It can’t be.Charity said her father would come for Christmas. By that, I thought he would fly in on his private plane the day before, then fly out at midnight before turning into a pumpkin. He’s two weeks early. More importantly, I haven't come up with a single believable excuse to avoid spending Christmas with them.
Never taking his eyes from me, Nathan hands Travis the discarded peanuts. To take it, Travis has to either let go of my cheek or my hand. He exchanges my cheek for the nuts but keeps his hand clasping mine.
“Hi, Mr. Dawson.” Nathan’s every bit as sexy as I recall. The first two buttons on his crisp white shirt are open, exposing the smooth landscape of his broad chest. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbow, revealing snippets of his tattoo sleeve peeking out from the edges.
Nathan cocks a brow.
I haven’t called him Mr. Dawson in forever. My skin tingles with guilt, as if caught red-handed. Ridiculous.
“Miss Waters,” he mimics. The corners of his mouth twitch.
All sorts of questions fly through my brain, but I settle on one. “When did you arrive?” And why didn’t my bestie text me?
He glances at his watch. “We arrived an hour ago.” When I frown, he adds, “Mason is here with me.”
Holy shit.
I snatch my gaze away from his lips, thinking his eyes are much safer. I’m wrong. “If you’re looking for Charity, she isn’t here,” I say, hoping I can warn Charity about Mason being in town.
“I know where to find Charity,” he says. His gaze roams my body, taking in my skin-tight jeans and igniting heat everywhere it landed. A scowl sharpens his features. “I’m here to see you.”
Me?I ignore the happy-dance my ovaries are doing. My body’s reaction to Nathan is making it impossible to forget my feelings for him. And I desperately need to forget before I get myself into trouble. Still, why does Nathan need to see me? “Is everything alright?” My mind goes Charity again. It’s the only connection this man and I share. I reach for my phone but Travis hasn’t let go of my hand.Travis.
“Charity is fine.” Nathan’s voice snags my attention again.
I exhale.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone, Naomi.” He steps closer. Close enough for me to see the gray streaks in his hair.
My breathing slows. “It’s only after nine.” I don’t know why I’m explaining myself, but he makes me want to.
“It’s dark and you’re unprotected.”
My ovaries do another backflip, but before I can speak, Travis clears his throat.
“Hey man, she’s safe with me.”
Nathan grunts. “It’s good to see Naomi has friends.” He doesn’t even spare Travis a glance. “But considering I don’t know you, you have thirty minutes to get her home.”
The situation is so awkward I’m not sure what to say. On one hand, I’m a grown woman, but Nathan has always been the over protective type. This, though, feels different. Personal. I’ve seen his attention focussed on Charity and work, but now that his eyes are on me … I shiver.
“We are on a date.” I uttered the words with less punch than I’d like.
Any traces of a smile vanish from Nathan’s face, replaced by a determined glare. It’s one I haven’t seen before. “You now have twenty-five minutes. I mean it, Noami,” he says, his voice filled with warning. “Don’t make me come back for you.”
CHAPTER FIVE
CHARITY
“One second!” I drag an oversized sweater over my lingerie before hurrying to the front door. I’m famished and my order of Chinese food is twenty minutes early. “You do not know how happy you’ve made me!” I say, opening the door.
The man standing on the other side of the threshold is not my delivery man. My heart bangs in my chest for a solid minute before I press my lips together. The air between us crackles with an unmistakable snap of energy, pulling me in two directions - happiness and anger.
“Expecting someone?” As his gaze falls upon my bare legs, a guarded expression forms on his face, but a spark of curiosity lights up his eyes for a moment.
“Yes, I am.” My fingers tighten, ready to shut the door in his face.
“Not fucking dressed like that, you’re not.”
