“Riley, you didn’t want to go on a date with that guy.”
He was still here.
I didn’t turn around. I was afraid I’d murder him where he stood. Then, Johnny and I would really become acquainted. He could come visit me in prison after he arrested me.
I took my sweatshirt from around my waist and began dusting my wicker couch with it. Maybe if I painted it a robin’s egg blue. It’d be the perfect accent color and would look amazing on wicker.
“You were only going out with him to make me mad.”
And if I painted the small coffee table a brass color... Brass and blue could be my new outdoor theme...
“It’s not as if you liked him. I don’t know what your problem is.”
“You.” I spun around and jabbed a finger in his face. “You are the center of my problems. If you hadn’t come here, moved in here, started showing off those stupid muscles of yours, everything would be fine! Just fine!”
With a frustrated squeak that I didn’t even want to think about, I stomped away from him. I carefully set my camera down on the wicker couch then picked up one of the gardening gloves I’d set down to take pictures.
I threw it at Nate.
“I haven’t had a relationship since college!”
Nate clenched his jaw and stepped toward me.
“It lasted three days! Because you ruined that one, too!” I yelled. I picked up my sweatshirt and tossed it at him.
He caught it and flung it to the ground behind him. He kept advancing toward me. My heart skipped a couple of beats, apparently deciding I didn’t need them.
“I haven’t even kissed a boy since senior year of high school!” I said as I tossed an empty watering can at him. It bounced harmlessly off his shoulder. “You even ruined that for me!”
He growled. “Braden was a tool!”
“I know! That’s not the point!” I fumed.
He’d missed my temper—that was what he’d told me the first day he came to the trailer park. Well, he’d brought my temper back in full force. I wasn’t going to hold anything back this time. I picked up the second glove from the couch and leapt forward, slapping his bicep with it.
“Riley, knock it off!” he said, his voice rumbling ominously. Empty threats.
“You wanted me mad, didn’t you? Well, here’s a newsflash, Nate. I’ve been mad at you ever since I’ve known you.” I shoved the heel of my hand into the center of his chest. His green eyes sparked as he leaned forward and grabbed my waist. I pushed at him, but the five push-ups I’d worked up to weren’t doing the trick.
His chest was firm. I could feel the corded muscles through his shirt, and...and I was still mad at him.
“All you do is pester me! Like an annoying—“ I never finished what I was going to say.
Nate grasped my shoulders and tugged me tight against his chest. He placed a hand at the back of my head and slammed his lips onto mine.
No quarter.
His lips slanted over mine possessively.
He was taking and demanding. And what was worse—I was giving.
I was kissing Louis Nathaniel Mercier. For the life of me, I couldn’t recall the boy he had been. All those memories had been replaced with the man standing in front of me kissing me right then.
When he finally pulled back, I’d gone numb with shock. I tried to open my eyelids, but I was afraid if I did, it would turn out that I’d imagined the whole thing.
“Go get dressed. I’m taking you on that date. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”
“Wait—what?” But he was already gone. I opened my eyes and watched as he stalked across the street toward his house, his arms tense at his sides.
So many questions raced around my mind. Why did he kiss me? Why had it felt right? Why were we going on a date? Why did I want to run after him and keep kissing him?
Unfortunately, those questions wouldn’t answer themselves. And as much as it annoyed me to obey anything he told me, I went inside and dressed for that date.
Chapter NineNate
I didn’t know what had possessed me when I’d grabbed Riley and kissed her.
Actually, I did know, but I wished there had been more of a lead-up. Now I risked her holding a grudge. But honestly, the way she had yelled at me, throwing things and smacking me, I couldn’t think of a better way to derail the tantrum.
I headed to the bedroom, stepped over the air mattress, and jammed open the broken closet door.
A nervous sweat broke out across my forehead as I stared at my clothes. This was it. This was my only chance at a first date with Riley. I couldn’t mess this up.
I needed help, so I pulled out my phone and texted my sister.
Nate: On a scale of one to ten, how extra is a bow tie on a first date?
It took her a few minutes to answer. Meanwhile, I tried to quell the beginnings of a panic attack. Had I really just grabbed Riley, kissed her, and told her we were going on a date?
Nola: 9.5
Nate: I thought it would be closer to a 6.
Nola: Where are you going for a date?
Nate: Tapas bar.
Nola: No tie. Casual. She nice?
Nate: Yeah...nice looking.
Nola: Would I like her?
Nate: Nope!
Nola was going to flip out when she found out I’d found Riley. But I wasn’t quite ready to share her yet. When Nola discovered Riley, she’d be stuck to her like glue.
I changed my shirt and added a little cologne and
