Page 45 of The Story of Us
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Nate tried not to imagine what was happening inside his bathroom right now. Eloise was in there. Naked, presumably, given she’d just excused herself to have a shower. Suds would be trailing down her long, lithe body. And her hair would hang even longer down her back when it was all wet.
Part of Nate—no, notthatpart—was still surprised he’d offered his spare room to Eloise, but really, it shouldn’t have come as such a shock. He squashed a cushion against his chest, arms crossing as he remembered the panic that enveloped him when he heard there had been an accident on Peach Street. He’d bolted from the pub, running the whole way there, forgetting his laptop and car. That had been a fun conversation to have with Eloise, but he hadn’t missed the way her eyes had softened when he explained he’d had to make sure she and Joan were safe.
He flicked the television on, channel surfing until he found a basketball game to watch-not-watch. The bathroom door opened, and footsteps padded down the hall.
“Hey,” Eloise said as she sat down on the opposite side, her legs stretching out on the chaise. She was wearing light blue lounge pants and an oversize fluffy, purple jumper that looked so cosy Nate wanted to cuddle up against it. Echo, the traitor, abandoned him and shuffled over to rest her head on Eloise’s lap.
“Feel a bit better?” he asked before kicking himself mentally. A shower wasn’t going to solve all her problems.
“I still can’t believe what happened.”
“Makes sense. How often do trees collapse on houses? Do you want a drink? I’ve got cider, water, teas …”
Eloise’s brows furrowed. “You don’t like cider.”
True. He didn’t. “But you do, hence the offer to get you one.”
“Why do you have cider if you don’t like it?”
Because he never wanted to make it easy for her to leave his house. Because he’d been craving more time with her after their impromptu dinner a few nights ago. Because buying something Eloise liked at the shops on the off chance she was at his place again had bought him more pleasure than he’d like to admit. “I just do.”
The pleased little smile on her face made the heat on his cheeks worth it.Christ.He should’ve said Teddy liked it, but there was no hiding how gone he was for this woman. This was what he’d been reduced to. Getting excited about being able to offer her a drink she liked. The thought of her naked in his shower hadn’t totally disappeared either.
Nate passed Eloise the remote, suggesting she pick something to watch as he headed into the kitchen.
“What are your thoughts onThe Golden Girls?” she asked.
Nate pulled open the fridge and pulled out a cider and beer. “Like the old show?”
“Yep.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever seen it.”
Her mouth fell into an ‘o’ shape, and Nate smirked for a few different reasons. One: he liked surprising her. Two: well, two was self-explanatory after his visions of her in the shower.
“It’s the best. Even Charlie watches it.”
Charlie.Right. Her brother. Nate’s best friend. The guy who had made it very clear that he’d kick the ass of any guy who hurt her. Nate sighed and returned to the couch, nodding when she murmured her thanks for her drink.
“It’s not that I don’t like basketball, but …”
The teasing tone in her voice eased Nate out of his Charlie-imposed stupor. “Golden Girlsis better?” he guessed.
“It’s better than everything. Joanie and I started watching when I was a teenager because she was so obsessed with those stupid air crash investigation shows, and I couldn’t handle learning any more about plane crashes. Why do you think I’ve never been on a plane? I mean, my family and planes don’t have a great history.”
Nate blinked. He knew about her grandfather’s death, but he’d been on a joy flight in a friend’s small private plane. Not a big commercial jet. “You’ve never been on a plane?”
Eloise raised her eyebrow in challenge, and this was a mistake. Having her here, in his space, taunting him with glimpses of what their future could have looked like. Nights on the couch talking about what to watch, the smell of her sweet shampoo hanging heavily in the air. Imagining how he’d distract her by leaning over, trailing his lips across her shoulder, nibbling his way towards her neck as he slipped his hands under her top. Would she melt under his touch? Offer more of herself to him? Pull him down on top of her and?—
“Earth to Nate. Hello?”
He blinked. Made sure the cushion he’d discarded earlier covered his lap. “Sorry. I spaced out for the second there.”
“We can watch basketball if you want?”
“No, no. Let’s see what theseGolden Girlshave got.”
