Nat’s fingers are firm and warm on my upper arms as he helps me sit on the bed. He must think I’m an undisciplined, messy drunk. How do I get him out of my room as fast as possible?
While I’m freaking out, Nat calmly falls to his knees in front of me. His large, steady hands wrap around my ankle and lift my leg to balance on his knee.
I jerk back on instinct, almost kicking him in the head.
Nat looks up, his handsome face calm and unruffled. Moonlight filters through the curtains in my bedroom, shading his jawline in silver.
“I’m taking off your shoes, Riles.”
“I-I’ll do it,” I argue weakly.
Nat holds firm and gives me a look that sends a delicious tingle down my spine. I know the good-natured Nat. The do-anything-for-a-laugh Nat. The hide-his-pain-behind-a-smile Nat. So who is this take-charge, do-what-I-say-while-I’m-asking-nicely Nat?
And why do I like him?
I shrink back and Nat proceeds to untie my steel-toed work boots. He slips it off my feet as if it’s as dainty as Cinderella’s glass slipper and then he reaches for my other foot and rests it on his knee. Nat removes the second shoe with the same tenderness and looks up at me.
The jolt of adrenaline that shoots through my heart when his green eyes connect with mine sobers me instantly.
I hiccup.
Nat pretends not to hear. “Do you still feel nauseous? Can you lie down?”
I bite down on my bottom lip, too hyper-aware of him to speak, so I simply nod.
“Did you eat anything before you drank tonight?”
I hesitate and then I shake my head. After that hard conversation with Nat, I hadn’t been hungry. I tried my best to get out of the ‘welcome party’ Rebel invited me to, but she refused to hear any excuses and claimed that I’d been in Lucky Falls too long without hanging out with The Pink Garage mechanics.
My plan was to stay at The Tipsy Tuna for a short time, make an excuse and leave, so I hadn’t ordered any food.
That was the wrong choice given how much I drank tonight.
“Drinking on an empty stomach? What were you thinking, shrimp?”
I was thinking that I regretted pushing Nat out of my office and that I really wanted to take it all back and beg him to forget I ever said anything. That I’d happily love him from afar while suffering in silence.
“Why do you make me worry about you?” Nat leans forward and brushes a lock of hair behind my ear. The briefest skim of his fingertips on my face makes my entire body heat up. I barely stop myself from running my nose against his palm like a puppy to its owner.
Come on, Riley. Have some class. Didn’t you promise you weren’t taking this road again? Didn’t you say all these grand things about being an adult and having your own agency and not living your life for a man?
Did I?
It’s hard to remember while I’m staring into Nathan Campbell’s beautiful eyes. Anticipation and promise buzzes inthe air around us. My eyes dip to his lips which are closer than they’ve ever been.
My heart picks up the pace.
And the question I shooed away in the bathroom comes slinking back like a shy cat, brushing my ankle and daring me to notice it.
What would I do if Nathan Campbell leaned over and kissed me?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
NATHAN
I cannot, under any circumstances, kiss Riley Carter.
At least, not like this.
