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“You guys would’ve worked it out eventually.” Suds roll to her elbows, dripping onto her clothes. With her hair swept up into a tousled summer bun, she looks effortlessly beautiful.
“I’m not so sure we would have. The two of you have a deep, loving connection. He trusts you. I really appreciate your help with him.” I pause, struggling to put my emotions into words. “I’ve always had difficulty being open about my own feelings. Maybe it’s a doctor thing, wanting to stay strong for my patients. But with you…”
“What about me?”
I shrug one shoulder as she hands me the final plate to dry. “You make me want to be more open. Not just with you, but with my son. I meant what I said before. I want to do better. Ineedto do better. So thank you for helping me realize that.”
Natasha smiles. “I’m glad I could do that for you.”
I set the last plate down and hand her a clean towel to dry her hands. Our fingers touch, and neither of us pulls away.
“You should think about going into mediation after law school,” I tell her, only half-joking. “You’d be great at it.”
“I don’t know about that.” She blushes faintly as she towels off her arms and pats at the soap suds clinging to her shirt. “I’m hopeless enough at making my own decisions. I can get people talking, but when it comes to guiding them toward a resolution…”
“Don’t discredit yourself. After law school, you’ll have a lot of options. Mediation could be one of them.”
“I’ll think about it.” She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. I’m not sure when it happened, but she seems to have migrated a few steps closer to me. “It’s funny, you and Ollie are so certain I’m going to go to law school. Meanwhile, my own parents are shocked that I haven’t dropped out of undergrad.”
“Have you been struggling academically?”
She shakes her head. “No, the opposite. I genuinely like school. But I’m the first person in my family to go to college. They don’t see the point in taking on so much debt, which I understand. It’s not the right choice for everyone.”
As she speaks, I can’t stop staring at her mouth, how she nibbles her bottom lip while she’s considering what to say next.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is, thank you for believing in me, Dr. Ransom.”
Without thinking, I reach out and cup her cheek.
“You make it easy to believe in you, Natasha.”
She leans in close enough that I can smell her shampoo. Caught up in the intoxicating aroma, I’m vaguely aware of my arms wrapping around her, pulling her body flush with mine. I shouldn’t be doing this. But the way she’s gazing up at me with those wide doll eyes, makes me want to lift her onto the countertop, spread her legs, and dive in for a taste, right before I ask whether hearing Daddy say he’s proud of her makes her pussy tingle.
But as sweet as I know Natasha is, I also know she’s too sweet—too good—for me. And as much as I want to be the man who can give her everything she needs, my hands are tied.
I can’t be Oliver’s father and his best friend’s daddy.
Reluctantly, I pull away from her with a sinking feeling in my stomach.
“I’m sorry, Natasha. I don’t know what came over me.”
She winces, then quickly replies, “No,I’msorry, Dr. Ransom. I shouldn’t have let you get so close to me.”
I hate that she’s apologizing when I’m the one who keeps fucking up. I seduced her last night, and again, just now. I’m the one playing hot-and-cold with her affections, pulling her in and then pushing her away each time I come to my senses.
“Don’t blame yourself, Natasha. This was on me. I need to exercise better control when it comes to you.”
I march to the screen door, in desperate need of fresh nighttime air. As I step out onto the deck, I hear Natasha whisper, in a voice so quiet I’m certain I’m not supposed to hear, “I like it when you take control of me, Evan.”
CHAPTERSIX
NATASHA
I tapsendonmy last work email of the day and then close my laptop. Today’s task list was relatively light, and I’m grateful for the reprieve, given how beautiful and hot it is outside.
One of the advantages of working from home, aside from getting to wear shorts and tank tops to work, is that I can set up shop anywhere in the house. My favorite spot so far has been the comfy new couch in the living room, but after spending the morning and part of the afternoon in the air-conditioned chill, I’m ready to bake in the sun for a while.
I drop my laptop off on my bed and then change into my white bikini. Ollie and I have been tanning steadily since our arrival, and the golden glow to my skin darkens every day. I like it; I’ve never been quite this tan before, and it gives me a boost of confidence. Instead of batting off my friend Hailey’s compliments about looking like a summer goddess, I’m actually starting to feel like one, too.
