by Croix, J. H.
Tess nodded her head in the direction of their table. “He’s waiting at our table. How about I walk you over to meet him? That’ll get me out of this round with Chad.”
Theresa winked. “Let’s do it.” She called to John. “Honey, Tess is taking me to meet someone.” When Theresa spoke, Chad looked over and she addressed him. “I’ll walk Tess back to her date, Chad. Nice to see you,” Theresa said brightly, quickly turning and tugging Tess along with her.
Moments later, Tess stood at Nathan’s side, his arm once again warm around her waist. The tension she’d been holding in her body unwound with the relief at being back by Nathan’s side and away from Chad. Nathan was charming Theresa who comfortably flirted with him and teased Tess. Theresa quickly solicited a waiter to relocate her and John’s seating to the same table.
Once they were seated, Theresa shifted from teasing to serious. “So Nathan, aside from being tickled to meet you, I’m so glad you’re here with Tess. Promise me you’ll stay until this mess with Chad has blown over.”
“Theresa!” Tess exclaimed. “We have no idea how long that’s going to take. You can’t ask Nathan to promise something he can’t. He has a life in Alaska, you know.”
Theresa turned her sharp gaze to Tess. “Of course he has a life in Alaska! But Nathan said his trip was open-ended. I’m glad he’s here with you tonight to force Chad to take a step back from this charade he’s putting you through. I want you to have back up however you can get it, and I don’t care if it embarrasses you.” Theresa softened her words with a smile and reached over to squeeze Tess’s hand. “Not to mention that he’s handsome as all get out, and I love seeing you two together.”
Tess swallowed against the tightness in her throat. She knew Theresa cared, and she was beyond relieved that Nathan was with her tonight. She just didn’t know what to do with how right it felt to have Nathan here. Masking her discomfort, she took a sip of wine.
Nathan chuckled. “Well, I appreciate your support, Theresa. I’ll have to play it by ear, although if Tess will have me, I’ll stay as long as I can. I’m just hoping that Chad has to face the music sooner rather than later. Not because I want to leave sooner, but because I hate watching what this does to Tess.” He slid his arm around the back of Tess’s chair and squeezed her shoulder.
The rest of the evening passed far more smoothly than Tess had anticipated. Theresa assigned herself as Tess’s personal companion, tagging along with her the next time Chad took advantage of a break in the events to have her circulate the crowd with him. Given that Theresa had been a frequent presence at events that Tess coordinated and she was about as well connected as anyone in the room, Chad seemed pleased to have her nearby. Tess did wonder if her teeth were going to crack during one of Chad’s schmooze sessions with the Chief Financial Officer at the hospital, but she survived. Catching Theresa’s sly smile helped her relax.
As the evening wound up, Nathan walked her out of the dining area, his hand on her back. Tess was exhausted. With her nerves in high gear all evening, she felt like an overwrought wind up toy. When Nathan stepped away to fetch her jacket from the coatroom, Chad came to her side. He kept a polite distance between them but gave her a hard glance before looking away when he spoke.
“So I’m hoping to join you at the dinner next weekend. I’d prefer if you didn’t bring a date,” Chad said, staring out into the lobby area.
Tess forced herself to take a slow breath. Once again, Chad had caught her off guard. She should have known not to allow herself to relax until she knew for certain he’d left.
“You mean, the bimonthly dinner hosted by the hospital board?” Tess asked, somewhat stunned that Chad thought it would be kosher for him to attend. While the dinners were open to the public, they were generally smaller affairs, less formal and less public.
“Exactly. Haven’t been to one in a while and it’ll be a good chance for me to show my face,” Chad replied, his voice tight.
Before Tess could reply, she felt her jacket being settled on her shoulders. Nathan ran his hands down both of her arms and casually stepped to her side, sliding an arm around her shoulders.
“I’ll be joining Tess at the dinner. If you were wondering,” Nathan said, his words directed at Chad, his voice measured. Tess glanced at him quickly. A muscle ticked in his jaw. She wanted to thank him for interjecting and making it clear to Chad that he would be with her—no matter how Chad tried to manipulate it otherwise. She glanced between Nathan and Chad. The contrast between them was stark. Chad appeared a faint imitation of what Nathan was—not in looks per se, but in how he wanted to be seen: masculine, in control, dominant. Nathan was all of those things and it had probably never crossed his mind to try to be any of that. He was also far less interested in what anyone thought of him.
Chad had yet to turn and look at Nathan. When he finally did, his eyes barely connected with Nathan’s gaze. He looked to Tess. “Well, I guess your date here will be at the board dinner. Fine by me. Just remember it’s business too.”
Tess nodded tightly and smiled, wondering if her face would actually crack from the fake smiles she’d plastered on for Chad’s benefit. “I never forget that it’s business too.”
Chad had looked away again. He simply nodded and walked off. Tess watched him until he exited through the lobby doors. She took a deep breath, releasing it in a long sigh. Nathan slid a hand up and massaged the back of her neck, the mere touch of his strong, warm hand releasing hours of built up tension.
“Okay, he’s an ass. That’s about all I have to say,” Nathan said.
“I know. I’m sorry you had to go through this. You see why I didn’t want you in the middle. It’s bad enough that I have to be,” she said.
During the long pause, doubts bombarded Tess. She was mortified enough that she’d ever dated Chad. Having Nathan meet him and be witness to the kind of man Chad was only heightened her embarrassment. Nathan’s hand stilled on her neck.
“You’re doing it again,” he said.
Tess looked up at him to find him smiling down at her, his eyes warm. “Doing what?”
“Worrying about things you shouldn’t worry about.”
“I can’t help it. I feel awful about this whole thing with Chad and now you’re in the middle. Tonight couldn’t have been any fun for you,” she said with a huff.
“Don’t get me wrong. Chad is an ass. And I had to keep reminding myself that Simon is going to make sure he gets held accountable. But aside from that…” Nathan paused and turned to face Tess, tugging her hands into his. He held her gaze, the blue of his eyes darkening. “Everything else was fun. I got to look at you all night, even when Chad was dragging you around. Pretty cool to see what you do. Everyone respects the hell out of you. Theresa seems to think you’re the most amazing woman in the universe. I didn’t have the heart to tell her she didn’t need to sell you to me.”
He leaned forward and gave Tess a soft kiss, lingering about as long as was proper in the middle of the crowded lobby at the convention center. When he pulled away, she bit her lip, a blush warming her face.
“So stop worrying about me. The only thing that bothers me about being in the middle of this is seeing what it’s doing to you.”
Tess closed her eyes and, for once, let her worries go, dropping them like pebbles on the ground. Opening her eyes, she smiled ruefully. “I’ll stop worrying about you. Only because you asked.”
Nathan chuckled. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 15
A few days later, Tess slowly came awake. Curled on her side, Nathan was spooned behind her, one arm thrown across her hip, the weight warm and heavy. Rays of sun fell on the bed. Tess sighed, wanting to stay right where she was as long as she could…except for the minor annoyance that she might wet the bed if she didn’t get up soon. She giggled to herself as she carefully slid out of Nathan’s embrace. Once awake, Tess found herself too restless to crawl back in bed. Leaving Nathan to sleep, she showered and started ma
king breakfast.
Not much later, Nathan came out to the kitchen, wearing only his boxers. Tess took a good look at his muscled chest and giggled at his black curls, sticking out every which way.
“Smells good,” he said, his voice gravelly from sleep.
Tess quickly poured him a cup of coffee and put it in front of him when he sat down at the table. Nathan tugged her close, resting his head on her hip. She ran her fingers through his curls.
“Feelin’ damn lucky this morning. I wake up, you have coffee ready and if my nose is right, you’re cooking bacon.”
Tess felt his smile against her hip. “Your nose is right. Decided I should cook for you this morning. I love to cook.”
Nathan lifted his head and gave her waist a squeeze before picking up his coffee for a sip. “Oh god, that’s good. Just what I need. If your food is half as good as your coffee, it will be amazing. You make a damn good cup of coffee. Strong—just the way I like it.”
Tess dropped a kiss on his forehead and went to check on the bacon. She started cooking the scrambled eggs she had prepped before Nathan got up. She had added chopped spinach, red peppers and garlic to the eggs. As she flipped the bacon, there was a knock on the door. Before she had a chance to get there, Nathan had sauntered over and answered.
“Dear god, you should not be allowed to go without a shirt!”
Tess couldn’t help but giggle at Deanna’s exclamation. She turned to look over her shoulder to see Deanna walking through the door as Nathan held it open. Deanna looked as if she had just been to the gym. She wore purple spandex leggings, running shoes and a fitted black spandex top. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her usual red lipstick was absent.
Deanna came over and planted a kiss on Tess’s cheek. “You really shouldn’t let anyone see him like that. It’s too tempting for other women. I can handle it, but not everyone can.”
Tess laughed. “I’ll do my best.” She glanced over at Nathan who just rolled his eyes and shrugged. “I wasn’t thinking when I answered the door,” he said with a chuckle. He headed for the bedroom. In seconds, she could hear the shower running.
Tess turned back to Deanna. “Coffee?”
Deanna sat down at the small table adjacent to the kitchen. “Yes please.”
“Didn’t know you were coming by,” Tess said as she brought a cup of coffee over to Deanna.
“I forgot Nathan was here, or I would have called. Just wasn’t thinking. Hope it’s okay that I came by.”
“Of course it is! Just because Nathan’s here doesn’t mean you can’t come over.”
Deanna gave Tess a pointed look over the rim of her coffee mug. “I know that. You just might have better things to do.” She lowered her voice. “I knew he was cute. But damn, his body is to die for. I was already on the ‘Tess should move to Alaska bandwagon,’ but now I’ll think you’re crazy if you don’t.”
Tess blushed. “Trust me, I know how cute Nathan is. I just kinda can’t believe he’s interested in me.”
Deanna set her coffee down and tilted her head. “You’re cute as hell with a hot little body. Even before Chad, you were oblivious to how cute you were. He just made it worse. Turn that voice off. Just accept that you’re worthy for once.”
Tess gave her head a hard shake. “I’ll work on that. But you know, I don’t just like Nathan for his body. He’s so…well…nice. Much as I can hardly stand everyone knowing about this thing with Chad and especially not Nathan, he’s been amazing about it. He was great at the fundraiser the other night.”
Deanna nodded. “I know it’s not just his body. I just can’t help but comment on the obvious. Trust me, after Chad who—I hate saying it—could be called handsome, I wouldn’t support you being with anyone who wasn’t awesome in the ways that matter. Nathan fits the bill.”
Tess noticed that the bacon was done, so she turned the burner off and stirred the scrambled eggs. “Do you want breakfast while you’re here?” she asked Deanna, glancing over her shoulder.
“If it includes bacon, yes. I try to eat healthy, but damn if I can live without bacon. Just the smell is divine,” Deanna replied. “Speaking of Nathan, ran into Theresa at the grocery store. She’s ready to plan your wedding. She might be worse than your mother.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Tess said, keeping her tone casual though her thoughts were anything but. Ever practical, she didn’t know what to make of how quickly her otherwise rational friends were insisting she just throw caution to the wind with Nathan. It ran against her grain. “She was at the fundraiser the other night and sat with us. Thank god she was there. She gave me some breathing room when I had to work the crowd with Chad,” Tess continued, shifting the topic away from Nathan.
Deanna curled her lip. “Ugh. Chad makes me sick. Theresa told me what John had heard about the accounting firm auditing all of the accounts Chad handles. Has Simon gotten in touch with them?”
Tess nodded. “I called him on the way home and filled him in. He was in touch first thing Monday morning. Haven’t heard anything else from him though. I’m getting impatient. I want this over and done with.” Satisfied that the scrambled eggs were ready, Tess pulled plates out and started serving the food.
“We all want this done and over with,” Nathan said as he returned from the bedroom. He was showered and dressed in lightweight shorts and a royal blue cotton shirt. His curls were damp. “Simon’s right though. The better their case against Chad, the cleaner it will be once he knows they’re investigating.”
Tess felt him come up behind her as he planted a soft kiss on the back of her neck. “I know it’s better if they take the time they need,” she said, handing a plate to Nathan. “I just hate that I have to keep playing charades with him in the meantime.”
After setting one plate in front of Deanna, Nathan carried the remaining two full plates to the table and tugged Tess away from the sink. “You’re not going to start cleaning up now. I’ll do it later,” he said firmly. With a soft caress on her bottom, he turned her toward the table. Tess couldn’t hide the blush that came with a smile at his touch.
Deanna nodded approvingly at Nathan. “I like you. You treat Tess right. Please don’t stop or I’ll have to kick your ass.” She picked up a piece of bacon and ate it with relish.
Tess wrinkled her nose at Deanna, as she sat down. “She will not kick your ass,” Tess said to Nathan as she bit into a piece of bacon. “Oh god…this is so good.”
Nathan laughed softly. “If I stop treating you right, I’d deserve it. I get it.”
Deanna looked to Tess, tilting her head toward Nathan, her eyes practically demanding that Tess grab Nathan and hold on with both hands. “See, he gets it.” When Tess didn’t take the bait, the teasing look in Deanna’s eyes faded as she continued. “So do we have a timeframe on when Simon, the bank and now the accounting firm are going to move on Chad?”
Tess shook her head. “Wish we did. Simon says it’s better if they have time to take a look at everything. They don’t want to give Chad a chance to clean up his trail. I tried to get a timeline out of Simon, but he said it would be at least until next week. Which means…” Tess paused and looked at Nathan “…that I have to get through the hospital board’s dinner this coming weekend. It’s on Chad’s radar, so he wants me to be there.”
“I’m going too though,” Nathan added.
Deanna smiled widely. “Oh goodie. I’m so glad you’re here. Maybe I’ll go. Would you want me to?” she asked, directing her question at Tess.
Tess was surprised because these kinds of functions were not Deanna’s favorite thing to do. With a shrug, she replied, “If you want to. You don’t have to though.”
Deanna gave her a long look. “I know I don’t have to. I may not always go to these things, but I have to attend faculty dinners all the time. I actually want to go now that I think about. It’ll be fun to watch Chad try to deal with me and Nathan,” she said with a sharp laugh.
&n
bsp; Nathan gave her an approving glance. “Damn fine plan. We’ll tag team him.”
Tess looked between them and burst out laughing. “This oughta be good.”
***
Several hours later, Nathan pulled up in front of Simon’s house. They’d driven to New Bern so Nathan could return Simon’s truck and to visit Tess’s parents. Celine had called the day after Nathan arrived and insisted that if Tess didn’t bring him down to visit them, they’d come up there. Much as Tess wanted to keep Nathan to herself and wanted to avoid her mother’s obvious glee at his visit, she knew it would be better to visit sooner rather than later. She hadn’t seen her parents since the night she’d met her mother for dinner to talk to her about what was going on with Chad. Celine had called Tess’s father to come meet them that same night to fill him in so he could talk to his friend at the bank. Tess was braced for more questions about the status of that situation.
With Simon at work, Tess used her spare key to open the garage, so Nathan could park the truck. It felt odd to drive around her hometown with Nathan in the car. She took a circuitous route through town, heading to the downtown historical district on the way to the far side of New Bern. Her parents lived on the outer edge of New Bern toward the coast on the banks of the Neuse River, the widest river in the continental United States. Perhaps not as famous as the Mississippi River, but wider and beautiful. New Bern had water flanking it on three sides. The Neuse ran through town with the smaller Trent River bisecting town in another direction. The Neuse River fed into the Atlantic Ocean, which was roughly thirty minutes east. Simon’s home was on the Trent River. Tess gave Nathan a mini primer on New Bern’s history. It was the original capital of North Carolina before the state voted to relocate the capital to a more central location in Raleigh. New Bern had one of the best-maintained historical Governor’s Palaces in the country – Tryon Palace. Among many others, George Washington had stayed there once. New Bern had an extensive historical district with many colonial homes dating back to before the Revolutionary War.