Chapter 26
Olive
Iroll over into a warm wall of muscled chest, where Nate lies on his side facing me.
Inhaling his scent, I snuggle into him. His hand tangles into my hair as his hold on the back of my neck keeps me pressed to him while his lips find the top of my head in a sweet kiss.
It’s been two weeks since we went back on tour after our weekend together, and I couldn’t be happier.
Each night when he returns to the hotel after being away with Jenny all day, we’re both ravenous for each other from our short time apart. You’d think that hunger would diminish after a little while, but it’s just grown.
Last night was no different. After a quickie the moment I stepped into his room, and then a room service dinner, we had sex again before I passed out with Nate by my side.
My eyes flutter closed again as I relax back into grogginess.
Nate is gently massaging my scalp where his hand is buried in my hair.
I start to doze off when a vibration from the nightstand has my eyes popping back open.
I try to move away from Nate as he reaches back to retrieve his phone, but his hold tightens on me as he rolls to his back, forcing my head to settle on his shoulder as his arm goes around me.
“Yeah?” His voice reverberates below me.
I can’t make out what is said, but whoever he’s talking to is a man based on his equally deep muffled voice.
Nate’s muscles tense underneath my cheek. “No shit? They hired us?”
More mumbled words. Nate’s fingertips tickle up and down my back, and then his hand freezes. His voice becomes more animated. “Uh, well, I don’t think I need to be on it. But you can send someone else to be with me in Ian’s place if you want.”
My head pops up from his shoulder, and our eyes meet. He’s watching me intently as he keeps the phone pressed to his ear, toying with the ends of my hair.
“I know what I said, but I want to stay on this job.”
Silence on the other side of the phone. Nate playfully pulls a lock of hair as he smirks when the voice returns. “We can talk about it later.”
My eyes widen at his words, and I hide my face against his side. This is clearly a work-related call, which means that it’s most likely his business partner. Is he going to tell this man about me?
There are a few more minutes of conversation with Nate and the other man until he disconnects the call, and the phone hits the nightstand with a thud.
I glance up at Nate, who’s still watching me with a small smile playing on his lips. “I’m assuming that was your business partner?”
He nods.
“Are you going to tell him about me?”
“Eventually.” He cups my cheek and runs a thumb along my cheekbone. “Are you okay with that?”
“Will you get in trouble since we’re working together in a way?”
He shakes his head. “Doubtful. You aren’t my client. Besides, Jack kind of started dating his fiancée while she was a pro bono client of ours.” He shrugs his broad, bare shoulders. “Figure he can’t say too much. The whole glass houses thing.”
I settle back onto his shoulder, my hand splaying across his chest, the light spattering of hair tickling my palm. “Good, I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Hmm, yeah, I don’t want to either. But I have to be honest, when you are cuddled up naked next to me, I really don’t give a shit.”
I huff out laugh, my chest warming.
“Though even when you aren’t naked, I still don’t care.”
I look back up at him. “I’m glad you don’t.”
He smooths my hair away from my face. “What do you want to do today? I have until four to do whatever you want.”
I think for a few minutes before I say, “I want to go to the Miami Beach Boardwalk.”
We’re at our second and final Florida stop of the tour, so we might as well enjoy the beach while we can.
“Done. But first…”
Before I can take my next breath, I’m on my back with Nate settling between my legs. The exact place I wished we could stay forever.
“Nate, I’m not rollerblading.” I slam my hands on my hips and purse my lips in annoyance.
“Yes, you are.” He gives me a wide, boyish grin as he holds up the rental rollerblades. “It’s been forever since I’ve done it. It’ll be fun. I promise.”
“Breaking bones is not my definition of fun,” I grumble as I take the skates from him.
He presses an affectionate kiss to my forehead as his hand snakes around me and squeezes my butt cheek. “I’m getting you all of the safety equipment available. You aren’t allowed to hurt yourself. That would severely impede all the deviant things I have planned for you later.”
I laugh as I shake my head and step away from him to sit on a nearby bench to put the skates on.
We just finished a delicious lunch at a restaurant on the boardwalk before wandering hand-in-hand and looking at a few of the shops, before Nate pulled me to a stop in front of the booth offering roller skate and roller blade rentals.
The sun is warm and the air balmy as I bend over to remove my sneaker. Before I can pull it off my foot, Nate is kneeling on one knee in front of me, pushing my hands away from my shoe.
“Let me.” His voice is low and deep, causing my core to heat as his strong fingers wrap around my calf and he pulls off my sneakers.
A smile slips across my face as he carefully pulls on the kneepads and helps me slip my foot into the roller blade.
His fingers nimbly tighten the laces before his hands slide up my legs.
My breath catches as he clasps my thigh right above my knees.
His gaze is intense when it connects with mine, and his grip on my thighs tightens slightly. “Is that too tight?”
The bolt of arousal at our intimate moment has me only able to answer with a small shake of my head.
The corner of his lips twitch up and he grabs the wrist guards and holds each one up for me to slip my hands into.
After he secures them, he puts a helmet on my head and snaps it around my chin.
He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip before sitting next to me to get himself ready.
My heart is racing before we even start skating from his careful attention.
After he gives our shoes to the man working the rental booth, Nate takes my hand and pulls me to standing.
I have rollerbladed, but it’s been fifteen years or more.
It takes me a few moments to get my balance, Nate never letting go of my hands until I’m sure.
I give him a small nod and an uncertain smile. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”
His grin is wide and infectious. “You’ll do great. And I won’t let you fall. Come on.”
He shifts to my side as we skate slowly down the boardwalk, his grip strong and reassuring. I have no doubt that he could skate much faster than what we’re doing, but he never complains. Just keeps with my slow pace, giving me encouraging words occasionally.
My cheeks hurt from how much I’m smiling as he teases me about my stiff, jerky movements as I attempt to keep myself upright, all the while his hand squeezes mine to help support and steady me.
The breeze cools my skin as we glide past the crowd, happiness making me feel as light as the puffy clouds dotting the sky above us.
It’s refreshing to have someone whose sole focus is on making sure I’m okay, even if it’s as simple as during skating.
Usually, I have to be the one taking care of someone else, so I relish this moment when I can release some control.
I love that he seems to not see it as a burden and is thoroughly enjoying doing that for me.
After forty-five minutes of skating, he points to an ice cream stand. “Let’s get some ice cream. We’ve earned a treat.”
I nod enthusiastically. He helps me sit on a bench and presses a kiss on my lips.
My hand finds his cheek as he deepens it, and I momentarily forget we’re surrounded by people.
As he slowly pulls away, he gives me a lopsided grin, running his thumb across my bottom lip.
With one last quick kiss, he leaves me to go order.
Once he’s settled on the bench next to me, he hands me my cone and rests his arm on the bench behind my back, his fingers lightly grazing across the skin of my arm as he casually licks his ice cream cone.
I soften into his side as I do the same.
“Have you talked to your brother recently?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I find Nate watching me, affection and kindness in his eyes. “I talked to him last night.”
His thumb brushes across my chin, wiping what I assume is a rogue drop of ice cream from it, then slipping his thumb into his mouth to lick it clean. “How’s he doing?”
I face forward and stare across the beach.
It’s so beautiful here. And with Nate at my side, I allow myself another moment of pretend.
“He’s alright, I guess. Besides being mad that he has to be in inpatient treatment, it’s sometimes hard to gauge where his mind is at times.
I got a call from his treatment team the other day.
They explained they wanted to extend his inpatient time from thirty days to at least forty-five but would reassess as they got closer to that time. ”
The combination of the rhythmic circles Nate’s fingers are making on my arm and the ice cream causes goosebumps to rise on my arms.
“I know you said your dad left when you were young, but does your mom help?”
I shake my head. “My mom has addiction issues, too. We left as soon as Benny turned eighteen. We don’t talk to her if we can’t help it. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she helped feed his addiction at times.”
When Nate hugs me to him and presses a firm kiss to the side of my head, my eyes flutter closed. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
My hand finds his thigh and gives him a squeeze. “Thank you.” I shift so I can look at him more easily. “Why did your partner want to send someone else to finish the tour and bring you back?”
Nate has his sunglasses pushed into his hair, so I can see his eyes squint as he looks out across the boardwalk.
“We got a contract for a big job yesterday. It’s a job that has the potential to take our business from very successful to beyond what we could have hoped for successful.
This business is all about word of mouth.
And if we do well at this job with Jenny and this new job we just got hired for, it’ll be huge for us. ”
“What’s the job?”
He grins at me. “Well, I can’t tell you everything, but it’s a contract to take over the personal security of one of the biggest country music stars in Nashville.”
“That’s amazing, Nate. I’m so happy for you!
” My hand is still on his thigh, so I squeeze it again in excitement.
But then, a thought lodges into the forefront of my mind.
“I know you told me you are the co-owner of the company. That seems like something that would be really important for you to be back in town for.”
He keeps his eyes straight ahead, silent for a few beats, until he says, “When my dad was twenty-five, he was working as a manager of a grocery store. They weren’t dating yet, but my mom worked there as a cashier.
She had only been working there for maybe three months or so when he was offered a huge promotion, which would have required him to move to another state, but he turned it down. ”
I roll my lips in and bite down slightly, hoping the pain keeps the emotion I’m feeling from coming out.
I love hearing about how much his parents loved each other.
It’s simultaneously breaking and mending my heart.
I know how this story ends—they loved each other to the very end—but that kind of love also gives me so much hope.
Even if I have no idea how to love like that, Nate does.
He saw it every day until the day his parents died.
It’s settling the remaining fears and doubts I have that this wouldn’t work.
Because with each moment I’m with Nate, I’m finding it harder to continue that narrative and keep my heart locked away.
Nate continues. “He turned down the job so he could stay where he could continue getting to know my mom. He told me he already knew she was the one.” Releasing a breath, he finally turns so he can look at me.
“He did eventually get another opportunity for that promotion, but he always told me that it was the best decision he ever made, and he never regretted not taking that job for one second. Even if it meant they didn’t have much money when they first got married. ”
My chest tightens with my unshed tears, my response whispered. “That’s a really sweet story.”
He nods slowly. “It is. So, this is me not taking the job.” Searching my eyes, he tilts his head.
“However, it’s a little different, because I own the company already, and the job isn’t dependent on me being there.
And not to brag, but I already make a lot of money.
” He frowns, shaking his head. “When I say it like that, it sounds much less romantic, but you get the idea.”
I bark out an emotional laugh as my fingers swipe under my eyes. I love how Nate has embraced his feelings for me as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Which, for most people, it probably is. It scares me, but not necessarily in a bad way. “I get it.”
Nate pulls my lips to mine and kisses me until I’m breathless. He eventually releases me, and there’s so much emotion in his eyes that it takes me even longer to catch my breath.
In that moment, I know no matter what happens with us, I’m no longer the same woman I was a month ago. I’ll never settle for less than how I feel with Nate.