Chapter Sixteen

Elle

My friendly butterflies were in full riot and my heart continued to pound in my chest. But I wouldn’t have traded that night for anything. Spending the entire time nestled under Nate’s arm had to be one of those turning points in my life.

I knew for a fact that I would look back on tonight and know that something was different. The way I viewed the world. Maybe the way I thought the world viewed me. I don’t know. But it was different and I couldn’t wait to figure out how.

Nate held my hand as we walked to the front door. I glanced at the windows to see if anyone was watching. But they all looked dark to me. But hey, I wasn’t going to correct him. His strong hand just felt too perfect for me to even think that.

“You know,” he said as I stepped up onto the porch and turned to look at him. “No one is watching.”

I had to stifle a laugh. The boy could always figure out what I was thinking.

“Yes,” I said as I frantically tried to understand where this was going.

“So I don’t really have an excuse to kiss you.” He said with that smile of his that turned my insides to mush.

“Does the mighty Nate Clark need an excuse?” I asked with a little coyness that surprised me. I didn’t know I could be coy.

He smiled and said, “Nope,” then snaked his arm around me and pulled me into a deep kiss that curled my toes and sent shooting stars off into the night.

Firm but tender. Sweet, but commanding. It was everything I had come to love about Nate’s kisses.

I felt the night wash away as I melted into his arms. Everything was forgotten. There was just then. Just that moment and just the two of us.

Moaning, I pulled myself closer and became lost in the power of his lips. My arms reached up to wrap around his neck, trapping him in place as I tasted and took.

His big powerful hands caressed my back then dropped lower to squeeze. I could feel his hard body against me. Every part of him solid and dominating me.

Oh yes, I thought as I hung on for dear life.

We continued on for what seemed like half of forever. The two of us enjoying each other. I couldn’t get enough and no longer had a functioning mind. Thankfully, Nate did. He pulled back just as I was about to throw him onto the front lawn and take him right then and there.

His eyes were as big as basketballs as he fought to regain his breath. I sucked in a lungful myself as I stared at him, unable to believe how close we had just gotten to going too far.

Slowly, that wonderful smirk of his returned.

“If we are not more careful, this is going to stop being pretend and become very real,” he said.

“Would that be so terrible?” I asked, unable to believe that I had said the words aloud. The words that I had been thinking for weeks.

He smiled and slowly shook his head. “I don’t think you’ve thought this through, Elle. If we make this real. Then people can get hurt.”

I looked up at him. He wasn’t saying no. He wasn’t laughing at me like I was stupid for even thinking it. Yes! To me, this was proof there was a God.

“I’m not a little girl …” I began.

“I know,” he said with a sly smile. “That is the problem. You are definitely all woman, and it scares the hell out of me.”

Me? Scaring him? Then it hit me. He’d repeatedly lost anyone he had ever cared about. His father, then his mother, then his aunt. No wonder the thought of caring for someone was scary. I, on the other hand, had a completely different problem, I suddenly realized. I was seriously falling for Nate. There was no getting away from it. I was in love with Nate Clark. And pretend wasn’t enough anymore.

He hadn’t laughed, he hadn’t stormed off. Maybe, just maybe. Taking a deep breath, I looked up into his eyes and said. “I don’t know if I can keep doing pretend.” There, the words were out and there was absolutely no way I could keep looking at him. I had to stare down at my feet as I felt my cheeks grow hot with probably the deepest blush of my life.

I could feel him staring down at me for a long minute then he pulled me into his arms and gently pushed my head against his chest. We stood there, neither speaking, just being, while I held my breath, waiting.

“You’re probably right,” he said. “Two people can’t kiss like that and pretend it was pretending. But I don’t know if you know what you’re getting yourself into. All of the ramifications.”

“What?” I demanded. “That you won’t be able to chase after Susan Milner. Or let Cindy Havers drool all over you like a lovesick puppy.”

He laughed, his broad chest shaking under my head. I still couldn’t look up at him.

“Just so you know,” he said as he put a finger under my chin and made me stare into his eyes. “That first day of school. I stopped pretending about five minutes after you begged me to help.”

My heart melted as I threw myself at him and hugged him like he was the most important thing in this world. Which I realized, he was.

He squeezed back and my life was complete.

“I didn’t beg,” I mumbled.

He laughed and held me tight.

.o0o.