I close up the bag and store it away. I’m going to savor each one.
Plucking the business card off the comforter, I stare down at the printed number. I could just text him and tell him thanks for the candies and that I really enjoyed them.
That would be the mature thing a thirty-three-year-old woman would do.
But I don’t.
Internally, I’m freaking out. I’m excited and scared at what this could mean.
I carefully place the business card on the nightstand.
Maybe I will text him later.
Before I can conquer my confusing feelings for this man,who seems to be making every attempt to get close to me, I need to go see if I can find something to eat for dinner.
My stomach isin knots as I stand in the gift shop. Everything is so expensive.
Between the rehab and the payment to Marcus, I have very little money to spend on food. I need to be smart. We get a set amount of money per day for meals added to our paycheck, but I want to save that so I have more money to put toward treatment and paying Marcus. Plus, I don’t get paid for another week.
I pick up a pack of peanut butter crackers, but my eyes bulge when I see the price tag. Placing it back on the shelf, I turn to the girl at the desk. “Is there maybe a grocery store or convenience store nearby that I could walk to?”
She rattles off a name and some vague directions, and I thank her as I turn to leave the gift shop. At least I have the name to look up walking directions on my phone. I’m so distracted by my unsuccessful mission to find dinner that I don’t even see the solid wall of muscle until I’m quite literally running into it.
“Oh my god,” I gasp as large hands grab onto my upper arms to steady me.
“Olive.”
My eyes fly up to meet Nate’s. “Nate,” I breathe out. “What are you doing here?”
His eyes roam my face, settling on my lips briefly. When they finally meet mine, he states, “I just got back from dealing with the police report and was heading up to my room before going out to dinner and saw you in here. Thought I would come say hi.”
I laugh nervously as I take a step back. He doesn’t release immediately, but when I take a second small step, he lets his hands drop. “Oh, well, hi! I’m glad to see you. I tried one of the candies. It was delicious. I was going to text you, but I didn’t want to bother you.”
He takes a small step forward. “I wouldn’t have given you my number if I didn’t want you to text me.”
My skin flushes as his regard for me deepens. Catching myself getting lost in his gaze, I bob my head. “Fair enough. I will text you later, then.”
He tips his head to the side, watching me. “Do you want to go to dinner with me?”
Oh no.
This is what I was trying to avoid. Cade had already asked me to dinner earlier. I didn’t want to admit to him that I didn’t have money to go out to eat, so I gave him the excuse that I was too tired.
With Nate, it’s even more embarrassing because I don’t know him. And to make it worse, I’m incredibly attracted to him and don’t want him to think less of me for it. I also don’t want to assume he’ll pay because that would be even more embarrassing to admit I can’t pay after waiting for him to pick up my tab.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m just going to take a little walk to the store and grab something.”
“To the store,” he repeats.
“Yep, with traveling so much, I kind of get sick of eating out and like to have small things to eat in my hotel room.”
He narrows his eyes as he nods slowly. I think he’s going to let me off with that excuse, but he moves closer to me and brushes a few strands of hair away from my face. As he runs the back of his finger down my cheek, desire shivers downmy spine. His eyes lock on my lips when he murmurs, “Yeah, that isn’t going to work for me.”
I scrunch my nose in confusion. “What do you mean?”
His hand intertwines with mine as he drags me farther out of the gift shop. “I’m taking you to dinner. My treat.”
I try to pull on his hand to get him to stop walking. He relents and pivots back to face me, keeping our hands locked. “Nate, I appreciate the offer, but you don’t have to do that. Besides”—I sweep a hand down my body—“I’m not exactly dressed to go out to eat.”
