Page 20 of A Lot Like Forever
“I’ve never had a woman try to seduce me in my own kitchen before,” he told her, releasing her wrist and turning it over in his palm until her hand was facing up so he could trail his fingers across her soft skin. Her hand was trembling. “So, accidental or not, you’re doing a damn fine job of it.”
Faith made a noise that was hard to decipher. “I don’t think I’m even capable ofseducinganyone, let alone you. Especially not right now.”
“After what happened?” He felt like shit. “That was seriously insensitive of me, pushing you like that. I’m sorry.”
She slowly took her hand away from his. “I’m not exactly aseductresswhen it comes to men, Nate. And yeah, what happened has me kind of shaky still. I don’t feel like me again yet, if that even makes sense.”
“I get it.” He stared into her eyes. “I’ll let you come to me next time.”
Her smile was sweet as pie.
“You know, you’re even more tempting because you actually have no goddamn idea,” he said as he took another step back She definitely didn’t know the effect she had on him. “Any other woman, I’d think this was all just a clever plan, but you?” Nate chuckled. “I actually think Sam’s been so good at keeping most of the male population away from you that he’s actually stopped you from realizing the power you have over men.”
Faith laughed. First it was a shy giggle; then she was actually laughing. “I thought you were being serious for a moment.”
She turned her back on him and went back to stirring her sauce, like nothing had happened between them, like she hadn’t managed to tease him and tempt him with her damn Italian sauce.
“Do you want a glass of wine?”
Faith looked up. “I’d love one. A pinot would be great with this dish.”
Nate raised an eyebrow. “And just like that you’re running my household,” he said dryly.
Faith paused, like she was unsure what to say. “Is that why you’re so scared to have a woman in your house, Nate? Because you don’t like the idea of losing control?”
He didn’t even bother answering, just went through to the wine cellar and pulled out a bottle, stopping to check the label before returning to the kitchen. He uncorked it and decanted it before pulling out two oversize wineglasses.
“If we’re going to drink a red, we may as well make it a good one,” Nate told Faith. “If I’d known I would have got you to put it out to get to room temperature a few hours ago.”
Faith nodded and checked the spaghetti, bumping shoulders with him when she turned to drain the water off. “How about you put the wine on the table. I’ll have dinner served up in a few minutes.”
Things were strained between them, suddenly strange, and Nate didn’t like it. One moment they’d been easy; the next it was . . . He cleared his throat, refusing to feel uncomfortable in his own home. He was neveruncomfortable,never not in control, especially when it came to the opposite sex. So they’d had a moment. So what? Nothing was going to happen, especially not after hearing how shaken up she still was. He’d been so busy thinking about how to deal with her ex, Nate hadn’t thought about how rough she must be feeling still.
“Anything interesting happen today?” he asked, settling down at the table and stretching his legs out as he tried to make easy conversation. He glanced at a book she had open and reached for her. “Or were you too busy tidying up this pigsty?”
“It was hardly a pigsty.”
Nate flicked through a few pages. The artwork was interesting, but it wasn’t his area of expertise. “You’ve been studying?” he asked.
“No. It’s a new book on contemporary artists. I was just doing some reading for pleasure.”
He watched as Faith tipped spaghetti into an oversize white serving bowl as he undid the top button of his shirt and then the one below. He wore a shirt every day and a suit sometimes, relentless about his appearance given the types of clients he was dealing with and wanting to make sure they realized how seriously he took his role. But even the fact that his closet was full of Dolce & Gabbana and HUGO BOSSdidn’t mean he liked wearing fancy clothes when he could be in jeans and a tee at home.
“You do realize the whole brainy-student thing is kind of sexy, right?” Nate laughed as he said it, wishing he’d just kept it to himself.
Faith glanced at him and raised an eyebrow before spooning the meatballs and sauce on top of the spaghetti. “I’m not that brainy, but thanks.” She smiled and shook her head, like he’d embarrassed her. “I met your sister-in-law,” she said, changing the subject on him.
He leaned back, beer in hand. “Yeah? Which one?”
“Ryder’s wife.”
Nate grinned. “Ah, so you met the lovely Chloe.”
“Yes,” Faith said as she lifted the big bowl and walked toward him. Nate went to jump up, but she just smiled and shook her head, carrying the bowl and placing it down in the center of the table. She’d already set their place mats, and when she sat across from him he leaned forward and poured her wine, doing the same for himself now that he’d finished his beer.
“And what did Chloe want?” he asked, smiling as Faith served up one plate and then passed it to him. “Bet she was all twenty questions trying to figure out what you were doing here.”
“She was just coming by to see you,” Faith told him.
