AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“First off, let’s get one thing straight. I kissed you.” He hadn’t done anything wrong, and I wanted to be perfectly clear about that. “Secondly, why would you believe anything that woman says?”
“How about we agree it was a mutual kiss?” Nathan smirked as he pushed past me to enter the living room. “And as far as the senator goes, why do you think I’m here?”
“You’re messing with me?”
He shrugged. “Sort of. I really do want to know why you quit, though.”
“If you’re not upset, why do you look like you haven’t slept?”
“Because I haven’t.” Laughing, he shuffled over and flopped down on the sofa. “Finals, remember?”
“Oh, right.” I eased down onto the cushion beside him and smiled when he shifted closer and placed his head on my shoulder. “I quit because I don’t want any part of your mom’s bullshit.” I combed my fingers through his hair, brushing the locks away from his forehead. “I quit because I’m not okay with how she treats you.”
“I knew you liked me.”
If that hadn’t been obvious by the way I had attacked him in the courtyard, we needed to be having a very different kind of discussion. “Yeah, I guess you’re okay.”
“Calm down, Gage. There’s no need to get sentimental.”
I loved this teasing, playful side of him. It felt a lot more natural than the temperamental asshole I had met in the conference room that first day.
“Nate?”
“Mm?” He cuddled closer, sounding adorably sleepy.
“How would you feel about moving in with me?”
“Okay.”
Well, that had been easy. A little too easy. Maybe he hadn’t heard me correctly, or maybe he had already fallen asleep.
“Just like that?”
He shifted around until he could tilt his head up to look at me. “I think we both know I’m not in a position to refuse help right now.”
True, and if he only saw me as a benefactor, I could be that for him. I wanted so much more, though. As crazy as it sounded, even to me, I wanted forever.
Not that I had anything against relationships or commitment. While not in any hurry to find someone to settle down with, it had always been something I wanted. Eventually.
The crazy part was how quickly it had happened. How easy the fall had been. So easy, that by the time I realized what was happening, there had been no turning back.
“What if I said I wanted to help you with an internship?”
His lips twitched at the corners, but he didn’t smile. “If I’m qualified, and I’ve earned it, I would really appreciate it.”
“And what if I wanted to help you with tuition?”
Those beautiful turquoise eyes flared at the corners, but his expression remained otherwise neutral, giving away nothing. “As long as you let me pay you back once I have a job.”
I flicked my tongue out to wet my lips. “What if I said I didn’t just want to be roommates?”
“I guess I would tell you that I sleep like a tornado, so I hope you have a big bed.”
My heart leapt into my throat, and I had to swallow several times before I could speak again. “And what if I told you I love you?”
The mask of indifference finally cracked, and he beamed back at me with pure radiance. He scrambled onto my lap, his slender legs straddling my hips. Grabbing my face between his hands, he leaned close and stared into my eyes.
“Do you really mean?”
