Page 14 of Better Than the Beach
He grins, and maybe it’s some delusional part of my brain taking over, but his grin seems pleased. Nolan Montrose seems happy that I’m single, and that leaves me feeling emboldened.
Thirty minutes into the film, Nolan stretches his arm along the back of the couch, and the movement causes my body to sink toward him. Where our sides just brushed against each other before, we’re now pressed together. I can feel the heat from his skin seeping through my sweater. I can feel his chest rise and fall with his breathing.
We’re practically cuddled together on this loveseat, and instead of straightening himself to put the little bit of distance back between us, Nolan settles into the new position. He turns toward me, and I feel his arm curve just slightly. It’s not resting on my shoulders by any means. His fingers aren’t touching my arm where his hand rests loosely on the couch back. But he doesn’t move away. His body welcomes mine, cradles mine, and I can’t stop the triumphant smile from taking over my face.
Phase two of Seduce the Scholar activated.
FOUR
cassie
It’slate morning when I make my way down the stairs and into the kitchen the next day.
Nolan and I stayed up late talking long after the movie ended, and it wasn’t until I could barely keep my eyes open that he insisted we head off to bed. He walked me to my bedroom door, tucked my hair behind my ear, and whispered, “Sweet dreams, Cassandra.”
I fell asleep with his lips and voice in my head. The way he looks and sounds when he says my name.
I find Nolan sitting at the kitchen table with a newspaper open in front of him. He smiles and stands when he sees me.
“Good morning,” he greets. “How did you sleep?” I watch him walk to the coffee maker and set a mug under the machine.
“Good morning. I slept well, thank you. You?”
He pops a new coffee pod into the machine and pushes the button to brew. As the mug fills with coffee, he turns his smiling face to mine.
“I slept well, also. Ma said she’ll be finishing a quilt in her room for most of the day, but to holler if you need anything.” Nolan takes the now-full coffee mug, gestures to the kitchen table, and sets it down in front of the empty chair next to his. “French vanilla creamer, milk and sugar, or black?”
My smile stretches. He made that coffee for me; the gesture is so intimate and kind. Had he known how I take my coffee, he probably would have fixed it, as well. He’s a thoughtful man, and before I can stop myself, I wonder what it would be like to be loved by a thoughtful man. To be touched by a thoughtful man. I wonder in what other ways he’s thoughtful...
“Creamer would be great,” I tell him, shaking myself from the direction in which my thoughts were sprinting. I bet my cheeks are flushed. “Do you think Nan will be around for lunch?”
I haven’t seen her since yesterday afternoon, and weirdly enough, I kind of miss her.
“Probably,” Nolan says, grabbing a container of creamer from the fridge. “She asked if I could fix grilled cheese and tomato soup for you—a perfect snowy day lunch—and it also happens to be her favorite. She’ll likely join us.”
I smile and move to the empty chair and take a seat. Lunch with Nan and Nolan sounds nice. Very nice. He places the creamer in front of me, then sits back in the chair next to mine.
“Thank you for making me coffee.”
I pour the creamer in the mug and stir, and I feel his eyes on me the whole time. When I dart my gaze in his direction, sure enough, he’s staring at my hands. Slowly, I run my fingers up and down my mug. His eyes are drawn to the movement, and he watches me drag them up, then down, up again, then down.
Perfect. This will be fun.
“I was hoping to figure out the hot tub this evening,” I say softly, and his eyes dart from my hand to my eyes, then down to my lips. I smile in a way that I hope looks sexy and coy. “Would you want to join me? Show me how to start it up, at least?”
He pauses, seconds that feel like hours, and I’m about to bail on the plan, apologize to him and hide in my room until the snow melts, but then he smirks. Full lips pulling up on the side, sensual and suggestive, and when our eyes lock, I can’t hide the way my breath hitches. He knows what I want, and he wants it, too.
“The hot tub sounds great.”
After lunch with Nan and getting our asses kicked by her in a game of cards, Nolan and I part ways with an agreement to meet by the hot tub at dusk. He’s going to shovel the walk out front, and I’m going to “do some reading.”
It’s a lie, though. I don’t have anything to read. I’m going to freak out, instead. I shoot an update to the group chat.
Me
He’s single. Phase three of Seduce the Scholar activated.
Ivy
