Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Kace,” Nathan said. “I was fucking joking about needing to be carried in—”
“Nonsense,” I said, grinning down at him. “What good is it being able to lift anyone if I don’t do it to torture my boyfriend sometimes?”
He buried his face against my chest as I carried him, and I could feel him suppressing a laugh.
“Hate you,” he mumbled against me as I brought him up the stairs.
“Don’t think you do.”
“Definitely going to get you back for this.”
“I can’t wait to find out how.”
As we got into the bedroom I changed his position, holding him up against me now, his body parallel with mine. I looked in his eyes as I lowered his feet down to the ground.
“I like this,” Nathan said. He gripped the front of my shirt, pulling me in toward him. He leaned in to bite my bottom lip, giving it a gentle tug. “I have no idea how any of it works, but I like it.”
“I didn’t think I was going to be able to be happy about anything tonight, but you got me,” I murmured, pressing a kiss below his ear. “Get those clothes off and come to bed.”
“This bed is way too comfortable,” Nathan said as he got in. “I don’t even want to know how much it cost.”
“I don’t even remember how much it cost, but it probably is ridiculous, not going to lie.”
“Pro football players need good sleep.”
Once we were under the covers, I pulled him close up against me again, letting out a sigh. “Any other night I’d be here all alone,” I murmured against his skin. “Freaking out about that interview. Feeling like I was some lone wolf, and like I’d have to be a lone wolf for the rest of my life.”
“Rest of your life?” Nathan asked. “Have I ever told you how much I love how dramatic you are?”
I laughed, squeezing the side of his body. “Shut up.”
“I’m really glad you don’t have to be alone tonight, Kace,” he said, more serious now. “I want to be here for you in any way you need me to.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Exhaustion was hitting me like a ton of bricks, but I wanted to soak in every moment here with Nathan. As if some part of me believed that I’d never get to do this again, even though I knew that was wrong.
“I, uh,” I started, finding it hard to say the right words. “I think something inside of me felt a little unlovable, as weird as that sounds.”
“It doesn’t sound weird.”
“Really?” I asked. “I really try to keep my image of being a very lovable guy.”
“Exactly,” Nathan said. “You were always so lovable to the public eye. But you’ve been through a lot personally. Too much.”
Something clenched in my chest. “Yeah,” I said. “Celebrity Kace was, like, a god, but real-life Kace was hiding.”
Nathan nuzzled back against me. “I hate to hear you say that.”
“I don’t think I knew either,” I said in a whisper. “Until it crept up on me. And then I had to keep all of the gears turning. And then you came into my life, and seemed to see through all of that.”
Nathan puffed out a laugh. “And I didn’t even know I was doing it.”
I hummed. “Makes it even better. You saw me for me, even past all of the starstruck bullshit. You know?”
“Maybe all of this is just a ruse, to get front-row tickets to Ferals games,” Nathan said, his voice sounding heavy with sleep.
I laughed. “Worth it, then.”
A bit of time passed, and Nathan’s breath evened out. As I was drifting off, I was certain he’d already fallen asleep.
But then he spoke, quietly.
“I didn’t know you were hiding,” he told me.
My heart ached. “Because I wasn’t, when I was with you.”
I held him close as both of us finally fell into a deep, even sleep.
19
NATHAN
“You’re a superstar, Bruce,” I said, giving him a high-five as we wrapped up for the day. Bruce was one of our best plumbing subcontractors, and he’d just finished his portion of the rough-in process.
“There you have it, bud,” Bruce said. “Good as new for ya, Kace.” He was a round, red-faced man who always seemed to have a smile on his face, and every time he was on site, he made our days brighter.
Kace, Shawn, Charlie and I were in the guest house, surrounded by Kace’s TV crew at the end of the day. We were going over all of the plumbing work that Bruce had been doing inside the walls. It had been a long day of framing work for us and pipe work for Bruce, but I swore that most of Charlie’s day had been taken up hamming for the camera crew.
“That’s what we in the biz like to call a wrap,” Charlie was saying now to one of the cameras, giving them his usual cute look. “I mean, not a wrap on the remodel, obviously, but a wrap on plumbing. Hey Bruce, what do plumbers do when their toilet breaks?”