Page 100 of Never With You
“Weren’t you dating for a long time?”
“About a year.”
“You were dating for a year, and you didn’t show him that side of you. Why not?” There’s judgment in his voice that conjures up a little defensiveness.
“Because it’s hard for me to let loose in front of people. Growing up, I heard neighbors or friends’ parents whisper about my family. My parents were too loose. Too out of control. Too fun. They never did the responsible things, like cleaning up their house, or yardwork, or making sure my siblings had clean faces and nice hairdos. We were a mess. I heard how people talked about us: the Cattersons were out of control. And it embarrassed me. I decided when I was little that I would never be like that. I’d always hold myself in a certain way, put my best foot forward, be professional.” I lift my shoulders. “Somewhere along the line, that belief morphed into me hiding all the fun and adventurous things about me.”
“I like that you’re letting me in a little bit. I hope I get to see more of this side of you, because you’re not unbearable. You’re actually pretty great.”
It’s no use blinking back the moisture in my eyes. Two tears stream down my cheeks, wetting my pillow.
“Thanks. You’re actually pretty great too.”
“This moment between us is the biggest plot twist Voyager Travel has ever seen.”
I laugh, wiping at my cheeks. “Yeah, Lyle and everyone at work will be surprised that we didn’t kill each other on this trip.”
“We went from enemies to friends.”
Is there a world where I can be friends with Nate without completely falling for him? I don’t know, but I have to try because I love my job too much.
Mr. International’s idea to meet couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’m throwing all my eggs in his basket.
He’s the guy I need to fall in love with.
I’ve been looking forwardto today’s itinerary more than any other day on the trip. We traveled by boat to the Phi Phi Islands, where we visited exotic beaches, climbed a billion stairs to the top of a breathtaking lookout, and swam in a canyon of limestone rocks.
On a day like this, there’s a lot of coordination—letting our group go at each spot and then gathering them again at the designated time. A guest or two is always missing, or someone doesn’t follow instructions, creating problems for the tour guides. Because of that, I haven’t had a chance to spend quality time with Nate, which is probably good since things got a little too real between us last night.
But at our last stop of the afternoon, when everyone is relaxing on the beach or eating their rice and fried chicken picnic lunch, Nate and I walk out to the ocean to enjoy a swim in the warm water.
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Nate shirtless. I mean, besides the shower incident, but I just saw shoulders and chaos then. Today I see it all, and well, Nate’s a ten.
I wish that weren’t the case, but it is.
I wish he didn’t have a subtle six-pack that deepens whenever he laughs.
I wish his arms weren’t defined with the perfect amount of muscles that don’t make him look like a bodybuilder but also don’t make him seem like he’d never be able to pick me up.
I wish his shoulder and back muscles didn’t move and twist with so much sexiness every time he dives over a wave.
And I wish his skin wasn’t a perfect golden brown.
These are the things I wish, but since there’s not a genie in a bottle handy, I guess I’m out of luck.
He dives over another wave, pushing his dark hair back as he comes out of the water. I peek at him until the last second, when I know his hands are about to drop and his eyes will open. That’s when I look away, pretending to be more interested in the swirling water around me than the hunk of a man swimming next to me.
“You’ve been really great today,” he says as he plays with the water in front of him.
“Hardly.” I glance up. “We’ve been so busy we’ve barely touched. Your aunts probably think we’re fighting again.”
“I wasn’t talking about the fake relationship. I was talking about work. You work really hard and help out a ton. You’re a huge asset to have on these trips.”
“Does this mean you won’t kick me off any of your future events?”
“I can’t guarantee that.” His grin turns teasing. “But it does mean I’ll stop harassing you about your checklists.”
