Page 54 of Be My Reason

“Oh, hey.” He catches me before I’m through the door. “I took a strange call this morning from someone looking for Ryan.”

“Why weren’t they calling his cell?” I ask, knowing he never takes calls at the shop.

“The guy said he’d been trying to reach him for weeks but that Ryan would never get back with him. Something about needing all the numbers if he still wants to move forward.” He shrugs at me.

“I have no idea what that means, Derek. Just leave him a note I guess.”

The morningflies by, and before long, it’s noon and I realize that Nate never came in for his usual breakfast. Nor did he grace me and my customers with his sweaty presence after his morning run. He’s not having second thoughts is he?

Just when I think I might drive myself crazy with wonder, my phone rings out with‘Be My Reason’,which is now my favorite song. The song I have come to know and love, and I smile from ear to ear. I even hum along to it for a few seconds before I answer.

“Hey, you,” he says when I pick up. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m good,” I tell him.

He laughs and says, “Yes, you say that but for all I know you could be south of the border right now.”

“I’m so sorry I ran out yesterday. I’m not going to run again,” I assure him.

“You might have to keep telling me that for a while.” He sighs.

“Nate, I’m not running again.I’m here. I’m with you. I’m yours.”

Oh, God. . . did I just say I’m yours?I’m such an idiot.He doesn’t speak but I can hear him breathe into the phone. My mind goes wild with what he must be thinking. Probably that I’m turning into some stalker chick that will make him account for every minute of his day away from me. Maybe he doesn’t want me to be his. Maybe I’m merely something to occupy his time when he is on the job down here in Savannah.

“Say it again, Brooklyn.Say you are mine.”

Relief floods through me, my body relaxes and I am beaming when Ideclare, “I’m yours, Nate.” I can practically hear him smiling into the phone.

“Hey, why didn’t you go on your run this morning?” I ask him. “I had some very disappointed customers.”

“Disappointed customers, huh?”

“Okay, so maybe I missed the Nate Riley show a little myself.” I giggle.

He laughs. “I’ll give you your own private show tonight.”

Yes, please.

“Actually, I thought we could run together when I get home from work,” he says.

If one’s face can actually split in two from smiling too much, then mine would be divided right smack down the middle.

~ ~ ~

“Shower?” he asks, after our run, as we head back into our apartment.

“Duh.” I roll my eyes and then head for my room. “See you after.”

“Brooklyn.” He follows me. “I meant . . .shower.” His voice wraps around me seductively and desire clouds his eyes. A smile plays on my lips as my hunger for him ignites.

“Oh!” I giggle and hold my hand out to him.“Absolutely. Mine or yours?” But I’m already pulling him into my room.

He is ripping my sweaty top off before we even enter my bathroom.He kisses my salty shoulder and says, “You know, we could just take Emma’s suggestion and do away with the whole my room/your room dilemma.” He peels the rest of our clothing off and turns on the shower. “I mean, we already live together.”

For now.

He pulls me under the warm stream of water and soaps up his hands before he runs them all over my body, making sure to clean every little bit. He takes special care with my breasts, running his hands over each of them, rhythmically squeezing them and tugging gently on my stiff nipples.

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