Page 53 of Blindly Yours

Nate pauses and reaches his hand toward the knob. “You don’t have to do that.”

I squeeze some dish soap into the running water. “I don’t mind. You go say goodnight to Kara.”

“Do you know…um…” He sets the skewers down and hesitates. “…are you sure?”

I look at him beneath a raised brow. He can’t be serious. “Yes, I know how to wash dishes, Nate.”

He raises his hands and steps back with a half grin. “Ok, ok. I’ll be right back, but call out if you need me.”

I flick suds in his direction as he turns and leaves the room.

When I’m alone, I sink my hands into the warm water, reminded of the feel of his warm hands on mine earlier. It felt…nice. No, nice isn’t the word. It felt sort of intimate. We’ve spent so much time glaring at each other, the gentle warmth of his touch was a shocking contrast. A welcome contrast. I can’t believe I’m craving more of it.

I close my eyes and imagine how it would feel if his touch traveled up my arms and to the back of my neck, tracing gently across my skin. I wonder how it would feel if he drew me closer to him and spun me around until his lips found mine.

What kind of kisser is he? Would he be gentle or would he grasp my jaw firmly and pull me against him? The latter makes my heart skip a beat. He’s so big and warm and…gruff. I think I’d like him to grab me like that.

No, what am I doing? I blink my eyes open and stare wildly at the bubbles in the sink. Where is this coming from? I immediately feel like I’m somehow cheating on BigSpoon. I close my eyes again and allow the fantasy to morph in my mind. Tender hands caress my cheeks, so gentle and kind. It’s BigSpoon now. He doesn’t have a face, but he holds me close, and I feel safe with him because he understands me, and he’s sweet, and I know he won’t hurt me like I’ve been hurt in the past.

I long to feel that kind of security, because I never have before, and I smile at the thought just as my phone chimes in my pocket. I jump a foot off the ground, quickly dry my hands, and unlock the screen. My cell signal is back, and I have five texts from Junie. Three from during the storm and two asking me if I have service back yet. I shoot her a quick text to let her know I’m ok and then open Blindly.

It's instant relief to see the little green dot that indicates he’s online. It feels like forever since we’ve spoken, and I can’t wait to tell him I want to meet him.

ASingleRose26

Hey! I’ve been without a cell signal or internet since yesterday. So sorry to keep you hanging!

Almost immediately, his response comes in.

BigSpoon92

Same here. Were you ok in the storm?

I happily cross my ankles and lean against the counter.

ASingleRose26

Yep, I’m safe. You?

BigSpoon92

Yeah, I’m good. But um, I really missed talking to you.

The smile that spreads to my cheeks can probably be seen from space.

ASingleRose26

I feel the same. It’s silly, but this felt like an eternity.

BigSpoon92

Not silly. These last 24 hours made me realize I want to meet you.

My heart skips a beat, and I continue to grin like an idiot, but when Nate returns, I begrudgingly set my phone on the counter and resume with the dishes. I try not to let him see, but I’m giddy. I swirl the soap around on a plate and bite my lip.

“Thanks again for your help,” Nate says as he stands at my shoulder and picks up a clean plate to dry it.

“No problem,” I reply absently as I pause to grab my phone again. I can’t help myself. “Cell service is back.”

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