Free An Officer and a Rebel: An Accidentally in Love Novella (Entangled Bliss) by Cindi Madsen Page A

tickets.”
    “I’ll see what I can do.” He kissed her neck and heat started building between them again. “So, the storm’s gone. And I’m sure you’re in a hurry to leave…”
    “ Hurry ’s the wrong word.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “I want to stay, but I know my mom will be going crazy.” The days of her Christmas vacation were ticking by too fast, not enough time to do all the things she wanted to do between staying here forever and actually spending time with Mom.
    “How about if you go with me to my parents’?” Nate asked. “That’ll give more time for the sun to melt the snow, and then we can figure out what to do with your car. I’ll even let you take my truck if you need to. I just want the roads to be clear. Especially since traffic will be so light and if you get stuck or slide off the road…” He brushed back her hair. “I don’t want you driving until it’s safe.”
    She’d chewed out guys for implying she needed them before, but the tenderness in his eyes made affection radiate through her chest. “Okay. I’ll give it some time to clear, then figure out what I’m gonna do.”
    A triumphant grin spread across his lips. So she didn’t tell him that the thought of going to his parents’ place tied her stomach in knots. It was Christmas, after all. But she figured if she was going to get through that situation, she needed a reminder of why it’d be worth it.
    So she pulled Nate closer and kissed him until he got the message that she was expecting those benefits to kick in immediately.
    …
    Nate pulled the truck up to his parents’ house. The sun was out, turning the roads to slush, and he was glad he’d talked Kelsey into staying until at least the afternoon. He’d thought she was gripping the door handle because she was nervous about the snow, but she kept her iron grip on it now and she was chewing on her bottom lip.
    “What’s wrong, babe?”
    She glanced at him, offering a smile that barely caught hold before it disappeared. “Your mom’s going to be so horrified. She barely tolerated me before. I can only imagine how freaked out she’ll be when I show up with her golden son.”
    He lifted her hand and kissed it. “She liked you. Maybe thought you should drive slower and swear less, but she got used to you.”
    “Well, holy shitballs, that’s a lot of pressure. I have even more tattoos now. My hair’s purple. Maybe I shouldn’t have worn these giant silver hoops. Why didn’t you tell me to take them out and wear something more suitable?”
    He pulled her across the cab to him and wrapped his arms around her. “She’ll like you. And my dad always liked you.”
    She rubbed her forehead and pressed her neon pink fingernails to her temple. “It’s just that they’re your parents, and I like you too much, and now I’m freaking out, caring what they think, and I don’t like it.” Her voice got louder and shakier. “I don’t like it, Nate.”
    He placed his hands on the sides of her face. “You look amazing. I love how you look, and my parents are gonna be happy to see you, I promise. And I know you consider us out in the sticks here, but Marion’s changed. There are plenty of girls with wild colors in their hair.”
    “Oh good, I’ll fit right in, just what I always wanted.”
    He covered her mouth with his, deepening the kiss until he felt her relax. “I like you too much, too, by the way.”
    Her beautiful lips curved up and he felt like the luckiest man in the world. As he got out of the truck and pulled Kelsey out on his side, he found himself suddenly nervous as well. He knew his parents would be happy that he was happy, but it was a big moment, and at the back of his mind, there was that nagging truth that she’d leave soon. When it was just the two of them, it felt like nothing could come between them. But time, distance, all those things would be working against them soon, and he was afraid if he let her go she’d never come