Protect Me(12)

But what draws my attention more than his incredible legs are the tattoos on his upper arm and shoulder. Yesterday, Nate was wearing a t-shirt that covered up his ink. Today, in the form fitting tank top, his tattoos are on clear display. They start mid-bicep and run up his shoulder, wrapping around the back. They’re intricate and detailed; a beautiful display of dark lines and symbols. They’re deep and personal and ungodly sexy as hell.

Crap! Get it together, Lia!

I fan my suddenly flushed face and look over at Nate. His intense eyes are trained on me. A slow smile spreads across his far too handsome face as if he knows exactly what I was just thinking, and clearly has no problems allowing my mind to detour and my eyes to wander.

“So, obviously, you weren’t expecting me yesterday morning, so who were you expecting?” Nate asks as he returns the conversation to a more serious nature.

“No one. That’s the problem. I was just startled,” I reply.

“I get that. But why?” he asks, training those all-knowing eyes back on mine.

I squirm a little under his scrutiny and wonder exactly how to steer the conversation in another direction. I have no intention of telling Nate why I reacted the way I did, but something tells me that he’s not going to give up his quest for information too easily.

“You can just never be too careful, Nate. Don’t you agree?”

“Of course, I agree. You just seemed like your fear was real yesterday, not just a fear of a strange man walking around your place of work. You were afraid of something more. I saw it in your eyes.”

“Look, I just startle easily, okay? Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine. Really,” I say and look back at his face. His eyes bore into me again, but I fight the urge to wiggle. I hold steadfast as he scans my face.

“You’re right,” Nate says. “Sorry to push.”

“It’s okay,” I reply as I turn back to the mixer on the counter by the wall. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” I ask. “I just finished the first pot.”

“That sounds great, and today you can actually make it regular. That’s actually why I stopped in. Well, that and one of your fresh cinnamon rolls. Don’t tell Ave because she would cut off my balls, but it was probably better than the last one she made me. It was mouthwatering,” he says, the corner of his mouth rises up with the compliment. But the way he says mouthwatering suddenly makes my body that much more aware of his presence. My whole body is instantly humming to life.

After centering my equilibrium, I smile and say, “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

Nate stares at me and all of the unsaid things float around us. He has no idea that more than his secret is safe. I feel so safe. And that scares the hell out of me.

I turn and grab the pot of coffee from the percolator. My hand has a slight tremble as I pour the hot liquid into the insulated paper cup. After I secure the lid on the top of the cup, I turn around and hand it to the tall man in front of me. He’s not only tall, but broad and muscular. You can tell he works hard for his incredible physique. Women everywhere must drool. Hell, he probably has a woman at home drooling over him all day long. I chance a quick look down at his left hand and don’t see a ring. Not even the faint marking from where a ring once was. Still, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t someone waiting at home for Mr. Nate Stevens. Grabbing a white bag, I slip one of the fresh rolls inside and hand it to him, as well.

“Thank you for the cup of coffee and the cinnamon roll. I should probably let you get back to work,” Nate says as he takes his cup and crosses to the door. He turns around and makes eye contact one last time.

I find myself holding my breath as I wait for him to say something - anything.

“I’ll see you soon, Lia,” Nate says with another thousand-watt grin, revealing a dimple in his right cheek that makes my panties instantly damp.

I struggle to speak. Words just don’t seem to come. It’s like my brain completely forgets how to properly form thoughts and shuts down.

Nate throws me another knowing smile and unlocks the door. With a wink of his uber-sexy right eye, he exits the same way he entered. Except this time, he may very well have taken a sliver of my heart with him.





Chapter Three


Nate




Damn, that woman does things to me. I’m just so fucking thankful that she didn’t notice everything she does to me. When she opened that door, my running shorts shrank two sizes. She’s the perfect combination of sexy and shy. I’ve always been into the more aggressive ladies, but Lia? Her quiet, shy persona only enhances her inner and outer beauty. In fact, it makes her sexy as hell.