Lexie turned to leave then halted as she realized Charlotte had left her email account open. The message she’d been reading was still on the screen, and without a single twinge of remorse, Lexie jumped into the chair. She scrolled to the top of the page, read the first few words. And gasped.
Icy rage slithered through her blood as she read the message from start to finish. Then she blinked in disbelief, her fingers trembling against the computer mouse. For a moment she was tempted to press delete but stopped herself at the last second, refusing to take her anger out on the email.
Instead, she moved the mouse to the forward button, seething as she keyed in Nate’s address. She was about to send the email when apprehension prickled her stomach. Maybe she shouldn’t do it this way. Maybe she needed to talk to him in person, let him down gently.
But then the fury returned, and she realized gentle wasn’t the best way to go about this. Nate needed to have some sense knocked into his thick skull—and this might be the only way to do that.
Shoving aside a pang of guilt, she forwarded him the email then got up from the chair and marched out of the library.
Charlotte’s entire body shook with anger as she sprinted down the street, but it wasn’t until she veered off Main Street in the direction of the B&B that the anger dissolved, replaced by the slow rush of guilt through her veins. She couldn’t even be mad at Lexie. The woman, bitchy as she was, had only been speaking her mind, standing up for someone she cared about. Charlotte might not be keen on Nate and Lexie’s friendship, but the ice princess obviously cared about Nate.
And just because Charlotte’s motives had changed along the way didn’t mean that Lexie wasn’t right. She had been up to something when she’d returned to Paradise. She might’ve fallen for Nate again, but that didn’t excuse why she’d really come here.
She had to tell him the truth. Screw tomorrow. With Lexie breathing down her neck, she knew she had to be honest with Nate, before the guilt ate her alive.
She reached the bed and breakfast five minutes later and dashed inside, already grabbing her cell phone from her purse as she climbed the stairs to her suite. Nate was probably on his way to the library to pick her up, and she needed to tell him to come here instead. She keyed in half of his number—then skidded to a stop as she entered her room.
“Nate?”
He was sitting on the perfectly made bed, one large hand resting on his thigh, the other holding a sleek Blackberry. He lifted his head and met her eyes, his expression hard to decipher. There was something cold in his gaze, something that made her pulse kick up a notch—and not in a good way.
“What’s going on?” she asked warily. “Why are you here?”
“Sue let me in.” His voice lacked even a sliver of emotion.
“I thought you were coming to the library to get me.”
“I was.” His jaw tensed. “But I figured this was something we needed to do in private.”
She faltered. “What are you talking about?”
Slowly, he held up his phone, beckoning for her to take it. Battling her confusion and growing agitation, she took the Blackberry from his hand and glanced at the screen.
Nausea circled her insides.
There was an email up on the screen. Oh God. Her email, the one she’d gotten from Georgia earlier.
“Why don’t you read it again, refresh your memory?”
Nate’s tone was low and mocking. She couldn’t bring herself to look into his eyes, afraid of what she might see there.
Instead, she read the message again.
Hey you,
I’m tired of getting your voice mail each time I call, so I figured, hey, maybe Charlotte will actually check her email since she doesn’t check her phone messages. Anyhoo—where’s my update? Did you get the big jerk to fall in love with you yet? Have you dumped his ass on the curb and thrown your fists in the air while yelling “Retribution!” Don’t forget, he deserves it
Oh, and I spoke to Eddie this morning—the tour manager added Cambridge to your schedule. And the Boston show sold out, so Eddie is thinking of adding a second date. Call me so I can let him know your thoughts.
Georgia
Drawing in a steadying breath, Charlotte finally found the courage to lift her head. When she did, she was floored by the pain swimming in Nate’s silver eyes.
“Is it true?” he asked quietly.
“Why… How did you get this? Who—Lexie,” she finished flatly, suddenly cursing herself for being so stupid. She must have left her email account open on the library terminal, and Lexie, being the bitch she was, had pounced on it, instantly forwarding the incriminating message to Nate.
“Don’t be angry at her,” Nate said, ice in his voice. “She’s just looking out for me.” He paused. “So…is it true? Was this your big plan? To seduce me and humiliate me?”
Tears stung her eyes. “Nate…”
“Damn it, Charlotte. Is. It. True.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He shot to his feet, his broad shoulders rigid. “Holy fuck,” he mumbled under his breath. “I really am a colossal fool, aren’t I?”