Page 21 of Until Now

“I lost my parents, Nina,” her words soft. She doesn’t like to talk about it, not really. “They’re gone. I’m getting married without two of the most important people in my life because of him. Don’t you think I deserve some kind of explanation?.”

“He hasn’t given one in seven years, I don’t think he will now.”

Elizabeth says something, but I don’t hear it. My attention is on the half-naked man in the middle of my room. Maybe it’s because I’ve been trying to respect his privacy until this exact moment, but I never noticed the tattoo on his left pectoral — an intricate design of the Tree of Life with birds flying from it like leaves falling off the branches. When I finally meet his stare, his smirk lets me know I’ve been caught. All of the sudden, it’s ten degrees hotter. “Hey Elizabeth, I uh…I gotta go.” I hang up without giving her time to respond. “I didn’t know you were here. I thought you were still with Kai in the garage.” The words come out less confident than I wanted, but I’m trying my damndest not to stare at his bare chest.

“Your dad offered to help, so I gave them some space.”

“That was sweet.” And, it is. I'm happy to hear my brother is getting some bonding time with Daddy. Something that rarely happens — most of their time spent together revolves around work.

“Don’t tell anyone. Wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation.” A smile lights up his face when I laugh. His smile is gorgeous. It’s a bit crooked, but it radiates his face. And that one dimple on his left cheek tells me it’s a real smile.

I feel the heat radiate off his tanned skin. I swear this man is a natural radiator or something. If I wanted to, I could easily reach out and touch his chest. And, I really want to, especially after this morning — let’s just say when I woke up we were no longer on opposite sides of the bed. Looking away, I ask, “Do you think you could put a shirt on?”

Nick smirks. “I was actually about to take a shower.”

“Oh…I can go. I was just trying to talk to Elizabeth about Nate and—” Without warning the door opens as Lee barges into the room. He looks between us, acutely aware of how close we are, Nick still shirtless. “Sure, Lee, come on in. Thanks for knocking, by the way,” I say.

“I didn’t think I’d be walking in on an afternoon delight.” Lee laughs at his own joke, but we don’t find him as funny. “I was just dropping by to see if Nick was free, but I can see he’s got his hands full.”

“My boyfriend is not here for your entertainment. I’m sure my mother or Teagan would be happy to oblige, though.” I won’t admit it to anyone, but saying ‘boyfriend’ makes my heart flutter.

“I just want to get to know him a little better. Besides, I’m sure he could use some pointers when it comes to dealing with you. Am I right?” Lee turns to Nick with a smirk, but Nick doesn’t return the favor.

“Puoi andartene ora, Lee.” I try to push Lee from the room, but he doesn’t budge.

His focus still on Nick. “You know, you look really familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”

“Couldn’t tell ya,” Nick says, clearly not amused by Lee’s intrusion.

I can see the wheels turning in Lee’s head and I don’t like it. If Lee is anything, it’s determined. He always gets what he wants and if he thinks something is off, he will do whatever it takes to find the truth. “He lived in Bridgeport. You probably saw him around town.”

“No, I don’t think that’s it.” Lee studies Nick a little longer. “You went to Rosecliffe, right? Were you in a fraternity?”

“Nope. Guess, I just have one of those faces.” Nick shrugs off the questioning glare from Lee. I’m glad he doesn’t feel the need to answer any of Lee’s questions.

“Well, as fun as this has been, you can go now, Lee.” I push Lee towards the door, but he plants his feet again.

“How about we have breakfast tomorrow, Dove?” I immediately notice the difference when Lee takes my hand in his, thumb caressing my skin. His hands are too soft. I like the callousness of Nick’s hand — the way it warms my skin when he touches me. “Say, nine o’clock?”

“I’ll be sure to tell your girlfriend when she’s looking for you.” I step away from him, straight into Nick’s arms. “Bye, Lee.” With a huff, Lee finally leaves the room, shutting the door a little too hard behind him.

“You know, I get the feeling he doesn’t really like me,” Nick says.

“Good, that means you're doing your job.” I pat his chest, my fingers lingering a moment too long before I look up to meet his eyes. The next words catch in my throat, mesmerized by the molten honey staring back at me. The air around us thick. I can feel the heat from his bare skin through my clothes — a satin camisole and jeans. Goosebumps erupt over every inch of my skin. When had we gotten so close? I glance down at his lips before meeting his gaze again. Slowly, he leans forward and lowers his head…

Chapter Fourteen

I can’t getthat moment out of my head. I can’t stop thinking about what would have happened if his phone didn’t ring. We wouldn’t just be taking a small step over the boundaries we had set, we’d be jumping with both feet. Neither of us moved as his phone continued to ring, even when it stopped. The ringer immediately started again. He took a deep breath before finally stepping away. I didn’t move, almost cemented in place. Adrenaline coursed through me as I watched him pick up his phone. “What do you want?” He asked through gritted teeth and slammed the bathroom door.

Since, I’ve started making two cups of coffee each morning — taking one out on the balcony and leaving the other on his nightstand. The smell rousing him from bed to join me. My book long forgotten in my lap as we spend mornings talking and laughing until we decide to join the rest of the world. Each day finding a new adventure.

One day, we hiked a trail further out from the city. The trail was long and tiring, but the views made it worth it. Along the way, I caught him staring from five steps behind — tall grass and wildflowers at my sides. My fingers grazed the flowers. The sun cast a warm light on my skin. I don’t think he even noticed he had stopped walking until I called his name, but he pretended to look for something when we made eye contact. A blush rose in my cheeks, I turned back to the trail hoping he didn’t notice. That day was the first time we had taken a picture together.

The second time was at the Haven Brewing Company. We spent the afternoon at the Haven Art Museum, and while I was busy looking at the art, Nick was busy looking at me. Catching him for the third time, I slipped my hand into his and smiled when he intertwined our fingers. We might Kai and Eileen that night for a brewery tour and dinner. There was a collective groan when Eileen asked the waitress to take a photo. But, Nick’s protest ended when I leaned into his side, my hand resting on his thigh where it remained the rest of the night.

The third time was at Ghost Town nestled in the mountains about an hour from Haven. Ghost Town had been one of my favorite things to explore growing up. There were so many stories and legends, with new ones to hear each time you visited. The town featured the restored remains of several buildings from an old mining town that no one knew the name of, hence the name Ghost Town. I pointed out the different buildings and shared the stories I remembered from years ago. We stopped to take a photo in front of the old motel, and this time an elderly couple offered to take the photo for us. “Such a lovely couple,” I heard the wife say as they returned to their tour. I couldn’t help but agree.

The fourth time was on a trip out to the lake. Eileen had booked a private horseback tour that would lead us up the mountain to the lake, where we would set up camp and spend the night. Nick was surprised when I jumped at the idea. Apparently, I didn’t seem like the type to rough it in the wild, but I assured him I was more than capable. I’ve spent plenty of nights under the stars throughout the years in Haven. On the ride, Eileen and I hung back from Nick, Kai, and the tour guides who spent most of the day bro’ing out. “It’s like they’ve never seen guys before,” Eileen giggled. Once we reached the lake, Nick helped me dismount. I didn’t need the help, but let him anyway. The tour guides took a photo when we posed in front of the lake. But, it was the photo later in the evening that really mattered. Eileen showed me a candid she had taken of us sitting by the fire — a smile lit up my face as Nick leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

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