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“Do you teach dance there?” He pointed to her sweatshirt
Lauren’s head shot up frolanced down at her sweatshirt “Two nights a week during the school year”
“Ballet?” She had done all kinds of dance when he’d known her, but ballet had been her favorite
Her brows creased in confusion
“Don’t you think I remember how much you liked ballet, Lauren?” Just because they’d been apart didn’t otten her likes and dislikes At one tile detail about each other
Lauren looked away “It’s been a long time, Nate”
“Soet We both know that”
Her head snapped back around, a challenge in her eyes “And soer laced her tone
Nate held her gaze “Care to explain?”
“There’s nothing to explain Not noay” For the first ti her polite tone dropped away “Let’s just leave it and watch TV”
Leave it? After her i What did you mean?” Even if the best he could ever hope for was her friendship, he needed to get past her anger first
Lauren unexpectedly jumped to her feet, took a few steps away, and whirled around to face him “Fine You want to talk about the past? We’ll talk You promised to write Do you remember that, too?” She took a step closer “That day you said we’d stay in contact, but you never bothered”
His gut winced When he’d said the words way back then he’d meant them He’d even tried once He had picked up the phone, started to dial, and hung up Just like then, Nate was unsure of what he intended to say now as he stood and began, “Lauren let me—”
“Don’t er into his shoulder “I don’t want to hear it Besides, it doesn’t matter now We’ve both moved on”
In one motion, Nate wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her closer The sudden physical contact caused his heart rate to rev like the engine of his brother’s prized Corvette “Bullshit”
With his hand still wrapped around her wrist, she took a step away froo back to wherever the ain The past doesn’t matter”
“Like I told you the other night, Lauren I aer from his voice
A cynical sht They er he’d heard before diminished, but sadness took its place
Nate reached out his free hand and touched her cheek “That’s not true, and I’ed to penetrate through the calluses on his hands “I’raduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico”
Lauren’s eyes flew open “You’re an FBI Agent? Seriously?” Her voice hit the next octave
Surprise and shock truer any day of the week “Yeah, in the Boston field office”
“Wow, that’s” The awe in her voice trailed off “That doesn’t change anything” She took a step back, and his hand fell away
With the increased distance between theo disappeared “I don’t believe that” In two steps he closed the distance between theain he ainst hers
Hoone by, he belonged right here with this woman He always had