Heart of Conviction: Nathan (Conviction Series Book 1)

by Aly Nichole

  I walked with food containers. Nathan was spread out on the couch with his arm slung on the back. His eyes were glued to the food. I rolled my eyes, handed him his bag, sat next to him, and unloaded the food for Hailey and me.

  “Do you and your dad get into wars like this?” I asked.

  He tore open his bag, and his head fell back, and a sexy groan slipped out of him. Is that the sound he would make when we had sex? I held back my moan and squeezed my legs together. It wasn’t helpful. Nathan finally looked at me after his smellgasm.

  “Yeah. He always wins by default when he talks about sex. The fucker knows that grosses us out. No one wants to know your mom’s a freak in the sheets, no matter how old we are.” I felt his body shudder.

  I should be mortified talking about sex in front of my daughter, but after Liam opened that bag, I explained to Hailey it’s an adult thing and to ignore us when we talk about it. I was not ready for that conversation.

  “Awe, mama’s boy wants to think Mom has vanilla sex or doesn’t have sex at all.” I fell onto his side and laughed.

  His eyes narrow. “My mom is an angel and pure! God blessed her to give birth to us!”

  I couldn’t stop laughing. “Oh god, now I have to pee.”

  I got up and went to the bathroom and came back out and Hailey was gone. She must have gone to bed. I was only gone five minutes.

  Nathan smiled from the couch. “I helped Hailey to bed. She was falling asleep in her food.”

  “Thank you,” I said, sitting down next to him so close our legs and shoulders rubbed together. His cinnamon and musk scent wrapped around me. Jesus.

  Nathan nodded. I watched him nibble on his bottom lip for a minute, and then he finally spoke. “Are you going to take the apartment?”

  I sighed. “I think I should.” My heart ached at the thought of leaving. I would go back to an empty apartment. I would have to call Nathan to chat instead of walking into the next room. But staying here would be too soon for us. There was another thought, a deep dark one I didn’t want to feed, but I couldn’t help it. What if he just wanted me for a ready-made family to replace what he had lost? I shook my head, and I focused on his tapping fingers.

  “You know I enjoy having you here.” He murmured.

  I leaned into him, and his arm wrapped around me. “I know, but. I think that to make sure that we do—” I waved between us. “—right, that we should date more and get a chance to miss one another. I don’t know what this is, but I don’t want to mess it up by going too fast.” And I needed to make sure I wasn’t being used. Jesus. Why was I such a skeptic?

  Nathan scanned my face. He brought his hand up and cupped my cheek. The roughness from his large hand caused my breath to hitch.

  His head bent down, and his lips were a pin needle away. “I want this to work, too.” He closed the distance and kissed me.

  His lips were soft against mine. Nathan paused, waiting for me to catch up with his actions.

  Worried he might pull away, I pressed my lips back hard. His body relaxed, and his tongue traced my bottom lip wanting access, and I happily granted him. His moan triggered my own.

  This differed from other kisses we shared. It was more heated, an underlying need. And I was sure it was coming for me. I need this man to pick me up and flip me over and fuck me in the worst ways.

  “Sade, fuck, that feels good.” Nathan gripped my hips, pressing me harder against his thickening cock.

  “Oh,” I moan.

  “Fuck, I wasn’t planning this.”

  He went in for another kiss, and my son kicked. Nathan’s eyes widened, and he looked at my enormous stomach.

  My eyes watered. Oh god, this was so wrong. I was heavily pregnant and humping my doctor. He was more than that, but my brain only focused on that one point.

  “Hey, hey, don’t cry.” His thumb wiped my tears away. “You’re fucking beautiful and we have all the time in the world.”

  I adjusted myself, still sitting in his lap, but no longer straddled across it. I sat my head on his chest and snuggled into him. I took a deep breath. He was right. We had time, and as much as my body screamed release. We needed to take it.

  “We will move you on Friday. On Saturday, I’m taking you out.”

  My eyes roamed over her gorgeous body. Sade was naked, spread out like a delicacy. And I was ready to devour her.

  “Look at you, Angel,” My tongue traced my bottom lip. Where would I start?

  “Nathan, please,” Sade begged.

  I hovered over her body and kept my lips a hairpin away from her skin. I hummed, breathing in her intoxicating aroma. “Fuck Sade, you smell so fucking good. Are you wet for me?” My fingers dipped into her hot core. Fuck, she was soaked.

  “More, Nathan, I need more.”

  I curled my fingers up, and her hips bucked off the bed. “What do you want? More of my fingers?” I leaned down and blew in her ear, “My cock, mouth. Tell me, what more do you need?”

  Sade’s pupils were blown. I could taste her lust. Fuck, my hand gripped her hips and lifted her, her beautiful pussy in my face. I couldn’t wait any longer and I leaned in and pulled her nub between my lips and sucked.

  “Nathan.” Her voice echoed around me. I continued my assault, licking and sucking, my fingers pounding into her.

  I paused from my assault to look up.

  Her body was flushed, her eyes closed. Fuck, she was gorgeous.

  “Come for me, Angel. I want to taste you,” I growled and plunged my tongue deep into her.

  “Oh god, yes.” She cried out. Her legs squeezed my head, and her body shook.

  I buried my face, licking every drop she gave me. Fuck, she was divine. I worked her through her high.

  She panted.

  I moved, hovering over her. My eyes moved along her body. Something was wrong. Her body wasn’t right.

  Her belly was flat.

  My body jerked awake. I groaned. It was a fucking dream. Fuck, my dick could break cement. I grabbed my hard dick and stroked myself. The roughness from my hands felt amazing against my sensitive skin. The dream was fresh in my mind and brought me to a quick release.

  My heart slammed into my chest. I gasped for air. “Fuck.”

  I wanted to calm down from the intense orgasm I fucking experienced. There was a lot of shit I wanted to do today. I rearranged my schedule again. It caused a lot of worries. All these years, my colleagues knew I never took time off, and now I have taken three separate days off. But it was Friday, and there weren’t a lot of appointments.

  I organized the siblings I had in town to help pack and move Sade’s things to her new place. My goal was to help her out, and on Saturday, I could take her out and hope by the end of the night, I would worship her body like in my dream.

  Fuck, I wanted to walk down the hallway to her room and wake her with a tongue surprise.

  I swiped my hand down my face. Time to get up, make breakfast, con Sade into letting me take Hailey to daycare, but really she would hang out with me today. I wanted to see her face when she met Mase.

  The kitchen was empty. Usually, I was always up first thing in the morning. I grabbed the eggs and bread. Eggs popped in the pan and the aroma wafted around the kitchen. The sounds of feet had me smiling.

  “Morning, ladies,” I greeted, sliding eggs on a plate for my princess.

  Princess was blinking, her eyes glazed, not awake yet. She was wearing her favorite shirt, Zombie Hero, in pink.

  I never watched the fucking show when my brother was on set. I never wanted to watch it. Since Princess had been staying with me, I watched two seasons. She better thank her stars. She was adorable and batted her big eyelashes at me. The shit show that was going to happen when Mase found out. Fuck, I couldn’t think about that right now.

  “Morning,” Sade answered.

  Fuck, I was going to miss mornings with my sleepy girls. My heart skipped. It won’t be forever. I hated the thought of coming home to an empty apartment, but my girl was right
. We needed to date, get to know one another. Figure out what we were outside, the dynamics of me being her doctor and being friends.

  Mentally, I knew I never saw her as just my patient or even just a friend.

  Sade’s eyes seemed more alert getting Princess her bag around for the day.

  “Hey, you know I have a late morning. I could drop Princess off at the center.” Be causal, Nathan. Fuck, I was an idiot.

  Sade’s face scrunched up. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to put you out.”

  “Never, Angel. I wouldn’t have offered if I couldn’t swing it. And don’t worry about picking her up. I’ll grab her too. Short day.” I had no cool. My mouth was rambling.

  Her lips thinned, and she looked at her daughter. “What do you think?”

  Princess blinked a few times. “Nate can take me.”

  Sade nodded and kissed the top of her head. “All right, I’ll see you guys later.”

  I texted my siblings and let them know the plan was a go.

  We were in the car driving when Hailey popped up from the back seat.

  “Nate, where are we going?”

  “I thought we could pack up your old place and then take it to your new apartment, so your mommy didn’t have to worry about it.” I looked in my mirror at her.

  Her little shoulders lifted. “Okay, that sounds fun.”

  This girl was so fucking easy. Would Felicity have been this easy? I wondered if it was healthy to ponder thoughts like this. But sometimes, it was easy to wonder about what she would have been like.

  The crew was waiting for us at the shitty apartment place to get jobs and know who was doing what.

  “Nate,” Princess’s voice was quiet.

  I eyed my brother, whose flaming red hair would identify him from fifty miles away, had a gigantic smile and aviators on. It wasn’t just him. Ira, Mick, Maddi, Lilli, and Red were all here. Fuck yeah, we’ll get this done quick.

  “What’s up, princess?”

  “Is that—” she looked around and then stared at Mase.

  I coughed to cover my snicker.

  “—Zombie Hero?”

  I had no fucking clue how the show made it four seasons. “Yep, he’s my brother.”

  Her body vibrated. “Do you think he’ll sign my shirt and take a picture with me?” Her blue eyes were so wide I couldn’t hide my laugh.

  “Nothing would make my brother happier.” I wished I was lying, but Mase was terrific with his fans. Especially his kid fans. He always went above and beyond for anyone under the age of sixteen.

  I walked over to them with Hailey. She gripped my hand tighter the closer we got to Mase.

  Mase’s face was everything I feared. His eyes bounced between me and the shirt Hailey was wearing. The glee was written all over his face. Fuck.

  “Thank you guys for coming out and helping.” I greeted.

  “You’re Zombie-Hero!” Her entire body was shaking, and her grip was so tight I worried she was going to explode.

  Mase bent his knees and leveled with her. “Yes, I am.”

  She jumped up and down. “Nate, take a picture! Send it to Mom!”

  I laughed, and that was what we did. He signed her shirt, took some pictures, and made her day. I knew that would not be the last time she saw him, but it was the first. Mase was amazing through all of it, but I knew the twinkle in his. He was going to lord this over me.

  After Hailey got her fill on pictures, we divided up the jobs. Mick, Mase, and I were to take the packed boxes over to the new apartment, and the others would stay at the old place and pack and organize.

  “I pay people to do this, you know,” Mase complained, dropping a box inside Sade’s new living room.

  It was becoming a long fucking day. Our first load of things from the apartment was a lot of big things. She didn’t need the couch, so we dropped it off at the goodwill. But beds, dressers, and stuff we took over.

  “Shut up, you baby.” Mick shoulder-checked him.

  Mase grabbed a bottle of water and threw it at Mick, hitting him. Mick dropped the box and started towards Mase.

  “Children! Can we not?” I scolded.

  I shouldn’t be surprised. When we were all together with it was chaos, and we retreated to our childhood antics. Mase was spoiled rotten. Hard labor had been long forgotten since his stardom.

  “Seriously, can I just pay people?” Mase flopped down on the couch.

  “Think of it as a role. You are an assassin, but as a cover, you are a mover during the day.” I crouched down and flared my voice dramatically.

  His green eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I appreciate how you are making fun of my profession.”

  I straightened myself and smirked. “Aww, poor baby. Now get up because we have one more load of stuff, and we’ll be done, and you can go gawk at your sexy assistant.”

  He grumbled and followed me out of the apartment. Mick was already in the truck texting on his phone. There were only one of two people he would be texting.

  “How’s Kate? She missed the last two dinners?” I asked, starting the vehicle.

  Kate was the one who got away. Mick and Kate were high school sweethearts and even made long-distance relationship work when they went to college on different coasts. Just like Ira and Red’s story, they were supposed to be together forever.

  But when graduation came, Kate wanted to come home, be involved in The Valentine Center, get married, and start a family.

  And everyone thought that was what Mick wanted, but he signed on with a Miami team. They ended things, and ever since, they had been tiptoeing around each other.

  But Kate was another Valentine. She had been hanging at our house since she was fourteen. And she worked at the Center alongside Red. But she kept away when Mick was in town. I wondered how this was going to work with him back home.

  He shrugged. “I think she doesn’t want to bring Darrel. You know she’s engaged.”

  Yeah, she was. And she hasn’t brought him around the family, not even the center. The guy was a mystery. It was not my circus, though, unless he was hurting her.

  “She has introduced none of us,” Mase piped up. “I think she is embarrassed by him. He’s some kind of banker or works in finance.”

  Mick’s body tensed up, and made no comment. I knew he was home and wanted her. He should have fought harder. I was harsh, but after losing that one potential future, I never wanted to lose another, and I thought he wasted it.

  “Big plans with Sadie tomorrow?” Mick asked.

  I looked at him from the corner of my eye. His shoulders were up to his earlobes. Okay, so subject change.

  “I planned to take her out to a nice place and go home and chill with a movie. Nothing too much, you know. I just want her to have fun and not be achy.”

  “You could give her a massage and the good old D,” Mase snarked.

  I slammed my fist into his arm, and it stung my hand when it landed on his bicep. And I wasn’t admitting it. Fucker was getting some muscle on him.

  Mase clutched his arm. “I’m so telling on you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I swear to god, fame is making you stupid.”

  Mick grunted. He agreed with me.

  The apartment was done after this, and I promised Hailey ice cream. And she begged for her new family to come with her. I knew she really wanted Mase, but my sibling humored her.

  We made it back to my condo, and Sade was curled up on the couch.

  She was in a tank and yoga pants. Fuck, she was gorgeous.

  “Hey,” She greeted us.

  “MOM! I met Zombie Hero! Did you know Nate was related to him?”

  Sade’s brow pinched in the middle. Her eyes focused on Hailey and her wild hand gestures explaining how she met her idol.

  Sade finally looked up at me. “You moved my stuff to my new apartment?”

  My cheeks burned. “Yeah, thought it would be a pleasant surprise.”

  Sade’s face went oddly blank, and my stomach dropped. Fuck.


  “You don’t have to leave my place yet. I just knew you wanted to move things this weekend, and I thought I would help you out. And you don’t need to stress about and I don’t need to worry about you trying to carry stuff you shouldn’t be lifting. I wanted a nice evening and didn’t want you worrying about anything.” I’m a fucking doctor. I specialized in three fucking areas and I’m rambling like a schoolgirl.

  Sade’s face softened. “You didn’t need to do that, Nathan.”

  I sat down, putting Hailey in between us. My arm went to the back of the couch. My fingers were lightly tracing Sade’s shoulder.

  “I wanted to.”

  Her body sunk deeper into the couch. Sade's eyes narrowed on me, and she huffed. “I want to be mad at you, but—” She scrunched her nose and chuckled. “—I’m relieved I don’t have to do it.”

  My shoulders relaxed. “Good, and I have a babysitter lined up if you are interested in maybe going out, after ice cream and park time, and having an adult date.”

  “Who is the babysitter?”

  “Red, the kids were asking to play with Hailey again.”

  Sade addressed her daughter. “Would you like that, Hailey?”

  “Yes, I wanna play with them. They’re cool.” She bounced up and down.

  Sade’s eyes twinkled. “I guess we have a date, Mr. Valentine.”

  I rubbed my neck and took a deep breath. This was our second date, there was no reason to be nervous.

  I looked over my menu at Sade, my Angel. She had her hair in a weird half up and half down thing with light curls framing her face. Her creamy skin glowed from under her pale yellow summer dress that snugged around her perfect basketball belly.

  I thought about the dates I had after Trisha. There weren’t many. After the accident, my sole focus became school and becoming a doctor. I didn’t attempt a date till my sophomore year in college, and it was horrendous. They heard my last name and saw dollar signs.

  There was the nagging little voice in the back of my head. You’re dishonoring them. Dating was a distraction you didn’t need. Years went by, and the voice disappeared. By then, I buried myself in work and stopped looking.