Page 5 of Falling Too Soon (Seasons of Love #1)

NATHAN

F ucking stunning. That’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw her. Well, maybe that was the second thing I thought. The first was more likely . What the fuck? After all, there was a huge mess in the entry hall and a gorgeous woman along with it.

After her initial freak out and me cleaning up the mess while she remained mostly dazed, I offered her a drink and topped mine off.

She stared into her glass of bourbon as if it held all the answers to life’s mysteries and clung to it as if it would disappear at any moment.

“Are you okay?” I asked for the second time since she had invaded my space.

“Yeah, sorry. I was a little caught off guard when I saw you standing there. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.

Is your car outside? Did I totally miss it?

” She was now looking straight into my eyes.

Her amber orbs pierced my soul. She was petite but curvy, with long brown hair that had little hints of caramel.

She was wearing a cropped sweatshirt and black leggings that showcased her hourglass figure.

Her skin was pale and looked so damn soft.

I wanted to curl up next to her in a bed and never leave.

Who said that? You do not want to get in bed with this girl. You were just engaged like five minutes ago.

“Yeah, it’s no problem. I was just as shocked to see you here too. As for the car, it’s off on the side of the cabin, so I’m not surprised you missed it.” I wanted to know more about her. “So what’s your name? As I said, I’m Nathan.”

“Oh shit, sorry, I’m Daphne.”

Daphne .

“Yeah, so I don’t know what to do here. I’m assuming you have a confirmation email too or something?” She got right down to business, pulling me out of my daydream of snuggling up next to her by the fire. What?

“I do. And I checked in yesterday, like I said.” I went to grab my phone from where I had left it by the fire in the now too-hot living room.

Was it getting hotter in here? It most definitely felt hotter.

I pulled up my confirmation email to show her.

Yep, we were double-booked. I’m sure my last-minute change to my reservation was the culprit, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

“Well, you were here first,” she started, “so I guess let me see what I can find online for the night.” She started searching on her phone for accommodations.

Under her breath and barely audible, she sighed, “Of fucking course, this is just my fucking luck.” She scrolled on her phone for a beat and then, as if remembering something, dropped the phone to her side and huffed .

“What is it?” I asked. She hadn’t been scrolling long enough to not find something.

“They charged me for this place already, and it wasn’t cheap.

I don’t know if I can get something else until they refund my payment.

” Her eyes were glassy. God, I hope she didn’t cry.

I grew up with brothers and a mother who was tough as nails.

I was not equipped to handle a crying stranger in my cabin, even a beautiful one.

She continued, “It’s fine, I’ll figure something out,” and started to turn and head for the door. “Thanks for the dr?—”

I didn’t think I just moved. My hand was on her arm before I could stop myself. She stopped and stared at me like I was insane. Maybe I was. All I knew was that, at that moment, I didn’t want her to leave. I had no business touching her or doing what I did next, yet there I was.

“Stay.”