Page 61 of Megan's Mate
“Yeah.”
“Wow. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Look, Mom, I can keep it. I’m going to show Aunt Coco.”
He raced upstairs with a clatter of sneakers. When Nathaniel straightened again, Megan was eyeing him narrowly.
“What did he ask you?”
“Man talk. Women don’t understand these things.”
“Oh, really?” Before she could disabuse him of that notion, Nathaniel hooked his fingers in her waistband and jerked her forward.
“I’ve got permission to do this now.” He kissed her thoroughly, while Delia did her best to snuggle between them.
“Permission,” Megan said when she could breathe again. “From whom?”
“From your men.” He strolled casually into the parlor, laid Delia on her play rug, where she squealed happily at her favorite stuffed bear. “Except your father, but he’s not around.”
“My men? You mean Kevin and Sloan.” Realization dawned and had her sinking onto the arm of a chair. “You spoke to Sloan about... this?”
“We were going to beat each other up about it, but it didn’t come to that.” Very much at home, Nathaniel walked to the side table and poured himself a short whiskey from a decanter. “We straightened it out.”
“You did. You and my brother. I suppose it didn’t occur to either of you that I might have some say in the matter.”
“It didn’t come up. He was feeling surly about the fact that you’d spent the night with me.”
“It’s none of his business,” Megan said tightly.
“Maybe it is; maybe it isn’t. It’s water under the bridge now. Nothing to get riled about.”
“I’m not riled. I’m irritated that you took it upon yourself to explain our relationship to my family without discussing it with me.” And she was unnerved, more than a little, by the worshipful look she’d seen in Kevin’s eyes.
Women, Nathaniel thought, and tossed back his whiskey. “I was either going to explain it to Sloan or take a fist in the face.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“You weren’t there, sugar.”
“Exactly.” She tossed back her head. “I don’t like to be discussed. I’ve had my fill of that over the years.”
Very carefully, Nathaniel set his glass down. “Megan, if you’re going to circle back around to Dumont, you’re just going to get me mad.”
“I’m not doing that. I’m simply stating a fact.”
“And I stated a fact of my own. I told your brother I was in love with you, and that settled it.”
“You should have...” She trailed off, gasped for air that had suddenly gone too thin. “You told Sloan you were inlovewith me?”
“That’s right. Now you’re going to say I should have told you first.”
“I... I don’t know what I’m going to say.” But she was glad, very glad, that she was already sitting down.
“The preferred response is ‘I love you, too.’” He waited, ignored the slow stroke of pain. “Can’t get your tongue around that.”
“Nathaniel.” Be calm, she warned herself. Reasonable. Logical. “This is all moving so fast. A few weeks ago, I didn’t even know you. I never expected what’s happened between us. And I’m still baffled by it. I have very strong, very real feelings for you; otherwise, I couldn’t have stayed with you that first night.”
She was killing him, bloodlessly. “But?”
“Love isn’t something I’ll ever be frivolous about again. I don’t want to hurt you or be hurt or risk a misstep that could hurt Kevin.”
