Return of the Jerk (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 2) (39 page)

“I know and I’m still staying at Tori’s.”

“No, you’re not.”

Blair gets up off the bed. Nathan doesn’t move, just sits there with a scowl.

“You have to drive me back.” She wonders if she should grab more clothes, but figures she’ll get them when she visits her cat next time.

He shakes his head. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I need to.” She realizes it’s bizarre, but it’s like she’s following an instinct. All she knows is that if there’s a chance for them, it has to be this way.

“Jesus Christ.” Nathan lets out his breath, gets up off the bed. “This situation is ridiculous.”

“IS THAT CHASE
calling again?” Blair asks. She’s been staying at Tori’s for a few weeks now, and this Chase guy has been calling almost every day.

Tori sighs and turns her phone off. “Yes, he’s persistent.”

“Too persistent. I don’t like it.”

“He’ll get the message eventually. They always do.”

Blair frowns. Tori is so sweet and pretty, but for some reason, just like her mom, she seems to attract asshole men. Unlike her mom, though, Tori wants nothing to do with them.

Tori sighs. “I wish I would meet someone nice. It’s romantic the way you and my brother have been dating. I’ve never seen him act this way with anyone before.”

Blair can’t help her smile. It’s true, since she’s been staying here, Nathan has been quite solicitous in his pursuit of her. She’s not sure what’s gotten into him, either. They’ve been going to the movies, to dinner, for walks around Green Lake. And he keeps bringing her little gifts. Flowers or scarves for her hair. The other day, he brought her a pint of her favorite ice cream from a local shop she likes.

“Are you guys going out tonight to celebrate?” Tori asks.

They’re sitting on the back deck where Tori is working on her computer. Apparently, she does a fair amount of work for Nathan’s blog, something Blair never knew until she moved in.

Nathan has been coming over directly from the garage, though Blair doesn’t let him stay the night. Lately, they’ve been hanging out on the couch watching TV, or Blair reads while Nathan naps beside her. She’s starting to suspect it’s the only sleep he’s getting. Apparently, Brody is paying him for the work now, since one of his mechanics quit and he’s down a man. Nathan is filling in until Brody finds a replacement. It’s ironic because they’re basically in the same place they were years ago. He’s working at the garage while she lives with Tori
.

“Celebrate what?”

“You haven’t seen this?” Tori turns her computer toward Blair.

“What is it?”

“Road’s book has made it onto
The New York Times
best seller’s list.”

Blair’s mouth drops open. “Oh, my God! He hasn’t said a word!” She stares at the screen in amazement and sees
Edge of Zen
by Road Church at number seventeen.

“Fiona emailed me about it a little while ago. Pretty cool, huh?”

When Nathan shows up after work, he’s pleased, but typically mellow and understated about the whole thing. “Yeah, Fiona called me.”

“You’re both a mechanic and a bestselling author,” Blair jokes. “Talk about eccentric.”

He chuckles. “A real renaissance man.”

After Nathan uses the shower, Blair sits in her bedroom with him. He’s rummaging through his leather backpack for a change of clothes as she admires his muscular back. His perfect ass is currently wearing white boxers.
Only Nathan could make a pair of white boxers look this good.

“This is kind of a big deal,” she says as he gets dressed. “I think we should go out and celebrate, don’t you?”

“Sure.”

“What do you want to do?”

He grins. “Rent a hotel room and have sex all night.”

Blair laughs. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“Aren’t you excited about this? It’s not every day your book is a
New York Times
best seller. We should have a fancy dinner or something.”

“Don’t get me wrong, babe. It’s great news, but it’s not like it’s at number one.”

Blair blinks. “Are you actually complaining?”

“No, just saying.”

“That it’s not number one?”

“Right.”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re never satisfied.”

He chuckles and gets on the bed, playfully pushing her onto her back. “Sure could use some satisfaction,” he murmurs before kissing her.

She puts her hand up to his hair, still damp from the shower. The scent of coconut shampoo drifts toward her.

“You should move back home tonight,” he says. “Because that would be something to celebrate.”

She’s amazed at his persistence. Nathan asks her to move back every day. “I’ve already told you, not yet.”

“How much longer is this going to go on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Babe, I’m
living
with Fiona. Think about that for a second.”

Blair laughs.

“Yeah, real funny when it’s not happening to you.” He shakes his head with exaggerated anguish. “How has this strangeness come to pass?”

“Is she still weeping every night?”

“Course. Though, I think there’s progress with Sachi. She came over the other morning and visited for a while.”

“Really? Wow, I wish I could meet her.”

“She’s nice. Think you’d like her.” He rolls over onto his back and props himself up on his elbows, lets out a deep sigh as his eyes wander the bedroom. “Maybe I should just move in here.”

“You can’t.”

“Why, because you won’t let me?”

“Yes, but also because of Mr. Maurice.”

He shrugs. “I’d just bring him along.”

“He’d never be able to handle Tori’s dogs.”

Nathan nods slowly. “You’re right, those dogs would be too much for him. He’d need cat therapy after that.”

They eye each other, and Nathan’s gaze lingers like he doesn’t want to look away. Blair has noticed him doing this a lot. She used to sneak glances at him, but now finds whenever she does, he’s already looking at her.

“How about this,” he says. “Let’s go away for the weekend.”

Blair smiles. “Uh-oh. Is the travel blogger getting restless?”

“Yeah, I am. We should take a trip together. Be fun.” He rolls on his side toward her again and runs his hand down her hip. “Plus, I want to get you alone somewhere and have my way with you.”

“You already did that,” she teases.

He snorts. “One time. Two weeks ago. We need a firm mattress and a lot of hours together.” He gets a sly grin. “Plus, it’s been ages since I’ve visited Red Willow Valley.”

Blair closes her eyes for a second and lets out her breath.
He’s got me there. “
What happened to being a gentleman and giving me space?”

Nathan goes quiet as his laser focus turns on. “Aren’t I being a gentleman?” he asks softly.

And she has to admit he is in every way. She gets the feeling Nathan has been trying to woo her in the manner he thinks she’s used to or maybe expects. The whole good girl thing. They haven’t had sex at all, not since they did it in Isadora, though they’ve made out a few times. She senses Nathan is waiting for her to give the okay. Of course, it’s clear he’s hoping she gives the okay soon.

“Yes, you are being quite the gentleman.” She puts her hand up to his jaw and lets herself fall into his green eyes—warm as a summer day. She wishes she could gaze into them forever. “As a result, I’m inviting you to stay the night here on Saturday.”

“You are?” His brows go up.

“We’ll have the house to ourselves. Tori is staying at Kiki’s for some kind of bridesmaid wedding thing.” Blair was invited, too, but declined.

“This Saturday?”

She nods.

“Thank
God
.” He lets out his breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them, he’s grinning. “Hallelujah.”

Blair has four cakes to deliver on Saturday, but things go smoothly so she’s back at Tori’s by one. Two of the cakes were Ginger’s, and it was fun watching her protégée step out on her own for the first time. Ginger was nervous, but handled herself well.

At the store, Blair picks up a few snacks along with some beer. Nathan already told her he planned to bring the groceries since he wanted to make Hungarian goulash, something he learned from that couple he lived with in Budapest.

“I want you to have fun while I’m gone,” Tori says as she folds up her bathrobe and tucks it into her overnight bag. “But please, don’t divulge too many details when I get back.”

Blair laughs. “All right.” She’s sitting in Tori’s bedroom keeping her company, along with the boys—Eddie, Duff, and Tommy Lee. They seem to sense their mama is going somewhere.

“Seriously, I’m glad my brother is finally seeing what was right under his nose for years.” Tori smiles. “And I like the way you call him Nathan instead of Road.”

“It’s who he is.”

Tori’s eyes soften. “I can see you’re in love with him.”

Blair, who’s petting Eddie, the golden retriever, flashes up at her. “Is it that obvious?”

“To me—yes. I doubt he knows, though. Men are so dense. But I think you should tell him how you feel.”

“Really?” Blair’s eyes widen. “You don’t think that would freak him out?”

“Maybe.” Tori thinks about it for a second. “I don’t know, maybe not. It’s so cute the way he acts around you.”

“I doubt I have the nerve to tell him the truth.” Actually, Blair feels lightheaded with terror at the thought of telling Nathan her true feelings. “He’d probably run for the hills like he was being chased by wolves.”

Tori laughs. “Hopefully, he’s smarter than that.”

Blair thinks about how she hadn’t seen Nathan in five years before all this. He didn’t run because she professed her love, but he sure did run from their marriage. Fast and far, too.

After Tori leaves, Blair gets ready for Nathan. She spends too much time blow-drying her hair, too much time on her makeup, and finally way too much time picking out something to wear. Basically killing herself to achieve the unattainable. Perfection. Her old enemy. Somewhere in her mind, she realizes, she’s still competing with his Skank Factor X girlfriends.

Every one of them was as mean as a rattlesnake, but unfortunately, they were all knockouts.

She can’t get what Tori said out of her mind—how she should tell Nathan her true feelings.
But how can I?
She’s too scared. Scared of what he’ll say. What if he feels sorry for her? Or even worse, pity?

I couldn’t handle that.

Another part of herself, the brave part, wonders if it’s a mistake not to tell him.

He’s the only man I’ll ever love.
Shouldn’t I tell him the truth at least once? What kind of ridiculous coward am I?

But then she realizes she can’t tell him the truth, because then she’d have to come clean about all of it. About what she did to him, and the reason he had to marry her to begin with.

He can never find out about that.

The thought makes her blood run cold.

My God. He’d hate me.

By the time Nathan arrives at four, she’s obsessed about it so much that she’s worked herself into a state. In fact, the first words out of his mouth when she opens the door aren’t ‘hello’ or ‘hey, babe’ but—

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong!” She tries to smile, but her compulsive thoughts are like a train run off its rails. She’s already decided to wash all the towels and was starting in on scrubbing Tori’s refrigerator. The dogs were following her around, though they seem mostly baffled.