Page 133 of At First Catch

My entire body reacts.

Sunlight catches against his shoulders while marina wind still clings faintly to his clothes. He looks tired, windswept, and completely devastating in a dark T-shirt and jeans.

And the second he sees me? It’s that look again. An impossible tenderness blooms on his face, making it seem like I’m precisely what he’s been searching for.

The feeling crashes through my chest so hard it nearly hurts.

God, I’m done for.

Bailey watches both of us carefully from her chair.

“Oh, they’re absolutely getting married someday.”

“Bailey,” I hiss.

Nolan stops walking.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I say.

“Everything,” Bailey says at the same time.

Traitor.

Nolan narrows his eyes suspiciously while approaching the counter. “You two are terrifying together.”

“Correct,” Bailey answers.

Then, because she enjoys chaos professionally, she stands up and announces,

“I’m going upstairs to respect sexual-tension boundaries before someone climbs across furniture.”

I close my eyes briefly.

Nolan watches Bailey disappear toward the second floor before looking back at me. “Should I be concerned?”

Warmth floods my face. “No.”

“You’re blushing.”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

Nolan steps fully behind the counter, then into my space. Close enough that warmth rolls across my skin. Like my body already knows exactly what to do with his.

“I brought you coffee,” he says.

“You were nearby?” I ask.

One corner of his mouth lifts. “No.”

Not nearby, but he came here anyway. For me.

“You drove across town to bring me coffee?”

Nolan shrugs one shoulder like it’s nothing, but the faint pink creeping along the back of his neck betrays him. “I missed you.”