“Mari,” he finally began. “I would cover lunch with whomever I brought to lunch. I invited you, so that’s what I expect to do.”
I managed a shallow breath, willing the spin of emotions inside me to settle. “I can still cover my own lunch.” I had no idea why I was arguing about this. Given my financial situation, allowing Nash to take care of the bill was the sensible thing to do. But then, I wasn’t feeling particularly sensible.
Nash inclined his head before shrugging. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to run to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
Our waiter nodded and turned away to check on a table nearby when Nash stood, his stride long and confident as he walked across the restaurant. I told myself not to notice the way his shoulders filled out his shirt, not to linger on the way the faded denim of his jeans hugged his muscled legs, and certainly not to acknowledge that the man had one fine ass.
What the hell are you doing ogling another man right now? In the last few days, you were all worked up thinking you and Brett might get back on track.
Um, back on track? You mean like sex for the first time in over three months? You didn’t even have sex last night.
I couldn’t decide which voice was more critical. My proper, try-to-do-life-right voice, or my more sarcastic tone, always on the ready to point out just how ridiculous things were.
True story: I couldn’t recall the last time I had sex with Brett.
Nash returned before the waiter did. He stopped by the table and glanced down at me. “Shall we go?”
“Our waiter hasn’t brought our checks.”
“I’ve taken care of it.”
I felt my nostrils actually flare as I looked up at Nash. “Wow. So you’re that kind of overbearing gentleman,” I muttered as I reached for my purse.
Nash, being the gentleman in question, pulled my chair back as I stood, not even deigning to offer a reply.
I told myself I most certainly didn’t notice the way his warm touch felt like a hot brand on my low back when he placed his palm there as a group of people passing by jostled me. Flutters spun in my belly, and the heat from his touch radiated outward. I was so flustered by my response to him, and my annoyance with my entire day, I elected to pretend everything was fine.
Once we were outside on the sidewalk, I looked up at him. “Thank you for lunch.”
I didn’t bother to argue about the bill. There was no sense in it. I really didn’t have the money to cover my lunch. It would’ve gone on the credit card that was about to be maxed out if it wasn’t already.
“Anytime,” Nash replied. “Where are you heading now?”
I bit back the urge to tell him it was none of his damn business. I did have some manners, after all.
“I’ll be heading home. Thank you for at least filling me in on what you know about Brett. It was”—I paused and then shrugged—“illuminating.”
“My offer still stands.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, confused by what he meant.
“To help you find Brett.”
I mulled it over for a beat before replying, “I appreciate your offer, but I don’t think there’s much point in trying to find Brett. It’s best for me to move on.”
Chapter 4
Mari
“Dammit!” I muttered to myself as I glanced down to see that one of the wheels on my small suitcase had cracked. No wonder it wasn’t rolling smoothly.
“Mari,” a voice said. A voice I instantly recognized. What was it about Nash Reynolds? Just the sound of his gravelly drawl sent butterflies spinning in my belly.
The hot Louisiana sun beat down on me. The humid air was so heavy it felt as if it was sticking to my skin. Lifting my head, I unconsciously smoothed my hand over my hair. It was pulled back into a messy ponytail. The state of my hair was representative of how I felt about my life. I couldn’t seem to keep anything tidy.
Straightening, I turned and pasted a smile on my face. “Hello, Nash.”
With the sun glinting on his bronze hair, Nash inclined his head slightly. “Hello, Mari. How are you?”
I curled my hand more tightly around my suitcase handle and hoped I could fake my way through this. Because the truth was, I was not well, not one bit. Unbeknownst to me until yesterday morning, Brett had also run up all my credit cards to the limit. Gabby Boudreaux had been gracious enough to insist that I needn’t worry about the bill. Whether it was because she could tell I was on the verge of tears or not, I fully intended to find a way to take care of it as soon as I could.
I was mortified and utterly horrified at the situation in which I found myself. In fact, I was so embarrassed that I’d considered calling my brother and his wife, Harlow, for help. But alas, they were out of the country traveling this week. Max, of course, would help with anything I needed, but I didn’t want to stoop to that. I would get myself out of this situation on my own one way or another.
With my polite smile stuck on my face, I lied through my teeth in reply. “I’m well, and yourself?”
Nash began to say something, but in the bustle of people on the sidewalk outside the airport, someone bumped into me and sent me colliding into him. I looked up to find his eyes on me. His body was all hard planes. He had one arm wrapped around my waist, steadying me as my hand fell against his chest.
My heartbeat went wild, thudding furiously inside the cage of my ribs. My breath became short as heat spun like fire through my veins.
“I’m just fine,” he said, not missing a beat in the conversation.
This was the point when I should’ve moved away. But I found myself frozen, savoring the feel of his strength and wanting to surrender to it and stop trying so hard to do this all on my own.
“Where are you headed?” Nash asked as he stepped back.
It said something about the state of my body that I experienced a flash of yearning at the loss of his warm strength pressed against me even if it was only by accident. I met his gaze, ignoring the hum of my racing pulse rippling outward through my body. “I’m flying back to San Francisco,” I said.
Nash looked at me quietly for several long beats before nodding. “Okay then. You know where to reach me if you decide you want some help chasing down Brett.”
“I do. I appreciate your offer. I’ll think about it.”
“Please do.” Just two words, but the way he said them in that slow drawl that slid over me like sweet molasses sent my belly spinning and made my breath catch in my throat.
“Thank you again for lunch the other day,” I rasped.
Dear God. This man was literally taking my breath away.
“You’re most welcome, Mari. Give your brother my best.”
I managed a tight smile. I forced my feet to move because I couldn’t let myself get caught in the quicksand of Nash’s melting hot eyes. They made my body go a little crazy.
Without another word, I hurried past him, ignoring the rhythmic thump of the broken wheel on my suitcase. Nash couldn’t know it, but the sound of that wheel only added to the layers of embarrassment I was experiencing. I felt flustered inside and out and was beyond mortified at my circumstances. I was just praying that Brett hadn’t discovered the one credit card I’d never touched and kept as a backup.