 
# Forbidden & Forever

### Book Three of the Lake Lovers series

## Marly Andrews
Forbidden & Forever

Copyright@2017 Marly Andrews

All Rights Reserved

Editing by Final-Edits.com

Cover Model Shawn S. Dawson

Cover Photography by FuriousFotog

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and other elements portrayed herein are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons or events is coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced, storied in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the author.

# The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change;

courage to change those that I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

# Prologue

**N ovember**

"Sir. Excuse me."

Somewhere in the cloudy depths of his mind, Nate could hear the distant words of an angel. The whisper-soft voice brought with it gentle warmth and tenderness against his shoulder. As he tried to capture it and pull it closer, he registered pain in his lower back and stiffness in his neck. He tried to move closer to the sweet sound, but nothing he did worked.

"I'm so sorry. C-can you hear me?"

Nate finally forced one eye open, only to close it against the harsh morning sun shining brightly through the floor-to-ceiling waiting room windows. On the second attempt, he opened both eyes and squinted to focus on the hospital name badge mere inches from his face. It said Claire Carter, Nursing Student. While his arms remained wrapped around his chest and his legs outstretched and crossed, his mind pulled itself through layers of a dream. Or at least, she looked like his dream. Looking up slowly, he paused at the row of perfect white teeth behind a gentle smile before lifting farther to meet her clear blue eyes.

"Hi. You look so comfortable. I'm really sorry to wake you, but your mom is asking for you."

Nate closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath then released it with force. When he moved, his limbs ached and throbbed from being tucked into the narrow wooden chair. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was cotton dry. Returning his gaze to Claire, he watched as she bent down beside him to pick up a hat. His hat.

Nate cleared his throat and swallowed as he straightened in the chair. Reaching out, he dipped his chin and took the hat she offered. "Thanks. I must have dozed off."

"That's good. You need rest too." Claire looked at the floor near his feet and saw the empty Starbucks cup that had rolled under his chair. "How do you take your coffee?"

Nate reached down and retrieved the cup. "Black, why?" He stood, unable to stop the stretch that took over as he unfolded. He released a low growl before dropping his arms. Sleeping in chairs was not recommended for anyone taller than six foot.

Claire's gaze followed the movement as Nate twisted and cracked his back. His wrinkled grey T-shirt lifted briefly, exposing skin and the waistband of his black Calvin Klein boxers before he faced her. She lowered her eyes and blushed behind a grin. "Follow me."

A minute later, Nate was following sexy Claire Carter, nursing student, down a long, sterile hallway. Stepping in time to the pace she set, he watched her slim hips sway from behind. Much too quickly, she stopped at a galley with a sign labeled for staff use only. She pointed at the fresh pot of coffee and the stack of Styrofoam cups. "Help yourself. Nobody here minds." Then she stepped around the corner. A rush of heat shook him to his core, stopped dead center in his middle, and pulsed against his jeans.

The days that followed became a blur of hospital tests, late night trips to the ER, long days in a waiting room, and countless trips to the pharmacy. His mom was in the final stages of kidney failure. Without a transplant, her days were coming to an end. When the blood tests confirmed that he was a suitable donor, he put his future plans on hold. He spent all his free time preparing for his part of the procedure to save her life. Vitamins by the handful. Extra effort when working out. Anything to stay fit and ready to go when the surgical team gave them the green light.

But that day never came.

After a series of difficult dialysis treatments, his mom's blood counts failed to improve. While holding her hand late one night, Nate felt her life slip away in a battle that was over long before she had a chance to fight.

The only high point of those long, hopeless weeks had been the shared smiles and small talk when he ran into Claire unexpectedly. She wasn't there every day, but when she was, he had eyes on her. She was usually delivering medications or taking patient vitals, but she never failed to check on him too.

He knew it was crazy. On the surface, she was just a caring face in a sea of sadness and well-wishers. But to Nate, she had been encouraging. Strength in his storm. And the thunder he felt near her had nothing to do with the loss he was facing alone. It was a constant lightning bolt of anticipation that caused enough pain to remind him he was still breathing. And long after this, he had a life to live and love to give.

**M ay**

Tucked in the shadows of a live oak tree, Nate leaned against the trunk and watched his new family dancing under a canopy of twinkling lights. He was still trying to understand what having a family really meant. After growing up as the only child of a single mom, he never imagined having parents and siblings as an adult. He grew up knowing very little about his dad—only that he had died overseas while in the Air Force.

Or at least, that's what Nate believed until the day Nick Thompson walked into his life. That's the day he learned the truth.

In the days immediately following his mom's death, Nate put the house he shared with her up for sale. With no other family holding him here, he was ready to go full steam ahead with his Army enlistment.

Then, just two days later, his life changed in a way he could have never imagined. A very nice couple had called and made an appointment to see the house. That couple turned out to be his dad, Nick, with his fiancée, Maggie. Shock didn't quite cover how Nate felt when he learned he was the result of a hook-up. His mom and Nick were just teenagers at the time. The pregnancy was a surprise, to say the least, and neither were prepared to raise a child. Quick decisions were made as they agreed to put Nate up for adoption. Nick signed the papers, joined the Air Force and went on with his life knowing his child was being raised responsibly. His mom, however, changed her mind and raised Nate on her own without ever notifying Nick. Then, in a sick twist of fate, she fell ill, passing away just days before Nate learned the truth.

As a warm breeze drifted in from the lake, Nick – the man Nate was just beginning to know as dad, was dancing with his new bride, Maggie. They were surrounded by Nick's buddies from the Air Force as well as close friends and even more family. To the left of the dance floor was Maggie's son, Trevor, with his beautiful wife, Katie. As far as stepbrothers go, Nate couldn't be happier with the connection they instantly made. He had already proven to be a great friend in the six months they had known each other.

As his eyes moved around the crowd, he immediately spotted Maggie's daughter where she was dancing with Aspen, her college boyfriend. Aspen was droopy-eyed drunk, and his well-manicured hands were wandering a little lower than appropriate for a family wedding. But rather than intervene, Nate just watched from his hiding place under the tree. Besides, it was good entertainment watching Aspen and his many failed attempts at more than a kiss.

When the couple turned, he locked eyes with his new stepsister. She spotted him through the crowd, tilted her head and smiled. And just like every other time Claire Carter looked his way, his chest swelled and a now familiar burn blazed up his spine, causing a bead of sweat to appear on his brow. _Fuck_.

Breaking eye contact, Nate glanced at his watch, crumpled the plastic cup and tossed it in a nearby trash can before heading to the small corner bar. He needed something stronger than wedding punch to settle the pounding in his chest. Claire was officially under his skin, and she had only been his stepsister for six short hours. Time to douse the flame with something stronger or find somebody to share his misery with.

# 1

Stepping up to the small bar next to the dance floor, Nate considered his options while waiting in line. Whiskey was the preferred method for quick and painless inebriation, but with present company considered, he should probably stick to beer. One last glance at the couples on the dance floor confirmed his decision. The way Claire looked tonight, he'd make an ass of himself after one shot.

"Hey, Nate."

He turned in time to see Trevor and Katie walking toward him. Their six-month-old son, Jackson, was resting against Trevor's shoulder. The pacifier in his mouth bobbed as his heavy-lidded eyes fought to stay awake.

"Katie and I need to get Jackson home, but I can't find Claire. I wanted to make sure she's okay to drive."

Nate dropped a bill in the tip jar, accepted the drink, and faced Trevor. "She's dancing."

With his neck craned and searching, Trevor scanned the crowd on the dance floor. "Are you sure?"

Nate faced the dance floor, spotted her immediately, and pointed with the longneck dangling from his fingers. "Right there. Blonde hair, pink dress, currently being groped by her date."

Dipping his knees and looking around several people, Trevor finally located her. "Fucking Aspen. I don't know what she sees in him. Doesn't look like he's driving her home tonight either."

Just then, the song ended, and Claire and Aspen began making their way toward them. Nate looked straight ahead, sipping his beer to avoid eye contact with Claire. "Hey there, handsome. I just want to nuzzle and cuddle you all night. You are so damn cute. Can I get a goodnight kiss?" As his cock throbbed in response to the thought of her suggestive words, Nate glanced over his shoulder to see Claire nuzzling the baby and gently smoothing his hair.

Aspen stared glossy-eyed at the trio of siblings while struggling to maintain his balance. "Hey, you guys want to do a shot with me and Claire?"

Trevor was the first to speak. "No, we're heading out. So is Nate, right?"

Nate groaned and dropped his half-empty bottle on a table nearby. "Yeah, I was just leaving. Early flight in the morning."

"Oh man, that ssssuuucks," Aspen slurred.

It was all Nate could do to look at this guy. Claire was sunshine and laughter. What was she doing with this dishrag? "Tell you what, I'll drive you home, and you can take your drink with you. Trevor can take Claire home."

Trevor nodded in agreement.

Claire bounced her eyes between Nate and Trevor. "Hello, I'm right here. Don't I get to decide who takes me home?"

"No," they both snapped in unison.

Aspen swayed and caught himself just before falling forward. Claire narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head in irritation. "Fine. Trevor can take me home."

In the parking lot, Claire walked toward Nate's truck hand in hand with Aspen. At the passenger door, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and told him she'd call him later. Nate sat in the driver's seat, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, patiently waiting for the duo to separate. When they did, Claire looked across the space at him. "Thanks for giving my love a ride home. I appreciate it."

With a curt nod, Nate revved the engine and peeled out into traffic, heading toward downtown. Moments later, Aspen fished his phone out of his pocket and began scrolling through messages and social media. It didn't escape Nate's notice how his earlier intoxication seemed to be fading fast. After a quiet minute or two, Aspen shouted, "Fuck yeah."

Nate looked across the cab of the truck, questioning his outburst. "You alright over there?"

"Never better. I'm going to meet up with some friends." Aspen turned the phone toward him, revealing a half-dressed girl blowing him a kiss. "Check this out. She's at The Brewery, which is like a block from my apartment."

_Fucking prick_. Nate was definitely not the person to root for Aspen, but... What. The. Fuck.

"You're joking, right?"

"Hell no. This chic is a good time. I mean, a _real_ _good_ time." Looking out the windshield to check their location, Aspen pointed to a parking lot ahead. "Just drop me off right there."

"I told Claire I'd take you home. She'd be disappointed if I didn't."

Aspen laughed. "Look man, you got the wrong idea about us. We're not exclusive. Besides, I want to get laid. It takes an act of Congress to get that out of your sister."

"Don't _ever_ fucking say that to me," Nate snapped in reply.

"I'm serious, it's a lot of work to get in that tight pussy. And a blowjob? Forget it. That's never happening."

_I meant don't call her my sister,_ Nate silently thought.

"Whatever." Nate slowed to a stop while Aspen sent a reply back to Miss Willing and Waiting.

"You should come with me. Her sister is here too. And I know for a fact she's a freak. She'll take it anywhere you want to give it, if you know what I mean."

Nate shot him an icy stare. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Now, get the fuck outta my truck."

# 2

Nate drove back to Maggie's house in the lakeside neighborhood where he was staying while home on leave. Maggie had insisted that he use Trevor's old room. Finally alone with his thoughts for the first time in days, he reflected on everything that had taken place.

After completing his Advanced Infantry Training in Georgia, the Army had given him just enough time to fly home for his dad's wedding. The first night back, he had joined his dad, Trevor, and half the enlisted men at Selfridge Air Base for a military-style bachelor party. That's a night he won't forget any time soon. The following two days were nonstop, all-hands-on-deck wedding preparation and party supply retrieval. He had been asked to go with Claire to pick up the cake, drop off deposits, and run around wrapping up loose ends. Last night at rehearsal, he learned Claire was paired with him to walk down the aisle and various other assignments, including the bridal party dance. None of which he'd complained about.

But now the reality of today's event was sinking in. Just a few hours ago, Nate's dad walked Claire's mom down the aisle. Sure, on paper and to the world he and Claire were now stepsiblings. But that sure as shit didn't change the way he felt about her.

When he first met Claire, Nate had been riding the emotional roller coaster of dealing with his mom's illness. She had more bad days than good, and he had been there through it all. Night after night, he went to the hospital after work, held her hand, watched game shows for distraction, and avoided any conversation about her dying. Those days were tough. Some nights, he slept in the waiting room while his mom rested with the help of medication. Most of the time, she was comfortable, but she often woke up in pain and asked for him. It was the ugly truth that he faced alone. His mom was dying, and there was nobody else to share the burden with.

Then Claire showed up one day and everything seemed better—brighter somehow.

One night, Nate walked in to find Claire sitting on the side of his mom's bed, holding her wrist as she slept. Claire had her hair pulled back that day, but a few strands had fallen loose around her face. She looked deep in thought. He wondered how soft her skin might feel against his hand. Startled when she finally noticed him, she lifted a finger to her lips to quiet him before he had a chance to speak. After gently placing his mom's hand at her side, Claire brushed past him, motioning for Nate to follow.

Claire reached up to tuck the loose hair behind her ear before whispering to him in the hallway. "She was running a fever earlier, and when I went to check her vitals just now, she reached out for me. I took a temporal scan and her temp is back down, but she seems restless."

Nate inhaled sharply and let it out slowly. He lifted his callused hands in explanation. "Thanks. I had to work late. I knew her treatment today was going to be rough because of the last time, but I couldn't get here earlier."

Claire gently pressed her hand against Nate's forearm and squeezed. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Not everyone has family as caring as you. She's lucky to have you at all."

Turning to walk away, Claire paused and looked back over her shoulder thoughtfully. "Oh, I almost forgot. I wrote my number down on the notepad next to her bed. My rounds are done for today, but I have some paperwork to finish up. If she needs anything, just let me know. I'll see what I can do."

Nate nodded and thanked her again before they went separate ways. Back in the room, he scooped up the notepad and immediately stored Claire's number in his phone. His mom might not need her tonight, but someday in the near future, he planned to take a chance on asking her out.

Pulling up to Maggie's house, Nate parked in the driveway behind Claire's car. _Well, shit_. He should have thought that through. Claire's apartment was an hour away near the college campus. Of course she was staying at her mom's house tonight. The clock on the dash read 11:58 pm. His flight was leaving in seven short hours. He could do this. He could sleep in the same house as Claire, shower, and head out. Pulling out his phone to set the alarm, he thumbed through his contacts and paused on Claire's entry. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. This was going to be one hell of a long night.

After entering the house as quietly as possible, Nate dropped his keys on the entry table and toed off his dress shoes. The house was dark except for a glow beyond the ajar French door. Approaching the opening, he was surprised to see Claire still wearing her pink dress and sitting on the deck, leaning back on her elbows and looking up at the stars. "It's almost midnight, Cinderella. Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked jokingly.

Dropping her head back between her shoulders, she shrugged. "Probably, but I was waiting for you." Claire straightened and lifted a bottle of Jack Daniels he hadn't noticed near her feet. "You leave for Germany in the morning, right? I thought we could have a drink before you go."

Nate shook his head as his hand reached out to open the screen separating them. This was a very bad idea. Every fiber of his being told him to leave it and walk away, but the moonlight on her bare shoulders beckoned him closer.

Grabbing the offered bottled, Nate swallowed down the burn of liquid. When he handed the bottle back, she was watching him.

Sitting next to each other on the deck, Nate rested his elbows against his knees. "You know, I never had a chance to thank you for connecting the dots between me and my dad."

Claire bumped his shoulder once with hers. "I didn't do anything, so no need to thank me."

Nate shook his head. "C'mon, we both know you had something to do with it. You don't have to lie. I'm grateful."

Claire continued to deny his accusation. "I'm not lying. My mom figured it out on her own. All I did was look up your name on your mom's hospital chart."

Claire reached up and slowly began taking out her hair pins and dropping them in a pile between them. Nate looked out over the water to keep from staring at her golden curls as they fell one by one around her face. "What's next for you? How long before you're done with school?"

Claire picked up the bottle and took a small sip. "I'm applying to internships for the summer semester. I won't be applying to grad school for another year or so. And by then, Aspen and I are hoping he gets offered a permanent administrative position, and we can move in together. Ideally, we'll be able to work at the same hospital." As she spoke, she caught Nate rolling his eyes. "You don't like him much, do you?"

Nate shook his head but didn't answer. "Did Aspen tell you how pretty you look tonight?"

Perhaps a little shocked by the direction of his question, Claire paused before responding. "I don't know. Probably. I can't remember."

Nate glanced over and held her eyes. "If you can't remember, then he didn't say it the right way."

Claire opened her mouth to respond but came up empty. Narrowing her eyes, she pinned him with an uncertain look. "What does that even mean?"

"It means, unless he said 'Claire, you make my body ache from looking at you in that dress,' he said it wrong."

Claire blinked twice and looked away. She remembered clearly what Aspen had said, and it was nowhere near that sincere, nor did it make her insides melt.

Nate took another swig from the bottle. He could tell by her empty reply that she was thinking about what he said. That's good. Aspen was all kinds of wrong for her and nobody else in this family seemed to be pointing it out.

"Aspen and I have been dating since my freshman year of college. I know he's different, but he loves me. I know you don't see it, but he cares about me in his own way. Why don't you like him?"

_Here we go_. "I could list several things, but the fact that he doesn't treat you with respect is my number one reason."

Claire made a noise that was almost a laugh. "You barely know him."

Watching her defend the little punk was nauseating. "Claire, I'm not blind. I know a friends-with-benefits relationship when I see one. He isn't thinking long term. I don't know how you don't see that."

Claire leaned closer to him. "And what makes you the authority on relationships anyway?"

"I'm just observant. Let's leave it at that."

Claire grabbed the bottle from his hands and drank generously, emptying the bottle. After licking the whiskey from the corner of her mouth, she turned to look Nate in the eyes. "What exactly did you observe?"

Maybe it was the liquor. Maybe it was the storm brewing in her eyes. Whatever it was, he chose not to hold back.

"I mean that open relationship bullshit. Why bother calling Aspen your boyfriend and planning a future with him if you don't mind if he takes booty calls at midnight?"

The shock and surprise was all over her face. Drawing in a breath quickly, Claire whispered, "He didn't..."

Nate nodded as he spoke. "Yeah, he did."

Claire stood up abruptly and rushed inside in a swirl of pink chiffon. Hair pins went scattering across the deck.

Nate picked up the empty whiskey bottle, gathered the pins, and stepped inside, locking the door behind him. Down the hall, Claire's door was closed and the light was off. He could just make out muffled sniffles behind her door. The truth hurts, but he was never one to candy coat reality, so it was best to let her sort it out.

Stepping into his borrowed room for the night, Nate untucked his shirt and began working his way down the buttons. After discarding it on the end of the bed, he heard a soft brush against his door.

"Nate." Claire sniffled. "I – I need your help."

Before he could retrieve his shirt, the door cracked open. Claire had finished taking the pins out of her hair and it fell in blonde waves to the middle of her back.

"I think my zipper is stuck."

"Come again?" Nate asked.

Claire turned slowly, the alcohol had clearly made its way to her bloodstream. She leaned a shoulder against for the door frame to steady herself. Reaching behind her back, she tugged on the zipper. It lowered about two inches, stopped, and jammed. She pulled it back up, then down again, only to stop in the same spot. With her finger, she touched the corseted back and ran it along the seam to where it met the top of the stuck zipper. "Somewhere in this area, the ribbon from the corset must be in the way."

"You've got to be kidding."

Whiskey drunk blue eyes looked over a bare shoulder at him. "No. I do not plan on sleeping in this dress. So if you don't mind, reach in there." Claire tugged on the zipper once again. "Right there is as far as I can get it."

_Mind?_ Nate's eyes lingered at the spot beneath her finger. With the zipper lowered, he could see the top edge of her panties. White, lacy thong panties teased him—demanding that he look closer and begging him to touch.

Nate pressed a hand against hers to make her stop tugging on the zipper. Her hand immediately dropped away, and he visually analyzed the problem. Three more inches and the zipper would be all the way down to the middle of her ass. Once the ribbons were untied, the top would fall away. Great design for a sexy romp, but for him, this was going to be brutal.

Taking a step back into the bedroom, he killed the light. Surrounded in darkness, he reached for her. His hands felt their way from the top of the delicate pink dress to the zipper. With a few strong tugs, he freed the stuck ribbon and lowered the zipper to the bottom. He held a breath while reaching into the opening to untangle the corset ribbons. She shivered when his warm knuckles brushed her soft skin. A few moments later, he felt the fabric give way as Claire inhaled sharply. She managed to catch the loosened dress before it fell.

They were so close that Nate felt her hair brush against his bare chest when she turned. Before he could take a step back, she circled his waist with one arm and rested her head on his chest. "Thank you."

"Claire," Nate warned, praying she couldn't feel his arousal through the layers of dress between them.

But instead of backing away, she inched closer. "Can I tell you something?"

"Mhm."

"Back at the hospital, I had the biggest crush on you. I know it sounds crazy, but I remember wishing I could kiss you." Claire burrowed into the warmth of his neck and sighed. "Sometimes I think back and wonder what might have happened if our parents hadn't met and married. Did you ever think about me like that?"

_Every. Goddamn. Day._

# 3

Claire lay in her bed, trapped in a state somewhere between passed out and dying. She pulled the covers up over her head and begged for sleep. The throbbing in her temples increased in tempo as the splatter of water pelting against tile sounded in the distance. Last night, she and Nate had finished a bottle of whiskey after returning from their parents' wedding. That much she remembered clearly. He was such a gentleman. The way he said she was pretty. The way he helped her with her dress. The way he... _wait_.

While the agonizing pain in her temples continued, her thoughts returned to random images from the night before. Her mom was a beautiful bride. It was a perfect lakeside ceremony. The twilight dance was both romantic and beautiful. Aspen had been a complete ass―something she would be addressing later today. But then Nate had generously offered to drive him home. When he arrived back at her mom's house, they finished off an open bottle of whiskey. She smiled to herself when she remembered how handsome he was, and she vividly remembered staring at his lips and thinking about kissing them. After that, she must have passed out while still wearing her bridesmaid dress. _Or did she?_ With slow and careful movements, she reached down to touch her legs and felt the edge of her favorite sleep shirt. _Nope, I made it into pajamas._

Lowering the blanket, Claire moved her feet to the floor and sat up a little too quickly. She instantly regretted the whiskey. The pulsing magnified in her ears with every step across the room. Opening her bedroom door, she peered into the dark, empty hall. A sliver of light shone beneath the bathroom door.

As she approached, the shower turned off and the sound of a shower curtain opening pierced the silence. Claire spoke timidly through the closed door. "Nate?"

A hand smacked the door, as if making sure it was closed. "Yeah," Nate shouted.

"Have a safe trip, okay? Can you send me your address?"

The door opened just enough for Nate to look around the edge. He looked at the floor as he spoke. "I will. I promise."

Claire squinted into the bright light. Beyond his bare shoulder she could see his reflection in the mirror. Through the steam fogging the reflection, she checked out his damp upper body and the towel wrapped low around his waist. He was toned and fit, free of any markings. He lifted his chin, changing the direction of her gaze. "Claire, you okay?"

She squinted her eyes and gave him a sleepy smile. "Yeah. Hangover. I'm going back to bed."

He stepped back and closed the door, but not before she saw the glimpse of a dark red mark on his neck.

Dismissing what she saw as a hangover hallucination, Claire burrowed into her bed and fell into a deep sleep. Hours later, she woke up and headed straight for the shower. After toweling off, she quickly wrapped her hair in a turban and reached for the medicine cabinet in search of pain medication for her lingering headache. When she closed the mirrored door, she caught her reflection and gasped. _What the hell is that?_

A hickey just below her hairline and behind her ear stood out loud and proud like a scarlet letter. She ran her fingers over the mark while trying to remember how it got there. While she and Aspen were dancing, she definitely remembered telling him to back off. He had been teasing her all evening about how he was taking her back to his place. But that was all. The song ended, and they ended up leaving separately. So, how in the fuck did this mark get there? The last thing she could remember clearly was asking Nate to help her with her zipper _. No!_

Rounding the corner of her bed, she headed down the hall in search of evidence. Pushing his bedroom door open, she let her eyes rove around every surface. Everything was where it should be. The bed had been made, and all of Nate's items were gone. Walking into the kitchen, she froze. On the island was not one but two empty liquor bottles.

They emptied one bottle together on the deck, she was sure of it. But the second one was a complete mystery.

After tucking his military credentials into his backpack and stowing it in the overhead bin, Nate settled into the window seat and stared straight ahead at the seatback in front of him. A six hour flight and a long tour awaited him after he landed on foreign soil. He should have been sleeping while he had the chance. But what happened after Claire came to his room asking for help with her zipper was somewhere between a dream and a nightmare he would live with for the rest of his life.

# 4

Two and a half years later...

* * *

Claire dashed along the sidewalk, using the tall hospital exterior as a barrier against the brutal wind and snow. Her cell phone was ringing for the third time since she parked in the employee lot. Once inside, she shook the snow out of her hair and tamped across a waterlogged floor mat on her way through the Grand Rapids General ER entrance. She passed a janitor as he busied himself with a mop.

"Careful there, Miss Claire. I just finished mopping that hallway."

Rushing by, Claire acknowledge his warning with a wave on her way past. "Thanks, Ronnie."

In the employee lounge, Claire removed her coat and boots and stowed them in a locker. While sitting on the bench and tying her shoes, she glanced up at the clock. Five minutes to spare before her shift started. Her phone relentlessly began ringing again. This time, she dug it out of her pocket and answered. "Hi, Mom. Everything okay?"

"Claire, honey! I was so worried about you. Nick and I just saw the evening news, and I wanted to tell you there's a terrible storm coming your way."

Claire tipped her head back and closed her eyes as she listened to the ongoing concern for her safety. Her mom and Airforce pilot stepdad, Nick, watched the weather more faithfully than forecasters. "Yeah, it's already here. I'm at work now, so I'll be safe for the next twelve hours at least."

Her mom took a deep breath and paused. "Oh, good. And you remember, we're having an early Christmas dinner at our house on Saturday."

"Yep." One more glance at the clock had Claire stashing her purse and securing the lock on her locker. "Mom, I hate to cut you short, but I need to go."

"Oh, sure, just one last thing. Nick wants me to tell you that he has a surprise. He won't even tell _me_ what it is. But you know him, it's bound to be something good."

Claire stared at the floor between her feet, listening to the excitement in her mom's voice. Her mom and Nick were that sweet couple who fell head over heels in love and stayed there. They were like love-sick teenagers... Only they were in their early forties. The real reason Christmas was being celebrated early was so the two of them could jet off to the tropics and spend a few weeks in a secluded beach cabana. "I remember. I've got a final paper due tomorrow at midnight, but I'll be there in time for dinner on Saturday."

"Perfect. Bye now."

"Bye, Mom."

Stepping up to the nursing station, Claire eyed the monitor. Eleven pm and they already had a full house. _Great_.

"There you are. Come on, girl. We've been saving this one for you."

To her right, Amber and Jessica, her fellow intern BFFs, leaned against the counter full of charts.

"I don't think I like the sound of that. Give me the rundown."

Amber stepped up to her side and held an imaginary microphone as she spoke with the enthusiasm of a game show host. "Behind curtain number two, we have a mysterious cut on the posterior gluteus maximus and a strong suspicion of intoxication. His only request is that the person who pokes at him is attractive and single."

Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, Claire picked up the chart and peeked inside. Male, mid-twenties, gaping wound on his lower back, claims it was a gym incident.

She looked up at Amber and smirked. "He did not say that."

"Oh, yes he did," Jessica said as she closed the chart in her hand. "Neither one of us are single, sweetie, so that leaves you."

Claire shook her head and walked away with a double middle-finger salute pointed in their direction. She did not need or want a man. She had plenty of acceptable alternatives at home in a drawer. And they didn't disrespect her, lie to her, or ignore her letters. So why bother with the real thing?

One step into the room and her last complete thought was confirmed. Lying on the bed with his bare ass to the door―albeit very firm―was her patient. His left hand was pressing a folded towel to the wound and a standard issue hospital gown was loosely draped over his junk in the front.

Claire cleared her throat before speaking. He didn't move to cover anything. "Hi, I'm Claire. I hear you have a gym injury. May I see?"

Lifting his hand slightly, Claire peeked under the blood-stained towel and assessed the wound. Not nearly as bad as she was prepared for but deep enough that sutures were definitely needed.

"Alright. The doctor will be in shortly to administer a local anesthetic. Then we should be able to close it up with a few sutures."

A half hour later, when the doctor finished closing the wound, he left Claire to clean up and discharge the patient. As she turned around with the bandage, her patient rolled to his side, exposing everything south of his navel. "Does your boyfriend know how lucky he is?"

Claire instinctively responded with her standard answer. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Really? Well, it must be my lucky day. Can I get your number?"

_Aaaand with that, we're done_. Claire covered the sutures with a large bandage, not being especially gentle, and tossed her gloves in the garbage on the way out. "I'll have your paperwork finished in a few minutes, then you're free to go."

Once at the nursing station, Amber leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Did you get a date?"

Claire smiled sarcastically. "Nice try."

Amber laughed. "Girl, you are unbelievable. I hand-deliver a very fine piece of ass to you, and that's what you do with it?"

Claire rolled her eyes, grabbed another chart, and turned to walk away.

Amber called out to her back. "I'm not giving up. I will find you the right one."

_No you won't. I can't have the right one_.

# 5

At the end of her shift, Claire went to her apartment and crashed on the sofa. Waking up well past the time she intended to leave, she quickly packed for the weekend and headed out. The storm dropped five inches of snow and was predicted to continue throughout the day. If she stayed any longer, she took the risk of being snowed in.

Several hours later, an exhausted and tired Claire pulled into the garage at her mom's house. The storm had made traveling the usual two hour stretch into four. She had passed several spinouts and stranded motorists, but she had managed to keep going. The house next door, where her mom now lived with Nick, was dark. Claire closed the garage door and made her way inside.

Passing through the kitchen on her way toward the bedroom, she noticed a note on the kitchen cabinet.

_Hey there – Hope you had a safe trip. Maggie and I have her work party tonight, so we'll catch up in the morning. I stocked the fridge but wasn't sure what you'd like._

_Love Dad (or Nick – whatever you're comfortable with)_

Claire smiled to herself. Nick had been her stepdad for more than two years now. She had never sorted out if she should call him Dad or Nick, but he seemed to be okay with either.

Opening the fridge, she laughed out loud at the selection. Beer, wine, pop, chip dip, salsa, fruit, vegetables, and a shrimp tray filled the space. In the freezer, she found a stack of frozen pizzas and three flavors of ice cream. He had gone all out.

Claire snagged a cherry Coke and the salsa then grabbed tortilla chips from the cabinet before making her way to her room.

Even though she had left for college several years ago, her mom had kept her bedroom intact. Which turned out to be a blessing last year when she was working clinical shifts at all hours of the day and night. On many occasions, using her old room was the only way she could get any sleep before the next shift or assignment was due.

She dropped her backpack on the floor while her laptop came to life. Sitting at the desk in her old room was a little nostalgic. This is where she had sat to fill out college applications. And tonight, she would be submitting her last assignment. On the corkboard above the desk was her acceptance letter into the BSN program as well as a note of encouragement from her mom and a row of medals she had earned while on the high school dance team. In the blink of an eye, her college years were here and gone.

While getting comfortable, Claire unhooked her bra and removed it through the arm hole of her scrubs. With a flick of her wrist, it landed next to her backpack on the floor. Tucking her ear buds in, Claire opened her workout playlist. This occasion called for something upbeat and motivating. She scrolled to her favorite Eminem song, set it to repeat, and turned the volume up. She had exactly two hours and twelve minutes before the deadline. Time to get serious and finish strong.

Standing on the porch, Nate opened the text message he'd received earlier in the day.

**Security code to Maggie's house is 0726. See you in the morning.**

Headlights pulling in behind his truck indicated his friends had arrived and a party was about to begin.

"Hey, Nate, hope you don't mind, but we brought you a homecoming present," he heard someone shout from the driveway.

From his location near the front door, Nate watched the crew unload and make their way to the house. His two buddies from the Army, Conner and Eric, stood aside, allowing the skimpily clad female to saunter her way inside.

Nate half smiled before hooking a thumb toward the girl. "Wait. Who is she?"

Conner walked in and helped himself to a beer. "She's all yours. And she's a professional, so make sure you get our money's worth."

Before he could agree or disagree, the sex kitten pressed her body to his and wound her arms around his neck. "Whoa, aren't you a big boy." Reaching down to test the size of his biceps, she squeezed and squealed. "I can't wait to see what else you have under here. Where's your room, handsome?"

Nate looked over at his boys making themselves right at home. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew some folded bills and dropped them on the table. "Order some pizza. It's on me."

Seconds later, he closed the door of the bedroom he was borrowing once again and pressed the girl against it. She purred in his ear while her hands got busy untucking his shirt and working her way into his jeans. He turned abruptly, grabbed her hands and anchored her to the wall while he kissed his way down her neck. She began moaning and begging while he pressed into her spread legs, roughly pushing her against the wall again and again.

"Hey, boy, what's your name? You can call me Candy. Please say it," she begged.

Nate groaned inwardly to himself. He was okay with hit-it-and-quit-it situation. Hell, that was his specialty. But for the past several weeks, he had been thinking about seeing Claire and trying to figure out what to say to her. All he wanted now was a good, hard fuck to numb the permanent ache lodged in his chest.

"You don't need my name, and I won't be needing yours."

As he was reaching for the condom in his pocket, he heard a noise from the kitchen that sounded like clapping and whistling. _Were the guys cheering him on? Could they hear him?_ Lifting his mouth from her neck, he strained to listen. More shouting and cat calls. Dropping Candy to her feet, he opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

Standing less than three feet away with her back to him was none other than the girl who he had spent the better part of the last two years trying to forget. "Claire?"

Typing the closing paragraph to her term paper, Claire closed her eyes and tried to think of the right words. When she opened them, the medals on her cork board were bouncing. She reached up to remove her headphones and heard noise against the adjoining wall between her room and the spare room. She quickly jumped up, grabbed a softball bat out of the closet, and cracked the door open. She heard voices in the kitchen, and the smell of pizza floated toward her.

Carefully walking the short distance, she peeked around the corner into the kitchen. Two broad-shouldered men with standard issue Army haircuts sat at the table eating pizza and throwing back beer. They didn't notice her at first, so she had the advantage. With her heart pounding and her voice shaking, she raised the bat over her head, ready to swing before she stepped into the room. "What the hell are you doing in my house?"

The man facing her looked up and grinned. "Hey, look, Candy brought a friend."

The other man swiveled on his stool and grabbed at his crotch before standing. "Oh, baby! My favorite fantasy stars a naughty nurse. Come take my temperature, sweetheart."

Claire rounded the bat, pointing it at him. "Don't you _dare_ come any closer!"

From over her shoulder, Claire sensed the looming presence of another man. Turning quickly, she froze when she realized who was standing there.

Taking up the width of the hallway and all the oxygen in the room was Nate. His broad chest rose and fell in deep breaths as she watched him reach down and lift his zipper. He blinked her into focus before turning to speak to someone in the bedroom. "Give me that shirt." His right hand came up to cover his left side as he waited. Raising his voice, he snapped his fingers at the unseen person. "Now."

A moment later, a dark wad of fabric launched from inside the bedroom and struck him in the face followed by a rebuking female voice. "You aren't any fun."

Nate turned away from Claire and pulled a tight black T-shirt over his head. Once fully dressed, he slowly stepped toward her and soaked her in from head to toe. He had hoped that distance and time would make him forget about how her smile lit up a room. Or how her lips were always pink and pillow soft. Or how her bright blue eyes captivated him. But time had done nothing to dispel those things. She was slightly curvier than before, and her beautiful blond hair was cut a little shorter, but everything else was the same. Only ten times better. Her scrubs hugged her hips and those perfectly round tits were currently hard and pointing his way. She must have noticed the direction of his stare, because she dropped the bat and crossed her arms.

"Nate? Wh-what are you doing here?"

Nate glanced over at his friends and back to Claire. "I just touched down a few hours ago. Nick told me to stay here tonight. We were going to surprise everyone else tomorrow."

"Well, it's a surprise alright." Making a move for her bedroom, Claire stopped when he held up a hand, refusing to step aside for her to pass.

"Hold up. Where are you going?"

Claire pointed to her room. "I have a final paper due in less than an hour. Can you just," glancing into his open door, she watched as a woman wearing sexy lingerie climbed onto his bed, "keep it down?"

Nate stepped aside. She quickly dashed past him and slammed her door. With sagging shoulders, she sat on the edge of her bed and worked to hold her racing heart at bay. Chills ran over every inch of her skin and stole her breath. Nate was home! He was here, and there was a whole hell of a lot more of him than before. Thinking back to the day he left two years prior, she recalled his toned back and trim waist. But now? Now he was ripped and tatted and _fuck_ was that sexy. She closed her eyes to the burning image of his low slung jeans, unbuttoned and highlighting the deep vee and dark trail that disappeared beneath his zipper. And those veins on his forearms? Talk about nurse porn. The Army had turned Nate Thompson into a hardcore man.

After taking a few deep breaths and making her way back to her laptop, Claire stared at the screen in disbelief. There was no way she could refocus on the treatment of blood diseases now. This was as good as it was ever going to get. She hit send, closed her computer, and staggered over to her bed. She laid there numb and staring at the ceiling.

In the minutes that passed, she vaguely registered the sound of car doors closing and engines starting. The house quieted immediately. The only sound was that of footsteps coming briskly down the hall, stopping just outside her room.

A soft knock sounded before the door cracked open. Nate held on to the doorknob with one hand as he leaned against the door frame.

"I'm sorry about all that and the noise. Were you able to finish your paper?"

Claire nodded in response. The lump in her throat refused to go up or down.

Nate looked around the room and back at her. "I was hoping we could talk."

# 6

"Talk?" Claire asked on a whisper. Then she sat up and turned frosty blue eyes directly at him. "I've been _trying_ to talk to you for two years. What makes you think I have anything to say to you now?"

"Claire." Nate stepped into the room when he heard the pain in her voice. She had every right to question him, and he had no right to ask for her indulgence now. But damn if he wasn't going to try.

"No. Don't _Claire_ me. I told you I would write to you. The purpose, I thought, was to keep in touch and get to know each other better. I tried to fill you in on Mom and Nick. I figured you'd at least reply back when I told you I was accepted into the BSN program, but no, nothing. Not one letter. What in the world makes you think I want to have a conversation with you now?"

Nate bit his bottom lip. He could feel the sting from her anger and knew he was the one to blame. But now that he was standing here taking all the fury she threw at him, he just wanted her more. It made him want to comfort her and drive away the pain he had caused.

"What do you want me to say? Do you want me to make up excuses and tell you I was too busy or that I didn't want to know what was going on? Because if I said that, it would be a lie. Okay?" Nate ran a frustrated hand through his hair before planting his hands on his hips. "Listen, after the night of our parents' wedding, I didn't know what to say to you. I was so fucking happy when I got that first letter you sent. I showed it off to all the guys in my unit. They were jealous, and I wanted them to be. Then I sat down to read it, and I couldn't believe what you asked. That's when I realized you had no idea what happened between us that night. I didn't know if I should fill in the blanks for you or keep it to myself. Then your letters kept coming and you kept asking me if I was mad at you. I tried, you have to believe me. Hell, for the past two years, all I could think about was you and what you said that night."

Claire simmered while listening to his explanation. "I find that hard to believe. I mean, what the hell did I say that made you stop talking to me completely?"

Nate carefully gauged the level of her anger. She had every right to be mad, but telling her about that night could make her never speak to him again. And as much as he wanted her to know, he wasn't ready for that option. "I don't think we should discuss it tonight."

"Oh, no. You brought it up." Claire's tone was demanding as she stepped forward.

Nate paused for a beat. She wasn't going to let him go without an answer. "You told me you had feelings for me, and then you asked if I felt the same."

"And? What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything. I kissed you."

Claire reached up and covered her mouth with a gasp.

"And you kissed me back. Like you were as desperate for it as I was."

Claire stepped backwards until her legs hit the mattress. She slowly sat down. Memories of that morning flooded her mind as she ran her hand up to cover the tender spot below her ear. So it _was_ Nate that left the mark on her neck. "Did we...?"

Nate looked away and ran a tongue around the inside of his cheek while shaking his head. "No. We didn't."

Claire released a breath in relief. "So what were you hiding from me? We kissed. Big deal. We had been drinking. I was pissed off at Aspen and recall you being very sweet to me. When you read my letter and found out I didn't remember, why not just tell me so we could laugh about it and move on. I literally thought you hated me."

Nate's dark eyes found hers. "I could never hate you, Claire. I just didn't know what to say. I didn't want to make it awkward between us down the road. I decided if you couldn't remember, then I should just try and forget it ever happened."

"But you didn't."

What kind of question is that? _Fuck no, he didn't forget it_.

"What aren't you telling me? What happened _after_ we kissed?"

_Shit_. That part was harder to explain. Nate crossed his arms, drawing her eyes to his thick chest. "You slipped out of your pretty pink dress and nature took over. It was reckless and wild, and fuck if it wasn't the best night of my life. I was completely wound up by the time we got to your bed."

"But, you just said we didn't."

"We didn't, but we got damn close. We were both feeling pretty good from the whiskey, and once we got to your room, I realized I didn't have a condom. Not in my pocket. Not in the bag in my bedroom. Nowhere. You wrapped your leg around me and said you'd be happy just to keep doing what we were doing."

"But I remember waking up in pajamas."

"Mhm. That's because I couldn't just lay there. Your hands were pulling my hair, and I couldn't keep my mouth off yours. My hands were roaming everywhere, and it felt so fucking good. After what we had started, I was delirious. I didn't trust myself to stop. There was a shirt on the chair, so I helped you into it. Shortly after that, you backed your ass up to me and begged me to hold you. So I did until you passed out in my arms."

Claire was shocked by his forthcoming honesty. How in the hell did she not remember any of that? "Did you stay with me?"

Nate slid his hands in his pockets and shrugged in defeat. "I fucking tried. I wanted that moment with you so bad. But, I felt guilty, like I was taking something you weren't really offering. I ended up pacing between my room and yours while finishing another bottle of liquor I found."

"But you wanted to?"

"Damn right I wanted to. That's never changed."

Claire swallowed hard and fought against the emotion rising in her chest. How many times had she thought back to that night, trying to tie the pieces together? She knew in her heart that somehow Nate had been in her bed. The details were foggy, but the feeling in her gut was clear. And it always had been.

"So now what?"

Nate tucked his hands deeper. "Honestly, I don't have a fucking clue. But here we are again, in the same house. Only difference is, we're sober this time."

Claire pierced him with a sharp look. "Umm, no. That's not the only difference, Nate. It's been two and a half years since you even spoke to me. Did you think you'd just walk in here and we'd pick up where we left off?"

Nate cut his eyes to the side, eyeing her carefully. _Could it be that easy?_

"Let me make it crystal clear for you, since you seem to be confused. Back then, when we had the chance to make it known that we had pre-existing feelings for each other? Yeah, we could have tried to make something of it. But now? My mom calls you her stepson. Trevor refers to you as his brother from another mother. And me, I try not to think about you _at all_ because as far as I can tell, I don't exist to you."

Nate ground his teeth, causing the veins in his neck to swell. "Don't say that."

Claire stood up and stepped forward, closing the space between them. With her hands defiantly placed on her hips, she leaned in. "Why not?"

"Because while I was gone, it was thoughts of you and your letters that kept me going."

"Oh, really? From all those meaningful conversations we shared in our correspondence. Yes, I can see that."

Reaching for her now, Nate plucked a hand from her hip and held on. "Claire, I can explain the letters. But we need to be able to talk without shouting."

Claire's heart raced as she looked down at their joined hands. His warm palm held on to hers as his thumb swept gently across her skin.

When he realized he was stroking her hand, Nate released it but did not make a move to leave.

Claire forced her emotions down before motioning toward the door. "What? You have more to say?"

"A lot more."

"Well, maybe you could write it down and mail the damn thing to me!"

Nate turned on his heel and walked out without another word. Claire leaned against the door and slid to the floor as silent tears trailed down her cheeks.

How long had she been trying to make herself believe she did not have feelings for him? How many dates had she been on trying to find someone who made her pulse race just a fraction of the way Nate did? All that effort over the past couple years, blown to shreds with one gentle touch.

# 7

Early the next morning, Nate gave up on sleep and made his way to the kitchen. While digging through the cabinet for coffee supplies, his phone buzzed with an incoming message from his dad, Nick.

**You up? Can I take you out for breakfast?**

Nate's mouth watered. He could seriously put away some grub right now.

**Yep. Give me 5.**

Claire laid awake, listening to the sounds coming from elsewhere in the house. Nate had the audacity to hum to himself while he shuffled around in his room. _Noisy early risers and their stupid humming_ , Claire thought. Then moments later, the front door opened and closed quietly.

Finally. Now that she had the house to herself, she could relax. Rolling to her side, she snagged her phone to check the time. Eight fifteen. Great. Not only did she sleep like shit, but now she would have to face Nate and the rest of her family while she was tired and grumpy.

On the floor near the end of her bed, Claire noticed several sheets of paper that appeared to have been shoved under the door. When she picked them up, she saw they were sequentially numbered.

The first one was an apology. Short and sweet.

_Claire – I'm sorry for not writing you back. I tried to, please believe me. I didn't know if what we did was something you would be ashamed of or not. And being where I was, unable to see your reaction when you read it, I didn't want to hurt you in any way. I can see now that I still hurt you. Please accept my apology._

Opening the second one, Claire braced herself for more.

_Claire – I am not ashamed! I have never thought of you as my stepsister, and I never will. I can't. I just want to erase the damage I caused and go back to that night. I know what you said is true. It will be harder now. But I want to try._

With trembling fingers, she opened up the third and final note.

_Correction. I don't just want to try. I came home for you._

Claire managed to stay hidden in her bedroom for most of the morning. She went through the small bag of clothes she packed the day before, preparing to spend the day playing on the floor with her nephew. She didn't have anything sexy or even pretty to wear. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she adjusted the black scoop neck sweater she had paired with well-worn skinny jeans. In an effort to dress up the ensemble, she slipped on a pair of knee boots and put loose curls in her hair. She could hear chatter coming from the kitchen. Even though Nick and Maggie technically lived in Nick's house next door now, the table in Maggie's dining room seated more people, so today's meal was being prepared and eaten here. Among the voices were her mom and Nick and the deep baritone of another male voice. His laugh was smooth and warm, thick like honey. She could feel gooseflesh erupt on her skin every time the sound floated down the hallway to her door. After one last glance in the mirror, she wished herself luck and stepped toward the laughter in the kitchen.

Rounding the corner, Claire watched as Nick reached for Maggie to wipe his hands on her apron. Her mom giggled and swatted him away with an oven mitt. They were too cute. Claire cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"Oh, hey, there you are. I had no idea you would be here last night. I hope Nate's surprise arrival with his friends wasn't too disruptive," Nick said as he hugged and released her.

Claire glanced over to Nate where he sat on a barstool, eyeing her carefully over a cup of coffee. "No, it was fine. Thanks for leaving all that food. That drive in the snowstorm about did me in. I was starving by the time I got here."

"No problem. I had stocked up for Nate and the guys but was grateful they left enough for you."

Maggie closed the oven and set to work pulling dishes out of the cabinet. "Claire, could you set the table? Trevor said they'll be here shortly, but they're taking Jackson to see the Santa at the mall, so they'll be leaving early."

"Sure."

With a stack of dishes in her hands, Claire took off for the dining room. The sound of Nate's stool scraping against the tile caused her to look up. "I'll give you a hand with that."

In the dining room, Claire arranged the plates as Nate followed her around the table with silverware. When he began to speak, she threw him a frosty blue warning. "Don't you dare say a word to me."

He held his laughter and grinned. God, she was cute when she was pissed.

Leaning over the table she whispered, "We will talk about your letters later. Until then, do not speak to me. This is a _family_ dinner, and whether you want to be or not, we are family. Got it?"

"Can I just say one thing?"

"What?" Claire asked sharply.

"You're beautiful."

When Trevor and Katie arrived, their three-year-old son, Jackson, came running through the door. Trevor followed behind carrying a hot serving dish. He managed to sidestep Jackson while Katie knelt to help her impatient son out of his coat and snow boots.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Trevor exclaimed as he moved farther into the house. "About time you came home, bro."

"It's good to be back," Nate replied, full of sincerity.

After a round of welcome home hugs, Maggie suggested they all take a seat for dinner. And wouldn't you know it, the last two chairs were next to each other. Nate instinctively reached for one and pulled it out, waiting for Claire to sit. After an awkward moment of realization, Claire slid onto the chair.

As they sat shoulder to shoulder, Nick suggested they hold hands for grace like a damn Norman Rockwell photo. Nate eagerly extended his hand to her, palm up. She compliantly placed her hand in his before closing her eyes. While everyone at the table bowed their heads, Nate silently observed Claire. He would beg for grace at every meal if it meant he could touch her. He squeezed her hand, and she responded by opening her eyes to him. The anger from last night as well as the warning from earlier were gone. She looked him over thoughtfully, eyes glancing at his thick, tattooed forearm, his open collar, his neatly trimmed beard, and finally, his eyes. He watched as her chilly welcome from earlier thawed.

"Amen. Let's eat."

Dinner conversation quickly turned to sharing holiday plans. Maggie filled them in on the resort she and Nick had reserved for the next three weeks. After everyone chimed in with their own plans, she turned to Claire. "You're awfully quiet, Claire? What are you doing for your birthday this year?"

Intrigued, Nate looked over just in time to catch her response. "I'm working. Most of the ER staff still has young kids, so I volunteered to cover several shifts. But I have a few days off after New Year's."

"When is your birthday?" Nate asked quietly.

"Christmas day, but I rarely celebrate it on that day."

Maggie smiled. "She surprised us by coming two weeks early, but she was definitely the best Christmas gift ever."

Trevor scoffed. "I don't know about that. I wanted a brother."

"Well, you got one now," Katie added as she pointed across the table to Nate.

"I feel bad that we'll miss your birthday. You don't have any plans?" Nick asked.

"I'm going out with some girlfriends on New Year's Eve. One of the other interns knows the bartender at the Tap Room. They're having a live band, and she got us tickets."

Katie nudged Trevor in the side. "You should totally hook her up with your friend Troy. He would be perfect for her!"

"Yeah, maybe. You need a date?"

Katie smiled and excitedly reached across her plate to Claire. "He's so cute! He's one of those metro sexual types. You know, always well groomed. He has dimples and the sweetest smile. I should have thought of this a long time ago. You'll love him."

Under the scrutinizing eyes of everyone at the table, one pair in particular, Claire shook her head. "No, thanks. I don't need help finding a date. Besides, it's just going to be us girls."

Nate mentally breathed a sigh of relief next to her.

"And what about you, Nate? What have you got planned while you're home?" Maggie asked as she passed the dinner rolls around the table.

"Actually, I'm home for good now. My estimated separation date from the Army is in January, so I'll be sticking around."

Nick couldn't hide his surprise. "Separation so soon? I thought for sure after all this time away that you'd re-enlist."

"No. I'm done. Time to chase my next dream. I plan to start looking for work and an apartment as soon as I can."

"Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you want," Maggie declared.

Claire could feel the walls closing in. Nate was not just visiting. He was staying, which meant it would be impossible to go on pretending he didn't exist.

To his side, Nate could swear he heard Claire say _no_ under her breath. With an uplifted brow, he turned and smiled. _Yeah, I'm staying._

As soon as the last of the gifts were unwrapped, Trevor and his family packed up and left. With another apology, Maggie announced that she and Nick still had to pack. "Our flight leaves at 5:00 am tomorrow. I'll be sure to email you the name of our hotel and our return flight information."

"Thanks, Mom. Have a nice trip, and Merry Christmas."

Nick gave Nate a brief hug. "I'm glad you're home. We'll get together when I get back. Like I mentioned this morning at breakfast, I've got some solid leads on jobs if you want my help."

"I'd like that. Any help is appreciated."

When the door closed behind them, the house fell silent. For several moments, Nate and Claire stood at opposite sides of the room, eyeing each other. Nate was the first to break the silence. "Now can we talk?"

Claire walked over to the refrigerator for a bottle of wine. "I think I'm going to need a drink for that. You?"

Nate shook his head. There would be no drinking around Claire.

"Suit yourself."

Claire moved to the living room and sat down on the couch while Nate took a seat at the opposite end. As he settled in, Claire once again ran her eyes over his arms, allowing them to linger on his thick, dark hair cut high and tight. She recalled the first time she noticed it was at the hospital. The head nurse at the time had sent Claire in search of him. When she found him, he was sound asleep in a vacant waiting room. His clothes were disheveled, and his head was tipped sideways at an odd angle. The hat he had been wearing had fallen to the floor. She bent to pick it up and had the overwhelming urge to run her fingers through his hair. That burning impulse is what made her pause to watch him sleep. He was so handsome and peaceful. Then he opened his eyes and took her breath away. It was a look she felt as much as saw. Almost intimate. He had compassion in his eyes, and Claire was drawn to him immediately.

Now he was looking at her with the same kind and caring eyes that had drawn her in. "You haven't changed a bit. Perhaps prettier if that's possible," he said honestly.

Claire blushed and took a sip of wine. "Well, you're a lot bigger than I remember."

Nate flexed the bicep nearest to her and grinned. "You noticed?"

Claire laughed out loud. "It's pretty hard to miss. You must work out constantly."

Nate shrugged. "Just something to pass the time. Made the days go by quicker."

"Was it bad over there? You were gone a really long time."

"Deployment was pretty bad. We spent a good deal of time in Afghanistan. Lots of gun fighting and peace keeping. But the rest of my time was on base in Germany. That was mostly routine."

"Didn't you ever get leave?"

Nate nodded. "Yeah, I had a couple weeks off last year. I went to Mexico with Sanchez, a buddy in my unit."

"Ah, senoritas and margaritas." Claire felt a stab of jealousy at that thought. "Why didn't you come home?"

Nate drew his eyebrows together and pulled in his chin. "I thought that was obvious."

Claire thought about his letters from this morning, and his meaning was suddenly clear. "Are you saying you stayed away to avoid me?"

"I was trying to stay gone long enough that you'd be off the market one way or another. What the hell happened to your big plans with Aspen? You two had your future mapped out. I was certain you'd be married by now."

Claire made a nauseated sound and rolled her eyes. "Funny thing about Aspen. As much as I wanted to believe we were in love, he had commitment issues. You were absolutely right about him."

"And there's nobody else?"

"I've dated. A lot actually, just nobody serious. What about you? I'm sure there are plenty of girls missing you in Germany or Mexico even."

Nate's gaze darkened as he looked away. Yeah, there had been women aplenty, but they meant nothing then and they meant nothing now. "I'm not without my sins, Claire. But the time I spent with anyone else was an attempt to convince myself that I didn't want you. But it didn't work. The only person I miss and continue to miss is you. No matter what I do. No matter who I'm with, my mind goes back to you and everything that led up to that night. My only fear now is that the one moment with you might be my last."

Claire couldn't hide her doubt to his confession. "Wait a minute. You're telling me that one kiss has stuck with you through every romantic encounter you've had since, and you're here to find out if it's all in your head?" Leaning forward, Claire set the empty glass on the table before settling back into her corner of the sofa. "So, kiss me. We'll chase away all these thoughts of what might have been, and then we can both move on without questioning what it was that night."

Nate drew a thick breath and felt the excitement rise in his chest. "Don't offer that if you're not serious."

"Oh, I'm serious, and I think you're full of shit."

# 8

Nate reached for her ankle that was nearest to him and pulled. He wasn't slow and unsure, nor was he rough and demanding. If he had one kiss to prove his point, she was getting a full-body, head-to-toe, feel-it-long-after-I'm-gone kiss. He was taking what she was offering before she changed her mind. He didn't stop pulling until she was across his lap and tucked into his grip. His hands gently held the sides of her hips before he pressed his mouth to hers. Claire's breath caught in her throat while he explored her lips. He licked at her them, encouraging her to open her mouth to him. She responded timidly by touching his tongue a moment before he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

Claire arched her back, molding herself to his body. He groaned as he slid his hands to her ass, holding her in place. He moved his mouth to her cheek, down her neck, and into the hollow of her throat. Nate reached up and cradled the back of her head while working his fingers through her thick, blond hair. She closed her eyes and lifted her chin when he gave it a slight tug. An animalistic growl boiled to the surface before Nate drew a breath and bit at her shoulder. "Even better than I remembered." With strong arms and a possessive hold, he rolled to the side until he could feel the carpeted floor. Claire reached for him, drawing him down as she reattached her arms around his neck and inched her legs over his thick thighs. With his forearms bracing the sides of her head, he matched the urgent rhythm of their kiss with an equally urgent pulse into her open legs. And it was heaven.

Nate kissed his way to her ear, down her throat, and to the soft flesh above her breasts. Claire turned her head to the side, panting in short, ragged breaths. Her skin was flushed and lust-soaked. "Feels so good," she whispered while curling her fingers into his hair.

Nate surged forward once, drawing attention to the fact that he was completely aroused and in total agreement with her statement. Claire opened her eyes, and her gaze landed on the family picture that had been taken at the wedding. At that moment, she froze. Reality stared back at her.

"Oh my God, Nate. Stop! What are we doing? We can't do this. This is wrong." She placed her hands against his chest and pushed. With her feet on the floor now, she thrust upward with her hips, urging him to let her go.

Seeing the terror in her eyes, Nate reluctantly rolled slightly to his side, allowing her to scramble from beneath him. "You can't be serious." Reaching down to adjust his throbbing cock, he cursed. " _Shit_. You can't kiss me like that and convince me it's wrong. You feel it as much as I do. Do you know what this means?"

Claire reached up with shaky hands to smooth her disheveled hair and then met his hooded eyes. "What?"

"The last time we kissed was exactly like that―red hot and urgent. And all this time, I blamed the alcohol for your willingness to participate. But that fire and desperation just now tells me you want this as much as I do. You can't argue that we have great chemistry."

Claire opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. "Can we just slow down for a hot minute? I didn't say I didn't like it. But, we should talk about this. That this," she pointed to him and back to herself, "cannot happen. Chemistry or not. Nate, what would our parents say? I know you're still getting to know your dad, but I know my mom. She will not understand this. And what if we get involved, and it doesn't end well? Then we're still family, and we could _really_ end up hating each other."

Nate rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his head. "That's a very unlikely outcome. But if you want to take it slow, I don't mind. I'm not going anywhere."

Claire eyes widened, and she felt the heat from moments ago rekindle when she saw the size of the ridge pressing against his jeans. The ache between her legs throbbed with want. She had to look away to gain composure and avoid moving closer. "Well, I am. I need to pack and head back to my apartment. I have to work in the morning."

Nate sat up quickly, pleading with her. "Why can't you stay here tonight?"

"Are you crazy? We just spent ten minutes alone and look what happened. No, I cannot stay here with you."

Christmas morning at the ER was slow and quiet. Their last patient had arrived more than an hour ago and was rushed up to surgery. Now, the clock ticked by at a snail's pace as staff cleaned and restocked supplies. Claire looked up from the nurse's station when Ronnie the janitor reached over the counter, dropping off a brown paper bag. "Miss Claire, a nice young man just delivered this for you. I told him I'd bring it back."

Claire stood and looked over the nursing station and down the hall. "Did you get his name?"

Ronnie smiled. "No. Just said he wanted to bring you breakfast on your birthday."

Claire opened the bag and found two jelly donuts and a card inside. "Thanks, Ronnie."

"Happy birthday, young'un. Oh, and Merry Christmas."

In the break room, Claire took a bite of the first donut before opening her card. On the front of the card was a monkey riding a bicycle. She opened it up and laughed at the greeting inside.

_Be careful who you monkey around with on your birthday._

Off to the side was a hand-written note.

_Claire – Happy birthday, beautiful. I know you're probably busy so I won't bother you. I just think you should celebrate every birthday. Here's my number, call me sometime. Nate_

She picked up her phone and saved Nate's contact information before sending him a message.

**Claire: Jelly donuts are my favorite.**

**Nate: I know. I saw you eating them a few times.**

**Claire: Aren't you sneaky. Thank you.**

**Nate: You're welcome. Happy birthday.**

The rest of the week passed in measured paces. Twelve-hour days at the hospital, followed by carry out dinners, hot showers, and catching up on her DVR. When her shift ended at noon on New Year's Eve, Claire was more than ready for a few days off. In the parking lot, Jessica caught up to her. "So you'll be there tonight, right?"

"Yes. I can't wait for a night out. I'm heading home to shower, but I will be there by eight. Save me a seat?"

"You got it."

"I'll get the tequila." Claire watched as Jessica's boyfriend disappeared into the crowd. Across the table from her sat Jessica, Amber, and her husband, along with another intern from pediatrics and her date. Somehow, Claire's New Year's Eve slash birthday night out with the girls had turned into date night, and she was the only one without a date.

Amber bumped her shoulder as she looked across the room toward a man at the end of the bar. "I'm pretty sure he's here alone. Why don't you go introduce yourself?"

Claire inconspicuously looked in the direction indicated. An attractive older man with salt and pepper hair and a small diamond stud in his ear was watching the band enthusiastically. "I think he's a little old for me."

Amber sighed. "Girl, you have an excuse for everyone I suggest. If you're not careful, you're going to end up alone tonight."

"I came here alone and am planning to go home alone too."

The band began playing a slow song and couples gathered on the dance floor. Amber's husband reached for her hand. "Come on, babe, that's our song."

Claire's phone buzzed on the table as she watched the pair walk away hand in hand.

**Nate: How's your party?**

**Claire: Ok. What are you doing tonight?**

**Nate: I have a few options. Not sure yet.**

**Claire: I think you missed your chance. It's late.**

**Nate: Who are you kissing at midnight?**

Claire glanced around the bar. Nearly everyone was paired up with someone. There was the older gentleman at the bar and another younger man sitting at a table across the room. He was wearing a band T-shirt and making eyes with the lead singer. Clearly, he was taken.

**Claire: Options are limited. Looks like it might be the old guy at the bar.**

**Nate: LOL**

Amber returned to the table and snagged her purse. "I'm going to the restroom before the ball drops. You coming?"

Claire looked at the drink she had barely touched. "No, I'm good."

When the next tray of drinks arrived, Claire exchanged her watered-down Jack and Coke for a fresh one. Amber returned just as the shots were being poured. Normally, Claire hated tequila, but it was a New Year's Eve tradition they had started a couple years back. She went to reach for hers when Amber spoke close to her ear. "I know you're sick of me doing this, but there is a serious hottie at the back of the bar, and it looks like he's alone."

Claire threw back her tequila and slammed the glass down against the hardwood with the others. "Enough already. I'm okay with being single."

The phone in her pocket vibrated.

**Nate: Did you decide on the old guy at the bar?**

**Claire: Well, you aren't here to kiss me, so I guess so.**

**Nate: Turn around.**

The band stopped playing long enough for the crowd to countdown as the ball dropped on the large screen TV behind the bar. Claire slid off her stool and scanned the crowd. Her phone vibrated as soon as she spotted him.

**Nate: Nobody knows who I am. Let me take you home.**

5...4...3...

# 9

...2...1

Claire pushed through the crowd, making her way to Nate. At the stroke of midnight, she was in his arms and his lips were parting hers. No hiding. No shame.

When the crowd finished singing Auld Lang Syne, Nate released her lips but continued to hold her close. Claire's hands fisted his shirt while their mouths shared the same air. She could feel the pounding of his heart against her hands. Claire pushed up on tip toes and stopped a breath away from his ear. "I need to get my purse. Don't go anywhere."

Passion filled eyes met hers. "I'm not leaving here without you."

Claire hoisted herself up into the cab of Nate's truck and inhaled the seductive scent that was nothing short of pure male. "Mmm, I'd know this smell anywhere."

Nate creased his brow as he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. "And what smell is that?"

"You and leather, masculine and sexy. I always knew when you were on my floor at the hospital."

Nate winked and switched lanes. "Help me out. Which direction?"

"Turn right at the next light, and my apartment building is on the left."

At her door, Nate pressed his body close and ran his nose along the ridge of her ear. He was on fire, hard and terrified she wouldn't go through with this. With a slight tremble in his voice, he spoke low and clear. "You're sure? There's no turning back after this."

She twisted the key and together they stumbled across the threshold, grasping on to each other.

In the tiny hallway of her apartment, she dropped her purse and turned into his embrace. He reached for the back of her thighs as she latched her arms around his neck. Nate pressed his lips to hers as she directed him toward the back of her apartment.

Nate slowly lowered her feet to the floor and watched as she frantically kicked off her shoes. A second later, she moved her hands to the top of his jeans. Nate quickly pulled at her greedy hands, laced their fingers, and held them against his chest. "Slow down, Sunshine. Isn't that what you told me you wanted?"

Claire moaned her disappointment. Lifting slightly, she nipped at his lower lip. "I don't know if I can go slow."

The anxious desire in her voice made his cock thicken and his balls ache. In all the dreams he had of this moment, all the scenarios he'd planned out, he had never imagined Claire being aggressive and needy. But here she was, pressing her hips against him and begging to be taken. "You like it hard and fast?"

"I like whatever gets you naked."

Nate stepped back to remove his shirt in one swift motion. From his wallet, he produced a condom and tossed it on the bed. As she watched, he unbuckled his belt and slid it off with a snap. "Jeans. Lose 'em."

Claire smiled and began shimmying out of her pants. After removing his jeans, Nate reached for the cuff of hers and slid them off while she tossed her shirt and bra aside. Claire's eyes widened in shock as Nate stood before. She couldn't keep her hands from reaching for his six pack abs and tracing the deep lines. "Wow. You are amazing."

The irony of her statement made him laugh. She was admiring his physique and throwing out compliments, but the sight of her took his breath away. Her touch was soft and greedy at the same time. Slowly, Claire began inching her way onto the bed, pulling him with her. Nate's cock pressed against the soft flesh of her thigh. He ran his rough hand across the soft lace of her panties. "This right here," he said, resting warm fingertips against the dark wet spot, "is fucking hot. But these pretty little panties need to go."

Claire looked to where Nate's finger was slowly circling her sweet spot. "So get rid of them."

"Yes, ma'am."

Nate knelt to slip her panties down and off. Claire gasped when he slowly slid a rough hand up the inside of her thigh a moment later. Cupping her mound, Nate put pressure on her clit with the heel of his palm while moving in a circular motion.

"Ohhhh. Yes, please."

Nate leaned down and captured a nipple, releasing it with a pop. He slipped one fingertip then two inside while he began teasing her on the outside with his thumb. She responded by gripping his shoulders and grinding against his hand. "Where is that condom?"

Nate licked her nipple with a smirk. "What's the rush?"

"I'm not rushing."

"Yeah you are. You're about to come on my hand."

Claire pleaded for urgency. "Please."

That was it. Her begging for him diminished the last ounce of his patience. He wanted her so fucking bad. He had spent many nights dreaming of this. He tore open the condom and had it rolled on in seconds. With a hand gripping the base of his cock, Nate pressed the head against her slick entrance. He slowed down just long enough to tease her with a few short strokes. Each time he breached her opening, she moaned with anticipation. Claire's patience was on the edge of nonexistence when Nate finally thrust forward.

The air grew thick as sounds of pleasure and bodies coming together filled the room. Claire clutched at his shoulders as he filled her, stretching her and allowing her to take more each time. Nate inched closer, taking her hands in his and holding them above her head. His pace slowed while he rotated his hips, lengthening his stroke, looking into her eyes. Her dirty little pleas for more and deeper made his ears ring. "Oh my God, right there. I'm already so close." She begged, "Please. Don't. Stop."

Nate drew his legs up to add leverage with his knees. He gave her more and pushed deeper until she let go. Nothing had ever been more perfect. Her muscles flexed with every wave of her orgasm, constricting around him over and over. Her hands clawed at his chest. Nate felt the air leave his lungs in a heavy growl.

As Claire recovered, taking a few shallow breaths, Nate pulled out and rolled her over. He moved her hair to the side and kissed her shoulder. The touch was as intimate as it was sexual. "You okay for more?" he asked while gripping her thigh from behind. With gentle pressure, he lifted her knee. Claire mewled against the pillow as he slowing re-entered her. After a few long, slick strokes, he slid forward to the base.

"Nate!"

"I can't help it, you feel so good. I just want all of it," Nate spoke through jagged breaths. Running a hand down her ass, he squeezed and pulled her against his forward motion. To his surprise, she began moving with him, matching his rhythm. "You like naughty, don't you?"

"Yes," she answered on a broken chant. "So much. So good."

A desire to make her come again gripped deep inside his chest and radiated through every pressure point. The intensity built each time she pushed back to meet him. Her head lolled backward, begging for kisses. Their hot breath mingled as their bodies became more frantic. "Baby, it's time. Come with me," Nate said as he slid his hand around and pressed a thumb against her, instantly sending Claire exploding over the edge. Nate followed a moment later as he released years of holding back.

# 10

As the early morning sun began to rise, Claire lay awake with Nate's warm thigh pressing firmly between her legs. With a hand to her hip, he held her possessively, even while he slept. Last night had been magic. And it had been unlike anything she'd ever experienced. After the brain-numbing sex, they had kissed and teased into the early morning hours. But in the light of day, the weight of their actions had real life consequences. Before they had taken it this far, they could go on denying their chemistry. They could avoid and deflect emotions by staying away from each other. But this monumentally changed things.

From the other room, Claire's phone chimed with an incoming text. Taking her time to not wake Nate, she moved one leg at a time to the floor. When her warmth left his side, Nate grumbled in his sleep, reached for her pillow, and tucked it against his chest. As he did, the sheet slid down to his waist. Claire inhaled sharply at the sight of the sexy, dark ink wrapped around his ribs. In their haste last night, she hadn't taken the time to admire it. Leaning close, she read the script and smiled as she recognized the humble words of the serenity prayer. An ache she couldn't name emitted from her core. Such powerful words surely had deep meaning for him to have placed them permanently on his skin.

Her phone chimed again so she carefully tiptoed through her studio apartment. The contents of her purse were scattered across the floor, another reminder of just how reckless they had been.

**Amber: You have some explaining to do! Who was that?**

**Jessica: Details, Claire!!**

**Amber: She's probably still face down in the sheets.**

**Jessica: I know I would be. Did you see that kiss?**

Claire's mind raced as she read through the group text. _Shit!_ They had been seen. This couldn't be happening. How could she explain to her friends who Nate was? They were so distracted by their own wants and needs that they hadn't been careful enough to protect themselves. How could they have been so careless? A sickness rose and made her stomach churn. Her co-workers knew she was single. They also knew she would never walk up to a random guy and take him home.

Claire returned to the bedroom long enough to grab a shirt and a pair of undies. After making a pot of coffee, she planned to wake Nate up so they could talk.

The brew was nearly finished when her phone rang. One glance at the screen, and she froze. Trevor was face timing her. He never did that. As the second ring sounded, Claire finger-combed her hair and looked down at her attire before answering. Plain black T-shirt. Nothing obvious. She put on her game face and answered.

"Hello."

"Hey."

"Hey. Why are you calling me before 8:00 am on New Year's Day?"

"Life with a three-year-old. Which also explains why I'm face timing you. Jackson did something to my phone, and I can't make an outgoing phone call."

Claire smiled. Her nephew was as cute as could be, but he was very curious as well. "He's smarter than you. Ask him to change it back."

Trevor was walking through his house quietly. From the screen, Claire could see Katie and Jackson asleep in the master bed before he closed the door. Images of their hallway, the kitchen, and finally their pantry came into view before he spoke again.

"I was wondering what you've got going this week. I know you said you've got a few days off. Would you be available to watch Jackson for a couple days?"

Claire sipped her coffee. She hadn't really made plans beyond figuring out this mess with Nate, but she couldn't let her brother know that. "Maybe. What did you have in mind?"

Trevor sat down on a step stool, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't know if she told you, but Katie and I have been thinking about getting pregnant again."

Claire smiled and brought the phone closer. "I wondered when it was going to happen."

Raking a hand down his face, Trevor appeared tired and uncertain. "The thing is, we've been trying. It's really hard to find time when Jackson won't stay in his own bed and with me working all this overtime. I think it's beginning to stress Katie out." Lowering his voice a little more, he continued, "Last night, I took a peek at this app on her phone that tracks her ovulation schedule, and this is the best week."

Claire warmed inside. Trevor was not only the best brother, he was also a very caring and loving husband and father. "What can I do? You name it."

"Do you remember Nick's friend Matt Hamilton?"

"Yeah, I remember." Matt was Nick's best friend. They had met while serving together in the Air Force. A strong friendship was forged during that time, making them as close as brothers in many ways. "He and his wife, Sara, just had a baby girl, right?"

"Yep, Hannah. Anyway, we just started a big expansion job over at his shop. While we were talking, he told me about his cabin up north. Told me if I wanted to use it sometime, it was a great place to get away. I was thinking Katie and I could go up today and come home tomorrow evening. I'd like to stay longer, but I'm not sure how she'll feel about being away from Jackson that long."

Claire heard stirring coming from the bedroom and glanced away from her phone. "That's a great idea. I'll come pick up Jackson, and we'll stay at Mom's house. He's comfortable there, and it'll be convenient for you to pick him up."

"That'd be perfect."

"Claire?" Nate's deep, throaty morning voice sounded from the distance.

Trevor squinted his eyes and looked closer at his phone. "Who's there?"

Knowing he couldn't see Nate in the room, Claire played it cool. "Nobody."

"Claire," Nate shouted a little louder this time.

"Mhm, sounds like nobody. You take a guy home from the bar last night?"

Claire scoffed. "That's none of your business."

"Just be careful."

"Always. Tell Jackson that Aunt Claire will be there in two hours."

In the bedroom, Nate rolled over and was disappointed to find Claire's side of the bed empty. He had been dreaming of having her for breakfast, but she didn't answer when he called. In the distance, he could hear voices. Not sure if they were still alone, he quietly reached for his jeans and slipped them on commando. Less than ten seconds later, his phone began ringing. There were only a handful of people who knew he was back and had this number, so he pulled it from his pocket in time to see Trevor's name appear.

He straightened and rolled his shoulders before answering. "This better be important."

Trevor smiled and shook his head at the teasing. "Is this a bad time, Romeo?"

Nate ran a hand across his chest and winced where he felt marks from last night. "It's fine. I was getting up anyway. What time is it?"

"About eight. I won't keep you long. I have an offer to run past you. Kinda time sensitive."

"What's that?"

"I've got a pretty important job starting up next week, and one of my best laborers is off for hernia surgery. He's going to be out for at least two months. I know you said you were looking for work. I could really use someone who can do some heavy lifting and take direction." Trevor smirked at the blank stare he received in return. "You're a beast, so I know you can do the lifting. And, I thought if you like it and it works out, maybe you'd like to hang around permanently. I mean, you're my brother, I'd like to help you out."

Nate couldn't believe what he was hearing. Three years ago, he was looking at a completely different future. After his mom's death, the only plan he could envision was joining the Army and making a career out of it. Now that was coming to an end. He had a dad who he looked up to and a family who welcomed him and wanted to see him succeed.

"Really? I don't know what to say. I did some side work in construction back in high school. I might be rusty. You sure you want me on your crew?"

"I've got my best foreman on that job. He'll teach you everything you need to know."

Nate took a few steps over to the window where the sun was just coming up. The irony of a new beginning washed over him. New relationship. New job. New start. Coming home was absolutely the right decision. "Just tell me where to be, and I'll be there."

Claire leaned against the door frame and listened.

Nate glanced over, but laughter caught his attention. Looking back at the phone in his hand, Trevor was smiling from ear to ear. "Shit, bro, who did you tangle with last night?"

Nate looked down at his chest, and the red fingernail welts left behind were illuminated in the bright sun. His lips turned up in a half smile. The surprise was on him. He imagined Claire being mild as a kitten, but she had been wild and fearless in bed. "She was worth every bit of it."

Trevor hissed as he drew air through his teeth. "Damn. You better enjoy that while it lasts. Because once you get a good girl, it ain't like that. Trust me."

Nate turned slightly, keeping his phone turned at an angle as he caught her eye. "Ten four."

# 11

Nate hung up the phone and tucked it in his pocket. "Your brother just offered me a job."

Claire padded into the room and sat on the edge of her bed with her arms and legs crossed. "You mean _our_ brother?"

"Technically, my stepbrother." Nate leaned down, placing one hand on either side of her hips on the mattress. He pushed his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply behind her ear. "And he has a smoking hot sister," he whispered.

Chills ran down Claire's spine as his lips pressed kisses to her forehead, her temple, and the tip of her nose. She gave him a chilly gaze when he pulled back.

Pausing just inches away, Nate rubbed his nose against hers. "What's that look for?"

Claire stared down at the floor. "We have a really good family, Nate. What are we doing?"

Nate surged forward, pressing her into the mattress. With his big arms wrapped around her, he flipped their position and kissed the top of her head. "We're going to spend the morning getting to know each other. I personally vote on naked for the next few hours. Then we could follow it up with a shower and late lunch."

Leaning away to look at his face, Claire ran her hand over the stubble on his cheek. "That sounds great, but I just agreed to babysit Jackson at Mom's house for the next two days."

"You did what?"

"Yeah, that's what you do for family. And Trevor and Katie really need some alone time." Claire watched as Nate's smile grew.

"I love this plan. You know I'm staying at your mom's house, right?"

"You are?"

Nate nodded. "Fuck yes. I love this plan."

"No! Nate, no. We cannot get caught playing house in front of Jackson."

Grabbing her by her shirt tail as she scrambled out of bed, Nate pinned her down just long enough to get a kiss. "Your nephew is three. Who's he going to tell?"

"Nobody because this isn't happening around him or anyone else."

# 12

"Here's his Spiderman backpack. It has his favorite pillow, some cars, and a fire truck, along with a contact list for poison control and other important numbers." Katie handed the backpack to Claire then turned to grab a worn blanket from the back of the couch. Her voice was anxious as she spoke. "He will need this blanket to sleep with. And," she took a calming breath and hugged the blanket to her chest, "you may need to sleep with him." Her pained expression was full of apology.

Claire shouldered the bag and tugged the blanket free of Katie's grasp. "He'll be fine. We'll be fine. Just enjoy your mini-vacation. There is nothing I can't handle. I'm a nurse, remember?"

Katie nodded. "Right. Okay. Are you sure you don't mind?" Her voice cracked on the last word. Leaving her son for an overnighter should have been a break she looked forward to, but this was the first time in three years that she and Trevor had spent the night away from him.

"Tell you what, I'll take some selfies and document the sleepover. But I am not sending them to you and interrupting Operation Baby Making. Go do things with my brother that would gross me out, and please, do not share the details with me."

Katie grabbed her and hugged her. "I will. And, I won't."

Jackson came running at her from the kitchen. "Can we watch cartoons on the big TV?"

Trevor, who had been patiently waiting next to Katie, bent down to his son's level. "Slow down. You better tell your mama goodbye first." Jackson reached up and wrapped his arms around his mom's neck and gave her an open mouth wet kiss on the cheek.

"You be a good boy for Aunt Claire."

"I will, Mama," then turning to Claire, "can we have ice cream?"

Claire looked up and smiled at both Trevor and Katie. "Don't worry, we'll have fun." She reached for Jackson's hand and led him to the car. Along the way, she told him about the ice cream and dinosaur chicken nuggets they would be having for dinner.

Nate circled his old house and the high school. When he left Claire's apartment, he had promised that he would give her space. The only way he could do that was just to stay away. He pulled up next to the football field and cut the engine. It seemed like a whole lifetime since he'd been there. Three years had passed. And everything was different now, including his last name. He reached up and thumbed the edge of his dog tags hanging on the rearview mirror. His last name, Thompson, was proudly stamped into the metal. He let his thoughts wander back to the day when it all changed. He could almost pinpoint it to the exact day. It had been mid-summer four years ago. His mom had been complaining that she didn't feel well. A few days later, she called in sick and went to see a doctor. By the time the leaves were turning that fall, she was on dialysis and placed on the kidney donor registry. Nate gazed out over the snow covered football field and allowed himself to feel the tightness spreading through his chest. She had been his mom, but more than that, for almost twenty years, she was the only family he ever had. She alone was his support system. When he was struggling with school or sports, she encouraged him. And when he was crushing on a girl, somehow she knew.

He smiled at that memory. Even weak and hospitalized, she knew.

Just after dinner one evening, Claire came in to clear her tray. Nate stood up to help and accidently spilled half a glass of orange juice down the front of her scrubs. They both laughed. As Claire cleaned it up, he apologized repeatedly. He was still smiling an hour later when his mom brought it to his attention.

"You like her a lot," she stated. It wasn't a question.

Shocked at her keen observation, he smiled a little harder. "She's easy on the eyes."

His mom adjusted her blanket and closed her eyes. "Well, she likes you too."

Nate slid down in the driver seat and propped his head against the headrest. What he wouldn't give to go back to that day. Knowing what he knew now, he would have asked Claire out in a heartbeat. He would have sat down at her table where she was alone in the cafeteria. He would have walked her to her car when they left in the same elevator ride. So many chances he could have taken. The life he had now, sure it was good, but it could be so much more. They could have what they both wanted without fighting or hiding it.

The job offer from Trevor was a welcome surprise and a great opportunity. He had already made his mind up on not going back to school. Taking classes on the GI Bill sounded like a great option, but it honestly left a sour taste in his mouth. Classrooms and teachers after being overseas and seeing all the devastation in the world just didn't appeal to him. He needed to do something real, something he could touch and see the results of his effort. Carpentry was something he could see himself making a career out of. He could be a good provider on a salary like that.

His mind immediately went to Claire. As the vision of her lying beneath him last night came racing through his mind, he felt his desire heat up. His pulse created a drum beat in his temple. Why did she have to be the one person who made him want things like a good job and a family of his own?

Claire took the ice cream bowls to the kitchen, shut down the lights, and turned the volume down on the cartoons. When she returned to the living room, she pulled back the sheet and climbed into the fort she and Jackson had built. He had pulled the couch cushions onto the floor and asked her to build a tent to play in. One thing led to another, and before it was over, they had dining room chairs lining the rug as well as countless blankets and sheets from the linen closet. They spent the next two hours playing in the cozy fort before she finally convinced him to lay down for bedtime.

Claire reached over to tuck his blanket in tighter and pulled his little body closer. His head rested next to hers on a shared pillow as she snapped a selfie. She kissed his cheek and smiled at the chocolate ice cream smudge on his chin. The sweet boy had fallen asleep before she could clean him up. She could relate. After a full day of playing and running around after a three-year-old, she was exhausted.

But staying busy was her tried and true method of distraction. If she stayed busy, she could compartmentalize her thoughts. It was a trait she had learned and perfected while working in the hospital. If she allowed herself to focus on all the sadness she saw every day, she wouldn't be able to provide the best care. But the moment her day stopped and the world got quiet, all bets were off. Alone with her thoughts tonight, she automatically pictured Nate. She had lots of images of him to linger on, but the most vivid were last night. Everything about last night had made her feel incredible. But now she was hurting, aching with worry and stress about how they had gotten themselves into this mess. In the moment, she hadn't thought about consequences or family or explanations. She had simply acted on the urges she had kept hidden and suppressed for so long.

And everything about it had been absolute perfection. He kissed her with deep desire. Every touch was a caress. And afterward, when they both lay satisfied and quiet, he had pulled her close and held her like she was special. Nobody had ever done that for her. It was exactly like she imagined it would feel.

Claire heard the front door open and close quietly.

She listened as footsteps slowed to a stop before they turned toward the opposite side of the house. Down the hall, she could hear muted noises of doors opening and drawers closing. She held her breath in anticipation, hoping he would look for her instead of staying in his room.

Footsteps on the carpet next to her made her heart skip a beat. The blanket flap was pulled aside while Nate crouched down to peek inside. His eyes found hers, and a knot formed in her chest. "Hey. I'm not staying. I just came to get some stuff. I'll be staying with my buddy Conner this weekend." Nate's eyes fell to her bare leg, exposed at the ankle where the small blanket shifted off her. He reached down and pulled it over her. His warm hand briefly squeezed her foot before letting go.

Claire shivered at the gesture. "You know you can stay here," she spoke quietly.

Nate looked over at the sleeping boy and back to Claire. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Shifting Jackson, she crawled out of the fort and stood in time to see Nate walking away with his backpack thrown over his shoulder. "We have to be able to be in the same house. We are family regardless."

Nate turned to face her with a knowing half smile. "If I stay here, I'll end up in your room or you'll be in mine. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when." He lowered the backpack to the floor and waited for her to argue with what they both knew was true. When she did nothing but stare at the ground near her feet, he stepped forward and reached for both of her hands. "Last night was amazing, and in a way, it was life changing. I can't stop thinking about it, and I don't want to. I know this terrifies you, but if you just let it happen, we'll figure it out together."

Clair pulled one hand free and wiped a tear before it fell. She tried to speak but choked on the words instead. Reaching for him, she leaned into his chest. "I just don't want to hurt anyone."

With his arms circling her waist, Nate held her, lifting her feet from the floor. "We won't. Besides, we aren't doing anything wrong. As soon as you accept that, we can just let it happen."

"But what if..." Claire stifled a quiet cry.

"Shhh." Nate soothed a hand down her hair. "For now, all I'm saying is that when we can be together like tonight, don't act like you don't want it. We can keep it between us for now. I'm perfectly fine with stolen kisses."

Claire lay awake in the crook of Nate's arm with her head against his chest. After checking on Jackson, they had snuck off to her room, leaving a night light on in the bathroom. "Tell me something I don't know about you."

Nate reached for the sheet and pulled it up around them, tucking her in tighter. "Like what?"

"Who were your friends growing up? Did you play sports? Who was your first girlfriend? Anything. Everything. I want to know it all."

"I played football in high school. Was never very fast, but I was big, so I was a linebacker. A broken collarbone sidelined me after the first game of my junior year. My first girlfriend was Amy Miller in the fourth grade. She let me push her on the swings. We broke up when she told me she wanted my best friend Charlie to do it. Evidently, he was a better pusher than me."

"That's terrible. Are you still friends with Charlie?"

"Nah, he moved away the summer before fifth grade. But he had the best dad."

Claire laughed. "You sound envious."

"I was. I never had a dad growing up. My mom dated a few guys, but they never hung around long enough to get to know me. But I loved going over to Charlie's house. His mom watched me after school. Most of the time, we just played outside or built ramps for our bikes on the sidewalk. But if my mom worked late, I got to stay for dinner. Those were the best days. Charlie's dad would come home from work covered in dirt. I remember wondering what he did to get so dirty. He'd clean up at the kitchen sink while talking to Charlie's mom, and I'd watch him. He always kissed her when he walked in the door, and he smiled when he listened to her talk about her day. And he was happy. I mean, every time I saw him, he was smiling." Nate snickered under his breath. "This one time, Charlie and I were building a rocket, and we had paper and glue and shit all over the table. Charlie was concentrating on perfecting it, and I was listening to his parents. When we ran outside, Charlie's dad reached for the duct tape and handed it to me. He told me he'd be out after he helped Mrs. Allen make the bed. Later, he came outside wearing a clean shirt and whistling like making beds was the best thing he had done all day."

Claire burst out laughing. "You know they weren't making a bed."

Nate opened his mouth in shock then quickly smiled. "Of course I know that now. But at ten, I couldn't imagine why he was so happy about it. I just remember wishing I had a dad like Charlie's."

Claire rested her cheek against his chest. "Thank you for telling me."

"Your turn. Tell me what happened with Aspen."

Just as Claire began to speak, they heard a frightened cry from the living room. "Momma!"

Claire jumped up, grabbed her pajama shirt from the floor and threw it on as she ran down the hall to the living room. Jackson had woken up and couldn't find her. She scooped him up and soothed him as she crawled into the fort next to him. "Shhh, it's okay. Mommy isn't here, but I am. I've got you."

Jackson burrowed into her shoulder. "I want you to sleep with me."

"Okay, I'll stay right here."

Several minutes later, Jackson was sound asleep. The flap of the fort opened, and Nate tossed in a pillow next to Claire. "Make room."

Claire whisper shouted, "What are you doing? You can't be serious."

"It's a sleepover. Move over."

She reluctantly turned to her side, leaving just a few inches. Nate wedged himself between the sofa and her back side. "See, plenty of room for me."

"Hardly. Don't touch me."

Nate smiled against her ear as he deepened their spoon. "Too late. Now be good, and don't wiggle too much."

# 13

"And this one is Marshall. He's a fireman. He puts out fires." Jackson held up a Dalmatian figure wearing a fireman hat and jacket, proudly explaining the characters of Paw Patrol to his Uncle Nate. "And this is Skye." Jumping from the chair, he held Skye over his head and ran around the room making airplane noises. "She flies around. And sometimes she drops her hook to save people."

Nate listened carefully to the full list of characters as Claire showered and packed her bag in the other room. After waking up with a hard-on punching a hole in his boxers from being pressed up next to her ass all night, he had talked her into a quickie in the laundry room. She agreed but told him it would cost him. One look at her messy hair and Victoria's Secret pajamas and he would have agreed to anything. Now he was in the living room playing Paw Patrol while painfully aware that she was naked and wet down the hall.

It had snowed some overnight, so their plans for the day were to build a snowman and make hot cocoa. Claire rejoined them, holding her phone to her ear. "Yep, he's had breakfast already, and he's playing Paw Patrol with Uncle Nate." Moving the phone to her other ear, she brushed her hair while listening. "Oh, yeah. I thought you knew Nate was here."

Nate met her eyes and pointed to the phone. "Who's that?"

"Sure, you can talk to him." She passed the phone off with a shrug of her shoulder. "Here, Trevor wants to talk to you."

"Hey, what's up?"

"I totally forgot you were staying there. Would you mind giving me a hand by shoveling the two driveways when I get there to pick up Jackson?"

"I'll have it done before you get back. Just take your time and drive safe."

Claire listened to the two brothers banter back and forth. They respected each other and looked out for one another. That's what siblings do, which made her forbidden tryst with Nate that much harder to accept.

Nate handed the phone back and noticed the shadow of doubt around her eyes. "There you go again. I know that look. You have to stop worrying about us. Trevor is your brother, and he loves you. He steps up and takes care of things because he's looking out for you. But what we have is different."

"I just worry about what might happen between you two if I screw this up. What if you change your mind, and you don't want this? I don't want to put Trevor in the middle. It's not fair to him."

Nate cupped her cheeks and pressed a kiss to her forehead, ignoring her nervous glance to Jackson. "He's too young to know this is more than a hug, Claire." Pulling her close, he held her against his heart until she could feel his warmth transfer from his body to hers. "And, I will never not want this."

Claire said her goodbyes and drove back to her place in Grand Rapids. She couldn't help but notice how happy Trevor and Katie had been when they picked up Jackson. They were fun and flirty, acting like lovebirds the whole time they packed up Jackson. The way they looked at each other made her green with envy. She silently wondered if she and Nate could be that happy someday.

Before turning in for the night, she picked up her laptop and checked several days' worth of missed emails. After receiving word that her final scores were in, she had been applying to full time positions, hoping to find something closer to home. She was scrolling past emails from stores having after Christmas sales when a familiar name caught her eye. Clicking it open, she read the note from Aspen.

_Hi Claire – You won't believe how excited I got when I came across your application yesterday. I couldn't believe my eyes. Our Pediatrics Department is looking for full-time nurses. I know you have a soft spot for kids. Just let me know when you want to start, and I'll make it happen. I'd love to get together over drinks to talk about it._

_Aspen Donovan, Director of Nursing_

Claire sat back against her pillows and considered the offer thoughtfully. Children's Hospital had been her goal from the beginning of her college career. It wasn't that nursing jobs were hard to find because they weren't. But Children's had a reputation for being the best pediatric hospital in the region. She had even done her research paper on the trials they were doing with hard to treat diseases, hoping it would give her a leg up.

It would mean working with Aspen, but she had the advantage since she had been the one to break up with him. Typing out a quick reply, her heart raced. This was a dream come true.

"Welcome back." Amber sing-songed to Claire as she entered the staff lounge.

"Hi," she acknowledged quietly as she stood there removing her coat.

Amber slid along the wall of lockers and blocked the opening with her hand. "How was your time off? Hmmm? Did you even bother leaving your apartment?"

Claire lifted Amber's arm out of the way and hung up her coat. "That's none of your business."

Amber crossed her arms and gave her a hard stare. "Don't give me that. I've been setting you up on dates for months, and this whole time, you've had a guy on the side? Even my husband was drooling when he saw you two kissing."

Claire looked up and registered the smile on Amber's face. Had she and Nate really been that obvious at the bar? It was just a sloppy, tipsy kiss. That's all it was. "You didn't see what you think you saw."

"Okay. So then tell me. Who is he?"

Pushing past her, Claire answered over her shoulder, "Just someone I knew a long time ago."

"Like yesterday?"

Claire stopped and turned to face her. "Listen, I need to tell you something."

Amber sensed the warning in her tone and held her hands up in truce. "Changing the subject won't make me forget to ask you later."

"I know. But I have some important news, and I want you to know before everyone else."

"Sounds serious."

"It is. I have an interview at Children's Hospital back home. The director of nursing is an old friend of mine, and he pretty much said the job is mine. So, I'm turning in my notice today."

"What? That's awesome. You've worked your ass off. They'll be lucky to have you." Amber encircled her with a hug. "I'll miss you though."

"I'll miss you too. Thanks for everything."

Amber shook her head. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Nope."

# 14

Nate shouldered a stack of lumber, giving it an extra hitch for balance, and carried it around to the back of the property where the framing crew was just arriving for the day. It was day two on the new job. Trevor was in the parking lot giving instructions to the electrical crew while everyone else got to work.

His foreman, Troy, walked up, holding a cup of Starbucks coffee with his name scribbled on the side. His hair was styled, and his beard was meticulously trimmed. Trevor said he was one hell of a carpenter, but he certainly didn't look the part. He was too pretty. "Hey, the guys are complaining that you're making them look bad."

Nate raised an eyebrow and questioned the remark. "How's that?"

Troy pointed with his cup. "Paul over there holds the record, and he carries half a dozen two by fours at a time. Rumor is you're loading up eight at a time."

Nate grinned with pride. "I didn't know there was a record to break, but yeah, I guess I broke it."

The first day on the job had been nothing more than moving material from the drop site to the framing area. After seeing the amount of work Nate could handle, the others had slowed their pace and gladly allowed him to step up and carry the load. Today was the first day of the actual build, and he was ready to do more than move shit around.

Troy strapped on his tool belt and reviewed basic building instructions with Nate. He listened carefully, and before long, they had an exterior wall framed and ready to lift into place. Another crew did the same on the opposite side of the structure. Several times, Troy had commented about his skills and his ability to catch on quickly.

When lunch rolled around, Trevor briskly walked up to them while holding a phone to his ear. He pointed to a piece of equipment holding up trusses as he shouted over the engine to Troy. "Katie's on her way over with something for me to sign. Can you keep an eye on the guy operating that piece of shit? He's nearly taken out those overhead lines twice already."

Troy slid his hammer into his tool belt and nodded. "I'm on it." Then, turning to Nate, he suggested they take five.

While Nate leaned against his truck, crossing one ankle over the other, Troy walked by and offered him a cold bottle of water. "You feel pretty good about laying out the framing for that back side by yourself? I need to meet with the township over permits this afternoon."

"Sure. If you trust me to do it right."

"You know what you're doing. I don't need to babysit you. Just grab Trevor if you have any questions."

Nate was in the middle of responding when Troy quickly took off across the parking lot. Over his shoulder, he watched Katie waving Troy closer. While Trevor signed some paperwork against the hood of their SUV, Katie handed Troy a slip of paper before gently shoving her hand against his shoulder in what looked like a warning with a finger pointed at his face.

When she pulled out, Trevor and Troy walked back to the crew all smiles. Trevor rubbed his hands together while grinning from ear to ear. "Well, boys, I just bought a big screen TV. It's being delivered in a few days, and to break it in, the wife and I are hosting a Super Bowl party." Then he looked over at Nate and pointed. "And I've got a date lined up for you, so don't even think about skipping out. Katie just gave your number to her best friend Heather."

Nate slid off the tailgate. "What the hell? You know I'm seeing someone. I can't go on a blind date."

Trevor shook his head, calling his bluff. "What I know is you went out on New Year's Eve with a hell cat, and you haven't once mentioned her again. Heather is a real looker. Nice girl, into yoga, but always ends up dating losers. Come on. Just show up. We'll introduce you, and you can take it from there. If you don't like her, fine. But trust me, you'll like her."

Troy stood to the side, smiling and waving the slip of paper Katie handed him. "And I finally got your sister's number." He gestured from his hair down to his boots and back again. "She is going to love all this man candy."

Nate swallowed his retort and walked away. _Fucking pretty boys_.

Claire nervously sat at the table, tearing at the corner of her now soggy napkin. Aspen had suggested meeting her at a local college bar, which was fine. She had been there before and knew the downtown area well. The young crowd tonight was buzzing. But he was late, and the last thing she wanted was to sit in a bar alone. She had gone out of her way to avoid situations where she was alone and vulnerable.

She wasn't stupid. She had been on enough dates to know her curvy figure, blond hair, and blue eyes were like a neon sign to some guys. But she'd had her fill of those guys. Date after date with guys who wanted nothing more than to get her drunk and take her back to their place got old real quick. Some guys were fun and she enjoyed spending time with them, but when it came to commitment or moving on to something more substantial in the relationship, she always ended up empty-handed. After failing to find someone to take away the sting of Nate's absence, she devoted herself to school. The last date she went on was almost a year ago, and it had been just another huge disappointment.

Looking around to see if Aspen had arrived yet, she watched a pair of twenty-somethings dancing to a slow song. She could easily see Nate holding her like that, if only they didn't have to keep things hidden. She ached to have something real, but only time would tell if they could ever make that happen.

"Claire, hey, sorry I'm late." Aspen stepped up to the table and grabbed her hand. He tugged her out of the booth and hugged her like old friends do. When he stepped away from her, he kept ahold of her elbows. "You're as beautiful as always."

Claire brushed off his compliment and took her seat. Aspen scooted in across from her and flagged down a waitress to place an order.

When they were alone, he sighed and looked her way expectantly. "It's so good to see you. Thanks for meeting me here. I can't believe how good you look."

"Thanks. How's work?"

Aspen filled her in on his role at Children's Hospital. After filling in for a co-worker on medical leave a couple years back, he was motivated to go back to school and take classes to get certified for a management position. He had been promoted to Director of Nursing less than a month ago. "So now I'm working hard to hire fresh eyes and young nurses with lots of stamina. We compete nationally to keep our Level 1 status, and I've been challenged to make sure we have the most capable staff possible. Your application came at the perfect time."

Claire tried to contain her excitement. She had reluctantly taken the intern position at Grand Rapids General after being turned down for the one at Children's. Taking this job would allow her to move back to Lake St. James where her heart wanted to be. "Really? I can't believe it's finally going to work out."

Aspen reached over and squeezed her hand. "I know. It's crazy, right? We talked about working together way back when we started dating, now it's becoming a reality."

Claire slowly withdrew her hand. Something about the way he said that made her sixth sense kick in. "Yeah."

"You can name your hours. I'll schedule you for the best shifts and with the best doctors. You will have the best of everything."

"I don't expect to take hours away from other people. I just want the position that was posted. I'm not asking for special favors."

Aspen smiled and shook his head. "It won't be like that. I want to do this. I've been thinking a lot about us recently. I know I fucked it up with my stupidity. But we were great together. And I've changed so much. You and me, what do you say? I'm dying to kiss you."

Claire felt her skin crawl under his watchful eye as he waited for a response. God, she wanted this job, but did he expect to get something in return? "Aspen, we were young and naïve back when we talked about our futures. I have no doubt that you've changed. We both have. I want to accept this job on my qualifications, nothing else."

"Yeah, of course. Hell, you're more than qualified. I just want you to know I'm here and still interested if you change your mind."

# 15

"Tell me you got the job," Nate said as he dumped his Chinese take-out containers in the garbage. It had been hours since Claire called to say she was on her way to her interview.

"I did. And I can start next week. They only do orientation on Tuesdays, so I just have to submit my pre-employment documents by then, and I'm all set. I can't believe this is really happening."

"I had no doubt you'd get it."

"Thanks. There is something I need to tell you though."

Claire sounded odd, like he wasn't going to like whatever she had to say. "Alright, tell me."

"I'll be working with Aspen. Actually, he'll be my boss."

"Should I be worried? Besides being an ass, I assume he's good at his job or he wouldn't be there. Or is there more to it?"

"No. That's all. I just wanted you to know."

Respect. That's what it was. She respected him enough to tell him she would be working with her ex-boyfriend. "I trust you."

She knew Nate would trust her, that wasn't her concern. She just didn't want to keep secrets. "Actually, no, there is one more thing."

"He wants you back."

"H-how do you know that?"

Nate leaned back against the counter and examined the tile grout with the toe of his boot. "Just a hunch. He'd be stupid not to."

"But- but, I don't want that. I'll see him at work, and that's all. I told him I wasn't interested."

"Did you tell him about me?"

Claire was silent for a beat. "You know I can't do that."

Nate ran a hand across his face, stopping to rub his temples. "Yeah, I know. About that, we have another situation to deal with. Are you coming here tonight? We need to talk."

"No. I'm already headed back to Grand Rapids. I want to start packing as soon as I can. My apartment is paid up until the end of the month, but I don't see a reason to stay any longer."

Nate pushed off and headed down the hall, undressing as he went. "Did Katie call you about a Super Bowl party?"

In the background, shower water and the rustling of clothes could be heard. "Maybe. I had a missed call, but I haven't called her back. A Super Bowl party sounds like fun. Are you going?"

Nate pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. "I don't really have a choice. Trevor set me up on a blind date with some friend of Katie's. We're meeting at their party."

"What?" Claire yelled. "He can't do that."

"He already did. And there's more. Katie gave your number to my boss, Troy. She still swears he's perfect for you."

Claire's mind raced. This was going terribly wrong. "No," she whined. "I don't want to meet him."

"You know this is bullshit, Claire. We don't have to do this. We can just tell everyone we're together, and this problem goes away."

"But I'm not ready. Can we just go along with this a little longer so Trevor doesn't get suspicious?"

Nate continued stripping and caught his reflection in the mirror. The ink above his heart, a permanent reminder of how far he was willing to go for this. For her. "If that's what you want. For the record though, I don't think it's necessary, but we can try it your way."

"Thank you. The good news is, my apartment came furnished, so as soon as I load up my clothes and a few kitchen items, I'll be your roommate."

"That's the best fucking news I've heard all day."

# 16

The next morning, Nick knocked on Nate's door, asking him to come next door for breakfast. While Nick talked in detail about their vacation, Maggie prepared omelets and kept their coffee mugs full. When she sat down, she nervously rested a hand on Nick's forearm. She had an envelope full of papers in her other hand, and her smile was busting at the seams. "Can I tell him now?" she asked anxiously.

"Anytime you're ready."

"Nate, your dad and I really like having you next door. We don't want you to be there temporarily. We want you to stay. And because of that, we've signed over the title. All you have to do is sign in a few places, and the house is yours."

Nate sat speechless, his eyes going back and forth between his dad and Maggie. "What? Are you serious?"

Nick smiled and nodded to confirm what Maggie had said. "Yes. While we were on vacation, we talked it over, and there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't have it. We certainly don't need two houses."

"I don't know what to say. What about Trevor or Claire?"

Maggie dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. "We gave Trevor and Katie money last year toward the building of their house, so they won't mind at all. And we were hoping you and Claire could work out arrangements for her to continue her part-time rooming needs until she finds a full-time position. She's rarely here anyway."

Nate had to fight the smile from forming on his lips. Their parents were suggesting he share living space with Claire. In what universe did that just happen? How lucky could he get?

"Sure. I'm sure we can work something out." Nate stood up and gave Maggie a hug as she returned from the kitchen. "Thanks. You know she's moving her stuff in tonight, right?"

Nick and Maggie exchanged a look of confusion.

"I'm guessing she didn't tell you yet. She starts full time at Children's Hospital on Tuesday."

Maggie clapped her hands and cheered in excitement. "Yes! I have a good feeling about this."

When Claire arrived with her car load of stuff, Nate met her at the door. He had phoned earlier in the day to tell her the house was now his. She could smell food cooking, and he appeared to be freshly showered. When she stepped inside the house, he quickly closed the door and kissed her against it. "Welcome home," he said with a cheeky grin.

Claire laughed at his playful tease. "What is this all about?"

"I have a surprise for you."

The items she was holding fell to the floor. "Oh, really? I'm not big on surprises. In my experience, they aren't always good."

"You'll like this one. Come with me."

Taking her by the hand, Nate led her to the bedroom at the end of the hall. The master bedroom, which neither of them had been using. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Claire couldn't believe what she saw. Nate had completely moved into the master bedroom. Somehow, since they talked the day before, he had purchased and set up all new furniture and bedding.

"How did you...?" Claire stammered.

"I had some money set aside, thinking I'd need a down payment on a house someday. But, since I won't be needing it, I bought us a new bed."

"Us?"

"We're roommates, right?"

"Yeah, but we can't share a bedroom."

Nate quickly hoisted her up over his shoulder, walked across the room, and dropped her in the middle of the bed. "Feel how soft it is. You know you want to sleep on it."

Claire grinned as he crawled toward her. The lavish bedding swallowed her up and felt luxurious against her skin. "Mmmm. Maybe I can sleep here, and you can sleep down the hall."

"Not a chance, Cinderella."

Nate stretched out next to her on his elbow and kissed her. "You want this, right?"

Claire rested her hand gently on his cheek. "I do. I just need to take it slow, so I'm counting on you to make sure our secret stays safe for a while."

"Babe. If that's what you want, we'll lock the world outside. They'll never know."

After moving all her belongings in, Nate and Claire settled into an easy routine. Mornings were spent snuggling until the last possible minute. Showers lasted until the hot water ran cold. Nate left for work every day with a kiss on his lips and a hunger like nothing he had ever known.

Their illicit secret became the fuel that propelled them through their days apart. Text messages were exchanged with sweet words and naughty promises. Nate was over the moon with happiness but torn that he couldn't share it with anyone.

Today, he was having an especially difficult time trying to stay focused on work. Last night, in the shower, Claire had stunned him by asked him to go bare. In the heat of the moment, neither of them wanted to step out for a condom. Then tightening her legs around him, she begged him not to pull out because she was on birth control. What happened next was mind blowing as they both experienced their first bare sex together. She had taken him deeper than ever before as he held her against the wall of the shower. They came together while gasping for breath against each other's lips. It was the most intimate moment of his life, and he couldn't wait to get home for an encore performance. He was so distracted with his own thoughts that he didn't notice Trevor walking up to him before he spoke.

"So, you're coming to the party Sunday, right?" Trevor asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Katie sent Heather a picture of you, and she's real interested."

Nate stopped what he was doing then slid his safety glasses to the top of his head. "You know I'm not interested, so why are you doing this?"

Trevor shrugged and slapped Nate on the shoulder before stepping away to take a phone call. "Because sooner or later, playing with fire will get you burned. You deserve a good girl. And I want to make my wife happy. Two birds, one stone."

Nate slid his phone from his pocket and sent Claire a quick text.

**Nate: This blind date shit isn't going away. Trevor is relentless.**

**Claire: I know. Troy has been texting me all day.**

Nate craned his neck around the job site in search of Troy. It was one thing to keep a secret about Claire, but to allow his boss freedom to text his girl was another thing.

He spotted Troy on the other side of the structure. He was pulling electrical wires through the newly installed walls. Walking with purpose, Nate stepped up to the wall and leaned between the two by fours to gain Troy's attention. "What are your intentions with Claire?"

Troy adjusted his hard hat and gave a half smile. "What's it to you?"

Nate struggled with the words he was required to say even though they tasted bitter. "Just looking out for my stepsister. She mentioned that you've been texting her. Did you know she's seeing someone?"

Troy stood up straight and looked Nate square in the eye. "She said she's dating, which tells me the door is open for other options."

"Just keep your hands to yourself. I'm not sure she's looking for other options." Nate turned to walk away. If he stood there any longer, he risked everything. Telling anyone about what he and Claire had going would be an immediate end to his happiness, and that wasn't something he was willing to gamble with.

"Hold up a minute." Troy stepped through the stud walls to stop Nate from leaving. "Trevor said she's been dating around for years. Said she got her heart broken a while back, and because of it, she doesn't trust anyone. Now, I'm not saying I'm any better than anyone else, but I am starting to think about my future. In two years, I turn thirty. I've got a good job here. My home is less than ten years old, and I want a family someday. Is there any reason I shouldn't meet Claire? Because she sounds like someone who I could have all that with. So, yeah, I'm interested in more than just a date."

Nate fisted his hands at his sides. The fucked up truth was that Troy was the ideal candidate for Claire. He had everything going for him, and in any other situation, Nate would introduce them himself. There was no way he could argue with what Troy was offering. "All I'm asking is that you treat her with respect and let her decide how the date goes."

"Yeah, no problem. I've got two sisters. I can appreciate where you're coming from. But really, you've got nothing to worry about with me. We good?"

"Yeah." Fuck no.

# 17

Claire volunteered to take the supply cart down to the stock room to load up on bed linens. Since starting her shift nine hours earlier, they had discharged more than a dozen patients. It was always uplifting to see the pediatric patients getting better and going home, but the exit left countless rooms in need of cleaning and preparing for the next wave of patients. As she approached the windowless supply room door, she could hear voices coming from the other side. She gave a courtesy knock before pushing it open.

Two bodies jumped apart in surprise as she stepped inside. Brandi, a pretty auburn-headed intern, swiped the back of her hand across her mouth before reaching down to smooth her scrubs top. "Okay, Mr. Donovan, thank you for showing me where the supplies are. I'll be able to find them the next time I need them." Then she sidestepped Claire and quickly disappeared down the hallway.

Aspen smiled and adjusted his tie at the sight of Claire. "Claire, I've been hearing lots of good things about you. Your manager can't stop bragging about you."

Claire was aware of her performance and had no problems accepting on-the-job praise, but what she just witnessed was not going to be swept under the rug. "What are you doing with Brandi? Did she tell you about her boyfriend?"

Aspen placed his hands on his hips and sneered. "She's in college. I'm sure she has plenty of boyfriends."

"You just don't know how to leave them alone, do you?"

"Claire, you don't need to worry about it. We were having a private conversation before you barged in. Nothing for you to worry about. Okay?"

Claire loaded her arms with sheets and transferred the weight to grab the last bundle. "If I find out you forced her into anything, I'm reporting you."

Aspen closed the space between them and clasped the back of her arm. "Are you threatening me? I don't recall forcing you into anything. Or maybe you're just jealous and want to get back with me."

Claire twisted away from his grip to free her arm. "If I had known you were lying to me, I never would have slept with you and you know it. And no, I am not jealous. I have a boyfriend, and after two years of dealing with your misuse of my trust, I'm finally able to love again."

"Your boyfriend, huh? You didn't mention a boyfriend before. You should have told me."

"I didn't mention it because it was an interview. Are you saying you wouldn't have hired me?"

Aspen chuckled deviously. "Of course not. I'm just wondering why you didn't tell me."

"I didn't think it mattered." Claire could feel her body tense as he stared her down. This was the first time she'd ever had the confidence to confront him over their past. Even when she broke up with him, she had chosen not to drag it out and get overly emotional. "I'm in a great relationship with someone who I know really cares about me. He doesn't lie to me, and he doesn't have commitment issues. I don't have any problems working with you, but if I see you causing problems for my co-workers, I will not be quiet."

Aspen shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Then, with a click of his teeth, he pushed away from the cart. "Fine," he said under his breath as he walked away.

While the movie credits were rolling, Nate reached over Claire in search of the remote. Earlier, she had made a kickass dinner so they could stay in and have date night at home. Dessert consisted of chocolate swirl ice cream that they ate straight out of the container while playing a game of Truth or Dare. A twilight dip in the hot tub started out innocent, but led to a steamy make out session on the living room floor because that's as far as they could make it. "Claire. Wake up. Let's go to bed."

Claire mewled. "Let's just stay here. You're so warm, and I'm comfortable."

Nate stood up without a stitch of clothing on and scooped her up with the blanket from the couch wrapped around her. "Can't do that. Anyone could walk up to the window and look in."

Leaning into his chest while they walked down the hall, Claire sighed contentedly. "You're always thinking."

When they arrived at the bedroom, he tucked her in before excusing himself to the bathroom. Returning, he crawled in bed, and she automatically attached herself to his side. She was purring quietly within a matter of seconds.

"I'm always thinking of you, Cinderella," he said before kissing the top of her head and closing his eyes. "Always you."

# 18

Claire stood in front of her closet, trying to figure out what to wear. Since moving back in, she had kept clothes in her old room in case her mom or anyone stopped by. Just another cautionary step they took to keep up the charade. The weather on Super Bowl Sunday couldn't have matched her mood any better. Wet, drizzly snow and rain had begun early in the day and was still coming down. She settled on jeans and a grey button-up blouse. It was casual but dressy enough for a night out.

Down the hall in the master bath, she could hear the beard trimmer buzzing. It wasn't fair that they were both getting ready for dates with other people. She felt a deep stab of jealousy rise up every time she thought about it. And Nate felt the same way. She could tell from the way he reacted every time a text from Heather appeared on his phone.

While sitting side by side at the bar earlier in the day, Nate's phone buzzed on the counter between them. She saw Heather's name on the screen and reached for it. He slid it away from her hand. "Don't look at that."

Claire scoffed. "Why not? Are you hiding something?"

Without looking at the message, Nate flipped the phone face down and slid it across the island. "No. I just know what it is, and I don't want you to see it."

"If you're not hiding anything, I don't understand."

Nate exhaled loudly and held up his fingers to count. "It's either Heather telling me she can't wait to meet me tonight – for the fifth time, or it's a boob shot asking me if I like what she's wearing."

Claire crossed her arms and groaned with annoyance.

Nate swiveled his bare legs around and hooked a foot on her stool, moving her closer. "I'm only going through with this because it's what you want. Alright? I'm not looking forward to meeting her, and I couldn't care less what she's wearing. Tell me you know that."

Claire shrugged. "I know. I just wish there was a way around it."

"Babe, there is. We just walk in together holding hands and let everyone else deal with it. I don't fucking care if Trevor wants to kick my ass. He doesn't intimidate me."

Claire shook her head. "No. I think we should tell our parents first."

"So you've given this some thought?"

"Yes." Claire rested her hands on his muscular thighs. Her fingers absentmindedly played with the hem of his running shorts. "I was thinking we could tell them next weekend."

Nate reached over and transferred Claire to his lap. With her legs straddling his waist, he kissed her. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Moving her hips forward, Claire teased him. "Oh, I have an idea."

Nate firmly gripped her hips to hold her against him. "It's more than that, and you know it. I'm ready to be open about my feelings for you. I came back from Germany ready to fight for you if I needed to. Though, at the time, I thought my hardest battle would be with a boyfriend, not family."

Two blocks from Trevor and Katie's house, Nate abruptly pulled his truck to a stop at the curb. Since leaving their house, he had been tense. He was holding Claire's hand, squeezing and releasing, squeezing and releasing. Surprised at the unscheduled stop, Claire looked over at him. "What's wrong? Did you forget something?"

Nate ran his anxious hand down his face and blew a hard breath. "I just – Troy is a real good guy. I mean, I like him as a boss, and he's becoming a pretty good friend. Tonight, he is going to be looking at you and appreciating all the effort you put into getting ready. And he's doing that because he thinks you did that for him." When Claire started to protest, he stopped her. "I know you didn't, just hear me out. While he's sweet talking and flirting with you, I'm going to be across the room, hating every minute of it. If he touches you or offends you in any way, my job and his friendship mean nothing to me. Got it?"

Claire bit her lip and smiled. Leaning over the armrest, she gave him a lingering but sweet kiss that left him breathless. "Got it, handsome. And don't let Heather touch your hair. I've got plans to ruin it later."

Nate growled and nipped at her bottom lip before she returned to her seat. With a quick shift of the gears, they were back on their way. "Let's do this."

In the expansive finished basement of Trevor's house, the first half of the game was underway. And for the most part, it had been bearable. Nate met Heather when they walked in, and then he joined the guys for a round of shots and pre-game wagers. So far, so good. Nobody was pairing up with anybody, so the party atmosphere was working to keep his distance. Claire had been helping Katie keep the snacks stocked and was spending much of her time around the ladies on the bar side of the room. Just before half time, Nate watched as Troy made his way to the refrigerator for a fresh beer. It didn't take him long to separate Claire from the others and start a one on one conversation. As predicted, jealousy soared at the sight of them together. He was talking himself out of making a scene when Katie approached him.

"Hey, Nate. Would you mind going up to the pantry and bringing down more tortilla chips? I bought a great big package the other day at Costco. They're on the top shelf."

"Sure thing." Placing his beer on a nearby table, Nate took the stairs two at a time. As he was pulling the package from overhead, he heard the door to the pantry close and a lock click behind him. Expecting to see Claire, he turned around with a half-cocked grin. It quickly turned to alarm when he realized it was Heather.

"Katie thought you might need my help." Heather stood sheepishly batting her eyes with her hands held behind her back which forced her tits forward.

There was nowhere to run. She had him cornered. "Did she now?"

"Nobody will miss us if we just stay in here a while." Stepping forward to crowd a little closer, Heather fake stumbled, grabbing on to his shirt. "Ooops, I might have had one too many cocktails."

He leaned away from her and her weak attempt at seduction. "Katie needs these chips."

Heather giggled. "No, she doesn't. I told her to send you upstairs so I could do this." Stretching up on tiptoes, she aimed for his lips and missed. She kissed his chin stubble and whispered, "I'm not the good girl Katie thinks I am. I like to do naughty stuff in forbidden places. It drives me wild. Like, I could give you a blow job right here." Reaching down, she grabbed his package and purred. "I'm so wet just thinking about it. Or we could do even more if you want."

Nate reached for both of her hands and peeled them off his shirt and junk. This chick was something else. Beautiful, yeah, but a little too aggressive for his taste. _Damn_. If she wasn't Katie's friend, he would give her a total brush off, but he had agreed to go through with it for one night. "Uh, that sounds like tons of fun, but I'm not doing that in my brother's pantry. So, how about if we join the others, and I'll get us another drink. You can tell me more about yourself, and we can talk about this later."

Somehow, that line worked like a charm. Heather grinned and opened the door. Walking ahead of him, she swung her hips, leading the way back to the basement. He was ready to make a run for it when she turned and started firing get-to-know-me questions. "Do you like animals? I have a Siamese cat named Sugar and a Shar Pei named Cinnamon. I have pictures on my phone I can show you."

Claire went to the food table to grab a handful of pretzels when Katie approached her and bumped shoulders. "Looks like Troy is smitten. I saw him smiling at everything you said."

Claire shrugged and smiled. "He's a nice guy. He told me one of his sisters is thinking about going into nursing, so I gave him some tips to pass along."

"I knew he was a good match for you." Then, looking around the room and back, Katie lowered her voice. "I'm pretty sure Heather and Nate are upstairs hitting it off, if you know what I mean."

Claire had watched the two disappear upstairs a while ago, but was trying to ignore the gnawing concern in her gut. "You think so?"

Katie smiled. "Oh, yeah. She told me to send him upstairs so she could get him alone." After dipping her carrots into the ranch dressing, Katie added thoughtfully, "You know, you can stay here tonight if you want. I mean, in case Nate wants to take her home. Might be less awkward if you aren't there. Brothers don't really care if their sisters hear them having sex. Believe me, I have three brothers, and I still have nightmares from their dating years."

Just then, Nate and Heather came walking down the stairs. Nate's face was bright red. As soon as he dropped the bag of chips on the far side of the table, he pulled at the collar of his shirt. Claire could see moisture beading up on his forehead. Without looking her way, he grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator and sat down next to Heather. She was talking with her hands, every so often touching his biceps and chest. He was grinning and laughing while making small talk. He certainly didn't look innocent.

As Claire watched them canoodling, she could feel the sting of jealousy slowly crawl across her skin like poison ivy. In its wake, she could feel the kind of hurt that came with knowing something had gone terribly wrong. Nate was not only ignoring her, but he seemed to be totally enjoying his blind date. Was he even acting anymore?

Troy stepped in front of Claire, unknowingly blocking her view. "This game is a total blowout. The Lions are losing their ass. Want to go somewhere and talk?" Bending closer, he added, "Somewhere without your brothers."

"Actually, I'd really like that. Can we go now?"

Troy held his hand out, motioning for her to lead the way. "After you."

On shaky knees, Claire walked out to Troy's car with her head held high. Nate was going to see her leave smiling, if he even bothered to notice at all. Two can play the game he was playing, and the one thing she would never do is be blindsided by a player again.

# 19

At the end of the night, Nate said his goodbyes and returned home from the party alone and frustrated. Walking through the house, he called out for Claire, already knowing she wouldn't answer.

"Damnit!"

In the kitchen, he grabbed a cold beer and sat down heavily on a chair. Another glance at his phone had him brooding with annoyance. The last text he sent was still unanswered. Where in the fuck did Troy take her?

While standing there trying to figure out his next move, the door opened and closed quietly. Claire leaned her head against it and breathed a deep sigh of relief to be home. Tonight felt like every bad date she had ever been on rolled into one. Turning toward the hallway, she startled when she saw Nate standing alone in the dark kitchen. "Hey."

"Do I even want to know where you've been?" He couldn't hide the hurt and anger in his voice.

"Me? At least I wasn't pawing all over Troy in front of you. I saw how hard you tried to avoid Heather."

Nate pushed away from the table and stalked toward her. "What did you think was going to happen, Claire? You said this was how you wanted to handle it."

Stepping even closer, Nate boiled over with anger as he pointed to his chest. "I went to the party. I met the girl. I let her get up close and make small talk. I heard all about her yoga obsession. And when she showed me countless pictures of her pets, I did what I was expected to do. I told her they were cute. I even pretended to show interest when she suggested some bullshit testosterone vitamin.

"I didn't touch her! I didn't promise I would call. But I respected the bro-code because she's a friend of Trevor and Katie's. I held up my end of the deal. And the whole time, I was wondering where my girl went and what my boss was doing with her. Because if he touched you, I will fuck his shit up. I swear it! Did he touch you?"

"Not really."

"What the fuck, Claire! What the hell happened?"

"He kissed me, okay? It happened fast, and it was just a quick peck on the lips. We were parked in the driveway at his house, and I wasn't expecting it at all."

Nate took two steps back like he'd been punched in the chest. "You went to his house! Jesus H Christ! And you think I went too far with my acting?"

"Stop it! It wasn't like that. After we left the party, he started talking about his job and a few projects he was proud of. So we drove by a few, and he pointed them out. His house was near the last one, so he showed me where he lived.

"But after he parked, I realized he had planned to end up there. I'm not as naïve as everyone thinks. As soon as the car was in park, he leaned over and kissed me. But I did not kiss him back. I told him he was a great guy and all, but I have a boyfriend, and that we were serious. He said he understood and didn't push for more. After a few minutes of talking about the highs and lows of dating, he drove me back here. That's all that happened."

"Come over here," Nate demanded.

Claire hesitated, eyeing him warily.

Nate relaxed his stance and said it again. "Come. Over. Here."

Closing the space cautiously, Claire stepped forward until Nate grabbed both of her hands, lacing their fingers together. He softly rested his forehead on hers. "Thank you."

Confused, Claire leaned back to look into his eyes. "For what? I screwed up and made this whole night a train wreck."

"For coming clean about us."

"B-but, I didn't. I didn't say your name."

"Doesn't matter. He'll report back to Trevor. Trevor will ask me, and I've decided if he asks, I'm not lying."

"Shit! I didn't even think about that."

Nate reached around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest for a tight embrace. "It's for the best. We can't keep this secret forever."

Claire instantly recoiled, the smell of Heather on his shirt caused her to jump back. "No. NO! You smell like her." Covering her nose quickly, she winced and gagged on a cough.

Nate held his hands out in a sincere apology. "I'm sorry. I tried not to get close to her, but she was persistent as fuck."

"I hate everything about tonight," Claire said with a tremble in her voice. "Katie told me she sent Heather upstairs to find you. She said you'd been gone long enough that she was _sure_ you two were making out. I didn't want to believe her. But then you came back downstairs adjusting your collar, and Heather was all smiles and small talk. I freaked out a little. Then before I knew it, Troy was there offering to take me home. I couldn't stay there. It hurt so much. I decided leaving was better than clawing Heather's eyes out."

Nate laughed with a harsh pitch. "Do you even hear yourself? On one hand, you desperately want to keep us a secret, but on the other, you're acting like a jealous girlfriend."

"I _was_ jealous! What happened when you were upstairs together? You were gone for a _long_ time."

"Nothing happened. I didn't know she was following me. But then she walked into the pantry and locked the door behind her. She came on to me pretty hard, even offered a blowjob in there. Said having sex in forbidden places drove her wild."

Claire flinched in disgust and took a few steps away from him. Turning, she had fists doubled at her side. "What is the big deal with some girls and blow jobs? I just don't get it! You put in all that effort to get the guy off and he holds back and finishes in your pussy anyway. And to make it even worse, once he comes, you're the one left hanging."

Nate stopped her with a teasing grin. "What are you talking about? A happy ending blowjob gives the girl all the control."

"I wouldn't know. Aspen always told me I was terrible at it."

"And you believed him?" Nate asked incredulously. Stepping closer, he took her hand, placing it against his fully aroused cock. "Do you feel this? Just hearing your pretty lips talk about a blowjob makes my dick hard. All it takes is your hot mouth on my cock, and I'm at your mercy."

"Whatever."

"I'm serious, Claire. If Aspen said that, it's because he's a dick. He never gave you that because it empowers you and takes away from his dominance. Which is another reason I could punch his scrawny face into the wall. You want your woman satisfied, you give her the control."

Claire considered what he said. Still not convinced, she shook her head. She'd tried before, and not just with Aspen, but she had never been able to cross the finish line.

With his hand over hers, he squeezed her fingers around his shaft and moaned long and low at the added pressure. "I want you so bad right now." Nate lowered his zipper and pushed his jeans and boxers low enough for him to spring free. With his hand guiding hers, he wrapped her hand around his cock and stroked a few times. "See that? That's what you do to me. You." Pushing his clothing lower, he reached over and gently applied pressure to her shoulder. "Let me show you how easy this works."

Claire gave him a smarmy half-grin and allowed him to lower her to her knees. It was after midnight, and the only light came from moonlight through the blinds. Nate grabbed the base of his cock and pressed the tip against her lower lip. "May I?"

Claire's tongue darted out and licked him once. "Of course, but I already told you I'm no good at this. You planning to talk me through it?"

"Mhm." Stepping closer, Nate parted her lips with his thumb and inserted himself, encouraging her to suck. "Just like that. Lick the tip. Circle your tongue around the head. Wrap your lips around it and let it slide in and out of your mouth. Relax and let me tickle the back of your throat. There's no such thing as too wet, so don't be afraid to get sloppy. Any combination of that, and you're golden."

Claire tentatively began by circling the head with her tongue. As soon as she drew him into her mouth, he leaned forward and braced a forearm on the wall above her. "Fuck yes, Claire, just like that."

Encouraged by his praise, she let him drop out with a pop. Retrieving a ponytail from her wrist, Claire pulled her hair back and away from her face.

"There you go. Now you're thinking." Nate reached down and stroked his thumb along her cheek before cupping her chin gently, guiding her without forcing her. His hand only offered persuasion and pace.

Above her, Claire could hear his breaths become shallow and sharp. His dirty words and sounds of pleasure were making her own heart race. Tingling pressure built unbearably between her legs. Claire continued stroking him with slippery hands when she pulled back long enough to catch her breath. "Does that feel good?"

"Fuck yes, please don't stop. Unless you want me to come in your hand, put it back in your mouth. Like now."

Claire returned to her sucking and sliding eagerly. She had never felt this level of excitement when giving a blow job before. Nate reached for the back of her head, wrapped his hand around her ponytail, surged his hips forward, and came down the back of her throat. "Fffffuck, Claire."

After catching his breath, he looked down to meet her eyes. Claire was beaming with pride and breathing as hard as he was. "You were right. That was so hot. I never knew."

Nate reached down to help her to her feet. "Give me a few minutes. I'm returning the favor. And for the record, you do not suck at that. You fucking owned me."

# 20

The next morning, Nate was standing in the kitchen wearing jeans and bare feet when Claire circled her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his muscular back. "I wish you didn't have to work today."

Shifting in her arms, Nate returned her embrace and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Mmmm. Me too. We could lay around all day and watch movies."

Claire turned her chin upward to face him. "Only half the day. I'm meeting Mom and Katie later. They want to celebrate my new job, so I suggested lunch at The Pier. I love that place."

Nate bent to kiss her gently then pulled her tight against his chest. "I can't wait until next weekend. It's killing me not to tell my dad."

Claire gasped and pulled back, smiling brightly. "You just called Nick your dad."

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Returning her arms around his waist, Claire held on tighter than before. "I love that. You two are so much alike, it's hard to believe you only met three years ago."

"I've noticed more and more lately that when I think of him, I think 'Dad' not Nick. It's not like I ever called anyone else Dad, so I figured it's time to test it out."

"He's going to love it."

With another quick kiss, Nate said his goodbye and left for work.

Claire looked around the restaurant for her mom and Katie. Traffic on the winding lake road had been stop and go due to some bridge repair, causing her delayed arrival. In the distance, Katie stood up from a table and waved her over. The closer she got to the table, the bigger Katie's smile got. Before Claire could take a seat, Katie jumped up and grabbed her by the hands in excitement.

"Sooooo, how was your night last night? You and Troy left before the game ended."

_Shit!_ Claire had forgotten to prepare an answer for the barrage of questions Katie was sure to fire at her. "It was okay. We didn't do much after we left. I was home before midnight."

As they took their seats across from each other, Katie commented on Claire's emotionless first impression of Troy. "So, it wasn't love at first sight? You aren't going out with him again?"

"No. There were no sparks. He's a really great guy though. You might see if Heather is interested."

Katie slapped the table as her eyes widened. "You know what, that's not a bad idea. By the way, you need to spill it before your mom gets here. She texted me and said she'd be late so we should go ahead and order."

"Um, okay. What do I need to spill?"

"Duh! You need to come clean about Nate. Who is this mystery girl he's dating?"

Claire grabbed the glass of water the waitress had just put in front of her and swallowed two large gulps. "I-I don't know."

"Oh, don't give me that crap. He told Heather that he's been seeing someone since he got back. Someone he knew before he left."

"I don't know."

Katie leaned back against the booth cushion and crossed her arms. "That sneaky bastard. He has you keeping his secret too."

Claire's eyes widened at the accusation. "I'm not sure why you think that."

"Come on. If he's in love, there's _no way_ he hasn't had the girl over to the house by now. Have you looked at him? No girl in her right mind would turn that down. And if he's throwing around the L word, they're sleeping together."

Claire froze at the mention of the L word. Nate was in love? As she gazed at the table in stunned silence, a smile crept up and overtook her.

"I knew it! You do know," Katie proclaimed. "He told Heather that he was flattered by her attention, but his heart belonged to someone already. He said he was in love, and he was waiting on the right time to tell the family."

Just then, Maggie scooted into the booth next to Katie. "I'm so sorry I'm late. That traffic was awful. Did I miss anything?"

Claire took that opportunity to scramble out of the booth. "I need to use the restroom. Go ahead and order."

Moments later, in the private bathroom, Claire flipped the lock and pressed a hand to her pounding heart. Her breathing was erratic and her pulse was racing out of control. "Nate loves me," she whispered aloud to herself. Then smiling, she looked at her flushed reflection in the mirror and repeated it out loud. "Oh my God, Nate loves me!"

Returning to the table several minutes later, Claire caught Katie's eye and gave a subtle shake of her head, indicating that the subject from earlier should not be brought up in Maggie's presence. She knew she couldn't escape Katie's prying later, but for now, they could finish lunch without it coming up again.

As Claire reviewed the menu, Katie filled her in on the missed conversation. "I was just telling Mama Maggie that I have an appointment with my OB/GYN on Friday. We've been trying unsuccessfully for well over six months now, so she wants me to come in for a few tests."

A pained expression fell across Maggie's face. "Just promise me you won't put yourself through more than you can handle. If Jackson grows up an only child, he'll have more love than he knows what to do with."

Katie smiled and nodded in agreement. "We just want to go through the first series of tests to make sure things are okay on my end. If everything checks out and I'm healthy, then Trevor has agreed to go in for testing too. But for now, we're okay with trying the natural route a while longer."

"Good. You're both being very smart about it. Now what about you, Claire?" Maggie asked. "Tell us about your new job."

As Claire talked, their orders were served without missing a beat. She told them about her job and how happy she was with her decision to move back home. She intentionally left out anything about Nate and how things were going in their shared house.

While talking about her new job and co-workers, she casually mentioned that Aspen was her boss.

Maggie reached across the table and clasped her hand. "Oh no. Not Aspen."

Claire shrugged it off and met her mom's eyes. "It's okay so far. For the most part, he's been nothing but professional when he talks to me."

Katie perked up and joined in with more interest than before. "What are you two talking about?"

Claire withdrew her hands and folded them in her lap. "When I broke up with Aspen, he didn't take it so well."

"Claire, you don't have to do this," Maggie warned.

"No. It's okay. I don't have anything to hide." Then looking up to Katie's expectant face, she continued. "Aspen had been lying to me for almost a year when I discovered the truth about him. He had two aliases on social media, each with a separate girlfriend. I thought he was just committed to his studies. I didn't think twice about all the time we spent apart. But he was actively dating other girls. I confirmed it by befriending each of them on Facebook and scrolling through their pictures. When I confronted him, he had no choice but to admit the truth. After that, I ended all contact with him." Pausing, she took a sip of water and glanced up to catch Katie's mouth hanging open in shock.

"What? Why didn't you tell me? That had to be _awful_! I would have been there for you. I feel sick that you went through that alone."

"I know. And it was awful. I spent several weeks feeling sorry for myself. But, I had school and work to keep me going. Eventually, I stopped thinking about the future we had talked about and began making plans for myself. Once I accepted that I was single, I was able to move forward. It all worked out for the better now."

Maggie let out a deep breath she had been holding. "Are you sure working for him is a good idea?"

"He's not a threat now. I've moved on, and he knows it. My co-workers all seem to like him. They say he's real accommodating with schedules. Time will tell, I suppose."

"Just be careful."

"I will, Mom."

# 21

Claire was in the bedroom rubbing lotion on her freshly shaved legs when she heard Nate's truck pull up. While he was out with Nick and their military friends celebrating his official separation from the Army, she had prepared a special celebration of her own. She turned to the mirror one last time and smiled. The silky black tank top and matching shorts shimmered in the candlelight. Nate was going to lose his mind when he saw her.

"Claire?"

"In the bedroom," she called out.

Sounds of shoes hitting the floor and the rustle of a jacket made their way down the hall. She heard him walk across the floor, open a cabinet door, and fill a glass with ice from the icemaker followed by a rush of water from the faucet. Moments later, his footsteps could be heard coming toward her.

"Why is it so dark in here? Is everything..." The words were left unspoken on his lips when he pushed the door open and saw Claire laying in the middle of their bed. The room was lit by candles glowing from every surface, bathing her in a shadow of low light.

"Holy shit."

Claire ran her hand along the blanket in a smooth sweeping motion. "I warmed up your side of the bed."

"Looks to me like you warmed up the whole bed." Nate put his glass of water down before reaching over his shoulder and pulling his T-shirt off in one quick motion. He quickly removed his jeans and joined her on the bed wearing only boxer briefs. "I love coming home to you."

As Nate lowered his body to hers, Claire spread her legs so he could settle into her natural embrace. Pulling her leg up and over his thigh, she cradled him to her. "I love being here for you. I've never been happier."

Nate kissed her long and slow. When he pulled back, he leaned his weight on one elbow and stroked his knuckles along her cheek. "Dad told me tonight that he's planning to take Maggie away this weekend. I think we should tell them Friday before they leave."

Claire turned her cheek into the palm of his hand, resting there before she kissed it. "Okay. I'm ready now."

A quick flash of emotion spread across Nate's face. Shifting their position, he sat up and pulled her with him. Knee to knee in the middle of their bed, he held her face while threading his fingers into her hair. "I have something important to tell you. Something I've held back for a long time," Nate said with a hint of unease in his voice.

Claire reached up and wrapped her hands around his wrists as he continued to hold her. "I already know. You love me."

Their eyes met, and Nate pulled her to him in a crushing embrace. "God, yes. I love you so much, Claire." Opening his hold a little, he took one of her hands and drew it down to his side, pressing her palm flat against his ribs and over the words of his tattoo.

"This is you. You have been the words over my heart for the past three years."

Claire lifted her hand, gently running her fingertips over the words of the serenity prayer. With confusion on her face, she met his dark gaze. "I don't understand."

Nate cleared his throat around the lump of emotion gathering there. "Hold on. I'll show you."

Across the room, he reached into the bottom drawer of his dresser and pulled out a stack of letters held together with a rubber band. The edges of the envelopes were dirtied and worn from handling. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he patted the spot next to him. "Sit next to me."

Claire joined him and watched while he began separating the stack. She smiled when she recognized her stationary and handwriting. "So you did read my letters."

Nate turned to her. "I never said I didn't read them. In fact, most of them I memorized. I was telling the truth when I told you that your letters were what got me through."

Reaching for one random envelope, Claire held it in her hands a moment, studying the tattered edges.

"That's the first one you wrote after breaking up with Aspen." Concern fell over his features. "I was really worried about you. I never liked him much, but I could tell you were hurting."

Claire dropped it and pulled a different one from the pile. Holding it up for him to see, she raised an eyebrow, testing his memory. He smiled. "That one is where you were excited about getting the job in Grand Rapids. You also mentioned Trevor and Katie's new house. That was a good letter. Lots of happiness in the family."

Checking him, she withdrew the pages and scanned the words she had written. He was correct. They went through a few other letters before she stopped and rested her hands on the open pile of letters on her lap. "That's amazing, but what does one have to do with the other?" Reaching over, she touched his side with a single finger. "What do my letters have to do with this?"

Nate picked up the last opened letter on her lap and held it up to the candlelight. Embossed in the background were the words of the serenity prayers. "Your words on top, and inspiration in the background."

Claire reached up and took the page from his hand to examine it further. "I never knew that was there."

Nate took the pile of letters from both their laps and tossed them on the floor before pressing her into the mattress. "Your words have always been there. In the foreground and in the background. You gave me hope and encouragement when I was in some very dark corners of the world.

"When everything around me was hate and destruction, I was constantly reminded that someone cared about me. I wasn't even sure what it meant for the longest time. But the harder I tried to date other girls, the more I wanted you. Love was just a word until you came along and gave it meaning."

Claire pulled in a gasping breath as the tears spilled over. "I didn't want to love you. I was sure it was just physical attraction. But after you came back, I felt it immediately. You make every day better."

Nate slid his hand to her hip as they lay facing each other. "I want to make everything better forever. When we finally come out in the open, things may be difficult. But please trust me when I tell you my feelings are rock solid. No matter what happens, we have each other. Are you willing to fight for us?"

"Yes."

Late into the night, Nate worshiped her body as if it were the first time. With slow hands and intentional exploration, he made love to her. Every spot received sweet kisses and tender caresses. By the time she cried out his name with the intense wave of an orgasm, Nate was right there with her. Tucked into his side, Claire sighed with the realization that all the time spent fighting against it just heightened the importance of this moment. She was in love with Nate, and those first pure feelings had taken root long before her mom married his dad.

# 22

Claire came out of the bathroom for the second time since arriving home from work. Just the idea of telling her mom and Nick that she and Nate were in love had her nerves working overtime.

Nate turned off the television and set the remote on the end table when she came into the room. With a sympathetic grin, he walked over and took her hand. "I can't believe you're this nervous. We're just telling our parents. This should be easy."

Claire shrugged her shoulders. "I know. I just want to get it over with." Checking her watch, she saw that it was five minutes before six o'clock. "Let's go. I told Mom we were coming over before dinner, and you know how punctual they are."

Nate wrapped her in a hug and kissed her temple. "I love you."

Returning his hold, Claire tightened her arms and melted into his chest. "I love you too."

Stepping out of their house, Claire watched in shock as Katie's SUV pulled into the driveway next door. Glancing over her shoulder to Nate, she saw the alarm on his face as they both realized their private moment with their parents was about to be interrupted. Nate stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and walked side by side with Claire. Under his breath, he reassured her. "Just stay calm. Maybe they won't stay long."

In the driveway, Trevor stepped out and began unbuckling Jackson from the car seat. On the opposite side of the car, Katie jumped out and came running around the front of the car, her feet barely touching the ground. Trevor hoisted Jackson on his hip as Katie stepped into his side. They were all smiles.

Nate was the first to speak. "You all look happy. What's going on?"

The two exchanged a look and smiled even bigger. Trevor nodded toward the door. "Let's go inside. We've got a surprise."

Upon entering the house, Nick stood and greeted them all as they piled through the door. "Well, look here. I didn't know you were all coming over tonight."

Maggie peeked her head around the corner from the kitchen. "Oh, shoot. I didn't make enough for everyone."

Trevor put Jackson down. As soon as his feet hit the floor, he ran over to Grandma Maggie. "Sorry. We didn't think you'd mind if we came over unannounced." Draping his arm over his wife, Trevor squeezed her shoulder. "At Katie's appointment today, we found out we're pregnant."

Nick crossed the room and hugged them both simultaneously in one big embrace. "Congratulations. That's great news!"

Maggie bounced around in circles, singing while holding Jackson. "You're going to be a big brother! You're going to be a big brother!"

Nate shook hands with Trevor and patted him on the back. "Awesome news, bro. I'm real happy for you." He then hugged Katie and offered the same smile she was giving back to him. When he tried to look away, he could still feel her watching him.

Claire took her turn with hugs and congratulations as well. When the others began gathering in the kitchen, Katie whispered in her ear. "Did you ask Nate about his secret yet?"

"Not yet," Claire replied before ducking away to the bathroom. In the kitchen, she could hear chairs scraping the floor and dinner being served. It became painfully clear that Trevor and Katie would not be leaving anytime soon.

Leaning against the counter, she took careful breaths, trying to calm her escalating nerves. One look in the mirror confirmed the flush on her cheeks was not going away. Once again, she felt the urge to be sick, but she fought it off. As she stood there with her eyes closed, she tried to come to terms with the fact that she and Nate would need to wait until their parents returned from their weekend away to tell them their news. While running cool water on a washcloth, a soft knock sounded on the door.

Nate stuck his head inside and took one look at her before feeling sick himself. Claire looked so sad and disappointed, he'd give anything to comfort her on the spot. "I'm sorry. But, I think we should wait."

Claire pressed a cool rag to her temples and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We can't steal their thunder tonight. It's not fair."

Returning to the kitchen, Claire took a seat at one of the two bar stools, and Nate joined her a few minutes later. Before long, the house was full of storytelling and laughter that lasted into the evening. Jackson got an extra dose of attention from everyone as they celebrated the wonderful news as a family. The guys carried on an easy conversation with topics ranging from tools and building trades to trucks and lift kits. Katie and Maggie talked nonstop about pregnancies and baby names. Unable to keep her emotions at bay, Claire reached up and cleared a tear before it fell. Nate noticed and discretely gave her a wink. There was so much love amongst everyone in this room. Would they be just as happy with Nate and Claire's news?

Early the next day, Claire was anxiously roaming around the house. Nate was sleeping late, but she had been up cleaning and washing laundry since before sunrise. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she was restless. Everything with Nate was perfect. The evening before had been unexpected, but waiting a few more days wasn't going to change anything. She had the weekend off, so she should be relaxed and snuggled in bed with Nate.

But she wasn't. She was wide awake at seven in the morning on a Saturday with the urge to clean. Who was she?

Sitting down at the island, Claire stared at the clock next to the calendar on the wall. Glancing at the calendar and its snow-covered January landscape, she laughed to herself. It was now mid-February, and neither she nor Nate had taken the time to flip it. Standing with the intention of changing it, she stubbed her toe against the cabinet and cried out. "Shit! Ouch, ouch!"

Leaning a hip against the counter, she bent forward to inspect the damage. Before she could stand up, Nate was behind her, rubbing a hand down her leg. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Claire could feel his erection through her thin sleepwear. "I'm fine. Just stubbed my toe."

With his large hands on her hips, Nate hoisted her onto the countertop. He grabbed her foot and rubbed it with his strong hands. When he let go, he placed her foot against his bare abs. "Is that better?"

Claire wiggled her pink-painted toes and slowly slid her foot down to his morning wood pressing against his shorts. Rocking her arch over it, she teased, "It is now."

With quick hands, Nate grabbed her by the toe and pulled her foot away. "Careful now, I need to piss. You scared the shit out of me." Turning for the hall, he shouted back to her from the bathroom. "Besides, didn't you get enough of that last night? You're insatiable lately."

Claire appeared in the doorway as he finished up and turned to face her. "Well, if you weren't so fucking sexy, maybe I wouldn't be so needy."

"You like this?" Bending forward in a hulk pose, he flexed, making every muscle from his abs to his shoulders tighten in response.

Claire's eyes glazed over as she soaked in the sight of him. "Oh, yeah. I love every inch of all that."

"I love the look on your face when you look at me like that."

"Like what?" Claire asked modestly.

"Like you're going to devour me. That shade of blue in your eyes tells me you burn red hot for me. It's the same look you give me when we're making love, and it drives me insane. I'm jealous of anyone who's ever seen it before me."

Claire reached up and ran a hand through his hair before pulling him down for a slow, passionate kiss. "I've never known this kind of love before."

Nate's lips hovered above hers. "Not even with Aspen?"

Leaning back, Claire looked into his serious face. He seemed pained over the question.

"No. I was never this in love with Aspen."

"But you loved him enough that you were making future plans with him. You were feeling something serious."

Taking his hand, she walked them over to the couch. As usual, Nate sat down first and pulled her onto his lap. Straddling his hips, she snuggled in tight before continuing. "When I was with Aspen, I made decisions based on what I thought everyone else expected. We were dating, so naturally we often talked about our futures. Mostly we were trying to get through school and throwing around ideas that sounded good. The more we said it, the more I believed it was actually going to happen. In the end, I found out he never meant any of it anyway."

Nate ran his hands up and down her back before resting them on her hips. "In your letter, you said he was dating someone else. Are you saying he was dating someone before you broke up with him?"

Claire swallowed hard and told him the whole story. The past was the past, and talking about it brought up buried feelings of hurt and embarrassment. But Nate had been the one person who saw through her barely-there relationship with Aspen from the beginning. Everyone else in the family had just accepted that he was her boyfriend and had chosen not to get involved. But not Nate. He took every opportunity to point out Aspen's flaws.

By the time she finished explaining how Aspen had lied to her and the sadness she went through after their breakup, Nate was fuming. "I can't believe you even considered going to work for him. What were you thinking?"

Claire rested her arms on his shoulders while her fingers played with the hair on the nape of his neck. "I was thinking I really wanted the job. I was thinking I wanted to move back home. I'm not the young, naïve girl I was back then." Shifting slightly, Claire leaned forward to be eye to eye with Nate. "I am stronger because of you. Your love has given me courage to take risks. Chances are slim that I'll work for him in the long run anyway. So I took the position hoping for the best. I love my job and the perks that came along with taking it."

Nate nipped at her lips. "I'm a perk now?"

Wiggling on his lap, Claire smiled and ground her hips forward. "You are the best perk ever. If I hadn't taken the job, where would we be right now?"

"Miserable."

"Exactly. If we hadn't started this before the Super Bowl party, you'd probably be unhappily dating Heather, and I would be trying to avoid Troy by now."

"You're right. Fuck, you're always right."

Claire kissed him and continued to tease his growing erection. "You know what else I am? Horny. Let's go back to bed."

Quickly changing their positions, Nate settled his body along the length of hers on the couch. Reaching under her nightgown, he pulled her panties to the side and slid home. They never made it to the bedroom.

# 23

"Would you like dessert," the waiter asked while removing dishes from their table at The Pier.

Claire declined with a hand pressed to her belly. After already indulging in an appetizer, a steak, and an enormous salad, she wasn't sure there was room for the rest of her wine, let alone dessert. "I couldn't eat another bite. But it was all delicious."

Nate nodded to the waiter. "We'll pass. I'll take the check when you return."

"Very good." The waiter cleared the dishes and left them alone.

Reaching for her hand, Nate intertwined their fingers. This was their last night of secrecy. Tomorrow, they were telling Nick and Maggie, no matter what. "I can't remember ever being this happy."

Claire couldn't stop smiling either. This was everything she had hoped it would be and more.

After paying the tab, Claire waited at the door while Nate went to bring the car around. In the length of time since they arrived at the lakefront restaurant, the weather had shifted and a light drizzle was coming down. Pulling up to the curb, Nate quickly walked around the vehicle to open her door. As he did, his foot slipped, but he caught himself before falling. "Be careful where you step. It's starting to freeze."

Once inside the car, Claire leaned over to give Nate a quick kiss on the lips. "Let's go home and make our own dessert."

The longing in her eyes matched his own. "Buckle up. I've got plans for those lips later."

Cruising along the winding lake road with the radio on low, Claire held on tight to Nate's thigh. Every now and then, he gripped the wheel a little tighter. "This weather sucks. We should have brought my truck instead of your car."

At the next curve, headlights from an oncoming car came closer and closer. "Shit. I don't think he's stopping." Nate steered as close to the shoulder as possible to avoid the hit, but when he applied the brakes, there was no traction.

Claire braced with one hand on the door and another on the dash just before the car slammed into them, pushing their car down the embankment. The sound of metal bending and glass shattering punctuated the night as icy drizzle fell all around them. When the car came to rest against a tree, Claire was screaming his name.

Nate fought against the pain radiating from his head. The driver side window was shattered and there was blood flowing down the side of his face and into his eye, but he could move everything. He reached across the car for Claire. "Baby, I'm right here. Are you okay?"

Claire cried out with pain while holding her arm to her chest. "My foot is stuck. It really hurts. Can you see it?"

Nate leaned down to look, but in the dark and shadows, he couldn't see anything. From above him, he heard someone shouting. "Are you okay down there? I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop."

Nate scrambled out of the driver side and yelled against the biting rain to the shape of a man at the side of the road. "My girlfriend is pinned inside. We're going to need an ambulance. Can you call it in?"

"You got it."

Sliding around to Claire's side of the car, Nate reached for the door handle and tried to pull it open, but the tree was lodged at the hinge. It wouldn't budge. Claire sat in her seat with her head against the headrest. He could see the pain on her face. He'd never felt so helpless. "They're calling an ambulance, babe. Tell me what I can do to help you."

Claire opened her eyes and looked at him with the experience of a trained professional. "I feel blood. I need you to apply pressure until they get here."

Nate was on his way back around to do that when two EMTs with flashlights came rushing down the embankment toward him. The first one shone a flashlight on his face and asked if there were others. He told them about Claire, and they radioed for more help.

As he turned toward the car, a gloved hand reached for him and applied cotton to his forehead, dabbing the blood. "Not so fast. Come with me. I need to see if you have glass embedded before we stitch that up."

Nate fought him off and shoved him toward Claire instead. "No. I'm fine. Go help her."

"She's in good hands. The fire department just arrived. Once they start cutting her out, you and I will just be in the way."

Nate reluctantly followed the EMT to the ambulance and climbed inside. Outside the door, he could see lights and hear feet scrambling back and forth toward the car. The radio above was full of nonstop chatter between the medical team and the hospital. The pain from the cut couldn't compare to the pain of not knowing if Claire was okay.

From outside, someone walked by and closed the ambulance doors. The EMT next to him slapped the side of the ambulance and it took off down the road. Nate panicked and tried to sit up. "What's going on? Is Claire okay?"

The EMT pointed with his chin to the radio. "They just got her out. She's got a laceration to her lower right leg and a broken arm. As soon as they get her loaded, they'll be right behind us."

The EMT rested his hand on Nate's shoulder. "She's going to be alright. Best thing you can do is relax and let us get you stitched up."

In the emergency room, he was taken to an observation area and quickly given anesthetic and stitches. Just as they were finishing up, the EMT stuck his head in the door. "I've got an update on the passenger in his vehicle. May I come in?"

The nurse snapped her gloves off and walked out. "Sure. I just finished. I'll prepare discharge paperwork and be right back."

"I just got word that your girlfriend was re-routed to Detroit Receiving. Due to the amount of blood loss and the baby, she needed to be taken to a Level 1 trauma center. If she needs a transfusion or obstetric care, they're better equipped."

Nate fisted his hands and swung his legs to the side of his bed. His head instantly felt like dead weight, and the room was spinning. Lifting a hand, he pressed against his temple and gritted his teeth against the pain. "What?"

"This is just a regional hospital. They don't have the resources to treat her if she needed a transfusion. So, to be safe, they took her downtown."

"No, I got that. The other part."

"Oh, the baby is fine. But if she needs surgery, they have better neonatal care there too."

Nate felt the air leave his body in a rush. He suddenly felt lightheaded and weak. Fuck! _Baby?_ "I need to go. I can't be here."

"I figured you'd say that. I called for a cab. Should be here any minute."

Nate threw some cash at the cabbie and ran inside the emergency entrance of Detroit Receiving. The weather had let up some, but the volume of accidents was obvious judging by the full waiting room. Bypassing the waiting area, he marched up to the reception desk. The first person who looked his way rushed over. "Sir, are you okay?" Looking down, Nate realized his shirt was blood-stained, and his face and hands were covered in scrapes and bruises.

"I'm fine. I was in an accident earlier this evening with my girlfriend. Her name is Claire Carter. They brought her here by ambulance. Can you tell me where she is?"

"Your what?"

Nate turned to his side just in time to dodge Trevor lunging at him.

Scrambling to protect his face and bandaged stitches, Nate deflected the attack by pushing against Trevor's chest. "What the hell, man?"

The nurse called for security, and after a few moments of pushing each other, the men separated, both still seething.

Nate straightened but held a firm grip to Trevor's collar. "Stop. Just fucking stop, alright. Why are you even here? I need to see Claire."

"She's in surgery, you asshole. The hospital called me because I'm listed as her emergency contact."

Resigned, Nate released him but gave one last hard push as Security rounded the corner. "You two need to take this outside or I'll have you removed from hospital property."

They exchanged looks, and Nate shook his head. "We're good. Just a misunderstanding."

The nurse hung up her phone and addressed them both. "Your family member is out of surgery. You can go to the third floor, and they'll let you know when you can see her."

Sitting across the room from each other, Nate and Trevor held their tongue for the sake of the situation and the others in the waiting room. When the doctor finally came in, he asked for a family member. They both stood up and joined the surgeon in the hallway as he gave the full report.

"The laceration on her leg required several stitches. She lost a lot of blood, and she'll be weak for a while, but that should heal up just fine. Her wrist was a clean break, but it did require a pin. She'll be in a temporary cast for a week then we'll see her back in my office. Another four to five weeks in a rigid cast and she'll be good as new. She's awake now, but I'd suggest just one of you go in at a time. She needs to rest."

Trevor took a step forward, intending to go first.

Nate reached for his shoulder and pinned him to the wall with his forearm across his chest.

"Don't even fucking think about it! I know you're pissed. And in some way, I guess you have every right to be, but I need five minutes alone with her. Five minutes. That's all I'm asking."

Trevor shook off the hold and straightened his shirt. "Fine. Katie's been texting me all evening. She's worried sick. I should get home so I can tell her in person that everything is going to be okay. Tell Claire I'll be by tomorrow."

Nate held out his hand. Trevor took it slowly before pulling him in for a bro-hug and slapping his back. "You better fucking take care of her. That's all I'm going to say."

"Thanks. You have my word, brother."

# 24

Nate walked into the room quietly. Claire was resting peacefully in spite of her condition. Her left arm was bandaged from the elbow down. Her face and arms were scratched and bruised, but there were no stitches. Her left leg lay outside of the blanket, elevated with a pillow. The laceration had been stitched and covered with gauze. Her painted pink toes were swollen. Reaching for her good hand, he pulled it to his lips and closed his eyes while offering a silent prayer of thanks. They were both fortunate to be alive.

Claire wiggled her fingers to get his attention. When he met her eyes, there were pools of tears threatening to spill over.

Nate quickly leaned down to lay a soothing hand against her cheek before kissing her forehead gently. "Hey, are you in pain? Should I get your nurse?"

Claire closed her eyes, and tears slid down her cheeks. "No."

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Nate twisted their fingers together and rested their joined hands on his lap. Tired and struggling to stay awake against the effects of the anesthesia, Claire looked up and lingered at the hairline bandage covering his stitches. "Are you okay?"

Nate smiled. "I've never been better, baby."

Once again, Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A heartbeat later, she locked eyes and held his gaze. He was smiling with love and amazement at her. "We're having a baby. Did you know?"

Claire's mouth was so dry she could barely gather enough spit to swallow, let alone talk, but she tried. "Not really. I mean, I knew I was late, but I'm not always on schedule." Tears welled up in her eyes again. "I'm so sorry. Are you mad?"

Nate choked back the emotion her question brought up. "Hell no, I'm not mad, Claire. I'm happy. I'm excited. I'm complete. We are together, and we are going to have a beautiful family together." After placing a gentle kiss on her lips, he nuzzled his cheek to hers. "You are my forever. And as soon as you're able, I'm making it permanent. Our baby will never live a day without a dad."

Claire wrapped her good hand around his neck and wept quietly. "Will you stay here with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."

"I left you once. I'll not make that mistake again." He stood up and straightened the blanket around her. Pointing to a chair in the corner, he made sure she knew he meant it. "I'll be right there unless they kick me out. And if they do, I'll be in the waiting room. I'm an expert at sleeping in these tiny chairs."

Claire grinned at the memory. "Thank you."

"By the way, Trevor was here."

Claire was on emotion overload. She couldn't hide the shock and fear on her face. "Does he know?"

Nate dipped his chin. "Yeah. The doctor told us both when you came out of surgery. He was shocked at first, but then, so was I. But before he left, he shook my hand and made me promise to take care of you."

Claire reached up and wiped the tears from her cheek. "I love you so much."

As Nate settled into the chair, he stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankle. "Oh, baby, you haven't seen anything yet. You better get some sleep while you can, because once you're out of here, I'm going all in."

Just after Claire's breakfast tray was removed, Nate heard the low chatter of voices gathering in the hall moments before the crowd of family rushed into Claire's room. The first one through was Maggie, followed by Nick, Trevor, and Katie. Nate stood from his chair and stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans while waiting for what he knew was coming.

Nick walked over to him and gripped him by his shoulder. "We're so glad you're okay. Judging by the size of that bandage, you must have at least a dozen stitches."

"Fourteen," Nate corrected.

Maggie walked to Claire's bedside and sat down. Grabbing her hand, she pulled it toward her heart. "Are you in any pain? We wanted to come up earlier, but Trevor insisted that he and Katie come with us. We dropped Jackson off at his other grandma's house on the way here."

"No, I'm fine. The doctor was just in and said he'll be releasing me today."

Maggie stood and walked over to join Nick at the end of the bed. "That's terrific. We were so worried when Trevor told us that we should come as a family. I was sure we were going to get bad news."

Katie stood next to Trevor, wrenching her hands and avoiding eye contact. It was obvious that Trevor had already filled her in. Nate walked over to Claire and laced their fingers together, gaining everyone's attention. "We want you all to know that we're in love. We tried everything we could to deny it, but the will to be together was just too strong. Once I left for the Army, I tried to move on. We had just celebrated your marriage, and we both knew we were supposed to be siblings and nothing more."

Glancing around the room at the faces of his family, Nate expected to see shock and anger – anything except their happy smiles.

Nick was the first to break into a laugh. "Well, this may come as a surprise to you, but we already figured it out."

Claire scoffed from her bed. "What? How?"

Maggie stepped forward and teasingly squeezed her blanket covered foot. "Maybe it was the way he talks about you. Or the way you look at him when he enters a room."

Katie spoke for the first time since walking in with the group. "I feel so terrible for setting you both up on blind dates. I missed all the signs. You must think I'm awful."

They both laughed out loud. "You have nothing to feel bad about. We could have said no, but we went along with it for the sake of family. We weren't sure what to do about our feelings then, but it became clear after that night. You actually helped push us into coming clean."

Katie walked over and hugged Nate and then Claire. "I'm so happy. We love you both so much."

When she stepped back, Nate cleared his throat. "There is one more thing. Well, actually, two more things."

Turning to Claire, he took her good hand in both of his. He spoke to her but was loud enough for the room to hear. "Due to last night's unfortunate accident, we found out that Claire is pregnant."

Maggie and Katie shared a collective gasp, but Nate didn't stop there.

"And, as soon as she's able to travel, we've decided to go to Las Vegas to elope. Neither of us want anything big, and we don't want to wait."

Maggie came toward the bed and wrapped them both in a hug. "This is the best news ever."

"You won't be upset about not planning a wedding," Claire asked.

"Of course not. I want you to be happy. And if that makes you happy, then who am I to say otherwise?"

"I love you, Mom."

Maggie pressed a kiss to Claire's cheek. "Oh, honey, I love you too. And you are going to be a great mom."

# 25

Three weeks later.

* * *

The small wedding chapel on the Las Vegas strip was decked out in delicate white rose bouquets and sprigs of ivy. Nate stood next to the officiant while waiting for the music to start. He could see Claire hovering in the corner of the tiny waiting area. She had insisted on having a wedding dress and veil, in spite of their decision to elope. When the first few chords of Cannon in D began to play, she stepped into view, and his heart melted. She had chosen a fitted dress that hugged her growing curves with just enough ruched fabric to hide the evidence in the middle, which she insisted should not show in her wedding pictures. He smiled as she joined his side and threaded her hand into the crook of his arm.

When the time came to slip a ring on her finger, he withdrew a thin gold band with a simple opal setting. His mother's ring. Before the ceremony, he told her he wanted to seal their vows with this special ring and that later, he would replace it with a diamond of her choice. As soon as she saw it, she told him there was no other ring she wanted.

Claire and Nate spent the night in the Bellagio honeymoon suite before flying back to Michigan the very next day. It was intimate. It was beautiful. And it was perfect.

When their plane touched down, they were greeted in the baggage area by a chauffeur holding a sign for "Mr. & Mrs. Nate Thompson."

Nate escorted his wife into the waiting limo and handed the driver a generous tip before sliding in beside her.

"Did you do this? I thought Trevor was picking us up."

"I know nothing."

Claire studied his sly reply. "What do you know?"

"Nothing, Mrs. Thompson. Just roll with it."

Thirty minutes later, their limo pulled up to an upscale hotel on the outskirts of Lake St. James. The driver came around and opened the door. As they stepped under the shelter of the portico, the driver instructed them to go to the Lake Michigan Room. Someone would be waiting for them there.

Walking hand in hand down the long hallway, Nate was all smiles as his wife scanned the faces of everyone they passed. She had no idea what was about to go down.

With a quick nod to the doorman, the doors swung open and the crowd inside erupted in celebration. Claire peered inside with her mouth open. Their parents, friends, and family filled the room. On a long table next to the dance floor, a three tier cake was the centerpiece surrounded by hors d'oeuvres.

"I know you don't like surprises, but your mom and Katie planned this as a gift to us. I tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn't take no for an answer."

Claire stood on tiptoes and kissed her husband open mouthed and passionately. "I love your surprises. They're the best."

# Epilogue

Nate pressed a cold cloth to Claire's forehead. She was tired and exhausted from six hours of pushing, but she refused to stop. "Baby, come on. It's been long enough. Let them prep you for a C-section. Let's meet our son."

Claire puffed her cheeks and stared him down as another contraction hit. "Are you rushing me?" Puff, puff. "I can do this. Dr. Angel said he's not in any stress, so I can try as long as I feel up to it." Puff, puff. "Here, hold my hand. This one is coming on strong."

Nate circled his arm around her shoulders for back support while she squeezed the life out of his other hand. Claire pushed through the contraction, yelling out when it intensified. "There you go. Get loud. Just like you do at home."

Claire shot him a warning glare. "Shut it, Thompson."

The assisting nurse lifted the sheet and smiled. "We got somewhere that time. A few more just like that and you'll be done." Looking over at the monitor and back to Nate, she nodded. "Okay, Dad, here comes another one. This time, hold that knee, and I'll hold this one. Claire, give it all you've got."

After a few more tries, all eight pounds of baby boy Thompson made his arrival. Claire rested against the bed while watching Nate do his assigned dad duties from cutting the cord to hovering with a camera while his weight and measurements were taken. When Nate turned around holding the tiny blue bundle in his muscular arms, Claire physically felt her heart expand in her chest. Every day with Nate was full of happiness and discovery. He was the most amazing husband and was already proving to be an excellent dad. Their little family was blessed with love that came from a place of hidden secrecy and blossomed into the kind of love that others envy.

The kind of love that lasts forever.
**D ear Reader,**

Thanks for reading The Lake Lovers series!

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Until next time,

Marly Andrews

# About the Author

I enjoy reading and writing books that make your heart beat faster, rainy day movie marathons, and coffee breaks with dessert. After growing up in Southern Illinois, I fell in love and relocated to the mitten state. I now live in my dream home on Lake St. Clair with my rock star husband and two very special dogs.
