Page 119 of Inexplicable

“Both,” I said firmly. “But I still want to know where you go. I worry about you. I’m your friend, Nate.”

I really, really wanted to know why Nate kept disappearing. I almost wished that I could tell him something that would convince him to tell me more about his life.

I’d racked my brain to try to figure out why the guys would go away without a word to anyone.

I’d wondered if they were into something criminal.

Or if they were still in something that involved the military.

I’d even considered the possibility of the four of them being in some kind of crazy reverse harem with some irresistible female.

I’d pretty much discarded most of those stupid ideas a long time ago.

The one thing I did know for certain was that whatever they were doing was dangerous.

For God’s sake, Brock had gotten shot before he’d mysteriously come home with Jenna.

I’d seen a variety of injuries, mostly cuts and bruises, almost every time the four of them returned from one of their absences, so I worried and I waited.

Nate backed me against the wall of the store and put a hand on the wall behind me. “I worry about you, too, and that’s a constant for me. Something is going on with you, Sara. I can help you if you’d just fucking trust me.”

I looked up at him and something somersaulted inside my stomach as I saw the intense look in his gaze.

I had a love/hate relationship with Nate getting close enough for me to inhale his masculine scent.

Nate Davis was so ridiculously hot, and he smelled like sin and temptation.

“There’s nothing monumental about my past, Nate,” I lied.

“Bullshit,” he said in an irritated baritone. “It’s time for us to get honest with each other.”

A shiver slid down my spine as he lowered his head until I could feel his warm breath on my lips.

Alarm bells rang in my head, but I didn’t move away.

Nate and I had never crossed the friendship line.

He’d asked me out once, but as soon as I’d told him I wasn’t interested, we’d firmly put each other in the friendship zone.

I’d been hiding my lust for Nate for a long time, but maybe that veneer was getting a little thin.

I knew there were probably times that I just couldn’t disguise the longing in my eyes, no matter how hard I tried.

Jenna had noticed it, but I hoped that was just female intuition.

I was tired.

So tired of not telling Nate exactly how I felt.

Because I cared about him, I knew I’d keep burying those emotions, but right now, I couldn’t seem to move away.

“You really want to know where we go?” he asked huskily.

“Yes,” I whispered.

Kiss me. Just kiss me this once.

I wanted one small taste of this man more than I wanted to take another breath.