Page 43 of Operation Annulment
Nate surprises me by pulling me back into his chest and squeezing my back. “Oh, Katy girl. God, I fucked up tonight. I all but shoved you into that prick’s arms. Then you had to deal with your grief alone?—”
“Well, Jeremy was there?—”
He cuts me off. “Like I said, you were all alone. I’m sorry I reacted like I did; old habits die hard.”
He holds me on the couch until my tears dry and my breathing returns to normal.
“Let’s get you to bed.” He lifts me in his arms and carries me into the bedroom. Suddenly, sleep is the furthest thing from my mind.
He sets me down near the foot of the bed, and I begin stripping off my clothes as I walk over to the dresser.
“Babe, what the hell are you doing?” His voice doesn’t sound as steady as it did in the living room.
I look over my shoulder. “I’m changing into my PJs… what are you doing?”
With that, I unfasten my bra and drop it on the dresser, taking my time to find something to sleep in.
He sits down on the bed. “Uh…same.”
My jeans are the next to go, and Nate leans forward as if hypnotized.
I place a hand on my hip. “You’re not changing…”
He doesn’t say a word as he reaches behind his head and pulls his shirt off in a way that only men seem capable of doing. Then he stands up and unfastens his jeans, slowly working them down over his hips.
I bite my lip to keep from grinning when he kicks them across the carpet. With the way his boxer briefs are tented, there is no denying that I affect him.
I lose all interest in finding clothes and move closer to him, needing to touch his skin. My fingers lightly stroking his pecs is enough to break his trance, and he roughly grabs my wrists.
“Let’s stop for a second.”
I croak out a weak “Okay” before sinking into the comforter.
He begins pacing in front of me. “I just want to slow things down and get to know you better,” he says.
I gesture toward his boxer briefs. “Are you sure about that?”
He groans and runs his hands through his hair. “No, Kate. I’m not sure, but I already know you physically. I know you have a freckle right here—” He touches the spot under my left breast. “And I know how you like me to touch you—” His hand drops down my stomach, and my pulse quickens. “I know the sounds you make when you’re close.”
His fingers slip under the lace band of my pantiesbefore he pauses. The blood rushes in my ears, and I give a small moan. Nate smirks at me. I’m close, but he’s not even touching me yet.
He pulls his hand free and takes a step back. “You know what I don’t know?”
I shake my head, drunk from his touch.
“I don’t know what you were like as a kid…what your favorite food is…your best friend growing up. Any man can fuck you; I want to know you. I want to own your secrets. If we want this to work, we’ve got to take things slow, yeah? Let’s focus on the next sixty days, though—get to know each other.”
I nod, still not entirely sure what I’ve just agreed to.
He confidently walks over to my dresser and tosses me a tank top and shorts. Once I’ve changed and gotten under the covers, he slides in behind me, pulling me back against his chest.
His lips press gently against my temple. “I’m sorry about your dad, Katy girl. I would have liked to have met him and done this whole thing properly, you know?”
“Yeah,” I whisper the words because I’m afraid the truth will slip out if I speak any louder.
He wraps his arm around my waist. “We make quite the pair, you and me. I’ve never lost anyone close to me like you have, but I know about loss. Sometimes, the littlest things just break you, reminding you of what you had. The scars you thought were healed are ripped wide open again. You try to tell yourself that time heals everything, but why does it hurt so badly if that’s the case?”
I think of my life and how everything has changed overnight. My former life wasn’t anything extraordinary, but the loss still weighs heavily on me.
