Page 76 of Line of Resistance

Nate nipped at her lips, lingering for a second before answering. “You don’t really think that.” He shifted a little and his next thrust curled her toes and arched her back. “If I didn’t know you I wouldn’t know exactly how you like being fucked.”

There was more to knowing her than that, but it didn’t seem like pertinent information at the moment.

“If I didn’t know you, I wouldn’t have brought up the Cheetos and the fruit tray.” His voice was rough. Choppy. A little breathless. “And I wouldn’t have grabbed all the Diet Dr. Pepper we had in the fridge.” His hand circled the back of her neck, holding her in place as he fucked her harder. “It’s not a McDonald’s fountain pop, but I figured it would do in a pinch.”

She was trying to hold out. Trying to keep herself from tripping right beyond the point of no return. But in this moment it became obvious that point was long past.

And not just for her.

Nate’s mouth caught hers just as it all imploded. The feel of his body sliding into hers. The security of knowing there was finally another person in the world who understood her. Appreciated all she was.

The realization that she would do whatever it took to show Nate how much she appreciated allhewas.

All they could be.

And, as her third orgasm of the night stole every bit of her breath and all of her sense, something unexpected and terrifyingly stupid came out of her mouth. “I think I love you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

NATE

HE MUST HAVE been hearing things. Possibly having auditory hallucinations after one of the most intense moments of his life.

Or maybe the fact that he thought he just heard Eloise claim she loved him was simply wishful thinking.

Whatever it was, he needed to find out what she really said before he made a complete ass of himself by saying something stupid likeI love you tooback.

It took everything he had to lift his head. When his eyes found hers, Eloise was staring up at him, looking a little like a deer in headlights.

“What did you say?” He tried to sound casual. Like he wasn’t holding his breath and wishing there was the chance she might say exactly what he wanted to believe he heard again.

“I don’t know.” Eloise’s words were rushed as she plastered a fake smile across her face. “I think I blacked out.” She laughed, the sound bright and airy. “Which I’m going to completely blame on you.” Everything about her reaction was wrong. Nothing like the Eloise he’d come to know.

Yes, there were certain times where she was genuinely warm and open and full of optimism and easy laughs. But this was not one of those moments.

This moment she was using that part of her as a shield. One designed to deflect and conceal.

Nate smoothed back her hair, catching his breath for a second while he worked up the courage to do what had to be done. Eloise still struggled to be vulnerable. Expecting her to trust him completely so soon was probably a pipedream. Earning her trust was something he would have to work for.

And that work started now.

Nate met her gaze, trailing his fingers along her cheek before dragging one thumb over her lower lip. “I think we should be together, Eloise.”

She swallowed, the muscles of her throat working. The tip of her tongue flicked across the lip he was still touching, teasing the pad of his thumb. “What do you mean?”

“I mean together. As a team.” He hesitated just a second before laying it out completely. “As a couple.”

Eloise’s fake smiles and practiced laughs were gone completely now, replaced by a seriousness only he seemed to know she was capable of. “What would something like that look like to you?” She spoke slowly, carefully.

She wanted specifics. Needed to know exactly what he was asking for. What he expected.

And he needed the same thing. But asking Eloise to offer her own expectations might give her the wrong idea. Might make her worry he hadn’t thought this through enough to have expectations.

But nothing could be farther from the truth. He’d thought about this a hell of a lot. Definitely more than he should have considering he kept trying to walk away from her. “My townhouse is supposed to be ready by the end of the month. I think you should move into it with me.”

He was probably moving fast. He didn’t care. Now that she was here, with him, there was no way he could give it up.

Hopefully he wouldn’t have to.

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