Chapter Twenty-One
Present Day
I’d spent the entire drive back to my townhouse wondering who in their right mind invited perfect strangers to stay in their house. Granted, Nate wasn’t actually a stranger. I’d been on a date with him once upon a time. And he had travelled all the way to see me and my gallery show. And, if I were being completely honest with myself, after our date two years ago, had I stayed in town, I probably would have slept with him. After that one date, I wasn’t sure how much longer I would have waited.
But things happened and my life changed course and in that moment, I was standing on my porch trying to use trembling fingers to unlock my door while I could feel the heat from Nate’s body standing deliciously close to me.
“Let me,” I heard his deep timbre voice say just before his hand clasped over mine, taking the key from me, and effortlessly unlocking my door. He pushed it open and I turned back to him with a smile.
“Thank you. I’m still a little keyed up from the show.” I led him inside, closing the door behind him.
“This is a great place,” he said, turning in a slow circle, taking in my home.
“It’s not as decorated as I would like it to be, but I’ve been really busy pretty much since I moved here.”
“I see you found time to hang some photos though,” he said, still smiling. He’d been smiling practically the entire night and the sight of his smile, easy and sexy all at once, and his body encased in his gorgeous suit, with his eyes and his hair, in my house…well…it was nearly overwhelming.
I laughed a little, trying not to be completely obvious that his mere presence had me nervous and excited. “Hanging photos was the first thing I did. I had pictures up before I had my bed put together.” I flipped on the light switch at the entrance of the kitchen and walked to the refrigerator. “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got a bottle of wine, but that’s about it.”
“Water would be great.” He followed me into the kitchen, his eyes still roaming around my space as if he was looking for clues or information about me based on my living space. He’d be sorely disappointed; my house didn’t say much about me besides the fact that I wasn’t there a lot.
I opened the fridge, pulled out a bottle of water, and handed it to him. He took it, and then proceeded to unscrew the lid and bring the bottle to his mouth, taking long, thick swallows. It was too much for me to watch, so I let my eyes wander down his front, taking in the way his chest just barely fit into his suit. His arms snuggly filled the sleeves of his jacket as well.
I had to say something to distract myself from everything about him that was enticingly sexy.
“I need to go in to the gallery tomorrow. There will be a lot of people trying to get in contact with me, so it’s best I’m there for the day. I’m sorry. I don’t want to abandon you.”
“Hey, don’t worry about me. I’m the one who totally ambushed you.”
I turned around quickly, reached into my junk drawer, and pulled out my spare key.
“Why don’t you take this,” I said, holding out the key for him. “You can leave the house and go do whatever you want and still be able to get back in.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, tentatively taking it from me.
“Definitely,” I said with an assertive nod. “Here, let me show you to the spare bedroom.” I practically jumped away from the counter, making sure I passed by him without letting our bodies brush against each other. Looking at him was torture enough. To accidentally press myself against him and then have to pull myself away again was more than I could handle.
I started up the stairs and could feel the heat of his gaze on my backside. I knew, without a doubt, my red silken dress made my ass look outstanding. I’d purchased it mainly for that exact reason. My body was alight with the idea of him taking in the sight of it. I simply couldn’t handle the tension, couldn’t deal with him and me, alone, in my house, with me in my ‘come and fuck me’ dress and him in a ‘you know you want to come and fuck me’ suit. It was just too much.
“Here you are,” I said, my voice too breathy, chest rising and falling too quickly. My arm, out slightly, was motioning toward the open door, but he didn’t go in. No, he stopped when his body was right in front of mine. My eyes, naturally meeting his chest, followed his tie up to his face, and when our eyes met, he didn’t look away.
“Looks fantastic.”
He was so close I could smell him. When his fingertips wrapped around my hip, my mouth fell open and a tiny whimper escaped me. His grip tightened and he pulled me even closer to him. I had to tilt my head even farther to keep my eyes trained on his.
“You look fantastic. You feel fantastic. Lyn, Christ, I’ve been thinking about you for two years.”
His words sent a slight panic through me. He’d been thinking about me for two years? Flattering as it was, it was also a little overwhelming. I’d compartmentalized my old life when I drove out of town. I’d made a conscious decision to leave it all behind. Sure, I still spoke to the kids, and Shelby was still my friend, but it was almost necessary for me to start over to move forward. He must have sensed my unease because his intent stare turned into a questioning look.
“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable,” he said, taking a small step backward, his hand leaving my hip, my body shouting at me not to let him back away. I could feel the pull to keep his hand on me, to reach up and pull on his jacket so our bodies were pressed together, but I ignored the impulse and took my own step backward.
“It’s been a really long day and I think I just need to go to bed.”
He was quiet for a moment, but then he smiled.
“Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
I let out a relieved sigh at his request. I could do dinner. I wasn’t sure I could do his hands on me in the dark hallway. I wasn’t ready for that yet.
“I’d love to do dinner.” I smiled at him, still a little unbelieving that he was even there, but then I went into hostess mode. “There’s a bathroom at the end of the hall, and there should be towels in the cupboard next to the sink. Feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen, although, there’s not much there.” I laughed, realizing I was ill prepared for company. Then I laughed because I hadn’t been expecting company, but there he was. And even though he made me nervous, I was touched he’d come. “Thank you for coming to my show, Nate. It was truly a surprise.”
He only nodded, then said a soft, “Goodnight, Evelyn.”
I gave him a small wave, then turned and headed down the hall to my bedroom. I closed the door softly, and then leaned back against it. Nate, for however long he decided to stay, was going to give my nerves and my heart a run for their money.