Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(30)

“Marley asked about you too.”

My heart melted hearing that.

“I missed her so much today,” I revealed, laughing a little at myself. “You’d think I hadn’t seen her in weeks. I don’t know what I’m going to do when summer is over.”

Nathan held my eyes for a moment, then looked down at the wood. He picked at the edge of a splintering piece. “You could always come around. I’m sure she’ll want to see you.”

“I’d really like that.” I smiled at him when he glanced up, then palmed my phone again when it beeped. I flipped it over and slid my thumb across the screen to open up the conversation. “One second,” I told him.

“Sure.”

A picture of a dick downloaded instantly, along with the caption Still not interested?

“Oh my God! What the—” I turned my phone facedown on the table and trapped a curse inside my mouth. “Oh my God,” I repeated through clenched teeth, covering my face with both hands.

“You okay?” Nathan asked.

I shook my head, pulled my hands back to look at him, and immediately began fanning my face. I felt like I was burning up.

“No, I am not okay. I just…” How do I explain this? God, I didn’t even want to. I covered my face again and lowered my head, groaning against my palms.

What the hell? This is so weird and embarrassing!

I felt the table move underneath me and seconds later, Nathan’s hold on my wrist.

“Hey.” He pulled my hands away from my face and forced me to look at him.

We were sitting so close now, our hips almost touched.

“What’s going on? You’re freaking out.”

“I am freaked out. That’s exactly what I am.” I grabbed my phone and held it against my stomach so he couldn’t see the screen. “This…jerk just sent me a picture of his, you know, without me asking for it. He just sent it.”

Nathan’s brows raised. “He sent you a dick pic?”

“Yes. And I would never ask for something like that. Never. My God, what if my kids were standing right here? They’re next to me all the time when I’m doing stuff on my phone.” I rushed in a deep breath. I could feel myself shaking. “They could’ve seen that, Nathan. Who sends stuff like that? What if Olivia had seen that text?” My stomach turned over and knotted at the thought. “Oh my God,” I mumbled.

Nathan reacted to that possibility as well. His nostrils flared, and the sharp angle of his jaw twitched. I could suddenly hear his breaths.

“Who is this guy?” he asked. “Do you know him?”

I shook my head, then tipped it side to side. “Sort of. Not really.” I winced. “God, this is not something I’ve told people about.”

Nathan’s expression wiped clean of reaction. “I have absolutely no idea where this conversation is going.”

That made me laugh a little. “It’s not, like, weird or anything. I met him on a dating app. We were supposed to go out the other day, until he found out I had kids and expressed how he wasn’t looking for anything besides a hookup. I backed out immediately. Then he asked me out again today for this weekend, and I just told him a minute ago I wasn’t interested anymore. The dick pic was to change my mind.”

Nathan held out his hand.

I realized what he was asking for and blinked at him. I didn’t move. “You…want to see it?” I asked slowly.

“That is the last thing I want, trust me.” He gestured for the phone again, and when I handed it over, he stood with it and moved away from the seating area until there wasn’t anyone within twenty feet of him. With his back to me, Nathan pressed the phone to his ear.

Is he calling that guy? Holy shit. What was he going to say?

Oliver ran over to me, asking, “Mom, can we play Putt-Putt? We all want to play. Even Marley.”

“Um, we’ll have to see,” I answered, keeping my eyes on Nathan. I squinted at the back of his head and listened as best as I could, but he was too far away to hear.

“See what?” Oliver questioned.

“I don’t know what their plans are after this.”

“Oh, okay. Let us know when you find out. We’re playing chase.” Oliver hurried away again.

I watched Nathan grip the back of his neck, then pull the phone away from his ear and end the call. He stalked back over to the table, looking more like a pissed-off frat boy now than the playful one I just ate ice cream with.

His face was hard, shoulders drawn back. He appeared larger somehow.

“Here. He shouldn’t contact you anymore, but I would still block his number.” He returned my phone, then sat backward on the bench seat next to me. There was more space between us now.

I secretly hated it.

“Good thinking,” I said.

I pulled up my settings and prevented this loser from sending me anything else. Then I went to my messages and erased our entire conversation.

“God, I can’t believe he did that. What a creep.”

Nathan was pitched forward, elbows resting on his knees as he watched the kids run around the field. He turned his head to look at me after I put my phone away.

“What did you say to him?” I asked.

His shoulders jerked. “I just told him off. Then I made it really fucking clear you weren’t interested. I don’t think he’ll have the balls to send you anything else, but I feel better knowing he can’t.”