LITMIR.BIZ

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understood the parameters, but that kind of mutual attraction would be dangerous to exploit. He couldn’t give her serious and she didn’t deserve anything less.

      And what was more, she was right about there being friendship between them. A bond unique to her. Something he’d missed over the years without exactly understanding why. But now that they had it back, he wouldn’t take it lightly.

      And Payton was of a similar mind.

      Mostly.

      He’d seen the way her gaze drifted to his mouth periodically throughout the day. And he’d seen the way she wrenched it away. The quick shake of her head and even quicker redirect to topics of a non-sexually charged nature. She was on board with the plan. The friends plan.

      And yet, even knowing sex wasn’t how he wanted the relationship to go, the dark fringe of her lashes, the pout of her bottom lip, even the way her bare feet were tucked beneath her—all of those details had somehow slipped under his skin, calling to a part of him that wasn’t platonic.

      Maybe it was the environment. He’d brought dates here a time or two. Set up a tent and lost himself in their willing bodies.

      Only he wasn’t thinking about the dates whose names he could barely remember. He was thinking about Payton. About the sound of her sigh at his ear as he pushed inside her. The clutch of her fingers in his hair as he took her against the wall. The way she cried out when he gave her his mouth—

      Not where his mind ought to be going.

      Not when Payton had felt his gaze on her and turned those soft brown eyes to meet his. Not when the music of the crashing surf was playing for them and the just-one-night they’d agreed to in a moment of more defined clarity than this had come and gone.

      Damn it. Until Payton, friendship and sex had always been mutually exclusive. There’d never been a blurring of the line between the two, so he didn’t have any experience with the complication she presented now.

      Nate gave himself a firm mental shake. One thing he did know. Friends used their mouths for talking. So, fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, he forced his gaze to the road and talked. “Tuesday, the charity event.”

      Payton shifted around until her knees tucked up and her back half pressed against the passenger door. “We’ll arrive separately. Maintain a decent distance throughout.”

      “Though you find it impossible to keep your eyes off me,” he amended, just for kicks.

      She snickered. “Is that so?”

      “Absolutely. I’m temptation incarnate,” he answered, heading for the highway, doing his best to ignore the temptation he wanted no part of in the seat beside him.

      By the time they arrived back at Payton’s apartment the tension that filled the car when they’d once again found themselves in close proximity had dissipated. They’d made their plans for Tuesday night and fallen into an easy discussion for the remainder of the ride.

      Laughing, talking, catching up on the years that had passed them by.

      Nate was interested in her teaching. In her plans. Curious about how she’d gotten into the field of special education and not the least bit concerned about the pay or prestige of the school. He simply made her feel good about her choices and, being the only one, it made all the difference.

      She unbuckled as he jogged around the car. A steady rain had begun to fall, and though she’d been more than willing to dash into her apartment alone, Nate wouldn’t have it.

      So without benefit of umbrella, he let her out and ran up the walk beside her.

      Rushing to the security door, she tried the key, fumbled and tried again, giving into a frustrated growl as her clumsiness got the both of them a soak. The chill that settled in at the beach was back in full force, making her fingers stiff and useless.

      “Here, let me.” A warm hand closed around hers and the blanket of wide male torso covered her back as he created a haven for her with his body.

      He felt good. Strong and right. Close. Hot.

      Oh, God. She’d been so confident. So sure of her ability to handle her emotions where Nate was concerned. She’d handled them for years! But now it didn’t take more than one touch and her mind and body began their fast descent into bedroom territory. Wall territory.

      Of course, what she’d been handling ten years ago had been the infatuation of a high-school girl—passionate and dramatic, yes, but ultimately only as deep as the girl herself. Which, at sixteen…

      And then there was the little matter of ignorance versus experience. Now that she’d spent a night in his arms, she knew exactly what there was to miss. The heat of his hands, the taste of his skin, the touch of his mouth. Knowing he was more than she’d ever fantasized he would be.

      The lock tumbled and Nate pushed the door open and then, following her into the relative warmth of the stairwell, he rubbed her shoulders in a few rough strokes.

      “You’re soaked.”

      “Me? What about you?” Rainwater beaded across the light cashmere covering his shoulders and back. Darkened the gold of his hair, weighing it down against his brow to give him a sort of Superman curl that begged to be twisted around her finger.

      He waved her off with one hand, taking her elbow in the other. “Let’s get you upstairs before you freeze.”

      Payton stalled. “I can manage. You should get home, though.”

      Nate’s lips curved into a wry twist. “I’ll walk you up. Security, remember?”

      She did remember. Only the last thing she wanted was Nate back in her apartment. They’d had an incredible afternoon together, but the underlying sizzle of attraction she’d nearly doused had begun to flame again. She didn’t want to acknowledge it. Not after the way they’d talked and laughed. She didn’t want anything threatening the easy camaraderie.

      Still, what could she say? Nate had a way of getting what he wanted. And he wanted to make sure she got into her apartment safely. But he couldn’t come in. No matter what. Because if he did, she’d be offering him a drink while he warmed up. Offering to dry his shirt. Offering to help him take if off. Offering everything she had and was. No, he couldn’t come in.

      She led the way, their quiet tread upon the stairs screaming volumes in the silence. Finally, reaching the landing, she closed her eyes and took a bracing breath. Opened them and turned to Nate. He stood, hands in his pockets, one shoulder propped against the wall.

      “Don’t worry. I’m not coming in.”

      “What? I wasn’t—”

      He shook his head, cutting her off. “Yeah, I think you were.”

      Her lips parted in protest, but quickly closed again.

      He took a deep breath and shifted his weight, glancing down the empty stairwell. “We were together last night, Payton. It’s a safe bet we’re looking at more than twelve hours to kick whatever residual attraction there is between us back into something safe and platonic. Look, I know what happened between us was different for you. And for what it’s worth, it was different for me, too. So maybe we shouldn’t worry about a few rogue emotions or whatever we’ve got going on. If we give it some time the attraction’ll die off.”

      She wanted to believe him. Only she knew from experience that some attractions had staying power for years. “What if it doesn’t?”

      His lips twisted into a wry smile. “Well, then, I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

      She shook her head. She needed this. “I want us to be friends.”

      “Yeah.” He let out a low chuckle as if somehow surprised to find it so. “I do, too. Now get inside before I back you in there myself and ruin this whole buddy-buddy plan we’ve got going on. I’ll see you Tuesday.”

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