“Youareticklish.”
He puts his hands up as he backs away from me. “Now, hang on. I know you have some information that you could use against me?—”
“Come here,” I urge. “I just want a very nice and normal hug.”
Nate is still backing up. “But I think you’re the bigger person and can file this away.”
I get close enough that I can reach for him again. He yelps and runs.
“Wait!” I yell after him. “Come back! Don’t abandon me like my father did!”
“Your father is a very nice man who would never leave you! You can’t guilt me like this!” he yells back.
“But I wanna test a theory!”
“I’m not your guinea pig!”
“What are friends for?”
“Friends don’t enjoy the other’s weaknesses!”
“Best friends do!”
chapter twenty-three
I,of course, don’t catch Nate. His long legs make him ridiculously fast.
So, I do what anyone else would do: I tell him while out of breath that I’ll forget about it and hit him when he least expects it.
Nate nearly jumps out of the elevator when I go for the same spot. I erupt in a cackle when he tries to get away from me.
“I fucking knew you wouldn’t let it go.” His bottom lip pokes out as he glares at me.
“Of course I wouldn’t. I know a weakness now.” I go for it again, but he stops me in my tracks by grabbing my arm.
“You lose reaching privileges.”
I use my other arm. I get one swipe in before he’s holding both of my arms, and I’m pressed against the elevator wall.
“Don’t make me regret letting you touch me.”
My jaw drops. He doesn’t mean it like it sounds, but my mind goes the wrong way and all I can think is that Iwishhe meant it that way. I wanted him to use that low voice on me and ask for more.
But then he’s gone.
“Sorry.” The tips of his ears are red. “Let’s forget that happened.”
I resist the urge to fan myself. “Yeah, definitely. I don’t wanna remember that you actually got the jump on me.”
Nate laughs. “That I will remember.”
The elevator stops at our floor and he gestures for me to go first. I consider it before shaking my head.
“Enjoy your shower. I’m gonna keep going up and hang out on the deck.”
“By the pool?”
I roll my eyes. “I won’t even go near it. I just wanna sit and not have to see your ass while you shower. Enjoy the privacy.” I all but push him out of the elevator.
