The television had been turned off for quite some time, but Faye could hear the echo of Nathan's younger voice as he spoke in the video. She toyed with the bracelet the old chief's wife gave her as she contemplated on everything that had happened.

He had loved her ever since, and she knew that he still did. Her body could still remember his touches and, more importantly, the kiss they shared. Without thinking, she gave into him – surrendered her first experiences to him – and she enjoyed every moment of it. As much as she would publicly deny it, she could not deny it to herself. She had tried to shut the memory out, but her dreams reminded her, and if sleep refused to come, her memories would drift toward the experience.

There was a reason why she had never considered romance. It was too illogical and too unexpected. It was something she could not plan for and neither was it something that she could control. More importantly, she had always had an ideal guy and the current Nathan fit the bill. She had not realized it the moment she laid eyes on him because of the bad memories he had left with her. But when she thought about it, he was everything he could ever ask for.

Someone who she could rely on in her weakest moments. Someone who understood her.

Someone who could love her for everything she was, despite knowing everything about her.

And that someone was waiting for her at the lobby, suffering needlessly. All he had ever done was to try and please her, but all he ever got from her was venom and doubt.

She reached for her phone and heard nothing. Not even a dial tone. She pressed the plunger, but still nothing happened. She stared at the phone for quite a while before remembering she had disconnected it. Her shaking hands reached for the line and it took quite a while before she got the cord into its slot and with a press of a button, the phone sprang to life and she immediately rang for the lobby.

"Dave..." her voice sounded cracked and hoarse, "Send him up."

"Ms. Westbrook?" Dave, the front-desk man, sounded confused.

"Send him up."

"Um, the guy from the Fed?"

"Yes!" Her voice broke even more as she realized that she was crying again. Unable to keep her composure any longer, she put the receiver down and rushed to the bathroom and washed her face. What she needed was to clear her mind. There must be some logical way of approaching and solving the whole thing. There always was.

A rap on her door shook her back into reality. If they already up, then she had taken such a long time staring at her reflection. She wiped her face and scrunched her face in disgust. Her face was red and her eyes were swollen.

In haste, she put on her sunglasses and answered the door, saying nothing as she motioned for him to enter and sat herself on the couch.

Nathan followed her tentatively. And by the look on his face, it was obvious he had been battered down. He was pale and looked as if he had not slept for days. His face was lined with worry and he still looked confused and at a loss. He looked at the unfinished jacked on the table and looked back at her.

"Oh for goodness' sake!" Faye rolled her eyes beneath the sunglasses, hiding the pity and the pain she felt looking at him. "Sit down will you? I'm not going to strain my neck looking up at you on top of everything."

Nathan took his seat and cleared his throat. "Can I see your eyes while I speak?"

"No." Of course, she wouldn't let him see her eyes! She looked hideous!

He sighed and nodded. "I guess it's only fair..."

Her heart went out to him as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. She wanted to hold him in her arms. Tell him that she was the one who needed to ask for forgiveness. But she kept her mouth shut as he looked up at her with a look of defeat.

"I guess, I failed big time huh?" He grinned, but it didn't touch his eyes. "Faye, I've always chased after you. In everything. And I guess, now, I can really prove than no matter how hard I try, I just won't be the right person for you. I'm really sorry. Everything's just a disaster. And if things are just going to go on like this – that everything will be difficult for you – I'd like you to know that I'm backing off. You deserve to be happy, and obviously, I can't be the one who can give you that. I just want you to know that if you ever need anything, I'm here for you. Anything at all."

She clenched her jaw and swallowed. After her own realization, he was going to back off? The thought tore her. Tore at her. "Is that all?"

He nodded.

"You came all the way here, waited night and day, beat yourself up, forced yourself into a three-day hunger strike, all just to say that?"

He sighed, defeated. "Yes."

Faye stood up and strode toward him. There was no time for Nathan to react as her hand connected with his cheek in a resounding slap. As he gathered his wits about him, she took off her glasses and threw them across the room.

"I...guess I deserve that..." he said without looking at her.

Her hands fisted. "Kiss me."

In surprise, his head shot up, his eyes, meeting her own. Incomprehension, the only expression on his face. "Wh-what?"

"Damn it, Nathan! I'm not asking again. If you can't do it then you—" she could say nothing more as she found her lips locked into his, his hands holding her head and restraining himself at the same time.

It was definitely a different kiss from the first one they shared. That was gentle and unsure, but this was raw, hungry and restrained. As Nathan's lips played with hers, she followed. Nothing in her knowledge told her what to do, but she felt for what she wanted to do; followed what he wanted her to do.

His teeth gently nibbled on her lower lip and she let him, letting her arms snake up his chest and around his neck. His tongue asked for her to open up as his hands traced every curve of her body and she could not help but give him entrance. And when he slipped in, the sensations forced a moan out of her. It surprised her that he broke off chuckling.

Flustered, she looked up at him, worried. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked breathless.

"No. It's just that...I still can't believe this," Nathan said just as breathless, caressing the small of her back. "I thought you'd hate me forever."

"You never told me anything. You never told me you've had feelings for me for a long time."

"Would you have believed me, given I've been teasing you really harshly?"

"No. So why did you?"

"It was the only way I could have gotten your attention. It was the only reason you ever spoke to me, remember?"

Faye bit her lips, feeling them a little swollen, and remembered that she did not notice the pudgy boy, even with his great grades, until he told her she was nothing but a showoff.

He sighed, knowing that she remembered. "Let's forget all about the past," he said, and dove in for another kiss.

Faye wanted to stop if only to discuss what they were after all that, but she held it to savor the feelings he was giving her. She knew that the magical sensations he was creating within her was from years of experience with others, but right then, she didn't care. Right then, he believed him when he said that the other women were really nothing. That he really felt nothing for them.

He was her Casanova. She would allow herself to be seduced by him. She could put off the thinking later. Right now, though...

She broke off. "Let's continue this later."

"Later?"

"Right now, you need to eat." Her nose scrunched up. "And you definitely need a bath."

He chuckled. "And I suppose, I'll be wearing side B?"

"Side B?"

"Yeah," he grinned, "Turning my clothes inside out then wearing them again."

"Ew!" she winced. "I am not going to let you stink up my place! Any brand preference on your clothes?"

"Oh no, you're not buying me anything."

Faye grinned at his display of male ego and decided to let him have it. After all, she had been stepping on it ever since they were children. "You have your wallet with you?"

Nathan promptly handed the whole thing to her. "Sky's the limit. You choose what you want to see me in."

Faye opened the wallet and laughed. Sky's the limit indeed. With high end credit cards on ever slot, the guy was definitely loaded. "So this is where our tax money go to, huh?"

He chuckled. "Hey, working for the government is not the only thing I do, you know. I'll tell you about my other...endeavors later."

"I'm pretty sure I have a lot of catching up to do on your life."

"Same here."

Faye held his hand as he led him to the bathroom. She didn't know what was going to happen or what the next logical step once. For once in her life, she decided to wing it, and deep in her heart she knew that, somehow, it was all going to work out.

I hope you enjoyed this book. Lol, I am sorry it took so much time to complete. Please don't forget to and for this chapter and this story with your friends and family if you liked it. ❤

Bye!