Nate grunts down at me. “I’m happy to bring it all in and set it up for you because I know you’re desperate to watch me do it, but I’m not moving it around the house a hundred times. That’s a bitch job and that’s what Jesse’s for.”
I tilt my chin and press my lips against his. “Deal.”
Nate kisses me back and it’s not long before he rolls us so he hovers above me with his hips pressed down on top of mine. “You tired?” he questions as he drops his lips to my neck.
“Mmmm,” I nod, closing my eyes as the satisfaction of his touch rockets through me.
Nate’s hand slides down my body until his fingers are hooked beneath the fabric of my underwear. He keeps sliding and removes them off my legs and once they’re gone, he pushes up off me and slowly peels open my legs before coming back down. “Let me help you sleep.”
I feel him there and a moment later, he slides inside as his hands travel back up my body. He weaves his fingers through mine while moving slow and setting my body alight.
His lips come down on mine and I’ve never felt anything quite so sensual and erotic as he makes love to me.
The only issue is that sleep is now the last thing on my mind.
Chapter 5
“Hot damn,” Brooke groans under her breath as we lean up against our new kitchen counter with Kaylah. Brooke makes a show of fanning herself as my eyes lock onto the scalding sight before me.
Nate walks through our new home with a huge box thrown over his shoulder as he makes his way down to my brand new bedroom.
It’s a stinking hot day and the sun is right in the middle of the sky, the very hottest part of the day so I’m not surprised to see that since the last time he walked through here, his tank top has been stripped off and is hanging out the back of his loose shorts, displaying every little ridge and bulge of his toned body. I mean, watching him walk in with his front on display and his strong arm holding the box up, balancing it on his shoulder is one thing. But to have him turn down the hall and give us the back view… he’s like a gift to womankind. The only problem is the cocky bastard knows it.
“Hey, Tora,” Jesse’s amused voice comes from the front door. “Careful. You’re drooling.”
Nate’s chuckle comes tearing up the hallway and I roll my eyes before flipping off Jesse. I love that little turd but he sure knows how to push my buttons. “Jealous?” I fire back. “Kaylah’s drooling too, but I don’t see her eyes on you.”
“Yeah, because if she looked this way, we’d be the ones christening your new place.”
“Too fucking late,” Nate calls from my bedroom. “We christened this place three fucking times already.”
Jesse laughs and shakes his head as he drops his box in the living room while Brooke elbows me. “Is that what you were doing when I was trying to get a hold of you this morning?”
“I’d say guilty but after the way he blew my mind, I certainly don’t feel any guilt about it.”
Nate returns back up the hallway, winks, and disappears out the front door again, prompting us to turn back to the box of kitchenware on the counter that we were sorting through.
Another box gets brought in and Brooke looks back over her shoulder. “Ugh,” she groans quietly. “I still don’t understand what he’s doing here.”
I look back and grin at the sight of Maxen walking through our new home. He’s been working his ass off this morning, helping us to get everything in. I mean, they all have been. They must be exhausted. All the boys are here, even Jackson put off a gym session to come and give us a hand, and to be honest, I’m surprised Tyson could manage to peel the girls off long enough to be helping.
With so many guys here, Brooke’s mom, and both my parents, we’re getting so much done. Both the moms are down in the bedrooms pulling linen on the newly installed beds and hanging up the thousands of clothes that came in boxes and bags.
Dad is going around putting little rubber footings under all the pieces of furniture so the floorboards don’t get scratched. He started by helping the boys carry everything in, but he’s not a spring chicken and quickly exhausted himself. I don’t doubt he’ll sleep the whole flight to London tomorrow.
As Maxen passes, his eyes flick up to Brooke, the same way they have been all day, but it’s different. It’s not the same leer he used to give her, there’s no pervy comment thrown in afterward, it’s pure longing and I know I shouldn’t, but my heart kind of breaks for him. He’s been a perfect gentleman today and hasn’t said a word to her out of respect for not wanting to annoy her in her new home.
It’s… strange. It’s as though he’s here purely to be helpful.
“Come on,” I say, hoping he can’t hear. “He’s been fine. He showed up at Nate’s place this morning not realizing we were moving today and as soon as Nate explained what was going on, he jumped at the opportunity. He’s just being helpful.”
“Since when are you team Maxen?” she scoffs as Kaylah presses her lips together and makes herself busy minding her own business.
“I’m not team Maxen, but I’m not going to ignore the fact that he’s been a perfect gentleman today. The least you could do is say thank you and offer him a glass of water.”
Brooke rolls her eyes and looks away. “Perfect gentleman?” she scoffs. “I don’t think so. He’s up to something and besides, I didn’t ask for his help, so why don’t you offer him a glass of water?”
“Are you kidding?” I scoff.
“Dead serious,” she snaps. “I don’t trust him and after what he did to me, I don’t owe him a damn thing.”
I let out a heavy breath. “Fine, I’ll do it,” I say, turning around and heading to the cupboard which we only just finished filling. I grab a few glasses before remembering mom brought a carton of bottled water with her.
I fill my arms and pockets with bottles and trudge outside, hoping I don’t drop any on the way. The second I step outside, I’m hit in the face with the scorching heat. I mean, who chose today to be moving day? That was stupid.
Bottles start slipping from my fingers and I’m thankful when Jesse catches me by the door. He takes a few from my hands and launches two across the front yard. “Yo, heads up,” he calls out.
Tyson looks up just in time to catch the bottle before it hits him in the face, but Nate isn’t so lucky with the massive box in his hand, choosing to get hit with a grunt rather than drop the massive box.
I hand another bottle to Jesse before going over and giving one to Max. He gives me a thankful nod and I continue on to Nate, picking up the bottle that lays at his feet as he carefully places the box down.
I hand him the water and he puts an arm around me before pulling me in tight against his body. “Ewww,” I shriek, trying to pull away. “You’re all sweaty.”
“Really?” he grins, holding me tighter.
“Yes,” I laugh. “Let me go.”
He brings his water bottle up and cracks it open with his teeth. “Do you think I need a shower?”
My eyes widen, realizing what he’s about to do. I squirm, desperately trying to get away but with the laughter pouring out of me and his steel grip around my waist, it’s near impossible. “Don’t you dare.”
“What are you talking about, babe?” he grunts, bringing the bottle up above my head and then smirking as he brings it to his lips, teasing me.
“Don’t,” I warn him with a screech, still trying to get my hands upon his chest to force myself away.
“Don’t what?” he grins. “Don’t do this?”
In the blink of an eye, he brings the water bottle up and tips it over my head, even going as far as to squeeze the bottle to make it empty faster. We both get drenched in the process and while I’m still screeching and shrieking, I’m also overcome with uncontrollable laughter.
The rest of the guys come and join in while Nate and Jesse do their best to hold me still. “I’m going to kick your asses.”
“What the hell is going on out here?” Brooke’s voice calls from the front d
oor.
I manage to see through Tyson and Jesse’s arms to see Brooke and Kaylah, standing by the door, grinning at my misfortune. Only their grins are wiped away when Maxen turns around and locks eyes with Brooke. Her face falls and not a moment later, she’s screeching and running across our new yard, trying her best to get away from him as Kaylah steps back inside the safety of the house and discreetly locks the door.
The bottles quickly empty of water, but Brooke isn’t so lucky. Maxen catches her around the waist and I have to admit, it’s nice to see the look of pure enjoyment on her face, making me wonder what kind of feelings still linger there.
They go crashing down and Max protectively catches her so she doesn’t hit the ground too hard. They laugh along with everyone else, until silence.
Brooke looks up at him as he watches her with his heart on his sleeve.
A pause.
A breath.
His hand squeezes her waist
Maxen breaks his hold and looks away. “Sorry,” he murmurs low as he scrambles off her. He offers her a hand up and she reluctantly takes it as her eyes shoot to mine, silently telling me that we’ll be dissecting this very moment all night over a glass of wine.
“Well, fuck,” Jesse grunts for only me and Nate to hear. “That’s awkward.”
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up my throat and turn my face into Nate’s chest to avoid Brooke tearing me apart later. After all, we live together now. If she caught me laughing at that, she would probably kill me in my sleep.
Brooke turns and starts heading for the house. I go to break away from Nate, figuring I need to go find a towel and see if I can somehow manage to salvage Brooke’s day when mom’s BMW pulls up on the curb, halting Brooke in her tracks.
I turn around and study her car for a moment, feeling slightly confused. I could have sworn she was inside helping with my wardrobe and lining my new bed. She climbs out of the car and pulls a box out from the passenger side. “Anyone hungry?” she calls out to the group of seven teenagers in the front yard. “I got Tacos.”
“Fuck yeah,” Jackson cheers as Tyson grins at my mom in that same slutty way that Jesse used to, making me want to sever his manhood. He walks forward and takes the box of Tacos from my mom and puts it down on the grass, making it a free-for-all.
The boys flock towards the box, pulling food out and crashing down into the grass, while Brooke and I hang back, waiting patiently to avoid being mauled by the hungry tigers.
Mom passes by and gives me a funny look when I realize I’m still dripping wet. She shrugs it off and continues on inside with a bag tucked under her arm, probably a healthier option for the adults.
Nate drops down into the grass and I fall down beside him before he hands me one of his many tacos. Kaylah decides it’s safe enough to come outside while Brooke grabs herself a taco and sits on the opposite side of the yard from Maxen, as far as the yard will allow while studiously studying her lunch.
I can’t help but look up at Maxen to see him stealing a glance at Brooke, and once again, that flash of longing returns. “What the hell is going on with him?” I grunt quietly to Nate.
“Fucked if I know,” he shrugs, looking between the two with his own curiosity. “He seems… I don’t know, different. The second I said I was coming here he jumped at the chance to see her.”
“Maybe he just missed her,” I supply, hoping that’s it. After all, I couldn’t trust Maxen as far as I could throw him, especially after the shit he put Brooke through at the beginning of senior year, and if that little turd burger is planning on playing my best friend again, he’s about to get a rude shock.
“Yeah, maybe,” Nate agrees, but from the look in his eye, I can tell he doesn’t really agree. He thinks it’s something more and the fact that he can’t work it out, pisses him off.
I let it go and get back to finishing off my lunch and take a drink of water, pleased to find my bottle didn’t get destroyed earlier. But then, I should really stop complaining about it, it’s freaking hot and the cool water went a long way in making my outdoor lunch a bit more bearable.
In fact, wouldn’t it be great if Nate got the chance to cool down too?
I watch him out of the corner of my eye as I take a sip of my water, trying my best not to raise his suspicions, but his eyes are still on his cousin as he finishes off a second taco.
I leave my bottle of water open and slowly stretch my hand out towards Nate. “Hey, Nate?” I grin.
He flicks his head towards me and I squeeze the bottle of water with everything I’ve got. Water comes spurting out the top of the bottle like a fountain and instantly covers his large frame.
He gaps as the cold water hits him but rights himself before flying at me. My laughter comes in so hard and fast that I can’t even force myself to run.
Nate pins me in the soft grass and as I look up at him, I completely melt. He doesn’t even give me a second to catch my breath before he presses his lips down on mine. “You’re in trouble, babe,” he tells me.
I smile against his lips, absolutely loving it when he’s this playful version of himself. I go to ask if that’s a promise when Jackson’s voice calls out across the yard. “Get a fucking room.”
Nate glances across at him. “If her mom wasn’t in there covering the room in family photos, I probably would.”
“What?” I gasp, looking up at Nate. “Tell me you’re joking?”
He looks back down at me and softly presses his lips back to mine. “I wish I was,” he grins. “It’s going to be un-fucking-comfortable trying to fuck you while your father’s face is staring back at me.”
“Oh no,” I groan, trying to get up and fix it.
“Leave it,” Nate says, pulling me up with him. “Your parents will be gone tomorrow and your mom has put a lot of work into decorating your room. You don’t want to hurt her feelings by changing it. Just tell her it’s perfect and then you can fix it all tomorrow.”
“What would I do without you?” I smile.
“I seriously don’t know,” he laughs, indicating to Jesse to toss him another taco. “I don’t understand how you’ve managed to survive eighteen years on your own.”
“Shut up,” I laugh, rolling my eyes and snatching his taco out of the air before quickly unwrapping it and taking a massive bite out of the very bottom.
By seven o’clock at night, the house is just about done. All the rooms have been completed, beds have been put together, couches have been arranged and then rearranged. Hell, even the DVD collection has been sorted into our most treasured favorites.
I throw my arms around my parents, hugging them both at the same time. “I’ll come by in the morning before you go,” I tell them, hating that this is going to be one of the last times I’ll see them before they disappear to London for who the hell knows how long.
“Ok,” mom says, squeezing me back. “Will you be alright here? Did the man come to give you new locks? And don’t forget to lock the windows as well. You’re not protected by a big gate and security system like you are at home. You have to be proactive about your safety here.”
“I know,” I tell her, squeezing her again to help soothe her worries. “Brooke and I will be fine and if there’s a situation, the boys aren’t far away.”
Mom looks back over her shoulder and takes in the group of boys taking over our living room and cracking open a few beers. “No, they never seem to be far away, do they?”
“No,” I agree. “Never, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I know,” she laughs before dad gives me a few last instructions on caring for a home.
I send my parents on their way with a promise to text mom before I go to bed, letting her know that I’m safe.
I drop down onto the large couch, pleased that we made the decision to buy such a big one. Nate pulls me into him, and I can’t help but look around at all the bodies filing my new living room. This is for sure going to be the new ‘it’ place and I have no doubt that Nate is pract
ically going to move in. He’s already so comfortable here.
Pizzas get ordered and beers are drunk and replaced, feet are propped up on every available surface, and everybody is having a great time while music plays softly in the background.
My body aches and I want nothing more than to have a huge sleep in tomorrow morning, but with my parents flying out, that’s not going to happen.
A knock sounds at the door and Jesse drags himself up off the couch. He walks the few steps towards the door with a little more bounce in his step than acceptable after such a huge day. He rips the door open in excitement, always ready and prepared for pizza, only his whole body slouches in disappointment when he sees who’s standing on the other side.
“Who the fuck are you?” he grunts, making the living room full of bodies turn to face the door to see what’s going on.
The guy hasn’t said a word when Brooke shoots to her feet. “Lukas,” she gasps in excitement. She hurries to the door, barges past Jesse and throws her arms around him before they start making out in the doorway.
Brooke eventually drags him in and introduces him to the room. Their date had gone amazingly on Tuesday night and she hasn’t been able to shut up about it. If I didn’t love her so much, I’d probably punch her the next time I heard about the guy.
Lukas goes around and formally introduces himself to the group while Brooke hurries into the kitchen to find him a beer. I watch in amusement as he gets to Maxen, offering him his hand.
Maxen shoots to his feet, takes the guys hand and gives it a swift shake before letting go as quickly as possible. “I, uh… I’m going get out of here,” Maxen announces to the room with a slight cringe mixed with an awkward grunt.
“K,” Nate says, giving him a slight nod of his head, hardly bothering to look up at the guy. “See you later, man.”
And just like that, Maxen is out the door.
Lukas drops down into the vacated seat Brooke had climbed out of earlier and gets himself comfortable while making small talk with my boys. Not two seconds later, Brooke returns from the kitchen with an open beer and hands it to Lukas before dropping down into his lap.
Broken Hill Havoc: The Broken Hill High Series (Book 5) Page 5