The bastard laughed. “Those are the highs.” I did the maths in my head, figuring out that was about seventeen degrees Celsius or something. “Shit, I didn’t bring a coat. Why didn’t you tell me how cold it still was?”
His laughter continued to ring out. “Nate, that is so not cold.”
“Yeah, it bloody well is for my Queenslander blood.”
“I’ll hook you up with warm clothes. We won’t be there long anyway before we head to Australia.”
I quirked my brow at him. “Do you have team jackets, like they have in the movies?” Seriously, the idea of wearing his sports jacket sounded fun and dreamy and seriously hot to me. Dangerously so.
I was playing with fire, but fuck if I hadn’t been ruined by years’ worth of watching teen and college romances. I was a sucker for teen drama, one of my few guilty pleasures. And the bastard grinning widely at me knew that too.
“You want to wear my sports jacket with my name and number on it, Nate?” The teasing in his voice was overshadowed by the intensity in his eyes.
Warning bells went off loud and clear. The thought of wearing anything of his was the subject of too many of my fantasies.
I cleared my throat. Today was about getting back to where we used to be. “So, you in or what?” For several beats his gaze roamed mine. I worked hard at offering nothing but a friendly, teasing smile. Anything more would mean I was a glutton for punishment.
“I’ve got your back, Nate.”
Unable to resist, I shouted, “No take backs,” and legged it to the VIP queue, which I was so on board with, knowing Ryan would be on my tail.
CHAPTER12
RYAN
Vomit not only reeked,but it did its job of easing things between Nate and me.
Somehow I’d managed to hold back on the roller coaster itself, but almost as soon as my feet had touched concrete, Nate had yanked me to the most secluded spot he could find, just in time for me to throw my guts up in the bushes.
While he’d rubbed my back and kept an eye open for witnesses, the ass had been practically bent double in laughter. We’d since recovered from a mostly fun day, made the flight back to Minnesota, and were pulling up to my place.
“Oh wow.”
I cast a quick glance at Nate, curious about his reaction.
There was no denying the place looked impressive with its manicured landscaping and square footage. But it was just a nice place. While I called it home, it never really felt like it.
“Cheers.” I threw Nate a smile before we stepped out of the chauffeured car. We gathered the bags, and I gave the driver a generous tip and my thanks.
Nate’s gaze was glued to the view. The lake glistened in the midday sun, and as soon as the car pulled away, nothing but the sounds of nature filled the space between us.
“I didn’t expect you to be so isolated.” Nate turned to look at me, his brow raised in question.
I shrugged and returned my focus to the familiar lake, luxuriating in the serenity of the view.
“My job’s loud,” I admitted. “I used to have an apartment close to the stadium, but there was just no escaping, you know?” In my peripheral vision, I saw him bob his head. “The guys rib me for being here by myself, but honestly, I like it. It’s not home but….”
“What do you mean?”
I gnawed on the inside of my cheek and glanced at him. “It’s a long way from the Sunny Coast.”
A soft smile tilted his lips. “Now that I get. This is beautiful, idyllic even, but yeah, it’s not home.” Nate’s gaze didn’t waver from mine, and all I wanted to do was step close and try out that kissing thing we did.
Since it had happened, my thoughts barely strayed far from him or the feel of Nate in my hand. No one was more aware than I that making that happen would be an asshole move. That didn’t make me want Nate any less. But he deserved more than a man who was packed up tight in the closet. I needed to tell him as much too, more than aware of the lack of discussion since I’d shoved my tongue in his mouth.
In three days, we’d be on home soil. Once I was home and out of the spotlight, I’d pull my head out of my ass, make my apologies, and talk out the shit in my head. In the meantime, it was my mission to make sure Nate enjoyed his visit. “Come on. Let’s get inside and settled. We can explore this afternoon. I’ve then got that work thing tomorrow.”
“Then I get to steal you away.” His words were followed by his brows bouncing up and down, ridiculously so. I laughed.
