He turned his hand under mine, lacing our fingers together. “I don’t talk about it much.”
I squeezed his hand tighter. “You don’t have to.”
Another wave of silence settled between us. Not uncomfortable, justheavy.And in that moment, something inside me shifted.
Nathan had built walls around himself so high that most people never even tried to scale them. But I saw him.Reallysaw him. The guarded man. The hurt boy. The person who, despite everything, still cared so deeply.
I didn’t want to walk away from that.
I didn’t want to walk away fromhim.
I swallowed, my voice softer when I finally spoke.
“Thank you.”
Nathan’s brows pulled together slightly. “For what?”
I glanced at him, holding his gaze. “For telling me,” I said. “For letting me in like that.”
Something in his expression shifted and his grip on my hand tightened just slightly. “You never have to thank me for that, Cupcake.”
Something warm and inexplicable spread through my chest. I didn’t even realize we reached my house until I noticed the car coming to a stop. Like always, Nathan rounded the car and opened the door for me before the two of us wordlessly began to make our way towards the front door.
“I would invite you in, but my boyfriend is inside.”
“Boyfriend?” Nathan arched a brow, taking a step closer.
“Yeah. Definitely not someone you should mess with. He’s kinda obsessed with me.” I giggled when Nathan glowered at me. “But he’s really hot, so I guess it evens out.”
“Really hot, huh?” Nathan smirked as he closed the remaining space between us, his voice dropping to a low murmur as he leaned in for a kiss.
“Extremely.” I murmured before Nathan’slips brushed against mine. The kiss was soft at first, almost teasing, like he was giving me a chance to pull away. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.
The second I sighed into his mouth, he took what little space remained between us and obliterated it. His hands slid around my waist, pulling me flush against him, and then he kissed me like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
Heat erupted in my veins, scorching away every rational thought. My fingers fisted his jacket as I melted into him, drowning in the taste of whiskey and something inherently him.
Nathan kissed me like he wanted to ruin me, like he was staking his claim, and by the time he pulled away, I was wrecked.
A small, embarrassing sound of protest escaped from me before I could stop it, and Nathan had the nerve to smirk.
His thumb grazed my swollen bottom lip, his gaze dark and knowing. “For the record,” he murmured, his voice thick with amusement and something heavier, “thisis me seducing you, Cupcake.”
I was still trying to formulate a response, something that didn’t involve dragging him inside and making him finish what he started, when I felt him tense.
His entire demeanor shifted in an instant.
Muscles coiled tight. Jaw clenched. Eyes turning into steel as they locked onto something behind me.
“Nathan?” My heart stuttered as I followed his gaze.
My front door was open.
A slow, creeping chill spread through my limbs, freezing every ounce of warmth from our kiss.
“I locked that before I left,” I whispered, my fingers tightening around his sleeve.
Nathan didn’t reply. Without a word, he stepped in front of me, his body a wall of tense, protective strength. He reached for the door, pushing it open with careful precision.
