Lexie was fuming as she watched Nate leave the party with Charlotte. Their body language practically screamed We’re going to screw ourselves silly. Her fingers tightened over the stem of her wineglass. She forced herself to loosen her grip before the damn glass shattered, but it was hard to stay calm when you were watching someone you cared about going off to make the biggest mistake of his life.
Yet it wasn’t jealousy that coursed through her blood. Only concern. Aside from that one awkward kiss she and Nate had shared, there was nothing romantic between them, and never would be. Nate Bishop was the big brother she’d never had. With two younger sisters, Lexie had always been the protector, the one who made sure the people she cared about didn’t get hurt. And then she’d started spending time with Nate and she finally knew what it felt like to be the one being protected. Several years ago, the two of them had shared a booth at Betty’s when the diner had been packed to the gills. Rather than turn away business or make her customers wait, Betty had the habit of seating random people together, often strangers.
Lexie and Nate weren’t strangers, of course, but they hadn’t been friends either. That morning, they’d been forced to eat together, and to Lexie’s surprise, Nate Bishop turned out to be nothing like she’d previously thought. He was actually sweet. Attentive. Intelligent as hell. She’d enjoyed being with him, and to her shock, he’d enjoyed her company too, apparently enough to start having breakfast with her every morning that followed.
Nate Bishop, the boy she’d once considered rude and full of himself, had ended up becoming one of her best friends. Scratch that—her only friend.
And she wasn’t about to stand by and watch him get hurt.
Charlotte Hill was up to something. Lexie had always been able to read people, and she’d read Charlotte like a neon billboard right now. What the hell was the woman up to? Maybe Ms. Rich and Famous had simply taken one look at a grown-up, sexy Nate and decided she wanted a trip down memory lane, yet somehow Lexie doubted it. She’d watched them on the dance floor, and for one brief moment, she’d witnessed a flash of pure anger in Charlotte’s eyes. The seductive dance and teasing smiles had been a show. Lexie felt it deep in her gut.
But what game was Charlotte playing, and how did it involve Nate?
Unable to keep a smile on her face any longer, Lexie handed her half-full glass to a passing waiter and made her way through the crowd toward the sidewalk. Forget this reunion. She didn’t feel like making small talk with people whose lives she had zero interest in.
She passed a long line of cars until she reached her silver BMW then hit the electronic remote and slid into the driver’s seat. She wanted to call Nate and plead with him not to do anything foolish, but she knew it would only annoy him. He hated when she meddled in his life, even though ninety-nine percent of the time she was usually right. Case in point—Evelyn.
Still, she resisted the urge, picked up her cell phone from the cup holder she’d left it in and dialed a number that wasn’t Nate’s.
When the rough male voice answered, a shiver danced up her spine. “Yeah?”
He never said hello. No, that would be far too polite for someone so rude and indifferent.
“It’s me.” As usual, her heart began to pound. It always did when he was involved. “I’m having a crappy night. Can I come over?”
A deep laugh tickled her eardrum. “Feel like slumming it tonight, huh?”
She tightened her lips. “Can I come over or not?”
“Sure you can, princess.” Another laugh, this one taunting. “And just so you’re forewarned, I have a hard-on and no interest in conversation. Sound good?”
Her heart did a naughty little flip. “Sounds perfect.”
Chapter Four
There was something different about her. Nate couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but something about Charlotte and the way she was looking at him brought on a spark of unease. She hadn’t said much since they’d gotten into his beat-up black pickup truck, and as they neared the B&B, Nate was rethinking his decision to be alone with Charlotte.
He wanted her so badly he could taste her. Her perfume, an intriguing combination of roses and honey, sent his senses into overdrive. He breathed her in each time he inhaled, his cock growing harder by the second.
Yet this didn’t feel entirely right. She’d claimed that she was over everything, that their past didn’t matter, but her sudden aloofness didn’t sit well with him.
“You okay?” he asked, pulling up to the curb and killing the engine.
Charlotte blinked, as if coming out of trance. “I’m fine,” she said lightly, already reaching for the door handle. “Let’s go inside. I’m a little cold.”