Page 39 of First Sight

“You’re making it really hard to be a gentleman when you say things like that. Be careful,” I warn. “I might not ever let you leave my bed.”

“Is that a threat, or a promise?” She bats her eyelashes at me and I swear it takes everything in my power not to spank her ass.

I keep it reigned in though, happy to have her in my bed, in any form. Especially when I’m trying to do things the right way like she deserves. It helps that I’m eager to hear every word that comes out of her mouth, dying to learn all of her thoughts, her secrets.

Joking around and getting to know each other is just as addicting as the physical stuff, I want to know everything. I want all of it.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Callie

My cheeks hurt from smiling so much, I can’t recall a time I’ve ever felt this comfortable and happy. Nathan looks so carefree and relaxed, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen him smile. He tells me a couple of stories from his childhood, all silly things, like trapping his sister in her treehouse for stealing his GI Joes. We talked about school and some of the things we did as embarrassing teenagers. He was shocked when I told him about not having a date to my senior prom and promised he would’ve taken me if he was around. We both laughed, realizing that when I was a senior in high school, he was already five years into his Army career. Now the age gap isn’t weird, but back then it would’ve been creepy. When I told him that I’m almost 27, that my birthday is next month, he promised he was going to buy me the best present I’ve ever had. I laughed at that, but inwardly I realized I’d probably be back in Tennessee by then.

Not wanting to kill my mood, I don’t dwell on the what-ifs. Instead, I list off some of the best presents I’ve ever received, so he knows how strong the competition is. I swore that he’d never be able to compete with the razr flip phone I got for Christmas one year.

“I really wanted the pink one, because all of my friends had one, but I got silver instead. It was still one of my favorite presents, so you’ll have a hard time topping it,” I joke with a shrug.

“Baby, I would scour the Earth for a pink razr flip phone before I’d ever lose a challenge,” Nathan retorts, cockily, making me laugh.

We are bantering back and forth about which flip phone was better growing up when we both hear a loud crash come from the front of the house. I freeze, not knowing what it is or what to do. My fight-or-flight response is not kicking in at all.

Nathan, however, his eyes go from joking and playful to hard as stone in a second. He jumps out of bed, grabs his gun from the nightstand, and pulls me up with his free hand, dragging me into the closet.

“Here, you know how to use this?” He asks while handing me his handgun. I’m still frozen, not reacting. He pries my fingers open, wrapping them around the handle of the gun.

“It’s loaded. You point and shoot, got it?” His voice is harsh and commanding, so different from how he was just moments ago. It does the trick though, snapping me out of my funk enough to let him push me down to the floor, hiding me behind the dresser.

“Stay here, shoot anyone that walks through that door.” He pauses, “Besides me.” He pulls a rifle out of his gun locker, racking it once to make sure it’s loaded.

He turns to exit the closet when my body and my brain finally catch up to one another, I scramble up from the floor, grabbing his arm, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

He grabs my face with his free hand, pulling me in for a chaste kiss. “I won’t baby. Besides, it’s probably nothing.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. He knows as well as I do that there could be someone out there coming to finish the job, coming to kill me.

“Stay hidden.” He leaves, closing the closet door behind him. I start to panic instantly, slumping back to the ground. What the hell is going on with my life? Why are all these bad things happening?

I try to calm my breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly so I don’t have a full-blown panic attack. My fingers grip the gun so tightly their shaking and my knuckles are white. I’m so afraid for Nathan. Why does he have to be all tough and brave, running straight into danger? I want him here with me, holding me, instead of out there with who knows what?

A loud gunshot sounds off, close enough for me to hear but muffled enough that it sounds like it came from outside. Agony rips through my heart, terrified that Nathan’s hurt, or worse, dead. I will never be able to live with myself if he gets hurt because of me, if he dies it would kill me too. The realization that I’m falling in love with this man makes tears burst free from my eyes.

I don’t know how it would be possible to start falling in love with someone so quickly, but Nathan makes it so easy. He’s such a good man, and I fed him to the wolves by bringing my problems here. I sob, trying to contain the sound with my free hand. This is all so fucked up.

I hear the door to the bedroom open with a creak, but it’s barely audible so I hold my breath, trying to listen. Footsteps approach the closet, and I squeeze my eyes shut, preparing for whatever happens next.

“Callie, it’s me.” Nathan throws the door open, not even slightly concerned that I was going to shoot him. His voice is like music to my ears.

I launch at him, discarding the gun on the floor where I was hiding. I wrap my arms around his waist, burying my face into his chest. “I heard a gunshot.” I sniffle, still not completely able to stop my tears from escaping, “I was afraid they got you.”

He kisses my head tenderly, running his hands up and down my back. “I’m okay, baby. It was just a bear.”

I whip my head up to look at him, “A bear?”

“Yeah, apparently I need to lock up my trash cans better,” he squeezes me tighter.

“Oh my god, I thought they found me.” Burying my face into his chest again, “Instead you could’ve been killed by a fucking bear.” My tears continue running down my face, I don’t know if they are from fear or frustration, but they keep coming.

“Hey, don’t cry. I’m okay, the bear was just making noise. I shot my gun into the air to get him to leave, nothing more.” He pulls me away so he can wipe the tears from my cheeks. “Besides, I don’t know what the Sheriff’s intentions are regarding Tony or Bub, but if any of them come onto my property, I’ll win. Every time.”

“I’m sorry,” I say as I wipe the wetness from his chest that my tears left. “I panicked when I thought I might lose you, I don’t… I don’t want you to get hurt.”

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