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“If you’re waiting for me to have an epiphany and suddenly get what you’re saying, you’re going to be disappointed.” I blink at him and hold up my palms, shrugging. “I have no clue.”
“I know. That’s what makes you over-the-top, drop-dead, completely sexy. You’re an unattainable goddess. Nothing can hide that. Every man wants you and hardly any have the guts to talk to you. And if you try to seduce one, well, he feels average in comparison to you.”
I’m gaping at him. “What? No, I’m not. I think you need glasses, Smitty.”
Nate shakes his head. “Nope. That’s not even the most intimidating part.”
“There’s more?”
That dimple reappears when he speaks. “Yes, and this is the reason why you can’t find a rebound guy. A woman like you, a woman so irresistibly sexy has got to want a man of equal allure in bed. They think they’re outmatched.”
I snort and jab a finger at the socks lying on the floor. “By the sock monster? I don’t think so.”
He leans in and whispers in my ear. “I won’t lie to you. Every bit of it is true.”
“And you?” I turn to him and look into those blue eyes. “Are you afraid of me?”
“I’d be an idiot if I wasn’t intimidated by you. You’re incredibly sexy, smart, and determined. The more I know of you, the more I want to know. That night we were together was just a glimpse of what it would be like to be with you. I want that. You’re worth risking everything.” Nate closes the distance between us and presses his lips to my cheek.
He takes his hands and slides them up my arms until he’s cradling my head. When he tips it to the side, he lowers his mouth onto my neck, into the curve he was talking about earlier. His lips are hot and slick as he kisses that spot. My lashes lower and I suck in a jagged breath. Every inch of me wants this, wants him, but I can’t fathom what he’s told me.
I’m not that pretty. I’ve seen myself. I know. Why would any guy think that about me? I’m normal, average, with incredibly crappy luck. I mean, there’s a hot guy sucking on my neck and I want to melt into him, but at the same time, his words worry me. If he wanted to use me, he could have. If there was a time to lie to me, it's in the past. He didn’t have to say those things to be with me.
Unnerved, I pull away and press back into the headboard. Breathless, I ask, “Can we slow down?”
Nate nods slowly and looks up at me. “Anything you want.”
I manage a fake smile and nod. “It’s just that this feels like more than a random hookup. It wasn’t supposed to. It was supposed to be a one-night thing, a fuckable evening with a hot guy. Instead, it feels like you’re in my head.” And working your way into my heart. I can’t deal with that. I don’t want anyone there, not for a long time.
“If it’s any consolation, you’re in mine too. All day and night. All thoughts keep returning to you. I can’t help it, and it’s not something I wanted either.”
His words are brutally honest, unguarded. I glance up at him. “Then what are we doing?”
“I don’t know.” He slips out of bed and paces the floor for a moment, running his hands d
own his neck. His tight t-shirt clings to his body and his dark jeans hug his hips as he walks. He’s so perfect, so beautiful, and so closed off from the rest of the world. For some reason, he decided to speak to me, and I’m jacking it up.
Nate stops and glances over at me. “I don’t want to see you upset, and I know today is going to be hard for you. I meant it when I said I’d be your friend. I’m getting the vibe that you’re a loner despite all the friends you’ve made. There’s no one you completely lean on or trust.”
“After what’s happened, can you blame me?”
“No, not at all. Life takes its toll, Kerry. Just don’t shut everyone out. You can’t survive alone. Believe me, I know. I’ve tried.” Nate’s body tenses and his jaw locks. It’s like he’s ready to fight something I can’t see. He’s thinking of something specific—something he lived through. Even though it’s over, it’s still haunting him.
CHAPTER 6
After I shower and pull on another sweat suit—this one is Nate’s and really big—I check my messages. Beth left about twenty voicemails starting with a chipper ‘let’s go shopping’ to the frantic, ‘are you dead in a ditch’ message. I need to call her.
I punch in her number. When she picks up, I hear a variety of creative threats followed by shrill swearing.
“I'm sorry, Beth. I went out with Emily and ran into Nate.”
Beth sounds like she’s panting. “Nate? As in the hot teacher man?”
“Yeah. What are you doing?”
“Running.”
“Since when do you run?”
