“Have a good night. I hope to see you at dinner sometime soon. Your mother misses you,” he added before turning for the door. “Oh, and don’t forget to bring this lovely young lady with you. Your mother would love to meet her. It was such a pleasure meeting you, Lila.”

“You too,” I said as he stepped through the door.

We stood in the living room for a few minutes before I broke the silence.

“Dinner?”

A grumble from Nathan’s stomach caused us both to laugh, breaking through the tension in the room.

“Please.”

After dinner, Nathan grabbed my hand and pulled me to him, bringing my lips to his with a gentle touch.

The kiss intensified and a few gropes later, he was pushing me against the counter. He released my lips and trailed kisses and nips down to my ear. “Come on, Honeybear, let’s move to the couch. I need a new batch of bruises on my body so I can scare the neighbors…”

I rolled my eyes at the ridiculous nickname he had concocted for me and the silly things he was saying. The name started after the event at the bar with Andrew, when he’d interrupted us. Its use had increased to where it was now being spoken at least once daily. I was sure it was being done to annoy me.

However, I couldn’t stop the joy that filled me every time he said it; the warmth that spread through my heart.

Walking into the living room, he sat down on the couch before reaching for the remote.

“Why is it that you don’t want me to see Andrew, but your fan club can hang all over you?” I asked as I moved in front of him and straddled his legs before moving lower. His hands moved up to my waist, his thumbs making small circles on my skin. “That sounds like a double standard to me, Mr. Thorne.”

“It’s simple. I have no interest in any of them and I have never touched, nor will I ever touch, any of them. Andrew, on the other hand, has shared a bed with you, been in a relationship with you, had his c**k inside you.” He growled the last part, his fingers flexing around my hips. “I know he wants you and you have every opportunity to go back to him. He wants to take what’s mine.”

“They want what’s mine,” I pointed out. “And how do you know Andrew wants me?”

Nathan sighed and gave me an exasperated look.

“Delilah, I know you’re naïve in some regards, but trust me, he wants you back. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. And, yes, the girls may want what’s yours, but have I ever touched them? Have I ever given any indication I wanted to pursue any of them? I don’t want to pursue anyone.”

“You pursue me,” I said, regretting it as soon as the words passed my lips.

Bad idea, Lila. Monumental sized bad idea.

His mood change was swift, and he became sullen, his hands stopping their movement across my skin.

“Yes. Against my better judgment.”

“What does your judgment tell you to do?”

“It says that it’s better for you if we weren’t together, but that line of thinking makes me want to go mad and I find it even harder to let go of you.”

“So…you’re saying…that your heart pursues me?” I pressed, praying to God he would give me some slight indication of how he felt about me. Even a hint that he cared for me. I needed to hear it. I desperately craved the affections of his heart. “Your head rejects me, but your heart wants me?”

After some thought, I realized it would have been better if I’d hit him with a frying pan at that moment, rather than let those words slip past my lips.

His eyes widened as he stared unblinking at me. His grip tightened, pulling me closer, his forehead leaning to rest against mine, his eyes screwed tight. Tension was radiating off him. The turmoil happening inside him was my own selfish doing and was difficult to watch, making me feel helpless. Hadn’t I accepted he didn’t operate this way, that he might not ever be able to say the words or express any real, lasting affection for me?

“I’m sorry…” I trailed off, my hands creating soothing motions on his back.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my body flush with his. His lips trailed down my neck and across my shoulder, dropping my tank top strap down my arm, ending the conversation there and moving on to what we both needed.

To the only way he knew how to express his feelings.

CHAPTER 21

“Oh, my God. Could you quit flaunting your tits around? I’m getting so sick of looking at yours, I can hardly stand to look at my own. And, by the way, if he hasn’t taken the bait yet, he isn’t going to.” Caroline was attempting to get the point across to two B.S. members, Kelly and Tiffany.

I was having a very difficult time keeping my coffee in my mouth. It was threatening to fly out all over my desk, files and computer screen. There was nothing worse than coffee stained documents.

I chanced a glance over at Nathan, also attempting not to laugh, his hand covering his mouth, concealing his upturned lips. His eyes betrayed him, laugh lines crinkling in the corners.

Laugh lines.

My addiction to seeing them was growing stronger every day. Each time he smiled, I wanted more.

Caroline was living up our secret to the fullest by giving it to the Boob-Squad.

“Whatever, Caroline.” Kelly sneered, pulling me from my internal musing, before grabbing Tiffany’s arm and leaving our office.

We continued to snicker about them after they left, our good mood making the office feel light.

It was short lived when Andrew’s voice rang out around the walls.

“Morning!” he greeted with a huge grin.

He and Nathan exchanged a brief glare before he turned back to me and smiled.

Andrew seemed to note our grins. “Did I miss something?”

“Just Caroline showing the Boob-Squad why she rocks,” I answered.

“Awesome!” He reached out to Caroline for a high-five. “Oh! Hey, Lila, guess who I ran into last night?” he asked, plopping down on the chair in the corner of our office.

“Who?”

“Teresa,” he stated.

My face lit up with a smile. “I thought she and Armando were still in Europe.”

“Yeah, apparently Joan found another kid that needed a home and, well, you know Teresa.”

I smiled as a picture of Joan Stateman popped into my head. It was with Joan’s help that I got out and was able to see what a normal family was like. It was because of them I had gotten as far as I had in life, despite my rocky start. I owed them my life.