Remember Us

Chapter: 14 (Unedited)

"Carmine?" Natalie whispered then gulped and stared elsewhere when she realized that she was openly staring at him. She was blushing like hell.

"What? You look as if you've seen a ghost." Carmine rubbed his face with the towel. His thin white shirt was stuck like a second skin. 

Natalie swallowed again and shoved her hands in her pockets.

She nodded at his face,"I see you shaved off your beard."

Carmine raised his brows,"I love your sense of observation," He whispered then tilted his head to a side," Is that what got you all red?"

Natalie smoothed back her hair. She could feel herself sweating.

Carmine threw his towel on the bed and walked toward her with his hands in his pockets. He stopped right in front of her and leaned down to come to her eye level. They stood only an inch apart. Their noses were almost touching.

"Natalie?" He whispered, his voice too husky.

Natalie parted her lips and breathed a yes.

Carmine's lips twitched," Am I too hot for you?"

Natalie blinked then she pushed him off with all her might.

Carmine laughed and stepped back.

Natalie took a deep breath then tried to appear haughty," Thank God, you finally shaved, Car. You used to look filthy all the time."

"Never stopped you from staring, did it?" He smirked at her.

Natalie tried her best to ignore the fast beating of her heart.

She avoided looking at him and motioned with her hand toward his side table,"You weren't picking up?"

She felt him watching her intently,"I wasn't expecting you to call or come. I thought you'd be with Dave right about now."

A humorless chuckle escaped Natalie's lips,"Well, I'm not. I'm here. With you. Not with my fiancé as you can surely see."

Once again, he came toward her, put his hand beneath her chin and tipped it up.

"Look at me." He ordered.

Natalie took a deep breath, composed her features and met his gaze,"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked him, casually.

Carmine kept looking at her. He was staring at her eyes in such a way that Natalie felt like he was draining her of all the emotions. Her legs were getting wobbly. Five minutes more and she'll melt like butter on the floor.

Carmine's eyes narrowed,"Is there something you want to tell me, Natalie?" He asked her in a soft tone.

Natalie's eyes widened and she looked at him then she chuckled and pulled away from his grasp.

"What's up with you, Carmine? Why all serious today?"

"I should ask the same, what's up with you?"

Natalie shrugged and plopped down on his bed," I was just distracted."

Carmine raised a brow," What did it? My hotness distracted you."

"It would IF you were hot, that is."

"Babe, you were ogling me."

Natalie's mouth almost touched the floor at his choice of words,"Ogling? I-' When he again raised a brow and smirked, she rolled her eyes and folded her arms," I was just thinking about one of Lana Del Rey's songs, Blue Jeans. It was something like,'Blue jeans, white shirt-" She stopped singing and looked at their picture on his side table, blushing horribly.