by A. K. Evans
So that’s what I did.
It was amazing, especially when Nash’s hands began roaming over my body in a way that had me climbing higher and higher faster than I ever thought possible.
Eventually, Nash brought both hands to my breasts. It gave me the freedom to move my hips over his length at the pace and depth that I chose.
Or, at least, that’s what I had initially thought.
The moment he captured one of my nipples in his mouth and sucked in deep, I found myself on the verge of losing control.
“Oh, babe,” I moaned.
His tongue swirled and flicked the hardened peak.
That did it for me.
“Nash, please don’t stop that,” I begged.
He groaned against me, but he didn’t stop. I continued to move, but it didn’t take long for something else to take over me.
My breathing grew shallow, and the sensations were built in a way that had me unable to do anything but let it take over.
Nash must have realized what was happening. He kept his mouth on my breast, allowed me to stay on top, but he took over where we were connected. His hips thrust up hard and fast.
I cried out as my body trembled with the force of my pleasure. It hadn’t even started to leave me when I could no longer hold myself upright. My arms collapsed, and my face went into Nash’s neck.
My orgasm hit me so hard; all I could do was cry out.
“Fuck, Parker,” Nash growled. “Do you like this, baby?”
“I love it,” I told him, my voice unrecognizable.
In an instant, I was on my back, and Nash was driving in, hard, fast, and deep.
“You’re going to come again,” he asserted.
Pressing my head deeper into the pillow, I closed my eyes tight and objected, “I can’t. It’s too much.”
“You can, sunshine.”
It wasn’t possible. I hadn’t even come down from my first orgasm. But before I knew what was happening, I could feel it building again. Something about this, something about Nash right now at this moment, was different. It was consuming, feral, and beyond anything I could explain.
I didn’t want to either.
I was just going to let it happen.
His hard body, strong and powerful, drove forward with such determination and force.
“Nash,” I panted my warning.
“That’s right, Parker,” he urged. “Come with me, baby.”
I did.
I exploded, my back arching off the bed as Nash groaned and gripped one of my breasts firmly in his hand. I could feel his cock jerking inside me as the two of us came apart.
In the moments that followed, Nash and I fought to regain control of our breathing. It was a good thing I didn’t have anywhere important to be because I was convinced I’d be useless for the remainder of the day.
“That was incredible,” I announced with a smile on my face.
“Beyond incredible,” Nash agreed.
“Mmm.”
We stayed like that in silence for a few more minutes before Nash asked, “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat,” I told him.
“Let’s get cleaned up, and I’ll make you breakfast,” he offered.
“Okay.”
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting down to eat breakfast with Nash.
No sooner did I put the first bite in my mouth when Claudia walked into the kitchen. I had completely forgotten about her.
Animals weren’t my thing, but I didn’t want this to be a source of contention for us, so I asked, “Where did you get the name Claudia?”
Nash cocked an eyebrow. “Interested in getting to know her a bit better?” he teased after taking a sip of his coffee.
I shook my head. “I’m just trying to be nice,” I explained.
He lifted his chin and gave me a look that told me he didn’t necessarily believe me. Even still, he answered, “Human names.”
“What?”
“My cats always have human names,” he clarified.
I had to admit I liked that. It was different.
“And did you just like the name Claudia or…” I trailed off, suddenly realizing that if this was a pet he had with an ex-girlfriend, she might have been the one who gave the cat the name.
I chewed slowly and braced myself for his response.
“She was a little rowdy when I first brought her home,” he began. “She had a lot of character and had no problem getting into trouble. The little monster dug her claws into everything.”
I wasn’t sure how that explained where he’d come up with her name. For a few moments, I looked between him and Claudia, trying to figure it out, but I couldn’t come up with any answers.
Nash must have realized I was struggling when he said, “Claudia. Get it? Claw.”
I stared at him, absolutely dumbfounded. When his words only barely began to penetrate, I asked, “Did you just admit to giving your cat a name because of a pun?”
Laughter filled the room. I watched with avid fascination as Nash threw his head back and laughed at my question. When his shining eyes came to mine, he guessed, “Don’t tell me you feel bad for her.”
“You really want me to like this cat, don’t you?” I asked.
Nash got serious and dipped his chin. “Yes, Parker, I do,” he stated. There was no teasing nature in his tone. This was incredibly important to him.
“Why?” I asked.
He swallowed hard and rasped, “Because she’s not going anywhere. And I really like you a lot, sunshine. I like you in a way I want to be able to say you’re not going anywhere either.”
My lips parted.
He liked me in a way he didn’t want me to go anywhere.
I loved him in a way I didn’t want to go anywhere.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever grow to like having cats around me like that,” I admitted. I didn’t want to say it, but I thought it was important to be honest with him. “I’d never expect you to get rid of your cat for me, Nash. But were you serious last night about always having one?”
There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation as he answered, “Yes. It’s nonnegotiable for me.”
I bit my lip.
Could I do this? Was I foolish for not ending things between us now?
He would always have a cat, and I wasn’t sure I could ever get to a point where I could live with one. Were we doomed?
I was so caught up in my thoughts; I didn’t notice Nash reach across the table until I felt his hand on mine.
“Parker?” he called.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t think about it so much right now,” he urged. “Nothing is happening today. Maybe you’ll feel differently after you’ve been around her a bit more.”
There he was again. Nash wasn’t going to get himself all worked up about it. This wasn’t something to panic about because he was convinced I was the one that would change my mind. Why couldn’t he change his mind? If he were going to hope I’d go his way, would I be a fool to hope he’d see it from my perspective?
Probably not without an explanation.
One that I was not even remotely prepared to get into when I knew he had to go into work, so I gave him a nod of agreement.
Deciding it was best to switch topics, I took another bite of my French toast and said, “I’m so glad I don’t have to go to work today.”
He let out a laugh and asked, “Too exhausted?”
I nodded. “I don’t understand how you’re going to go to work today,” I started. “I’m going to be lucky to be able to drive myself home. Breakfast is delicious, by the way.”
“Thanks. And I can take you home if you want,” he offered.
I shook my head. “No, that’s okay. I’m guessing the sooner you get into work, the sooner you’ll be able to leave.”
“This is true,” he confirmed.
After chewing and swallowing my last bite, I asked, “Do you like working on Saturdays?”
He shrugged. “I don’t necessari
ly mind it,” he answered. “It’s not something we do every Saturday. It’s just that this is our busiest time of the year. Sometimes we’ve got to put in extra time just to stay on top of things. Luckily, most times it’s only a half a day that we need on the weekend.”
“Is that what today is going to bring for you?” I wondered.
“I’m not sure yet,” he replied. “It depends on what happens with a few of the other guys getting some of their projects done.”
Nodding my understanding, I replied, “That makes sense.”
For the next few minutes, I sat quietly with Nash while he finished his food.
Once he was done, I declared, “I guess it’s a good thing Ryker’s birthday is on a Saturday then, right?”
Nash’s brows pulled together. “What?”
“I learned about that last night,” I explained.
“Oh. How was girls’ night in?” Nash countered. “Did you have a good time? Do you think you vibe well with the rest of the group?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “And I’m excited about that because it’s been hard to have Kaia so far away. Elise, Kendall, Avery, and Scarlet have all been so welcoming to me, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said.
“Yeah, I enjoyed getting to know them all a little bit better,” I assured him. “And I think it’s so adorable that Ryker and Scarlet have the same birthday.”
“They do?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes. Didn’t you know?”
Nash shook his head. “I had no idea.”
“That’s why they’re getting married in June,” I told him. “They’re doing it on their birthday, which is also the same day they met each other when they both turned sixteen.”
Judging by the look on his face, there was no denying that this was all news to Nash. “I’m really happy for him,” he said. “For both of them, of course, but especially for him. If all of that isn’t a sign those two belong together, I don’t know what is.”
“I agree,” I replied. “So, when is yours?”
“Mine?”
“Your birthday,” I clarified.
“November seventh,” he answered as he stood from the table and collected our plates.
“Aw, man,” I whined. “It’s so far away.”
Nash let out a laugh. After setting our plates in the sink, he moved back to the table, picked up his coffee, and asked, “Why is that a problem?”
I shrugged. “It’s not that it’s a problem exactly,” I began. “It’s just that I thought it would be fun to celebrate with you. That’s all.”
Lifting his mug to his mouth, he wondered, “When’s your birthday?”
“May twenty-second.”
With the mug still at his lips, Nash swallowed. Then he asked, “Are you serious?”
Nodding, I remarked, “I know it’s only like two weeks away, but I did make out this year with a Saturday birthday. At least I won’t have to go into work.”
Nash looked a bit worried, and that’s when it hit me that he probably had to work. Or maybe there was a race.
Since he seemed to be struggling, I asked, “Do you have to work that weekend? Is there a race?”
Nash shook his head.
When he didn’t say anything else, I asked, “Is everything okay?”
After a brief pause, he shook his head as though trying to remove whatever thoughts he had going through it. Then he insisted, “Yes, sorry. I just… wow, that close?”
Suddenly, I understood what was wrong. Tipping my head to the side, I stood and moved toward him. Bringing my hand to his arm, I squeezed him and insisted, “I know this is still kind of new between us, Nash. We’re still learning about one another, so I don’t want you to think you need to do something extravagant for me. Honestly, it’ll be the best birthday I’ve had in years if you and I can spend it together doing something akin to what you and I did on our first two dates. I just like being with you and having fun together. It’s something I hadn’t realized I was missing in my life, and I can think of no better way to spend my birthday than laughing with you.”
His eyes searched my face for a long time. I had to think he was trying to figure out if I was serious or not. Hopefully, he could see that I was.
A few seconds later, he gave me a nod and said, “Well, I should probably get going, so I can get a jump start at work today.”
“Okay. I don’t do this often, but I think I’m going to find a way to squeeze a nap in when I get home,” I told him. “You wore me out between last night and this morning.”
He gave me a small smile before leading me back up to the bedroom, where I gathered up my things and put them in my bag.
Ten minutes later, we had said goodbye to one another, and I was on my way home while Nash went to work.
It was never going to work.
As I drove my truck away from my house and Parker, I tried to come to terms with everything that had happened since she showed up at my place for the first time last night until we went our separate ways this morning.
I thought she was the one. I thought it when I first saw her in the laundromat, and I was convinced I had it right when she yelled at me for not making love to her.
But now I knew I was wrong, and the problem with that was that I had no idea what I was going to do. I would have been lying to myself if I said I could walk away from her without feeling anything.
I’d become attached to Parker. Hell, who was I kidding? I had fallen in love with her. It wasn’t difficult to do. She was a sweet woman who had a feisty personality. She was the perfect blend of compassion, sweetness, and fiery spirit.
And she made me laugh. Really laugh.
I knew on the surface that everyone who came into contact with me thought I was laid-back and relaxed. I guess, in a way, I was. There was a reason for that.
Deep down, though, I never really felt happy, not how I did when I was around Parker.
How would I ever let her go?
I was certain that even my best friends would tell me I was crazy for even considering ending things between us. On some level, they would be right, but they’d never understand why it could never work between us.
Making my way to work, I realized that I felt anxious for the first time in my adult life. I no longer felt relaxed. I felt like every nerve inside my body was frayed and on edge.
How? Why did this have to be this way?
I should have known.
Life hadn’t exactly been kind to me. Actually, that’s not correct. Life had been great for me. Other than that one major bump in the road, I really had nothing to complain about.
I loved her.
I loved Parker. And even though neither of us had indicated with words any deeper level of emotion we were feeling for the other, I did not doubt that Parker felt something strong for me, too.
Maybe she wasn’t in love just yet. Part of me was hoping that was the case, while the other part of me was feeling wounded at the thought that I might not mean as much to her as she did to me.
For her sake, though, it would be better if she hadn’t gotten too attached yet. That way, at least she would be able to move on from what we had quickly. Because even though I knew we could no longer be together, I also did not want to hurt her.
The closer and closer I got to work, the more I began to ponder the answer to a multitude of questions. At the forefront of my mind was the question of how. How did I go from thinking Parker was the one to this? Why? Why would I feel something so strongly for a woman when the truth was that we’d never work out in the long run? Worst of all, how could I possibly end things with her so that I didn’t hurt her?
There was no answer to any of my questions.
All I knew was that I had to figure it out. Before she had a chance to get closer, I had to stop this. None of this was her fault. She didn’t deserve what would come her way, but I couldn’t do it.
I let out a deep sigh as I pulled into the lot outside
of LT Motorsports. I had to go inside, face my friends, and do my job properly. For the first time since I started working at LT Motorsports, I didn’t want to walk through the front door.
Unfortunately, not going in wasn’t an option.
So, I took in a deep breath and prepared myself for it. Then I got out and made my way inside. Since it was Saturday, I managed to slip through the front office without being stopped. Avery only worked Monday through Friday, so she wasn’t sitting there waiting to greet anybody who walked in.
Figuring it was best to get right to work, I walked through the steel door and into the shop. My goal was to get across the shop with as little interaction as possible and get myself busy.
“Hey, Nash,” Knox called out.
I looked in his direction, did my best to give him a neutral look, and returned, “Hey.”
While I’d normally stop and talk to him for a few minutes before I got started, I wasn’t interested in doing that today. It was my hope, though, that he wouldn’t think twice about it and would do what he had to do to get his work done and get home to his woman.
I passed Ryker, who was already elbows deep in a car. He glanced up only long enough to see that I was walking by and quickly returned his attention to the car he was working on.
“What’s up, man?” he said.
I knew from the way he asked it that he wasn’t exactly looking for a response. He didn’t necessarily care what was up. It was simply his way of saying hello to someone. Knowing that, as I walked past, I replied, “What’s up?”
I turned toward the shop’s back wall, long before I would have made it to Logan. But because I didn’t want to tip anybody off that I had things on my mind, I glanced in his direction. Logan already had a car on the dyno and was in the middle of tuning. I simply lifted my hand in his direction and waved. He did the same.
Perfect.
Now I’d be able to spend the rest of my day here without needing to deal with any interruptions. Kieran worked in the office’s engine room, so I didn’t have to worry about running into him.
And I was going to play the rest of my morning smart, too. I was going to continue to work until after everyone left. This way, I wouldn’t be stopped if I attempted to leave if I finished work ahead of everyone else.