Here to Stay by Debra Webb Page A

would he learn that no meant no?
    “You did need my help, you just wouldn’t own
up to it. Since James will be back tomorrow, it’s a dead
issue.”
    “I’m glad James is better.” Paige would never
admit it to Nathan, but her aching muscles rejoiced at the idea of
having James back. “I really do have to go.”
    “Paige, I’m sorry about yesterday, last night
and this morning. I never meant to hurt you.”
    He looked so sincere, and she desperately
wished she could believe him. But he’d let her down before. The
image of how he had looked that morning, nude and sprawled across
the unmade bed flitted through her mind. Her eyes had reveled in
rippling muscle and glistening skin. The memory made her knees
weak. She would never forget the way all that hair looked spread
across his pillow. No man should look that good. Especially not
this man.
    “Why don’t we forget the whole thing
happened?” she offered. She had to get him out of here. Besides,
why should she be angry that he had a beautiful woman spend the
night with him? He was single, unattached. She fought back the
gigantic wave of hot, green jealousy that rose instantly at the
thought of the redhead.
    He shifted and raked a hand through his hair.
“That’s a little too easy, don’t you think?”
    “Honestly, Nathan, I don’t know what I
think,” she said finally. One minute they were screaming at each
other and the next she wanted…she wanted…never mind. “I just know
that we can’t go on like this.”
    Nathan nodded. “I agree. Now, how do we fix
it?”
    “Let’s think on it for a while and we can get
together later and discuss it. How’s that?” She smiled, a little
stiffly.
    “All right. You’ll be back in Trinity
tonight?”
    “Ye-es,” she answered slowly.
    “I’ll call you tonight then.”
    “Fine.” Paige took his arm and ushered him
from the deserted courtroom. Her nerves jangled as much from
touching him as from the mounting anxiety.
    “One more thing,” he said, pulling her to a
stop.
    Oh, Lord. “Yes?”
    “About Celine—”
    “Really, Nathan, you don’t have to explain.
It’s none of my business. You have every right to date whomever you
choose. It doesn’t matter to me what you do.” Liar , her
subconscious chided.
    “Nothing happened,” he said flatly.
    “What do you mean nothing happened?” Paige
forgot all about convincing herself that she didn’t care. She
wanted to hear this. She really wanted to hear this. “That
was Celine’s necklace.”
    “It could have happened. She wanted…I asked
her to leave,” he admitted hesitantly.
    “Why did you do that?” Paige held her breath.
Every particle of her being wanted to believe that it had something
to do with her.
    “I don’t know. It just didn’t feel right. I
couldn’t stop thinking about the way you’d looked at me last night
and what you must have thought,” he said softly.
    He looked vulnerable, needy. Paige’s
nurturing instinct surged. A lifelong bond, though deeply buried,
still made her want to protect his feelings. She could see the
confused little boy in his dark eyes. The one she had grown to love
so very much.
    “I really have to go,” she urged, afraid to
say anything else or linger a moment longer for fear she would
truly gather him into her arms to comfort the hurt. She didn’t want
to feel the strange sensation she felt in the vicinity of her heart
right now. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
    Nathan nodded and followed her out into the
corridor. “I’ll call you tonight,” he told her before walking
away.
    Paige watched Nathan disappear around the
corner toward the stairwell. Why did just being near the man make
her ache with need?
     
     
     

Chapter Five
     
    Paige stretched one last time and then
dragged herself out of bed. She had turned off the telephone last
night to avoid Nathan’s call. She had to think some more before
they talked. Lucky for her he hadn’t come pounding on the door in
the middle of the