A Million Reasons

Unattainable

   Love always seemed unattainable to Aaliyah Richards. One-sided. Freely given but never returned. But in one afternoon, Nathaniel Greyson, the man who seemed impossibly out of her league, changed all that.

His confession of love, in essence, his willingness to make himself vulnerable, gave Aaliyah the courage to open her heart again. And now that it was open, she knew, there was no turning back.

"Liya?" Nathaniel's voice called from the bed.

Turning, Aaliyah smiled as she was greeted with a boyish grin. Rubbing his blue eyes, he sat silently; watching her as she stood on the balcony, wearing one of his oversized sweaters.

When he motioned for her to return, with his index finger and a deviant smile, she couldn't deny her need for him.

"Good morning," She sang as she closed the French doors and made her way to his arms.

"Good morning." He kissed her and pulled her close. "You're freezing. You do know it's January, right?"

"I guess you're just going to have to warm me up." She nibbled on his neck.

"Is that right?" he moaned, as he pulled the sweater off her naked body.

"Can't have me catching a cold, now can we?" She teased as she mounted his strong body and slowly began bucking her hips.

"No. We can't." he groaned, as he closed his eyes, held on to her thighs, and let her curves take full control.

"Oh, Nate." She gasped, as his strong hands traveled north—burning a trail of fire that began at her narrow waist, and ended, with one of his thumbs engorged in her wet mouth while the other branded the tip of her breast.

Swirling her hips, she quickened her pace, causing Nathaniel's eyes to buck open as he sat up, and possessed her lips with a heated kiss.

"Shit, Liya." He groaned in between kisses as he held her tight and joined in the heated rhythm. As her cries grew louder and echoed down the hall, they were oblivious to the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"Nate!" Aaliyah's cries muffled the sounds of the footsteps approaching the bedroom door.

By the time the doorknob started to turn, there was no denying—by the sounds of her cries—Nathaniel had her on the verge.

"Oh, god!" a middle-aged woman cried as the door flew open, and the sight of Nathaniel's strong naked body, mounting Aaliyah from behind, must have given her a heart attack.

"Shit!" Nathaniel struggled with the sheets as he and Aaliyah desperately tried to cover themselves. "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry. I...I was told no one lived here." She covered her eyes, masking the beet red complexion on her cheeks.

"I'm the realtor. Mr. And Mrs. Greyson procured me to put the place on the market."

Panting for breath, Aaliyah turned her attention to Nate. Judging from the expression on his face, she knew this was the end of their little weekend getaway.

*****

"I don't care what you have to do Rachel, put my father on the phone!" Nate paced the living room floor as Liya, and the realtor sat quietly.

"I'm so sorry Miss. I had no idea anyone would be here." The woman smiled shyly. "To be honest, my hearing's not the best, so..."

"It's alright," Aaliyah stopped the woman, not wanting to relive one of the most embarrassing moments of her life.

"Well. I'll leave you two alone. I'll come back when everything is settled."

Aaliyah rose to her feet and escorted the woman to the door but not before looking over her shoulder at Nathaniel. She'd never seen this side of him before, and to be honest, it scared her.

"If you don't mind me saying...", the realtor stopped in her tracks and gave Aaliyah a warm smile. "You're one lucky woman." She winked and went about her way.

Smiling to herself, Aaliyah stood speechless as the realtor got in her Cadillac and drove away. Returning to the living room, she hoped that Nate had calmed down, but no such luck.

"Rachel, tell my father this isn't over with! There is no way in hell I'm going to sit back and let him sell my mother's house!" When he hung up and threw his phone, leaving an indentation in the drywall, Aaliyah jumped.

"Nate, please. You're scaring me."

"Baby, I'm sorry. It's just...", He ran his hands through his hair. "If my father thinks he's going to sell this place, he's dead wrong."

"It's going to be alright." She tried to soothe his anger by rubbing his shoulder but he pulled away.

"Pack your things. We're heading back to New York."

Standing alone in the living room, Aaliyah fought back the tears. Wiping her cheeks, she noticed the tremble in her hand. She was afraid. The man she just witnessed moments ago was not her Nate. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she walked to the bedroom to start packing—her mind, wrestling with the notion that she was involved with a total stranger—one with a temper from hell.