Page 2 of A Lot Like Forever
Nate grinned when she looked up, because there was no mistaking the brown eyes that met his. Her gaze was warm, her eyes were darker than the richest chocolate, her smile lighting up her face, as she walked toward him.
“Hey, Nate.”
“What are you doing here?” Nate ran up the steps and pulled her in for a hug, taking her slender body into his arms. It took every inch of his willpower to keep his chest half an inch from hers. But Faith had other ideas. She hugged him tight, stepping closer against him so that he couldfeel every part of her.
Nate forced himself to step back before he ended up with a hard-on, held her at arm’s length. And as soon as he did, he knew something was wrong. She didn’t meet his gaze, and Faith never usually had a problem staring him straight in the eye.
“You’ve never just turned up to say hi before, so I’m guessing there’s something going on. Is it Sam?”
She shook her head and tucked a strand of long dark hair behind her ear, the look on her face making her appear . . .vulnerable. Faith had been the little sister who’d always tried to keep up with her brother, who never showed a sign of weakness. Right now the look on her face was making Nate’s protective instincts go into overdrive. He wanted to fold her back in his arms and protect her, find out what the hell had upset her and make sure it never happened again. He cleared his throat, impatient, waiting for her to respond.
“Sam’s fine; at least he was the last time I saw him. I just . . .” She sighed. “I’m in over my head and I needed somewhere to go.”
“What happened?” Nate asked, hating that he couldn’t just think of her like his surrogate sister. Heaven knew he’d tried.
He followed Faith’s glance toward his door, and it was then he noticed two large suitcases sitting together, like they were waiting to be invited in. The look she gave him was one he’d seen her use on her brother countless times, and he wasn’t finding it easy to ignore. Usually puppy dog eyes wouldn’t have worked on him, but Faith somehow managed to pull it off.
“Faith?”
She cleared her throat and stared back at him, lips tipping up into a smile that made Nate uncomfortable.Hell no. He was about to be talked into something; he just knew it.
“I heard you’ve been advertising for a housekeeper,” she said, “and it just so happens that I’m perfect for the job.”
“No, you’re not,” he replied. “If you need someone to talk to, then come on in, but I’m not hiring you. Besides, you’re way overqualified.” And the last thing he needed was to be tempted by Faith bloody Mendes in his own home.
“Yes, you are,” she insisted, hands on her hips. “And no, I’m not. I haven’t even graduated with my master’s yet.”
“Faith, your brother is my best friend. I’ll help you, but he’d never let you take a job with me, let alone one that involved you being in my home.” If he so much as looked at her the wrong way Sam would have his head, and there was only one way a man could look at Faith. She was pure sex appeal, no other way to describe her, all long limbs, bronze skin, and deep-brown eyes, not to mention that hair that she always wore loose and tumbling over her shoulders and down her back.
Nate sighed and looked out to the fields. He’d kept his distance from her for so long, and having Faith in his home working for him wasn’t something he was going to let happen.
“Nate, I need somewhere to stay and you need someone to look after your house. It’s the perfect arrangement.”
“Stay? Now you’ve definitely lost your mind,” he muttered. “I don’t recall at any point advertising for a live-in housekeeper. And besides, all applications were supposed to go to my assistant. Maybe I should give you her number.”
“Please, Nate? I wouldn’t ask you if I wasn’t desperate.”
Nate tried to look away, tried to ignore her, but when her hand found his and she blinked up at him he was powerless. Never in his life had he found it hard to say no to anyone. Hell, he did it all the time. But Faith? There was something about his friend’s little sister that made it impossible for him to walk away. And the older she became, the harder it was to remind himself that she was off-limits, especially when she looked at him like that. That mouth of hers alone was pure torture, because every time she spoke, hell, every time she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, there was only one thing he thought of. And it was wicked the things his mind could come up with.
“Nate, I have nowhere else to go.”
He sighed and moved past her, refusing to acknowledge her bags on the porch and pushing open his front door.
“Fine, you can come in. But that doesn’t mean I’m saying yes, you hear me?” He’d hear her out, find out what was wrong and what kind of a predicament she was in. Then he could figure out what to do with her.
* * *
Faith settled into one of the oversize outdoor sofas on the patio of the King homestead and gazed out at the land. She’d only visited the property a few times when she was younger, but never for a second had she forgotten how beautiful it was. The fields seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon, the only intrusion the massive barns and stables a few hundred yards from the house. It was easily the most beautiful place she’d ever seen, and when she was a child it had been the kind of home she’d fantasized about. Horses to ride, trees to climb, places to hide . . . and now here she was seeking refuge, still looking for that place to hide away from reality. Everyone always talked about the King ranch being the most sought-after real estate in Texas, but it was more than that. There was something about the place that could just make a person forget everything else, and Faith could see exactly why it had been in the same family for so many generations.
“I was going to offer you a beer, but I decided a coffee was probably more appropriate.”
She looked up when Nate appeared, his big frame filling the doorway. It didn’t matter that she’d known him her whole life—he still managed to make her stop and stare. His shoulders were broad, body big and muscular, and those eyes . . . she’d never managed to match his warm, chocolate-drizzled gaze without smiling.
“I’ve been legally allowed to drink for quite a few years now,” Faith told him with a laugh. “You’re not going to get in trouble for giving me alcohol anymore.”
He passed her the cup of coffee and sat down on the other sofa, a hint of a smile bracing his mouth.
“You know, you always were a pain in the ass when you wanted something.”
