Changing Tides (Kill Devil Hills Book 2) (6 page)

Ben nodded and then disappeared inside Mrs. Stone’s house. What was I? Chopped liver. I swear, did any of these people have any manners? Jesus Christ. Everyone kept interacting like I wasn’t even there. I was about to walk off when I felt a soft hand touch my forearm. I looked down and found Ellie standing there with me. Touching me. My skin tingled at the spot her fingers lightly brushed. Her eyes stared up at me with a small desperation behind them.

“I need a favor. I know things didn’t end all that smoothly between us yesterday,” she said, swallowing hard. Those eyes of hers were such a startling shade of blue that they nearly took my breath away. “Honestly, I’m still not even sure what happened—”

“You saw me naked and we almost fucked. That’s what happened.” My words came out much harsher than I intended them to. And I was thankful her friend in the car couldn’t hear us.

“Right,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Right. Never mind.” She started walking for the car.

“What’s the favor?” I called after her. “Because I’ll do it.”

“It’s too much.” Her voice shook as she spoke. This wasn’t the confident girl I’d met on the plane. This was a girl doing everything in her power to hold it together and all I wanted was to help her. “I was going to ask if you could drive us to our hotel. I’m a crap driver on a good day and the traffic here makes me especially nervous. Noah’s going through some shit right now. But it’s too much to ask. I always overstep my boundaries with people and…just…never mind.”

“Sure.” I crossed the small distance to the car, stopping her hand before she could open the driver’s side door. “Sure. I’ll drive you anywhere you need to go.”

CHAPTER 7:

ELLIE

T
he second Nathanial started the car and pulled out onto the Pacific Coast Highway, I unbuckled my seatbelt, wove my arms around Noah’s seat, and gave him a giant hug from behind. Noah wasn’t a guy who made public displays of affection often or talked openly about his feelings. But I knew my friend. He worried more than most and I knew he needed a hug. It was the least I could do right this second and tears filled my eyes as I held onto him. Briefly, his hands gripped my forearms and he returned my gesture. Then we both let go—Noah said nothing and I sat back in my seat.

Several minutes passed in silence. My eyes stayed glued to my window. My heart slammed in my chest, harder and harder with each passing second. Partly over the stress of this day—but mostly over the fact that some way, somehow Nate West had ended up as my own personal chauffeur.

We were in the same freaking car, breathing the same freaking air. How did this happen? I thought when I’d left that airplane yesterday I’d never see him again. Now he was suddenly in my life again.

I didn’t dare glance forward. I didn’t want to chance catching his stare in the rearview mirror. He was consuming my every thought and making me question everything all over again. And I didn’t need to add to that by looking at him too. Without even trying, this man had some strange hold over me. I blamed it on the fact that he was a celebrity. Not on the fact that he was one damn fine
male
specimen.

Getting an idea in my head, I pulled my phone from my pocket. The internet will tell you anything—like a celebrity’s home address. I quickly searched Google to find out if Nate West was being honest about where he lived. Because what if he was a crazed-psycho stalker instead and I’d been stupid enough to let him drive?

Turns out he was being honest. His home address was where he’d claimed it to be—two houses down the street from Ben’s old lady friend
.
Okay then, not a stalker.
I pushed my phone back in my pocket and went back to staring out my window, unsure what to think.

It took us almost an hour to drive back across town. At least, as the time passed, my body began to relax. I let myself watch Nathanial drive. He had such a calm way about him and it helped calm me down too. I forgot for a moment that he was Nate West—Hollywood Hunk, TV Heartthrob, and Dropper of Women’s Panties Everywhere—and for a brief second thought of him as a regular guy, as only Nathanial.

“How long?” Noah suddenly asked. “How much further?”

“About ten more minutes,” Nathanial’s deep voice answered. “If we could get through these traffic lights maybe less. Sorry. Just how it is around here. You learn to live with it.”

Noah blew out a long breath.

“You okay, dude?” Nathanial asked. “You’re shaking.”

I bit my tongue, afraid at how Noah might respond. He’d been dead silent the whole ride and surely lost somewhere inside his own head. Who knows what he thought of my new ‘man friend.’

“I’ll be okay as soon as I’m with Georgina,” Noah muttered, saying no more.

Then it happened. We were stopped in traffic and Nathanial’s eyes connected with mine in the rearview mirror. I’d managed to avoid this for an hour, but couldn’t prevent it any longer. I’m not sure what I’d been so afraid of…because there was no judgment reflected back in his dark eyes. Only care. Which was pretty damn surprising coming from this beast of a man.

“I know who your brother is,” he said to me. “It makes sense now. This past February, a young man in the Coast Guard fell overboard. I remember because the story was all over the local news. The crew members on his ship hunted for him in the water, but he never resurfaced. He had on something like sixty pounds of gear and it happened at night so they figured he’d drown. After he went missing, boats combed the water and volunteers searched the shore line for days. Nothing. They found nothing. So they claimed him dead—lost to the sea. That wa
s
you
r
brother, wasn’t it? Except he wasn’t lost at all. He’s been in Malibu this whole time.”

“Yes,” I answered in a gasp, amazed and fearful at how quickly he’d connected the dots.

Nathanial’s gaze returned to the road as we started moving again. “So what happened?” he asked as he drove. “Ben washed up on the shore next to Mrs. Stone’s house, knocked on her door, and asked for a place to stay? Then he decided he wasn’t going to leave or tell anyone he was alive? Just hide out at her house forever?”

Noah turned around in his seat to glare at me. “Seriously? Is that how it happened, Ellie?” he demanded.

“In a nut shell…yes.” I grimaced. “Everyone thought Ben died, but he was perfectly fine. And when he made it to shore, Mrs. Stone took him in. Exactly like Nathanial guessed. Mrs. Stone offered him a chance to start over. He took that chance. I don’t have a fucking clue why he wanted to quit his family. Because that’s what he did. He quit us.”

Oh Christ. Now I was crying. Not just tears lingering in my eyes, but full out ugly crying.

“Don’t give me that look,” I snapped at Noah as he watched me.

“I’m not giving you any kind of look, Ellie,” he said softly. “This is how I always look.”

I groaned. He totall
y
wa
s
giving me a look, whether he meant to or not. “It’s not like I knew Ben was alive thi
s
whol
e
time. I went to his funeral too. I buried my brother the same day everyone else did. Don’t think it didn’t hurt me just as much as it hurt Georgie or anyone else. Because it did. We all hurt. Then Ben called me a few months ago. He begged me not to tell anyone he was still alive. Talk about the fucking shock of the century. He told me not to tell because he’d decided he was never coming home. He said he was glad everyone thought he was dead. Okay? That’s how it went down.”

Oh, hell. Now Noah’s eyes had filled with tears also. “You should have told me sooner,” he whispered.

“I couldn’t.”

“I get why you didn’t. But you still should have.”

We reached the hotel. Finally. Nathanial found a parking spot by the main entrance and turned off the car. The three of us sat still and silent. Then Noah moved first. “I’ll give you two a moment alone. I’m going to wait inside in the lobby. Come find me when you’re done here.”

I had no earthly clue why Noah would think I needed a moment alone with Nathanial. I almost jumped out of the car and ran after him to prove that I certainly didn’t need an
y
momen
t
—but that would have been rude to my chauffeur.

“You must think we’re all insane,” I said to Nathanial after Noah had safely disappeared. I rubbed at my eyes. I’d stopped crying and thankfully hadn’t worn makeup today, but it was still embarrassing knowing he’d seen me cry.

“I don’t,” he quickly answered, turning to look over his shoulder. “I think you’re brave. I think you love your brother and your family. Even your oddball friend. I also think you’re beautiful. And one of the most interesting girls I’ve ever met. I’m intrigued.”

His words surprised me. And, damn, no wonder he was an actor because he delivered them flawlessly. But I wasn’t so sure about all that. Hell, I’m pretty sure the last person to call me beautiful was my dad. So…he had to be smoking something. Or was trying to blow smoke up my ass. Or maybe he had unique taste. Wanting to trust him, I decided to go with number three. But then again, Noah always said I was too trusting.

“I’m a mess,” he continued. “My life is a mess right now. I wanted to be with you on the plane as a way to distract myself from other things. And I’m sorry for that. That wasn’t fair to you. I’m sorry if I made your visit here more complicated than it already was.”

I smiled. He was kind of adorable as he apologized. Apologizing was unnecessary, but still…admitting those things took some serious balls. I admired him for it. “Yeah, well, I went into the bathroom with you on my own free will. It’s not like someone was holding a gun to my head and if given the choice, I’d probably do it again. I needed to explore something. You were there and handsome as hell. So I took advantage of you just as much as you took advantage of me. No big deal.” I shrugged then pushed open the car door. Talking from the backseat wasn’t ideal, so I stepped outside.

He followed.

November weather in Los Angeles was nearly perfect. A tad chilly, but still sunny and clear outside. I kind of loved it here. Especially the tall, skinny palm trees—they were so quintessentially California and so drastically different when compared to the trees of North Carolina. Nathanial fit in like he was part of a postcard. He wore a plaid, red and black button-down shirt that fluttered in the wind. On anyone else it would have looked like 90’s grunge—but it suited him. The t-shirt he wore underneath clung to the muscles that defined his chest and abs, leaving little to the imagination. That same pang of disappointment I’d felt on the plane hit me again. The one where I knew goodbye was inevitable and only moments away.

“So what happens next?” I breathed, nervousness washing over me.

He leaned against the car, staring at me like he had ulterior motives cooking under his ruggedly handsome surface. “I’m stuck here without a ride until you decide to take me home. So…when you go inside, I’m going to follow. Sound okay?”

I shrugged, but was secretly thrilled.

“How long are you going to be in town, Ellie? Through the holiday?”

“No. Until Wednesday. Why?”

Smiling like he was up to no good, he glanced around the parking lot. Aside from a random couple pulling suitcases out of their trunk, we were virtually alone. Clearly satisfied with that, he inched into my space. His hand landed on my waist and he pulled me closer. I inhaled a sharp breath as my body made contact with his. The warmth radiating off him took the edge off the chilly air, turning it downright steamy outside.

“What if,” he asked, licking his lips, “I continue to distract myself from all the things I need distracting from…and you…you continue to explore that thing you need to explore—i.e. me?”

A tingly sensation spread over my skin, reaching across my chest and all the way up to the roots of my hair. He sure was a cocky motherfucker. “So you’re offering yourself up like a freaking Christmas Roast? Again.”

He laughed. “I guess you could put it that way. Sure…why the hell not? What do you say?”

I understood what I got out of this arrangement. Him. But couldn’t fathom how he was benefiting. Because I wasn’t the normal leggy Hollywood-type he had to be used to. I was just me.

For a good sixty seconds, I stood there with my mouth hanging open, staring at him. Tempting…but really? He couldn’t be serious, could he? A moment on a plane was one thing—but what he was asking for were lots of moments. This was a bad idea. And other than this one exception, I didn’t even like men. Go figure. How come it took him, of all people, to make me want to push the boundaries of my sexuality?

And then he kissed me. Damn him. Hard too. And my mouth must have been open because suddenly I felt the hot press of his tongue against my tongue. His kiss was a weapon. Something he used to get what he wanted. Just like his gravelly voice, sheer size, and brutal good looks—his kiss had a quality that demanded attention. I had no choice but to listen and to see where this moment took me.

It didn’t take me far. About one step to my right to be exact. With his palms guiding my body, he moved me—almost as if to hide me from the world. He pressed my back against the hard metal of the rental car and used his body to conceal mine. Maybe he was trying to be dramatic or sexy, practically throwing me up against the car. Whatever. It worked. It was hella hot. I was hella turned on. He laced our fingers together as his mouth explored mine then positioned my hands above my head. He literally had me pinned in place. This was completely different compared to my normal style. When it came to girls, usually I took control. But there was no controlling Nate West and I completely let him push me where he wanted me.

And that kiss of his…holy shit.

The hard bite of his tongue and lips made me dizzy and desperate. I met his kiss equally, needing more, needing this reckless abandonment to never stop. If he wanted to fuck me next against this car then I probably was going to let him.

Then Nate West turned into Nathanial. It was a subtle change, but I noticed it. He paused to breathe, getting his bearings, taking a moment to slow down and study me. My hands were released from their captivity and he moved slightly away, just enough to give me some wiggle room. Carefully his touch trailed from above my head to my neck. Everywhere his fingers brushed, it felt like fire. Under his gaze and gentleness—that was when my heart really started to thump against my ribs, that was when I grew scared of what this all might mean.

He initiated another kiss. Soft and sweet this time. Such a contradiction to a moment ago. And the thing was—I was fairly certain I could handle Nate West. I could handle his alpha, over-bearing, arrogant, let-me-push-you-up-against-this-car-and-have-my-crazy-beautiful-way-with-you. I think I could screw that person and then carry on with my life. But when sweeter, gentler Nathanial came out…I no longer felt certain of anything.