Page 31 of Broken-Hearted

He looks at me, his expression serious. “When we were staying with Simon and Matilda, we didn’t have a choice but to share. Now there is a choice. You want the shower first?”

I’m too distracted to think of showering, so I shake my head and step aside.

As I study the two beds, I wonder when Nathan Blackshaw will stop surprising me.

He could have booked a one bed. Easily. And he’d have gotten away with it. Even if I wanted to fight him about it, hemust’ve known I wouldn’t have much choice unless I wanted to sleep in his car or outside on the street.

Yet he does this.

I’m still thinking hard when the bathroom door swings open, bumping my back. “Ah, still figuring out which bed you want?”

My eyes dip as Nathan steps around me.

I take one look at his bare chest as he stands with a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body, and I blurt out, “I’ll be in the shower.”

And I rush into the bathroom. To hide. Not to shower. Okay, to shower. Eventually. Mostly to hide my red cheeks from Nathan.

An hour later, we’re in our separate beds. I’ve borrowed a shirt from Nathan this time, and I didn’t even need to ask for it.

I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom with the spare toothbrush Nathan had picked up for us at a gas station shop when he knocked on the door and passed through a shirt I could wear to bed.

He didn’t even try to look at me through the gap in the door when I thought he would have.

The lights are off, and the quiet rumble from the highway a few feet away is more soothing than annoying.

I can’t sleep. Not that I’ve even attempted to shut my eyes, but I know it would be useless to even try.

I have questions.

“Nathan, are you asleep?”

“Yes,” is his amused response.

I roll my eyes and tell myself to just go to sleep. I do not need to know what I think I do. In fact, if I push to know more, I have a feeling it’s going to be harder to sleep than any easier.

I clear my throat. “So, this kiss…”

Sheets rustle and I’m sure he’s angling his head toward me. “What about it?”

“You were saying something about multi-tasking before.”

He whistles. “Ah. I told you far more than I should have. I definitely let myself get carried away. If you want to know more, it’ll have to be the real deal, Clara.”

I consider my response.

This kiss sounds like it might be good.

Maybe.

“Nathan?”

Loud snoring suddenly fills the room.

I glare in his direction. “Quit pretending to be asleep.”

The snoring continues.

I get up, flick on the lamp, and walk over to his side of the room.

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