Page 6 of Wrecked
“Yeah, no. That’s…fine. Call me Nate.” Only her. For some reason that I can’t even begin to explain, I just want that to be for her. “Now that we’ve established my name, you want to give me yours?” I give her my most charming smile.
Just because I don’t want any complications doesn’t mean I can’t flirt a little.
“Oh, I’m Ellison. Sorry! Of course you don’t know who I am, duh.” She lets out a little laugh, and I decide I want to hear more. More of her little laughs. I feel like I might even want to be the reason for them. “My friends call me Ellie, though.” She stands up to give me her hand and the top of her head stops promptly at my shoulders.
“Nice to meet you, Pip,” I say as I take her small hand in mine. It fits perfectly. Her hand lingers in mine for a few seconds longer than necessary before she pulls away. I immediately want to take it back.
“Pip?” she asks, awkwardly clearing her throat. It’s cute. Everything about her is just…endearing.
“You have a nickname for me. Only fair that I get to have one for you.” Her cheeks turn the most delicious shade of pink. That too. I want more of that.
“But why Pip?”
I give her a very exaggerated once over—being sure to show my appreciation—then I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t know if you realize this, but you are kind of…little, Pipsqueak,” I say with a wink.
“Pipsqueak. My nickname is Pipsqueak!? Can’t you just call me Ellie like everyone else?” she asks, clearly mortified.
“Maybe I don’t want you to see me like everyone else.” It slips out beyond my control, having a much deeper meaning than I am willing to share or explore right now. “Besides, no one else calls me Nate. That’s yours. Pip, is mine.”
Her blush is two shades darker this time, and it does something to my chest. I want to see her turn that shade of pink under very different circumstances. For very different reasons.
It wouldn’t involve tutoring.
Something tells me that as much as I don’t want any connections tying me to this town, I unknowingly stumbled right into one.
CHAPTER 3
ELLIE (PRESENT)
Itry to ignore Nate’s slow inspection of my body, but it’s hard to remain indifferent when his eyes flare as they hover over my curves. I’m not even sure he realizes he’s looking at me like this, as though he wants to replace his eyes with his hands.Inotice, though. I notice everything about him, despite trying not to notice him at all. As much as I know this shouldn’t be happening, I can’t help but appreciate the effect I have on him. Before I can think better of it, I stretch my body, allowing my bikini top to rise up and over the underside of my breasts. If he wants to look, I’m going to give him something to look at.
Eat your heart out.
His eyes darken, but his penetrating gaze doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I’ve never felt unsafe with him. The opposite, actually. He was the first person to make me feel protected. He was always so good to me…until he wasn’t. My mind shields me from most of the details of that day…and the days—or years—that followed. I remember enough to know I’ve never experienced grief like that before. I remember enough to know what happened was complete bullshit, though I didn’t recognize that at the time. Now, I can’t help but see it for what it was. A fabricated attempt to keep me away. Nate would never really inflict that kind of torture on me. I still believe deep down that he is a good man.
Despite the fact that he’s looking at me in a way we both know he shouldn’t, not when he is supposed to love my sister.
This thing between us never really went away, though. There wasn’t any closure, no hostile quarrel allowing me to get in that one last dig. It was just…over, leaving behind a festering wound that oozed bacteria into my bloodstream, infecting my heart. There is no treatment that can heal it, no antibiotic strong enough to cure it. Not when this sickness has gone on for as long as it has. It’s too late. Too fatal.
Despite his past actions and the anger I feel, the draw I feel is undeniable. I don’t think he can help it any more than I can, but I don’t know what to do with that. What does that mean for him and my sister…or the future of their relationship.
What Idoknow is that is a line I’ll never cross. Not even if we were the last two people alive. I would never hurt my sister like that, and I refuse to give him the chance to hurtmeagain.
I’m proud of the conviction in my thoughts, because when I look at the man who stole my heart, I’m not entirely sure I believe those words.
I’m so lost in the past that I don’t even realize his gaze is still fixed on my body. I take this opportunity to drink him in as he checks me out. His dark hair feathers back to the side, the longer cut making me want to run my fingers through it. His emerald eyes are vibrant, practically glowing as they track the sweat dripping down my chest into the cleavage between my breasts. They are as expressive as they are mysterious, and I can’t help but get lost in them. That bright forest hue contrasted against his tanned olive skin is a lethal combination. Add the body of a Greek God and anyone would forgive the attraction I feel toward my sister’s fiancé.
Even though our connection is as uncontrollable as breathing, it doesn’t lessen the bitterness I feel toward him. Italsodoesn’t make me feel less guilty forunwillinglystill loving him.Thatis a secret I will keep from my sister until the day I die.
I’m brought out of my thoughts when I see Nate’s gaze linger at the waist of my bathing suit. I can feel my heated blush creeping down my skin, giving away my attention to him. His eyes jump to mine when he notices my body’s reaction, he furrows his eyebrows like he is trying to figure out what I’m thinking.
“Do you need something?” I ask with a tight smile. I hear my sister scoff from the other side of me. She’s turned on her side reading a book, thankfully missing the silent exchange that just occurred between us.
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Just sayin’ hi, Pip. Heard we’re going to be vacationing together soon.”
I narrow my eyes. “If by vacationing you mean letting you tag along while I pick up your fiancée’s wedding dress? Then yes. Unfortunately, it looks like that’s the case.”
Katie looks over her shoulder and glares at me. She puts in her ear buds to drown out my passive aggressive retorts. This is par for the course. I can’t seem to help the hostility he draws out of me.
