Page 47 of Secrets in Love
“Nope, I come here all the time with Finn and Iris. I know what I’m having.”
“Okay, then.” He smiled, throwing the menu down and crossing his arms across his chest as our waitress approached. “Hey, Candice.”
Young Candice was a super-cute redhead I knew not only from here but from the dance school. Her nephew, Cole, was one of Iris’s buddies there—the back flipper. My choice in bringing Nate here was made not only because they have the best pizza in the neighborhood but also as a test. That guy had the biggest perv eyes of any man I’ve known, and Candice was hot. If his claims about wanting me were genuine, his eyes wouldn’t follow that perky ass. If they did, I would know it was the same old Nate.
“Hey, Evie. What can I get my favorite Aussie ballerina today?”
“I’ll have the usual but make it a large since I have a big person with me today instead of Iris, and a small cheese too. I want Nate to try both.”
“Coming right up.” Candice returned to the kitchen, popping her notepad in the back pocket of her denim cutoffs like I hoped she would. I watched and waited.
Nothing.
He. Did. Not. Flinch.
His eyes stayed on mine, and he smiled. “Wow, first-name basis with the staff. You’re a real local, aren’t you?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and acted as nonplussed as possible. “You sound disappointed by that.”
“I am. It makes it harder for me to take you back home if you’ve become attached to the place.”
“I’m not coming home with you, Nate. My life is here now.”
“We’ll see about that. I still haven’t kissed you yet. I’m pretty confident once I do, you’ll pack your bags faster than you can say, ‘Lay another one on me, big boy.’”
“God, I would kill to have an eighth of your delusional confidence.” I laughed. “Let’s see how much you want to kiss me after a few slices of the Rubirosa Supreme—tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, mini meatballs, and enough roasted garlic to take out the Cullen’s.”
“I bet it would taste even better on your lips.”
“Omg. You’re such an idiot.” I broke off a piece of my complimentary bread stick and threw it at his face. Of course he caught it and chewed it all sexy, then licked the non-existent crumbs from his bottom lip.OMG, he is so hot.“Drinks!” I yelled. “Candice, can we get some drinks over here?”
“Coming right up, Evie.”
“Idiot, huh?” Nate sucked his tongue into his cheek and pulled a notepad out of his pocket. “That’s the first for the day and number seven overall.” I flashed my fakest smile to try and hide my rapid slide into a personal crisis slash hell.
“What, you’re keeping a paper tally, now?”
“I told you last night. You haveGuinnessBookofRecordspotential, kid, and I’m not letting it go to waste.” I ignored the cuteness and gulped down the Pepsi Candice had just placed in front of me.
“Oh, Candice,” I said, liquid spilling from my mouth as I lunged at her wrist. I was determined for him to check her out. Was it weird? Yes. But I needed him to look at her ass like I needed air. “I didn’t introduce you before. This is Nate, Iris’s uncle. He’s come to stay and annoy us for a while.”
“G’day, Candice.” Nate smiled and held out his hand to shake Candice’s, but his eyes did NOT shift from my face.
“Candice is studying Theater at NYU. Isn’t she beautiful? She’s going to be a big star on Broadway someday.”
“Is that so?” Finally, Nate glanced at Candice. “I should ask for your autograph now. Might be worth a lot of money when you make it big.” He gave her his standard, gorgeous, cheeky smile. Not so much as an eyelash on the man’s face fluttered.
This was Nate. The biggest flirt I had ever met. The man who picked up a girl and took her home at a FUNERAL was sitting before a 5’10” red-haired glamourpuss with full lips, killer hips, and her giant rack pushed under her chin, and he gave her NOTHING. He then had the audacity to return those shimmering baby blues to me and WINK. HE WINKED.
A giant pit of fire opened in my gut.
HOLY SHIT. THIS IS FOR REAL. NATE REALLY LOVES ME.
Evie
“Who even are you?”
I studied the pale, terrified-looking woman in the mirror and answered as her weary body collapsed. “I’m you, idiot. The one Nathaniel Myers flew from Australia to America for because Nathaniel Myers is legitimately intoyou…me…us.”
