Page 27 of Waiting Forever
I can’t imagine he will now.
12
Nathan
SHE LEFT BECAUSE of me. She was pissed and she has every right to be. I wasn’t thinking. No one has ever stayed in this room while I was “getting busy.” It’s her first day here and instead of making her feel at home, I gave her an X-rated peek into my sex life.
Mother fucker!
“Yes,” I say, my tone firm. “I still want to go swimming. And while you relax in the Jacuzzi, I’ll grill some burgers and hot dogs for dinner. I fucked up today. I should have been with you, taking care of you. I want to make it up to you. Can I?” I take her hand. “Please?”
Finally, she meets my gaze. “Will it be just us?”
“Definitely. No one else. And I know you’re not a child.” I close my eyes to keep from taking in her incredible body again. “Believe me, I know. You’re not on house arrest, either.” I gaze at her pretty face. “I was worried. Frustrated.”
“Occupied,” she says, making me angrier with myself.
“Scared,” I confess and tighten my hold on her soft fingers. “If anything ever happened to you…”
“I think you’d manage.” She tugs away her hand and scoops a bathing suit from the box. “Meet you by the pool?”
Did she sense I was going to tell her how important she is to me and that if anyone ever hurts her or has hurt her, I will destroy them without a second thought? Does she know the depths of my affection for her? Could she possibly know? My actions today didn’t send the right message. I need to be mindful of her presence and how what I do affects her. I need to stop fucking Harper in this house—or stop fucking her, period.
Kensington doesn’t need that right now. She needs a gentle approach if I’m going to get her to open up—and I intend to do just that, starting with who was in the Mustang and how she knows him or her. It better have been a her.
“Yeah, I’ll meet you out there.” I glimpse the tiny scraps of white material in her small hand. Maybe this isn’t a wise idea considering I’m already attracted to her in ways I shouldn’t. If she comes out wearing that, I don’t know what I’ll do. “Is that your bathing suit?” Maybe it’s just the top half.
“Bikini.” She holds it by the strings so I can see it is in fact a complete set.
I swallow deep in my throat. “Did you wear that back home?”Around other guys?
“Yeah.” She shrugs one shoulder.
“Your dad let you wear it?”
“Seriously, Nathan? You’re worse than he is. Relax. I’m sure you’ve seen less material on a girl before.” She saunters toward the bathroom, my gaze locked on her swinging hips and pert little ass.
I may have seen less but not on her. The last time I saw her in a bathing suit, I tried hitting on her, and the hot-pink number she wore that day had much more material.
This should be eventful.
I stalk to the kitchen to get the food ready for grilling. A week ago, I bought burgers and hot dogs for a backyard party Harper insisted I have. But we got into an argument that ended in her stomping out the front door and me heading downstairs to the home gym to work off my anger. Party canceled.
At least the food I bought won’t go to waste. In truth, I’d rather grill it and eat with Kensington than Harper. There will be less bitching, and less disappointment. Nothing I do pleases Harper anymore. Even sex has grown repetitive until this afternoon, but only because I was imagining someone else beneath me, someone with burgundy hair and long, slender legs. I came harder than I have in months. Harper thought it was all her doing, of course.
What in the hell was I thinking, sleeping with her earlier today? I used her to distract me from Kensington and it backfired when I turned my sex with Harper into a fantasy with Kensi. I’m a screwed-up asshole. I can do better—bea better person. Starting now.
I open the refrigerator and move what I need to the counter. The burgers are in the freezer and as hard as a rock. They were never Kensi’s favorite, so I opt to leave them.
If memory serves me correctly, she prefers hot dogs with spicy brown mustard, chips, and a side of red potato salad, which I don’t have. At least I have the mustard and chips.
I load everything onto a tray before racing to the pool-bath where I keep extra swim shorts. Once I’ve changed, I return to the kitchen to meet Kensi.
She isn’t here or in the great room.Still getting ready?
My phone dings from the counter with a text from her.
I glance down the dark, quiet hallway that leads to her room. Why not just come out and talk to me?
