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I’m alarmed, and a little off balance by everything—but Will, for all his insanity, looks absolutely delighted by this turn of events. As though his friend going all alpha caveman possessive on me is a good thing. Like teasing Nick is fun. Like poking the sleeping bear is a good, safe,saneidea. That this steady poking isn’t going to result in his death, if not a very swift and painful ass-kicking.
I, however, don’t feel so confident. My heart is pounding in my chest, and by the big eyes that Allie is giving me, I know there's good reason for it.
I clear my throat and give a little wave towards the couple. “You must be Allie and Trevor,” I laugh nervously, and then I continue, “I’m starving!”
“Girl, me too.” Allie is already tugging off her winter gear. Again, I note that she’s a very beautiful woman, but her husband isn’t looking at her. He’s eyes are snapping between Nick’s hand on my waist, Nick, and then me.
There's shock in the warm brown, like he doesn't know what to make of me or Nick. Or maybe it’s Nick with me that he can’t seem to understand. Like he never expected to see Nick with a woman.
Is that because of his scars? Is it reactions like these that make Nick believe himself a monster because he’s not perfect and smooth? Because he’s clearly been through a trauma, and he’s not the man he once was?
On the thought, something tightens around my heart. Frustration, maybe. A little hurt and a dash of irritation, most definitely.
How can a man think he’s not a monster when even his friends look at him like he’s a beast? On the thought, I feel my head tipping back, my gaze tearing from Trevor’s to slide to Nick. He has me tucked into his right side, so I’m not looking directly up into his scarred skin, but I see it all the same. Under his jaw, the scars are there. And still, when I look at him, I don’t see a monster. I don’t see a damaged man.
I just see a man.
My man.
The thought stuns me stiff in his hold, and I feel confusion knit my brow as I continue to study Nick while the room studies me. Nick is holding me so closely to his side that I can feel the slow but sure way his body grows stiff and hard. He can feel my eyes on him, but unlike the others, he doesn’t look at me.
Instead, he grinds his jaw hard, like he’s waiting for a terrible rejection. For me to finally come to my senses and run from him—to flee this mountain house his mother manipulated me into coming to in the first place.
He thinks I’m tense at the idea of him stamping me with a territorial hand on my waist, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’m tense because I’ve just caught myself thinking of this man as mine.
Still, I know his friends are watching and waiting. Like Nick, I think they’re waiting for me to turn and run. A hot wave of heat moves through my body as I decide to surprise them all, rising onto my tiptoes and pressing my lips to the underside of Nick’s jaw.
Nick is really tall and I’m not, so my lips just barely graze his skin. Still, I’ve made my point, and the room has taken note. I swear, I feel the air shift, but I don’t give it any attention as I say chirpily, “It’s been a really long day and I wasn’t kidding. I’mstarving.”
Will is the first to get his bearings as he tosses a smirk Nick’s way. “Starving her too? No wonder she thinks she’s into you. Woman’s delirious.”
I don’t reply as I slip from Nick’s hold, reaching out to grab the boxes of pizza from Trevor’s arm. He still looks stunned, but I don’t mind. I think it’s cute, even. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel just a little smug about shocking them into a moment of silence.
Allie follows close as I make it into the kitchen. “Um, so that was interesting.”
I give her big innocent eyes. “Hmm?”
She smirks. “Girl, don’t act innocent. You made a statement, and I support your statement. But I’m coming in late, and I want all the deets, because that man,” she thumbs over her shoulder in the direction of Nick as she leans in to whisper, “is not an easy man to seduce. He’s all dark and mysterious and grumpy and—”
My face flames and I ask quietly, “You think I seduced him?”
She sets a bag on the counter, eyeing me curiously as her hand dives in and appears with a bottle of wine. She does this three more times before pulling out a twelve pack of beer. My eyes are massive as I take in the collection of alcohol on the counter.
“You didn’t?” She flicks me a curiously surprised look. “Seduce him, I mean?”
“N—no.” I point at the counter. “That’s a lot of alcohol.”
“My parents have my kids. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, we take advantage.” She grins big. “If you didn’t seduce him that means—”
We’re having two different entirely conversations at once, but because the men have entered the kitchen, I reply to only one. “Okay, so you brought Will to drive you home. Smart.”
“Noooo,” Will denies, already reaching out to nab one of the beers, cracking the top and taking a hefty tug on the bottle. “I’m here for the party, baby.”
A muscle in Nick’s jaw jumps at the endearment, and I feel something buttery and warm in my belly. I never thought I’d care for a man to be hot and possessive over me—but with Nick, I kind of like it. Just a little.
“Then you’re calling a taxi.” Nick moves to pull plates from the cupboard.
“A taxi? When you’ve got a perfectly good guest bedroom and a couch? Don’t think so.”
