Living in the Moment

by Kate

CHAPTER SEVEN – Theory of Attraction

Nathan looked around the large grass field of a local high school, which had been transformed into a small fairground complete with wooden booths, adorned with bright streamers, and a multitude of balloons in every color imaginable. Bold, bright signs pointed out the various games, and each one announced the possibility of winning some amazing prize. It really did look like a spring carnival, he thought. Just on a smaller scale.

It took him a few minutes to spot Haley in the midst all of that, but he finally saw her. It helped that she was apparently the only person on the field. She was standing by a large table littered with dozens of trays laden with all kinds of treats. She was eyeing a plate of cookies, in between checking things off on a clipboard that she held in her hands. He grinned as he watched her finally give in and take a chocolate chip cookie from the plate.

“A-ha! Caught you red-handed!”

She choked slightly before turning around. She smiled when she saw him, but he noticed the tentativeness of it. Which he understood, because he had felt the same way. That was until he had ‘developed’ a theory. . .one that he hoped he could test soon. “Hey.”

“Stealing cookies, hmm?” he teased, finally reaching her.

She grinned, and popped the remaining piece into her mouth. “Perks of the job.”

“So this is why you come early. To steal all the treats. I’m onto you, James.”

“Shhh! If you keep quiet, I’ll let you in on the chocolate fudge cake.”

“Bribery will get you everywhere with me.” They shared a laugh as Nathan looked the field over once more. “This looks great, Hales.”

“Thanks,” she said, smiling. “But I had very little to do with it. The kids worked really hard to get everything set up.”

“I’m sure you had plenty to do with it.”

“Maybe a little,” she murmured, looking down at her watch. “You’re early.”

“Just wanted to see what my assignment was.”

She checked her clipboard briefly. “You’ll be happy to know I lived up to my word. No dunking booth. Actually we don’t have a dunking booth at all. But your assignment does involve water.”

“Really?” he asked warily.

She grinned. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

He followed her through the maze of booths that were set up before they came to one containing a small wading pool. “Frogs?” He looked at her doubtfully. “You assigned me to frogs?”

“Not real ones,” she returned, amused. “And this game’s a lot of fun.”

He looked at the small wading pool more closely. Green tarp cut into the shape of lily pads were floating on the water in the pool. What was even more noticeable were the dozens of plastic frogs bobbing around in the water. “What exactly am I supposed to do?”

“It’s really simple. They give you a ticket and they get to go over and pick up two frogs and. . .” She stopped and went over and kneeled down by the pool and lifted one of the frogs up. “Underneath each frog is a letter. S, M or L. Standing for small, medium or large. The biggest of the 2 picks is the prize they win. The small are these little party favors. The medium are those little stuffed animals and the large are those bigger stuffed animals over there.” She dropped the wet plastic frog back into the pool. “Every frog has a letter underneath it so everyone wins something.”

“That’s it?”

“Pretty much.” She smiled at him, which seemed to have the most interesting effect on him. Women smiled at him all the time, but when Haley did it, it was like his body had its own reaction to it. This warm, entirely too pleasant feeling began to spread inside of him. “Thanks for doing this. The staff was thrilled when I mentioned you were going to volunteer.” She held up her hand. “And they all promised to keep it on the down low so to speak.”

He nodded. “I’m glad I could help out. I usually just write a check and it feels. . .good that I can you know, actually do something to help.”

“Yeah, you might be re-thinking the check-writing approach at the end of the day,” she teased. He laughed softly. “So. . .how was your trip?”

Miserable. Frenetic. Stressful. Exhausting.

He wanted to say all those things, but he knew that if he did, she’d ask him why and he’d have to talk about the trip. And if he did that, then sooner rather than later, he’d slip up and tell her just how much he had missed her. He had thought of her the entire trip, which was ironic. The trip was supposed to take his mind off of her.

He hadn’t looked forward to the trip at first. Boring meetings with even more boring corporate talking heads, even if those talking heads were talking about giving him money and free stuff. He knew the value of an endorsement deal, and knew what was required of him and he would. . .and did. . .do his part. Still, the trip had been something to endure. But that was before Haley had come over to talk to him. . .and things had changed between them.

Then, he had started to view the trip as a way to put some distance between them. . .to give himself some time to figure things out. It scared him how strongly she affected him. How strongly he was attracted to her. He had never felt this way about a woman before. He knew lust. . .understood it entirely too well. And he certainly wasn’t some inexperienced, horny teenager with only minimal control over his body and hormones. Even when he had been, he hadn’t felt like this. But then it wasn’t just physical lust. His attraction to Haley was that. . .and something else. And together it was entirely too strong. . .too powerful. Something he seemed to have almost no control over. Which he didn’t like one bit. He prided himself on being in control around women. That was the only way he had ‘successfully’ handled the sports groupies. How he had handled his ‘relationships’ if you could call them that.

So he had hoped that the time away would have given him some much needed perspective. Which it did. Only it wasn’t quite the perspective he had been hoping for.

If he had hoped the time apart would cool his ardor, it had the opposite effect. Whenever he had spoken to her on the phone, even with the suddenly ever-present awkwardness between them, he had felt an intense sense of longing. Sometimes, it was all he could do to not rush straight to the airport and fly right back here. He had missed her like crazy. And had thought of her almost every minute of the trip. He was suddenly trying to recall every little detail about her. . .and when he did so, it only made things worse. He didn’t know how he had managed to concentrate at those meetings. Actually from the looks that Lucas had given him at times, he wasn’t so sure that he had been all that great at maintaining his concentration.

Now, looking at her standing just a few feet away, those big brown eyes looking at him questioningly and that warm smile spread across her beautiful face. . .he had to concede that the attraction was as strong as ever. She was entirely too captivating, just dressed in a T-shirt bearing the Children’s Center’s logo and name and a pair of faded jeans. In his view, though, the T-shirt was just tight enough to outline the curve of her breasts, while the jeans were low, and seemed to hug her hips and butt like a well-fitting glove.

Nope. Distance hadn’t helped at all. In fact, that was the real reason he had come early. He had needed to see her. Desperately.

“Nathan?” She was looking at him amusedly and he was thankful that he was wearing sunglasses, although from the expression on her face, he wasn’t sure that she hadn’t seen his eyes lingering on her ass.

“Huh? Oh, uh, the trip. . .yeah, it went as expected.”

“That’s good right?”

“Yeah.” She smiled and glanced down at her clipboard. “Am I in your way or something?”

She shook her head. “Actually, you want to help me with something?”

She didn’t even have to ask.

~*~

“How’s that?” Nathan called back to her.

She glanced up and compared his position against her own and nodded. “Great.” He nodded before moving onto the next colorful flag. . .really a stick with a piece of colorful plastic stapled to it. . . .stuck into the ground.

She stared at his backside for a little longer than necessary. . .but damn. . .he had a really good-looking backside. She shook her head and forced herself to focus on what she was supposed to be doing. And she was supposed to be checking that this game was set up correctly. . .not checking out Nathan. Still, she couldn’t help sneaking a quick peek back up at him, and felt her breath catch to see him bending down, his long legs and tight, firm-

Focus.

Easier said than done, she thought. If agreeing to see where things stood with them beyond friendship was supposed to help her, it seemed to be having another effect entirely because she seemed more distracted by him now than ever before. Not that it was an entirely bad distraction but still, being distracted by some guy’s b-

She groaned softly. It was like she was a teenager with her first crush again. Not necessarily a bad thing, she thought wryly glancing up at Nathan yet once again. He was in tight, fitted jeans and a long-sleeved light blue cotton shirt that accentuated all the good parts of his body. But then, from what she could tell, Nathan didn’t really have any bad parts to his body.

Stop staring, she chided herself, and yet, she just couldn’t seem to look away. Being away from him this past week had been harder than she had thought. And she had convinced herself sometime around Wednesday that it was because they had left things so. . .unsettled. Sure they had agreed to be ‘more than friends’ but what did that mean? Were they going to go on a date? But then what?

And then there were the doubts that nagged at her. She had thought more than once that she might have been just too impulsive. . .that it had been a reaction to dredging up Matthew. . .that they shouldn’t mess up their friendship with-

Just then, Nathan bent down to adjust a marker and she could feel her mouth drop at the sight of his jeans stretching across the long, muscular expanse of his thighs while they cupped his firm butt even tighter, to the point that nothing need be left to the imagination. And as he reached out to adjust the flag, his shirt stretched over that incredible expanse of his back, letting her see those muscles ripple in the most amazing way.

Yep. She could safely say that there were no doubts about her attraction to him. She was standing in the middle of a field blatantly staring at his ass for goodness sakes! Definitely no doubts there. And for that reason alone, she was glad they weren’t hiding behind being ‘just friends’ anymore. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder where did that leave them exactly?

She sighed. Of course it made sense that she felt a little unsettled and distracted. It was because of how they had left things and had nothing at all to do with those long legs, his narrow waist, the hard, muscular chest and his perfectly angled face framed by a thick, gorgeous head of hair and the most incredible blue eyes she’d ever seen. And did his voice always have that deep, rich timbre to it?

Yeah, it was the situation that was distracting her.

Resolutely, she forced her attention back to the plastic slingshots stuck into the ground. This was probably going to be one of the more popular games. Water balloons as flying projectiles? Definite mass appeal. She checked the slingshot in front of her one last time before she moved over to the last one in the row of 5. All that this game entailed was to shoot water balloons out towards the open half field, where the colorful flags marked certain distances. Whoever shot their balloon the farthest won the largest prize.

Kneeling down at the last slingshot, she found it slightly askew. Frowning, she reached out and shook it. It jiggled unsteadily in her hand. Grabbing it with both hands, she began to twist it further into the ground. After a few seconds, she had managed to anchor it a bit steadier. She finished patting the dirt around it into place before she brushed her hands off. She jiggled the slingshot once again. It held but she wasn’t completely confident about its anchoring. She spied a box of water balloons just off to the side and decided to do a quick test. Grabbing a pink water balloon from the box, she knelt down and placed it into the little loop holder of the elastic band. She gingerly pulled the band back and checked the slingshot, which held securely. No wobbling, she thought with a smile.

“How’s this?”

Nathan’s voice startled her, which caused her to inadvertently let go of the elastic band. The band made a soft ‘snap’ sound and she watched in amusement as the little pink balloon flew through the air. Her amusement quickly turned to alarm when she saw where the balloon was headed. Straight at Nathan who had turned back to the marker and was completely unaware of what was about to-

“Nathan!”

Too late. The pink balloon smacked him squarely in his left shoulder, bursting on impact. Water began creeping down his arm and torso, darkening his shirt noticeably as it did so.

Nathan didn’t move at first, but then he slowly turned towards her. He took of his sunglasses and looked down at his wet shirt, the torn remnants of the pink balloon still clinging to his shoulder. Then he looked over at her. She was still kneeling by the slingshot. His expression was a mixture of disbelief and surprise.

“Sorry?” she offered in a small voice.

He gave her an incredulous look, which suddenly highlighted the absurdity of the situation to her. A small giggle escaped her lips, which quickly turned into a full laugh.

His eyes narrowed before he quickly closed the distance between them and before she knew it, he was upon her. “Oh, that’s funny is it?” His eyes shifted to the box containing the water balloons.

The laughter abruptly died on her lips. She jumped up and placed herself in front of the box. “Nathan. . . .” He began to make his way towards the box. “Don’t!”

“Don’t what?” he asked innocently, although his eyes betrayed him. Their blue depths practically sparkled with his mischievous intent.

“It was an accident!”

He continued to edge closer to the box. “Accident, huh?”

“Yes!” she insisted, eyeing him warily. “It really was. You just startled me and I really did not mean to hit you with it. Honest.”

“Of course you didn’t,” he agreed easily. His eyes held her own for a beat before he quickly shifted to one side. As she tried to move to block him, he shifted to the other side and used his speed and long arms to snatch up a balloon before she could stop him.

“Nathan!”

“You know you’re right. Accidents can happen with these things.” He smiled at her sweetly. “In fact, I’m sensing another one could happen with this one right here.”

“No!” She looked at him pleadingly. “Please?”

He seemed to contemplate her plea for a second, but then shook his head and held the balloon up threateningly. “No. You know what, Hales? You are just way too dry. Way too dry. What do you say we do something about that?”

Seeing that he wasn’t about to change his mind, she decided to go out fighting. She lunged for the balloon in his hand, which he hadn’t been expecting, so she caught him off-guard. Still, he was a lot taller than she was, so she didn’t quite reach the balloon. She just managed to catch part of it with her nails, which was apparently enough to rupture it. Unfortunately. . .or not. . . .because Nathan had been holding the balloon up, when it ripped, gravity pulled the water down. . .onto him. The water seeped down his arm, and soaked the other half of his shirt.

She took in sight of yet another water balloon dousing him and burst into laughter anew.

“Why you-“ He reached out and grabbed her. “I can’t believe you did that!”

She was still laughing as he pulled her against him. “That’s what you get!”

He grinned, tightening his hold on her, but the instant her hand came into contact with his wet shirt, which now clung to his muscled chest like a second skin, she suddenly became aware of only one thing.

Him.

Holding her ever-so-close to him so that she could feel the length of one long, taut thigh against her own. . .so that she could feel the heat of his body against her own. . .close enough so that if she moved even the slightest, it would create the most delicious friction between their bodies. She was acutely aware of him loosening his hold on her, and yet she stayed exactly where she was, while wanting to be closer.

She felt his heart race beneath her hand, which sent a charge through her. She looked up and found those incredible blue eyes of his locked onto her face. . . .specifically her lips. His breathing had grown shallow as one hand slowly trailed up her side, igniting her flesh in its wake, to gently cup her cheek.

She swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat and involuntarily licked her lips, which caused his eyes to flash in response. His thumb caressed her cheek briefly before his hand slid lower, down to her neck. His fingers brushed against her ear enticingly before wrapping themselves around the curve of her neck as his thumb rested lightly against her jaw.

He exerted the slightest pressure on her neck, tilting her head up towards him. She parted her lips in anticipation and watched, mesmerized as he began to lower his head. Hurry, she silently commanded him. She fluttered her eyes closed. . .every nerve ending in her body poised in impatient anticipation of the kiss. . .

And then, just as she felt slightest touch of his lips against her own. . .just as that heat deep inside her slowly ignited at the feel of his warm breath brushing against her face. . .voices in the near distance caused them both to freeze. Her eyes shot open and she shifted her head slightly, glancing behind Nathan to see a group of people approaching. She groaned softly and bit her lips, intense disappointment washing over her.

She felt Nathan tense beneath her hands and looked up at him and was oddly comforted to see disappointment. . .and frustration. . . .on his handsome face. She drew in a shaky breath and smiled slightly before she reluctantly took a step away from him. “Uh. . .looks like things are starting.”

“Yeah.”

She clasped her shaking hands together and felt the wetness on them, which directed her eyes back to his drenched shirt, which clung to the well-defined muscles of his chest. She looked away abruptly. “Um. . .I am sorry about the water balloons. . .both of them.”

His eyes danced mischievously. “It was almost worth it.”

~*~

An hour and a half later and Nathan had become even more convinced that his theory, formulated in a hotel room late one night when he hadn’t been able to fall asleep because thoughts of Haley had been running torturously through his head, was all too right.

His theory was simple.

He just needed to kiss Haley again. It was that simple. If he could just kiss her again, all would be clear.

Things were only confusing now, he was convinced, because all he could focus on was this. . .unsatisfied need. You always wanted what you couldn’t have. And the longer you couldn’t have it, the more your desire for it grew. Especially for someone like him, who was exactly used to delayed gratification.

She was like an itch that he couldn’t scratch. But once he did. . . .it would no longer drive him to the point of unbearable distraction. He’d stop thinking about her all the time. There was a part of him that recognized how ludicrously simple it was of him to be comparing Haley to an itch. But the principle was the same. As soon as the unsatisfied. . .need was gone, he’d stop acting like such a sex-starved school boy. The first kiss had only whetted his appetite because it had teased him with what could be. Like being able to just scratch once would only heighten the sensation of the itch.

And after what had almost happened earlier. . .that need was at an all time high. It was within reach. . .and then frustratingly denied to him. Which would explain why the past hour and a half had been both utterly frustrating. . .but fun. Fun would be watching the kids’ faces light up each time he handed them a prize, whether small or large. Fun would be hearing all the laughter around him. It had been a while since he had been in a situation like this. Where people were just happy to be where they were and who they were with.

Frustrating would be catching glimpses of Haley and feeling the simmering desire in him turn into a slow, aching need. He’d see her smiling and become fixated on her lips, wondering how’d they feel against his own. . .wondering how they’d taste. Or the wind would blow her hair and he’d get this intense yearning to run his hand through those auburn strands. And he was still spending an inordinate amount of time staring at her ass.

But that just proved his theory right, he had told himself. She was so close. . .and yet still not within reach. Of course his desire for her grew with each passing moment. . .with each glimpse he saw of her. It would certainly explain why Haley, of all women, would have this kind of effect on him. He wasn’t used to suppressing his desire for a woman. And he had done so from the moment he had met Haley. He hadn’t minded it because of their friendship, but he had suppressed it nonetheless. Which had only made her more ‘unattainable’ and according to his theory, made her even more desirable. And now. . .even though he didn’t have to suppress that desire anymore, he hadn’t been able to do anything. Putting her yet even more out of reach, and in turn, making the attraction stronger.

It all made sense, he thought to himself. He’d kiss her and that. . .itch. . .would stop. He’d stop acting like some lust-crazed, horny kid and actually be able to think straight around Haley again. This attraction would be. . .satisfied. It’d stop being so overwhelming. He’d be able to think of something other than kissing her. . .touching her. . .being near her. Maybe he’d even regain control over his own body again.

“Hey man.”

He turned to find Lucas.. .with Haley. And as if on cue, his body tensed at the sight of her. Oh yeah, his theory definitely had some merit as he tried, completely unsuccessfully, to not stare at her. “Hey.”

“Having fun?” Lucas asked with a smile.

“Yeah,” he murmured, deciding that focusing on his brother would be the best course of action. ‘Cause if he kept staring at her, he’d likely lose control and grab her right then and there. And this was a family-oriented gathering.

“Cute shirt, by the way.”

He glanced down at the bright yellow shirt that matched the one Haley was wearing. It was on loan until his other shirt dried. “There was an accidental shirt incident.”

Lucas looked around his booth. “So how much longer are you holding down the frog fort, Nate?”

“Um, actually, you’re going to be relieved soon,” Haley chimed in, looking down at the ever-present clipboard in her hands.

“Apparently not much longer,” he directed at Lucas, still trying, still futilely, to get his eyes to look anywhere else but at her. Yeah, having some measure of control over his body again would be nice. Not that he could complain about what his eyes wanted to look at.

“You planning on sticking around after?” Lucas asked him.

Hell, yes. He wasn’t going anywhere until he got a chance to prove his theory. “I was planning on trying out some games actually. The water balloon one looks particularly fun.” He grinned as two pink spots appeared on Haley’s cheeks.

“Oh yeah, I saw that on the way in.”

“Don’t let the five year olds scare you, Luke,” he teased his brother. “It’s not all skills. Ask Haley.” She looked at him sharply but he smiled innocently at her in response.

“Really?” said Lucas, looking between the two of them.

He nodded. “She’s got quite the aim.” The color in her cheeks darkened, much to his delight. “She got a shirt out of it actually.”

“A shirt?” Lucas asked, once more looking between the two of them. “Are those prizes?”

“No,” Haley said, shooting him another look.

“You know,” said Lucas. “I’m suddenly feeling like a very ‘not-in-on-the-joke’ third wheel.”

“Go with that, Luke,” he shot back at his brother good-naturedly.

“Nathan!” Haley admonished him. He looked at her unperturbed, while Lucas continued to study the two of them.

“On that note, I’m gonna go and check out this place,” said Lucas. “Catch up with you two later.”

“Was that necessary?” Haley turned to him the second Lucas was out of hearing range.

“What?” he asked innocently.

She gave him another one of those looks, which he knew was supposed to chastise him but was having the completely opposite effect. In fact, everything and anything she did seemed to have only one effect on him. It was like he suddenly had a one-track mind where she was concerned. “You are such a smart ass you know that?”

He grinned. “So I’ve been told.”

She tried to remain stern-faced but cracked a slight smile. Their eyes held briefly and he saw her face flush before she looked away. She cleared her throat. “Um, thanks again for doing this.”

He smiled. “It was my pleasure. Not counting the uncalled-for water balloon attack of course.”

“That was an accident! And the second one was your own fault.”

He laughed and looked at the clipboard in her hands. “You going to be busy supervising things for much longer?”

She glanced down at her clipboard. “Actually, um, I’m pretty much set. Everything’s running smoothly so. . .”

“Great!” He took the clipboard out of her hands. Finally. The opportunity he had been hoping for. “What do you say we go hit some of these games? I’m in dire need of some stuffed animals.”

~*~

Nathan was a competitive guy. Really competitive. He couldn’t have made it as far as he had in his profession without it. Lots of guys had talent like his. . .some even more. ..but what usually set him apart was that fiercely competitive streak of his. He wanted to win and hated to lose. He was still learning the ‘art’ of losing gracefully, but he knew he’d never learn to like losing.

So he had attacked the games at this festival with that same competitive zeal. . .and had amassed a rather amusing losing record. The fact that he would use the words ‘losing’ and ‘amusing’ in the same sentence said a lot. What was really telling was how much fun he had had losing.

“Think you need another decoder ring?” Haley asked with a smile, looking through the bag she was carrying. It was full of all the plastic toys he had ‘won.’

“These games are fixed,” he said yet once again.

She laughed. “Tell that to that 8 year old carrying the stuffed bear you promised me.”

He shook his head. Who knew playing these games would be so hard? He’d been to a few carnivals and fairs. . .and had usually been pretty good at these games. Although he had mostly hung around the basketball shoot. “You know if you want one, I can easily-“

“Ah! You need to win it fair and square. No offering to buy one.”

“You just like seeing me make a fool of myself don’t you?”

She pretended to seriously consider his question. “It is pretty entertaining.” She smiled. “And you’re pretty cute fumbling around like that.”

Being around her was such sweet torture. A flirtatious note had crept into their banter, and yet unlike before, there was definitely something else behind that flirting now. Having her flirt with him, whether it was deliberate like now, or not, like when she tucked her hair behind her ears or touched him innocently, was proving to be a kind of pleasurable agony. He liked it. . a lot. But it also had the effect of kicking his already over-active libido into even higher gear. . .to the point that it was becoming physically uncomfortable for him to be around her.

“Hey, you two.”

They both turned to find Lucas coming up to them, carrying a small stuffed tiger.

“Hey Luke,” Haley greeted him with a smile. “Where’d you get that?”

Lucas chuckled. “Believe it or not, at the frog thing you had Nathan at earlier. I swung by there hoping to find you but of course you weren’t there and since I was there, I’d figure I’d give it a shot and-“

“Or the cute girl currently volunteering there convinced you to play?”

Lucas smiled sheepishly. “It’s for a good cause.” They both laughed at his brother good-humoredly. “So, Nate, you getting out of here soon?”

He looked at his watch and was surprised to see how late it was. He hadn’t been aware of the time at all, which was unusual for him these days. It felt like the closer he drew to the upcoming NBA season, the more his life became regulated and scheduled down to the very last second. “Actually, I. . .”

Haley looked up at him and he felt strangely happy to see the look of disappointment in her eyes. “You know if you need to go. . .”

He really did, but not before he tested his theory. He was going to do that even if it killed him, which it just might if he didn’t get one minute alone with her soon. “Yeah, I do but. . .my shirt!” She looked at him puzzled. “I need my shirt back. Think you can show me where you put it?”

It took a few seconds but understanding lit up her eyes. “Oh! Right. Sure. Yeah.”

“You mean that’s not your shirt?” Lucas asked, bemused. “It looks so good on you, man. I was thinking of taking a picture with my phone and-“

“You want to live to see your next birthday?” he bit out at his brother.

Lucas chuckled. “Right. O.K. Since you two are on a quest for the elusive shirt you keep talking about, I’m gonna head out. Great job as always, Hales.” Haley smiled and murmured her thanks before giving Lucas a hug. “Call you later, man.”

He made a sound of acknowledgement in his brother’s direction before heading off towards the buildings with Haley by his side.

“That was subtle,” she said wryly. They reached the double doors in no time and soon they were in a small gym, littered with boxes that contained various items that had helped in setting up the festival outside. Clearly, the small gym served as the staging area.

“I put your shirt in that box over-“ She stopped abruptly when she nearly bumped into him. He made no move to get out of her way. He didn’t realize it until just a second ago, but they were finally completely alone. At last.

“Haley?” he murmured, moving closer to her. She backed up slightly, until she was almost against the wall by the double doors.

“Hmm?” she breathed, her gaze transfixed on his own.

“I need to kiss you.”

“You need to-“

He closed whatever distance had been between them quickly and this time, there was no hesitation. . .no pauses. . .no slow build-up. His patience had run out long ago.

He pressed his lips against her firmly and she froze for a second, as if startled, before she relaxed and kissed him back, tilting her head back to let their lips touch more fully. He groaned softly and angled his head, capturing her lips more fully.

She felt as good as he had imagined. Better. Her lips were so soft. . .so smooth. And seemed to fit his as if they were the counterparts to his own lips.

One arm wrapped against her waist and drew her closer even as he pressed forward with his body. The other arm reached out for the wall, finally finding it and using it to brace both of their bodies. He leaned in closer, pressing himself against her and at the same time, pressing her against the wall, letting their bodies mold together.

He pulled away slightly, looking into her eyes, searching for any signs that this was not what she wanted, but he didn’t have a chance because she pressed her lips back against his, as her hands gripped his waist tightly, pulling him even closer. He complied and removed his arm from around her waist, freeing up his hand to grasp the nape of her neck and pull her head closer to his own, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

White, hot desire exploded within him as her tongue grazed his lower lip as she met each of his kiss with an equally enthusiastic one of her own. But he controlled himself. He wanted to enjoy this kiss. This kiss had been a long time in the making. . .and had a whole day’s. . . .week’s actually. . . frustration thrown in. So he was going to take his time and explore her mouth at his own pace. No matter what his body and overflowing testosterone was telling him otherwise.

He ran his tongue along her lower lip, slowly. . .languidly. . .tasting her. And she tasted so good. He felt her shudder beneath him before she opened her mouth in silent invitation but still, he took his time before letting his tongue slip inside the hot, damp recess of her mouth. His control slipped as his tongue met hers in a slick, erotic dance. . .first inside her mouth, and then moving over to his. Over and over. Thrust. . .parry. . .thrust.

She moaned and one hand travel slowly up his chest. He reached out blindly until he found the door frame and gripped it tightly, fighting for control. His other hand moved from her neck to entangle in the soft, silky mass of her hair as they continued kissing. . .urgently. Hungrily. His control almost slipped completely when she pulled his lower lip into her mouth and sucked gently. He felt himself begin to harden and forced himself to tear his lips from hers.

Her head rested against his chin as they both gasped for breath. “So much for that.”

She inclined her head so that she could look into his eyes. “What?”

“I had this theory.” He exhaled unsteadily and cupped her cheek with his palm as his thumb traced her kiss swollen lips gently. Who knew those lips could be capable of driving him so close to the brink so quickly?

“Theory?” she whispered.

He dipped his head and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. . .then another. . .then another. It was as if his lips were drawn to hers by some force he had no control over. “Never mind. Didn’t pan out.” He managed to pull away enough so that their lips were no longer touching, but it seemed like everything else still was. “Come with me.”

She drew in a quivering breath. “Where?”

Where did that come from he wondered? He had considered asking her earlier, and had always argued against it. But right then and there, he didn’t really care what all those reasons had been. And he didn’t care that he should have asked in a different way. All he knew was that he didn’t want to be away from her anymore. Or rather, he couldn’t. He was already wondering how he was going to pry himself away from her just to go home. “I need to go to Wilmington tomorrow. Actually for a few days. Come with me?”

She lifted her eyes to look into his, and held them for what seemed an eternity. He could see her considering it and finally, she smiled and whispered,

“O.K.”

A slow grin spread across his face as he found himself falling deeper and deeper into the depths of her dark brown eyes. And as he did so, he still couldn’t figure out if he was supposed to be relieved or upset that his theory had been so quickly and so resoundingly disproved. That was one itch that didn’t look like it was going to go away and scratching it only made it worse.

CHAPTER EIGHT – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

“So. . .what’s in Wilmington?”

Nathan glanced over at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road. “Uh. . .my beach house.”

“You have a beach house?”

“For now.” She turned her head and looked at him questioningly. Again, he briefly glanced at her before turning his attention back to the road. “I’m thinking of selling it and Jane said that. . .you remember Jane? The realtor?. . .well, she said that the market’s good for sellers right now.” Of course she remembered Jane. It wasn’t often that she made a complete and utter fool of herself in front of someone. “That’s what we were talking about that day. And I’m thinking of selling the house in Wilmington. . .and maybe the one in Charlotte too. And since the market’s good now, she said I should put the houses on the market as soon as possible if I’m serious.”

“Are you?” she asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” he answered with a shrug. “The places I have now. . .they’re just. . .for show mostly. I don’t even use most of the house in Charlotte and this is the first time I’ve been to the house in Wilmington in almost a year. It’s just. . .a waste.” He sighed softly. “Anyway, I’m headed there to look it over and decide if I really want to sell it.”

“Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind,” she said softly.

“Then I guess I just need to. . .clear it out.”

“So that’s why you asked me along?” she asked, her voice teasing. “You needed some free labor.”

He chuckled briefly, before he said softly,

“That’s definitely not why I asked you along.” His voice hitting that low note that somehow managed to set the hairs on her neck on end. He turned and met her eyes and she felt herself begin to grow very, very warm. Abruptly she looked away and drew in a deep breath.

Good Heavens! Being around him was like having a hot flash every. . .way too often! Not that she had, at the tender age of 24, ever experienced a hot flash but if what she had read or heard about them was true, then the way Nathan made her feel seemed pretty darn close. Hormones seemingly out of her control. Check. Rapid change in body temperature. Check. Discomfort. Check.

It felt like she was always turned on around him now. If she thought she was attracted to him before, that kiss had kicked that attraction into the stratosphere. And that was a very unfamiliar sensation to her. She had been attracted to guys before. . .some on a purely physical level. And then there was Matthew. There had been physical attraction mixed in with genuine, at least on her part, emotions.

But nothing compared to how she felt around Nathan. Or how he made her feel. The intensity of it.. .scared her. Yet it excited her too. But probably the most confusing. . .and troubling. . .thing was how it affected her own behavior.

She wasn’t exactly the kind of person who blatantly checked out a guy. . .but that was exactly what she had been doing for much of the day yesterday. She wasn’t exactly impulsive either. Yet here she was, taking a trip out of town with Nathan. Definitely impulsive.

That wasn’t exactly true, she corrected herself. It wasn’t a completely impulsive decision. When Nathan had asked, right then and there, she had wanted to blurt out ‘yes’ but she hadn’t. She had considered it first. Had considered not only if she really wanted to go but if she could. Then she had agreed. It was like she could see the danger, but she still wanted it because she saw the thrill too.

It scared her. Partly because of Matthew, since she had seen the warning signs with him and had still plunged ahead. But in this case, the warning signs were completely different. She knew she could trust Nathan. She’s known that from the beginning. The signs here were warning her of something else entirely. Warning her that she could fall hard. . .fast. . .completely.

Of that she had no doubt. If she did, she only had to think of their kiss in the gym yesterday. She had gotten completely lost in that kiss. Lost herself inside those swirling, heady sensations. . .and had let her desire take control. She’d never done that before. And yesterday, it had been. . .natural. That was what was so scary. . .so overwhelmingly intense about. . .whatever it was between them.

Despite that fear and intensity however, she also knew she wanted it. Badly.

Just then, memories of that kiss flashed through her mind. . .again. . .causing her body to react. Oh yeah, she definitely wanted it. She had practically given him a tongue bath for crying out loud! And then the words ‘tongue’ and ‘bath’ along with the memory of Nathan’s body pressed against her own combined inside her head to give her the most incredible mental image. . so incredible that she shivered involuntarily at the thought of it.

“Are you cold?” Nathan asked looking at her.

She felt herself flush. “Uh-uh.” He smirked as he turned back to the road. She looked at him, partly aghast that he had known exactly why she had shivered and partly outraged at his audacity. That ass, she thought to herself.

And then her mind flashed back to that image of him kneeling on the ground, jeans stretched tight over that ass of-

She bit her lip and looked out the window at the passing scenery, wondering how she was going to make it to Wilmington without doing something to embarrass herself if that was all she was going to be able to think of. And the confines of Nathan’s roomy SUV suddenly became much too small for her liking.

“Mind if I roll the window down a bit?” she asked, somehow managing to keep her voice steady and casual. She didn’t even bother looking at him, knowing that would just be tempting fate. In response, Nathan pressed the controls by his door and rolled her window down slightly. “Thanks.”

“Better?” he asked.

She nodded, still not looking at him. The cool breeze coming in through her window was helping. . .if only a little. “So, um. . .” she began, hoping that talking would take her mind off of. . . .that. “Did you used to spend a lot of time in Wilmington?”

“Not really,” he replied. “We did take a couple of trips there when I was a kid though.”

“Oh. I was just-“

“Wondering why I bought a beach house there?” he finished for her. She nodded. “Guess I just wanted something to remind me of Tree Hill without it actually being Tree Hill.” He looked at her, his expression wry. “Does that make sense?”

“Yes,” she said with a smile. “And you’re right, Wilmington is a lot like Tree Hill.”

“Just no overbearing fathers or messed up families with messed up lives,” he joked, although there seemed to be something very serious in his voice.

“A bonus, huh?”

“You have no idea.”

She looked over at him then, but his profile didn’t reveal much. Odd, she thought. This wasn’t the first time Nathan hinted at. ..she didn’t even know what. But she knew it was there because she recognized it. Whatever it was he was hinting at. . .it was his ‘Matthew.’ Only it was. . .darker and seemed to haunt him almost.

Nathan, while sensitive, also had this innate ability to let things slide off his back when he wanted. . .or needed. . .it to. Bad practices bothered him for a while, and then he just somehow managed to let go of it. And as soon as he did, it was like nothing had happened. Few things seemed to impact him deeply. So she couldn’t help wonder just what it was that could stay with him in such a way and for so long.

~*~

“You have a glass house,” she whispered in amazed wonder as she stood in the foyer of Nathan’s beach house, taking in the sight in front of her.

He chuckled softly besides her. “I’ve never thought of it like that before.”

She smiled, slightly embarrassed. She hadn’t meant to phrase it quite that way but that was what she had thought the moment they had driven up to the two-story house, tucked away in one of Wilmington’s more exclusive, private beachfront communities.

“I’m going to get our bags,” he said. She nodded absently, still mesmerized by the beautiful sight in front of her.

Nathan’s house was composed almost entirely of large, floor-to-ceiling windows. They surrounded the house and allowed for a breath-taking, panoramic view of the beach. The house was airy. . .spacious. . .with minimal furniture to clutter up all the wide, open spaces. It was stunning in its simplicity.

The entrance led directly into the large, ‘sunken’ family room. The ‘lower’ part of the room contained the couch and what looked to be a fully loaded entertainment center, complete with large, flat screen TV and all its accompanying gadgets. The upper part of the room led into what she could see was the kitchen, as well as out into the deck and patio area that connected to the landing that led down to the beach.

The view of the beach was breathtaking. . .but seemed especially so just then. She and Nathan had left Charlotte relatively late that afternoon, so they had arrived just a little after sunset. The sky still contained streaks of color and contrasted against an increasingly dark sky, it looked like a bold abstract painting.

She opened the patio door and instantly, a cool breeze floated in, bringing with it the fragrance of the sea. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the breeze dancing across her face.

“Like it?”

She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice just behind her. She turned to find him standing just a few feet behind her, his expression unreadable, but his gaze was fixed on her unwaveringly. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is,” he replied softly, still staring at her intently.

And that heat began to slowly radiate inside of her once more. She stood, transfixed, as he came closer. Her breathing suddenly became an issue and she could feel her stomach begin to do that little flip. It was utterly maddening how he was able to affect her so easily.

He finally reached her and they stood there for what seemed much longer than a few minutes and just gazed into each other’s eyes, neither moving nor saying anything. Finally, Nathan reached out and trailed his index finger softly down the side of her face, causing little tingles to dance up and down her spine. She drew in a shaky breath as he looped his finger under her chin and lifted it, tilting her head up towards him.

“Gorgeous,” he whispered huskily and then lowered his head and kissed her.

She responded instinctively as passion ignited instantly between them. She rose up on her tiptoes and looped both arms around his neck as she pulled him closer to her. Surprisingly, she was the aggressor for this kiss. Nathan had been kissing her gently, seemingly content at the slow, leisurely pace of the kiss.

But she wasn’t.

The moment his lips had touched hers. . . .she had wanted more. Needed more.

She licked the seam of his lips, demanding entrance and he granted it with a soft moan as his arm wrapped around her waist tightly, pulling her solidly against his muscular chest. One hand tangled into the thick mass of his hair as she pulled herself even closer to him, pressing herself fully against his length. She shuddered as his tongue expertly caressed her own while his hand moved down the side of her neck to briefly rest against her collarbone. And then it slowly moved down the side of her body, the palm of his hand just brushing against her breast, until it found the curve of her hip. In response, she let her hand trail down his chest. . .slowly. . . just letting her fingers lazily slide over all the planes of his muscled torso.

She didn’t know how long they stayed like that. . .kissing, touching, bodies pressed so close that it was hard to tell where she began and he ended. . . .until she heard Nathan gasp as he pulled away and buried his head into the crook of her neck. She shivered as she felt his stubble brush tantalizing across the delicate area of her neck. She panted softly, trying to catch her breath. She felt that liquid heat. . .that delicious heat that had started to spread throughout her body. . .begin to pool between her legs and felt her knees buckle. It was a good thing Nathan was holding her so tightly..

“God,” Nathan murmured against her neck, causing her to gasp. Her breathing was ragged and uneven as it was and what he was doing wasn’t helping.

She felt him draw in a shaky breath before he pulled back to look deeply into her eyes. He lifted his hands and gently framed her face.

“What are you doing to me?” he asked, his voice unsteady.

“W-what?” He expelled a long, slow breath before he leaned his head against hers. He closed his eyes as his fingers lightly caressed her face. The tenderness of his action threatened to send her emotions into overload. “N-Nathan.”

He shook his head but she had the distinct impression that it wasn’t in response to her. Finally he opened his eyes and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. And then he pulled away, and she suddenly felt very. . .cold and bereft.

He cleared his throat. “What do you say we get settled and rest up for a bit before dinner?” He smiled when she nodded her agreement but still, she couldn’t help but wonder what that brief exchange had been about.

~*~

Nathan pushed himself against the pain. . .against his body rebelling against this workout. He was used to it. Pushing himself beyond what he thought he was capable of. . .what he thought his body was capable of. It was something he had been forced to learn early on. It had served him well at times. . .like now.

He hadn’t planned on going for a run on the beach, especially not after the long drive in from Charlotte, but after that kiss with Haley, he found that he had a lot of. . .energy. . .to burn.

Speaking of unplanned activities, he certainly hadn’t planned on kissing Haley. Well, he hadn’t planned for it to happen so suddenly. He had actually been trying to control himself around her. . .something that was proving to be close to an impossibility. The sight of her standing by the open patio door, the ocean breeze ruffling her hair, and the setting sun casting her figure into an enthralling silhouette. . . .it had been quite a sight. But it was the expression of utter peace and contentment on her face had been the final straw. There was no way he could have resisted that.

And that kiss.

If he thought that the kiss at the festival had disproved his theory. . . .this kiss quickly proved just how much he had seemed to regress. Good God. He had to pull away from her because he was dangerously close to going over the brink. He had lost control so quickly. . .so easily. All she was doing was kissing him. . . .O.K. . .she was doing a little more than that but for someone of his experience. . . .that certainly shouldn’t have made him come so close to climaxing. It was like he was 14 again. And Haley. . .Haley definitely was more incredible than that 16 year old cheerleader he had hooked up with at his first ‘away’ basketball camp.

Hell, being with Haley seemed to be more extraordinary than any woman he’d ever been with. No one had ever affected him the way she did. What was worse was that he knew she wasn’t even trying to seduce him. ‘Cause God help him when she decided to put some effort into it.

He grunted as he pushed himself to maintain his punishing pace, even as he felt his leg muscles tighten in protest. At least the physical discomfort in his body gave him something else to focus on.

And that tended to work all of. . .a few seconds.

Even on this grueling beach run, when the heaviness of the sand made each step seem like five on asphalt, all he could do was think of her. . .and whether he hadn’t made a big mistake in asking her to come here. He looked up and saw his ‘glass house’ come into view.

He expelled a loud breath and ran faster, as if he could run away from the images that had suddenly popped into his head. Disturbing, painful images. The house served as a reminder. And he wanted to be free of that. . .especially now. He was moving forward with his life and things that reminded him of the past. . .he felt an overwhelming need to get rid of. For some reason, memories of. . .those days. . .were beginning to come back to him with more frequency. He had thought he had put that all. . away. . .but lately, it was like those memories had. . .escaped from whatever place he had tucked them away in.

So to bring Haley here. . . .

But if he were honest with himself, he didn’t really have a choice. From the way things were with them. . .and how fast they seemed to be progressing. . . .he just knew that coming here without her would have only made things worse for him. Not only would he have had to deal with this house and its attendant issues. . .he’d have had to deal with missing Haley like crazy.

Besides, having her here seemed. . .right. Like being here with her. . .just being with her. . . .seemed like where he belonged. Which was why he needed to maintain some kind of control. He knew just how easily he could lose it around her. . .and he didn’t want that. No matter how hot they were for each other, he knew things were moving really fast. Almost too fast. And the last thing he wanted to do was to take things between them too far. . . .too fast and have it all. . .turn out badly.

When they made love, they both had to be ready. And Haley wasn’t ready yet. He wasn’t sure if he was either.

He slowed as he approached the house, noting the lights on Haley’s ‘side’ of the house. He checked his watch and noted that he had enough time to shower before they headed to the riverfront for a late dinner. He had decided at the beginning of the run that probably the less time he spent confined inside the house with Haley the better. The better for him and his uncontrollable desire for her.

Quickly, he stretched out his muscles before he climbed the steps of the landing and let himself in through the patio doors. Stripping off his sweaty shirt, he headed for his bedroom, still breathing relatively hard from his run. He was mopping the sweat from his head with his shirt, so he wasn’t watching where he was going. Which was why he ran into Haley. Literally.

“Oh!” she cried. “Nathan! I was-”

He instinctively caught her arms to steady her even as she reached out to steady herself. Her hands found themselves squarely on his slightly sweaty chest and they both froze. He felt that wave of desire surge within him almost instantly. It was like he was in a constant state of being turned on. . .just in varying degrees. But he was definitely in a high degree of arousal just then as her hands moved slowly down his chest. His heart began to skip about wildly while his breathing grew even more labored.

“I was. . . .about. . .dinner. . .” her voice trailed off.

When her hand reached his right nipple and gently touched the small golden loop hanging there, he sucked in a shaky breath as he gripped her wrist to still its movement. Her eyes flashed as she looked up at him, wonder and desire shining from their golden brown depths.

“You have a. . .nipple ring.”

He nodded. “It’s-“ He trembled at the sensations that passed through his body just then as she slowly traced the outline of the loop with her index finger, which caused his nipple to become taut and extremely sensitive.

Jesus! The motion of her finger made him feel like he was being electrically shocked in his groin. A highly pleasant and delicious shock, but. . . .holy. . . . .

“H-Haley-“ With strength he didn’t think he possessed just then, he pulled her hand away from him. And her hand felt like the heaviest weight he’d ever bench pressed.

“Hmm?” she murmured before looking up at him. Then her eyes widened, as if she were snapping out of something and she quickly pulled her hand back. “S-sorry. I. . .”

He could still hear the blood rushing from his head and he quickly took a few steps back from her. Yep. Being in wide, open spaces with Haley from now on was definitely a good plan. A necessary plan.

“D-dinner?” he managed to get out in a raspy voice. “We should-“

“Right! Yes! I’m. . .”

And then before anything else could happen they both took off in opposite directions, mumbling indistinctly.

~*~

“How’s your salad?”

She glanced up at him but avoided looking him straight in the eyes. “It’s. . .good.” And then for the umpteenth time that evening, they smiled at each other awkwardly before letting silence descend between them.

She sighed softly as she glanced out at the river, sparkling under the lamplights. She wondered why Nathan had wanted to get their meal to eat out here. ‘Here’ being along the walkway that lined part of Wilmington’s historic riverfront. Not that she minded. It was quite romantic actually. They were dining under the stars by the river that every so often blew in a nice, cool breeze. It was a perfect, romantic setting. . .but the mood between them couldn’t exactly be described as romantic.

Her mind flashed back to just earlier. . .in the hallway leading to Nathan’s room, wondering if that was why things were so uncomfortable between them then. But still. . .even now, she could feel herself growing warm as the image of his damp, heaving, extremely well-muscled chest flashed through her mind. And because of their height difference, his chest had been in her direct line of vision. . .in all its incredible glory.

And that nipple ring. She never knew Nathan had a body piercing. . .nor did she know how something like a little gold loop could be such a turn-on. That was until she had practically fondled him in the middle of a hallway!

She shook her head slightly. She didn’t know what was going on with her. . .but she had already done more impulsive, ‘unlike-me’ things in the past 24 hours than she had done in the last 24 years of her life. What’s more . . . she was liking it. Despite the current awkwardness between them, she was glad that she had decided to come to Wilmington with him. And Lord knows she wasn’t regretting any of their kisses. . .or feeling up his nipple ring. Nope. No regrets there.

“What’s so funny?”

His voice jolted her from her thoughts. “Huh?”

“You were smiling just then,” he said, looking at her curiously.

Oh. . .damn it! She knew that even in the dimness of the night, he could see her blushing. “W-was I? Um. . .it’s. . . .nothing.”

He studied her for several seconds and she tried to maintain eye contact, but failed dismally. Nathan sighed softly. “There’s a lot of that going around isn’t there?” She looked at him quizzically. “’Nothing.’ That’s what we’re calling all these awkward. . .instances between us right?”

“I-“

“Look, I. . .well, I don’t think I need to tell you that there’s clearly something going on between us and I. . . .I want to figure that out but I was also hoping maybe we didn’t have to sacrifice our friendship while we did that.” He angled his head at her. “What do you think?”

“I. . .” She sighed. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”

“So let’s give it a shot.” He shrugged. “If it doesn’t work out, I guess we’ll just have to have sex and get all this stuff out of the way.”

“W-what?” she sputtered. She wasn’t sure she had heard him right but seeing that mischievous sparkle in his eyes, she knew she had. “Nathan!”

He smiled, that cocky little smile of his that she knew on any other person would rub her completely the wrong way, but on him, it was oddly endearing. “I thought I’d just state the obvious as a way to get us over this. . .awkward thing.”

She tried to glare at him. “Right.”

“You have to admit, it’s kind of working,” he said, cocky smile somehow getting cockier.

“So you think,” she retorted, trying desperately not to smile.

He chuckled but then grew serious. “So, what do you say we just focus on the friends part and let all the. . .other stuff work itself out?”

What he said made a lot of sense. Just because she now seemed obsessively attracted to him didn’t mean that they weren’t still friends who could have fun together. And honestly, it would be easier to focus on the friends aspect than to drive herself crazy thinking about how incredibly sexy he was. “O.K. Friends. . .and the rest will work itself out.”

He smiled. “So. . .how about a walk?”

As soon as they had disposed of the remains of their dinner, they were strolling side by side along the walkway that lined the riverfront. Nathan had been right, she marveled. Stating the obvious had lessened the tension and awkwardness between them. They didn’t say much as they walked, but the silence between them was familiar. . .companionable. So when Nathan reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers, it felt natural. It felt right.

It also caused all the nerve endings in her body to tingle with delight.

They had almost walked the entire length of the riverfront before a voice behind them called out Nathan’s name, causing them both to stop and turn. She could make out a tall, thin figure approaching them. Before the figure came into focus, however, she felt Nathan tense besides her.

“Nathan Scott?” The figure finally came into enough focus in the dim streetlights for her to make out a man, probably around the same age as Nathan, but who looked a lot older due to all the deep lines on his face and the dull, almost glaze-like quality to his light eyes. She couldn’t quite make out their color but they looked hazel to her. “It is you! I’ll be damned!”

Nathan said nothing and she was surprised to see how his face had hardened as he just stared at this man in front of them. The man smiled broadly, seemingly unaware of Nathan’s less than friendly demeanor.

“How the hell are you man!”

Nathan remained silent for several long minutes before he finally spoke. “Zack.”

Zack beamed and reached over and clapped Nathan loudly on the shoulder. “See! I knew you’d recognized me!” Zack waved his hands dismissively. “You were never that good with the names and faces thing anyway. It’s good to see you man! What the hell has it been?” Nathan had resumed staring at Zack impassively but if it were possible, he grew even more tense when Zack directed his attention to her. And his grip on her hand tightened. “Well, hello there.”

“Hi,” she greeted politely.

Zack extended his hand towards her. “Zack Mitchell. And you are?”

“Haley James,” she offered. She extended her free hand towards Zack and felt the pressure increase on the hand that Nathan was still holding.

Instead of shaking her hand, Zack lifted it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss on her upturned knuckles. She saw as well as felt Nathan’s reaction. “It is a pleasure meeting someone as-“

Before Zack could finish, Nathan reached out and removed her hand from his grasp. “What do you want Zack?”

Zack’s eyes shot from Nathan to her and then back to Nathan before he smiled amiably. “Just wanted to say ‘hi’ to an old friend.”

“We’re not friends.”

Zack’s eyes flashed at Nathan’s clipped, hostile tone. “No, guess we’re not. Not since the accident. You’ve been-“

“We’re done here,” said Nathan as he turned and began to lead her away.

“Hey! Scott!” Zack called after them, but Nathan continued walking away. “You aren’t fooling anyone! You think you’re better than me? You just-“

Zack’s voice faded as they put more and more distance between them. Nathan remained stonily silent as they continued walking back towards where he had parked his car. She could literally feel the tension and anger emanating from him.

“Hey,” she said, stopping, which forced him to as well. “Are you O.K.?”

“Fine,” he bit out. “It’s late, we should-“

"You want to talk about-“

“No.”

She sighed softly. “O.K. But if-“

“I don’t want to talk about this Haley. Not now, not ever.”

Before she could respond, he turned and began to walk away. As she followed, she couldn’t help but wonder how they had managed to grow so close, but still widen the distance between them.

CHAPTER NINE – Lose Control

Haley awoke to a drizzling rain the next morning. It was fitting since it matched her somber mood. She hadn’t exactly slept well last night. Not after that encounter with Zack Mitchell. Nathan had maintained his stony silence the entire drive back to his beach house, which of course brought all the tension and awkwardness between them back. . .magnified tenfold. Unable to tolerate it for any longer, she had simply murmured a terse ‘good night’ once they had arrived back and had retired to her room.

She had spent a sleepless night, alternately tossing and turning and watching infomercials on T.V. Mostly she had worried about Nathan. Whatever it was that was haunting him. ..it wasn’t as ‘in the past’ as she had thought. The way he had grown so angry and upset, and so quickly, upon seeing Zack told her that those. . .issues. . .still needed to be dealt with.

She just didn’t know what to do. . .or how to help him. She didn’t feel comfortable pushing Nathan. He hadn’t done that with her. He had respected her not wanting to talk about Matthew, so how could she not show the same consideration in return?

Still. . . .

As troubled as she was by Matthew, whatever it was that was haunting Nathan, it seemed to cut deeper, and had left a wound that was clearly still hurting him. Could she really just ignore that out of ‘consideration’? Could she let him suffer like that?

She sighed and quickly dressed and performed her morning routine. She couldn’t very well hide out in here forever, although that was a very real possibility given that her room. . .or rather rooms. . .contained a small mini-bar that was fully stocked. If she really wanted to, she could comfortably stay on this side of the house until they left tomorrow.

The enticing aromas hit her long before she reached the kitchen, and had the effect of quickening her pace. When she reached the kitchen she found the table located in the small breakfast nook off the side of the kitchen set up with an impressive display of breakfast foods.

“Morning,” Nathan greeted her with a smile as he finished taking some cinnamon rolls from a pastry box and loading them onto a plate.

“Hi,” she greeted, moving closer to the table and taking in the plates laid across it. “This is. . .wow.”

Nathan smiled and set the plate of cinnamon rolls on the table before he ushered her over to one of the chairs, holding it out for her. She smiled slightly, unsure of how to handle his once-again-charming-and-carefree demeanor. If she didn’t know better, it was like last night had never happened. Was she supposed to play along and pretend that as well?

After she had settled in, he took the seat across from her and handed her a plate. She didn’t realize that she had made no move to take the plate until Nathan called her name. When she looked up, he had set the plate back down and was looking at her questioningly.

“Sorry, I-“

He sighed. “No, I. . . .should be the one to apologize.”

“Nathan-“

“Look, Hales, it’s. . . did Lucas ever tell you why I left the NBA?” She shook her head. “It’s just. . .it’s kind of a sore subject with me and Zack. . .he’s from that. . .time. I didn’t mean to jump down your throat or anything last night. Seeing him again just-“

“Was Zack a teammate or-“

“He was just. . .someone I knew. He’s not important.” He looked at her, his expression silently asking her not to push it. “That time’s not. . .it has nothing to do with you or us so can we just. . .not?”

That’s not true, a voice inside her head argued. It did have to do with them, but she couldn’t ignore the expression on his face. “O.K,” she capitulated. “I just. . .you know if you ever wanted to talk about it, then I’m here for-“

“I know,” he said, smiling at her gently. “I always know that.”

They smiled at each other, but she noted that it wasn’t exactly comfortable between them. Still, he was making an effort, so she did as well. “Um. . .this all looks really great. If I didn’t know that you can’t cook, I’d be really impressed.”

He chuckled. “You mean you’re not?”

She grinned. “Don’t worry, there are other things you do that are really impressive.”

It wasn’t until he smirked that she realized how her statement may have sounded. And predictably, she blushed. It was like she had to blush at least once every few hours when she was around him. “You are. . .incorrigble.”

The smirk widened. “I love your vocabulary. Very. . .impressive.”

She could feel the heat in her cheeks intensify and had to look away. Damn. How things had gone from awkward between them to. . .this. . . .so fast she didn’t know. Nor should she be surprised. She wasn’t, but that didn’t mean that she knew how to deal with it. She wondered if she ever would.

She cleared her throat. “So, um. . .did you have any plans for today?”

He frowned. “Yeah. . .well I did. The weather’s just not cooperating with it.” He paused to look out at the gray, washed-out landscape. “I was planning on taking you jet-skiing but that doesn’t look-“

She choked on her orange juice. “J-jet-skiing?”

“What?”

“Did it ever occur to you that I don’t know how to jet-ski? And actually, I don’t have this burning desire to learn either.”

“Why not?” he asked, sounding amused.

“Did you forget? Certified klutz here. ‘Death by jet-ski’ is not how I want my obituary to read.”

He laughed. “That would never happen. This place has really great, qualified instructors.”

“Still, let’s just go with Plan B, O.K.?”

~*~

”Let’s see. . .needs more salt and. . .”

Nathan smiled as he watched Haley putter around the kitchen, murmuring to herself. ‘Plan B’ was turning out to be a very good plan, he thought. Well, this part of it was. They had just hung out indoors, watching a few movies, until Haley had insisted on making him her 'special' mac-n-cheese recipe. After a quick run to the store from some missing ingredients, she had promptly started cooking up a storm and he had. . .observed. And observing was very, very nice, he thought as he let his eyes drift down to her backside, which was currently on spectacular display to him as she bent down to adjust the heat on the oven. Her low cut jeans gave him just a hint of the lacy undergarment beneath the denim material. Her green tank top had also risen up slightly, letting him glimpse a small section of her pale, smooth skin.

Damn, who knew cooking could be so. . .exciting? Or just watching someone cook? It was so. . .domestic. . .like a scene from a 50’s sitcom, but with the attraction between Haley and himself always simmering just beneath the surface, there was also something erotically intimate about it too.

He shook his head slightly. He’d never have thought he’d use the words ‘domestic’ and ‘intimate’ in the same sentence. Growing up as Dan Scott’s ‘chosen’ son had afforded him an upbringing more along the lines of ‘Married With Children,’ without the laughs, as opposed to ‘Leave it to Beaver.’ And there was nothing intimate about his household. Intimacy would mean there had been some kind of affection. . .or at least a veneer of it. There had been none of that in his house growing up. Affection, intimacy, even love. . .those were things that were suppressed for they showed weakness and there was no room for that. Weakness was not tolerated.

‘You can’t be great if you’re weak! You want to be weak like everyone else? Or do you want to be the best?!’

He sighed softly. How many times had he heard that from his father? Different ways, different times. Always the same. Be strong. Do not care about anyone else’s feelings. Take your opponents out. Kill or be killed.

That was Dan Scott’s child-raising philosophy. His mother’s too, by default since she never really interceded or told him different. So he hadn’t grown up as an affectionate person. Intimacy, the emotional kind, was wholly foreign to him. Even now, with all his so-called ‘life changes,’ that was the one thing that hadn’t really changed. As star freshman with the UCLA Bruins, he had been pegged as ‘coolly aloof’ and he couldn’t exactly argue with that label. No wonder it had stuck with him ever since.

As far as women went, seeing the weirdly distant but long-lasting relationship between his parents hadn’t exactly given him a good model upon which to base his relationships. Throw in the equally weird ‘relationship’ his father had with Karen, Lucas’ mother, and he had a decidedly skewed view of what a ‘loving’ relationship was. So it wasn’t exactly surprising that a lot of his ‘relationships’ were more about the physical fulfillment than any emotional connection.

So to have something as simple and mundane as cooking a meal with a woman feel so nice. . . .so intimately comforting was strange. And terrifying. It was like he had no control around Haley. And he was always in control. That was something else his father had instilled in him, and something that he had learned, the hard way, had merit. Losing control led to. . . . .

“O.K.,” Haley’s cheerful voice brought him back from his thoughts. “That just has to cook for 20 minutes and then you are in for a real treat!”

“Mac-n-cheese is hardly a real treat,” he teased. “Unless you’re five years old.” He grinned at her. “And how good can something be if it comes in box?”

She shot him a look of mock outrage. “You did not just compare my mac-n-cheese to Kraft’s boxed version!”

He chuckled. “Come on, Hales. It’s pasta in a cheese sauce. How-“

She held up a warning hand. “You just wait and see. And then I expect the biggest apology ever! It would involve some groveling on your part. . .and also gifts of chocolate I’m thinking.”

He laughed. “That must be magical mac-n-cheese then.”

She laughed and came around the center island to sit on the stool next to him. She reached over and grabbed the saucepan that she had explained to him contained the ‘bochamel’ sauce. At least that’s what it had sounded like to him. He wasn’t exactly good at French. She gave him a challenging look before she swiped some of the remaining sauce onto her index finger and held it out to him. “I dare you to try this and tell me it’s like Kraft’s.”

He smiled and wrapped his mouth around her finger, letting his tongue lick off the sauce. It was pretty damn good. But that wasn’t what was going through his head just then. He sucked on her finger gently before slowly releasing it. “Amazing,” he said softly.

All at once, that simmering tension and desire between them boiled over and overtook them. From the look in her eyes, he could see that she knew he didn’t mean the sauce. In an instant, their lips were fused together. He didn’t know who kissed who first. It didn’t really matter. What mattered was the fiery passion that erupted between them. This kiss was urgent and wild. Naked, raw hunger had flared inside him the minute their mouths had met, and unlike before, he didn’t seem to have any power to resist. All he wanted was more of her.

He lifted one hand and captured her head, holding it firmly in place so that he could plunge his tongue into her mouth, exploring their delicate recesses at his leisure. He smiled against her lips as a noise. . .sounding suspiciously like a purr. . .escaped from her at his ministrations. Taking advantage of the lapse in his actions, she thrust her tongue into his mouth and slowly massaged his own tongue with her own before she took his lower lip in her teeth, pulling it gently before she let it go. Now it was his turn to moan softly with desire.

He found the pulsing vein in her neck and kissed it roughly. She moaned loudly when he flicked his tongue over it. Slowly, he repeated the process down her neck, causing her to shudder. She gripped his shoulders tightly as she arched her back, allowing him easier access to her neck.

He moved closer but found it awkward with them sitting on two separate stools that weren’t supporting them very well just then. Abruptly, he stood up, causing his chair to topple over. Her eyes shot open in surprise at the noise and she looked at him questioningly. He gave her a look before he pulled her against him and then lifted her up onto the counter. She gasped softly, and looked startled but then she smiled and pulled him to her, kissing him hotly.

His hands found their way into her hair, freeing it from the elastic band that held it up. He ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it out. She angled her head back, making it easier for him, as well as exposing the enticing expanse between her ear and shoulder. He leaned down and once more licked the pulsing vein in her neck. She moaned softly and fisted her hand into his hair, pulling him closer. Loving the effect he was having on her, he alternately nipped at and then licked the delicate skin along her neck.

He could feel the throbbing between his legs intensify at his actions but he continued. God, she was amazing. Her unique scent. . .a mixture of the vanilla scent of her shampoo and the clean, unadulterated scent of her body. . .was driving him wild. And she tasted even better. . . .sweet and intoxicating.

He needed more.

His hands found their way to the small straps of her tank top. His fingers wove their way under the straps and gently began to pull them down her shoulders. The material suddenly resisted as they met the barrier of her arms. He tugged, but the material held fast. Haley expelled a shaky breath before she pulled away from him. She removed his hands from the straps before she proceeded to slowly pull her arm free of first one strap and then the other. Then, never breaking eye contact with him, she shimmied the tank top down her chest, full exposing her breasts to him.

He drew in a shuddering breath at the sight of her. “God. . .you’re beautiful. . .”

Her eyes flickered as she reached for his hand. She pulled his hand up and then placed it against her breast. He didn’t move for a long second, letting the intense wave of desire roar its way through his body first. Then he cupped her, gently at first and then more fully, as he let his fingers slowly knead the soft, full flesh.

She gasped softly, and arched her back, leaning more fully into him, letting more of her fill his hand and her own hands began to snake down his chest. She grasped the fabric of his shirt tightly and groaned as his thumbs started to slowly circle the already taut nipple.

“Nathan,” she pleaded.

But he took his time. Her desire was something to behold. Powerful and innocent all at once. It fueled his passion. He loved how he could affect her. He loved the way her body was responding to his touch. He loved being able to bring her such pleasure.

He continued to let his thumbs lazily circle her nipple until he could feel her quivering with need and then he slowly ran his thumb across the sensitive peak, causing her to cry out as she grasped his shirt tightly, straining the material against him. A strangled cry escaped from her as he leaned in and took her in his mouth, first flicking his tongue across the swollen nipple, and then lazily circling it with his tongue.

“Nathan. . .” she moaned, pulling his head closer against her, allowing him greater access, which he took advantage of by sucking her gently. She buckled against him and he wrapped one arm around her waist, steadying her, even as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, pulling him even closer against her.

He continued to suck her gently. Every so often, he closed his teeth around the nipple, and tugged at it gently, which caused a deep, rumbling moan to escape from Haley. He released her waist, letting his other hand came around to tease her other breast until it too was taut and tense with desire. And then he shifted his mouth to that breast to give it the same, loving attention. Haley was literally shaking at this point, her hands gripping his shoulders hard, her nails digging into his flesh. He released her breast and returned to her mouth, kissing her deeply. She responded fervently, as her hands began to tug insistently at his shirt. He pulled away and in one swift motion, yanked his T-shirt over his head.

Her eyes flashed with naked desire before she leaned in and pressed a kiss against his bare chest. He tensed as flames of desire licked at him. As if sensing it, she pressed another kiss against his bare chest, this time letting her tongue dart out to lick him. He let his hands fall to the countertop, steadying himself as she worked her way slowly across his chest until she was at his nipple. . .and nipple ring. She paused and then almost tentatively, she licked him. A powerful, intense wave of longing washed over him and he shivered against it. Emboldened by his reaction, she licked him again, this time with more assurance.

She let her tongue trail against him slowly, causing the throbbing between his legs to turn into a pulsating ache. Her teeth grazed against his nipple, causing him to fumble for the countertop’s edge, since he desperately needed something. . .anything. . .to hold onto as deliciously agonizing desire raced through every nerve ending in his body. When she took his nipple ring between her teeth and pulled it, he felt as if his groin would literally explode.

Sssssshhhhhhhrriiiieeeeeeekkkkkkk!

They both jumped apart as the piercing noise suddenly filled the kitchen. It was only then that he noticed that smoke had started to fill the kitchen.

“Oh my God!” Haley cried as he moved quickly over to the smoking oven. He quickly donned the oven mitt and pulled out the blackened baking dish. He moved over to the smoke detector on the wall and reset it, finally silencing the noise coming from it.

He looked over at Haley, who was still on the island counter, pulling her tank top back up. He drew in a deep breath. In the sudden excitement, the adrenaline had made him momentarily forget, but now it was slowly coming back to him and he was suddenly quite aware of the painful ache between his legs. So aware that walking. . . .even standing. . . .was proving to be very difficult.

“Um. . . .” Haley began, as she ran shaky hands through her hair and slowly climbed off the counter. Her breathing sounded ragged. “I. . .uh. . .” They both glanced over at the still-smoldering baking dish.

Good God! That was. . . .

He shook his head. He was supposed to be in control. He needed to stay in control around Haley and suddenly, the next thing he knew, they had almost burned down his kitchen. If he was terrified of what was going on between them earlier, he was downright scared witless now. No matter what he tried to tell himself, he knew that he just couldn’t control things between them. He didn’t think he ever could.

Those memories flashed through his mind again. The last time he had felt this out of control, things had ended. . . .

If he ended up hurting Haley. . . .or worse. . .he’d never be able to live with himself. He still hadn’t forgiven himself for what happened years ago. If something like that happened to Haley, forgiveness would be the last thing he’d ever want.

“I, uh, guess you won’t owe me that apology after all,” she said with a small smile.

The emotions battling inside him were still raging but he forced himself to smile. “Yeah.” He glanced out the windows. “The weather’s. . .better. Maybe we should head out for a bit?”

“Yeah, that’s. . .good. Going out.” She looked at his still-bare chest and then looked abruptly away. He couldn’t help but smile slightly. “I’ll uh. . .go get ready.”

“Half an hour?” She nodded and then with a quick smile, headed for her room. When she was out of sight, he let out a long, slow, quivering breath. He groaned out loud as the evidence of his overwhelming desire for her strained painfully against the crotch of his jeans. He moved as quickly as he could towards his bedroom. . .towards the cold shower that he desperately needed. Perhaps with the cold, stinging water, he would be able to reclaim some measure of control. He needed to.

~*~

“It’s nice around here,” Haley said quietly as they continued to stroll past the stores not far from the riverfront. They had eaten a quick lunch and had decided to walk around the historic downtown area since it was no longer raining.

“Yeah, it is,” Nathan agreed besides her. They were both looking through the various shops’ windows, though Nathan seemed a bit distracted. Truth be told, so was she. But after what had happened at the beach house earlier, she had a good reason to be.

She felt a yearning shoot through her as she recalled, yet again, what had happened in the kitchen. What could have happened if they hadn’t been ‘interrupted.’ A part of her was glad that they had been. They were moving really fast. It felt too fast at times. It hadn’t been that long since they had agreed to be just friends.

So why did a part of her feel like they weren’t moving quite fast enough?

“It’s a nice place to get away to,” she said conversationally.

Nathan didn’t answer right away. When he did, she picked up on the odd note in his voice. “It can be.”

She looked up at him but he had turned away so she couldn’t see anything but his profile. She sighed softly. It was odd. They could draw so close, so quickly but in the next instant, she could also see the chasm between them widening. She wondered if this was how things were going to be. If it were, then maybe things were moving too fast. They weren’t ready.

But she still didn’t want to push him, so she changed the subject.

“How’s practice going these days?”

Maybe it wasn’t the right subject to change to. Or maybe Nathan was too caught up in whatever it was he was thinking, but his tone stayed somber and his demeanor didn’t change at all. “Not nearly where I want it to be.”

“You still have time before training camp starts right?”

“Not much though.”

She felt her frustration rising and let silence fall between them. She focused instead on looking at the window displays. It wasn’t any use, however, that uncomfortable tension between them continued to grow conspicuously.

Nathan sighed, drawing her attention to him. She had realized that he had stopped until she turned to look at him, only to find him a few feet behind her. “Haley-“

“Forget it,” she said brusquely. “You’re just going to tell me you don’t want to talk about it right?” He stared at her fore long seconds before he looked away and sighed again. That was answer enough for her. “Right.”

She began to walk again, not really caring if he followed or not. “Haley.” She stopped but didn’t turn around. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. . .I just. . .”

“How many times are we going to do this?”

“Do what?”

She finally turned to face him. “Have the same conversation? I mean they’re different variations but it’s still the same conversation. You don’t want to talk about something so you get. . . .the way you do. I pull back and then you apologize and we pretend like nothing happened until the next time. Then we do it all over again.” She shook her head. “It’s. . .tiresome.”

His eyes flashed but his expression was impassive. As closed off as ever. “I was just trying to apologize.”

“I know.” She expelled a breath of frustration. “I’m familiar with the routine. Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. I don’t want to do this. . .dance. . .anymore.” They stared at each other. Cool blue eyes met brown ones shimmering with frustration and growing anger, but neither said anything for long moments. “You’re not going to say anything?”

“I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

His words angered her, but more than that, they hurt. Really hurt. “I shouldn’t have come.”

~*~

Nathan stared into the blackness of the ocean and sighed heavily. He could feel the cold, nighttime breeze blowing in but even in his jeans, T-shirt and light jacket ensemble, he barely felt the chill. Just like he barely felt the cold sand oozing between his toes as he walked along the beach. His mind was occupied with other things.

Namely Haley and what an ass he was being to her.

She was right. They were just doing the same thing over and over and the only person to blame for that was him. He hadn’t meant to be such an ass to her downtown. But everything felt like it was spinning out of control for him. He had wanted to come here, to put a period on that time in his life, but instead, found things coming back to him. Stronger than ever. Memories he had thought he had pushed into the deepest corner of his mind were suddenly popping up.

And then there was Haley. He had never lost control around a woman like he did with her and that just. . . .threw him. Really threw him. He hadn’t known what to do so he had reverted to form. Withdrew and lashed out.

He breathed in the ocean air. He knew he should tell her. That he would have to tell her. Sooner or later. That was obvious now. They couldn’t keep doing the same dance. He knew he couldn’t keep his past from her like he had with other women. And a part of him didn’t really want to.

But what stopped him was fear. He dreaded the prospect of actually telling her. Of having to relive those memories again. It was bad enough that lately, he had these images replaying in his mind. . .at random moments. . .with no warning. He didn’t want to have to sit there and rehash the whole, sordid mess. It wouldn’t change anything, except maybe the way Haley felt about him.

That was what he dreaded most of all. He dreaded her reaction. He would really lose all control then. He couldn’t control how she’d react to it. Or what might happen after she heard the ugly truth. Deep down, a part of him knew that Haley would try and understand. There was a kindness to her that made her incapable of being judgmental. Still. . .he was too scared to risk it. He had already passed judgment on himself, so he couldn’t really be sure that she wouldn’t. And honestly, if she did, he couldn’t blame her. But still, he dreaded that moment.

You’re a damn coward, he told himself.

He sighed again and turned to make his way back to the house. True to the bizarre ‘dance’ that they were doing, the ride back to the house had been conducted in uncomfortable silence. And just like last night, Haley had mumbled something terse in his direction before retreating to her room. The time for dinner had come and gone and Haley hadn’t made an appearance, but he wasn’t too surprised. He wouldn’t be seeking his company out either if he was her.

He was making his way up the landing when he spotted her out on the patio, curled up on one of the lounge chairs, her arms pulling the sweater she was wearing tight around her. He stopped and watched her, as if hypnotized. She was staring up at the night sky, and even in the dark and from that distance, he could see the troubled expression on her face.

Right there, his decision was made. He knew that whatever slight chance he had of losing her over whatever happened in his past, paled in comparison to the very real, and very large risk he had of losing her now because of his idiotic behavior. What was more important to him? Haley. . .or maintaining control? It was an easy decision.

As he approached, he cleared his throat to alert her to his presence. She still jumped slightly before she turned in his direction. She sat up and her expression suddenly became guarded and wary. “Nathan.”

“Hey,” he said softly, coming over and sitting down on the lounge chair across from her. “I, uh, was just walking on the beach and. . .” She had turned to look out at the beach, although he knew that she was listening to him. He sighed softly. He hadn’t expected this to be easy but this was harder than he thought. “Look, Haley. . . .I, uh. . .I wanted to apologize. I-“

“Nathan.” She shook her head. “Let’s not-“

“No, please?” She glanced at him briefly before looking back out at the beach. “Look, I know you think it’s tiresome and believe me, I do too.” She turned back and met his eyes then. “I, uh, I know my past is like a. . .wall between us and I. . .don’t want that. I didn’t mean for it to be like that, but. . .it is. I just. . .if you could try and understand why I couldn’t tell you-“

“I’m trying to, Nathan. I mean I don’t want to push you and I do understand having things in your past that you just. . .can’t talk about but this. . .it just keeps-“

“Coming between us,” he finished quietly. “Yeah, I know.” He looked down at his bare feet, gathering the courage. “I don’t want that anymore.”

Her eyes flickered as his words sank in. “Are you-“

He nodded. “I. . .you should know. You have a right. . .before things between us go any further.”

Chapters 10 - 11

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