Within five minutes, Nate was closing the door behind the group. “They said they put everything in the spare bedroom. The room was empty, and now that I think about it, I only have one bed.”
“That’s okay. I can sleep on the sofa.”
“You will not.”
“Nate, you’re too tall for it. I’ll be fine.”
He walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. “Listen to me. You’ll sleep where I want you to, and I think we can sleep together.”
Her stomach tightened with excitement and anxiousness. “I… Okay.”
He grinned. “Let’s get some food into you, and then we’ll nap.”
“Together?”
He chuckled. “Yes. You better get used to sleeping with me. You did fine last night.”
“Oh, I’m not worried.”
She could tell he didn’t believe her. She’d always been a horrible liar.
Their friends left them with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn.
“This looks delicious,” she said.
“It’s from a place in town I’ve gone to a few times. The food is great, and I’ll take you there another day.”
She sat at the small dining table and ate. She looked around the area. The living room was a good size, and he had a sofa, two chairs, and a huge TV, plus a few tables. The dining room they were in had a table and four chairs. The kitchen had white cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. Everything in the place was bland and had no color.
Tessa jerked when Nate’s hand landed on her.
“I don’t like this place either. Cole and I talked a little bit about finding a building with condos. I know a few of the guys would live in the building with us, and it would make me feel better having someone around if I wasn’t there.”
“What if other people live in some of them?”
“We’ll figure it out, but I heard of a condo building where the majority of occupants were leaving because their company relocated.”
“That would be perfect. I think it would be fun to live by Jade.”
“We’ll check into it more tomorrow.”
She nodded and finished eating.
“Why don’t you go in and brush your teeth,” Nate said. “I’ll be right in.”
“I can help with the cleanup,” she said.,
“I know, but not right now. All you have to do is follow my directions.”
“Yes, all right,” she said.
“I’ll be right in.”
Tessa walked down the hallway, thinking about what he had just said. Could she give up all her control of her life to him and mind him? She guessed that if she wanted to stay with him, she would have to. Another thought was this type of relationship might be exactly what she needed. She’d give it time, but the thought of not being with Nate was painful.
Chapter Nine
Nate walked into his bedroom to see Tessa standing nervously beside the bed and almost smiled. “Go ahead and get in. Do you want something more comfortable to wear?”