12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Samantha
The muscles in Nate’s arms rippled as he traversed a rope suspended thirty feet over the forest floor. His jaw was clenched, eyes narrowed as he concentrated on each step.
My hands were covering my mouth, and it was all I could do to hold myself back from cheering for him. He looked like a master climber out there. I knew I hadn’t been half as smooth when I crossed. I’d just been glad I hadn’t fallen. But Nate…wow.
The rope swayed under him, a subtle reminder of just how high up he was, but Nate didn’t hesitate. If I hadn’t known he’d never done this before, I would have thought this was his favorite hobby. He adjusted, compensated, moved forward like his body already knew exactly what to do.
I snuck my phone out of my pocket and snapped a few pictures. Sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling along his helmet and the golden skin of his arms.
I shot the picture off to Adrian with a message.
Me: Look at your brother. One day with me, and I’ve turned him into Tarzan.
It didn’t take Adrian long to reply.
Adrian: Who the hell is that, and why is he wearing Nate’s skin?
Me: That’s Nate in the mountains. I’ll tell you all about his alpine sliding addiction when I get home.
Adrian: wtf?
Me: Shhh…I’m concentrating so Nate won’t fall. Stop bugging me.
I put my phone away and pressed my lips together, forcing myself to stay quiet.
The last thing I wanted was to distract him, not when one wrong step could send him swinging.
Still, my fingers curled against my cheeks, barely containing the urge to shout his name and tell him he was a climbing rock star.
He was close to the platform.
A few more careful steps, and he’d be within reach.
His gaze flicked up, locking on mine. His mouth tipped at the corner, not quite a smile, but enough to make my pulse stutter.
“Don’t you dare fall,” I whispered under my breath.
The rope dipped once more beneath his weight.
Then—
He made it!
Nate stepped onto the platform with me, the tension in his body releasing.
Not giving him a chance to catch his breath, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as I collided with his chest. The impact knocked a surprised laugh out of him as he staggered back into the railing.
He was warm and solid beneath my hands, his heart hammering as hard as mine.
“You did it!” I burst out, my words tumbling over each other. “I have to show you the pictures I took. I think you set a record. No one’s ever climbed faster than you.”
I glanced behind me at the ropes instructor watching us with an amused grin. “Isn’t that right, Kyle?”
Kyle chuckled, looping a rope around his arm. “I’d have to check the records, but that sounds about right.”
I whirled back to Nate. “See?”
His hands gripped my waist, his face only inches from mine. It was becoming clear I kept putting us in this sort of position, but Nate didn’t seem to mind.
The smirk he let loose was unlike any expression I’d ever seen him make. Dear god, was it even more attractive than his competency—and that was wildly attractive.
“If I’d known I was competing for the record, I would have tried harder.”
“Don’t get cocky now,” I admonished, not meaning it. I liked this side of Nate.
“Not cocky at all.” His grip tightened on my hips, like he wasn’t in a hurry to let me go either. “If I commit to something, I like to be the best at it.”
“Kyle said you’re the best he’s ever seen.” I waggled my eyebrows. “Better than him.”
Kyle choked a laugh but didn’t argue. I guessed that was what he got paid the big bucks for.
“Okay.” Nate squeezed my waist once more before letting his hands fall. “Now that we’ve established how talented I am, what shall we do next?”
I forced my arms to slip off his shoulders and gave his chest a pat. “I was eyeing the zip line…”
He took my hand in his. “Then let’s get you on the zip line, Sammie.”
Nate and I had the time of our lives on the mountain. So good, I’d nearly forgotten why we were here. Then searching for our seats at the rehearsal dinner brought me back to reality.
“You’re kidding me,” Nate muttered, his hand clamped firmly around mine. He’d been holding my hand all day, only letting go when necessary. The man was brilliant at this fake boyfriend thing. Looking in from the outside, I would have believed it.
“It’s fine,” I said, feeling anything but.
“It isn’t.”
At least I had Nate on my side. Not that it made things better. I wasn’t sure whether my mother or Kelly had made the seating arrangements, but Nate and I had been placed at a table closest to the door—farthest from the rest of the family.
Another pinprick on top of the hundreds of thousands.
“We don’t have to stay.”
“I think we do.” There were already a few eyes on us. If we turned around and left, it would be worse. “It’s Kelly and Josh’s weekend. I’m not going to make it about me.”
“Do you ever?”
As disgruntled as he sounded, he pulled my chair out for me like the gentleman he was and helped me push it in. I smiled politely at the older woman beside me as Nate took his seat.
“I’m Clarice,” she said. “Coworker of Josh’s.”
Smiling, I shook her hand. “Samantha. I’m”—I carefully measured my words—“on Kelly’s side. This is my boyfriend, Nate.”
Clarice had steely gray hair and a sharp eye. Turned out she was Josh’s boss and a killer investment banker. I got the feeling she didn’t like Josh all that much, but she loved to party and couldn’t pass up a free drink.
She laid her hand on mine between courses. “Tell me how the two of you met.”
I twisted in my seat to chat with her, leaning back against Nate’s shoulder, bringing him into the conversation.
“I’ve known him forever. His brother is my best friend from childhood.”
Clarice raised an eyebrow. “Guy best friend, huh?”
“Yes. It’s not as complicated as everyone thinks. The idea of kissing Adrian makes me want to gag.”
Clarice laughed as she brought her drink to her mouth. “Well, that sounds definitive. You still didn’t tell me how you and Nate became an item.”
Nate and I hadn’t worked out that story, so I turned to him and grinned. “You tell it best, honey.”
He peered at me, a line between his brows and a frown tugging at his mouth. I was seconds away from letting him off the hook when his expression neutralized, and he lifted his gaze to meet Clarice’s.
“I’ve always thought Samantha was beautiful. I mean, look at her.”
She nodded. “You’d have to be blind to miss it.”
“I’m definitely not blind.” His mouth quirked.
“It came on suddenly. Adrian got sick, and Samantha and I took care of him together. The more time I spent with her, the less I liked seeing her leave. She makes things bright by being present. That was when I realized I felt something more for her. The timing worked out too. We were both single for once, so I didn’t miss my chance to shoot my shot. Lucky me, she said yes.”
Clarice let out a sweet sigh, clutching her chest.
Same, sister. Same.
If that were real, I would have been swooning.
Even knowing it was a work of fiction didn’t stop my cheeks from heating as my heart went pitter-patter.
I looked at Nate.
He smiled at me, and I smiled back.
“That was sweet.”
He brushed my hair behind my ear. “Just telling the truth.” Then he leaned forward and whispered, “Mostly.”
Oh hell, I wanted to kiss him.
If we hadn’t been at my sister’s rehearsal dinner, I would have.
The tapping of a glass drew our attention to the front of the room. Nate’s arm dropped around my shoulders, drawing me close as my father stood with a glass of champagne.
He started his toast, droning on about what it meant to be giving his youngest daughter away.
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought him the most doting dad.
The reality was he wasn’t close with any of his children.
I doubted he knew any of the details of Kelly’s life.
Still, he managed to get choked up as he turned to Kelly and Josh, his glass raised high.
“To my precious Kelly. You’re the culmination of all my dreams for a daughter. I couldn’t ask for anything different or more. Josh is a lucky man to have you in his life, and I know he’ll take care of you…or else.”
Everyone chuckled at his faux threat. Everyone except me and Nate.
My heart had lodged too deeply in my throat to push out sound.
Nate held me close, stroking my arm while holding my opposite hand in his.
His thumb roved over spots he’d discovered had a direct connection to the serotonin lever in my brain.
After a minute or two, once my dad had taken his seat and Josh’s dad had started speaking, I began to relax. My heart slid into its rightful place, and air burst from my lungs in the form of a heavy sigh.
“Samantha—”
I shook my head. “Don’t say anything.”
He rested his forehead on the side of my head, warm breath fanning against my neck. “We don’t have to stay.”
“I’m not going to make a scene, Nate.”
He huffed. “I feel like I want to. Your dad is a real asshole.”
“Yeah, he is.” I dropped my hand to his shaking thigh to still it. “It’s a good thing you’re here and not Adrian.”
He lifted his head but stayed close. “Why’s that?”
“He’d make a scene.”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you think he would do?”
“Probably make his own toast. Say something like how hard it must have been for Kelly to grow up in my shadow, but at least she finally found someone who could see the beauty buried deep, deep below the surface.”
Nate sputtered before dropping his head to my shoulder. “That doesn’t sound like him. It’s not mean enough.”
“You got me there, buddy. He’d be much ruder. It would cause an international incident.”
“International, huh?”
My mouth curled at the edges. “His ability to be rude knows no borders.”
He glanced up, his soft brown eyes darting between mine, looking for something and seeming to find it. “You’re okay,” he said, like he couldn’t quite believe it.
With a sigh, I agreed. “I’m okay.”
If he hadn’t been with me, I wasn’t sure my answer would have been the same, but he was. Steady and calm. Stalwart in his presence. Making me smile and feel not so crappy.
And man, I still really wanted to kiss him.