Page 18 of Waiting on You

He’s already done so much, and what’s one night in the same bed as Nate? We’re both adults.

After getting the key from the woman handling our check-in, we walk outside and over to the building next door. We haul our luggage up to the second floor and into the cutest room.

“Apparently, they consider that a couch bed,” Nate says dryly, pointing to the seat that runs along the window.

It looks comfy enough to sit on and read a book while having the gorgeous view of the outside, but it’s not something I’d want to sleep on, and seeing as Nate is a good six inches taller than me, I don’t think he’d even fit on it.

The bedroom has a large king-size bed with a dresser and a fireplace against the wall. To the left of the bed is a window that overlooks the cute courtyard outside.

I leave my bag on one side of the bed and then check out the adorable bathroom, complete with a vintage claw-foot bathtub. The entire place can’t be more than a few hundred square feet, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in character.

“This place is perfect,” I tell him because it is, and I’m so happy to be here, experiencing one of the places my mom loved with him.

“All right, good,” he says, hitting me with a boyish grin.

“Thank you for this.” I take a step toward him. “You’ve gone above and beyond.”

I wave my hand around the room to make my point, and Nate catches it, threading his fingers through mine and tugging me the rest of the way so our bodies are almost flush against one another.

“You don’t have to thank me,” he says, his eyes locking with mine.

“What you’re doing for me…” I shake my head because it’s so hard to put into words how I feel right now.

It’s been a long time since someone thought about me and put my needs first. Since the moment we met, he’s done nothing but focus on me. Even when I hear his phone vibrating, if we’re in the middle of something, he won’t check it. When I’m speaking, he listens, and I didn’t realize how much I needed that.

For so long, I’ve felt like my needs come after everyone else’s—my dad’s job, my mom’s illness, John’s career. But when I’m with Nate, I feel like I matter. Like I’m worth thinking about.

“I’m quickly learning that there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you,” he murmurs, his lips less than an inch away from mine.

While I’m trying to figure out how to respond to what he just said, he whispers, “Tell me I can kiss you,” his warm breath wrapping around me like a blanket on a cold day.

And because, once again, the only answer my brain will let me give is yes, I say just that.

With my permission verbalized, Nate closes the gap between us and brushes his lips against mine, first the bottom lip and then the top, and then he deepens the kiss, taking my breath away.

“Fuck,” he mutters against my mouth. “I was hoping it was the liquor that had you tasting so delicious last night, but it wasn’t. It’s allfucking you.”

He backs up and, keeping our fingers entwined, guides me to the door. “Let’s get out of here before I sayfuck exploring Bathand spend the day exploring every inch of you instead.”

I nod in agreement, but as he closes the door, I glance at the bed, wondering if maybe staying in the room so Nate could explore me wouldn’t be the better option—especially if it meant I got to explore him too.

chapter eight

PAIGE

Nateand I spend the day exploring Bath. We visit the Roman Baths, which I haven’t been to since I was a teenager. We have lunch at a delicious Moroccan restaurant, and then we have afternoon tea at the place he reserved.

Everywhere we go, I recall and share small tidbits about my mom, and Nate listens, asking questions and sounding like he genuinely cares. The day is wonderful, and it’s not until we’re back at the room that I realize I haven’t thought about my disaster of a love life once. When I’m with Nate, I’m so focused on him that it’s like the rest of the world disappears.

Nate showers first while I call Ana and fill her in on my time here. She begs for details on Nate, but I insist we talk once I’m home, not wanting to risk him overhearing.

When he comes out, wearing a white T-shirt and basketball shorts, with his hair wet and messy, it hits me that this is the first time I’ve seen him this casual.Yesterday, he was in a designer suit that fit him like it had been made just for him, and today, he was sporting khaki dress pants with a powder-blue button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

Dressed up, businessman Nate is sexy and powerful, but right now, he’s downright delicious. His shirt is taut across his chest, and…

“Are those tattoos?” I ask, cutting across the room.

“Paige?” Ana’s voice reminds me we’re still on the phone.

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