by Sarah Curtis
Victoria ducked her head, and Nate asked, “Are you laughing over there?” She refused to look up, hiding her expression, but he saw her shoulders shaking. “What she neglected to tell you, I was only six at the time.”
Looking up, eyes glassy from suppressed laughter, Victoria said, “So, what you’re saying is, if you’d been seven, you’d have known better?”
Nate picked up a piece of bacon and tossed it Victoria’s direction.
She just shrugged, picking up the bacon and taking a large bite.
His chest constricted at the sight, and he knew right then, without a doubt, she was fucking perfect.
CHAPTER NINE
“Ready?” Nate’s deep, smooth voice filled the room.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Victoria looked up while tying her tennis shoes. Nate leaned on the doorframe, disguised in an old pair of jeans, ripped at the knees, a baggy sweatshirt, and a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. Once he put on the dark, large-framed sunglasses he held in his hand, any passerby would need more than a casual glance to recognize him.
“You sure you want to do this?” she asked, tying her last shoe and standing from the bed.
“Is that a dare?” He gave her a smirk, the cocky twist of his lips one of her favorite expressions. How was it legal for one man to be so handsome?
She gave him her version of his smirk. “Not a dare. You said it was hard for you to do normal things in public. I wanted to make sure you got enough sleep last night—you know, make sure your stamina is up—in case you’re attacked by an overzealous mob, and we need to make a run for it.”
“It would be a sin to come all the way to San Diego in February and not take you whale watching.” He eyed her up and down. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
Victoria looked down at the skinny jeans and long-sleeved thermal tee she wore. “I don’t need a disguise. Unless it’s a true fan, it’s rare I get recognized.”
“Sweetheart, in that outfit, you’ll get attention, recognized or not.”
She gave him a wave of her hand before walking to her suitcase and rifling through it. “Someone’s exaggerating.”
“I’m not. But for the sake of argument, I’ll let it go.”
“How sporting of you.”
“You’ve no idea.”
She looked over at him, expecting to see him smiling, but the look on his face was dead serious, and she wasn’t sure what to make of that.
They held each other’s gaze a few beats before he said, “You know, you’ll be recognized after our movie comes out. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
Victoria shrugged, turning back to her suitcase. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do. The fans I love—without them we wouldn’t have a job—it’s the paparazzi I can live without.” She found the zip-up hoodie she was looking for and slipped it on. Walking to the center of the room, she executed a twirl. “Better?”
“Hardly.” Nate drawled.
Exasperated, she said, “I’m literally covered from neck to toe. How will my outfit draw attention now?”
Raising a brow, he asked, “Have you seen your ass in those jeans?”
Laughing, she threw her arms out to her sides. “I give up. You win.”
Standing from the door jam, he stalked the few feet to her then captured the back of her neck with his hand. “If I’d won, you’d be wearing a different pair of jeans.”
She curled her lips up and patted his cheek. “I hate to break this to you, stud, but my ass looks great in all my jeans.”
She watched his lips quirk, fighting a smile before he said, “Of that, I have no doubt.” Then to emphasize his point, he smacked her ass before letting her go and taking a step back. “We’d better go, or we’ll be late.”
“I’m ready.”
Staring her in the eyes, he said cryptically, “Almost, but not quite.”
It only took fifteen minutes to drive from Nate’s mom’s house to the pier in downtown San Diego. Pulling into a large parking lot, Nate drove to a secluded section and pulled the car into a reserved parking spot.
Victoria looked over at Nate while unbuckling her seat belt. “Special treatment?”
Nate took the keys from the ignition. “You’d be surprised the strings I can pull. I rented out the whole boat that will take us out today.”
“Are you trying to impress me?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“If you’re impressed.”
She gave him a sly smile. “I might be.”
He gave her the smirk she loved so much. “Then I might be trying to impress.”
He helped her from the car then took her hand as they strolled through the parking lot and down the pier. There were quite a few boats still docked—commercial-sized and smaller personal use ones—it was one of the latter Nate stopped in front of.
“This is it. What do you think? They say the smaller the boat, the closer you can get to the action.”
Victoria grinned. “That’s not what they usually say.”
Nate tugged her hand, pulling her closer to his side, shaking his head “Ha, ha.”
“I’m excited. I’ve never been on a boat in the ocean before.” Victoria frowned. “I hope I don’t get seasick.”
“They’ve got patches on board if you start to feel queasy.” Nate pulled out his phone, typed a text, and got an almost immediate response. “Mack will be here in a minute.”
“Mack?”
“Our captain for the day.” She saw him looking around, his eyes landing on a bait and tackle shop. “Come on.” He started pulling her that direction. “I want to get you a hat. Even though it’s overcast, I’m worried your cheeks will get burned.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. I put on sunscreen.”
“It will shield you from the wind, then.”
Victoria laughed. “Why do I get the feeling you just want to see me in a hat?”
Nate shot her a grin. “You’ve caught me. I have a secret hat fetish no one’s discovered about me yet.”
Victoria chuckled. “Then, by all means, let’s live out your fantasy.”
The store was small and cramped, and they had to twist their bodies sideways to navigate the aisles. “Boy, this place is stuffed to the gills.”
Nate barked a laugh. “Pun intended?”
Victoria winked. “You know it. Can’t pass up those rare golden opportunities in life.”
They reached a back shelf that held a variety of hats, and Nate asked, “So, what do you think?”
Victoria held up her hands. “Hey, it’s your fantasy. You do the selecting.”
He fingered a monstrosity of a hat before picking it up and placing it on her head. The brim fell down, covering her eyes and nose. “Well, this will definitely protect me from the wind. Won’t get much whale watching done, though.”
“Were you born a smartass?” Nate asked, pulling the hat from her head.
“Probably, but you’d need to ask my parents to be sure.”
Nate grinned, shaking his head as he selected another floppy hat—one with a smaller brim—and positioned it on her head. “I like this one.”
“Wait, before you decide, let me give you the full effect.” She turned, walking a few feet away, executing an exaggerated “model” turn and stance before walking back.
Nate gave a low wolf whistle that had Victoria chuckling and smacking him on the shoulder with the hat.
Nate pulled the deadly weapon from her grasp. “Were you ever a model?”
“Is it that obvious? Yeah, I walked the runway in my teens. Lasted about a year before I figured out I hated it.”
“What about it didn’t you like?”
“Everything.”
Nate laughed. “Fair enough.” His phone beeped, and he pulled it from his pocket. “Mack’s ready. Let’s go.”
≈≈≈
They left the store, Victoria looking damn sexy in her new floppy fishing hat. He didn’t really have a hat
fetish, at least not until he saw Victoria in one. But now he couldn’t seem to get the picture of her in nothing but that damn hat out of his head.
Mack was waiting for them by the boat, and after introducing him to Victoria, they climbed on board.
The day was pleasantly nice for the middle of February. Even with the overcast sky, the temperature was in the low seventies. But a slight breeze blew that he knew would only get stronger once they were out at sea, and he worried Victoria wouldn’t be warm enough in her lightweight hoodie even with the thermal top she had on underneath.
“Let me know if you get cold, and we’ll go below deck.” They leaned against the railing at the bow of the boat, waiting for Mack to get them on their way.
“Will we be able to see the whales below deck?”
“Not as well, but there are windows we can observe them through.”
“Then I want to stay up here. I want the best view possible.”
She turned her head to face him, and the breeze blew a few strands of her hair over her lips. He brushed them away with a fingertip, tucking the wayward lock behind her ear. “Have I told you today how beautiful you are?”
Her eyes flared, and a small smile curved her lips. “It’s the hat.”
He did a slow shake of his head. “No, it’s you.” Then he did something he’d been wanting to do all morning, ever since he found her sitting at the table in his mom’s kitchen—he kissed her. Not like the soft peck he’d given her earlier, but the deep, soul-consuming kind.
Her lips were soft and tasted faintly of cherries, and he ran his tongue across them, wanting to get a better taste. She melted into him, and his arms wrapped her up, one hand diving into the hair at her nape, the other resting on the small of her back. He pulled her in closer, as close as he could get. It wasn’t close enough. She felt so good against him, he could stay with her wrapped in his arms forever.
And forever was a damn long time, but nothing had ever felt so right.
Tilting her head back, he deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking and finding her warmth. Her tongue tangled with his and fucking hell if that didn’t send a tingle down his spine.
He fisted her hair tighter, forcing himself to pull away, but not before indulging in a few nibbling kisses on her bottom lip.
Looking down at her—her eyes closed, cheeks flushed, rosy lips slightly parted and swollen—he’d been wrong.
Forever wasn’t long enough.
She slowly opened her eyes. “It seems you knocked my hat off.” She blinked, and he got lost in her eyes, currently a shade that wasn’t quite green or blue but something in between. Stunning.
“Is that anything like knocking your socks off?” His voice was gruff as if from disuse, but he knew that wasn’t the case. It was Victoria and what she did to him.
“Better.” Then she gave him her smile and that… that was fucking breathtaking.
He grinned. “I can live with that.”
The boat gave a lurch, finally getting underway, and he reached a hand out, gripping the railing to steady them. “You ready to see some whales?”
“With you, I’m ready for anything.”
Good answer.
The smile on her face when she spotted her first whale would be something he would never forget. They’d already been out for over an hour, and he’d begun to fear the trip would be a bust. Admittedly, he’d spent more time watching her than the water, so didn’t miss the first sign of excitement that overcame her features. She executed a little jump and clap of enthusiasm before yelling, pointing at a spray of water followed by the large tailfin emerging as the whale dived back under the water.
Turning eyes his direction, she gushed, “Did you see it?”
“Sorry, my view was blocked by an overzealous woman in a big, floppy hat.”
She laughed, playfully nudging her shoulder into his chest before wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. “Thank you for taking me out to see that. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
Nate’s arms followed suit, hugging her back. He closed his eyes relishing the feel of her against him, and he thought, neither will I.
Pandemonium greeted them as they stepped off the boat. Nate wasn’t sure how his location had been leaked, but he had a feeling the teenager working the bait and tackle shop might have been to blame. He moved Victoria behind him as the group of fifty or so moved in, crowding them. His name echoed in a chorus of shouts, phones were held above heads to snap pictures, and papers and pens were shoved at him from the people closest.
Raising his arms for silence, Nate yelled over the chatter to be heard, “I promise to get to every one of you if you all take a step back and give us some space.”
As one, the crowd shifted back. Nate smiled, thanking everyone before taking off his glasses and flipping his hat around so the brim was in the back, knowing it was now pointless to hide his identity.
Victoria materialized at his side, and he threw an arm over her shoulder, leaning in to speak softly into her ear. “I’m sorry. This isn’t how I wanted us to spend our afternoon.”
In answer, she wrapped her arm around his waist and tucked herself into his side.
He continued, keeping his tone apologetic. “This is going to take a while. Are you okay with that, or do you want the keys to the car?”
Looking up, she smiled. “I’m fine. Do your thing.”
Nate gave her shoulder a squeeze before pointing to a girl at the edge of the crowd. “Let’s start with you.”
CHAPTER TEN
When they arrived back at the house after whale watching, Victoria encountered another ambush. Only this time it wasn’t a large crowd, and it wasn’t for Nate. It was in the form of a single woman, Nate’s sister, Tammy, and it was all for her. Introductions were made, hugs were given, and questions were pelted out at the rate of machine gun fire before she and Nate had even made it through the front door. Victoria honestly didn’t know how his sister could talk so fast.
“Enough! Give us some breathing room,” Nate yelled over his sister’s rambling. “You’re worse than the crowd we had to deal with at the pier.”
Victoria had to stop herself from nodding as Nate echoed her thoughts.
Nate’s announcement stopped Tammy in her tracks—for all of two seconds—before she blurted, “How did they figure out you were there?”
Good question, Victoria thought as she waited for Nate’s answer.
“I’m not sure, but I think it was a kid who works at one of the shops on the pier.”
Victoria couldn’t help but snicker, “Your hat fetish was your downfall?”
Tammy’s eyebrows popped up. “What hat fetish?”
Victoria had purposely left the hat in Nate’s car.
Nate gave Victoria an exasperated looked before replying to his sister, “No hat fetish. Tori has an unusual sense of humor. Or, I should say more specifically, she’s a smartass.”
“Hardy-har-har,” Victoria deadpanned.
Nate grinned. “See, you just proved my point.”
“You guys are all over Twitter.” Victoria looked over to see Tammy had pulled her phone out and was scrolling on it.
“Really?” Victoria rarely used social media. It was all too much for her to keep track of. But she knew her manager kept regular updates posted to her Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
“You’re trending. Hashtag Leed.” She looked up from her phone grinning. “Cute. It’s a blending of your last names.” She looked down at her phone again, scrolling. “Love the hat, by the way. I can see why Nate has a thing for it.”
“I’m surrounded by smartasses,” Nate said, pulling out his own phone.
Victoria leaned into Nate’s side to see the screen. He pulled up his account and pictures of him with his fans came into view, and as he scrolled, several with just her and Nate. She tried to read the comments as they flashed by, but only managed to glimpse a few words—dating, item, romance, and couple. She needn’t have worried, Tammy more than h
appily filled her in.
“The speculation about you two is running rampant. People are asking if you guys are a couple. A few women tweeted mad-face emojis. Some sad-face emojis.” Tammy looked up and grinned. “The guys really seem to dig you in your hat, Victoria.”
Victoria heard a growl from the Neanderthal standing next to her. She elbowed him in the side. “You’ve no one to blame but yourself.”
“This one’s a little weird, @NateReed, how could you?” Tammy read from her phone.
“Let me see,” Nate said.
She flipped her phone around, and after Nate studied it, he went back to his own phone flipping through it.
“What’s everyone doing standing in the entry? Dinner’s almost done.” Nate’s mom appeared around the corner, coming from the kitchen.
“I was just telling Nate and Victoria about the new French restaurant that opened up on Front Street, and we’re making a run for it.”
Debbie, decked out in an apron with a dish towel thrown over her shoulder, gave her daughter a dirty look. “Very funny.”
Nate tucked his phone back into his pocket. “Give us ten minutes to clean up.” He took Victoria’s hand and led her toward the stairs. “Now’s our chance to make a break for it. We can sneak out the back and be long gone before either of them notices.”
Victoria laughed. “No way, buster, I’m not missing out on the heavenly smells coming from the kitchen.”
“Fine, but I want it on record I tried to save you from my sister.”
“She’s not that bad. I find her candor refreshing.”
“Just wait until she has a glass of wine—her filter really comes off.”
Victoria’s phone rang as they reached the top of the stairs. She pulled it from her back pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s my manager. I’d better take it. I’ll meet you back out here in a few.”
“Okay.” He kissed her forehead before disappearing into the bathroom.
She hit the connect button while slipping into her room and brought the phone to her ear. “Hey, Byron.”
