“Shit,” I mutter.
Frustrated, I clutch the edge of the counter and bend down to pick up the biggest pieces first. One of the smaller slivers cuts a nice size gash in my middle finger. I cry out in pain, shaking out my hand.
“Don’t touch that,” Nate says from behind me.
His voice startles me, and I accidentally step on the glass.
Nate lifts me into his arms and sets me down on the marble island. He cups the side of my face with his hand, staring into my eyes with concern in his.
“You okay?” Nate brushes his fingers along my jaw. “What happened?”
“It’s nothing. I have a migraine. I wanted a glass of water to take my pills.”
He nods, and then gets to work, cleaning up the glass with a broom and dustpan in the pantry closet. Neither of us speaks a word as he sweeps away the glass. Nate looks focused, not the least bit tired.
“How did you hear me?”
He peeks up at me, dustpan in hand. “I fell asleep on the couch.”
After he’s sure the kitchen is glass-free, he places his big hand on my thigh. His touch sends a rush of heat up my body. I hold my breath as his hand moves higher. My entire body goes still when he parts my legs for him, slipping between them with both hands resting on my thighs.
His eyes are downcast. He taps his fingers on my skin, as if there’s a tune in his head. A silence falls over us, and when he lifts his head to inspect my face, I let out the breath of air I was holding. For a split second, I swear he’s going to kiss me. And this time, I won’t need much convincing, not after the dream I just had.
“You’re hurt.” He clutches my wrist and blood slides down my finger.
Between the migraine, broken glass, and Nate showing up to save the day, I forgot I cut myself.
“It’s just a scratch,” I say.
Nate reaches into the drawer to his right and removes a box of bandages. I laugh when I see the Captain America Band-Aid in his hand.
“Do you remember my Mickey Mouse Band-Aids?”
He laughs. “Yeah, how could I forget? You wore them like a badge of honor.”
I hold up my hands and shrug. “I thought they looked cool.”
Nate shakes his head, an amused smile playing on his lips.
“It was also the only time my dad asked me how I was doing,” I admit.
His smile turns into a frown. “He’s a jerk, Harley.”
Nate sighs as he wraps Captain America around my finger.
“At least I had you.”
“We had each other,” he clarifies with heat in his eyes. “You still have me.”
My heart slams into my ribcage, my pulse quickening to an abnormal rate. With Nate this close, it’s hard to focus. The migraine that is blurring my vision doesn’t help.
“I should… umm…”
Nate drops my hand onto my thigh. “It’s late. You need your rest.”
As he turns his back to leave, I say, “Hey, Nate.”
He angles his body toward me.
“Thanks,” I say with a genuine smile.
He winks. “Anytime.”
Chapter Fifteen
Nate
I walk into my office after a grueling meeting, surprised to find a folded note on my desk. Terrence knows better than to leave shit without telling me. His first week as my assistant probably shaved five years off both of our lives. Is he dumb enough to repeat the same mistakes? I glance out the door, where Terrence is talking on the phone, scribbling onto a notepad. He would have stopped me if he had important news. Instead, I got the usual head nod and stupid scowl when he didn’t think I was looking.
I set my coffee mug on the desk and lift the note. A mixture of citrus and charcoal fills my nostrils. Before I read the handwritten script, I already know it’s from Harley. What was she doing in my office? She must have snuck past Terrence when he wasn’t looking because he knows my office is off-limits to everyone but me. And Harley is no exception.
Her message is simple, one line that she knew I would understand.
Don’t go where I can’t follow.
It’s a quote from The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien. When we were kids, we read The Lord of the Rings books together, and Harley made me promise we would do everything together from that point on. Because adventures are dangerous and shouldn’t be ventured alone. In so many words, Harley is telling me that she wants me to take her along for the ride.
No one gets me the way Harley does.
I stuff the paper into my pocket and rush out of my office. “Cancel my next meeting,” I tell Terrence.
He opens his mouth to protest, but I push open the glass doors that lead into the hallway before he can get in a word. No one can deter me from my mission. Harley wouldn’t leave a note like that if she wasn’t prepared to start something new with me.