said, his brown eyes warm when they connected with hers.
She breathed deep, lost every inch of the self-confidence she’d been so full of earlier. “Thank you.”
“Now let’s get inside and deal with your brother.”
Faith watched as Nate nodded at the doorman, following close behind him. The place was already busy, full of people trying to talk over the music, which at least meant no one heard her gasp when Nate reached for her hand, his warm palm jammed against hers, fingers strong and firm as he led the way.
“Stay close,” he murmured in her ear, sending a ripple of goose pimples down her back.
Faith took her chance to do exactly that, her body skimming his as she pressed a little closer to him. Everything about him was overtly masculine: his cologne, the hardness of his body, the sheer size of him. And she wished—
“Hey, little sister.” A firm hand closed over her shoulder and she quickly let go of Nate, feeling lost and vulnerable the moment she broke the connection between them.
She turned and found herself face-to-face with her brother, and based on the look he was giving her, she was certain he’d noticed her holding hands with Nate.
“Hey, Sam,” she replied, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek.
Nate must have turned at that exact moment, as the smile on Sam’s face hovered straight into a frown.
“Nate.”
“Hey, Sam.”
Faith tried not to laugh; the expression on Nate’s face was hilarious. Her brother and her boss, staring at each other like two male lions about to fight for leadership rights of the pride. Ordinarily it wouldn’t have been so funny, except for the fact that she was used to them being the best of friends. She didn’t ever remember them having a falling-out through her entire childhood.
“You guys remember Kelly?”
Faith smiled at her brother’s girlfriend, calling out a hello. Nate stepped forward to kiss Kelly’s cheek, making Sam look even more pissed off, until Nate suggested they grab a drink, which seemed to settle him.
Nate’s hand slid across Faith’s back as he indicated for her to walk ahead of him and she felt a familiar shiver run the length of her spine at his touch.
“What do you want?” he said the words, so close to her ear she thought his lips were about to brush her skin.
You. The word was on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it. No matter how brave she was feeling around him, she wasn’t going to say it. Not yet. Not until she knew whether she could go through with it or not.
“How about cocktails?” she replied, glancing at him as she spoke.
“Martini? Mojito?” He laughed and dipped his head close to hers again. “Cosmopolitan?”
Faith laughed straight back. “Mojito. How about you?”
“Whiskey, sweetheart. It’s always my poison of choice.”
He was seriously too cool for school, and she would have told him exactly that except she didn’t want to sound like a silly girl for saying it. She was twenty-seven, but for some reason she still felt young beside Nate. He wasn’t that much older than her, thirty-two maybe, but everything about him had always made him seem so experienced, so worldly.
They ordered, her brother insisting on paying for her drink instead of letting Nate cover the bill, and then they headed off to find somewhere to sit. She kept glancing around, looking for her girlfriends, and just as she started chatting to Kelly two of her friends appeared.
“Hey!” She smiled and hugged Anna and Cara, trying not to laugh as they both glanced at Nate. “You know Sam, and this is his girlfriend, Kelly. And Nate, a friend of my brother’s.”
Anna boldly shook Nate’s hand and said hello, Cara waved, and within moments he was on his feet and heading to the bar to buy them drinks. Faith couldn’t help watching him as he strode through the crowd of people.
“So let me get this straight, you’re working for this guy?” Anna asked.
Faith turned back to the girls. “Yes.” She’d never
She breathed deep, lost every inch of the self-confidence she’d been so full of earlier. “Thank you.”
“Now let’s get inside and deal with your brother.”
Faith watched as Nate nodded at the doorman, following close behind him. The place was already busy, full of people trying to talk over the music, which at least meant no one heard her gasp when Nate reached for her hand, his warm palm jammed against hers, fingers strong and firm as he led the way.
“Stay close,” he murmured in her ear, sending a ripple of goose pimples down her back.
Faith took her chance to do exactly that, her body skimming his as she pressed a little closer to him. Everything about him was overtly masculine: his cologne, the hardness of his body, the sheer size of him. And she wished—
“Hey, little sister.” A firm hand closed over her shoulder and she quickly let go of Nate, feeling lost and vulnerable the moment she broke the connection between them.
She turned and found herself face-to-face with her brother, and based on the look he was giving her, she was certain he’d noticed her holding hands with Nate.
“Hey, Sam,” she replied, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek.
Nate must have turned at that exact moment, as the smile on Sam’s face hovered straight into a frown.
“Nate.”
“Hey, Sam.”
Faith tried not to laugh; the expression on Nate’s face was hilarious. Her brother and her boss, staring at each other like two male lions about to fight for leadership rights of the pride. Ordinarily it wouldn’t have been so funny, except for the fact that she was used to them being the best of friends. She didn’t ever remember them having a falling-out through her entire childhood.
“You guys remember Kelly?”
Faith smiled at her brother’s girlfriend, calling out a hello. Nate stepped forward to kiss Kelly’s cheek, making Sam look even more pissed off, until Nate suggested they grab a drink, which seemed to settle him.
Nate’s hand slid across Faith’s back as he indicated for her to walk ahead of him and she felt a familiar shiver run the length of her spine at his touch.
“What do you want?” he said the words, so close to her ear she thought his lips were about to brush her skin.
You. The word was on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it. No matter how brave she was feeling around him, she wasn’t going to say it. Not yet. Not until she knew whether she could go through with it or not.
“How about cocktails?” she replied, glancing at him as she spoke.
“Martini? Mojito?” He laughed and dipped his head close to hers again. “Cosmopolitan?”
Faith laughed straight back. “Mojito. How about you?”
“Whiskey, sweetheart. It’s always my poison of choice.”
He was seriously too cool for school, and she would have told him exactly that except she didn’t want to sound like a silly girl for saying it. She was twenty-seven, but for some reason she still felt young beside Nate. He wasn’t that much older than her, thirty-two maybe, but everything about him had always made him seem so experienced, so worldly.
They ordered, her brother insisting on paying for her drink instead of letting Nate cover the bill, and then they headed off to find somewhere to sit. She kept glancing around, looking for her girlfriends, and just as she started chatting to Kelly two of her friends appeared.
“Hey!” She smiled and hugged Anna and Cara, trying not to laugh as they both glanced at Nate. “You know Sam, and this is his girlfriend, Kelly. And Nate, a friend of my brother’s.”
Anna boldly shook Nate’s hand and said hello, Cara waved, and within moments he was on his feet and heading to the bar to buy them drinks. Faith couldn’t help watching him as he strode through the crowd of people.
“So let me get this straight, you’re working for this guy?” Anna asked.
Faith turned back to the girls. “Yes.” She’d never
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