Below the Line (4 page)

CHAPTER SIX

Bright sunlight washed over the bed and breached her eyelids. She felt completely rested, her lumpy trailer mattress seeming more comfortable than usual.

Wait, why is the sun shining on me? My crappy trailer doesn’t have a window in the bedroom.
Sitting up too quickly had her head spinning. The room was done in white and tans. She was fully clothed, aside from her shoes. A measure of relief rushed through her system. She didn’t remember falling asleep, much less being put to bed in Nate’s spare room. She must have been way more exhausted than she had thought.

The attached bath matched the bedroom. There was a stack of towels on the vanity top along with a toothbrush and toothpaste. She couldn’t stand the thought of showering and then putting her dirty clothes back on so she cleaned up as best as she could and went out to see about finding some coffee.

She didn’t have to look hard, a half of a pot was sitting on the burner waiting for her. She didn’t see Nate around, so she filled a mug and decided to drink it out on the back deck where they had eaten dinner the night before.

It took a moment to register what her eyes were seeing. Last night the pool had been dark, the lights inside turned off. Today it was lit by the sun and sparkling. He sliced through the water effortlessly—and completely nude.

***

He had spent much of the morning contemplating the fact that he wasn’t quite the player he thought himself to be. Last night, finding her asleep on the porch swing, he could have woken her and taken advantage of her sleep-fuzzy brain to make a move. However, it hadn’t seemed right.

Marissa had looked completely different while asleep. All the lines of worry on her forehead had smoothed, and she looked much younger than usual, innocent and trusting. It brought out protective feelings in him that he wasn’t completely comfortable with.

He had played the gentleman and put her to bed, fully clothed. Then, he left her alone to rest. He was finding that he wasn’t himself around her. Last night had proven that in more ways than one.

Never, in all the years since he had left home, had he told a woman about his past. Usually, he changed the subject and dodged any questions before ending whatever situation had gotten him to that point. However, he had offered it up to Marissa without thinking about it at all.

What he’d done hadn’t hit him until after he’d put her to bed. He’d stood there, staring at her for several minutes, wondering what it was that made him want to open up to her.

In the light of day, it had seemed a little more than he wanted to think about, yet he couldn’t stop thinking about
her
. Coffee hadn’t cleared his head, so he went to his standby – laps in the pool.

Nate thought he had more time before she got up, but on his last turn he spotted her standing close to the edge of the pool. He hadn’t intended to expose himself, but it looked like he didn’t have much choice. The devil on his shoulder was anticipating her reaction.

She watched him make his final lap and come up to the edge, pushing the hair off his forehead. “Do you always swim nude?” She refused to look away and give him the satisfaction of knowing she was shaken by the thought of him naked in the water.

The cocky grin that she was supposedly so immune to split his face. “I’m not used to having company here. It’s a habit.”

It might have been habit and she could almost believe it was unintentional, but she also knew that he was getting a big kick out of the thought that she might be curious to see him nude. Well, two could play that game. “Mmmm, I can see how that might be true. I’ll turn my back so you can cover up. You know, in case the cool water has caused any—shrinkage.”

Somehow she managed to contain her grin until her back was to him. The look of insult and shock had nearly caused her to lose control and give herself away. Her smile faded quickly when she saw his reflection in the glass of the door in front of her. It was like looking in a mirror.

Water ran down his body like a lover’s caress. Tattoos covered a large portion of his chest and upper arms. The colors stood out against the warm tan of his skin. Her breath quickened, and she knew she should look away, but she didn’t. He was beautiful, in a wholly masculine way. His broad shoulders and chest tapered down to a slim waist and hips. He widened again in the thighs, the muscles taut and defined. Even his feet were cute. 

He bent over to pick up his towel and saw her reflection in the door. She could see him as clearly as he was seeing her. The way her eyes were checking him out had his body reacting in ways he wasn’t able to hide with nothing more than a small bath towel.

Swallowing hard, Marissa decided that the rumors about men and shrinkage were all bunk. She tried to raise her cup to drink, but her hand was shaking a little too much. She tried looking away, but her eyes came right back to his image in the glass. She was glad her back was to him so he couldn’t see how turned on she was. Every ragged breath caused her nipples to rub against the fabric of her bra, exciting her even more.

Nate took his time toweling off. He was careful to make sure his eyes never met hers in the reflection of the glass. He had seen the tremble in her hands and the way her nipples had gotten hard while she was watching him. Her breathing was erratic, easily seen even without her reflection in the glass.

He needed to end this little game before it went too far and he blew any chance he may have in the future of getting her into his bed. Patience was never his strong suit, but for Marissa, he was going to try. Watching her struggle to act unaffected would have been amusing if he wasn’t struggling to keep his hands to himself.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Nate moved towards her. He managed to conceal a smile, as she flinched hard and took a big step away. “I’m going to go get ready and make some breakfast. A good workout always makes me hungry.”

She watched him walk away and put his hand on the door handle, ready to breathe again as soon as he was inside. He paused and deliberately met her eyes in the glass, “You’re welcome to take a dip. Maybe cool off a bit?”

Her eyes met his and she realized that he had to have seen her watching him. She stood there, mortified, long after he had gone inside.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Come hang out at the club tonight.”

Marissa got off the bike and tucked her helmet under her arm, buying herself some time to answer. After her embarrassing moment earlier, Nate had showered then fixed them breakfast. He had acted as if he hadn’t seen her ogling his goodies, and she appreciated him not causing her any further mortification. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Nate.”

“Why not? You deserve to blow off some steam after dealing with me all week. Have some real fun.” Nate crossed his arms over his chest, determined to talk her into coming out. “I’ll be working off and on, and I’m sure the Brothers would like another shot to say how sorry they are.”

“Nate,” she sighed, “I don’t get involved with the people I work with.”

“You keep saying that.” Nate smiled and put his helmet back on. “See you tonight? Come around eight.” She started to protest, so he started the engine and pointed at his ears. “Sorry, can’t hear you over the bike. See you later.”

Marissa watched him ride away, exasperated and amused at the same time. He was going to be disappointed when she didn’t show up tonight. She couldn’t keep this up. She was leading him on, letting him think he had a shot when there was no way she could break her rules for him. For anyone.

***

Eight o’clock came and went and no Marissa. He really wasn’t surprised. She had told him that it wasn’t a good idea; but, honestly, he had hoped that she would change her mind.

It had already been a long night, and it was only beginning. Two fights, one bad enough that he had to step in to stop it, and his beer shipment hadn’t come in. Again. It was a consistent problem with the sales representative. The guy was a real pain in Nate’s ass.

Tonight, since they were short-handed, he was playing bar back, a job he didn’t mind. It was hard work but brainless. However, it left him too much time to think about Marissa.

He liked her. Enough that even without the sexual attraction he would still like her and want to spend time with her. He didn’t make new friends easily because he had too many trust issues, but he never felt that way around her. She seemed rock steady no matter what life threw at her.

Nate admired her in more than an I-want-to-see-you-naked kind of way. She was tough, worked hard, and was taking on a job that didn’t exactly always respect women. Taking it on and getting it done. The stunts she had designed for this movie were impressive but easily learned, even for someone like him.

He was packing cans of beer in the ice chests when she came in. Even though his back was to the door, he knew she had come. He finished his job before turning to look for her. Not that he had to look far, she was standing on the other side of the bar, looking a little unsure.

***

This is a mistake.
She knew it the minute she started getting ready. It hadn’t stopped her; but at least she recognized that it was a mistake.

The parking lot was far from full but the music was still loud. His bike was parked by the side of the building, so she parked her truck next to it.

What the hell am I doing?
Up until an hour ago she had been determined to sit in that nasty trailer and watch television until she passed out. She had gone from flipping channels with the remote to stepping into the shower, without realizing she had made a conscious choice to go to the club.

She lingered in the truck for a while, hem-hawing about whether or not to go inside or go back to the trailer. Truth was, she didn’t want to be alone tonight. For all of his flirting and cocky ways, Nate was interesting to talk to, and she enjoyed his company.

He wanted more. She didn’t have more to give. It was going to be a long, confusing night. She had no one to blame for that, other than herself.

***

She fit right into his world. Even though she had been in the building less than five minutes, she had managed to charm at least four men at the bar with little effort. A saucy smile, a strategically placed hand on the hip, a quick, smart mouth, and she had them eating out of her palm.

Of course, the tight jeans, boots, and low-cut tank top helped. Nate was certainly appreciative.

The minute he finished stocking the beer cooler, something else came up that needed his attention. Then, something else. It was a nearly an hour later when he finally washed up and stepped from behind the bar. He pushed his way through the crowd and found her dancing with Billy, one of the Brothers.

You couldn’t really call what Billy was doing dancing. The poor soul had enough drink in him for three or more men, but he was determined to hold his own. Marissa was obviously indulging him, but good-naturedly.

Playing the white knight, Nate stepped in and tapped Billy on the shoulder. The older man was sweating profusely and breathing hard. He would never admit it, but he needed the break. Nodding, Billy stepped back and let Nate move in.

The minute he got his hands on her, everything else faded to background noise. “You were late.”

She could lie and make an excuse. She chose the truth. “I wasn’t going to come here. I really wasn’t. Then, I found myself getting ready and pulling into the parking lot.” She shrugged as if it were no big deal and ducked her head, hiding her eyes. “I guess you were right. I needed a night of fun.”

Nate leaned close so that she could hear him over the music. “I told you so.”

“God, you are so cocky.”

“You like it. If not, you wouldn’t have come.” Snaking a hand around her waist, he pulled her fully against him, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Marissa had to laugh. “Okay, okay, I will admit that you can be-- entertaining.” She reached up and flicked the dimple in his chin. “Still, you shouldn’t push your luck.”

His breath tickled her ear, as he said, “Haven’t you learned, yet? I always push my luck.”

***

They danced, snacked on unhealthy bar food, and talked. A lot. Marissa carefully got more out of him about his past while not appearing to be prying. He told her about how he had forced himself to concentrate on school after he had been taken in so that he would be smart enough to find work no matter what. He explained that his primary focus is to keep the club running. He went on to tell how he had worked construction every summer to learn how to make repairs to the building. Each little thing she learned made her like him more.

Nate wasn’t without his questions, and he was as slick about getting answers as she was. He learned that she had never really been in a relationship and considered her career over everything else. What bothered him was her false bravado when describing her nomadic lifestyle and how she hadn’t had a permanent home since her mom had died. Even him, the runaway, had a home to go to, a place to relax and feel safe.

They had similar tastes in music and movies and hated people who chewed with their mouths open and drank to the puking stage. They both loved their bikes and didn’t like being trapped inside a small vehicle on long trips. She had seen more of the world than he had, but she didn’t hold it over his head. Instead, she described some of the places he had shown an interest in and made it come alive for him more than any travel book could.

It was all a part of the learning process. Marissa was adamant that they couldn’t be anything more than what they were—possible work friends. However, Nate was more determined than ever to prove that work and play
were
possible.

Marissa was the one who suggested going outside to get some air. She headed to her truck and pulled the tailgate down to sit. Looking up at the sky, she sighed heavily. “It’s so hard to see the stars this close to the city. Too many lights and neon signs.”

He had an idea and said, “I know a place where the sky is clear. It’s not far from my place. We could run by the house and grab some supplies and head over there.”

She shook her head and said, “You never give up. Do you?” 

He just shrugged. “I thought you might enjoy it is all. You know, get out of the city for a bit and breathe in some cleaner air.”

It does sound nice.
My iron will keep me from making any truly disastrous decisions, right?
She weighed the options.
Going home to that tiny, stuffy trailer or heading out to the country and enjoying the sky?
The sky won out. “I would enjoy it. Let’s go.”

He jumped off the tailgate with a little more enthusiasm than was appropriate.