Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 121576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s my dad…Marley misses me.” Nathan studied the screen in disbelief, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.
“Of course she does. Why do you seem surprised?”
“I don’t know—Marley’s close with my parents. Closest, actually.”
“Maybe she used to be, but would you really say that now? Look at the two of you…I’d argue you’re the person she’s closest with.”
“No, she unfortunately has more history with my parents than she does with me.” He lowered his phone and looked at me then. “You should’ve seen her. She couldn’t wait to go over there last night. She didn’t mind me leaving her either.”
“And now even though she has them, she misses you.”
Nathan nodded tightly, like he couldn’t fully believe what was happening. “My dad said she’s been asking to come home since she got up. She keeps watching for me out the window. I…” His neck worked with a swallow. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. I figured she’d fight me when I went to pick her up on Monday.”
I reached out and took his free hand in mine. This meant something huge to Nathan. I could see it. And God, I couldn’t be happier for him.
I smiled. “What are you going to do?”
His answer came without the slightest hesitation. “I think I’m going to skip work and go pick her up.” He looked at his phone again, rereading the text. “She actually misses me,” he said.
“So, don’t make her miss you another second.”
Nathan nodded at my suggestion and shoved away his phone. He patted his pockets, making sure he had everything he came with, then lowered his gaze to my shirt—his shirt. “I have an extra one in the truck,” he said, grabbing my face and kissing me.
I was beyond happy not to part with his shirt. It had this clean, masculine scent that was so purely him. If it had once smelled like soap or laundry detergent, it didn’t any longer. It smelled like Nathan, my boyfriend.
Oh my God. He’s my boyfriend. Oh my God.
I walked behind Nathan to the door, where he surprised me by pressing his lips against mine again. I figured the kiss we’d shared in the bedroom had been our goodbye kiss.
Olivia gasped behind me. “They’re doing it again, Ollie,” she whispered from her seat on the couch.
“Let me know when they’re not doing it.”
I laughed against Nathan’s mouth.
He pulled away, smiling, and lifted his hand to wave at the kids.
“Bye!” they both yelled.
“If you guys aren’t busy later, maybe we could meet up for dinner or something?” Nathan opened the door and stepped outside.
I leaned my shoulder against the doorframe, fighting the smile of my life. “We’ve never met up for dinner before…Would this be a date?”
He grinned, answering quietly, “You bet your sweet fucking ass it’s a date. Do you have any idea how badly I’ve been wanting to take you out? Seriously, Jenna, I plan on dating you so much, you’re going to get sick of it.”
“Doubt it.” I winked at him.
His hands flew dramatically to his chest. “Is that what it feels like to be winked at?”
“Every time.”
“Damn.” Nathan looked back at me as he walked to the stairs. He disappeared to the floor below. “I just winked!” he yelled.
“I felt it!”
“Yeah, you did!”
I closed the door and laughed into my apartment.
Chapter Twenty
NATHAN
I stayed true to my word and took Jenna on a date every chance I got. We hit nearly every restaurant in Dogwood Beach (excluding my own, since I wouldn’t be paying for a meal there). And on the evenings I worked late—when she couldn’t hold off on making something to eat for her and the kids—we went somewhere for dessert.
She was happy, so fucking happy—even though the kids tagged along on our dates. We never went out just the two of us. We couldn’t. I felt like every moment I had with her was being chaperoned.
Not that I didn’t like us all being together. I did. I liked Oliver and Olivia a lot, but I wanted to be alone with Jenna. Needed to be alone. Two weeks of practically zero intimacy aside from what could be done in front of our kids led to a substantial amount of daydreaming on my part, and I did that shit everywhere.
At work. Driving around. At home, with Jenna five feet away from me…
“Are you listening to me? Nathan…”
I lifted my head, dragging my gaze off the granite countertop I had zoned out on, and met Jenna’s curious stare. She stood right across from me. “Mm? Of course I was listening. I always listen.”
“Yeah?” Her brow lifted in challenge. “What did I just say?”
“Something about the kids…” I was guessing.
“What specifically about them?”
I tugged at the knot in my tie, loosening it as I glanced into the family room. The three of them were huddled together on the couch, watching something on TV. They hadn’t moved since I got home—however long ago that was. I’d completely lost track of time, and my focus.