I nod way too much and practically throw myself through the doors when they open. “Yes, have a good night.” I say over my shoulder as I exit. Then I make a horrible mistake. When he starts to talk, I stop and turn toward him.
The older man fumbles his words and looks everywhere but at me. His hands are gripped tightly as his gaze darts all over the place. “Well, you too. Well, I mean, have a fun, uh,” he stares straight at me with a deer in the headlights look, “well, have a nice night. Be good.” The doors slip shut and save us from further agony.
I’m never going to be able to talk to Sophie’s father-in-law again, ever. Holidays are going to suck. He’s going to be like, remember the time I saw your breasts, but I didn’t look? And I’m going to be like yeah, Mr. Stevens, those were good times.
Someone shoot me. Please. This can’t get worse, it just can’t.
When I arrive at our room out of breath, Nick looks up from the bed, where he’s grabbing his gear. The man straightens and tilts his head to the side and tut-tuts me. “Sky, you can’t bang the entire groomsmen party. Well, at least not all on the same night. Save some for tomorrow. Damn, woman.”
I snap. I mean, it’s not like I can take a lot of teasing to start with, but I usually maintain my composure. I can’t stand it when people get the better of me and I never ever show it, but something about Nick makes me crazy. I do idiotic things when he’s around and so I act on my feelings by raising my hands over my head and charging him while growling so low it sounds like there’s a bear living in my stomach.
I launch myself at him, my hands aiming for his neck. I bounce across the bed like a Gummy Bear and knock the man to the floor. Nick doesn’t think I’ll do it, he expects me to stop, but I don’t. I plow right into him and down he goes, shocked expression and all. Straddling him I take my pointer finger and jab it to the tip of his nose, pressing up until it can’t move another inch.
That’s when I hiss, “If you do one more thing, just one more thing, I swear to God I’ll rip your lungs out of your body through your nose!”
For a second he says nothing. The expression on his face doesn’t change, he just watches me with those cool blue eyes. My anger settles and it’s like he senses it. Nick reaches for my wrist and pulls my hand away. Our eyes are locked the entire time and my heart won’t slow down. It thumps and races until I’m deaf. I don’t know how much time passes like that, but I feel myself being drawn to him. It’s like there’s a line there, one that no one can see, tugging me to his chest—to his lips.
I want his arms to wrap around me and never let go. We gaze at each other much too long, before I break it and look down at his hand on my wrist. Deegan’s touch felt nice, but Nick’s is incomparable. His grip is firm, so I know he’s strong, but there’s a softness in the way he holds me that is unlike Deegan. It’s unlike anyone who’s ever held me. Nick watches me as my gaze dips to his hand. A second later he releases me. I don’t move. I meant to beat him up, I really did, but now I can’t.
Insults are swirling in my mind, but that’s not what comes out of my mouth. “You really would have watched?” Nick is so still, like a gazelle that knows it’s been spotted by a lion. Is he that kind of guy? It shouldn’t matter to me, but for some reason it does. I want him to say no. I want him to be the man I see under all the polish and charm. That guy wouldn’t watch.
“It’s difficult not to watch you.” His gaze darts away from mine, making my heart beat harder. “I admit I handled it wrong. I didn’t mean to invade your private life like that. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Nick takes my arms and shifts so that I’m sitting on the floor and not straddling his legs.
My jaw is hanging open. He likes me? I blurt out the words before I can stop myself, “I don’t understand.”
Nick looks at me out of the corner of his eye as he reaches for his camera. While placing the strap around his neck, he replies, “You don’t understand what?”
“Why? Why are you putting me out of business?” I get to my feet and walk over to him, but he won’t look at me. He fumbles the lens cap and it drops to the floor. The piece of plastic rolls under the bed and we both go to grab it at the same time. Our fingers brush, inciting a warm surge of something unknown to flow through me. His touch is electric; it’s pure energy, addictive and warm.
I pick up the cap and hold it out for him. He looks at it and that smirk returns. Game over. I’m not going to get another piece of truth from those lips tonight. When he starts to speak, I press my finger to his lips and say, “Don’t. You’re better than that. And by the way, if you tell anyone that I jumped at you like a rabid rabbit, I’ll deny it.” My mask is up and my smile is hiding every feeling I have. I grab my gear bag and I turn toward the door, but I pause as I feel his fingers wrap around my wrist one by one. I look back at him.