Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
The hard part came when some of Nate’s relatives wanted to know how they’d met and how things were going with their relationship. But she took a breath and decided—mostly—to just tell the truth. “Well, I guess you know I own a coffee shop close to where Nate works. We met because of his coffee obsession,” Tamara explained with a smile. “Since he started at Married in Malibu, he comes in my shop four or five times a day. I guess we both realized how much we have in common, and we like spending time together. We never seem to have a shortage of things to say. And then… you probably know about the big launch they did for the new Lucas Crosby single? Well, things changed for us at that party.”
She felt Nate tense a little. In response, she put a hand on his knee. Things had changed for them at that party, just not the way she was letting on.
Nate’s mother beamed at Tamara. “I, for one, am glad they did. Honestly, it’s been nothing but ‘Tamara this’ and ‘Tamara that’ for weeks. I’m so glad to finally meet you. And I hope we get to see a lot more of you.”
“Mom!” Nate said, but everyone ignored him. His family were all enjoying seeing him with a girlfriend, and it was obvious that they all really liked her.
Once dinner was finished, and Tamara insisted she couldn’t eat another bite, Tim offered to show them up to their room. “It’s got a great view,” he said, “and an en suite. I think you’ll have everything you need, but let me know if not. I want you guys to be comfortable.”
Nate ran out to the car to get their bags, and then they headed upstairs with Tim. He opened the door to their room, and Tamara let out a small gasp. The view over the ocean was spectacular, the kind of sweeping vista that the best hotels would charge a lot for. There were other elements that reminded Tamara of a hotel too—the guest room was essentially a small apartment unto itself, with a sofa, a large bed swathed in white sheets, and a door that led to an en suite bathroom.
Before Tim left to return to the others, he reminded them of the wedding brunch in the morning. “Keep it casual,” were his final words.
They thanked Tim for the great room, and as soon as the door closed, they burst out laughing.
“I don’t know about you, but I thought we did pretty darn good,” Tamara said, referring to their starring turn as a couple.
“Everyone bought it,” Nate agreed. “We didn’t get any weird looks or questions, and I think you know my mom, for one, just loved talking with you.”
Tamara grinned. She’d really liked Nate’s mom. “I thought everyone was great, and they made me feel so welcome. I was a bit nervous at first, but I needn’t have worried.”
Nate nodded, but as he looked around the room, the smile fell from his face. “Listen, Tamara, I’ll sleep on the couch,” he said.
The king-size bed loomed large between them. Tim had seemed so pleased to be able to give them such a beautiful room, and besides, what could they say? Tamara hadn’t dared to think much about the weekend’s sleeping arrangements for fear that she’d get carried away. So she’d decided it was something she’d deal with in the moment. Now the moment was here.
“That’s crazy,” Tamara replied, shaking her head. “We’re both grown-ups, Nate. We can handle sharing the bed. Especially this bed—it’s huge. It’s like someone wheeled a small country in here.” She laughed a little nervously.
“Are you sure?” Nate asked. “I really don’t mind.”
Tamara assured him it was fine, but in truth, she wasn’t sure for one simple reason—how could she possibly stop herself from reaching out for Nate in the night? She imagined nibbling her way down his body. But she quickly shoved that image to the back of her mind and repeated, “I’m sure.”
They took turns getting changed in the bathroom and realized they’d both brought some old and ugly, but comfy, sleepwear. In Tamara’s case, she wore an oversized T-shirt that still had stains on it from a particularly memorable Super Bowl party. Nate’s T-shirt looked to be at least a dozen years old and featured a Star Wars motif that included the Death Star.
Smiling at each other, they stood shyly beside the king-size bed, realizing they had similar tastes when it came to sleepwear. The trouble was, Tamara thought to herself, even in that old stretched-out T-shirt, he looked great. It was going to be a long night. There was no way she’d be able to sleep soundly with this delicious man beside her.
Taking a last look out the window, she saw a big ship in the distance, its lights twinkling in the night sky. Apart from a couple of dog walkers, the beach was empty and quiet save for the crash of the waves on the beach.