I try to keep my voice even, level. It’s harder than it seems because every part of me wants to haul ass out of there. Not running isn’t in my DNA. But I manage.
“Really? What’d you find out?”
Nate slips around the side of the cabinet and sweeps his eyes over my bra and bare midriff before lifting his gaze back to my face. He knows. He has to know. He’s going to verbally lash me now. Or smile and pat me on the head? Please be the second option. Please!
“It’s interesting really.”
I bet it is—crazy non-girlfriend threatens to cut off your estranged father’s junk. This is going to end badly. Just tell him. Confess. It can’t be as bad as if he finds out on his own. “Nate, I need to tell you something.”
“You see, I thought it was weird Ferro would come and take the house now. The timing was strange. If he waited a little while, I would have found out anyway. The eviction and then complete 180 made me start digging, and you won’t believe what I found out.” His voice is intense, powerful, and pissed.
We both speak at the same time.
“Nate, let me explain—”
“There’s oil under the house.”
We both flinch and say in unison, “What?”
Nate leans his hip against the cabinet and repeats himself. “There’s oil. A lot of it. Ferro bought out all the surrounding homes. He’s going to frack the area, mining what oil he can before paving it for a parking lot. What were you going to say?” He folds his arms over his chest, and tips his head to the side, resting it against the cabinet.
I’m too shocked to reply. I just stand there and blink. Holy fuck. I didn’t just take a house. I stole a massive amount of money from the Ferro family. I’m a dead girl. I manage to murmur, “Oh. My. God.”
He’s smiling. “I know, right?”
“Yeah, Nate. That’s. Wow.” I can’t seem to form a sentence.
Nate gets closer and touches my cheek lightly, sweeping his hand along my jaw and then my neck. “Celebrate with me tonight.”
I nod slowly and smile at him. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“Yeah. Sex. No strings. Only if you want to.”
Butterflies launch from deep within me directly up and into my brain. It feels like I’m made of bubbles and being tickled from within. The way he says it, the deep sound of his voice and touch of his hand is intoxicating.
Nodding slowly, I tell him, “Sounds good.”
Nate turns away but then spins back around. “Oh, what were you going to say?”
I laugh nervously and shake my head. “Oh, it was nothing. I’ve got another job, so this is my last night modeling. Jax got it for me. I thought you were upset about it.”
“No, I’m not. That’s great. A new job! So we have two things to celebrate.” I watch him, walking away happy.
Fuckbuddies don’t celebrate things together. They use each other.
I’m starting to think I’m in an open relationship with Nate Smith.
Nat
e Smith, whose house is sitting on oil.
Nate Smith, whose Dad hates my guts.
Not to mention the looming mysterious Ferro favor, sure to be much larger than anticipated.
Fuck. I stole oil from Ferro. That was like robbing Scrooge McDuck’s money bin. I’m going to end up in jail—if things go well. The bottom of the river is the more likely scenario, which would suck. I need to figure this out fast. It wasn’t about a house. It wasn’t about Nate at all.
Damn it.