Crew Hates, page 9
Robbie turned to me with big eyes. “It’s officially over. I’d suggest getting drunk and talking shit, but my girlfriend awaits.” He reached for his backpack under the seat in front of him and stood. “Been a pleasure. I doubt we’ll keep in touch, so I forgive you in advance.” After a thumbs-up he turned to Nick. “See ya when I see ya, bro.” He saluted then mumbled something to Rosa and kissed her on the cheek before waiting anxiously at the little wall that separated us from our employers. Correction—our former employers.
Rosa gathered her knitting bag and also prepared to exit. That left Nick and me to exchange the first real eye contact since the night before. He leaned over the center aisle.
“What are you doing now?”
I plucked at my polo shirt. “Going home and taking this off immediately.”
“That sounds amazing. Actually, I was thinking about doing the exact same thing. We should probably do it together.” It was impossible to tell if he was joking or dead serious. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “Come over.”
“I…” My heart rate sped up and heat flushed my chest and neck. Holy crap. He was serious. There was a cautious part of me that urged me to say no, that told me to be a good girl and make the man buy me dinner first. But why not go over? I didn’t think Nick was the kind of man who would force me to do anything I wasn’t ready for. Besides, the alternative was going home by myself and cracking open my textbooks. One more night of a vacation wouldn’t kill me.
Nick hitched his bag over his shoulder. “Fine. I’ll sweeten the deal. I’ll make you dinner.”
I raised my eyebrows, impressed. “Well, I mean, if you’re cooking, it seems super rude to refuse.”
“Settled then.”
The plane began to empty out, and I waited for Rosa to exit before following her down the aisle. My nerves crackled with anticipation. There had been a part of me that wondered if whatever attraction Nick and I shared would end when we landed. But it only seemed to be going into overdrive.
After customs and passport control, we found sleek SUVs waited for the Phillips family and a pretty girl waved from behind a security fence. Robbie darted over after claiming his suitcase, leaving Nick and me standing alone with our bags.
“There’s a car waiting for us. Come on.”
I was really doing it, following my hottie crewmate and going home with him. My brothers would not approve, which almost made it more fun.
Sure enough, a town car had a sign with Nick’s name, and after securing our bags in the trunk, we slid into the backseat.
Nick looked me over and frowned. “You’re quiet. If you want, the car can take you home. We can even drop you first. You don’t have to come over.” He shook his head. “Sorry. I was just nervous that if we put some space between us, you would decide I wasn’t your type.”
“What?” I spun to face him. “You literally tick every box.”
His confidence came back with a cheeky grin. “That seems unlikely. You haven’t discovered all my boxes.”
Something told me that the remaining boxes wouldn’t be an issue. I’d already kissed him and loved it.
I shook my head. “I’ll take my chances.”
We slowed to a stop in traffic, and Nick interlaced our fingers but looked forward.
“I might not be the best at dating. I haven’t really done it recently.”
“Oh. So, we’re dating now? I thought you were just going to make me dinner and watch me burn this uniform.”
“I don’t know what we are, but we are doing more than that.” His face fell. “I mean, if you want to. God, I really suck at this. Sorry.”
I smiled. “Actually, it’s kinda nice. It gives me an advantage. Keep being a bad dater and assuming that you’re getting me in bed. It levels the playing field.”
Nick laughed. “I don’t know what field you’re playing on, but your body gives you all the advantage you need. You are what every man dreams about.”
Whoa. That was a massive compliment coming from what had previously been the grumpiest person I’d ever met. I’d never thought of myself like that before. Sure, I’d had boyfriends who’d said I was beautiful or pretty, but none had gone as far as Nick just had.
“Hey, can you pull over at that grocery store?” Nick asked the driver. Then to me, “I’ll just be a minute. I don’t think I have any food for the meal I’ve promised.”
“We can just order in if you want.”
“Oh no. I said I’d cook you a meal. I’m keeping my word. I don’t need you getting any more of the upper hand.”
While I waited in the car, I thought about his statement. Maybe he was just wooing me to get me into bed. After all, I still wasn’t convinced I was his type. Was it better if I went home? No, I could go home whenever I wanted to. He wasn’t going to tie me to his bed and hold me prisoner. What was it about me that couldn’t take him at his word? I was being earnest, so what made me think he wasn’t?
Nick walked back to the car with two full grocery bags and a massive smile. Okay, I was going to go with the flow. What do I have to lose?
We pulled up to a typical Spanish-style house. It was a lot bigger than I imagined his place to be. But as Nick led me around the back, I was relieved to see he lived in the bungalow instead.
Inside, everything was tidy but warmly decorated. A big, white comfy couch took up most of the living room and the open kitchen had sparkling dark-blue tiles. The nautical theme seemed to follow everywhere. There was even a miniature sailboat on the wooden coffee table.
“I rent the place from my uncle. His wife decorated.” Nick set the grocery bags on the counter next to the sink. “Do you mind if I grab a quick shower? Then you’re welcome to it while I cook.”
“Sounds perfect.” I left my bag next to the door and went over to the couch where I sent texts to my family saying I’d safely landed and would call the next day. The act of sitting on something comfortable made the exhaustion of the trip overwhelm me. Before I realized what I was doing, I laid my head down and closed my eyes. Nick would surely wake me up if I fell asleep…
Chapter Fifteen
Day Sixteen
An ache in my neck woke me up, and it took me a second to remember where I was. I blinked the room into focus. A distant streetlight glowed in the distance, otherwise the room was dark.
Oh no.
I’d fallen asleep, and he’d left me on his couch. It was me who sucked at dating. And I was still in the horrible uniform. I hadn’t showered since the boat, and my teeth had a film of nastiness on them. I reached for my phone and turned on the flashlight. With the movement, a soft blanket fell on the floor. Nick had covered me, and I hadn’t even woken up for that.
I padded over to my suitcase and opened it up as quietly as I could on the floor. My toilet bag was right on top, and I took it down the hall to the bathroom and closed the door. As I brushed my teeth, I finally peeled of the polo and shorts, revealing my boring bra and underwear. I spit in the sink, got naked and headed over to the shower. If Nick could forgive me for falling asleep, he wouldn’t mind me showering at three a.m.
A big fluffy towel waited for me on the bar, and I dried off then wrapped it around me. All my clothes were dirty. Maybe if I snuck into Nick’s bedroom… I was slightly curious about what he was sleeping on and in.
I tiptoed to his room where the door was ajar. A sliver of moonlight lit his bed where he was asleep on his side, probably loving all the full space he’d been missing on the boat. He looked so peaceful all curled up. The kink in my neck tightened and begged me not to go back to the couch.
His bed was big—a king-size, from what I could tell in the dark. There was plenty of room in it for one more. But I couldn’t go in with my wet towel. That was bad bed etiquette. So was creeping into one in the middle of the night, but I’d already proven I was a bad date. Why not go all in?
Fumbling through his drawers would be crossing the line, though. I padded over to the empty side of the bed and chewed my lip for a second. He was out cold. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t wake him. I dropped the towel, half expecting for his eyes to fly open. But he continued his quiet breath of deep sleep.
Slowly, I lifted the duvet and lay down. Nick turned to his other side, away from me, and I lay as still as I could until the jet lag smacked me back to sleep.
* * * *
The smell of coffee drifted toward me, and I opened my eyes to bright sunlight beaming through the window and Nick standing in the doorway with a cup in his hands. He glanced to the floor then back to me.
“Morning,” I said and spooned the soft pillow next to me.
Nick opened his mouth, did another scan of the floor and me then asked, “Are you naked?”
Crap. Yes, I was. I let out a nervous giggle. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. I didn’t think it was right to go through your drawers, and all my stuff is dirty.”
“You didn’t want to go through my drawers, but you slept next to me naked all night?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Jet-lag logic?” I shrugged. “I’m sorry I missed your dinner.”
“I’m pretty sure I forgive you.” He set his mug on the dresser then opened two drawers and threw a T-shirt and basketball shorts at me. “Breakfast is ready.”
He closed the door behind him, and I got dressed. I realized my bra was on the bathroom floor with the rest of my clothes, so I crossed my arms to cover my boobs, which seemed silly after how I’d spent the night.
In the kitchen, two plates were set out at the bar. A bowl of freshly cut fruit was between them with a basket of toast behind it.
“Nice spread.” I slid into the barstool, and Nick did the same next to me. “I’m really sorry I fell asleep. I think the exhaustion just barreled into me the minute I sat down.”
“For what it’s worth, the minute I saw you’d passed out, I went to bed, too. Our first date was a massive failure.”
I served myself some salad then pointed the spoon to him. “Although, you did get me naked. That must have been on your list.”
“I should have been more specific.” He sighed and took a bite of toast. “Can I get a re-do? Tonight, maybe?”
Maybe it had all been a sign that we were moving a bit too fast. It was probably due to the fact that we had been forbidden fruit on the boat.
“I’m seeing my family tonight. But I’m free Friday—you know, for a proper date.”
Nick was quiet for a beat then said, “I’ll drive you home whenever you’re ready.”
I didn’t know what had happened and I wasn’t interested in guessing. So I asked, “What just happened there? What did I say?”
“I like that you’re seeing your family. I’ve kinda given up on mine.”
“You have your uncle, right?”
“He has his own family to worry about. But I’m not trying to turn this into a pity party. Friday night, prepare to be dated.” He stood and took his plate to the sink. “I’ll handle this. You can get dressed, unless you want to wear that home.”
“Don’t tempt me. But yeah, lemme change.” I pushed away from the bar and went over to my open suitcase on the floor and rummaged around until I found my cut-offs and the same T-shirt I’d worn when we’d had a drink in France.
“Emmie?” Nick asked as I passed by the kitchen on my way to the bathroom.
“Yeah?”
“You weren’t expecting me to do something last night, were you?”
Quite the opposite. “No. I’m sorry if that was confusing. I actually thought that even if you woke up and saw me naked, you would wait until I was fully awake to do anything about it.”
“You were right. And thanks for trusting me.”
I smiled, I liked that I was right and that he’d said so. I walked over to him and kissed him on his scruffy cheek. “I may not know all your boxes yet, but I know you’re a gentleman.”
“Tell that to the beast inside me who would like nothing more than to throw you over my shoulder and take my clothes off you and me.” He winked. “Go get dressed before I prove you wrong.”
Chapter Sixteen
Day Eighteen
Considering my shoe collection was mostly sneakers and Crocs, I was thankful to find an old pair of black sandals with a heel to go with my dress. Nick had mentioned showing cleavage and boy, oh boy were my girls out. I just hoped the sheer long sleeves added a hit of class, because the dang dress was short, too. I had it all out on display. But it had been ages since I’d gone on a real date, and I was determined to be hot.
I took a final spin in the mirror and hoped that I hadn’t gone overboard. Also, I was pretty sure that I was going to finish at Nick’s place doing something wonderfully dirty, so I’d upped my underwear game to black lace. Well, I hoped we would end up like that. He might have changed his mind in the previous twenty-four hours and want to take things slow—although it couldn’t get much slower than falling asleep on his couch.
My phone beeped with a text asking if I wanted him to come up. No, I wanted to walk to his car with my legs shimmering from the oil I’d used and my hair blowing in the wind like a shampoo commercial. I sent a quick text back and grabbed my things before taking the elevator down to street level.
Nick leaned next to his car on the passenger side in a button-down white shirt and dark jeans. He’d kept his stubble and it suited him well. He widened his eyes as I approached.
“Holy smoking hot shit. What happened to sweet, nosy Emmie with her polo shirt and sensible shoes?”
“She stayed home tonight.” There was a coy playfulness in my voice. It was true. Nick had only really seen one side of me so far. I hoped he liked the other parts of me, too.
“You look fantastic.” Nick opened the car door, and I kissed him on the cheek as I passed.
“So do you.”
We had dinner at a restaurant on the beach, and it was a seriously proper and fabulous date. Even the lulls in conversation were comfortable. After dinner we actually strolled along the water holding hands. He was definitely ticking boxes.
As we walked back toward the restaurant, I asked, “Will you take me home?”
Nick wrinkled his brow. “Of course. What did you think, that I’d make you get a cab?”
I stopped, stood on my tip toes and wrapped my arms around his neck so that my heels were dangling behind him. “I mean your home. I think we better start knocking some things off your list.”
“We knocked a few off tonight. You might be surprised to know it’s not all sex.”
“More like disappointed.” I pecked him on the mouth then stepped back.
“I’m starting to think you have your own list.”
“Possibly.” I grinned over my shoulder then walked to the steps of the pier where we’d gotten onto the beach. I sat down and put on my shoes while Nick slipped into his next to me. He reached down and offered me his hand and a silent tension built between us.
It lasted through the car ride to his place and intensified as we made our way to his door.
Nick put the key in then turned to me. “You don’t have to—”
“I know.” I loved that he said it but worrying about him not respecting me was far from my mind.
He finished unlocking the door and held it open for me. Inside I set my small clutch on the coffee table then turned around. Nick closed it behind him but stayed where he was.
Maybe he was waiting for me to make the first move, to confirm that I wanted to take things to another level. That wasn’t going to be a problem. I moved over to him, and he looked down at me and slightly tilted his head.
“I like the way you see me.” His confession made me wonder how other people had seen him, and I remembered Abby and Victoria talking about him. He was gorgeous, but he was also witty and kind in subtle ways that they didn’t bother picking up on. There was a certain sadness in his eyes that touched my heart.
I stroked my fingers above his ear. “I like what you’re showing me and”—I unbuttoned his shirt—“and I’d like to see more.”
Our lips met for a soft kiss, and we held it as if gathering energy for what was to come. Then we both deepened the kiss, and he slid his hands up my dress and grabbed my ass with a throaty groan. I wrapped my arms around him and hopped up.
Nick carried me to the bedroom then put me down. He sat on the edge of the bed and bit his lip.
“What?” I asked. Maybe he was in the taking it slow camp after all.
“Undressing you is kinda on my list.”
“Seriously?” That was a random and yet entirely specific task.
“It’s from two weeks of watching you do it yourself and not showing me skin. It was making me crazy.”
All those days when I’d thought he wasn’t paying attention to me getting in and out of uniforms, he’d been pining away on that bunk. Hot.
I lifted a leg and put my foot in his lap. “You can start with the shoes.”
Nick ran his fingers down my calf and electric shocks buzzed in my body. He unbuckled the strap, and I thanked my days of gymnastics as a child for me balancing on one leg—in a heel, nonetheless.
Once the shoe was on the floor, he peppered kisses from the top of my foot to my knee. I shuddered through the blissful anticipation for what was to come. He repeated on the other side then took off his own shirt.
“Turn around.” Nick stood as I obeyed then moved my hair to one side. He gave me warm, small kisses on my shoulder as he tugged at the zipper along my back. The dress fell to the floor, and Nick smoothed his hands over my ass then up my stomach. I leaned into him, and he cupped a breast. A happy whimper escaped my throat as he moved his mouth up my neck and looped his tongue around my earlobe.
He stopped his free hand below my belly button at the hem of my underwear. He tapped his finger twice and whispered, “Knock, knock.”
I moaned. Him still checking in made me even more sure of what we were doing.
