“No, but you could take them with you.”
“She doesn’t want to come.”
“Have you even asked?” she argues.
“Of course I’ve fucking asked.”
“You two,” Dad says, barging into the room. “Enough! You have a goddamned guest who is already sobbing in her room, not to mention a little girl who could wake any second and hear everything you’re saying. Grow up.”
Fuck. Avery is sobbing? Shit.
“Avery is upset?”
“Of course she’s upset,” he snaps. “You insulted her entire family in front of people she hardly knows. How would you feel?”
“Fuck,” I say, walking down the hall.
“It’s not okay for you to go in there, Nate,” Mom says. “Your wife wouldn’t agree.”
I spin around, glaring at her. I love my mom, I truly do, but she’s a hard woman.
“I upset a friend tonight. I’m going to see if she’s okay.”
“Wouldn’t bother, son,” Lez says. “She has instructed to be left alone.”
Like hell she is.
“Fine, I’m going to bed then. This conversation is done.”
“Nathaniel,” my mother begins, but I throw a hand up, cutting her off.
“Goodnight,” I bark, before disappearing into my room.
Fuck it all.
CHAPTER 26
AVERY
A warm nose runs down my cheek, rousing me from my sleep. I blink a few times and it’s dark out; not a light to be seen. I can feel the hard, muscled body beside mine and I shiver instantly.
“Nate?” I whisper.
“Sorry, baby,” he murmurs, running his nose down my cheek and over my jaw. “I fucked up. I made you cry; I was wrong.”
“You hurt me, Nate,” I croak.
“I know,” he says, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me closer. “And I’m sorry for that. It wasn’t right.”
“No,” I rasp. “It wasn’t.”
“Things get tense around here and I lose my shit—it isn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have come here.”
“They care about you,” I say, rolling to my back. “They are only trying to help.”
“They have no idea,” he says, his voice a low whisper. “No fucking idea how hard I’m trying to fix the unfixable.”
I fall silent and he keeps running his nose over my face, breathing me in. “You’re all I have left, Avery. Don’t give up on me.”
“I never said I was giving up,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
He stokes a thumb over my cheek and leans down, kissing me softly. I open up to him, needing to feel him, needing to remind myself what I’m doing here. Why I’m risking my life and my career.
The moment his tongue touches mine, I remember. It’s not because of lust, or desperation, it’s because of a soul-binding connection that I can’t turn away from—it’s because he makes me burn, deep inside my heart, and it’s a burn I can’t escape from.
“Nate.” I gasp as his mouth goes down my throat. “We can’t. Not here.”
“No, baby,” he says, sucking on my neck. “We can’t, but it doesn’t mean I can’t let my mouth touch you for a second longer.”
I close my eyes and let him kiss me all over. His mouth travels down my neck, over my shoulders and then slowly goes back up. He kisses me some more before pulling back. I can hear his deep breathing in the silence and I know it’s taking everything for him not to take this that step further.
“How did you get in here?” I ask, running my hand over his shoulder and down his arm.
“I came through the window.” He laughs softly.
“You broke into your own house?”
“Something like that. I’d break into a damned prison if it meant I could feel you.”
I close my eyes and nuzzle my face into his neck. “You should go. If we get busted . . .”
“Mmmm,” he murmurs.
“Nate.” I giggle softly.
“On it, baby. Just one more kiss.”
He kisses me deeply, tongues tangling, hands roaming, breaths coming in short, hard pants—then he gets up and disappears back through the window.
God, will it ever stop feeling like this?
CHAPTER 27
AVERY
Two weeks later.
“We’re here for your awesome dip,” Kelly says, walking in and throwing himself onto my couch. Liam comes in close behind him, followed by Max and Keanu. What the hell is Keanu doing here?
“Are you boys right?” I ask, pulling a handful of beers out of the fridge and walking over, handing them all one.
“We thought we’d come and join you. It’s football night and we all know how much you love football.” Max chuckles, leaning back and throwing his feet up on my coffee table.