“Good,” she says.
“I’ll go find us both a glass of champagne.” I give her a quick kiss on the lips before I stand up, without even thinking about it and definitely not for show. Guess that’s how comfortable I feel around her after last night.
I’ve just grabbed two glasses from the bar while still thinking about the kiss when I turn around and find Ellie and Barry right the fuck in front of me like they’re purposefully cornering me.
“Congrats,” I say, handing them each a glass of champagne and then grabbing two more from the table.
“Thanks for not making a scene,” Barry says. “I was holding my breath waiting to see if you were going to stand up and proclaim your love for Ellie or not.” Both of them laugh together, happy and carefree like I’m the joke, the loser ex who can’t get over her.
“The thought didn’t even cross my mind. I’m already with the better woman,” I assert, the words ringing so true to my own ears that I’m certain they will also know I’m not bullshitting them. “Congrats again!” I add before slipping around them to head back to my seat.
“What was that about?” Lucy whispers when I hand her a glass.
“Nothing important,” I assure her as the happy couple and several others take the dance floor for a slow dance. “You want to dance with me?”
“Is that a joke?” she asks with a giggle. “I didn’t take you for the dancing type.”
“Guess there are still a few things you don’t know about me,” I say when I get to my feet and offer her my hand.
“Show me what you’ve got,” she says with a smile when she takes my hand.
I lead us to the edge of the dance floor and then pull Lucy close. The rightness I feel with her small body pressed to mine, her arms around my neck, it makes me wish we had more time together.
And why can’t we?
“So you can dance. I’m impressed,” Lucy looks up at me and says.
“I don’t want to leave tonight,” I tell her as I lean closer to inhale her sweet floral and fruity scent. “What if we just stay here a few more nights?” I ask.
“Stay here in the hotel?” she repeats in surprise.
“Yeah, why not? It’s been nice being in our own little world in our room.”
“Okay, let’s stay a few more days,” Lucy agrees with a grin. Her shoulders even relax as if she’s relieved and wasn’t looking forward to going home either.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lucy
Nash has had five whole days to tell me about the warrants and that he’s a suspect, but he hasn’t said a word about them.
Not that we’ve talked all that much about anything. There was that brief pause when I had to get dressed Sunday to go tell my parents goodbye… Still, he’s had plenty of chances during the past two days when we barely got out of bed. There was no television or news, no distraction, barely any meals. So why hasn’t he been honest with me?
I figure he at least has to come clean on the ride home, because everything is about to go to shit. This is the last chance he’s going to have, so it’s now or never.
And if it’s not now, after everything we’ve been through, all the sweet and sexy moments together at the hotel, then I’m done waiting around for him to trust me. All I want is for him to think I’m someone worthy of confiding in, all the good and the bad.
“Would you mind dropping me off at Malcolm’s when we get back?” Nash asks as I drive us down the highway and we get closer and closer to town. This has to be it!
“Why Malcolm’s place?”
Here’s your opening, your chance to tell me the truth. Finally.
“No reason other than my bike’s there,” he says, continuing to lie by omission. And yes, I know I’m the queen of lies by omission, but I thought we had moved past that. Nash said he forgave me, but did he really?
“Sure, I can take you to Malcolm’s,” I agree. “What other plans do you have once we’re back?” I ask while keeping my hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.
“Same old, you know?”
“Just the same old? Nothing else?” I want to shake this beautiful man until he breaks!
“Nope.”
“Are you sure about that?” I prod.
“Ah, yeah. What’s with the third degree?” Nash asks, and I can feel his gaze on me.
“Really, Nash? Even after everything, all the time we spent together naked this weekend, you’re not going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” he questions innocently.
That’s when I lose it.
“I don’t know, Nash. Maybe you could tell me why the sheriff deputies were searching your apartment last week and said you were a suspect in some serious freaking crimes?”
“You know about the search warrant?” he says, sounding shocked. “Wait. You’ve known all weekend?”
“Of course I know!” I exclaim. “You must think I’m stupid too, calling me up right before I left Thursday and suddenly begging to come with me to a wedding.”
“You knew I needed to get out of town to hide?” he repeats again.
“Yep.”
And his only response to that newsflash – “Fuck.”
Nash
Jesus fucking Christ! How could Lucy know about the warrant and not say anything or be freaking out? She must not know what crimes I’m a suspect for, because there’s no way she would’ve let me tag along with her out of state.
“So, what did you do?” she asks. When I don’t respond, she yells, her voice bigger than I expected from such a small package, “Answer me, Nash! I was your accomplice this weekend and your little slut for several days and nights, so the least you can do is finally tell me the truth about what’s going on!”
“You’re not a slut or my slut,” I assure her first and foremost.
“Whatever. You used me as an escape. I’m not
