Chapter 21
Elizabeth
HALLELUJAH
I grip the sheets in my hands, my elbows moving back and forth as he fucks me from behind.
I woke up with Nate’s head buried in between my legs, which then led to him sliding into me and then, when I was fully awake, treating me to my third orgasm of the morning.
“Nate,” I moan his name and his hold on my hips tightens each time.
“Yeah, baby,” he answers, not stopping his rhythm.
“I’m close,” I tell him, even though he knows.
It’s like he has an owner’s manual for my body.
He works me like no one else has ever worked me before.
The sex is always good, and just when I think it won’t get better, he basically says, hold my beer and makes it feel like I’m floating in the atmosphere.
“I know, baby.” He slams into me one last time and that is what sends me flying over the edge and crashing into the abyss. I fuck him back, riding out my orgasm. “Fuck, I don’t know if I can hold back.”
“Then don’t.” I look over my shoulder at him as he pulls out of me and places his cock between my ass cheeks as he grips it and shoots his cum on my lower back. I arch my back as he slaps my ass and I smile.
“Don’t tease me with that ass,” he warns and moves away from me, and I collapse on the middle of his bed.
Where I said I would never go again. But last night, after the closet, we walked back out and I couldn’t stay away from him.
The soft touches no one saw. The looks he would give me over the table.
It was all too much. When he parked in his driveway and we walked in, he put his hand around my waist and then I walked straight to his room where I got on my knees. “I don’t think I can move.”
“Well.” He smacks my ass lightly and then kisses the back of my neck. “I have to go let Whiskey out, and I can bring you a coffee.”
“That sounds like a plan,” I tell him as he grabs his shorts before going to the bathroom to clean up. He walks out with a white cloth in his hand as he wipes my back.
“How chivalrous of you,” I tease, and he glares. “You were jealous.”
“I wasn’t jealous,” he denies. “Do you want coffee or do you not want coffee?” He wipes my lower back.
“I would like coffee,” I answer and then flip over when he’s done, “but I’ll come with you. You can make the coffee and I can feed Whiskey and let him out.” Getting out of bed, I slip on one of his discarded T-shirts from the chair in the corner.
I follow him out of the room and come face-to-face with Bean, who’s decided to come out of hiding to witness my walk of shame, and Baby Cat.
“Your cats are very judgmental,” I tell him as they stare at me and I stare back at them.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never slept in his bed before.
” I walk down the steps as I follow him as he waits for me at the bottom of the steps.
“Someone is jealous.” He swats my ass, and I don’t get to answer him because Whiskey comes down the hallway, stretching and then wagging his tail.
“First, I am not jealous of cats,” I refute, looking up the steps to see the cats now sitting at the top of the stairs side by side, “and you were jealous of Gavin.” He stops walking and turns around.
“Don’t even try to deny it. You were grouchy the minute he started flirting with me, and if looks could kill, he would be dead.
” I walk to him and tap the tip of his nose with my finger. “Don’t even try to deny it.”
“The guy is probably a con man and pretends he’s in the military, so no one asks any questions.” He taps my nose and then turns and walks toward the kitchen.
I shake my head and walk into the kitchen, going to the back door while he makes the coffee, and filling Whiskey’s bowls with water and food.
I sit down on the stool and watch him. He places one cup in front of me and stands exactly where he did yesterday morning.
“We need to talk about—” I start saying and he holds up his hand.
“We’re two adults who enjoy each other’s company,” he starts and then smirks.
“Listen, Elizabeth, I know the deal and so do you.” I don’t say anything, I just nod my head.
I mean, realistically, he’s saying what I want him to say.
However, saying we are just two adults who enjoy each other’s company, and nothing more, stings like a motherfucker.
“So while you are here, we can do what we are doing.”
“I leave after New Year’s Day.” My heartbeat starts to speed up while I say it, and I bring the cup of coffee to my lips, taking a small sip.
“How about we just…” He looks down at his coffee not sure how to word the next part.
“Fuck each other’s brains out while I’m here?” I fill in the part for him when he takes too long to think of the words.
“Fuck each other’s brains out while you’re here.” He chuckles. “It’ll be our little secret.”
“Just like before, except now we know the terms.” I trail off. “I won’t think you hate me.”
He looks me in the eyes. “I could never hate you, Elizabeth,” he assures, picking up his cup. “Be annoyed with you? Most definitely, but hate?” He shakes his head. “Never.”
I gasp, “How could little old me annoy you?” I lean back on the stool and tuck one of my feet under me. “I’m perfect.”
“That you are,” he agrees. “That you are.”
* * *
He pulls up to my parents’ house and I look around to see there are double the cars that were here the last time. “It’s safe to say”—I look over at him—“the family has descended.”
“This isn’t even all of them.” He puts the truck in park and then turns over to look at me. “The majority are only getting here for the rehearsal dinner.”
“Smart people,” I grumble as I reach for the door handle. “I should have done that.”
“If you had,” he chirps as he opens his own door, “then I wouldn’t be able to bang your brains out.”
I don’t know why, but hearing him say the words makes me laugh in a way I haven’t in a while. Like throw my head back and just laugh. “That is very true.”
I get out and walk side by side with him up the front steps and open the door.
The noise hits us right away, along with the smell of food.
“I’m starving,” he remarks kicking off his boots and adding them to the mammoth collection that is now at the front door.
There are boots and sneakers, both male and female, along with kids’ shoes tossed in every single direction.
“You should have eaten something.” I look over at him and he grins.
“I did.” He looks around to make sure no one is listening. “Twice.”
“Oh, there you two are,” I hear over my shoulder and see my father walking into the room. He’s dressed in track pants and a T-shirt that has the rink name across it in a teal-blue color. “Guess what?”
“The wedding is off, and Christmas is now cancelled for all eternity.” I hold my hands together and smile. The joke going over his head as he glares at me.
“That is not funny.”
“Depends who you ask.” I shrug my shoulder. “If it’s not, then I give up.”
“Your luggage was delivered this morning,” He announces and I gasp, turning in a circle to see if I see it anywhere.
“Did you guys accept it or did you give it away like you did my room?”
My father laughs. “So dramatic.” He hugs me with my arms pinned to my side. “It’s in the living room.” He kisses the top of my head. “I can put it in the truck for you.”
“I’ve got it,” Nate offers, walking to the living room and grabbing my black suitcase.
“Be careful with that luggage,” I tell him, “it’s precious cargo.”
“It’s a suitcase,” Nate answers back.
“Yeah, with my things in it and I’m precious, so it’s precious fucking cargo, Nate.”
“Got it.” He nods and opens the door to put my luggage in the back of his truck.
“Come and say hello to your cousins.” My father puts his arm around me as we step into the kitchen that looks like it’s packed with over forty people, if not more.
“Why is it that it always seems like we multiply?” I ask him and he laughs.
“You guys keep growing up and adding babies into the mix,” he answers, right as my cousin Zoey’s sons race past me.
“If you guys break anything in this house”—Zoey follows them—“it will be a huge time-out for both of you and…” She puts her hands on her hips, using her best mother voice.
“I’ll take the money out of your piggy banks.
” They look at her with big eyes. “Yeah, I said it and I mean it. Go find your father.” They turn around and take off running, zigzagging through the throngs of people.
“Hey,” she greets, coming to me and giving me a hug. “I was looking everywhere for you.” I give her a hug.
“Well, you couldn’t find me because my parents tossed me out on the streets.” I side-eye my father, who just rolls his eyes and walks away from me. “When did you get in?”
“Late last night,” she replies. “Nash had a meeting in Dallas, so we stopped there for a couple of days and then came up here.” She mentions her husband who she eloped with a week after she started working for him.
They never even went out on a date, and the next thing you know, they were married.
She actually took off from New York after her long-term boyfriend wouldn’t commit to her, and then she found Nash, who refused to let her go.
“How’s California treating you?” I ask her as we make our way over to the side where a couple of round tables are set up. The dining room that used to hold our dining room table has now been cleared out and in its place are five round tables with chairs.
“It’s great,” she says, “I love it. What about you? How is the land down under treating you?”
“It’s good,” I reply, but for the first time since I moved there, I am not missing it.
“I don’t know how you do it,” she says, putting her hand on mine. “My parents live about a four-hour plane ride from me, and I don’t know if I would be able to be across the world from them and everyone else, for that matter.” I smile at her. “Do you miss home sometimes?”
“It was hard at the beginning, for sure,” I admit to her, “and every single time I came here and then went home, it would be really hard to get back into the swing of things. I miss it here more times than not. Especially when everyone gets together and all I can see is pictures,” I share and look over when Nate walks back into the room.
His eyes roam around the room until he finds me.
He moves around people to get to the side of my table. “Bag is in the car,” he reports and then walks with a smile to Zoey. “Hey there.”
“Hey yourself.” She tilts her head back and he bends to kiss her cheek. “You look good.”
“No, he doesn’t,” I say, shaking my head and making them laugh.
“The two of you”—she gets up, shaking her head—“always oil and water. I have to check to make sure my kids are not swinging from the chandeliers,” she says, walking away and I look over at Nate.
“I’m the oil, you’re the water.” He just shakes his head.
“Whatever you say, Elizabeth.” The look in his eyes is flirty. “Whatever you say.” He turns back and walks toward the crowd of people, going to say hello to everyone, while I sit here and try not to think about how it’s going to feel not only leaving him, but leaving my family again.