Chapter 16
The movie ended. When Maddy looked over, Nathan put a finger to his lips and pointed at Grace. She had curled her legs up and leaned against the cushioned armrest of the couch with her eyes closed. Asleep.
They left the family room quietly. Shadows flickered off the walls as they made their way to the kitchen. Pizza boxes still sat piled on the counter, but Nathan just pushed them aside and leaned back with his arms crossed.
“Should I wake her up?” Kara asked. “I feel bad, but Elliot’s giving me a ride home and she didn’t bring her car.”
“I can take her,” Nathan said. When Kara raised her brows, he continued, “She’s tired. We can let her sleep for a bit.”
Riley nodded. “You’re right. She could use the extra rest. Grace knows who that man was at Serendipity today.”
“What?” Kara said.
“She said he came here before the antique store closed. He told her he’s her father.”
“Oh my God.” Maddy pressed a hand to her mouth.
“Hold on…” Kara said slowly. “Wouldn’t that make him your father too?”
“This is probably something we should all talk about later,” Nathan suggested. He kept his voice neutral. “Grace can tell us exactly what she knows, and we can figure out what to do.”
“Grace isn’t happy with me,” Riley murmured, gaze sliding to Maddy’s. “But she knows I don’t want her off by herself.”
“We’ll help out.” Maddy reached for his hand.
Kara nodded. “I won’t let her leave the guesthouse unless she’s coming somewhere with me or someone else is with her.”
“Right,” Elliot said.
Riley looked to Nathan again, question in his eyes. Nathan gave a brief nod. He had no plans to leave Grace alone.
Elliot helped Kara with her jacket and Maddy joined them by the front door, voices low in conversation. Riley kept his place next to Nathan at the counter.
“I was angry with her,” Riley told him.
“I’ve been angry with her, too.”
“She doesn’t understand how serious this is. She thinks she can just jump in and take it all on but I don’t know if she has any idea exactly what that means.”
Nathan braced both hands on the counter behind him. “She likes dealing with things on her own.”
“That’s her fallback.” Riley nodded. “Even before our mother left, Grace and I were pretty much on our own. She doesn’t like to rely on anyone else.”
“She might not have a choice this time, not if she wants to find the star before the deadline.”
Riley sighed, rubbing a hand across his eyes. “Good luck convincing her of that.”
Nathan smiled. “I can be pretty persuasive. Head on home, I’ll make sure Grace gets where she needs to go.”
Riley nodded. “Thanks.”
He said goodnight to the rest of the group at the door and locked it behind them. He kept his footsteps soft as he entered the family room once more, settling down with a book at the base of Grace’s feet.
The pages crinkled as he shuffled to his bookmark. Grace murmured something in her sleep, shifted her head against the cushion and went silent again. Several strands of her fine hair lay beneath her cheek on the armrest. Her hands had snuck tight against her chest, curled together as though she were trying to stay warm.
Nathan set aside his book, stood and retrieved a blanket from a chest next to the couch. He spread it carefully over her and returned to his seat. Her eyelids fluttered. He wondered what she was dreaming, wondered what she was doing all day or night to make her so tired.
He wished she’d wake up and he’d see trust in her eyes. That she’d believe, somehow, he could help her through this.
Nathan shifted when she moved her legs, but he couldn’t get out of the way fast enough. They collided with his and her blue eyes opened slowly, giving him a look of confusion before they closed again.
“Grace,” he said, catching her attention.
Her lids flickered open again. “Hmm.”
Nathan touched her leg through the blanket. “The movie’s over.”
“But we just…started it.”
“You slept through most of it.”
To his amusement, she stretched her legs a little further, bumping his again and closed her eyes. “Where is everyone else?”
“They already left.”
She peeked at him through one slightly opened eye. “So how am I supposed to get home?”
“I guess you’ll have to walk.”
Both eyes popped open. His heart warmed when a slow smile curved her lips. “I don’t believe you.”
“That I’d make you walk home?”
She shifted some and propped herself up with her elbow. A crease still lingered on her cheek. “Maybe Riley, but not you.”
“You told him about Lewis.” A shadow passed across her face and he gave her leg another squeeze. “It’s good you did.”
“He went to Serendipity, Nathan.” Guilt coated her voice. “Riley said he grabbed Maddy, tried to get her to talk to him. I should have said something sooner.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“It is.”
“Come here,” he said, shifting on the couch and reaching for her. She hesitated, but when he kept his hand out, she moved to his side of the couch to lean against his chest. “Relax for a minute.”
“I should get home.”
But she didn’t move, only flexed her hand against his chest. Her hair smelled like strawberries, and he drew in a deep breath. More words hovered on his lips, things he knew she didn’t want to hear.
Then she looked up, jewel blue eyes fastening on his, and the words vanished. She twisted the same time as he did, their arms coming around each other, limbs tangling.
Nathan’s fingers splayed on her back, holding her close as he slid his tongue between her lips. Her mouth parted for him, angling her head to deepen the kiss, giving as much as taking. He eased her back on the cushions, trying not to jostle her leg.
“Nathan,” she whispered.
He stopped. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” Her lashes lowered, and she shook her head. “This is just…”
He prepared himself for her to pull back, to retreat. That’s what she’d been doing this whole time. But instead, she shook her head. “It’s been a long time.”
He started to respond, but she reached up, locking her hands behind his neck to pull him to her. Her mouth fused to his, bringing forth a groan. It was torture holding back when he wanted all of her right now.
But he forced himself to take his time.
With careful hands, he pulled her lower on the cushions so he covered all of her. He ran his fingers along her sides, and then back up, smiling when her eyes dropped closed. She sighed, and the sound did more to arouse him than anything else up to this point.
Her skin was like silk when he touched her stomach, and ran his hands higher until he reached the lacy bra underneath. Her breath caught. She arched toward him, saying his name again.
“We can go upstairs,” he murmured, dropping his lips to her neck, breath warm against her skin.
“No. My ankle. I should—should really go home.”
Her eyes met his, a question in them. He forced his hands to still. “Please stop saying that. I want you here, with me, right now. If that’s not what you want, I’ll take you home.”
Her gaze searched his. Her heart still beat hard against his chest, breathing heavy as though she’d run a race. “This is what I want.”
“You sure?” he asked.
“I’m sure.”
~ ~ ~
Nathan went even slower this time, but even so Grace found she could barely keep up. She wanted to see all of him, to touch all of him, but he was ahead of her—always ahead, making her body quiver in response.
He pulled off her shirt, making her fluff of hair tickle her bare shoulders when it came back down, and his eyes feasted on her.
It really had been too long. So long, every part of her awakened with a new need each moment, making her realize how much she’d been holding back. How much she’d wanted herself in Nathan’s arms this whole time.
But doubts threatened to creep up on her. What would happen after tonight? Would he leave? Would they just go on the way things had gone before and she’d feel lost all over again?
Nathan pressed a kiss on her brow. “You’re worried.”
“It’s a bad habit.”
“Self-preservation, I think.” Before she could get defensive, he trailed a finger along her stomach and undid the button on her jeans. “I promise this means something to me.”
Her throat dried. “You don’t, uh—that’s not—”
God, how was she supposed to answer that? He actually cared for her. This wasn’t casual for him, and she had to respect that. To respect he’d waited long enough that there was more on her end than just physical attraction.
Moved by sudden tenderness for him, she surged up, capturing his mouth with hers. She fumbled with the hem of his shirt, and he grabbed it, only breaking their kiss to pull it off and toss it on the ground.
She shifted on the couch, wincing when her ankle bent against the cushions, but cut off his concern with another kiss.
Her hands slid down his chest, to the button on his jeans, and opened it. She urged him against the cushions, taking the lead, even when he tried to grab her hands, to get her to relax.
“No,” she murmured, “I need this.”
She pulled off his pants and his boxers, and did the same with her jeans and underwear, ignoring the twinge in her ankle.
“Grace,” Nathan said.
Her lips curved, and she knelt over him, her breasts brushing his bare chest. He groaned, making her smile even more, and he reached up to rub her nipples with the pads of his thumbs. He swallowed. “You’re pretty good at this for an invalid.”
She laughed and straddled him, making his eyes go wide. “I told you, it’s been a while.”
“I don’t believe you. That’s—” He broke off when she slid him inside of her, her hips to his, heat against heat.
“Maybe less talking,” she murmured, beginning to rock against him.
He grunted an agreement, hands cupping her breasts as she moved forward and back. His eyes shut, and she closed her own, letting sensation overpower her. Her ankle would be killing her after this, but right now she didn’t care. Right now, she only wanted to feel what it was like to have someone want her fully and without condition. Even if she knew there would be consequences later.
There always were.
In another moment, his whole body tightened. He drew her down for one last kiss as the world exploded around them, his arms clenching around her back and holding her close. Her body shook against his as the last of the pleasure faded into a dull haze of comfort.
And then she rested against his chest, content enough to believe that in this moment, she could truly trust Nathan. She could be happy.
~ ~ ~
She must have drifted, because when she woke, Nathan had pulled a blanket over the top of them and dimmed the lamp light.
“How late,” she murmured, then cleared her throat. “What time is it?”
Nathan checked his watch. “After midnight.”
“Shit.” She tried to push herself off Nathan’s chest, but he clasped his arms around her.
“What?”
“If I don’t get home soon, Kara will be worried.”
“We can call her. Let her know you’re not coming back tonight.”
She arched her brow at him, torn between amusement and exasperation. “I never said I was staying.”
He wound a short lock of her hair around his finger. “Stay. I’ll make you breakfast in the morning.”
She blinked at him, the words not registering in her brain. He wanted to make her breakfast? That probably wouldn’t be a good idea. Not when part of her was already starting to wonder if they’d made a mistake.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?”
She blew out a breath, and struggled into a sitting position, trying to think of a way to explain this to him. A way to make him understand. But all she could come up with was, “I need to figure out what to do about Lewis.”
She reached for her shirt and pulled it back on, then frowned when she spotted her jeans further away on the floor.
Nathan shifted to a sitting position. “Hold on a minute.”
“Why are we talking about Lewis?”
Her mouth pulled tight. She looked at her jeans instead of him, trying to figure out another way to get them besides putting weight on her foot. “I think maybe…if I would have talked to him in the first place, he might have just left.”
“You don’t know that.” When she still didn’t look up, he reached out and tilted her chin with his hand, keeping it gentle. “Grace, listen. You talked to Riley, told him what was going on. At this point that’s what you needed to do–”
“No, what I need to do is find Lewis and tell him to leave my friends alone.” She frowned when he pulled away. “I don’t have time to deal with him right now. Not with the youth center. And the star–”
“Ah.”
She turned suspicious eyes on him. “What?”
Nathan stood, retrieving his clothes and passing her the pair of jeans. Rain pattered on the rooftop and window behind him. “I think I have a better idea of why Riley was so upset.”
“He told you he was upset?”
“He told me he was worried about you. Told me you were angry with him. I could see he was upset. I could see he was wondering, as I am now, why you feel compelled to confront this man–”
“Because he won’t go away. Because he bothered Maddy.”
“Yes,” Nathan said with an easy nod. “All good reasons we should be careful. All good reasons it’s beneficial for us to be on the same page. Not a good reason for you to try to handle this on your own.”
Grace struggled into her jeans and searched for her shoes. “Of course you’re on Riley’s side.”
“What if he’s on my side?”
Her gaze swept the floor in front of the couch, irritation flickering. She was right, this had been a terrible idea. Now they were fighting. Like usual. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Nathan said calmly, reaching for a sneaker that had snuck halfway under the couch, “I’ve felt like this since the first time we saw Lewis. The fact that Riley knows now and agrees you need to be careful only backs up my feelings.”
He held the sneaker in her direction and she snatched it from his grasp.
“It just shows that you guys don’t know what I’m dealing with,” she mumbled, giving her laces a hasty jerk when they wouldn’t come untied. She fumbled with them another moment, then paused and closed her eyes briefly.
Nathan plucked the sneaker from her lap and worked at the knot she’d created. Part of her softened, seeing him intent on helping her. Trying to see this all from his side. But it shouldn’t be so hard to have a simple conversation.
He loosened the laces, passed the shoe back and reached for her other one.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
When she pushed herself into a standing position, pain billowed into one giant ache. Grace forced down the whimper of discomfort that sprung to her lips. She just needed to get home and get to bed. She could do some more planning there with her notebook before she went to sleep. Or figure out where she’d slipped tonight. Why she hadn’t stopped herself before things had gotten more serious between her and Nathan tonight?
He continued to sit on the couch, legs stretched out in a comfortable position across a neutral rug.
“If you don’t want to take me home,” Grace told him quietly, “I can call Riley.”
“I told him I’d take you home.”
She waited for him to stand, to do anything that indicated he planned on leaving. But he only continued to sit. “Could you take me home, then?”
“I promise I’ll take you home soon. Can you just sit down a minute?”
She sighed and gave him the first excuse that entered her mind. “I’m tired, Nathan.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you got home and pulled out that binder so you could do more work on the youth center.”
Grace ground her teeth together, annoyed that he could read her so well.
He gestured to the couch. “Just a minute, please?”
Grace plopped down unceremoniously.
“I want you to know where I’m coming from.”
“Probably the same place Riley’s coming from.”
“Do you believe that, though?”
She fought for patience. “I understand the whole protective older brother bit. And I’d say you guys are pretty much on the same page there.”
He didn’t answer, and when she glanced over, she spotted the clear fight for patience on his face. All right, referring to him as an older brother figure probably hadn’t been a good idea.
“I’m sorry,” she said, voice softer now. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I certainly hope not. Not after what just happened here.”
They’d had sex. Worse, she’d practically initiated it, for reasons she was too embarrassed to name right now.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” she began. “I didn’t–”
“You’re not seriously going to tell me we just made a mistake here.”
Her mouth opened, surprised at the veiled anger in his voice. She barely ever heard him lose his temper, but he seemed dangerously close right now.
“I don’t think it was a mistake. Just that…maybe we got carried away.”
“I don’t regret it.”
“Me either.” Graces stood again, trying to end the conversation. This was getting way too complicated. “I need to go.”
He sighed. “And Lewis?”
“I know you guys are worried, but that’s how it is right now. I have to deal with the star.”
“Not alone you don’t.” Before she could answer, he stood swiftly and held out a hand. “Ready to go?”
Grace swallowed the sudden taste of disappointment and nodded. She slipped her hand into his and let him help her to the front of the house. He retrieved her sweater from a closet off the entryway and she only murmured a quiet thanks when he helped her into it.
She waited at the door while he gathered his keys and slipped into a jacket of his own.
Outside, the stars were obscured by slow-moving clouds. Rain pattered down on their heads. Again, Nathan waited for her to get in on her side and she tried to shuffle in quickly without jarring her ankle.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t still be using your crutches?” he asked once he’d secured his seatbelt.
“Have you ever used crutches before?”
Nathan started the car and nodded.
“Really?”
“I was sixteen. Skiing accident.”
Grace looked over at him. “Seriously?”
He shrugged. “I was visiting a friend in Colorado for winter break.”
“You’re really serious.”
He cast amused eyes in her direction, and part of her relaxed. Hopefully she hadn’t offended him too badly before. “I told you I was.”
Grace pursed her lips and watched the rain slide down the windshield. “Did you use your crutches as long as you were supposed to?”
“I was a sixteen-year-old boy. Of course not. But I used them a lot longer than you did. And, if I recall correctly, even for a teenager, I was a lot less stubborn about it.”
She tucked her hands into her sleeves and looked to the window. He had her there. And it wasn’t a good feeling.
“Grace,” Nathan said, voice barely rising above the clatter of rain. He reached out for her arm. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
She gave a small shrug but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “No, you’re right.”
Like usual. He saw too much and made her feel too much. Sleeping with him had been a terrible idea, because she already wanted to be in his arms again, and that thought was too terrifying to consider.
“Grace–”
“It’s okay.” This time she looked over and forced a smile. “Really.”
Grace kept her attention out the window the rest of the way home. She politely thanked him for the ride at the door to the guesthouse and hobbled inside. Without even a glance at her big, black binder, Grace went to her room, shut the door and got ready for bed.