I laugh when the name pops up on my screen.
Knight-in-shining-armour
It’s creepy to stare at someone’s house, you know
Me
Archie, did you go on my phone again??? Your names changed!
Knight-in-shining-armour
I know not of what you speak of, fair maiden
Knight-in-shining-armour
But yes, I did. Nate’s in his workshop btw *heart eyes emoji*
Me
Thanks *kissy face emoji* book club later on?
Knight-in-shining-armour
You know it! *emoji wearing glasses* *book emoji* *wine emoji*
I get out of my car and walk over to Nate’s workshop. When I get there, his door is closed, but I can hear him inside rattling about the place. It makes me smile. This is his happy place, the place where he can relax, unwind, and work on the things he loves.
Stepping up to the door, I knock, knowing that things are about to change for good. This thing between us will hopefully become real, not one-sided, like it was before with Nate giving everything. But I know it was only one-sided because I was scared.
Nate opens the door, a beautiful smile blooming on his face, and suddenly it’s all too much. Everything over the past year comes flooding out of me because now I’m safe.
I’m happy, and I’m safe.
“Fuck, Hayleigh. C’mere.” He places the pencil he’s holding behind his ear and wraps me up in his arms, pulling me inside and closing the door.
I stand there for a few moments, letting everything out as he holds me. Eventually, I pull back and swipe the tears from under my eyes as I look up at him. I laugh.
A bewildered look crosses his face, but I stretch up and place my hands on either side of his cheeks. “Nate, I’m okay, and that’s mostly because of you. You’ve shown me what it is to start over and find myself again, to have hope that everything will work out, and I’m so thankful for that.”
His arms tighten behind me. His mouth lifts on one side. “It wasallyou, I was lucky to be a part of it, and I’d do it again for you in a heartbeat.”
I search his eyes and find nothing but the raw, honest truth. I stand on my tiptoes as he leans down to meet me with a kiss, but before I can get too lost, I pull back and rest my forehead on his. “I love you, Nate. I think I’ve loved you this whole time, even before I knew it myself. It hasalwaysbeen you.”
He bends his knees and picks me up, his strong arms lifting me from beneath. My back hits the door, his voice is low and gravelly in my ear. “Say it again.”
A sigh leaves my lips. “I love you, Nate Peterson.”
“I love you so much, Hayleigh. Always have and always will.” His lips crash into mine, searing and hot, and suddenly I can’t get closer to him, can’t get enough of him.
His lips rip away from mine as he places open kisses across my cheek and down my neck, biting at the junction where itmeets my shoulder, causing me to cry out as that all too amazing feeling shoots through to my core.
He grinds out. “Need you, now.” Then he’s spinning us around, striding across the room with his hulking frame, carrying me.
He places me on the surface of a huge slab of wood, stepping back from me before peeling off his Henley shirt, then undoing his jeans so they hang off his hips as he pulls his hard cock free while slowly pumping it, a look of pure pleasure in his eyes.
He stalks forward, and a thrill runs through me. His hands reach for the bottom of my t-shirt, and in one swift motion, it's up and off, then my bra as I bare my top half to him. His eyes zero in on my nipples when they pebble with the cool air hitting them.
He dips his head, capturing one in his mouth while his fingers move like magic across the other one. My hand flies to the back of his hair, my fingers tangling with his strands as he sucks and bites down hard enough to make me cry out. The pleasure and pain mix deliciously.
