Page 56 of Rescuing Nathaniel

Behind her, Nathaniel didn't laugh, and when she glanced over her shoulder he had a funny look on his face.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, turning to face him. Maybe everything was catching up with him like it was with her, after all, he’d been up all night with her, and she doubted he’d had a whole lot of time to relax since they got home from Mexico.

“Nothing,” he replied, but his tone was tight like he was lying to her.

Deciding not to push it, she opened the fridge and hunted inside for some leftovers. Since Teresa loved cooking as much as she did, there werealwaysleftovers in the fridge, and Ava found a container of pasta with vegetables and a white sauce, and pulled it out.

Opening her mouth to ask Nathaniel if he was okay with the pasta or had any allergies she needed to know about, she found him staring at the large painting hanging above their table. It was from a local artist, and it was a magical forest full of unicorns, fairies, and woodland creatures.

“That’s my favorite,” she gushed, heading over to stand beside him. “Cost me an arm and a leg but I can't say I regret it.” Who cares if she wore out her clothes until she absolutely needed new ones, and used cheap generic brand shampoos, and her bedding was no longer thousand thread count Egyptian cotton sheets like she’d had as a kid when she lived with her parents. She was more than prepared to sacrifice other aspects of her life to enjoy her expensive hobby.

“I'm sure you didn't,” he said, but something in his voice said it was more than just exhaustion going on here.

The problem was, she honestly couldn’t figure out why he was suddenly on edge when he’d been fine before they stepped inside her apartment.

* * *

March 6th

12:10 P.M.

To sayhe was feeling uncomfortable would be the understatement of the century.

Nathaniel should have known that playing babysitter would be harder than he’d imagined. Logically, he knew he should have let someone else take the job, there would be no shortage of Prey people who would gladly step up to watch over one of their own.

Only the very thought of someone else watching over the woman who had him tied up in knots left him feeling like a swarm of fire ants had found their way beneath his skin and were scouring every inch of his body, leaving trails of burning pain in their wake.

Even though she wasn't really he couldn’t help but feel as though Ava was his.

Hehad been the one to find her, it was him who’d put their job on the line to save her, who had slept in a cave beside her, and carried her through the jungle. It washimthat she’d pushed out of the way to save his life and taken a bullet for her trouble.

No one else should be with her right now.

Just him.

It was the location that was making him feel so on edge. He’d known Ava came from money. He’d met her snobby parents so it should have come as no surprise that her place wasn't just nice but high-end. It wasn't that he thought she was a snob, but it was obvious that she liked nice things, and her collection of art was worth more than he’d make in a decade.

They should have stayed in one of Prey’s apartments. Their main headquarters had several apartments included which they used as safehouses from time to time. It would have been the perfect place to hole up with Ava while she recovered and would eliminate the travel time so she could spend more time resting, but Ava had really wanted to go home.

How could he tell her no after she’d spent weeks tied to a bed as a prisoner of an organ trafficking ring?

The simple answer was he couldn’t, and now they were here, and he was slapped in the face by just how different their worlds really were.

While he made decent enough money as a SEAL, enough for him to live comfortably in his condo, there was no way he could afford the sort of lifestyle Ava was obviously accustomed to. Not only were the pieces of art hanging on her walls worth a small fortune, but her kitchen held pretty much every appliance and gadget ever invented. He knew that Prey paid their people well but with all the other luxuries he was sure she enjoyed and her art collection it was obvious that she no doubt lived off a trust fund as well.

“Are you sure nothing is wrong?” Ava asked him again as she looked across the table at him.

Giving a nod, he stuffed another forkful of pasta into his mouth so he didn't have to answer with words.

There was no way he could explain that being surrounded by her extravagant lifestyle only served to remind him that he’d grown up in the exact opposite. The differences in their childhood socioeconomic statuses had carried over into adulthood and he just didn't know how to fit into her world.

Once again Nathaniel was struck by the realization that he’d already provided the only thing he had to offer her. Since he had no intentions of letting anyone from the trafficking ring—or anyone else for that matter—get their hands on her again, he had nothing left to bring to the table.

Where did that leave him?

He’d bet every cent he owned that Ava was truly attracted to him, maybe even interested in some “unwrapping” fun. But did she want more than that? Did she really think there could be something long-lasting between them? Could the spark of attraction that arced between them grow into something more?

Because from where he was standing, it wasn't happening.

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