The voice chided me until Nathan kissed my forehead and said, “You must be so proud of how far you’ve come from the girl that lived here.”
There was no condemnation in his voice. There were no judgmental eyes. Just pure, unadulterated sincerity. It was thefirst time I thought about how far I had come since I moved away from here. I graduated high school, got accepted into one of the greatest colleges in California and graduated. I ran in similar circles with the big names and faces of the people I used to have their pictures as the wallpaper of my cellphone, and I shared a beautiful home with my best friend.
All in all, I was pretty damn proud of myself.
“And this is where I had my first kiss.” I announced as I gestured towards the spot on the sidewalk in front of my old high school when we arrived after leaving my childhood home. “I was fifteen.”
“Fifteen?”
“Yes,” Color tinted my cheeks. “I was not as sexy as I am now,” I joked. “So it took a little longer for guys at school to notice me.”
“I had my first kiss at eleven,” Nathan bragged.
“No one likes a show off.” I playfully rolled my eyes.
A light chuckle escaped his lips. “So, did this guy have a name?”
“Yes. I’ll never forget it. His name was Spencer Hall. He was a junior and it happened one day when he was walking me home from school. I thought he was so cute and the best kisser ever.” I giggled, amused at the memory of awkward fifteen-year-old me and Spencer kissing.
“Best kisser, huh?” Something dark and possessive attached itself to Nathan’s voice, but instead of being frightened of it, I wanted it to come out and play.
“Oh yeah. I still think he’s one of the best kissers till this day.” I bit down on my lower lip to keep my laughter from spilling out.
“Really?” Nathan took a step towards me. “Sounds like I have competition.”
“Sounds like it.” I watched as Nathan took another casual step forward, even as he oozed with confidence.
“And you know how much I hate competition,” Nathan continued. “So if he’s your best kiss then that must mean he kissed you like this.” Nathan’s mouth swooped down and captured my lips in a hard, demanding kiss that left my knees feeling weak. “Or maybe even like this.” He brushed his lips against mine, biting down on my lower lip as he pulled away. “Or maybe your best kiss went a little something like this.” And his lips crashed against mine, his tongue demanding submission as he plunged and devoured my lips as if they were the answer to a prayer, but the sounds he was pulling out of me were anything but pure.
A loud honk from a passing car jolted us apart, snapping us back to the reality that we were standing in the middle of the sidewalk in front of a high school in broad daylight.
“Okay,” I said when I was finally able to find my voice. “You are officially the best man I’ve ever kissed.”
“Last man, Cupcake. I’m the last man you’ll ever kiss.” Nathan corrected me and the butterflies in my stomach quadrupled until all that was left was the abounding clarity that I was in love with Nathan Edge.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
ELISE
BRINGING NATHAN TOmeet my parents was a bad idea.
Every cell in my body testified to that as Nathan and I stood outside my mother’s favorite restaurant. I was nervous not because I thought they wouldn’t like Nathan, but because Nathan was the first man since Jax to meet my parents.
I wasn’t exactly popular growing up, not to mention I was raised by very strict Haitian parents, so there was never an opportunity for me to date before I went off to college, at least not without the fear that my dad would chop the guy’s private part off.
That fear was still there, coursing through me like I was a thirteen year old girl again as I gripped the handle of the gift bag in my hand that contained my mother’s birthday present as I waited to muster up the courage to walk inside the restaurant.
Unlike me, who was a ball of nerves, Nathan stood beside me the perfect picture of ease while holding a bottle of Kremas,the creamy alcoholic beverage native to my country of Haiti. I mentioned it earlier in the day while I showed him my old stomping grounds and by the time we arrived at Nathan’s hotel, there was a bottle waiting for us in his room. He must have pulled some strings, which might earn him some brownie points with my mom, but I’m afraid my father would be harder to please.
The curly fries I had earlier churned in my stomach and threatened to make an appearance at the thought of their impending meet.
My father wasn’t the most welcoming man in the world; his piercing and disappointing gaze were constant friends of mine throughout my life. It’s the same look of disappointment I envision he’ll give me when I reveal I’m dating my former boss and I quit my stable job for a dream that may or may not come true.
I suddenly wish I had a shot glass so I could pour myself some of the Kremas and have some liquid encouragement before facing my family. Hell, I’d drink from the bottle if it meant eliminating the fear, dread, and anxiety rumbling inside of me.
“How are you so calm?” I demanded. Nathan stood beside me looking as cool and collected as he did when he was dealing billion-dollar contracts. It was admirable as it was unnerving.
“Do you want me to be nervous?” Nathan arched a brow at me.
