Page 84 of The Write Track
“Ha, ha,” Bree rolled her eyes until they landed on Nathan. She paused for what felt like a long time then switched her gaze to me. She was no longer in whining mode, and it made me nervous. “You guys are going to the same place to do laundry?” she prodded.
She was like a bloodhound when she scented an opening. I didn’t like lying to her but Nathan and I weren’t ready to go public yet. Soon—it was inevitable—but we were enjoying the little bubble we found ourselves in now.
“I’m going to drop Bella off at her condo and then go home,” Nathan replied, lying smoothly. “We’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. We both need a break from this place.” His dark gaze moved to the picnic tables, to where Preston was watching us. “And that guy.”
Bree glanced over her shoulder. “That guy is the worst. We still haven’t come up with a plan to get rid of him for good.”
“We will.” Nathan opened my door for me and helped me up.
The way Bree’s eyes narrowed told me the chivalrous offering—something he clearly didn’t even realize he was doing—wasn’t lost on her.
“Don’t you have a fiancé to bug?” he complained.
“Yes.” Bree’s gaze moved between us. “You’re just going to town to do laundry, right?”
“Isn’t that what we said?” Nathan challenged before I could respond.
“I guess.” Bree pursed her lips. She was no longer complaining. No, she was a predator on the hunt. “I guess we’ll see you guys tomorrow afternoon.”
“I guess you will,” Nathan agreed. He fastened my seatbelt—something he also did on autopilot—before squeezing my knee and closing the door. He gave Bree a significant look before he crossed behind his truck, but he didn’t say anything.
“You know she’s suspicious, right?” I asked as Nathan backed out of his parking spot, Bree’s searing gaze still on us.
“Oh, I’m well aware. She can be as suspicious as she wants. She’ll know the truth soon enough. For now, she can mind her own business.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t sound anything like her.”
Nathan smirked. “Listen, I’m not spending the next thirty-six hours thinking about Bree. We’re going to my place, doing the laundry I know darned well you’re going to insist on doing, and then we’re going to bed for a full day.”
“Um, you’re supposed to feed me,” I reminded him. “We’re talking real portions. Not teeny tiny ones.”
“Yeah, luckily for you, The Landings is bougie as hell. We have multiple places for you to choose from for your dining pleasure.”
It was a pretty good offer. “Okay, but I’m feeling picky.”
“I love a challenge.” He grinned at me.
I giggled because I couldn’t help myself. “Just keep your eyes on the road, Ace. I don’t want to get into an accident on the way to the promised land.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll drive as if I have precious cargo, because I do.”
TRUE TO HIS WORD, NATHAN PRESSEDhimself against me the entire walk to his laundry room. I was so jumbled and full of conflicting emotions—responsibleness versus horniness—that I barely managed to start the first load before I let him spin me. He had me lifted into his arms before I could study his house. I’d seen it during my previous visit, but only the living room and kitchen. There was so much more to see.
“I’m going to want a tour later,” I murmured against his mouth.
“Baby, I’m going to give you whatever you want as many times as I can while we’re here,” he assured me. “You’re not going to want for a single thing.”
Since I knew he was telling the truth, I opted to let him take the lead. That meant spending an hour in his bedroom. Then we wandered into the living room—me wearing one of his shirts and a pair of panties, him wearing boxer shorts—and flopped onto the couch.
He turned on the television—he said he just had to know what was going on in the real world—and I perused the brochures he handed me for the restaurants at The Landings.
“Do you think you’ll stay here forever?” I asked as I looked at the menu for Deer Creek A Coastal Grill. It was such a weird name, but the menu looked fabulous.
“In this spot?” Nathan’s expression was bland as he stared at ESPN. He was looking for scores. He’d told me he was a huge fan of different teams from each state. He loved The Detroit Red Wings, the Buffalo Bills, the Colorado Rockies, and the LA Lakers. It seemed he had eclectic taste. “I would like to stay in this spot for the rest of my life, but I don’t think it’s feasible.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I meant here at The Landings.”
He moved his eyes to me. “Do you not like it here?”
