Page 26 of Just One Silver Fox

But he also had to consider Sonia’s romantic expectations. They’d agreed to just once but the longer he stayed, the more likely she was to think of this as a beginning instead of an incident.

He needed to leave and keep things simple.

Nate pulled on his undershirt and briefs, then fastened on the Hook again, securing the harness. By the time he was done, Sonia emerged from the bathroom. She’d put her hair up in a messy bun, one of those magic things women did in seconds that always fascinated him, and was wrapped in her towel still. He was surprised that she was shy, giving what they’d done together, but she kept her back to him as she took clean clothes from the wardrobe. The towel remained resolutely in place until she’d made her choice, then she put on a bra and T-shirt before dropping the towel to her waist. White cotton this time. She must be in agreement that the party was over.

Holding the towel like a shield made Nate think she didn’t want him to look, but there was no chance of him not admiring her.

No, it was as if Sonia didn’t want him tosee.

But he’d already noticed her mysterious scars and he still couldn’t explain them.

Only when she was wearing a pale pink T-shirt and faded jeans did she turn to face him. Nate was buckling his belt over his trousers, wondering what had happened to his second sock. He could only see one.

“You should eat something before you go,” Sonia said and he glanced up. “That will save you having to stop on the way.”

She was right on schedule for trying to make their interval into more. Nate spotted the sock under her bed. “I don’t mind stopping. I’ll pick up some fast food and just keep rolling.”

“But we have those food boxes. We could cook together.”

Nate was tempted. He’d much rather eat something healthy than some fast crap, but that wasn’t the only reason. “I don’t want to wreck my suit,” he said because it was true. “I’m not a neat cook.”

“Oh, I probably have a pair of sweats you could wear.”

There wasn’t a snowball’s chance of that, given how slender Sonia was, but Nate didn’t have time to protest before she opened the wardrobe. She lifted out a folded pair of grey sweats. He was ready to argue that they’d be too small, then she shook them out and he blinked at their generous proportions.

Why did she have a huge pair of sweatpants?

He was going to make a joke that they could both get in with room to spare, but she was deadly serious.

Had they been left behind by an old boyfriend? Maybe the guy who’d broken her heart? Either way, Nate wasn’t putting them on.

He made a joke instead. “Wow. It’s like a magic wardrobe,” he said, looking behind it. “Can you decide to go to the dance at the palace and find a ballgown in there, with glass slippers and a coach-and-four?”

“Not hardly. I just like to be ready for anything.” She was blushing so Nate knew that wasn’t it. She held out the sweatpants and he took them, even though he didn’t want them.

He also felt like he was on thin ice, though he couldn’t explain why. “Then you must know my sister. Kind of a kindred spirit thing.”

“Your sister?”

“My sister, Diane. She has a solution for everything, and the right whatever for any situation.” He put the sweatpants on the chair, then kept getting dressed. “I defy you to go to her place and ask for anything, no matter how outrageous it is, and come away without it.”

To his relief, Sonia smiled. “Organized?”

“And then some. When the Apocalypse comes, my sister will be more ready than anyone. Her place is where you should go.” He frowned in thought. “Actually, there might be a line by the time you get there.”

“You sound afraid of her.”

“She’s my big sister.” He held up a hand in the middle of his chest. “She’s this tall and she still terrorizes me completely.” He shrugged into his jacket and put his tie and sunglasses in his pockets, then picked up his keys and tossed them in the air. “Do you want the other box?”

Her eyes lit. “Then youwillstay.”

Nate shook his head, feeling like a jerk even though he knew it was the right thing to do. “”No, I’ll head out, thanks. But I won’t cook the meal kit. That would be a disaster. You could have both and save mine going to waste.”

She folded her arms across her chest, looking a little bit annoyed. Nate doubted that was about the meal kit. “Why wouldn’t you cook it?”

“I’m not so great in the kitchen. Not fussy but not hugely skilled either. I’ll get a pizza in Boston.”

“In five hours,” she said, shaking her head. “You can’t be as hungry as me. I’d never last.”

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