Page 73 of Line of Resistance

He lifted his brows. “So far?” He palmed one of her ass cheeks, using the hold to pull her closer. “I don’t recommend trying out another man’s clothes tomorrow night. I can’t promise he won’t lose something important.”

Eloise tried to flatten out her smile and failed. “Like his car keys?”

“Like his fucking teeth.” Nate gripped her ass, lifting her up onto the counter before stepping between her parted knees. “Maybe an arm.”

Eloise hooked her ankles behind his back, locking him in place. “Sounds messy.”

He leaned close, running the tip of his nose alongside hers. “I don’t mind messy.”

He slid his hands up her thighs, skimming his touch underneath the worn fabric of his shirt. Her skin was soft and smooth.

And completely bare.

“You’re not wearing any panties.”

“Do you want me to go put them on?” She came right back at him without missing a beat. “I can put on pants too if you want me to.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.” He teased along the crease where her belly met her thigh. “Normally I’d say you didn’t have to wear anything, but I really like the way you look in my shirt.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, using the hold to heft her off the counter.

Eloise let out a little squeal as her arms and legs locked tight around him, bringing the warmth of her bare pussy right against his straining cock.

He reached around her body to tease along her slit, groaning when he found her already hot and wet. “Christ. You really know how to make a man regret being a fucking coward, you know that?” He carried her into his room and dropped her onto the mattress before crawling over her, intending to take full advantage of the fact that they were finally safe and warm and alone.

But the frown on Eloise’s face stopped him in his tracks.

“You weren’t being a coward.” Eloise’s hands skimmed down the front of his chest, smoothing over the T-shirt he’d pulled on after his hurried shower. “You were just afraid of losing the people you love.” She traced the waistband of his joggers. “I would have ignored me too.”

“I never ignored you, Eloise.” He didn’t want her to get it twisted. Not once did he ever manage to forget she existed. “That was part of the problem.” He settled his body against hers, leaning in to brush his lips against the smooth skin of her neck. “No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stay away from you.”

She was a beacon. A light that pulled him to shallower waters even though he knew it could lead to complete destruction.

“I worked like hell to keep my distance because I wanted to keep my friends. Wanted to keep my family at any cost.” He inhaled against her skin, pulling in the soft scent of honeysuckle that soothed the deepest parts of him. “Almost any cost.” He nipped at her ear, unable to stop himself from laying it all on the line. “Because it turns out I wanted you even more.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

ELOISE

IT WOULD BE easy to fall back into her own way. To get caught up in the cycle ofdoes he like me or does he not. To slide on the mask that had served her so well for so long and pretend she didn’t care.

But there came a certain point where things just got ridiculous. Where ignoring the truth Nate kept offering over and over would be silly.

“Is that why you brought me all the snacks?” Eloise dipped her fingers into the waistband of his pants, more than a little tempted to finally get her hands on him. “Because you like me?”

“I brought you food because I want you to know I’ll take care of you.” Nate gave her a smirk. “And because I think you might want to make sure you have your strength up.”

That sounded promising. “What aboutyourstrength?”

Nate pushed up to his knees, grabbing his shirt and peeling it over his head. “I’ll be fine. I’m a Marine, remember?”

If she didn’t know him better, she would wonder why Nate brought it up so much. Would think maybe he was still living in the past.

But she suspected the reason he mentioned being a Marine so often had more to do with his own deep-seated insecurities. Even after all he’d become, Nate still believed he was lacking, and reminding himself of that accomplishment kept a little of the doubt at bay. Kept him from sliding back the same way she had.

“I remember. Hopefully that means you have a decent amount of stamina.” She ran her fingers along his newly bare chest. “Because someone made me hike miles through the snow today and I’m too tired to do much more than lay here.”

Nate’s expression turned more serious as his big body lowered over hers again. “You kept up with a team of men who do shit like that for a living, Eloise. You should be proud as shit of yourself.”

“I am a little proud actually. Not that I want to do it again soon.”

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