More Than Just A Name

by Jaxon, Lynn

  “I can’t be sorry about everything. Without my nightmare of a marriage, I wouldn’t have Gage, and I can’t imagine my life without him. He’s my world. I’d do anything to keep him safe and happy.” I can’t stop the lone tear that falls down my cheek. My son is one thing I will never regret. I would give up everything for that boy.

  Nash lovingly rubs his hand up and down my thigh. “He is perfect and all that is good, just like his mother.” He uses his thumb to gently brush the tear from my cheek, then pulls me close, whispering, “Let me be the one to help keep him safe and happy.”

  I sigh audibly as I look into his eyes. “You’re amazing. That’s what I want, too.”

  When the band starts playing “Rumor” by Lee Brice, Nash looks at me, winking. “I just saw one of the teachers from school walk past the table, her eyes wide when she saw us. So, I’d say this is a perfect song for us to get up and dance to. What do you say?”

  I gasp. “Oh no. Is this going to cause trouble for you?”

  “Nope. I hope this will make things easier on me and keep all the single teachers at bay. Before Monday morning, half the school will know I was out with you, and I couldn’t care less. I want everyone to know you’re mine. Besides, don’t you think we’ll see people we know at the festival tomorrow?”

  “I guess I haven’t given it much thought. I’m good with it if you are. The only person I’m worried about is Frankie, but just because I don’t want him to start trouble.”

  Nash pulls me onto the dance floor, holding me close and moving with the beat. He looks at me with certainty in his eyes. “There’s nothing that man can do or say to make me walk away from you.” He puffs out his chest. “If it comes down to it, I think I can take him.” He smiles. I only wish I could be as certain.

  It feels so good being cocooned in Nash’s strong arms. The entire time we dance, he whispers how beautiful I am, how lucky he is that his brother had the flu. Then he chuckles and tilts his head toward Sean and Amy, who seem to be in the middle of an almost X-rated kiss on the dance floor.

  The song ends. Nash places his hand on the small of my back and ushers me to the table, our dinners waiting. When Amy and Sean walk up, I raise my eyebrows at her, making her grin sheepishly. I’m so glad Sean came along. This is just what she needs.

  During dinner, we all talk like we’ve known each other for years. I love seeing how Nash acts around his friends. The joking banter between Nash and Sean makes Amy and I roll with laughter.

  “That was the best burger I’ve eaten in a long time,” I say as I lean back in my seat, hand on my stomach. “I feel like I’m going to explode.”

  “I take it that means you don’t want dessert,” Nash says.

  I lick my lips. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t be ready for dessert later.”

  “Damn, woman. You’re killing me.”

  Sean looks at Amy, then me. “Would you two lovely ladies like another drink?”

  “Nothing for me,” I say.

  “What about you?” he directs to Amy, placing his hand on top of hers on the table.

  “I’m good, but thank you. Can I ask a favor?” Sean nods. “Would you mind giving me a ride home so I won’t be a third wheel to the two lovebirds over there?”

  “That sounds like a plan,” says Sean. “Are you ready to go now, or do you want to stay a little longer?”

  “Can we stay and dance to a few more songs? I love to dance.”

  “Absolutely, darlin’.”

  “If you two don’t mind, I think Nash and I are going to head out. We have plans to discuss for tomorrow.”

  “Plans, my ass,” utters Amy. “You just want dessert.”

  “You are too much. I don’t know how I’ve put up with you all these years.” I lean in and give her a hug, then turn to Sean, wrapping my arms around his neck. “It was so nice to meet you. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  “It was great to finally meet you, too. See you then.”

  Nash and I walk hand in hand toward the door. Just as we are about to walk out, a scantily clad woman bumps into him. She looks to be as fake as they come as she looks up at him.

  “Oh, Nash. Excuse me. I didn’t see you. What a pleasant surprise.” She looks me up and down. “What are you doing here?”

  “Isn’t it obvious, Ms. Lange? I’m out with my girlfriend.”

  Butterflies flutter around in my stomach when he refers to me as such.

  She looks indignant. “I thought you were single.”

  “Well, you thought wrong. This is my girlfriend, Meredith. Meredith, this is Ms. Lange, one of the teachers at school.”

  Her tone is as insincere as her smile when she says, “It’s nice to meet you, Meredith.”

  “Same to you.” The troubling vibes coming off this woman make my knees tremble.

  Nash nods at her. “Have a good night.” He places his hand on the small of my back and ushers me out the door.

  Chapter 14

  ~Nash~

  I can’t seem to get away from that woman. Everywhere I turn, there she is. It almost makes me feel like she’s stalking me. If this keeps happening, I’m going to talk to Ms. Bailey.

  Once we’re in my Jeep, I turn to Meredith with a sigh. “I’m sorry about that.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

  “That’s the one I told you about who kept looking for reasons to come to my office. I can’t seem to get away from her. She was even at the gym when I was there this afternoon. I’ve never seen her there before. Luckily, I managed to avoid her.”

  “You’re just going to have to stop being so damn sexy.” She playfully pokes me in the side. “That’s all there is to it.”

  I laugh loudly. “You sure know how to make a man feel good, sweetheart.”

  “You know you’re sexy. Own it.”

  I shrug. “My brother and I just got lucky in the looks department. Our dad was what women referred to as ‘drop-dead gorgeous’, but he always told me and my brother not to rely on our looks because they’ll be gone one day. It’s more important to be kind, reliable, and trustworthy.”

  “You’re telling me. My ex is a good-looking man, but he’s ugly to the core.”

  “I don’t want to think about your ex right now.” I kiss her on the tip of her nose. “So, where to, my lady?”

  “I’d love to see where you live.”

  Thank goodness my house is clean. I’m a pretty neat guy, but I do have a cleaning service come in once a month. They came over yesterday, so score one for me.

  “I’d love for you to come over. It takes less than ten minutes to drive from my house to yours.”

  “I can’t believe I’ve never seen you around town before. I have to admit, you’re hard to miss.”

  “Well, I just moved to this area about six months ago. Prior to that, I lived across town.”

  Several minutes later, I pull into the gated parking lot of the condominiums where I live and enter my code, the gates slowly opening. “Well, here we are. My humble abode.” In reality, it a fourteen hundred-square-foot condominium on the beach. It was a foreclosure, so I couldn’t pass up the deal I got.

  “This is beautiful, Nash,” she breathes out. “If I hadn’t inherited my house, it’s just what I’d pick for myself. Heck, it’s right on the beach. What more could you ask for?”

  I decide to put it out there. Why hide how I feel? “After meeting you, there’s a lot more I want to ask for.”

  “Such as?”

  “For starters, this is just a dwelling. I want to make a home. A home with the woman who captures my heart.”

  “I hope you find that someday,” she whispers and looks down at her hands.

  I place my finger under her chin and tilt her head up so she is looking at me. “Baby, I’ve found that woman. I just hope she feels the same way.”

  “I do, Nash. So much. It’s just… I’m scared. This is all moving so fast. Plus, I have Gage to think about. What if he loves spending time with you, like I do, and we
don’t work out? Then what? His heart will be broken.”

  “Baby, that’s not going to happen. I’m scared, too. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. You’re the one who holds the power to break me.”

  Just as I start to lean close for a kiss, a car comes flying up behind us, bright lights shining and horn blaring. It almost smashes into my car as it turns and squeals out of the parking lot.

  “What the hell was that?!” Meredith yells, terror in her voice.

  “I have no fucking clue, but I’m pissed. That asshole almost ran into the back of us. He came out of nowhere. How the hell did he get past the gate?” I look back to see the gate still wide open. I’m going to report that first thing in the morning.

  “Why would somebody do that? We’re parked, for Christ’s sake. It’s not like we’re impeding traffic.” She’s visibly shaking. “We could’ve been hurt or killed.”

  “It’s Friday night. Maybe he’s drunk or high. Maybe he thought we were someone else, then realized we weren’t.” I wrap my arms around her. “I’ve got you, baby. Come on. Let’s get inside.

  I get out of the Jeep and rush around to help her out. She is still shaking, but insists that she’s okay. I hold her close as we walk to my unit, which is close to where I parked.

  Once inside, I lead her to the couch and give her a kiss on the forehead. “What can I get you to drink? I have wine, beer, whiskey…”

  “After that, I definitely need whiskey. Do you have any Diet Coke?”

  “I have Coke Zero. Will that work?”

  “That will be great. Make it strong.” She smiles.

  Thank goodness she is smiling. I had feared our night was ruined. I mix us both a whiskey and Coke, then carry them to the couch. “Here you go, beautiful. I hope this helps calm your nerves.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure this will do the trick.” She takes a long, slow drink, visibly relaxing.

  Sitting next to her on the couch feels like home. When she lays her head on my shoulder, I wrap her in my arms.

  After several minutes, she looks at me and smirks. “Are you ready for dessert?”

  That got my attention. “Baby, when it comes to you, I’d never turn down dessert.” I scoop her up and toss her over my shoulder, making her squeal as I carry her into my bedroom.

  I gently place her feet on the floor and let her take in her surroundings.

  “Wow, your room is beautiful, Nash.”

  “Thank you. My mom helped me pick everything out. I didn’t want it to look like a bachelor pad. I wanted it to look like a home.”

  “Well, you did a spectacular job. I love the khaki with navy and red accents against the cherry wood furniture. I just want to jump into all those pillows on your bed.”

  I blow out a breath. “I have a confession to make. Those are usually piled up in the corner because I’m always rushing to get out the door. Who has time to make the bed every day?”

  “Did you make your bed in the hopes I’d see it tonight?” She smiles, eyes sparkling.

  I hold up my hands. “Guilty as charged. I hoped you’d eventually end up here, and I didn’t want you to think I’m a slob.”

  “It almost makes me feel bad for what I’m about to do.”

  Meredith turns back to the bed and suddenly jumps right in the middle of the king-size monstrosity, flings off her shoes, then knocks all the pillows off and flops onto her back. Giving me a demure look, she crooks her finger at me.

  Smiling, I kick off my shoes and jump right next to her on the bed. She climbs on top of me, kissing me with abandon, then pulls her lips from mine, breathless. “Make love to me, Nash.”

  My heart’s racing at the thought of making love to her. I reach into my bedside table and pull out an unopened box of condoms, setting it on top.

  “You’re so beautiful. You are my every dream come true.”

  Slowly, I slide my hands up her sides, lifting her shirt over her head and exposing her delicate, pink lace bra, which fastens in the front. Thank God for small miracles. I flip her over and straddle her waist, kissing her behind her ear, working my way around her jaw to her luscious lips. I work my way down her neck and to her chest, unfastening her bra and exposing her glorious breasts and pert nipples. I lick and suck them, biting gently, until she writhes beneath me.

  When I work my way down her stomach to her low-rise jeans, she lifts her ass off the bed to make pulling them down easier, my mouth becoming dry when I see she’s wearing pink lace thongs.

  I gaze up at her. “I hope you’re not attached to these panties.” When she shakes her head slightly, I take them between my teeth and hungrily pull them down her legs. She lets out the sexiest moan I’ve ever heard.

  “I need you, Nash.”

  “First, I’m going to taste you.” Her legs fall open, begging me. I shake my head. “No. I want you to sit on my face.” I pull off my shirt and jeans and deposit them onto the floor. I’m now completely naked, because I went commando tonight.

  Meredith rakes her gaze over me, licking her lips, then quickly gets on her knees. I lie on my back, waiting for her to crawl up to my mouth.

  “Reach up and clasp the headboard, baby. You’re going to need the support before I get done with you.”

  She smells like heaven and looks like sin as she lowers herself down. I greedily suck her bud into my mouth as I slide a finger in, then two, finding her G-spot and fucking it. I blow on her between nips and sucks, making her writhe above me. Her soft moans drive me wild. It only takes minutes before I feel her thighs shake and pussy pulse, ready to detonate. I pinch her clit. She screams out my name as she explodes around my tongue.

  Truthfully, I’m not far from exploding myself. I flip her onto her back and kiss her, letting her taste herself on my tongue. My dick is so hard, it hurts. I reach over and rip open the box of condoms, pulling one out and ripping it open with my teeth. I roll it onto my throbbing cock.

  “Are you ready for me, baby?”

  “Yes, please. I need to feel you inside me.”

  I guide my cock into her waiting pussy, letting out a moan. She feels glorious. She is hot, tight, and wet, almost like she was made just for me. I slide into her, inch by inch, until I’m in deep. I wait and let her body adjust to my large size. It takes all the restraint I can muster. Meredith starts moving her hips, which is all the invitation I need to start moving slowly.

  “Oh baby, you feel so good. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to last.”

  “Faster, Nash. Oh god… I’m going to come again.”

  She’s so responsive to me. I lift her ass up from the bed, squeezing her ample cheeks, positioning her for maximum penetration. When I hear her breathing increase and feel her starting to shake, I pound into her.

  “Come for me, Meredith,” I say, and we both shatter, the walls of her core milking me for all it’s worth.

  “Th… That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced,” she pants, tears in her eyes. “I didn’t know sex could feel like that.”

  “Baby, that’s because it was more than just sex. I have never connected with someone on this level. I’m so gone for you.”

  I reach up and wipe the tears from her face and kiss her gently before climbing off the bed to dispose of the condom in the bathroom. I turn on the water in the Jacuzzi as I hear her step into the bathroom. I look over my shoulder and smile.

  “Sorry, I don’t have any bubble bath or those bath bombs all the ladies rave about. I will remedy that next time I go shopping.”

  After I test the water temperature and turn on the jets, we both step into the tub. Meredith positions herself between my legs, resting back against my chest. I could just sit here for hours, holding her.

  After I make sure every inch of her is clean, then myself, we climb out of the bath. I wrap her in a fluffy white towel, pulling her into my arms. “Stay the night. Please. I’m not ready to let you go.”

  She pulls away, frowning. “I want to, Nash, more than anything, but my mom will
be dropping Gage off at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. I don’t want you to have to get up early to take me home.”

  “That’s not early. I’ll sleep like a baby with you beside me. We can get up early and have breakfast on the beach. Then I’ll drop you off at home and come back a couple hours later to pick you both up again. Do I still get to surprise Gage, or have you already spilled the beans?

  “No. I wanted it to be a surprise. Plus, I knew he’d be too excited to fall asleep. I swear. You’re all he talks about.”

  “You don’t know how happy that makes me. I think he’s pretty darn special. Let me get you a t-shirt to sleep in, then we can climb back into bed and snuggle.”

  She chuckles. “Snuggle? You’re so adorable.”

  I gasp in faux hurt. “Should I feel emasculated by being called adorable?”

  “Never. I think it’s a wonderful trait, especially in a boyfriend. That’s what you are, isn’t it? My boyfriend?”

  “Since you didn’t object at the pub when I introduced you as my girlfriend, I was kind of hoping that you felt the same.”

  “Oh, I most definitely feel the same.”

  I grab a shirt from my dresser, handing it to Meredith. We both climb into bed, but we don’t get much sleep. Snuggles quickly lead to my dick nestling between her ass cheeks, which leads to me taking her from behind, her glorious ass in the air, her thick, blonde hair begging me to wrap my hands around it.

  Sometime after two am, utterly spent, we finally fall asleep.

  * * *

  My alarm goes off at seven thirty. I quickly shut it off so it doesn’t wake Meredith. She looks so beautiful with her hair fanned out across the pillow, sexy body in my shirt. I quickly shut down my thoughts, knowing I’ll never get breakfast made and her home in time for Gage’s arrival if I don’t.

  I slowly climb out of bed, so as not to wake her, pull on some boxers, and silently pad out of the bedroom.