“The whole front of it is glass. It doesn’t make me feel closed in. There are people around but I never feel exposed. You should have come to the party we had. We just left the doors open and people came and went as they wanted to.”
“Is that the kind of party you and Stacy had in DC?” Jamie’s voice was quiet, and very serious.
Nate turned to him in anger. “What are you hinting at?”
“Absolutely nothing. I think you should go home with me and stay for dinner. Hallie’s better at talking than I am and she can—”
“What time is it?”
“Quarter to five. Why?”
“I have to go,” Nate said. “Can you...?” He waved his arm at the gym.
“Sure, I’ll clean up. You have an appointment?”
“Yeah. I’m meeting Terri at five and we’re going to sort out Widiwick. She’s going to tell me—”
Jamie didn’t hear the rest of it because Nate was already in his car and speeding away. He hadn’t showered or changed out of his sweaty shorts and tank top. He’d been so anxious to get to a girl who was like a sister to him that he’d forgotten everything else. “Poor Stacy,” Jamie said, then began racking the weights.
Chapter 10
As soon as Terri saw Nate inside his car, she knew he was in a bad mood. Since she’d never known him to be late, she was waiting for him when he pulled into the drive. His brows were drawn into a single line and turned down so much that he looked like an emoji.
This could be interesting, she thought. Wonder how he deals with anger? The fact that a visit to his future in-laws had caused his bad temper made her feel good. When she remembered seeing Nate laughing and drinking beer with her friends and relatives, she had to suppress a smile.
She went to the passenger side of the car, but Nate got out. He had on a tank top and big shorts that reached to his knees. And heavens! but he was pumped. Muscles bulged out on him like he was a toy action figure.
Only he was real and he was sweaty. Glistening. Glossy with it. The curve of his muscles highlighted by sweat made her put her hand on the car to steady herself.
“Here!” he said in a growl as he tossed a towel at her. “I didn’t have time to shower.”
“Oh? I didn’t notice.” She did her best to sound sarcastic and not as though she was being consumed with lust. Bet the hood of the car would be very warm against my bare backside, she thought.
Nate turned his back to her and peeled off his shirt, exposing about three acres of hot, damp skin.
Terri put both hands on the car. Otherwise, her knees were going to collapse.
He turned his head toward her. “Can you wipe down my back?”
Could she...? Only your back? she wanted to say. Not any front bits? She said nothing as she picked up the towel and walked around the car. She stumbled only once.
Nate bent forward so she could wipe his back.
Control! she thought. Act like every cell in your body isn’t tingling. Act like you do not want to jump on him, knock him to the ground and tear at him with your teeth and tongue.
She swallowed. “So what’s got you so riled up?”
“Nothing,” he snapped.
Ah, she thought. One of those. A man who had to be coaxed into telling what his problem was. Billy had been like that.
As she ran the towel over him, her hands slowed. And then her left hand slid off the towel onto his skin. She wiped with the right, and followed on bare skin with her left. Her hand on his moist skin. She moved from his shoulder down to his spine, to his waist. The furrow that ran down his backbone was deep enough to run a boat in. A boat that contained just her.
“Are you done?”
Abruptly, Terri stepped back. “If you weren’t so fat it wouldn’t take so long.”
Nate gave a grunt—then proceeded to slide his shorts off.