Page 42 of It Started in the Chatroom

ChapterEighteen

CIARA

Itried to make it seem like it was no big deal that I would be spending the night at Nathan’s, but inside, I was freaking out.

Fiancé or not, I had known him less than two weeks, had only kissed him in public, and I wasn’t even sure he genuinely liked me. Sure, he thought I was funny, and entertaining. But I doubted his feelings were sprouting wings like mine.

Cooking with him and seeing more of the Nathan that he didn’t seem to show anyone else made me teeter closer to falling in love. I longed for him to wrap his arms around me just because he wanted to, to kiss me like he couldn’t take another breath if he didn’t. My fantasies of what could be were starting to overpower the reality of our situation, and it was getting more and more difficult to fight them back.

It didn’t help that he took me on a date and then insisted on letting me stay at his place. It was almost as if we were an actual couple and he wanted to spend more time with me.

As he unlocked the front door to his brownstone and we walked up the entryway stairs, my pulse thrummed and my heart felt like it would beat out of my chest.Maybe hedoeslike me,I thought.Maybe this is the first step to something more.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Nathan said, gesturing grandly at the dark space. He flicked on the hall light. “Though I suppose it’ll beourhumble abode soon.”

I blinked at him, the realization hitting me. Though I figured I would move in with him, and I knew he lived in Boston, I hadn’t really thought about what that would mean.I’ll be moving out of Hemingway for the first time in my life.I sobered at the thought.

“I suppose so,” I said finally, running my hands along the rich, dark wood of the banister. I noticed that Nathan had taken his shoes off, so I rushed to do the same. “How long have you lived here?”

“Since I graduated college,” he replied. He smiled wryly. “I needed to get away from my siblings. Little did I know that they would find ways to follow me into the city. Brandon’s only a year younger than me, and Damien’s only three years younger, so they were in college when I graduated. They would hop on the commuter rail, which would drop them off at Back Bay, and they’d walk here.” He shook his head.

“Would the twins come here, too?”

He rolled his eyes. “John would. Mack didn’t want to. In her words, ‘Why would I want to hang around a bunch of boys? Especially mybrothers?’” His imitation included hand gestures and teeth sucking, and it perfectly described Mack. I laughed.

“So much for escaping, then,” I said, following him into the kitchen.

He opened a cabinet, pulling out two wine glasses, then uncorked a bottle that was sitting on the white granite countertop. “Yeah, it wasn’t much of an escape. But in the end, I didn’t mind. They’re my siblings, you know?”

I laughed. “Sounds lovely.”

“Lovely is not the word I’d use.”

Suddenly, he stopped, facing me with a sheepish expression. “I forgot my manners once again,” he said. “Do you want a glass of wine? I just assumed, and I shouldn’t have. We don’t have to drink anything—”

I smiled. “It’s fine,” I said. “What kind of wine is it?”

“It’s my favorite—a Pinot noir I found a couple years ago.” He turned the bottle around so I could see it. “It’s on the heavier side, which is strange for Pinot noir, but I love it. And it’s good quality for the cost.”

I blushed. “I don’t know much about wine,” I said. “I’m more of a fruity cocktail kinda person.”

“Well, you’ll taste fruit in this,” he said. “Cherry, maybe some raspberry and strawberry. It’s pretty great.”

“Then I’d be honored to try it.”

He smiled. “I’d be honored to introduce you to it,” he said. “But first, did you want to get comfortable? I can lend you some pajamas, and a scarf for your hair, and I can put your clothes in the wash and have them ready for tomorrow.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. He probably didn’t know, but I hated going to bed without showering. “That would be great, thanks.”

“No problem. Let me show you where the full bathroom is and get you some toiletries.”

We walked upstairs, and he pointed me in the direction of the bathroom while he rummaged in the closet next to the bathroom for supplies. My fingers itched to explore his medicine cabinet, to see what products he used, but I held off for the time being. I didn’t want to be caught in the act.

He appeared in the doorway with a fluffy-looking white towel and washcloth, an unopened toothbrush, flannel pajama pants and a shirt, the promised silk scarf, and a shower cap, handing them to me. “Just in case you don’t want to get your hair wet,” he explained. “I know how long wash day is.”

I grinned. “You have no idea. One time, my dad was so upset about me using all the hot water, he refused to let me wash my hair in the shower. I’ve been washing it in the sink ever since.”

Nathan laughed. “Mack would never allow that to happen to her,” he said. “She’d rather die. I think she might have actually said that once.”

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