Reckless Abandon (The Cave Series Book 1)

by Teri Kay

  For the next couple hours, we talked about all the random first date crap. As hard as I tried to focus on what he was saying, all I seemed to be able to see was the fine specimen of a man sitting next to me. He was in physically impeccable shape. His swollen biceps were well defined and etched with some amazing artwork. The tight fitting white t-shirt clearly showed the six-pack that he was trying to hide under there. The loose shorts that he was wearing showed his strong legs which were also covered in tattoos. My number one turn on when it came to guys was tattoos. Well done, sexy body art could be an instant panty dropper for me.

  I was actually relieved when Nathan chose to sleep on the couch. Not that I hadn’t wanted his fine body lying next to me as I slept, but it’d been so long since I’d had sex with anyone, beside B.O.B, that I didn’t really trust myself with him. When I awoke, I was disappointed to find Nathan had left already, leaving me to wonder how he got home or back to his bike. When I went to make my morning coffee, I found a note from him, on the counter.

  Butterfly~

  I hope you slept well. I enjoyed getting to know you this morning. I want to know more. I will see you soon.

  Nuts

  The more time I spent with him, the more I like who he was. I didn’t know much about him, but was eager to learn more. As much as I was interested, I still had reservations. For instance, why was his personality kept going hot and cold on me? Honestly, it made me nervous. The sweet Nathan made me feel so safe already. Something about our situation made me want to jump all in. Well, as much as I could. Damn, I hated starting out a relationship, if that’s what this was, with a lie. Fuck, I had no idea what to do. When in doubt, call Rose.

  “Look, honey,” she said, “I’m not sure what to tell you, but you have to do what feels right. Obviously, you two have a thing for each other. But his hot and cold attitude sucks. I know there’s a story behind him. Get to know him. Hell, make it a summer fling. When you go back to your real life you can walk away knowing you had a kick ass summer.”

  As usual, Rose was right. It was time for me to stop feeling sorry for myself and enjoy life a little. Having that teacher instinct in me, I'd always had the need to plan out everything before I did it. Always making sure that one foot was carefully placed in front of the other. It was time to throw caution to the wind. Well at least for the next couple months. I grabbed my phone and logged into Instagram. I found @IGotTheNuts21 and followed him back. Step one.

  Later that afternoon, as I was doing my usual day off cleaning, I heard my text message alert. Butterfly? This must be Nathan but how did he get my number? He must have gotten it from one of the girls at the club. I wished they wouldn’t give out my number without asking me. That was kind of sketchy. Then I remembered I left my phone on the counter this morning. He must have texted himself before he left. He asked me out for tomorrow, but I knew I didn’t want to wait that long to see him again. The summer would be over soon and then it was back to the reality of being a kindergarten teacher.

  Rib-eye steaks, potatoes and corn on the barbeque were my specialty. I ran to the store and got everything I needed, including the ingredients to make the Flaming Doctor Pepper Nathan seemed to like so much. One my way home, I stopped by Rose’s and asked her to teach me how to make the shot the same way she did. It was not nearly as hard to make as I thought it would, and I aws shocked as hell to find out it doesn’t even have any Dr. Pepper in it.

  When I got home, I finished cleaning up my condo. Surprisingly, one dog could make a huge mess each week. I lit the few coconut and pineapple candles I had around my small living room. Something about the beachy scents brings me back to growing up in Santa Cruz. One of my favorite memories as a child was walking along the different beaches with my dad and collecting the unique looking shells and rocks that we would find together. On one trip to Maui, we found fresh coconuts and he showed me how to get the milk from them. We sat together on the beach and watched the surfers and drank our breakfast. He used to tell me he couldn’t wait to teach his grandkids how to surf. That was our last vacation together. He passed away a few years ago. Every time I hear, Somewhere Over the Rainbow by IZ I believed my dad was having a surfing playdate with my angel babies.

  Shortly after seven, I heard Nathan’s Harley pull up in my driveway and right away Roxy started barking like crazy. Most of the time, the neighbors didn’t complain because she only barked until she saw who was at the door. I had already started the barbeque and music playing through the patio speakers. Hopefully Nathan liked a little country. When I answered the door in my Kiss the Cook apron, I hoped he took that as a hint.

  It was actually a really mild night for mid-June in Las Vegas, so we decided to take advantage of it and eat outside on the patio. The way the sunset made his golden eyes sparkle was memorizing. I found myself getting lost in what he was saying. Crap, I needed to stop and actually pay attention. Our conversation started out a bit awkward. There was no denying the shock my entire body felt every time he looked me, or how my knees went weak just by the slightest touch of his hand. We spent thirty minutes talking about what shows we have and haven’t seen here in Vegas. Half of that was spent arguing about which Cirque du Soleil show was better.

  “What brought you to The Cave?” Nathan asked.

  That one caught me off guard. I slowly chewed the piece of steak in my mouth to give myself a minute to think. “My show is on hiatus for the summer. So I needed to pick up some extra cash. Bills don’t pay themselves.” Okay, I think I pulled that one off. Yet it almost looked like my answer disappointed him. I wondered why. Was being in a show such a bad thing?

  “So why the different looks?” he continued.

  I really should have given more thought to my cover story. “I enjoy being an actress. Each night I'm a different character out there on stage. The different looks help me play those parts. Plus, my show frowns upon side jobs.” I remembered what Vanessa had told me about playing different parts.

  “Are you enjoying working there?” He cocked an eyebrow.

  At least that one I could answer honestly. “Yes and no. Do I like taking my clothes off for strangers? Not necessarily. But the money is great and it’s getting me out of a difficult situation. I love the people I work with. I feel very safe at the club. And it’s giving me more self-confidence than I've felt in years.”

  As we took our plates into the kitchen, I asked Nathan if he wanted to relax in the hot tub for a bit before they closed the pool area down for the night. By the smile he gave me I think the liked my suggestion. “Go change. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.” I ran back to my bedroom and started digging through my drawer of swim suits. Living in the land of pools for the last twelve years has taught me you needed a suit for every occasion. Tonight was sexy, but definitely not slutty. I decided on my simple black two piece. The bottoms fit my ass like a glove and are held together on the sides by two elastic straps. The tight triangle top held my 36Ds in just right. I threw on my pool cover-up, sandals, grabbed Nathan and I some towels and headed out to the living room to meet him.

  He was in the kitchen, shirtless, pouring the wine he brought into my tall plastic Starbucks cups when I retuned. “I figured your pool doesn’t allow glass, so I decided to use these instead.”

  “Perfect. Very impressive artwork there, nuts. You can really tell you're into your poker playing,” I told him as I slowly ran my fingers up and down his back.

  “I like all my tattoos to mean something. I don’t understand the point of just random artwork,” he explained to me as he finished pouring our drinks. My fingers stop on the name Ella Marie.

  “Who's Ella Marie?” I asked, sensing his hesitation.

  “Another night, butterfly,” he whispered. I knew exactly what he meant by not answering and calling me butterfly at the same time. I wasn’t ready to tell him about my tattoos either.

  The walk to the pool was quiet. My community seemed especially tranquil that evening. During the summer my complex actually calmed down
a bit because most of the college kids went home. I'd hoped we’d get lucky tonight and wouldn’t have to share the hot tub with anyone else. No such luck. There was an older couple snuggling on one side of the spa. They were actually really cute together. But this would force me to have to sit close to Nathan. Not that I really minded.

  I placed our towels down on the chairs that I knew had the killer view of the Las Vegas strip. My neighborhood was set just far enough off the strip to be away from it all, but close enough to still enjoy the views. Nathan quickly jumped in the spa, as if he needed to save us seats. At the same time, his eyes never left me. He really did like to watch. With a subtle giggle, I slowly dropped my cover-up. His normal golden eyes went dark with a look I'd yet to see. It was a look of desire, of hunger, and it sent a jolt of electricity to every part of my body.

  Two could play at that game. I didn’t get in the spa right away. As I sat down next to Nathan, I ever so slightly ran my leg up against his arm. He gently grabbed my right foot and began to slowly run his thumb up and down the pad of my foot. His skilled hands made my aching foot feel downright amazing. My other foot needed the same treatment, so I swung my legs around his strong, broad shoulders, resulting in both legs sitting on each side of his beautiful body. He continued to gently rub each one of my feet. My nails lightly scratched the back of Nathan’s head as I ran my fingers through his thick hair. A low growl came from deep in his throat as we both continued to relax.

  Not long after, the older couple must have sensed our desire for a bit of privacy and quietly slipped away, although we barely noticed. “Come sit with me, Ryann,” Nathan demanded, the edge of authority in his tone turning me on.

  I carefully stood up, stepped into the hot tub and sat across from him. On purpose. “That’s not with me, butterfly.” He crooked his finger for me to come toward him. I stood up and slowly made my way to him. When I got within reach, Nathan grabbed ahold of my hips and pulled me up against his rock hard body. I softly sat down on his lap and put my arm around his neck to keep my balance. “Hi, beautiful.”

  “Hi,” I whispered back. I could feel my heart wanting to jump out of my chest. I was sure Nathan could hear the thump of each powerful beat. He turned and looked me directly in the eyes, one hand around my waist and the other cupping my face.

  “Ryann, I've been thinking about kissing you since the moment I laid eyes on you the night of your birthday. Tonight, I've been waiting to claim your lips as mine.” With that, Nathan’s mouth crashed onto mine. His tongue invaded my mouth with such fervor, I felt my toes curl as my fingers dug into his neck. Our tongues slowly wrestled, wanting to taste every bit of the other’s. With each swirl, the hold he had around my waist was getting tighter and tighter. With a minor retreat, we both slowly pulled back, gently sucking on each other’s lips. His slight five o’clock shadow, was gently scratching my face. Needing to breathe, I slowly pulled away and softly bit down on his bottom lip.

  Not pulling my face too far away from his, I whispered, “Wow.” My brain couldn’t seem to form any other words. We sat there for a minute just lost in our moment.

  When I was able to regain my thoughts, I stood up and held my hand out for Nathan to follow. I placed a towel down on the double-wide lounger and lay down on my side looking out at the Vegas skyline. Nathan came up and spooned me from behind, leaned up on one elbow, and ran his other hand up and down my back.

  “I found this spot one night when I needed to clear my head. This exact spot is the only place in the pool that has this view. I love to come here at night and escape,” I told Nathan.

  “Escape from what?” he asked.

  I hesitated. “Life, I guess.” He left my answer for what it was.

  “It’s the second most beautiful thing I’ve seen tonight,” Nathan said as he kissed my neck. All I could do was moan and fall into his hold. It was so comfortable to lay there with him, losing track of time. We both drifted off to sleep, until security woke us as they were locking up for the night.

  Nathan and I held hands as we quietly walked back to my condo. My mind started to race as we got closer to my door. What next? Do we kiss again? Do I ask him to stay? Do I have sex with him? As if he sensed my worry, he squeezed my hand and told me to stop thinking so much. It was like he knew me already.

  As we got through the door, Nathan met my gaze. “I had a wonderful time tonight. Are we still on for tomorrow?” I nodded. Of course we were. “Can you do early?” he asked.

  “I think I may be able to fit you into my morning schedule. How early are we talking?”

  “I'll pick you up at four-thirty,” Nathan clearly stated. “It'll be worth it.”

  “Okay, at least let me make the coffee?”

  “Deal.” Nathan leaned in and kissed me once more. This kiss wasn’t like the kiss in the hot tub. It was much shorter than the first; soft and tender. Our hands were laced together at our sides as he gently delved his tongue into my mouth like he couldn’t get enough of the way I tasted.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, butterfly.”

  I could barely sleep after Nathan left, I was too wound up. That man and his tattoos made my body tingle in a way I didn’t even think was possible. Every one of my lady bits screamed to have Nathan in my bed, yet my brain said slow down, hussy. This was the man who had the nerve to call you a MILF the other night and had still yet to explain it. I wanted a summer fling, but I wasn't interested in someone hurting me either. I wished I wasn’t the type of person who had to have everything in my life lined up perfectly in front of me; every single damn duck in a row before I could move forward. But that’s who I was.

  When I let Roxy out at three forty-five the next morning, I could already feel the humidity in the hot desert air. There was a heavy cover of clouds and moisture that filled the early morning sky. I hoped the weather didn’t have an effect on whatever Nathan’s plans were. He didn’t tell me what we were doing so I decided to just dress casual. I mean what could we really be doing at five in the morning? I threw on a cute pair of skinny jeans, my ripped MTV tank top, and my old black Chucks. I hated my hair in my face so I threw it up in loose ponytail and was ready to go. Being a kindergarten teacher had taught me to be really low maintenance.

  I sent Nathan a text to let me know when he was close so I could meet him outside. I didn’t want Roxy's inevitable barking to piss off all the neighbors.

  Nathan: I’m there in 5 min

  Me: Ok. I’ll meet you in the driveway.

  Nathan: Be safe butterfly. I’ll be there shortly.

  Not three minutes later, Nathan pulled up. “Ummm. You weren’t texting and driving right?” I asked him as I climbed into the truck.

  “Good morning to you too. And no I used Bluetooth, Mom,” he said in his best smart ass voice.

  “Sorry. Good morning, nuts,” I laughed. I leaned over and kissed his scratchy cheek. “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  The drive was quiet. I had never been good with surprises. I tended to overthink most situations. I reached over and turned on the radio to break the silence. Confession by Florida Georgia Line quietly started playing. The lyrics to that song have always something I'd been able to get lost in. Somewhere deep down in me, I knew there were so many confessions I had to make. Before I knew it, we pulled up in from the Paris Casino.

  “Why are we here?” I asked angrily. Confusion marred Nathan’s features as he stared at me.

  “Sunrise on the observation deck,” he paused. “Ryann, are you okay?” Tears started to stream down my face.

  “Take me home. Now. Please.” It wasn’t a request, it was a demand.

  “Ryann, tell me what’s wrong,” Nathan pleaded.

  “I can’t do this. Just take me home!” I yelled at him. My anger had nothing to do with Nathan, but he was the only person there for me to take it out on. Of all the places in Las Vegas, Nathan could have taken me, he chose the one spot where I got married. Un-fucking believable.

  When
we pulled back in front of my condo, I sat there for a few seconds not really knowing what to say. Finally, I forced myself to meet his eyes, feeling guilty when I saw the concern in his. “I’m sorry, Nathan. I can’t ever be what you need.” With that, I slowly got out of the truck and shuffled into my house.

  Nathan tried calling and texting me throughout the rest of the day. I just needed to be by myself and shut off everything except for the new season of Orange is the New Black. I felt stupid for freaking out on him like that. I should have just told him he took me to the exact spot where I married my jerk of an ex. But in that moment, I was so pissed off and hurt that I just needed to be away from him. Away from that memory.

  Tuesday and Wednesday, I went to work and avoided the VIP booths at all costs. I knew that’s where the money was but I just couldn’t bring myself to see Nathan. Rose told me he was there both nights. I figured Ashlynn would just give him his usual massages and all would go back to the way it was before. But the girls said he just sat there by himself. It was definitely a sad situation, according to them.

  Thursday night came, and I couldn’t avoid the booths any longer. G was back in town for the week and he wanted us to “hang out” according to Jade. I hated when people do air quotes. What the hell does “hang out” really mean then? Did it matter? I wanted to experience reckless abandon this summer. There was this thing with Nathan. But Nathan was here in Vegas, where I lived. Where I taught. It was all too real. G goes back to New England in August for training. He would be a hot summer fling. I mean have you seen his body?