"Yeah?"
"Turn the faucet on please."
"Huh?"
"Turn the faucet on. I don't want you to hear me pee."
Holding his laughter in, he shook his head and went over to turn the water on. Then, to make her feel better, he hit the button so the blower on the hand dryer came on.
It had just quit when the stall door opened again and she stepped out. He waited while she washed her hands, and then once again he tucked her under his arm and headed back. She seemed to have regained her bearings, but he liked holding her. Any excuse to touch her, he was going to take full advantage of.
When they got back to the others, Damon had arrived and had Serena on a bar stool, stroking her silky black hair. To most men, seeing the utter domestication of a friend might instill panic, or even disgust. For Nathan, watching the two men with their women filled him with an odd longing.
He'd never been opposed to love and commitment; he just hadn't ever found a woman that made him start thinking about it. Now when he looked at the two couples, the way they communicated silently with just a touch or a look, it made him feel almost lonely.
He looked down at Julie, and his grip tightened around her waist. If he could ever get her to stay still and in one place long enough, he'd show her just what it was he wanted from her.
His brow furrowed just a bit at the last. What did he want from her? From the beginning it hadn't just been about sex, though Lord knows he'd lusted after her to the point of insanity. He was perplexed by his reaction to her. She befuddled him. Kept him solidly off balance.
Was this how other guys felt when they met their woman?
"You have to go first, Serena," Faith said with a wave of her hand.
"Ah yes, so you don't look like an old married lady," Serena said dryly.
"Come on, Serena mine," Damon said with a chuckle. "Sam is beside himself with worry."
She looked at Damon then looked doubtfully at the floor. "Has the floor moved?"
Damon reached for her, pulling her down into his arms. He kissed the top of her head before tucking his arm around her waist. "Come on, love."
"G'night," Serena called with a backward wave of her hand.
Gray turned to Faith. "Now can we go?"
Julie frowned. "Would someone call the cab for me?"
Nathan scowled. Did she really think he was going to leave her here alone? "I'm not calling you a damn cab. I'm taking you home."
"Oh."
Content that she didn't offer any argument, he turned her toward the door and waved at Carl with a mouthed "thank you."
Carl grinned and offered a two-finger salute as he threw a towel over his shoulder.
Nathan opened the passenger door of his truck and hoisted her Julie into the seat. When she just sat there, he pulled the seat belt and reached over to buckle it for her.
"How do you do that?" she asked in bewildered tone.
"Do what, honey?"
"Pick me up like that. Like I don't weigh any more than a child."
He chuckled. "A little five foot nothing like you? Piece of cake."
She turned and locked gazes with him, her eyes shining a little brighter. "You honestly don't notice those extra pounds I'm carrying, do you? I love that about you."
Nathan was reminded of the conversation he'd had with Connor in the truck before Julie's accident. The idea that she was somehow not perfect baffled him.
He leaned in until their mouths were just an inch apart. "What I notice is that you're an incredibly sexy, mouthwateringly beautiful woman. In a word, you're fucking perfect."
She blinked as he drew away, her lips slightly parted as she stared at him with a dazed expression. "Wow."
He closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. The ride was quiet, and he periodically looked over to make sure she hadn't passed out, but she seemed wide-awake, her gaze focused out the windshield.
A while later, he pulled into her apartment complex. As he went around to get her out, he experienced a wave of deja vu. Unlike the last time he'd brought her home, this time he wasn't leaving. She'd obviously been left with the idea that he wasn't that interested, and he'd be damned if they went through all that again.
Wanting to impress her again, he swept her into his arms and carried her to the door. She sighed a happy little sound and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Where are your keys, honey?"
"Pocket," she mumbled.
He allowed her to slide down his body until her feet hit the ground and then he reached into her jeans pocket to pull out the keys.
A few minutes later they were inside, keys placed on her kitchen table. Nathan carried her to her bedroom.
The first time he'd brought her home, he'd undressed her as quickly as possible, feeling like a guilty voyeur the entire time. This time he was going to savor every moment.
"Nathan?"
They stood at the foot of her bed, and she looked up at him, her expression so trusting.
"Yes, honey?"
"You're about to see me naked, aren't you."
"Uh-huh."
"Do I get to see you naked?"
He chuckled. "You've already seen me naked, you little tease."
"You look good naked," she said with a sigh.
"So do you," he said huskily.
He reached for her shirt, pulling it over her head. She raised her arms in cooperation. Every part of his body started humming when the pink lacy bra came into view. Her breasts were thrust forward and straining against the cups, the darker peach of the aureoles playing an erotic game of peekaboo.
He was so going to hell for lusting over a drunk woman, but at the moment he couldn't see a downside in that.
When the shirt fell to the floor, he reached for the button of her jeans, loving the feel of her soft belly against his knuckles. He popped the fly and peeled the denim over her hips only to find the thinnest, silkiest pair of underwear that exactly matched the frothy confection that was her bra.
As he worked his hands over her ass to push the pants further down, he discovered that the panties were a thong.
Ah hell. He closed his eyes and shook his head, sure that instead of hell, he'd be assured sainthood if he survived this without throwing her on the bed and burying himself inside her.
Deciding there was no way he'd be able to make it if she slept naked beside him the entire night, he acted quickly and stripped off his T-shirt. He dropped it over her head and pulled her arms through the holes, satisfied when it fell below her hips. There. Almost completely covered.
He kicked off his shoes and hastily stripped down to his underwear, ignoring the way his damn dick was about to bust a hole in the material.
"Come on, honey, let's get you into bed."
She docilely let him lead her around the side of the bed and urge her onto the mattress. She crawled under the covers and laid her head on the pillow, closing her eyes immediately.
Well hell he thought ruefully. Passed out already. But when he climbed in beside her, gingerly easing the covers over his body, she turned into him, curling up like a contented kitten seeking warmth.
A massive wave of satisfaction rocked him. This . . . this was nice. Julie in his arms, sweet and warm, her soft breaths easing over his neck.
Careful not to disturb her, he wrapped on arm around her waist, pulling her in closer. He gently maneuvered his other arm underneath her neck so that she was cradled against his shoulder.