With a bit of smirk, Nate said, “Just checking to see if you needed anything.”
“No…” I wanted to groan out loud. I sounded breathless, like I’d just run a race. I’d frequently asked myself what the heck was wrong with me over the past six weeks. Somehow the presence of this man reduced me to a quivering mess. He smelled of soap and the outdoors, and all I ever wanted to do was bury my face in his chest and soak it in.
Chill, Elle.
“You have fun at the brewery on Friday?” he asked.
“Yep.” I patted myself on the back for my stronger voice. “You?”
Nate gave me a warm look. “Sure did. Would have had even more fun if I got a chance to talk to you.”
My phone vibrated its siren call from the table, causing us to glance down. A reprieve. I saw Ava’s name flash on the screen.
Glancing back to Nate, I whispered, “Sorry, it’s my sister.”
Nate looked down as the phone lit up again, paused, then grinned. “I’ll let you get to it. You know where I am if you need anything.”
Mutely, I nodded and looked to my phone, already feeling the loss of a guy that wasn’t even mine. Those feelings vanished when I saw the text that was currently lighting up the screen from Ava.
Ava:Saddle up, Elle. I’m sure Mr. Nate Robertswould be perfectly fine with you jumping his bones. Get it, girl. Come over when you’re done. Love you!
I gasped.
Holy.
Shit.
I was dead. Right? Surely, I was.
Maybe he hadn’t seen that message. Had all of it been visible on the phone? Feeling my cheeks flush, I slowly moved to look up, praying he wouldn’t be there.
Yep, still standing there, book in hand, watching.
Fabulous.
As our gazes locked, Nate took a step closer, his scent surrounding me as I prayed to be swallowed into the floor. He laid the book down and braced himself on the table.
Even while swimming in mortification, I noted those enticing forearms. In my steady diet of romance books, they often waxed poetic about forearms, which had always puzzled me. Who gave a damn about forearms? Looks like I just hadn’t been around the right guys, because Nate’s forearms did something to me.
Nate proceeded to rock my world as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “FYI, your sister’s plan sounds good to me.”
Standing up, he shot me a wink and then headed across the room to meet Gabby, who was coming down from the offices upstairs.
I worked to even out my breathing and find a way to ignore the urge telling me to drop my head to the table and give up the ghost.
Seriously?
Ava and her timing could not possibly be worse. Allowing for another quick glance in his direction, I found Nate watching from where he now stood with Gabby as she sorted a cart of books into piles.
His eyes heated and he raised an eyebrow at me.
Whoa. What the hell was going on?
6
The Shit Hits the Fan
Nate
