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Nate snorts. “I did. I asked you out, and you told me you had a boyfriend.”
I nod slowly. “Yeah, and I thought that was the end of it. I thought it was a casual thing. Like, simply a guy trying for a date. A swing and a miss. You were so friendly after that I honestly didn’t think it meant anything.”
“Meredith. Was I supposed to be hostile and call you names after you shot me down?”
I can’t help the smirk that pulls at my mouth. “Hi, Nate. I’d like to introduce you to every straight man on the internet ever.”
He laughs and brushes a wild hair away from my face. “It’s a pretty basic amount of respect. It’s not worthy of an award or anything.”
I would love him to keep touching me, but I back away. This is a lot to process. I flop down on the sofa and draw my legs up to sit crisscross, hugging a throw pillow against my stomach. “I’m surprised, that’s all. I thought you got over it immediately.”
Nate huffs a rueful laugh and rubs his fingers over his forehead as if trying to scrub away some errant thought. He then reaches over and squeezes my forearm in a way that feels comforting and platonic and says, “Stay here.”
“It’s my house; I’m not going anywhere,” I tease.
Moments later, Nate sets up a tray table in front of me with the warmed soup, bread, and tea. “We don’t have to talk about this now. You’ve had a rough day. You need to eat, and you need to hydrate. Replace all those tears, you know.”
I wince in embarrassment. “Ugh. Sorry you had to see that. And I’m sorry I messed up your shirt.”
“Don’t be,” he says forcefully. Okay, he’s done with listening to me apologize for everything.
Nate parks himself beside me, hovering until I’ve eaten my fill. Then he clears away my dirty dishes, looking deep in thought. I watch him move around my tiny kitchen, loading things in the dishwasher, drying his washed hands on a towel, wiping down surfaces, and putting leftovers in the fridge. It’s been a long time since someone took care of me like this.
And now, I’m struck by an urge to kiss him again. Harder.
But where will that lead when he’s probably getting ready to tell me he has to go back to work? He’s been with me for well over an hour now. Really, I’m a business liability at this point. And I have work to do, as well.
And yet, he returns to sit by my side, exhaling and stretching his long legs out in front of him. My gaze travels over his broad shoulders, hard chest, and strong, sinewy arm that rests on the back of the sofa.
My eyes go to his hands once again, and oh god, these pregnancy hormones are making me so wet as I imagine that hand locked around both of my wrists, my arms above my head on the pillow…or on the wall…or, on the armrest of this sofa.
“Are you okay, Meredith?” Just the way he says my name makes my skin prickle with excitement.
“Hm? Oh…I was wondering if now is a good time to talk about that kiss,” I say. And because I’m feeling brave, I add, “And about how you said you sort of liked me?”
Nate turns and tilts his head, leaning but not close enough for my liking. Every tiny detail I notice about him makes me kick myself for not breaking up with Chad months ago. “No sort of about it. I like you. Present tense. And yes, we can talk about it.”
I smile teasingly. “Or we could kiss again.”
Nate gives me a heated gaze, his jaw tensing. “We should talk first.”
“Okay,” I breathe, my nipples puckering in response to the small muscles rippling under his short whiskers. That scruff would leave my breasts red and tender in the morning. Yes, please.
“Would you like to go out on a date with me?” Nate asks.
“Yes.”
“Today’s Thursday. Are you free tomorrow night?”
“Yes, I’m free every night. I’m not suffering through a meeting at the town hall,” I say.
“Perfect,” he says.
“It’s a date,” I say, grinning, then sticking out my bottom lip. “So, you don’t want to kiss again? I understand if you want to take it slow. Dating a woman who’s pregnant with someone else’s baby is a lot to process, so….”
My babbling evaporates as Nate leans forward and presses a soft, teasing kiss to my lips. And then another, and another, alternating between my top and bottom lip, the corners of my mouth, and my chin. A teasing tongue kiss that makes me whimper with need.
His hands go to my neck, the pads of his thumb caressing my collarbone.
