by Christa Lynn
“Even though you were hurt?”
“That’s part of the job, beauty. If I could do it again, I’d check with the other guys to see if you had already gotten out, but Jade flashed through my mind, and I wasn’t about to lose you too. Not to a fire, not to anything.”
“What will happen to Amber?” I ask, not able to get her off my mind.
“Well, I suppose she’ll be in foster care until they can find any living relatives that would be willing to take her in.”
“I hope she has someone in her life that would be prepared to do that. She’s at a vulnerable time in her life, and she needs strong role models,” I say as he appears to have zoned out on me.
“Get dressed, I want to take you somewhere.”
“Where’s that?” I stand up. “I don’t have a change of clothes here.”
“We’ll stop by your house, where I’m taking you is on the way.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope, it’s a surprise.” He smirks as walks back down the hall to his bedroom to get dressed, letting the towel fall just as he disappears from my view.
“Tease!” I call out down the hallway. He peeks from behind the door and smirks at me, but I don’t follow him. He’s dressed and back in the living room before I can remove the image of his hard ass from my vision.
I’ve dated some good looking guys before, a long time ago. But Nash? He’s the epitome of handsome. He’s healthy, cut and holy hell, can that man fuck. He has no insecurities and no inhibitions. Hell, he fucked me along the river on a retaining wall, then ran into a burning house. I’ve never known anyone like him, and to think I could be falling for this guy … or to think I already have.
I shake that off because he’s looming over me holding my jeans and t-shirt that Sarah brought me last night. “Get dressed so we can head to your place before my surprise.” He grins.
“What do you have up your sleeve?” I ask as I take the clothes from him.
“Nothing up my sleeve, but I’ve got this right here.” He rubs the bulge in his jeans. My eyes fixate on that bulge, and my mouth starts to water. I reach out to unbutton his jeans, but he steps back, “Tsk tsk tsk,” he shakes his finger at me.
I poke my bottom lip out, and he leans down and kisses me, my pout immediately turning into a sly smile. “Just wait, mister,” I taunt.
“Oh, I can’t wait. Now let’s go.”
“But where are we going?”
“Quit asking questions and get dressed. You’re gonna love it, but we have to hurry.”
“What’s the rush? It’s only one o’clock.” Shit, I slept all morning, and part of the afternoon.
“As much as I’d like to take you right here, I want to take you somewhere else first. So, get dressed,” he demands as he walks away.
“Fine,” I huff and slip the jeans on and follow him to the door and out to his truck. I climb in, and he closes the door, and I watch him as he walks to the driver’s side. I wonder what he has planned and why we have to go now. I just woke up, and coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.
His truck rumbles down the road, and I watch his face. He looks so relaxed and content, so different than what he looked like in the hospital a few months ago. Then, he looked so tormented and angry, and confused. I know now it was Jade he was grieving over, again. I’m sure that over the years, it’s been hard on him. But maybe now he’s letting it go and realizing that it wasn’t his fault. He was just a kid …
Before I get that thought out, he’s pulling into my place. “Run in and change. I’ll wait here.”
“You’re not coming in?”
“No, if I see you naked again we’ll never make it.”
“Well, I want to shower.”
“Even more why I need to stay here. Go, make it quick. I’ll be right here,” he says as I eye him.
“You sure you don’t want to come in and wait?” I smirk.
He leans in and brushes his lips across mine. “Oh, I want to, but I know we’ll never leave and I really want to take you somewhere.”
I slip my tongue between his lips and he sucks it in greedily, a loan moan escaping this throat. I slowly crawl into his lap and grind my pussy against his now hardening cock, our tongues still weaving an intricate dance. He cups my face with both hands and pulls back. “You’re hard to say ‘no’ to,” he whispers.
“Then say ‘yes.’”
“Yes, yes, yes, but not now. Go. Get. Dressed,” he says as he easily lifts me off of his lap and plants me back in the passenger seat. I groan, but dig my keys out of my purse and climb out of the truck. As I unlock the door, I look back at him, and I can tell he’s adjusting himself. The look of pure torture across his face. I blow him a kiss and step inside and upstairs, taking the steps two by two.
I quickly shower, put on a little makeup, and run my fingers through my wet hair. It’s warm outside, so I grab my ballerina flats and head back downstairs. As I get to the door, I see Nash outside, leaning against his truck on the phone. It doesn’t look like a heated conversation, but he has a tense look on his face. His eyebrows are furrowed, and his jaw is tight, but as he talks the tension leaves his face and he relaxes a bit.
I walk outside and lock the door, headed toward his truck, and I hear him say, “Okay, we’ll see you in a little while.” After, he tucks his phone into his pocket and stares at me as if I’m Miss America.
“What? Do I have toothpaste on my cheek?” I ask as I fake wiping my face.
“No, but if you did I’d lick it off.” He smirks.
“I got something better you can lick.”
“You’re such a dirty girl.” He smiles as he brushes a stray strand of hair out of my face. “You ready to go?”
“Yes,” I answer as I glance at his crotch, the subtle bulge still there.
“Yes, I have a hard-on, and no you can’t have it. I’m going to have to get used to it when you’re around.”
We climb back into the truck and head toward downtown. I’m watching every turn he makes trying to figure out where we’re going, then I realize he’s headed for the City Market. It’s a tourist trap, but I love some of the things they have there. I haven’t been in a while so this may be fun. “You want to go shopping?” I ask.
“I want to be in public with you, doing nothing at all and just pretending to be tourists. Every time we’re together, something happens. We’ve survived two fires together, and I just want to explore the city with you.”
“Um, okay.” I smile, though I’m not sure what he means. We’ve been in public before, just last night. But then again, it didn’t end well. So, I guess I see his point. “Wait, we went out when we were at Fripp.”
“Yeah, with your mother looming and ready to show up and cock block you at any second.”
“Oh, yeah,” I laugh as he pulls into the parking lot. He takes my hand as we stroll through different displays of crafts, toys, and souvenirs. I stop and admire some woven baskets and other woven items, my eyes catching woven roses. I allow my fingers to trace the rough edges and I pick one up and examine it, loving how they're woven. I look up, and Nash is up ahead looking at some leather items, so I set the rose down and follow him.
We keep going, stopping for a snack and just spending time together. I now understand why he wanted to do this, just be together. No sex, no fires, no worrying about Amber, just me and him. Nash’s phone rings and he glances at the screen, “I need to get this,” he says as he lifts the phone to his ear and walks away.
I head back to the baskets and those woven roses, baskets, and other items. I’ve never been much into nick-nacks, but these are intriguing. Off in a corner, I notice an older woman weaving, so I walk over and join the crowd watching her. I stand there amazed at her fingers, weaving the wheat grass over other strands, pulling it through and wrapping it back around. She makes it look so easy, yet my own fingers ache just watching her.
I turn to see where Nash is and I see him just outside the door. I walk over and
motion for him, mouthing to him that I’m going to the restroom. He nods, and I wander until I find the bathroom, which is nowhere close to where we were. I scan the displays of ceramics and other items as I make my way back. “I could spend all day in here,” I complain as I shake off the touristy feeling and finally find the bathroom.
I do my business and wash my hands, then set out to find Nash. I open the door and scan the area, only to see him standing next to the water fountain. His back is against the wall, and his eyes are on his phone, scrolling through something.
“Are you following me?”
“I’d follow you anywhere,” he whispers as he leans in for a kiss.
I press a finger against his lips. “We’re in public,” I complain.
“Like that stopped us last night.” He raises an eyebrow.
“Right, well—” I’m cut off by his mouth crashing onto mine, and we dissolve into each other. Suddenly, a voice clears and I pull away, only to see an older lady smirk as she passes us to go into the restroom. “You ready to go somewhere else and put that mouth to good use?”
“Yes, but we have one more stop to make.”
“Ugh,”
“Relax, we won’t be there long,” he says as he tugs me out of the market.
“Where are we going now?”
“You’ll see,” he says as we pull into an older neighborhood and into a vacant lot.
“What is this?” I ask.
“My old house,” he says as he gazes at the empty lot. “My parents never rebuilt after Jade died. But I come here a lot when I want to be closer to her,” he says as he brushes a tear away. I squeeze his leg through his jeans and try and comfort him the best I can, totally understanding that he’d never come to terms with losing his sister. “She was such a sweet girl,” he starts talking though he’s lost in his own thoughts. “She was a cheerleader for her middle school football team, and all the little boys had a crush on her. She had blonde curls and bright blue eyes, she was a kid’s wet dream.” He smirks. “But I protected her against them, kept them at bay. She was too focused on her friends and cheering that she wanted nothing to do with any of them, thank goodness,” he continues.
“I remember her father/daughter dance in eighth grade. Dad couldn’t find anyone to take his shift at the station, so I took her. She smiled the whole night.” He grins, but then the smile fades. “Two weeks later the house burned to the ground, trapping Jade in her bedroom. I couldn’t get to her,” he cries out a sob. He buries his face in his hands and cries, cries for himself, cries for Jade, and cries for innocence lost. “I need a few minutes,” he says as he gets out of the truck and walks over to the concrete slab that still remains.
I sit there for a second, sad for the boy that lost his sister, and sorry for the girl that lost her life, and for the girl that still has her life, but lost her parents. I’m not quite sure what to do or what to say, so I stay put and watch him as he circles the property, talking to himself. I think at this point, I know I love him too. His love for his sister tells his entire story, and the love for her spills out of him.
After a few minutes, he comes to my door and opens it, taking my hand as I climb down from the cab, my foot slipping off the step bar and we both almost go tumbling into the grass. “Are you always this clumsy?” He laughs.
“Only when you’re around, apparently.”
“Oh, no, you’re not putting your lack of grace on me, beauty.”
“Well, I gotta blame someone …” I laugh.
He pulls me against him and rests his forehead on mine. “Just keep both feet on the ground and hold onto me, I won’t let you fall.”
“I think I already have.”
Chapter 23
The following week is super busy at work, so I try to do what I can to keep Nash off my mind, but it’s futile. It’s Thursday, and I’ve accomplished nothing. After seeing him mourn his sister, and him showing me his vulnerable side, I fell hard. So hard I can’t even think straight. He’s at the station pulling a double so I won’t see him again until tomorrow night. Though he calls and texts frequently, every time I hear a siren I think it’s him whizzing by to save someone. He’s everyone’s hero.
Michelle comes by my office door and stares at me without me realizing it at first. When I look up, she’s got her finger in her mouth like she’s going to puke. “That love bug is sickening, ain’t it?” She laughs as she walks into my office and plants her ass in a chair.
“What are you talking about?”
“You haven’t been able to focus all week, Shel.”
“I know, I suck,” I say.
“That’s not what I mean, Shel. Though I’m sure Nash is happy about that.” She laughs, and I throw a pen at her, right down her cleavage. “Damn, excellent aim.” She giggles as she pulls the pen out of her blouse.
“Maybe you shouldn’t wear such plunging necklines,” I smirk.
“Hey, just because you found a man doesn’t mean I can’t keep trying.”
“I didn’t find Nash,” I pause, “he found me.”
“Oh, please, you found each other.”
“I guess we kind of did.” I smile. “What time is your appointment with Ravenwood?” I ask, knowing we could use this campaign for the largest construction company in Charleston County.
“I had it yesterday.” She raises her eyebrows.
I look at the calendar, “It’s Thursday, right?”
“Go home Shelby, it’s Friday. You actually have been lost this week. The meeting went well, they’ll call me next week to let me know their decision.”
“God, what’s wrong with me?”
“You’re in love, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Once you get used to having your heart racing every time you think about him, it’ll get better. But enjoy these new love jitters, because after a while …”
“Oh, stop.” I laugh. “Wait, if it’s Friday, then Nash is coming over.” I jump up and grab my purse, leaning over my desk to shut down my computer.
“Talk about cleavage,” Michelle giggles as my boobs pop out of their confines. I shove the girls back in and adjust before following Michelle out of the office. She grabs her things and walks down to the parking lot with me, filling me in on the Ravenwood meeting.
“I can’t believe I spaced out so much this week, this isn’t like me.”
“Getting laid tends to do that to people.”
“Hush, who says I got laid?” I ask my hands on my hips.
“Have you seen Nash? I mean, actually seen him? Good God, girl, he’s totally fuckable, so if you didn’t fuck him…”
“Don’t go there—” I cut her off laughing. “Hands off my man,” I say, realizing that he is, in fact, mine. I don’t expect he’s let that vulnerable side show to too many people.
“No worries, Shel. I don’t like sloppy seconds.” She laughs.
“You aren’t right,” I tell her as we get to our cars. “Have a good weekend,” I call out as I open the door.
“You too! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, and if you do … name it after me!” She laughs as her door closes. I get in the car and head for home. As I pull in, Nash is already there waiting for me.
“You’re early,” I say as I get out of the car and kiss him.
“I couldn’t wait to see you. Plus, we have dinner plans.”
“We do? Where?”
“My parents’ house.”
“You’re taking me to me your parents?” I swallow hard.
He nods and smiles.
“You’re kidding, right? I’m in no way ready to meet the ‘rents, Nash.”
“You’ll love them, and they’ll love you. Plus, they have news and want to reveal it in person.”
“What kind of news?”
“Not sure, but I have an idea.”
“Are you going to divulge your secret?”
“Nah, I’ll let Mom do that. She’s a drama queen, so she gets off on this kind of stuff. Calling family meetings and making mountains out of mo
lehills.”
“Ah, but why am I being dragged into your family meeting?”
“Because I want you there with me.”
I can’t argue with that, though meeting his parents seems to be a little quick. “Get in,” he says as he opens the passenger door of his truck. I climb in, and Nash takes off. We drive for a bit, then we cross over the river to Mt. Pleasant into a quiet neighborhood of older homes full of tall moss-covered trees and kids riding bicycles. He makes a few more turns and then whips the truck into a long driveway leading up to a lovely gray brick ranch home.
“Nice house,” I say with a whistle.
“They had this place built after the fire,” he says, but he’s not somber like he was last weekend. We get out of the car, and I stop short and take a deep breath. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m meeting your parents for the first time. I’m a little nervous.”
“Don’t be,” he says.
“Right,” I smirk as I follow him up the sidewalk to the front door. As we hit the first step, the door opens, and there stands a woman that looks young for her age, except for the silver hair in a cute, short bob.
“Nash, there you are!” she cries and wraps him in her arms. She releases him and looks him dead in the eye. “You look tired. You putting in doubles again?”
“Yeah, Mom, couple of the guys had things to do with their kids.”
“You’re so sweet,” she says as she kisses him on the cheek. “You must be Shelby.” She smiles. “I’m Pearl, please come in.”
“Thank you, I’m very pleased to meet you,” I say as I follow her inside, Nash bringing up the rear. I instantly see family photos along the hallway walls, Nash in a baseball uniform, Jade in her cheerleading dress, his dad in his lab coat. The frames are old and charred but made to look contemporary.
“We found those in what was left of the house,” she speaks as she looks lovingly at the photo of Jade. “We don’t have many photos from before the fire, but I was so blessed to have found a few that survived. I decided to keep them just as they were, as a memorial to my sweet Jade.”
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Bennett,” I say.