Page 78 of Fall Love
“Oh. No. No, no,” I say, flustered while lust for him crashes with the need to leave. “I need to get going as well. My sisters. They’re waiting on me, too.”
His brows crease. “Okay.” He hesitates. “I’ll see you later, then.” It isn’t a question.
Still, panic rushes through my veins. I never spend the night. I never wake up in bed with a man. I don’t know why I thought I’d be comfortable doing this.
Because you trust him? Because you want to stay. You want him to stay.
I don’t take the time to evaluate any of those thoughts.
“Today, and tomorrow, are booked.” I lower my gaze, along with my voice. “We’re cleaning out Rusty’s Wrecks.”
Lumi and Isolde have the day off because of the weekend, but I’m allowing for tomorrow as well. We don’t want to wait until the last minute to remove what we want from the garage.
“I can come with you,” he offers, a mix of understanding and hope. Understanding this will be difficult for me. Hope that he can be helpful. “Lift boxes or whatever you need.”
“Thanks,” I state, a little too quipped. “But Lumi’s boyfriend Saint is helping us out.”
Tate’s presence is not a good idea. While he isn’t the enemy here, it still feels like a conflict of interest to have him in Rusty’s Wrecks. As much as I like the idea of him being there to support me, I think I need to tackle these final days on my own.
“Neve,” he whispers, compassion in every letter of my name.
But I’m already shaking my head, scooting toward the end of the bed with the sheet at my chest. Not only will I be doing the walk of shame, but I need to walk through his house naked to collect my clothes.
However, before I reach the end of the bed, Tate scrambles past me and hops off the foot. He’s naked and hard and squatting in front of me. I glance away from the appendage that connected with me last night. That filled me up and made me feel worshipped, safe even.
“Neve?” he questions, his brows pinched, almost stern. “We’re good?” Like he’s seeking confirmation or maybe trying to reassure me. He doesn’t have any regrets about last night.
As for me, I don’t know how to handle all that’s rumbling around inside me, so I lie. “We’re good.”
He gives me another long look, but the intensity is almost too much. Like he wants to know my thoughts, and read my heart, when even I can’t define everything inside me.
When I glance away, he stands, then steps over to the closet, taking a flannel shirt off a hanger. Then he reaches into a drawer and removes a pair of sweats.
“These are all going to be big on you.”
“You might be surprised,” I whisper, implying the size of my belly. “But thanks.”
“I need thirty seconds to shower, and then I can take you home.”
I nod, closing my eyes, feeling foolish for the sting in the back of them.
Then he kisses my forehead, and as much as some women might love that move, I never have.
And it leaves me feeling even more awkward and raw, when I know deep down, I shouldn’t be.
I stand outside Rusty’s Wrecks, similar to how I did over a week ago, staring at the building that looks even sadder than I remember.
“Do you know what I did?” I whisper to the structure. Not only did I cave and sell this place, I developed feelings for the man who bought it from us.
Because I can’t get out of my head the way Tate touched me, treated me, made me feel special last night.
This morning was just an awkward clusterfuck.
That thought is still in my mind when Lumi pulls up with Saint in the passenger seat of her truck. I haven’t seen him in a few weeks. Speaking of unfairly good-looking men, Saint is a fifty-year-old, Santa Claus lookalike. Only hotter. With silver in his hair and beard, and a twinkle in his eyes, and a body that’s too fit to be the jovial father of Christmas.
While Lumi heads toward the main entrance, Saint gives me an easy hug before asking me patiently, “How are you doing?” He doesn’t mean the baby. He means me.
“Today and tomorrow are going to be difficult,” I openly admit, sensing he’d know if I was lying. Like he really is the man in red and knows if I’ve been naughty or nice.
