chapter twenty-six
I can’t sit stillas we get our late dinner. All I want to do is go back to our room and have my way with Nate, but nothing on the room service menu sounded good to either of us.
Nate’s hand lands on my bouncing leg. “Calm down. Aren’t you supposed to be relaxed after what happened earlier?”
“I just wanna be in a place where you can wear less clothes.”
“What have I done?” he asks with a laugh. “You’ll never leave me alone. We’re getting tacos, berry. Your favorite.”
Theyaremy favorite, which is the only reason I keep my mouth shut.
I might want to be lost in pleasure, but I enjoy this too. We’re more open than we ever have been. If I thought that Nate was free with touches before, it’s nothing compared to now.
We’re sitting on the same side of the booth, our arms pressed together like we’re planning a prank we want no one to hear. Every now and again, he’ll kiss me and my heart skips a beat.
There can’t be anything better than this.
But then I see someone running toward our table, and both of us tense.
“Nofreakingway!” It’s Trixie, and she looks like a child who’s found a candy store. “You’re together! I knew it!”
“Shit,” I mutter. If there’s anyone I want to run into, it’s Scarlett. I haven’t spent a lot of time with Trixie and Aaron, and I still feel defensive about the way they insisted we should be together.
They wereright, but still.
Nate inches away from me. “Hey. How is Aaron feeling?”
“Not as good as you two, I’d guess.” She winks.
“Babe,” Aaron calls. “Can we go to our table?”
“But I’m catching up with our friends! They’re together now!”
I tense and Nate does too. Neither of us have talked about what we are. We agreed we wouldn’t let any of this come between us, but I’m not sure what he wants. Sure, he’s dated before, but is he ready for commitment?
Fuck, commitment is all I’m used to. I’d love to have it with him.
We’ll need to figure it out without Trixie announcing it.
“Um, we’re not.” I say it to her gently. “We’re just ... close.”
She turns back to us with a frown. “Really? But I saw you kiss.”
“Like I said, we’re close.”
Her bottom lip pokes out as she considers us, but Aaron walks over. “If they’re insisting on being blind to their feelings, let them. I’m hungry, babe.”
Aaron drags Trixie away and I cross my arms. “I’m not being blind,” I mumble.
Nate is watching me, lips pressed together. “Right. So ... ‘close’ is the word?”
“It’s what worked.” I shrug.
He slowly nods. “Right. Close it is, then.”
“We can?—”
“So, steak or chicken tacos tonight?”
