The Fix (Carolina Connections #1)

by Sylvie Stewart

  “You know, you really do have a great rack. It’s like the best goose-down pillows in here.” She tried to snuggle in.

  I shoved her away. “You perv.”

  ***

  So it looked like the sex fates did like me a little bit after all. I’d gotten my sitter, although I would have preferred not to have involved Fiona’s heart in the process. Nate, I could safely say, was even more thrilled than I was when I told him the news. And it seemed Fiona couldn’t get us out the door fast enough. I barely had time to say goodbye to Rocco and elicit a promise from Fiona that more than just ice cream would be served for dinner.

  “I need to stop by my place and take a shower, but then do you want to go out to dinner?” We were in Nate’s truck and my nerves were jumping already.

  “Sure, sounds good, but I’m not dressed for anything fancy.” I motioned down to my casual black shorts and blue t-shirt.

  “You look perfect to me.”

  “Aww.” I couldn’t help the smile I gave him.

  The apartment building was just as neglected as I remembered and I didn’t blame Nate for wanting to move somewhere nicer. Although maybe he should keep the couch after all and just re-cover it.

  He took my hand once again and led me to the door, not even letting me go to unlock it. Once the door closed behind us I suddenly found myself pinned to the wall beside it and Nate’s mouth was on mine. He tasted like the lemonade I’d fixed him earlier, but his mouth was warm and his tongue hot as it pushed past my lips to explore mine. My hands immediately found his hair and gripped the back of his neck. I melted into the kiss. Then my hands decided to do a little wandering as his lips left mine and traced a path down my jaw to my neck. On their journey, my hands found their way underneath his t-shirt and began exploring the planes of his abs and back. He smelled faintly of sweat and some kind of spicy shampoo or aftershave and I was turned the hell on.

  “Sorry,” he said into my neck as his hands rounded my ass. “I’d really intended to take you out and make this romantic but that’s gonna have to wait ‘til next time. I need you to get naked right now.” Well okay, I guess this was really happening. Holy crap!

  Patience was obviously not one of his virtues because he had my shirt pulled over my head in a heartbeat and his hands moved quickly to the button on my shorts. I was feeling both overheated and a bit self-conscious at the same time. Why was it so bright in here? Would he like what he saw once I’d lost all of my clothes? Wait, why was I the only one getting naked? Again!

  “Quid pro quo,” I said breathily as I stilled his hands and motioned for him to lose his shirt. I also may have helped a little, letting my hands take their time on the upward journey over his stomach and chest. Lord was he built. “How do you look like this?” I blurted out.

  He laughed. “Look like what?”

  “All muscle-ey and bumpy and stuff.” Brilliant, Laney. You should write a book.

  He laughed again. “Well, I run every morning, and construction work isn’t exactly sedentary. I also hit the gym a couple times a week.” He shrugged. He shrugged. If I exerted that much energy I would be dead within a week.

  His hands grazed over my taught nipples still encased in my sensible white bra – I really needed to take Fiona up on her offer to sex up my lingerie. “Now, can we get back to the fun stuff?” Nate asked and dropped his hands down to my shorts again.

  “Yes, please.”

  After that we couldn’t get undressed fast enough and although the couch was comfy and all, that was definitely not where the deed would be done if I had anything to say about it. As our clothes were coming off I was trying to subtly aim him toward the bedroom. We fell onto the bed, me in just my panties and him in black boxer briefs, the rest of our clothes littering a trail from the front door. I had to take a moment to lift myself up a bit and admire the view. He was even more amazing than I’d imagined – the perfect proportion of leanness and muscle. I took in his wide shoulders, sculpted chest and abs, muscled thighs and just the right amount of hair covering his chest and leading a trail down to the hardness that waited under his boxer briefs.

  It seemed while I was conducting my perusal he was doing some investigating of his own and if the heat in his eyes was anything to go by, he liked what he saw. That gave me just the boost of confidence I needed to go up on my knees and shimmy my panties down from my hips. I didn’t get far, though, before he flipped me onto my back and settled himself between my thighs, only the thin material of his briefs separating our heat.

  “I’m going to spend awhile here if you don’t mind,” he said, pulling one of my nipples into his mouth. “Go about your business and I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

  I tried to laugh but it came out as a gasp instead as his teeth nipped at my peak. He let out a little growl and continued to worship first one breast and then the other. My hands roamed his shoulders and hair and my breath was coming out in pants after a few minutes – I needed him to do something, anything, just more. “Nate,” I pleaded.

  He seemed to understand and his tongue started a path from my aching breasts to other aching parts farther south. “I know it’s only been a few weeks but I’ve been dreaming of this for what feels like forever,” he groaned as he parted my lower lips and swiped his tongue upward, ending at my clit and sucking it into his mouth.

  I may or may not have had a stroke at that moment. I was no longer in control of all of my faculties and I started making sounds that no human should ever make. To say that he was good at this was the biggest understatement ever to be made. And once his fingers joined his tongue, I was arching and keening and holding his head in place as if the fate of the world depended on him continuing to give me head like it was his fucking job. After what seemed like only seconds I came in a rush of ecstasy and delirium, and I’m pretty sure Fiona could hear my cries from my house and was raising an ice cream spoon in tribute.

  Nate lifted his head and looked only slightly less satisfied than I imagine I did.

  “Oh my…I mean…oh my…that was…oh my.” Yep, I was a poet.

  He smiled at my orgasm induced dopey-ness and wiped his mouth on the sheet. “I’ll be right back – gotta get a condom.” And he walked his fine ass to the attached bathroom.

  I did some internal cheering and dancing (in which I was very graceful) and rolled over onto my stomach to wait for his return. I whipped my head around when I felt a sharp pain on my left butt-cheek.

  “Ow! Did you just bite my ass?”

  “Yes I did. And I plan to do it again.” He looked way too smug.

  “Oh my god, what is wrong with you?” I laughed and rubbed my sore butt-cheek.

  “You’ve obviously never seen your ass.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Speaking of, you’d better loose those shorts or I’m going to rip them off of your ass.”

  “Oooh, aggressive. I like it,” he teased.

  And then I lost patience and may have lunged for his junk. I’m not really clear on how it went exactly, but the important part was that he got naked.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Life Is Good Here in the Batcave

  Nate

  I think she may have actually torn my boxer briefs as she was yanking them off of me. I had evidently awakened some inner vixen in Laney. Not that I was complaining. Or thinking. At all. She had my cock in her hand and was stroking me with perfect pressure and rhythm from base to tip, circling the head before moving back down. I was starting to fear things would be over before they began.

  “Baby, let up a bit. That feels way too good.” I was standing at the side of the bed and she was lying on her stomach with her ass arched up in the air and her hands all over me. I couldn’t get enough of the view. Or her taste. I could have gone down on her for hours with her silky thighs cradling my head, but I was way too anxious to get inside of her. She was all soft skin and lush curves.

  I pulled her hands from me. “Turn over and scoot up the bed.” I tore the condom wrapper with my teet
h, tossing it over my shoulder. I then rolled the condom on and settled between her thighs, covering her lips with mine. I knew her taste was still on my lips and the idea that she could taste herself made me that much harder. “Is this okay,” I wanted to make sure since the last time we’d been here she had backed off.

  “Yes,” she whispered and I began to press slowly into her wetness. “Nate,” she murmured, her eyes closing. “You won’t hurt me. You don’t need to be careful.”

  That was all I needed to hear before instinct took over and I thrust all the way inside her. She was hot, wet, and fucking tight. I groaned as I pulled almost all the way out and thrust back in. Her returning groan told me she was feeling the same ecstasy I was. She started moaning and meeting my thrusts, and then her legs wrapped around my waist and I was done for. I thrust away like my life depended on it, our skin slapping together and our sweat mingling on our bodies. I brought my mouth back to hers in a frantic kiss.

  She cried out her release against my mouth and I followed her a moment later. I couldn’t comprehend this experience – it was like no other I’d ever had. I wanted to hold her and fuck her and keep her in my bed for an eternity. In essence, I think I was screwed.

  ***

  “So, is ‘Laney’ short for something or is that your real name?” I asked her a little while later. We were lounging on my bed wrapped up in the sheets.

  “Oh God,” she replied. “I’ll tell you but only if you promise not to ever use it.”

  I crossed my heart.

  She flopped onto her back with her head resting on my pillow, her nipples almost revealed by the shifting sheet. “It’s short for Elaine. I think my parents were obsessed with Seinfeld. There were even some hints dropped that I may have been conceived during an episode but my brain refuses to go there. Anyway, it’s just always been ‘Laney’ and I am more than fine with that.”

  “I think ‘Elaine’ is pretty.”

  She rose back up onto an elbow and gave me a skeptical look.

  “But you’re definitely a ‘Laney’,” I reassured, not being a complete rookie.

  That seemed to satisfy her. “What about you? I know you’re full name and I’ve met your family, but tell me more.”

  “Well, let’s see. You know I’ve always been into building things – and you know I can’t wait to get back to it, of course. Oh, speaking of which, did I tell you my dad started visiting the office for a few hours this week?”

  “No. That’s great!”

  “Yeah, my mom is not too keen on the idea but she knows he has to get out a bit or he’ll suffocate. Oh, and she wanted me to tell you that he’s been fiddling around with the fishing gear you brought by. He actually mentioned that he may ask if he can take Rocco fishing sometime.”

  “Oh my God – that is so sweet. I’ll have to run it by him first – he can be shy and a little hard to read, but they seemed to get along great at your parents’ house so I’ll bet he’ll be excited. We may have to go along, though, just to warn you.”

  “I wouldn’t mind that at all. I’ll get you into a swimsuit and we can go off on our own and get into a little trouble,” I said.

  That got me a shove.

  “You hungry? We never had dinner.”

  “Starved. Do you have some clothes I can throw on? I’m not sure where mine ended up.”

  I got out of bed and put my boxer briefs back on – looked like they weren’t ripped after all. “I actually prefer you naked, but I guess I can find something for you.” I rummaged in a drawer and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts.

  “You’re a prince among men, Nate.”

  “What are you in the mood for? Chinese? Pizza? Thai?” I asked as I walked toward the kitchen. I got no response. “Laney?”

  “Oh, hell no!” was all I heard from the bedroom. I went back to investigate and found her wearing my t-shirt and throwing the shorts on the bed like they’d done something to offend her.

  “What?”

  “How is it fair that your shorts are too tight on my ass? I could hardly pull them up!”

  Having been a guy for thirty-one years I knew there was no right answer to that question. Silence, however, did not seem to be one of my options. “I love your ass. It’s perfect.” She still looked unsettled. “If you recall, I actually tried to take a bite out of it I loved it so much.”

  She still pouted and it was fucking cute. “Whatever…let’s order Chinese.”

  Phew. I might actually be good at this relationship stuff.

  We ate delivery Chinese in bed, managing not to make a huge mess, and we talked about everything and nothing. I told her more about my dad and how we were all struggling with the changes that have to be made. We also talked about Austin and my life back there – a life I wasn’t missing at all at the moment. She told me more about Rocco’s dad and about Gavin and some of the struggles her family had been having.

  After dinner and some more conversation I finally ended up taking that shower, but it was considerably more fun with Laney. It was a challenge to maneuver in the tiny stall but we managed. And the next morning I felt quite proud when we walked into Laney’s kitchen and, upon examining Laney’s face, Fiona gave us a golf clap.

  ***

  One Month Later

  This last month has been perfect. Well, actually, that’s a lie. One thing I have learned is that having a five-year-old under foot is a recipe for constant blue balls. But outside of that, life has been amazing. Laney and I have been spending every possible moment together and I don’t know about her, but I have never felt this way about another girl. I’ve been trying not to think about it too hard and just enjoy. We’ve had to get creative about the locations and times we can have sex due to the aforementioned little cock-blocker, but let’s just say her shower gets a lot of action – and, luckily, it’s considerably larger than mine. I still haven’t spent the night, though we’ve discussed it. She is going to sit Rocco down for a talk this week and feel him out a bit. I know she trusts me so I’m glad I don’t have to jump that hurdle again.

  As for work, Doug and my dad have all but taken over the administrative headaches (although my mom is always looking over Dad’s shoulder and telling him when it’s time to come home) and I was back to getting my hands dirty. If I’d had to conduct one more bid development or client meeting my head would have exploded.

  I took over as foreman on the Old Oak Ridge project and I’ve been helping out at a couple other sites during the down time. I was still no closer to being able to answer the neighbors’ concerns about potential tenants but it was safe to say Laney trusted my good intentions and her word seemed to be good enough for everyone else.

  Halloween was just around the corner and we were sitting on Laney’s back patio enjoying a perfect fall afternoon. A cool breeze blew in and the sun was starting its descent, coloring the sky that perfect shade of orange. We could hear Rocco squeal out in the yard as Fiona chased him up the ladder of his completely amazing and innovative treehouse – if I do say so myself.

  “That thing is ridiculous.” Laney shook her head and laughed at me, knowing that I was admiring my own work. I just winked at her. I knew she loved that treehouse almost as much as Rocco did. It had a ladder with safety handles (Laney’s idea) and a split level design with built in seating and a table. It also had porthole windows and even a pulley system to haul up important kid stuff. If I had had a treehouse like that when I’d been his age I would have charged a cover to everybody who came over to play.

  As it was, only Rocco and all of us adults had been inside so far, which I knew still bothered Laney, but I thought Rocco seemed like a perfectly happy kid. He was hardly even doing the nose twitching thing anymore and he was anything but shy with me.

  And the best part? Laney had pulled him from that “up their own asses” daycare and he was now in a much smaller program run out of a former school teacher’s house. Charlotte’s son went to the same place when she worked at her part-time job, and by happenst
ance a full time spot had opened up in the daycare. Laney snatched it up and Rocco was much more at ease with a smaller and less asshole-ish group – my term, not Rocco’s.

  We had all gone over to Charlotte’s house last week and I’d seen the two boys playing together. I’d also seen the gleam in Laney’s eyes and could feel her relief it was so palpable. Next step was an invite for Aiden to play in the treehouse, which I liked to refer to as “The Batcave” but Rocco had dubbed “The Fart Fortress”. You can’t win ‘em all. Oh, and in case you’re keeping track, I did indeed apologize to Charlotte for being an asshole the first time we met.

  “You know what you need?” I asked Laney as I glanced around the yard.

  “Uh oh, what now? You’ve damn near fixed everything in my house and you already have a list a mile long of upgrades you want to make.”

  I pretended I hadn’t heard her. “You need a screened-in porch. I bet you’d spend a lot more time out here in the summer if it weren’t for the damn mosquitoes.”

  “Nate, I would love a screened-in porch but you have got to stop doing all of these things for me. You have enough to do with work and you haven’t even started to look for your own place.”

  Yeah, about that. It was no mistake that I hadn’t started looking for my own place. I know it sounded crazy but I was in love with this girl and I was jumping ahead in my mind. It seemed crazy to buy a place when she clearly loved this place and I was seeing a future with her and Rocco. And besides, The Batcave was here so there was that. But I knew she wasn’t ready to go there yet, so I kept quiet except for a small “Meh.” It was the most non-committal noise I could come up with.

  “Meh? You’re weird.”

  “And you’re pretty.” I leaned in for a kiss.

  “I think I’m gonna be sick,” Gavin’s voice came from the back doorway.

  I removed my lips from his sister. I could see things from his perspective – if I had to watch some guy pawing Bailey I would probably feel a little ill myself. Gavin wandered out onto the patio and took a seat next to me.