Nate got up from his seat and clapped enthusiastically. The people around him looked at him strangely, wondering how come he had enjoyed such an horrible performance. But his eyes were only for Sophie who was smiling and bowing with the rest of the cast. She saw him in the audience and she gave him a small wave and a wink.
Two weeks had passed since Nate's shooting. He had been at home resting, well supposedly resting since she knew he had sneaked out a couple of times and gone to the office, for over a week now. Sophie's rest of the weekend with Sam had gone without trouble. She actually had fun and she had been a bit sad to see him leave on Sunday evening with Maggie. But Sam was going to stay with them that weekend and they were both looking forward to it.
The stage curtains closed and Nate made his way through the crowd to go behind the stage.
"You were great, Sophie" Nate noticed how the young man kept touching Sophie's arm. He recognized him from playing Lysander in the play. "The best" He gave her a charming smile. Nate's blood was beginning to boil through his veins.
"Oh, thank you, Brad" she smiled back. Then she noticed her boyfriend standing in the background.
"Nate" she ran to him and jumped in his arms to embrace him. She then gave him a big kiss on his lips. "I'm so happy you came"
"I wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world" he smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her again. He could see the other guy still lurking around. "Who's he?" he nodded towards the dark haired good-looking guy.
She turned to see her fellow actor watching them. "Oh, that's Brad" she waved him off.
"Hmmm…" Nate didn't like the guy and he was still glaring at him.
Sophie soon noticed that and she looked at him amused. "Are you jealous?"
Nate shook his head startled and looked down at the her completely lying. "What? Of course not!"
She grabbed his hand and they started walking towards her dressing room. She giggled as she closed the door behind them. "Haven't you learned by now that you can't lie to me?" She ran her hands up and down his chest. "Would you like to meet him?" she teased him. "Oh better, I think we should go out all us together. You, I, Brad and his partner…." She gave a dramatic pause "… his boyfriend" she wiggled her eyebrows.
"Huh?" then he finally it him. "Oh…." He blushed and looked down feeling a bit stupid. "These are for you" he gave her the bouquet of flowers he had bought, now he hoped that they were going to save him from his embarrassing moment.
"Oh, thank you. There are wonderful." She took the flowers and inhaled their beautiful perfume.
"And I've also booked us a table at a restaurant." He added rubbing his nose like he always did when he was nervous.
"Oh my, are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Ford?" she leaned to him feeling a bit coquettish.
"Maybe" his face became more red.
"Well… you shouldn't… I was there at the hospital and I distinctively remember the doctor saying no sex for at least 5 weeks." She pointed out at him.
He sneaked his arms around her waist. "Doctors' orders are meant to be broken" he nibbled at her bottom lip teasingly.
"I know. Like I know you've been sneaking out to go to your office" she scolded him putting some distance between. He sometimes liked to play dirty by distracting her with his body. "You need to slow down a bit, Nate. You've just got your stitches out yesterday and…"
He sighed. "Okay, okay. There's no need to lecture me. I promise I won't go to the office until my medical leave is over. Will that do?" his lifted his eyebrow in challenge. He really didn't want to fight.
"How about I'll make it even easier for you?" she started getting her scene costume off knowing that they were going to close everything soon.
"How?" Nate helped her with the zipper of the dress. He teased her by running his knuckles down her spine as he moved down his hand. He knew he had succeeded when he felt her shiver against him.
She turned her head around to glare at him and he couldn't help but smirk. "I was thinking we could go to London for a few days. It's time you met my family and once you start working again who knows when you'll be free to go there" She grabbed her clothes from her bag and quickly started getting dresses. Fortunately she had brought a dress for the right occasion.
"You want to suddenly leave for London?" he asked skeptically. He had to admit that he liked the idea. Going to London just him and Sophie and well, her family too.
"We could leave Monday evening and get back on Friday" she cleaned her face from the stage make-up and then applied some fresh one. "So, what do you think?" she turned around finally ready for their rest of the evening.
Nate wondered how she could always look so beautiful. Not that he didn't always think she were the most beautiful woman he had ever met. She could take his breath away, even in the morning when she had just woken up. He shook his head from where he stood there admiring her. "I think that I'm a very lucky man" he grinned.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation, but mentally she was smiling it always felt good to feel appreciated. "Nate, seriously?" she looked at him, hands on her hips.
He offered her arm to her and together they walked towards the exit. There were just a few people left and they waved goodbye to the few that had stopped them. "I say that when we get home, we'll spending the rest of the night booking flights" he smiled at her.
"Yes," she jumped excitedly. "I can't wait for you to meet Eleanor and Karen… well properly"
Nate looked at his watch "We'd better hurry before they give our table away" They reached his car and he opened the door for her.
During their dinner, Sophie talked about Eleanor and Karen. She kept telling him funny stories about hers and Eleanor's childhood or others stories about Karen when she was younger. Nate just sat there and listened with a smile. She rarely opened up about her past and when she did, Nate didn't want to miss anything. After dinner they drove to his apartment. Sophie was going to stay there though all Sam's visit.
"I had a great night" Sophie exclaimed when they entered the apartment. She took her jacket off and put her purse on the sitting room couch. "Thank you" she walked towards him and embraced him.
"You're most definitely welcome" he whispered back and gently kissed her cheek.
"Naaateee!" she warned him knowing exactly what he had planned for the rest of the evening. "There's no way we're going to have sex tonight, so stop trying"
He sighed. He recognized that tone and he knew that there was nothing he could say or do to make her change her mind. "How about some good old fashioned making out?"
She grinned. "That I could do" she gently pushed him towards the bedroom and they stumbled on top of the bed. She crawled on top of him and took his lips in hers. After some more teasing she got up from the bed and stood by the edge.
Nate looked at her confused. "I don't know how it works in Britain, but here in the US making out sessions are definitely longer"
She just glared at him and ran her hands through her hair. "I was thinking it would be better if we got ready for bed first. After part of the evening spent on the stage under the lights I need a shower"
"I could join you!" he quickly tried to get up.
"I don't think so" she stopped him with a hand on his chest. She smiled as she kissed his pout away. "You wait for me here, I'll be right back"
And Nate groaned as he watched her walk away. He swiftly got undressed and then he put his nightwear trousers and a vest on. He sat on bed leaning against the headboard patiently waiting for Sophie to come back. Fifteen minutes later she walked out of the bathrobe wearing her silky nightgown.
"Now, you've just decided to tease him to death, woman" Nate moaned complaining.
She smirked. "I consider it part of your punishment for getting shot." She crawled back on the bed and Nate's hands were quickly on her bringing her closer to him.
"Two months without sex… believe me… I've learned my lesson" he kissed her passionately.
Sophie ran her hands up his chest and stopped when she felt one of his scars under her fingertips. She broke the kiss to look down at where her hand was laying. The red bright scar was clearly visible on his skin, his chest hair still hadn't grown back from where they had to shave him for surgery. She slowly lifted his undershirt up so she inspected his other gunshot wound.
"I hope you have learned your lesson" she whispered sadly. She delicately traced both marks. "To think that I could have lost you" she tried to restrain her tears.
"Hey" Nate noticed her distress and brought his arms around her in comfort. "Everything is okay. Nothing happened to me. I'm here" he softly whispered to her.
"Don't you ever scare me like that, Nathan Ford" she strongly told him through her tears. "If anything should happen to you… I…" she couldn't get the words out. "I don't know if you have any idea how much I love you… I don't know how you've managed to turned me in this sappy woman who desperately needs her man, but I know that I can't live without you. Now that you have sneaked into my life, I need you there…" her words were full of emotion. She wasn't supposed to be like this, but Nathan Ford had managed to turn her life upside down.
"I love you too," he ran his hands on her cheeks, effectively drying her tears. "And I have no intention on leaving you, you've kind of stuck with me" he smirked.
She snorted still crying a little. She gave him a long intense kiss and then she laid on top of him, his strong arms holding her against him. Soon after they fell asleep still enfolded in each other's arms.
A/N So, in the next chapter we'll be seeing Nate meeting Eleanor and Karen, I wonder how that will go. Thanks for reading and for reviewing :)