LUNA
If you had toldme a week ago I would have spent my Saturday night having a blast with Nate Warren, I’d have called you a dirty liar. But that was exactly what had happened. I wasn’t sure when the hell he’d gone from being my perfect enemy to a man I enjoyed spending time with, but it was the truth... surprisingly.
One hour bled into the next, and between dancing and a couple more drinks, I spent the majority of the night huddled at the end of the table with Nate, talking and laughing. He blended surprisingly well with my little ragtag crew of friends, hitting it off with Sam and Trent easily and winning Cheyanne and Monica over by buying two rounds for the table.
I’d been having such a good time that I hadn’t realized how late it was until Cheyanne leaned into me and tapped me on the shoulder. “Hey, sweetie. We’re heading out. We need to relieve the babysitter, or she’s going to start inflating her prices on us.”
“Oh. Okay.” My stomach sank, disappointment clawing at me as I turned back to Nate. “Sorry. I rode with them so...”
I could have sworn I saw a flash of want in his eyes as he quickly offered, “I can give you a ride home if you want to stay.”
I jumped to accept his offer just as fast as he made it, that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach instantly lightening until I was nice and floaty with excitement. “Yeah, sure. That’s sounds good. I’m going to hang a bit longer,” I told Cheyanne. “Nate will drive me home later.”
The smile she gave me was smug and knowing, just condescending enough to make me want to smack her in the face. “You’re sure?” she asked, that grin growing in size as I narrowed my eyes at her.
“I’m positive,” I said with a growl. “Thanks, bye.” I didn’t miss the giggle she let out before leaning in to give me a hug. Trent did the same, reminding me to be safe before grabbing his woman and guiding her toward the exit. Sam and Monica weren’t far behind, heading home themselves only a few minutes later, leaving Nate and me alone.
I hada sudden rush of déjà vu, my mind going back to that first night. I didn’t do repeats, as a hard and fast rule. Once I’d been with a man, that was it. I moved on. But there was something about him, something that wouldn’t let go. The smart thing would have been to leave with Cheyenne and Trent, go home, and go about my life as usual. But I wasn’t feeling particularly smart right then.
The club was packed, bodies all around us. But when Nate moved his chair closer it felt like he was closing us in our own personal bubble. The sound and noises from the bar became muffled. The song the band was playing was only faint background noise as the world closed in until it was just the two of us.
“You didn’t have to stay, if you didn’t want to,” he started. “If you’re ready to go home, I can—”
I cut him off with the shake of my head. “I want to stay.”
Those grayish-blue eyes sparkled as his full lips curved into a grin that made my skin tingle. “Good,” he said, shifting even closer, closing more of the distance between us. “I didn't want you to leave either.”
I let out a heavy sigh, giving my head a shake. It felt fuzzy; not from the alcohol, but from him. That leather and cloves scent overwhelmed my senses as I inhaled deeply. God, he smelled so damn good. “This isn't smart.” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to warn, me or him. “I'm pretty sure we both know that.”
He lifted his beer to his lips, drinking back nearly half in a few gulps. Fog rolled over those eyes, making them look downright stormy. “And I'm pretty sure we’re past that.”
Everything in my body clenched tight. Warning sirens blared in my head, telling me I was dangerously close to breaking every single one of my rules with this guy.
Heat boiled in my veins, beneath my skin, and I sucked back my own beer in an effort to tamp it down.
Desperate to get control of the moment, I spit out the first thing that popped into my head. “What happened with you and your ex-wife?” Nate rocked back in his chair, just as surprised by my question as I was. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry; it’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have—”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind talking about it. I was just a bit thrown off. Kind of felt like that came out of left field.”
It had, but that was what desperation did to a person.
“I’ve heard a bit,” I hedged. “Georgia told me about the adoption, and Evan mentioned it again today.”
He let out a sigh, and I could practically see the weight falling onto his shoulders. “Let me guess. She’s not my real daughter. Christ.” He grunted, reaching up to massage the space between his eyebrows.
“Well, sort of. But I got the impression that maybe her mother had said something to make her feel that way.” His expression turned to thunder, and I quickly scrambled to try and ease his rising fury. “She didn’t spell it out for me, and I didn’t push. But by the end of our talk, I think she was feeling a whole lot better.”
“Really?”
I nodded, smiling at the hopefulness in his voice. I hadn’t thought the word “cute” would be fitting for a man like Nate, but in that moment, that was exactly how he looked: cute. “Yeah, she really did. I told her sometimes the best family isn’t necessarily the one you’re born into, but the one you choose.”
“That’s the damn truth,” he murmured around the rim of his glass before taking another sip, this one much smaller than the last. “I picked Evan the moment I first laid eyes on her.”
I propped an elbow on the table and rested my chin in my hands. “Tell me about that,” I prompted. I’d heard from Georgia already, but I wanted the story straight from his mouth. I wanted to see the emotion dance in his eyes. I wanted to hear the passion in his voice.
And he didn’t disappoint. “I knew the minute I saw that little girl, she was going to be my whole world.” My heart pitched in my chest, but I somehow managed to keep my composure as he continued. “I’d only been dating Amber, her mom, for a couple months when I first met her. She’d been playing in the backyard and had been covered in dirt. Her hair hung halfway down her back and was a tangled mess of leaves and twigs from where she’d been rolling around in the grass.” He smiled adoringly at the memory, making my belly flutter. “She was barely two feet tall and looked up at me with these huge blue eyes that took up half her face. She looked like a little dirt-smudged doll, and the first thing she said to me was “Giant!” and that was it. That was all it took for her to steal my heart, and I never got it back.”
Oh God, I thought. I’ve just made a huge mistake. That story, the look on his face as he told it, it did... things... to me. Made me feel things I’d told myself I would never feel for a man.