Justice Falling (Falling #3)(30)

“Sorry. When you opened that door and stood there with your eyes shining like shamrocks in the sun…I just couldn’t contain myself. I had to kiss you.”

“No complaints here,” I said still in his arms. He kissed me one more time, pulled away and laced his fingers with mine. I loved when he held my hand.

“So who slammed the door on us?” he grinned.

“That would be Jin. She probably didn’t want to see us, you know…” I looked down knowing my cheeks would be stained pink.

“I’d like to meet her.” Nate tugged my arm as I was trying to pull him towards the stairs.

“Not right now. She worked late last night and is probably still in her pajamas.”

“Oh yeah? What does she do, work at a pub?”

“Yeah, something like that. Come on, I’m starving!”

“Then I must feed you, my love.” The words “my” and “love” ran together from his lips, filling me with hope for a future I didn’t think I could have.

Instead of a fancy brunch like I expected, we ended up at the famous Carnegie Deli on 55th and 7th Avenue. The sandwiches were literally the size of my head, piled sky-high with meat. It wasn’t possible to eat a whole one in a sitting, so we agreed to share a turkey and Swiss. Seating was limited in the bustling tourist location, but I didn’t care. We actually ended up squeezed between a family from Minnesota and a couple speaking what I assumed was Russian. The male from Minnesota thumped his chest, made a growling sound, and plowed through his entire pastrami on rye, washing it down with at least three beers. It was downright impressive. Through our lunch Nate and I took bets on whether or not the man could finish it. I won the bet and Nate quickly handed me over a crisp one hundred dollar bill.

“What is this? We bet a dollar!” I screeched loud enough for the tables on either side of us to pay closer attention.

“Oh I thought it was a hundred,” Nate squinted and tilted his head to the side, his gaze focused intently on mine.

I shook my head dramatically realizing he had no intention of taking the money back. “No way. I could never afford to bet that much. Take it back!” I felt swathed in heat as my emotions ran wild.

He shook his head and shrugged. “A bet’s a bet, love. I thought it was for a hundred.”

As nice as it would be to have an extra hundred dollars that I didn’t have to shake my moneymaker for, there was no way I’d take it from him. The idea alone soured my gut, making the turkey and Swiss sit like a lead brick.

“Take it or I go home now!” I knew I was being irrational. Nate’s features went from happy to aloof, then straight to confused. Once the crazy train left, there was no stopping it. I finished, “Don’t ever hand me a hundred dollar bill again.”

That visual was too close to home. Nate made me feel like a lady. As if I was special. Not some cheap stripper who twirled her goodies for cash. I never wanted him to think of me that way. I never wanted him to find out about my side-job. I crossed my arms defensively and looked out the window.

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.

“Hey, hey, Precious. Blimey. What’s the matter? I’ll take the money back.” He pulled the bill from the table and placed it in his pocket. “Okay. No worries?”

“Thank you,” I whispered and looked down at my half-eaten sandwich. Technically, it was half of a half, but I was still stuffed to the brim.

Nate lifted my chin, his eyes dark with concern. I smiled for his benefit and he gave me one in return. “There’s my precious girl.” I could feel my cheeks heat as he petted my bottom lip. “So beautiful.”

After Nate settled the bill, he clasped my hand and we walked the streets of New York. Something as simple as holding this man’s hand made me feel important, special somehow. It was still early when I realized he’d walked us to the theatre district. My mood had improved over the twenty minute walk.

“Are we seeing a show?” I inquired with a happiness I didn’t even try to hide.

He grinned. “Would you like that?”

“Very much! I’ve never been to a Broadway play. I’ve never been to any play!” I looked at all the theatre signs surrounded with big flashing blubs. Even in the daylight it seemed brighter and more exciting than any other part of the city. When I caught Nate’s gaze, he looked at me with sadness.

“What is it?” I clasped both his hands and he pulled me into a tight hug. New Yorkers rushed by us, grumbling their annoyance at our position in the center of the sidewalk.

Nate held me close, a hand braced on my lower back and the other clasped at my nape, keeping me pressed firmly to him. He whispered in my ear, so low I could barely hear him. “I want to show you everything, Camille. Give you the world. Experience life with you.”

I gasped and pulled back. “Nate?”

“It’s true. Your innocence, your love of life, of every new thing…it’s intoxicating. I want to drink it whole. Bathe in it. Remove my clothes and swim naked in it. Letting the goodness wash away all that came before the moment you entered my life.”

Instead of a reply, I kissed him. Slow, deep, in the middle of the New York City street. The bells, whistles, horns, city noise all disappeared as I entered the world of love. I was falling in love with him.



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