by Box Set
“Enough,” Hannah heard her voice spike an octave.
“I can’t believe you dated this bastard.” Nate’s eyebrows rose in question. “He’s some piece of work.” She glared at Nate. He shot her the same rude look back.
A painful pit yawned wide open in her chest. She looked at Nate’s wild eyes, then at Henry. Normally she would’ve buried her face in her hands and took off running, allowing the mortifying situation to beat her. But two things came into play. First, Hannah knew Nate cared enough about her to cause a scene even though the Barbie twins from sophomore British Lit were whispering as if she’d started the siege of Troy. The second thing was harder to decipher, but she knew one way or another she had to get Nate off the field and calmed down before the bride-to-be came back from her spa day.
Several more wedding guests surrounded the huddle, and Henry chose that moment to give her a nasty smirk. She was done with the funny business.
Planting her hands on her hips, Hannah stood her ground. “For starters, Henry, next time you call me a slut I’ll sucker punch you myself,” she said. “And, Nate, thanks for standing up for me, but this isn’t fun. You’re way better than starting a fight with some cheating lab rat.”
Nate looked at her, his baby blues almost appearing resentful. Hands flew up in defense, and then Nate climbed to his tennis shoes. “You know, you’re right, Hannah.” He dusted his hands on his legs and turned to the wedding guests. “Sorry for ruining the football game, but no asshole is going to call my fiancée names. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get out of your way.”
Sunlight pierced Hannah’s eyes as she watched him stalk off in the direction of their hotel, and something else, more crushing, pierced her heart. She hadn’t meant for Nate to wiggle himself a spot into her life again, but he had. And instead of making the situation better, she’d managed to hurt the one person at the wedding who actually mattered to her.
“My husband and I used to fight like that.” A firm hand patted her shoulder, making Hannah jump. She glanced to her side, finding the freckled bridesmaid staring at her. “He was a good man, too. Always had my back, even when I was a stupid fool.”
“Sounds nice.”
“It was,” the bridesmaid confirmed. “That’s why, honey, I’m going to call you stupid if you continue to stand next to me instead of chasing after that man of yours. I’ll make sure the pansy here gets a Band-Aid for his boo-boo.”
Hannah smiled, knowing exactly how she intended on fixing Nate’s boo-boo. With a talk that started by calling the elephant out in the room and hopefully ended in a kiss. “Sure you can handle that mopey guy on the field?”
The bridesmaid nodded. “I might let him roll around a few times so he can make an even bigger fool of himself. But yeah, I got this.”
“Thanks,” she said, smiling.
And then Hannah took off in the same direction as the guy she intended on kissing senseless until they both saw stars.
***
Nate shook his head.
In the abso-fucking-lutely stupid scheme of things, cooking up a plan to play Hannah’s lover ranked number one. She’d taken his goddamn breath away, insanity included. And like usual, he’d allowed his good intentions to fly out the window so he could right a wrong.
Throat punching the asshole who’d once claimed Hannah as his. Something Nate would never be privy to, and oddly that hurt worse than maybe losing the Urban Chopper deal.
He’d stirred up another shit storm, although this time the mess he’d created was playing a number on his heart. He raked a hand through his hair and marched across the hotel room, ready to pack his belongings and bail rather than confront the situation when he heard the hotel room door fling open.
Hannah stepped inside. “I’m sorry. This wedding weekend has caused you so much trouble, including me.”
“What? No, I’m the one who should be saying sorry.” He stared, exceptionally confused that she was apologizing when he’d been the one to embarrass her in front of the wedding guests. “I caused the trouble. I did after all sock Henry in front of all your friends. He’s a bastard, but I should’ve walked away,” he said through clenched teeth. “God, you deserve so much better.”
Heat swept her cheeks, and she lifted both hands to press them to her flesh. “Trouble compliments pathetic really nicely, I hear.”
He traced a knuckle along her cheek. “Hannah, you aren’t pathetic.”
“I’m socially awkward.”
He stepped into her and placed his hands at her waist. “We can be awkward together.”
A beat passed between them. “I pulled a coward move by ignoring the fact that all I want to do is kiss the man I’ve been crazy for most of my life.”
Swallowing, he gripped her by the hips and moved them toward the wall, pinning her body in place with his rock-hard chest. He smiled. Nimble fingertips reached out and touched his arm. Like a hurricane, desire tunneled through him. “Good. Because I can’t stop thinking about that kiss and all the things I want to do to you as a follow-up.”
He didn’t wait to hear her response but instead silenced them both by pressing his mouth to hers, claiming her in a devastating kiss. No hesitation. Pure want.
Instantly she hitched her legs around his waist, and they went crashing back into the wall. She tasted better than an ice cream cone during a hot summer day. Without a thought, he crushed their mouths together. He tugged at her hair, and her head lolled to the side, opening her up to a more consuming position. His mouth searched out her neck, nipping and sucking along her skin.
He lowered his head and placed openmouthed kisses to her neck, her shoulder, and collarbone, outlining a map from her lips to the swell of her breasts. Slowly, passionately, he worshiped her body.
Like a real romantic.
Her hands flew to his wide shoulders to anchor her body. He reached between her legs, burrowing his face into the crook of her neck. Lower, lower, heat stormed through the scant space between them. When he really thought about it, through the years there hadn’t been anyone else but Hannah. It’d always been her. Always. All his happy memories were of her visiting the ranch, her smiling at him at the Lawson family parties, and her looking up at him inside Frisky Business.
He’d fallen hard for Hannah. Even so, she wanted a fun time, nothing more. But if fun was all he’d get Nate would take it. He’d take Hannah anyway he could get her.
Pushing her shorts down her thighs, he slid aside the tiny scrap of fabric keeping her concealed from his touch and nudged his finger at her opening. “I can stop if you want me to.”
Her entire body shook. “No-no. Never stop.”
Nate slipped a single digit deeper and pumped. “I wouldn’t dare leave you hanging. I always make good on my deals.”
In a blink, she scaled her hand down his abs and into his gym shorts. His gaze flipped up to hers, and he ached to feel her touch. She circled her hand around his length until he shook against her body and thrust at her palm. She slid her hand up and down his arousal, and he felt the thrum between his thighs pulse stronger. “You’ve made me believe that it’s okay to be exactly who I am.”
That was all he needed to hear. He reached inside his gym shorts and tenderly grabbed her wrist before he lifted her arms to his shoulders. “Now it’s my turn,” he muttered and pressed his chest firmly against hers.
With her arms looped around his neck, Hannah deepened their kiss, sealing the deal on his obsession. This woman was everything. She could be his partner in crime, his friend, and she could be his lover. His. Nate slid his around her body and cupped her round ass.
She sighed, squeezing her thighs tighter around him. “Y-yes. Oh, God, yes, Nate.”
“Fuck. I want you.” Nate growled.
He walked them to the bed and laid her back on the mattress. Then he followed suit, straddling the woman he had every intention to worship, proving to her that they could have a serious relationship. He nudged a knee between her thighs, pushing them farther apart.
“I think you should know those panties are a very rare brand,” she said.
“Rare, you say?” He slipped his finger underneath the lacey garment and twisted it to the side. “Like how rare are we talking here?”
She whimpered. Seductively. Her leg slid up his calf and hooked around his waist. “Like rare as a two-for-one Sassy Outlet sale. I had to fight for those suckers, and it wasn’t easy.”
“I’m sorry to say, Hannah, but these panties are headed for extinction,” he growled against her mouth as he ripped the lacy fabric off her body. He rubbed his knuckle at the spot he knew she needed him the most, barely grazing the sensitive flesh. “Fuck. I should’ve revisited our kiss way before the porn shop. Why did it take an embarrassing incident to get me here, with you? Again.”
Hannah arched toward his touch. “I think we should really consider investing in a porn-shop matchmaking service. It could be the new fad.”
“I think you might be the smartest woman I’ve ever known.” He carefully pushed her panties down her legs, then undid his zipper. He fished the condom from his pocket and rolled it on. “Having a brain is damn sexy. I promise.” Nudging at her opening, he looked her in the eyes and said, “Fuck. I need to be inside you. I need to feel you. All of you.”
Her cheeks blushed. “You, Nate, I think I might be addicted to you.”
That was all he needed to hear.
He plunged inside her, listening to her beg more, more, Nate so loudly his entire body shook. White-hot heat blew through him. He thrust, and she matched him hip lift for hip lift. His resolve to take it slow evaporated the moment she started chanting his name. Without a second thought, he seated himself deeper inside her. She gasped, and he made sure to show Hannah how addicting she was to him with each thrust, kiss, and indecent whisper. Again and again.
Chapter 7
Hannah plucked a champagne flute off the tray when the waiter waltzed past. If someone had told her a few days ago that butterflies would flutter in her stomach when Nate Fox gave her a wink, she’d have asked them what intergalactic planet they were from. Yet the fluttering continued. And the feeling was perfection. Romantic.
Not exactly the way she planned things to transpire between them when the fake engagement deal had been shaken on, but she wouldn’t change a thing. She knew, without a doubt, that tonight she’d tell Nate he was more than an addiction.
That she was smitten.
The guy in question, rocking a tux better than James Bond, slid a heated glance down her body before accepting his drink from the bartender and walked across the dance floor.
Nate stopped and smiled at her. “You look amazing tonight.”
She grabbed his tie and tugged their bodies together. “I think you might be giving me a run for my money.”
That cocky smirk she’d grown to adore returned. “I promise to not wear the tux to bed tonight if you promise to wear a graphic tee, minus the bra.”
“I’ll agree with your proposal, and I’ll agree to not wear my panties, too.”
He snorted. “If you’d asked me seven days ago if I would be calling Hannah Lawson my girl, I would’ve asked if it was April Fools.” Nate cupped her cheek, his gaze so intense she felt the butterflies swarm again. “Will you dance with me?”
She lifted on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I couldn’t think of a better way to end our trip.”
The band caught the attention of the wedding guests, but Hannah only had eyes for the sexy guy gearing up to crush her body against his. She placed her empty flute on a nearby table and surveyed their surroundings. The bride and groom stood across the way greeting guests, wearing matching linen outfits and smiling at each other. She wanted that. No. Hannah wanted her and Nate to have their save-the-date day. No more faking it. But a true romance. And to start off on the right foot in Austin she had to give him back his ring. Because that was the old them, the ones playing games, not the Nate Fox giving her bedroom eyes as if she was the only woman in room.
She reached for her ring finger, but when she went to slip it off Nate pulled their bodies together and spun her out onto the dance floor. His smell, his touch, his flirty whispers had her entranced. He twirled her under the twinkling lights and Hannah didn’t want the moment to end. They might have only spent a week together after years of being apart, but it felt as if their past had never happened. Now they were together and nothing else mattered.
And she knew without a doubt she’d fallen in love with Nate.
His cool gaze lowered on her. “This weekend, Hannah,” he paused to kiss her forehead. “It has been amazing. The wedding was not at all what I expected.”
“Not much into weddings, I see.” She looped her arms around his neck. “Don’t you want to settle down one day and have a family to share your success with?”
“I’ve been focused on getting Fox Chrome off the ground. Not much else,” he said, capturing her waist in strong arms and tugging her closer. “Actually this wedding weekend was my first real vacation in a while. But I do like the company. I like you.”
She touched her lips to his chin. “I like you too.” More like I’m crazy about you.
But before she could voice her feeling the song ended and Nate stepped away. He smiled down at her, softly brushing a curl of hair behind her ear. “Would like another drink? I’ll go battle my way through all the pink tulle and order you one.”
She nodded. “How about I met you at the bar in ten? I need tell the bride and groom congrats anyways.”
His lips touched hers, and warmth soared through her system. “Ten minutes. I’m holding you to it Hannah.” Then he winked and left her side.
A few moments later after Hannah had told the newlyweds they looked amazing she made her way toward the back bar. There was Nate in his tux and Sally, the maid of honor, wrapped in his arms. Blond hair spilled against his chest, and she felt the champagne from earlier roll in her stomach. I solemnly swear not to fuck this up, he’d told her. Well, good job Nate on fucking things up.
A chill wound up her spine. All things considered, it didn’t feel good watching the maid of honor—a supposed friend—locking lips with Nate in front of all one hundred wedding guest before escaping to the bathrooms. The whispering amplified, and Hannah couldn’t help but feel small like the way Henry had made her feel in the past.
Hannah swallowed and spoke up. “There you are Nate. And Sally, it’s always good to see you again.” Her fake fiancé, the guy she’d hoped to make something real with, turned to look at her. Concern etched his brows. “Looks like you got the drinks and found new drinking partner.”
Nate shuffled around the maid of honor and reached out to touch her arm, and she jumped. “Hannah, this is not what it looks like.”
God, he’d really uttered the lamest excuse known to women worldwide.
Words escaped her. She wondered why Sally would betray her when she seemed so happy that she’d finally found someone.
“You’re really going there, huh?” Hannah was conscious of all the people watching their pissing match and wished she didn’t have to dish their dirty laundry in such a public form.
Sally fidgeted with her headband. “I told Nate that we couldn’t kiss since he was engaged, but sometimes a man wants what a man wants, you know?”
Oh, she knew alright.
Nate ran both hands through his hair. “Let’s go somewhere more private to talk. Okay?”
Hannah looked at Sally then at Nate. She inhaled sharply, unease coating
her throat. Just like always, she’d made an utter disaster of everything. He might know exactly what to whisper in her ears, and he might make butteries tumble in her stomach, but Hannah understood she couldn’t be another man’s doormat. She knew what had to be done. She met Nate’s gaze and tried to smile. “Oh, Sally, I wouldn’t worry too much about kissing an engage man since Nate and I where never engaged. What I would worry about is the fact that you ‘re a bitch.”
Sally stared at her openmouthed. “You were never engaged?”
She felt like someone had taken a fist to her gut as she took in Nate’s sad expression. “We were just having fun, isn’t that right Nate? It looks like our adventure has ended.”
He reached for her, but Hannah jerked away. “Hannah, don’t do this…”
Before Nate could sweet talk out of her senses, Hannah fled through the banquet hall doors, hoping like hell there was a Greyhound bus station nearby.
Chapter 8
Poker chips flew across the kitchen table.
“Benny boy for the win, suckers.” Ben Kelley, the third wheel in their weekly poker games and local high school football coach, smiled innocently as he raked his winnings into the pile in front of him. “I told y’all two fools back in college that I was the poker king.”
Nate sipped on his beer, ignoring the barb. If sucking at poker was the least of his worries he’d be the first to jump up and hand Ben all his chips, but it wasn’t. He sucked at relationships as well.
Days had bleed into weeks since Hannah had fled the banquet hall and he’d chased her out the doors only to discover she’d left the hotel. It’d taken him a few quick phone calls to find out she had bought a bus ticket and headed back in Austin. Without him. He’d even stopped by her apartment, but her roommate had kindly slammed the door in his face. It seemed Hannah wanted nothing to do with him, and why would she? She’d caught the maid of honor trying to suck his lips right off his face. Sheesh. His brilliant plan to fake an engagement had blown up in their faces, leaving her mortified in front of her friends.