, too." He tipped his chin down to kiss the top of her head. "Now sleep."

She obeyed and he followed.

****

When Nate's appointment with Lance arrived, he expected some tension or awkwardness. There was, perhaps a moment of it. Then Lance had broken the tension by telling Nate about his disaster of a date over the weekend.

"I mean, she was just crazy. Something wasn't right, you know what I mean?"

Nate laughed and shook his head. "Just because she talked about weddings?"

"On our first date!"

Silence descended following another round of laughter and Nate eyed Lance. He liked the man, he always had. Lizzie had been honest about the time she'd spent with Lance and Nate felt no jealousy or hostility towards him. More than anything he felt a burning curiosity.

"Why haven't you outed us?"

Lance seemed surprised by Nate's abrupt subject change. "Who would I 'out' you to?"

Nate shrugged. "The media?"

"Why would the media, or the world at large, care about you and Elizabeth?"

Nate raised his eyebrows. "You know who my father is."

"Do I?" Lance mimicked Nate's expression. "Mr. Whittenberg? Of Whittenberg International, the mother company of dozens of boutique and resort hotels? No. Who's he?"

Nate pointed a pen at Lance. "I will not tolerate your insolence!"

Lance laughed and slapped a hand on his knee. On the first day they'd met, they'd bonded over Austin Powers movies. Since then, they couldn't hold a single conversation without at least one quote or reference to one of the movies.

"I don't think anyone cares about you and your private life, even if your father is Davis Whittenberg." Lance leaned forward. "And I don't care about 'outing' you. I have no interest in hurting my friends."

"Are we friends?"

"Hope so." Lance grinned. "I don't let just anyone play with my money."

Nate laughed. "Maybe we should focus on business for at least five minutes. Then you can come with me to meet Lizzie for lunch."

"Yeah? You guys actually go out together?"

"Sort of. I mean, we meet up for lunch sometimes, so its brief. We usually grab something to go and sit in the park, if it's a nice day."

"Away from prying eyes?"

Nate nodded. "I suppose so. No one who knows us works downtown so chances are slim we'd be seen. And anyway, no one would think anything of it. We're not... open with our affections."

Lance studied Nate in silence for a moment. "What are you going to do?"

Nate had a feeling he wasn't asking what their lunch plans were. "If I knew, I wouldn't be talking about not being seen."

"Have you considered moving?"

"Where?" Nate sighed but gave Lance a half-hearted smile. This seemed strange to be talking to Lance about his relationship with Lizzie but he was glad for the big man's friendship. "At the moment, marriage between siblings is... frowned upon."

Lance chuckled. "I think it's more than frowned upon, buddy. I'm pretty sure it's illegal in all fifty states."

Nate nodded. He knew that. He knew more about each individual state's marriage laws than he ever thought he'd need to know.

Lance scratched his chin. "So. You guys have discussed marriage?"

Nate shook his head. "Not in so many words."

They fell silent again. Nate cleared his throat and shuffled some paper on his desk.

"Let's get to business, shall we?"

Lance nodded, looking relieved to have the subject changed. He moved closer to Nate's desk as they went over his accounts. Another hour passed as they covered everything he'd come to discuss, with one or two more Austin Powers quotes thrown in for good measure.

"Are you really meeting Elizabeth for lunch today?" Lance asked as they wrapped up their meeting.

"Yeah." Nate glanced at the clock. "We're running a little late but Lizzie doesn't mind waiting if it's sunny out."

Which it was. Lance and Nate found they didn't need jackets as they left the building and headed three blocks north to Golding Park, the halfway point between Nate's office and Lizzie's. As they approached, Nate spotted Lizzie on a park bench, reading a large manuscript, it looked like.

Lance was the first to speak when they got closer to her. "What on earth are you reading?"

She looked up in surprise, a smile breaking across her face when she saw Nate and Lance. "Hi!" She jumped to her feet to give Nate a hug first and he squeezed her around her waist before letting her turn to Lance. She hugged him as well before bending to pick up her purse and the manuscript. "How are you, Lance?"

"Great, thanks. You?"

"Wonderful." She beamed at Nate when she said it and Nate couldn't stop the foolish grin from spreading across his face.

"What is that monster you were reading?"

Lizzie laughed and shifted her pace closer to Nate's. "It's a manuscript I was given to look over. The author couldn't think of any cover ideas so I volunteered to read this."

"You don't have to read the whole thing, do you?" Lance looked aghast at the prospect.

"No, I don't have to, but it's actually pretty good so far."

Lance shook his head. "I've never been a big reader. Sports Illustrated is the most I read."

Nate and Lizzie both laughed at that. They knew he was far from the knucklehead jock he made himself out to be.

In another few minutes they were at the hotdog and pretzel stand that Nate and Lizzie preferred for their lunch dates. Well, Lizzie preferred it and Nate just did whatever he could to make her happy.

They got their orders and looked around for a spot to sit. Lance led the way towards an unclaimed picnic table in the shade of some trees. They spent the lunch hour talking and laughing as if nothing was troubling any of them. When it was time to go back to work, Nate and Lizzie balked near the sidewalk where she'd head in one direction and Nate in the other.

Lance took the hint and bent to kiss Lizzie on the cheek. Nate tamped down the slight urge to shove the man aside, as he knew it was a friendly embrace. Lance turned to shake Nate's hand and clap him on the back. They all agreed to get together in the coming weeks for a night out.

"Maybe I can scrounge up a date so we can all go out together."

Nate and Lizzie waved him off as he headed across the street. Then they faced each other in silence.

Nate ached to pull her into his arms and kiss her good-bye, as any man would with his woman. Lizzie watched him, her eyes shining and a smile playing on her lips as she watched him struggle.

"Nate, you don't--"

"Fuck it." He reached for her.

She gasped as he brought his lips down on hers. Nate wrapped his arms around her body and drew her close enough that he could feel the thudding of her heart against his chest.

He kept her close against him for as long as he could stand it. When he was in control of his own body again, he eased out of the kiss and opened his eyes. The look on Lizzie's face was a mixture of surprise and desire. She blinked and gazed up at him with her beautiful blue eyes before a smile broke out across her face.

"I do love when you surprise me, Nate."

He chuckled and gave her another light kiss before letting her go. "I do love surprising you, Lizzie."

She smiled and hugged him. Then they separated. Nate stood on the sidewalk, watching as she walked away from him. He stood there so long his shadow shifted around his feet on the sidewalk by half an inch. After another long minute staring at where Lizzie had last been visible, he turned to head back to his office for the rest of the afternoon. He had some more research to do.

****

Lizzie drove home that evening in a daze. It had been another average, run-of-the-mill day. That is, until her supervisor called her into his office to tell her about an exciting new opportunity for her. She had listened to the proposal and thanked him for the week he'd given her to think about it. Now she was wondering how to broach the subject with Nate.

Ever since her boss had told her about it, she'd gone back and forth between excitement and dread. This could be the best thing to happen, or the catalyst that destroys her relationship with her whole family. Except for Nate. She knew that they would endure. They always would. If she was sure of anything in this world, it was Nate and their love for each other.

She pulled into the driveway at home and gathered her things from the car before walking to the house. Nate was home already and she followed the fabulous smell into the kitchen.

"Good evening, my love." She dropped her purse and portfolio on a kitchen chair and crossed to give Nate a hug.

"Hello, sexy." He dropped his head to give her a kiss. "I was wondering when you were going to get home."

She patted his arm as he released her. "I'm always home at the same time."

He grinned and turned back to the pot sitting on the stove. "Can you set the table? This is just about ready."