Page 179 of Before We Were

He straightens, and something shifts in his expression—a rare moment of genuine vulnerability that catches me off guard.

“Fine. I really like her, man. Like, wife, kids, the whole deal kind of like her."

I bark out a laugh, but his expression doesn't waver. "Shit, you're serious."

"Dead serious, asshole." He folds his arms, but there's a lightness in his eyes. "Keep giving me shit, and you can kiss that Best Man title goodbye."

"Well, fuck me. Ollie-boy is going to beat us all to the altar."

"Shut up," he replies, throwing a cloth napkin at me, but I see it in his eyes—he's already picturing that future, and honestly? It suits him.

"For real though," I say, my voice softening. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks for your blessing," he says, and beneath the sarcasm, I hear genuine appreciation.

We continue pulling out chairs according to Mom's meticulous seating chart when Ollie clears his throat.

"Hey, uh, heads up about Jake," he adds, his tone shifting. "He came home late last night. Seemed pretty pissed about you and Nora at that concert. I told him it was a last-minute plan, for her birthday and all."

My muscles tense involuntarily. "Where is he?"

"Store run, I think." Ollie starts saying something else, but my attention scatters the moment I spot Nora. Everything else fades to white noise.

"I'll be back."

"You're not seriously leaving me to finish this, are you?" Ollie's voice follows me, but I'm already gone, drawn like a magnet to its pole.

Nora's in the kitchen, wearing a yellow dress that hug her curves in all the right places. It makes my blood surge hot. Her smile hits me like a physical fucking blow, threatening to knock me flat on my ass. Without thinking, I cross the room, grab her hand and pull her into the laundry room, door clicking shut behind us.

Her startled gasp mingles with my thundering pulse. Those wide eyes lock on mine, her chest rising in shallow breaths that match my own frantic rhythm.

I cradle her face, thumbs brushing velvet skin, and for one suspended heartbeat, we teeter on the edge of something inevitable. Then I break—lips crashing into hers with pent-up hunger that's been building for years. Not gentle—deep, consuming, desperate. She tastes like mint and something sweeter, something I could get drunk on forever.

"Hey," I rasp against her mouth.

She throws her arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer until there's nothing but heat and need between us.

“Hi,” She says, smile growing wider.

My hands dive into her hair, wrapping those silky strands around my fingers, tugging her head back to deepen the kiss. The noise she makes nearly ends me.

I push her up against the door harder than I meant to, some animal part of me roaring to life when her body cushions against the wood. Her hands are everywhere—chest, shoulders, waist—setting fires with every touch. When I trace those curves I've fantasized about for years, her gasp breaks against my mouth and I swallow it greedily.

My lips find her jaw, her throat, her pulse racing wild beneath my tongue. I want to mark her. Mine. Fucking mine.

"Nate," she whispers, and my name in that breathless voice makes my cock throb painfully.

She pulls back slightly. "Someone could catch??—"

"Let them," I growl, forehead pressed to hers, breathing her in. "I'm done pretending. I don't care what anyone thinks about us."

The blush that spreads down her neck makes me want to follow it with my tongue. Her lips—swollen from my kisses—part slightly, and I'm fighting not to take her right here with a houseful of people on the other side of this door. I find the hollow of her throat, sucking lightly, feeling her body arch into mine.

"You have no idea Nora,” I rasp, barely recognizing my own voice. “The fucking power you have over me.” I kiss her softly before saying into her mouth, “This dress..." My fingers dig into her hips, fighting the urge to tear the thin fabric like paper. “It’s dangerous, Leni."

Her laugh vibrates against my lips, her fingers yanking my hair just enough to make my eyes roll back.

"Dangerous?" she whispers, breath hot against my ear, and I'm so hard it hurts.

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