Page 70 of If This Was a Movie

“I want Jules to put me to bed,” she says, her eyes opening and a tired panic creeping over her face as she reaches for me. “Both of you.”

“Okay, girlfriend,” I whisper, grabbing the small hand she extends my way. “I’ll come.” Her lips tip up, and if I hadn’t watched her fall asleep and enter zombie mode, I would have thought it was her little matchmaker side faking it.

We easily get Sophie to bed, me tucking her in and watching Nate press a soft kiss to her forehead before she rolls over, cuddling Ashlyn to her chest.

“Thank you,” he says as he steps out, clicking the door shut. “Really. I’m not usually this late, but when I am, it’s nice not to have to pick her up at my mom's and then drive her home.”

“It’s all good. I think I had more fun than she did, if we’re being honest. I wouldn’t be surprised if she got enough of me to last a while.”

He shakes his head with a small smile.

“Doubt it. Us Donovans could never get enough of you.” I bite my lip, not sure what to say. “But really, thank you. I can tell she had a great day. I can’t wait to hear all about it tomorrow.”

“Anytime,” I reply, meaning it, then stepping toward the back door, but his hand grabbing my wrist and pulling me close stops me.

“You can stay, you know. Finish your movie,” he says, making my heart flutter.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been hoping he’d offer, considering how much I really like our movie nights. But also, he’s been working all day, bound to be exhausted…

“You’ve been working all day. I’m sure you want some alone time.”

He shakes his head, taking a step closer, then grabbing my hand.

“I missed you. I had alone time all day, away from you. I want my Jules time.”

Something in me melts, something I refuse to look at too closely, but before I can overthink anything, Nate moves, tugging me by my hand over to the couch. Eventually, he lets go, and I awkwardly sit and start my movie. I’m confused when he walks away without a word, but I understand when he walks back five minutes later wearing a T-shirt and sweats, clearly having gotten out of his work clothes.

He moves, sitting close to me.

“We can watch something else, you know,” I say, leaning forward to grab the remote and pause the show.

“Just hit play, Jules.”

“You said it was stupid,” I remind him.

“It is. It’s about a grown-ass man who somehow didn’t realize he was, like, three times bigger than every other person around him until he was thirty-something.”

I glare at him. “Then why do you want to watch it?”

He looks at me, a small shake of my head before he shifts, putting an arm around my waist and tugging me until my legs are draped over his lap. My shoulder is tucked under his arm, and his chin is resting on the top of my head before he hits play on the remote I didn’t realize he had grabbed from me.

“Because you like it, and I’ve found I can learn a lot about you just through these movies.“ I sigh, snuggling deeper into hisstrong chest, more comfortable than I should be. “Now, hush and watch your movie.”

An hour later, we’ve barely moved, and a new movie is starting on the streaming service, something I’m grateful for because I do not want to move.

Like at all.

If I move, I might break this moment with Nate—this blissful sweet moment where I don’t have to second guess or overthink every single interaction. Where I don’t have to worry about if I should or if I shouldn’t or worry about my past or some future we just can’t have together.

His thumb has been brushing the bare skin between where my sweatshirt stops and my leggings start, and that’s all I’ve been able to focus on since it started. The constant contact of his thumb on my sensitive skin sends my mind reeling, my body slowly shifting with each gentle movement.

But when it slides again, his calloused finger scraping and, this time, just barely dipping beneath the waistband of my leggings, my breath catches, hitching and stopping altogether.

I shift then, my body just barely turning toward his, but it’s all Nate needs to put his hand to my jaw, tip my chin up, and press his lips to mine. His hand slides up so it’s resting on the skin of my ribs right beneath my thin sleep bra.

When I gasp, the kiss instantly moves deeper, and suddenly, we’re devouring each other. My body moves, trying to get closer to him as if some fragile thread of decency and common sense has snapped. My hand moves to his neck, pulling us even closer. He groans, and my leg shifts, trying to straddle him, but before I can, he’s moving both of us until my side is to the couch, and he’s lying right beside me.

With this new position, my leg can move to hook over his hip, and when I do, I feel his hard cock pressing against me, histhin sweatpants letting me feel the heat of him where I want him most of all.

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