The Fix (Carolina Connections #1)

by Sylvie Stewart

  Soon my playtime was over, it seemed, because his hands firmly gripped my wrists and held them to the bed while his mouth dove down to the waistband of my panties and took the lace between his teeth. He looked up into my face and I swear at that moment life as I knew it stood still. I don’t know what it was but something profound, something more than sex or teasing or friendship gripped at my chest and I found it hard to breathe.

  What did this mean? I’d never experienced another feeling like it and I could see in his eyes that Nate felt something too. I was feeling heady and strange and his look told me he was similarly afflicted.

  “Mommy?” The door creaked open.

  No no no no no! Rocco! I can’t believe we didn’t lock the door!

  Apparently kids don’t understand that they are not allowed to interrupt epiphanous moments. I threw a sheet over my body and did my best to kick Nate onto the floor (So sorry, Nate!).

  “What’s wrong, buddy? Why aren’t you asleep?” My heart was beating out of my chest.

  “There are two reasons but I can’t ‘member the first one.” Ugh. “I know the second one is that I need to bring a pack of new crayons to school tomorrow,” he said as he climbed onto my bed, not noticing the shirtless man on the other side on the floor.

  “That’s already in your backpack, sweetie,” I told him.

  “I think the first reason is I need to sleep with you, but I don’t ‘member for sure.”

  Nate and I had just been on the precipice of something profound – but it was over for tonight. And while one part of me was screaming to get it back right this second, the other decided to be more rational. I was surprised I’d let things go so far in the first place, except for the fact that I was insanely attracted to this man and felt this intense pull toward him.

  I maneuvered my way off the bed with the sheet still wrapped around me and tucked Rocco into my bed with the remaining covers. I then pretended to be a statue until his eyes closed and his breathing slowed. Nate, who had also been impersonating a statue – one which probably sported some bruises from his abrupt tumble to the floor – waited for my signal and then we both snuck out of the room. He pulled his shirt on as I walked him to the door. I wasn’t used to having hormones coursing through my body like girls gone wild and I was kind of twitchy during our goodbye.

  He took my face in his hands. “I don’t have to tell you that I’m really looking forward to our date tomorrow night. Is 6:30 still okay?”

  I almost wanted to tell him to pick me up at 6:30 AM so we could finish what we’d started but I put my libido in check and agreed, “Sounds great.”

  He kissed me gently on the lips this time, and the contact was way too short. “Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

  This was too perfect. I had to come back down to earth. Any minute now the wicked stepsisters were going to come in and ruin my gown and some super-hot girl who did not have any baggage was going to capture Nate’s attention and steal him away. And then they’d both go riding off into the sunset back to Texas. That’s how it works. What was I doing getting all excited?!

  Still, I went to sleep with an internal happy dance and a big fat smile on my face.

  ***

  Tonight was the night.

  “Tonight is the night!” Fiona shouted. “Laney’s gonna get laaaiiid, Laney’s gonna get laaaiid!”

  “Do you say anything anymore without the ‘nanny nanny boo boo’ tone? I feel like we’re eight years old.”

  “Well that would be extremely inappropriate given the subject matter.”

  This time I was at Fiona’s where I could make use of her fashion arsenal. She was helping me with my hair and make-up after work and then I’d dash home in time for Nate to pick me up. Gavin was getting Rocco from daycare and babysitting tonight so everything was organized. Except my nerves – they were in complete disarray.

  “Am I moving too fast? Should I be doing this so soon?”

  “Listen, the man defended your kid to a dickhead bully and then offered to build him a treehouse. I’d say you owe him at least a blow job for that alone.”

  “Stop being so sentimental – you’re gonna make me cry.”

  “Oh! Did I tell you Terrence is coming to town this weekend?” Fiona waggled her brows and did a booty shake – well, as much as she could with her non-existent booty. Terrence was Fiona’s on-again-off-again “friend with benefits” or “fuck buddy” or “boy-toy” or whatever she was calling him these days.

  He was a pilot and he was also a very fine specimen – tall, dark, handsome, with lean muscle, and while he didn’t have a dimple he did have this weirdly awesome slightly crooked smile that somehow always made you feel like you made him happy just by standing in front of him. In other words, he was a sweetheart, and besides the cool smile and all the rest, he had the most flawless deep brown skin I’d ever seen.

  There had been more than one occasion when I’d had a bit too much to drink and had oh-so-casually run my hand down his arm just so I could feel it. Fiona caught me every time but she thought it was hilarious – she would, considering after all the drinking was done, she got to go home to all that was Terrence. So it was a mystery to me why Fiona insisted on keeping things so light between them. I thought he was great for her.

  “Fun ahead!” She continued the shake. “And I ordered the sweetest little silk Brazilian briefs from La Perla – they are the lightest pink with these lace panels – Oh! And I saw this ice blue bra and panty set that would look killer on you – please, please let me buy it for you!!” Her face fell at the shake of my head. “You’re such a party-pooper.”

  There were certain things I would let Fiona and her endless money treat Rocco and me to, but La Perla? Not gonna happen.

  “Hmm, I can’t decide if he and I will go out or just order in and spend the whole weekend thinking up creative indoor activities. I hope the panties come before Terrence,” she said.

  Sometimes it was just too easy – I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “Well, it is still in the eighties most days so you’d really be saving yourself from the risk of sunstroke. It’s the only responsible thing to do.”

  “I think you have an excellent point. So, what are we doing with this hair?” She led me to her vanity – yes, of course Fiona had a vanity.

  “I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard so keep it simple if you can help yourself. And I’m wearing jeans so I don’t want any arguments! It’s just dinner at his apartment.”

  “Fine,” Fiona pouted and ran a brush through my long hair. “But at least be civilized and borrow some of my jewelry, will you?”

  We both regarded my reflection in the mirror as she twisted and pulled my hair, deciding on a style. A rock suddenly settled in my gut. My hands went to my cheeks.

  Fiona dropped my hair and her hands held my shoulders. “What is it, Laney?”

  “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I just feel this, I don’t know, pull toward Nate but I know he’s going to break my heart. Rocco and I are going to get attached to him and then his dad is going to get better and he’ll move away. You know I’m already worried about Rocco enough as it is and here I am setting him up for another fall. What kind of mother am I?”

  “You’re the best kind of mother, that’s the kind you are! You always put that little boy first and, sure, he’s going through a little stress right now but you’re doing the best you can. Where does it say you can’t have a little something for yourself too? If Nate’s leaving, what’s wrong with a fling? And, anyway you don’t know he’s leaving – you’re making assumptions without all the information. You could just woman up and ask him outright, you know.”

  At the look on my face she read that I was clearly not ready to “woman up”.

  “Just stop stressing. Heck, you could even find out tonight that you two don’t really like each other as much as you thought. Then you’re just out one treehouse and you can get Gavin to learn how to form a right angle and put it together. The point is, just hav
e fun tonight and worry about the rest later.”

  I considered her in the mirror. “Thanks, Fee. You’re right. You have any wine?”

  She looked offended. “Do I have any wine? Where do you think you are?”

  I laughed at her and dropped my hands back to my lap. “Alright, pour some wine, pretty me up, and let’s Scarlett O’Hara the shit out of this thing!”

  ***

  I had a glass of wine while Fiona did her thing, and by the time the glass was empty my hair looked sleek and sexy and my make-up was a step up from what I’d normally wear but it looked awesome. I headed home to get dressed. Fiona did end up talking me into wearing a flirty skirt and some platform sandals from my own closet, and she made me text her a picture of my final outfit to keep me from cheating. Gavin and Brett were in the backyard tossing a baseball around with Rocco when the doorbell rang. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with that awkwardness. I grabbed my purse, took a deep breath and answered the door.

  Nate was wearing a blue button down shirt that drew attention to his eyes. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal his corded forearms and the first two buttons at his neck were left undone so I could catch a glimpse of chest hair peeking out. His dark wash jeans were a perfect fit and his gray Converse completed the picture. Comfortable, casual, and hot as hell. My lower belly warmed and the butterflies took flight. His jaw was freshly shaven for the first time and I wasn’t sure which way I preferred it. His eyes were hot and they were focused directly on me.

  “You look gorgeous,” he said as his eyes roamed my figure.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself.” Was that my voice? It was so breathy.

  “Are you ready to go?” He crooked his arm out for me to take.

  I wordlessly entwined my arm with his and we walked to his truck where he opened my door and helped me in. Did he cop a bit of a feel in the process? Maybe, but I didn’t mind one bit.

  “So what are the boys up to tonight?” Nate asked once he’d gotten in and pulled out onto the street.

  “Lord knows. They were playing ball when I left so hopefully they’ll stay out of trouble. Although Gavin’s best friend is over so it’s unlikely.”

  “You don’t like him?”

  “Oh, Brett’s fine. It’s just that when the two of them get together the chances for downright idiotic behavior rise exponentially. I’m probably prejudiced, though, because Brett was there when Gavin got in a really bad accident one time and it ended up ruining his baseball career.”

  “I was wondering about that but I worried it was a sore spot so I didn’t want to ask Gavin about it. After he met Gavin the other night, my dad mentioned that he used to watch him play when Gavin was in high school. He said everyone thought your brother would go pro one day but then never heard another thing after he went off to college.”

  “You were probably smart not to mention it – it’s most definitely still a sore subject.”

  “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “No, it’s fine. He was playing on a full scholarship and was right on track to make it big. On his twentieth birthday he and Brett and some of their other friends had the bright idea to try out one of his team-mate’s motorcycle – having never ridden a motorcycle in his life, mind you. Long story short, he broke his pitching arm in three places. Goodbye baseball scholarship. Goodbye big league dreams. At least he’d had the good sense to wear a helmet. But, then, instead of recovering from the surgeries and finishing his degree, he chose to drink and become a bum. And I haven’t quite been able to forgive him for it.” I looked out the window and Nate was silent. “Wow, that was probably more than you wanted to know.” I forced a smile and looked back at him.

  He glanced back at me and then his eyes returned to the road. “Sounds very…complicated.” That was a safe way of putting it.

  I quickly moved us on to lighter subjects and we arrived at his apartment building minutes later. It was pretty dingy as a whole, with cracked sidewalks and weed infested lawn spaces.

  “I know,” Nate said as he took my hand and walked me up the stairs to his second floor apartment. “It’s nothing to look at but it’s cheap and it’s only temporary. It was the only place I could find that would offer a month-to-month lease.”

  My stomach dropped. I did not need that reminder and I suddenly had the urge to turn around and run home. The feel of his warm hand in mine was the only thing that stopped me.

  He unlocked the door and it opened to reveal a small kitchen, an old sixties style table and the ugliest couch I’d ever seen.

  “Nate?”

  “What?”

  “Roseanne called. She wants her couch back.”

  “Who’s the smartass now?” He elbowed me. “I borrowed it from my parents’ basement. My real furniture is in Austin.”

  “I’m relieved I won’t have to pretend to like your phenomenally bad taste.” I smiled up at him.

  He held a few strands of my hair and ran his fingers down until they caressed my collarbone. A shiver ran straight through me. “Let’s reserve that thought until you taste my cooking. I hope you like spaghetti.”

  At that moment I thought I’d like anything he wanted to dish up.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Big Head vs. Little Head

  Nate

  “Well, that wasn’t half bad if I do say so myself.” I leaned back in my chair and took a swig of my beer.

  “I didn’t realize there was any possible doubt. And it was good.” Laney leaned her elbow on the table and sipped from her wine glass.

  Conversation over dinner had flowed easily. We’d talked about our experiences growing up in the same town and realized that we’d probably nearly met each other dozens of times throughout our youth. But with our age difference it wasn’t so surprising that we hadn’t. Then we’d moved on to her history with Rocco and his dad, a guy named Dominic who lived in California. The guy sounded like an assclown to me, but Laney was pretty laid back about it so I obviously didn’t have the whole story. It did explain, however, how she was able to afford a mortgage in a decent neighborhood while sending her kid to that stuffy daycare. I was guessing her job didn’t pay enough to afford it all on her own. And I knew Gavin had only recently begun contributing.

  Her relationship with her brother seemed really complicated, as I’d noted earlier. There was definitely some tension there, but I liked the guy and by all accounts he was working his ass off and catching on really quickly at work. Regardless, the love between brother and sister was clear, and he was great with Rocco. Thinking of my relationship with Bailey and knowing the intricacies that exist between family members, though, I wasn’t going to pry into that one. If Laney wanted to share I’d let her do it in her own time.

  She sat across from me, her hair all glossy and her eyes looking smoky and sexy as hell as her finger ran absentmindedly over the rim of her wine glass. My dick was standing at attention and I’d been fighting a hard-on since the moment she’d answered her door in a short little skirt and sleeveless V-neck blouse that pointed the way to my biggest temptation. Damn, she was the definition of a bombshell and I couldn’t wait to get her into my bed and under me.

  “So, I’m guessing the home repairs are on hold in favor of treehouse construction?” she asked, taking another sip of her wine. I nodded and stood with my beer, motioning her to follow me to the hideous, but surprisingly comfortable, couch.

  “Maybe so. The project has inspired me.” I set my beer on the scratched up coffee table.

  That got a grin as she sat down next to me and I put an arm across the back of the couch behind her neck.

  “I may have spoken too soon about the couch,” she said. “This is actually more comfortable than mine.”

  “See, I do have good taste after all.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer. “About the treehouse, I’ve actually already drawn up some potential plans but I won’t know specifics until I take some measurements of the tree. It’s going to be pretty
awesome, though.”

  She beamed at me, then set her glass next to my beer and snuggled right into my side. If that’s all it took to make her happy I’d build a hundred treehouses. I could see right down the front of her shirt and I didn’t even pretend not to stare.

  “I can tell you Rocco is beyond excited so that is music to my ears. It’s really sweet of you to do this for him. It’s sweet of you to do all of the things you’re doing for us. I feel like I don’t deserve it.” She put her hand on my thigh.

  “Why would you say that? You deserve all sorts of good things.” I turned her in my arms and leaned my head down to kiss her. She tasted of wine and her own unique flavor, and the intensity of our clinch ratcheted up immediately as my tongue explored her mouth wildly, like I’d never get another chance. She moaned and arched her back, and we were soon leaning down into the couch, one of her hands fisting in my hair and the other squeezing my ass. I moved on top of her and ground my erection into the heated apex of her thighs which were still covered by her damn skirt. We were moving at lightning speed and it was hot as fuck.

  “Nate,” she breathed and began to pull away a bit but she was trapped under me so I lifted up a few inches to give her some room.

  “What’s the matter?” We were both breathing heavily and my hand was caressing her thigh, moving closer and closer to the edge of her panties and the heat that waited there.

  “I…I…I’m not sure.” Her flushed face turned toward the back of the couch.

  “Laney, look at me.” She turned her face back and her hooded eyes met mine. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” My cock called me every name in the book, but judging by the look on her face, this was going no further tonight.

  She put her hand to her forehead and I sat up, releasing her. She sat and straightened her skirt. “God, I feel like such an idiot. I really want this.” She motioned back and forth between us. “I mean, I really want this.” She attempted a smile.