Page 2 of Unexpected Forever
I mentally pull myself together and give him my best smile.
“Hey, I’m Charley Reynolds. It’s nice to meet you. I’m your escort for the night.” I thrust a hand out between us.
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want the floor to open up and swallow me. His hazel eyes narrow and heat floods my face, but I don’t drop my hand.
“I-I mean, I’m here to escort you to Megan’s party. I’m Aidan’s sister. Didn’t he tell you I was coming by?”
He raises a brow and continues to study me for a moment. Warmth floods my body everywhere his gaze lands, which is from the top of my head to the tip of my open-toed heels.
There are a couple of things I notice about Nate Gentry in person that the TV doesn’t pick up.
I’m a sucker for beautiful eyes, and Nate’s are the most unique shade of hazel I’ve ever seen. Green with brown swirls and flecks of gold. They remind me of autumn leaves.
He smells amazing. Tendrils of steam fill the room behind him with a woodsy, citrus combination that makes me want to take a deep breath and lounge in it.
My outstretched arm starts to ache, bringing me back to the fact that while he might be really pretty, his reputation for being broody precedes him.
He shifts a step closer and takes my hand in his. My lizard brain is sad to see it wasn’t the hand holding up the towel.
“He told me.” He clears his throat. “I, uh, just wasn’t expecting…never mind. Nice to meet you, Charley.”
“Same.”
Same? That’s my response? Great job, Charley.
His large hand wraps around mine, still warm from his shower, completely dwarfing it. A dull buzzing starts in my ears and a current of electricity shoots up my arm.
If I wasn’t so stunned, I’d probably be in a puddle at his feet.
Having women fall at his feet is a daily occurrence for him, I’m sure.
“I’m running behind, but I’ll be ready in ten.”
My lust-induced haze muddles my head like the steam from his bathroom. When my brain finally comes back online, I realize our handshake is now hand holding. I drop my hand and step back.
I check my phone, my gut clenching in panic to see we’re cutting it close. “It’s a quick walk to the winery from here, but we need to leave in ten unless you want to run. And I’m not running in these heels. Oh, and if we’re late, it’ll ruin the surprise for your sister.”
His gaze drops to my heels, and he tilts his head for a moment, a small smile on his lips.
Wow. Just that small smile makes me lightheaded.
“Right,” he says roughly. The muscles in his throat move and those hazel eyes meet mine again. “I can be ready in five.”
“If that’s true, you’ll keep me from being murdered by Aidan.”
He runs a hand through his damp hair and gives me a lopsided grin that damn near makes me swoon. “Well, we can’t have that. Wanna come in?”
“Sure.”
A few minutes alone with him in his suite won’t hurt me, right?
I walk past him and try not to inhale too much of the sexiness radiating off him in waves. The click of the door shutting behind me makes goose bumps pop on my skin.
Being among his things feels far more intimate than it should.
“My apologies,” he says, heading toward the double doors of the bedroom. “We hit some weather leaving Florida and it delayed my flight. I’ll be out in a few.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
