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“Possible, not probable.”
He nods in agreement. “Unfortunately.”
“So you want to be in love? You want forever?” I’m kind of surprised we’re having this conversation, but I like it. Maybe he thinks I won’t remember in the morning. Either way, he’s forthcoming and doesn’t have his walls up. It’s nice.
He shakes his head and shrugs. “I have no idea what I want anymore. For a long time, no—love wasn’t on my radar, and if I stumbled across it, I got the hell out of there.”
“And now?” I look up into his beautiful face and hang on his words.
“Now, I have the urge to run.”
My stomach twists. “Will you?”
His eyes are locked with mine and the intensity of his gaze makes me want to look away, but I can’t. There’s something so forlorn in his gaze, sadness that never retreated, darkness that stole nearly all his light. I want to know what made him this way.
“No. Nothing could chase me away from you.” He’s so close to me and in that moment, everything feels surreal. It's as if a moment went missing from time. I feel the draw to him, the insatiable desire to touch his skin and feel his body on mine. I blink slowly, not wanting to miss a thing. Nate lingers there, head hung between his shoulders, his eyes locked on mine so long I think he’s not going to do anything. Certainly he senses this incredible attraction between us. It can’t be only me.
Just when I drop my gaze, I feel his finger under my chin. He tips my head back and, before I can ask what’s wrong, his lips are on mine. It’s a whisper of a kiss at first, but it quickly changes to something darker, something raw and unfettered. His mouth presses against mine, his tongue slipping between my lips, demanding more. He moans into my mouth as he stands and towers over me, holding my face, moving me where he wants me.
Nate presses me back into the couch, kissing me harder and straddling my lap. His hands are everywhere, touching, gripping, and holding me. I writhe beneath him wanting more, wishing there were no clothes between us. I tug his hair hard and drink him in, intoxicated with every bit of him. His scent fills my head and leaves me utterly breathless. I want him to ravage me. I want that feeling of oneness with him as he drives into me.
I press my hips up into his and arch my back against him. He’s breathing hard in my ear as he starts kissing my neck. His hands slide up my back, under my shirt, and he holds on tight. The bulge that’s rocking into me is becoming harder to ignore. I’m near mindless, purring into his kisses and begging him for more.
Slowly, he pulls away. “I want this too—so much, but not like this. Not tonight.”
“Nate,” I reach for him as he stands. “I can’t believe you’re rejecting me again.” I’m close to crying, and beyond ashamed.
“Kerry, I want to be with you,” he smiles down at me and gently explains, “but you’re a little wasted. I don’t want to take advantage of that. I don’t want you ever to think I’d do something like that. Don’t cry.”
I don’t answer. I can’t. The lump in my throat is the size of a bowling ball and choking me.
He turns and trails his fingers down my forearm and into my palm, lacing his fingers with mine before tilting his head to the side and saying, “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“To bed.”
CHAPTER 5
My arm is draped over my throbbing head as I slowly wake up. There’s a hammering in my head that won’t stop. The sandy sensation in my mouth isn’t cool either. I try to remember what I was doing that lead to this, and vividly recall going to the haunted bar with Emily. After that it gets fuzzy. I was hungry and ate Long Island Iced Teas for dinner instead of food. God, I need a drink of water. I try to swallow, but my throat is too dry.
Water. There’s a ping of a memory floating around in the back of my head. I didn’t want water and someone with nice hands was a total pusher.
The memories break through my hangover haze as they bust through the floodgates of my mind. You know those blinders that are attached to your brain that tell you something you did was so dumbass stupid that it refuses to take credit for it? Well, they break away, and I remember.
“Oh, crap,” I groan and drop my arm from my face. I squint away from the sunlight and feel some pity for vampires who have to walk around like that all the time. They’re commonly mistaken for nearsighted citizens. Squinting is not sexy.
Neither am I at the moment. I’m aware of my actions last night but too horrified to face Nate. The guy has got to think I’m insane. Speaking of Nate, I glance around and notice I’m in his bed alone. The spot next to me is wrinkle-free, and the bedspread still has neatly folded hospital corners.
The little room has yellow oak floors and white walls. A few articles of clothing litter the floor near a dresser in the corner with a TV on top. There’s a painting he made hanging over my head. I want to crane my neck to see it, but my brain is trying to claw its way out of my skull.
A floorboard creaks and Nate appears with a tray in his hands. He rounds the bed to the messy side and sets the tray on a nightstand.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He’s grinning down at me. He’s so freaking shiny I can barely look at him.
“It’s not nice to tease people.”
“I’m not, it’s the truth. I’ve never seen a more seductive woman in my life.” He’s grinning now, and I can’t help it, my face starts burning. “That show you put on was something else.”
