Part 124 (2/2)

He c.o.c.ks a brow. ”If you don't get undressed and go to bed, I'll do it for you.”

My tired body half-heartedly suggests I let him, but I pull a face. ”Fine.”

Bath. I ache for a bath. I don't usually find time for one and can't remember the last time I had the luxury. Poking through my bathroom cupboards, I find a selection of bath bombs and gels, gifts from birthdays and Christmases, and grab the nearest. Once the pink bomb explodes with fragrant fizz, I lower myself into the bath and soak away the day of h.e.l.l surrounding me.

The warmth soothes too much and, struggling to keep my eyes open, I drag myself out of the water. I tie a huge, fluffy green towel around myself; time to give in and sleep.

Nate stands outside the bathroom and I almost knock into him as I walk out. ”What? Is something wrong? Is Josh okay?”

He steadies me with one hand. ”I heard you run the bath, but nothing else for half an hour. Worried you might've drowned or some s.h.i.+t.”

”You really are a different man under there, aren't you?” I touch his lips with my fingertips, warming further at his concern.

Nate does the opposite of what I expect: he tightens the knot at the top of the towel. ”You smell funny. Not like you.”

I laugh and tiptoe to kiss him. ”You smell exactly like you, but I like when you smell of oranges. Reminds me of the Nate I fell in love with.”

He tips his head, amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. ”I never asked you before. When exactly did that happen?”

”I'd say around about January 20th. The weather was a bit snowy that day and you beat me at Scrabble.”

Nate closes his eyes and his mouth moves as he counts silently. He opens them. ”d.a.m.n. You still won. I think I probably fell for you first.”

”Probably?” I shake my head. ”How far by?”

Strong arms draw me closer. ”Not saying,” he whispers against my mouth.

”It was never a compet.i.tion.”

”Sure it was - I lost the day I met you. My variety of f.u.c.ked up recognised yours, I guess.”

”Such a romantic, Nate Campbell.”

He smiles at me, the Nate smile I once craved, but he'd never grace me with. ”Yeah.” I scowl at the word and he laughs. ”You don't expect me to write you love poems and c.r.a.p like that do you? Because you'll be very disappointed.”

”I'd die of shock.”

Nate purses his lips. ”I have a few words. Like, I love you. Undeniably. Life-changingly. If that's a word.” He scratches an eyebrow. ”You and me, we match.”

”You could turn that into a poem if you like? A very short one that doesn't rhyme?”

”Pfft. Write it down if you want.”

I wrap my arms around his neck. ”I'm happy you found some new words. It helps to communicate, Nate.”

I swear he opens his mouth to say 'yeah' and stops himself. ”I'll work on that one.” He drags me closer by the towel. ”Now witness my extreme self-control as I take you to bed and resist doing what I've sat downstairs daydreaming about.”

We slide into bed, Nate fully clothed, and I snuggle against him, naked. Nate pulls my damp hair into a ponytail and twists it away from my face.

”Nate and Riley,” he murmurs against my hair. ”Unstoppable.”

”Undeniably,” I whisper back.

His heartbeat thumps against my cheek, lulling me, and I finally surrender to the battle against sleep, and my heart's battle against Nate.

43.

RILEY.

I lie beneath the afternoon sun stretched out on a white lounger, eyes closed. The private villa on a quiet Greek island overlooks the deep-blue waters of the Mediterranean on our picture-perfect holiday destination. Nate insisted on upgrading to somewhere exclusive, and another Riley versus Nate battle began as he attempted to take over my holiday plans. Mum threw her hands up, refused to come, and had a quiet word with me about testing Nate with the holiday. I have to agree, two weeks in Greece with a five-year-old boy and his uptight mother will be a test of anybody's relations.h.i.+p.

We delayed the holiday because of Josh's accident. Two months since and life has s.h.i.+fted again. Josh recovered, but my paranoia that something may still happen to him was the final push away from work as my number one priority and I cut back my hours. At one point, I became too paranoid and had to wind back the visits to the doctor every time Josh had a headache. I'm worried because his coordination seems off since the accident, but that's a case of wait and see because Josh has always been clumsy, thanks to his need to rush everywhere.

Half asleep, I've listened to the splash of the pool nearby and Josh's shouting and laughter, but the heat from the sun becomes too much. I sit and reach for my gla.s.s of iced juice, which is no longer iced after an hour lying here.

”Your mum looks like she needs cooling down.” Nate sits on the edge of the pool, water trickling from his chest to his abs, the damp, blue board shorts hugging his muscular thighs. He wipes water from his face, upwards across his hair and my heart and stomach somersault.

Josh splashes in the middle of the azure pool, hanging onto an inflatable shark as he paddles in circles. I tense as Nate stands and approaches me, eyes s.h.i.+ning with his plans.

”Nate...”

”Do it!” shrieks Josh.

”Nate!” I wriggle backwards on the lounger and attempt to climb off. Powerful arms grab me around the waist and drag me closer. My hot skin cools against his damp, as I struggle against his grip.

Nate effortlessly lifts me upwards, over his shoulder, and it's my turn to shriek as he approaches the pool. ”No! Don't!” I dig my fingers into his taut forearms and wrestle against him.

”Your mum needs to have more fun, don't you think?” he calls to Josh.

”Nate!” When a laugh escapes my lips, I seal my fate as Nate plunges into the pool holding onto me. I push to the surface and smack at him as he grabs my arms. The temperature of the pool after the heat of the day s.h.i.+vers through me, and if it wasn't for the smile covering Josh's face, I'd yell at Nate.

Instead, I tread water and pout at him. ”You're going to regret that,” I mutter.

”Oh, yeah?”

He rests his forehead on mine.

”Yes.”

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