mentioned Nate to them before, never needed to. She hadn’t mentioned Nate to anyone. “I’m just doing some housekeeping for him, cooking and stuff.”
“Hmmm, what type of stuff?” Cara asked, winking and making them all laugh. Faith might not have said anything about him before, but that wasn’t fooling her friends; they knew her too well. Besides, they knew her ambitions went further, that it wasn’t like her to want to cook and clean. They all talked about moving away, making it in New York, working in beautiful art galleries or for big auction houses.
“Nothing like what you’re thinking.” She reached for her cocktail and took a sip, loving the tangy taste. “Not that I haven’t thought about it.”
Anna touched Faith’s arm, leaned in close like someone might hear them despite the loud music. “How are you feeling, after Cooper? I can’t believe the asshole actually hurt you. Sure had us all fooled by his nice-guy routine.”
She’d told her friends the truth about what had happened when she’d invited them out, and the truth was she could have turned to them if she’d needed to, could have stayed on their sofa in the little apartment they shared. But after Cooper she’d needed to feel safe, like he couldn’t get close to her again even if he’d wanted to, and going to Nate had seemed like the right thing to do, especially when she hadn’t wanted to involve her brother.
“I haven’t seen him since,” she told them. “He tried calling a couple of times, then a few texts, but I’ve just ignored him completely.” The last one he’d sent had been him pissed that she hadn’t shown for a shift, as if she was just going to turn up for work and forget about the fact that he’d hit her. He was just lucky she hadn’t called the cops.
“You’re better off without him,” Anna said. “Asshole.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Faith muttered.
“Ladies.” The deep voice from behind them sent a familiar lick of anticipation through her, and she turned to make way for Nate to pass the girls their drinks. They both smiled and thanked him, and Faith had the sudden urge to stake her claim, make it clear that he was off-limits. Only when Nate turned and looked into her eyes, his gaze wicked as he winked at her, she realized she didn’t have to. He’d been polite and charming to them, but the only one he was paying real attention to was her, and it would have been impossible for her friends not to notice what was going on between them. Whatever the hell that might be.
“You’ve slept with him already, haven’t you?” Cara hissed when Nate excused himself and sat back down across from Sam.
Faith laughed. “No. He thinks of me like a little sister; nothing is going to happen.”
“I call bullshit,” Anna said, draining almost half of her drink. “You two are eyeing each other up like a kid looking at candy.”
Faith sipped her drink for something to do, wishing she didn’t feel so guilty. She did want Nate. Bad. Always had, always would. And there was no way she could hide it from her friends.
“Let’s just say that Nate has always been my fantasy guy,” she admitted, keeping her voice low. “It’s not something I ever thought I’d act on, and after Cooper?” She shrugged. “The idea of his hands on me is kind of scary.”
“You know who my fantasy guy is?” Cara asked.
Faith and Anna shook their heads.
“Johnny Depp. The difference is that he’ll never know I exist and yours is ready to rip your clothes off.”
They all laughed and Anna grabbed Cara’s hand. Faith was pleased she’d asked them out; she’d needed their company. “We’re going to dance. Just have fun with Nate, okay? Don’t worry about us. In fact, pretend like we’re not even here.”
“Thanks for the drinks!” Cara called over to Nate before the girls disappeared through the crowd.
Faith watched them go, quickly sipped most of her drink, and then turned back to the table. Sam had his head
“Hmmm, what type of stuff?” Cara asked, winking and making them all laugh. Faith might not have said anything about him before, but that wasn’t fooling her friends; they knew her too well. Besides, they knew her ambitions went further, that it wasn’t like her to want to cook and clean. They all talked about moving away, making it in New York, working in beautiful art galleries or for big auction houses.
“Nothing like what you’re thinking.” She reached for her cocktail and took a sip, loving the tangy taste. “Not that I haven’t thought about it.”
Anna touched Faith’s arm, leaned in close like someone might hear them despite the loud music. “How are you feeling, after Cooper? I can’t believe the asshole actually hurt you. Sure had us all fooled by his nice-guy routine.”
She’d told her friends the truth about what had happened when she’d invited them out, and the truth was she could have turned to them if she’d needed to, could have stayed on their sofa in the little apartment they shared. But after Cooper she’d needed to feel safe, like he couldn’t get close to her again even if he’d wanted to, and going to Nate had seemed like the right thing to do, especially when she hadn’t wanted to involve her brother.
“I haven’t seen him since,” she told them. “He tried calling a couple of times, then a few texts, but I’ve just ignored him completely.” The last one he’d sent had been him pissed that she hadn’t shown for a shift, as if she was just going to turn up for work and forget about the fact that he’d hit her. He was just lucky she hadn’t called the cops.
“You’re better off without him,” Anna said. “Asshole.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Faith muttered.
“Ladies.” The deep voice from behind them sent a familiar lick of anticipation through her, and she turned to make way for Nate to pass the girls their drinks. They both smiled and thanked him, and Faith had the sudden urge to stake her claim, make it clear that he was off-limits. Only when Nate turned and looked into her eyes, his gaze wicked as he winked at her, she realized she didn’t have to. He’d been polite and charming to them, but the only one he was paying real attention to was her, and it would have been impossible for her friends not to notice what was going on between them. Whatever the hell that might be.
“You’ve slept with him already, haven’t you?” Cara hissed when Nate excused himself and sat back down across from Sam.
Faith laughed. “No. He thinks of me like a little sister; nothing is going to happen.”
“I call bullshit,” Anna said, draining almost half of her drink. “You two are eyeing each other up like a kid looking at candy.”
Faith sipped her drink for something to do, wishing she didn’t feel so guilty. She did want Nate. Bad. Always had, always would. And there was no way she could hide it from her friends.
“Let’s just say that Nate has always been my fantasy guy,” she admitted, keeping her voice low. “It’s not something I ever thought I’d act on, and after Cooper?” She shrugged. “The idea of his hands on me is kind of scary.”
“You know who my fantasy guy is?” Cara asked.
Faith and Anna shook their heads.
“Johnny Depp. The difference is that he’ll never know I exist and yours is ready to rip your clothes off.”
They all laughed and Anna grabbed Cara’s hand. Faith was pleased she’d asked them out; she’d needed their company. “We’re going to dance. Just have fun with Nate, okay? Don’t worry about us. In fact, pretend like we’re not even here.”
“Thanks for the drinks!” Cara called over to Nate before the girls disappeared through the crowd.
Faith watched them go, quickly sipped most of her drink, and then turned back to the table. Sam had his head
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