Tell Me You Crave Me (Search and Seduce #3)(45)

“I totally agree,” East cut in with a nasty tone, and hit her mother with a glare. “Beggars can’t be choosers. Good thing Natalie is far from a beggar. If anything, she’s not choosy enough.”

Her mother gave a kind smile. “You and Matt have always been so sweet. Just like you should be. Looking out for her. Tell me, Easton,” her mother said, fully turning her attention to him, “how’s everything coming with the wedding? Matt and Bridget are due back tomorrow, correct?”

While East addressed the question, drawing attention from Natalie’s dating life, she took the chance to excuse herself and leave the table.

“Forgive me,” Natalie said, and scooted her chair, “I just need a minute.”

A minute to collect herself. Her mother nodded absently, but East kept his gaze on her as she rose from the table and left the dining room. She went up to the third floor bathroom because she needed two flights of stairs to get her mind right.

She leaned over the sink and looked in the mirror, then took a deep breath. She had to let this go. Let it roll off her back like she always had. Or had she? She knew her mother loved her, deep down, but she also had those crazy St. Clair expectations that Natalie could never meet. And for some reason, tonight they were harder to stomach than usual. Maybe because she did want more. Maybe because she didn’t want East to see her as pathetic. She shook her head and reminded herself that she shouldn’t be thinking of him anyway.

She thought, instead, of her options. Thought of Connecticut and Leslie’s offer. Maybe she was just getting too tired of fighting to stay in Beaufort. Fighting her mother. All of it. Yes, she loved her shop, but maybe this circle of self-doubt and exhaustion needed to end. Maybe she needed a big change.

First, though, she had to get through dinner, then Matt’s wedding.

With a final breath, she prepared herself to go back down. She opened the door and—

“Holy hell!” she gasped. East was standing right outside. “You gave me a heart attack!” she whispered harshly.

But he stood still, a look of raw hurt and rage on his face. “Are you okay?” he asked.

She frowned. “Yeah. Why?”

“Because of what your mom said. It wasn’t right, darlin’.”

“Oh, that’s normal. Come on, you know that.”

He nodded. “I do. I’ve heard her say shit like that for a long time, but tonight…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Natalie. I should have said something sooner.”

“What are you talking about? I’m fine. This is just my mom being herself, and we all know I’m not a Southern belle, and that’s okay.”

“It is okay. The way you are is better than okay.”

She looked at him for a long moment. “Thank you.”

He nodded, cupped her hips, and gently pulled her close. It was a move she was getting used to—comforting. And just when she thought he’d kiss her, he bypassed her mouth and drew her in for a hug. He wrapped his big, strong arms around her and held her, tight and perfect. Something in the way he clung to her made her want to…

Cry.

She was losing it. He made her feel safe. Seen. And here he was, offering solace after a shitty moment, just like—

Like he loved her.

But he didn’t. She knew he couldn’t.

And she couldn’t do this anymore.

She pulled away. East’s face looked hurt, as though she might as well have slapped him.

“I’m really fine,” she said. “We’d better get back.”

“Natalie, wait.”

But she didn’t. She took the stairs as fast as she could. The dinner table might be a death trap with her mother waiting, but East was a soul trap, and her heart was on the line.

Losing her pride was one thing. Losing her heart to East was another.





Chapter Thirteen


Natalie came to sit next to Matt at the bar at Honey’s.

“Hey, sis,” he said, and gave her a hug as she sat down. Chloe was behind the bar and came over to serve them.

“Glad you’re back,” Chloe said, and poured Matt a drink.

“Thanks. Yep, I hope you don’t mind, the whole Connecticut crew is in town and I’ve talked up Honey’s.”

Chloe smiled and then poured Natalie a drink, too. “Well, I think the wedding this weekend is the talk of the town. You two holler if you need anything else.”

“Thanks, Chloe,” Natalie said to her friend as she waddled her adorable pregnant behind away.

“Mom has been grilling me about all the details.” Natalie gave her brother a playful nudge. “Your friends and I have money going on when she’s going to bring up grandkids. My bet is on the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night.”

“Don’t think she’ll even wait for after the wedding, huh?” Matt asked.

“Nope. Come on, you know Mom.”

“Yeah.” Matt took a sip of his beer. “Which is why I wanted to chat with you tonight. Just the two of us.”

That sounded serious. Natalie’s stomach knotted as she tried to figure out what her big brother had to say. But before he could get much out, the familiar ding of the door caught just enough of Natalie’s attention for her to realize it was Easton.

Small town.