Chapter 27
Olive
Sadness fills me as we walk through the lobby. I want to spend the rest of the evening with Nate after the perfect day we had together, but I know Nate needs to get to the show.
His arm wraps around my waist as we step into the elevator with a few other people.
We’re shuffled to the back corner as more people push their way in.
Nate shifts me so I’m in front of him, with my ass pressed to his groin.
I smirk as I decide to use this to my advantage, and as subtly as possible, I tilt my hips back, rubbing myself against him.
I know he realizes what I’m doing when his grip on my hips tightens.
I’m not sure if it’s to keep me from doing it again, or to make me continue.
But I assume the latter as I shift my hips a little more.
He moves behind me, and his lips find my ear. “You’re playing with fire, Olive.”
I tilt my head and look up at him over my shoulder. “That’s good, because I’m cold.”
His eyes flare as he pulls me harder against him.
As soon as the elevator doors open, we’re down the hall in record time. Before the door even latches behind us, he’s pulled his shirt off.
I pivot, and my breath catches as he stalks toward me. With a sexy smirk in place, he grips the bottom of my shirt and pulls it over my head, tossing it across the room to join his.
“Sadly, I don’t have a lot of time right now. But there’s no way I’m leaving without fucking you.”
I whimper at his words as he kisses me deeply. Our tongues tease each other as much as our bodies do. I’ve always enjoyed sex, but with Nate, it’s so much more than physical. Even our first time. It was something much deeper.
My stomach muscles contract in desire as his fingertips trail down my skin to the button on my jeans.
Before I can even take my next breath, he yanks them down my legs as he kneels in front of me, slowly lifting each foot out of my jeans.
When he tosses them with the rest of our clothes, he stays on his knees and grips my hips.
I sway toward him and place my hands on his shoulders.
His fingertips dig into the skin at my hips as his nose brushes my panty-covered core.
He inhales deeply with a content sigh. “You’re so fucking delicious. Unfortunately, I don’t have time for that today.”
I let out a disappointed moan, which he answers with a chuckle.
“I feel the exact same way. Now get on the bed, head down, ass up.”
I waste no time doing what he says. When he doesn’t touch me for a few moments, I get self-conscious about the angle I’m in. I start to turn over when Nate presses a hand to my back, holding me in place. “Just enjoying the view for a moment. Don’t be so impatient.”
A huff of frustration leaves me. “You said you didn’t have very much time.”
I hear the smile in his voice when he says, “I said I didn’t have much time, not no time. So how about you let me worry about that, and you just enjoy what I’m about to do to you.”
“Fine.” I pout as I settle back into his requested position.
Electricity jolts as his fingers run under the seam of my panties before they brush over my clit. A loud moan escapes my throat as two fingers slip inside me.
“You tell me immediately if you don’t like anything, got it, Olive?”
A small amount of anxiety fills me at his words. What’s he going to do to me? My fists grab handfuls of the comforter. “I’ll tell you.”
“Good girl,” he murmurs as he pumps his fingers in and out. I mewl in pleasure until a loud smack resounds through the room. Pain and pleasure detonate in my system as his palm connects with my ass. “You okay?”
I assess how I’m feeling, and I know I want more. I answer with a breathy, “Yes.”
Nate growls behind me as he pulls my panties down so they’re around my knees. I hold my breath, anticipating what he’s going to do. When the next smack comes, I cry out. My muscles contract right as his fingers leave me, and something much bigger takes their place.
“Yes, Nate,” I call out, pushing back to meet his thrusts. I get three more spanks before Nate reaches around and pinches my clit. There’s no way the people in the rooms next to us don’t hear the sounds I make. I feel lightheaded from the force of my orgasm as Nate continues to pump inside of me.
“Olive, you’re so fucking sexy when you come. I’m in shock at how lucky I am to get to experience it with my cock buried deep inside of you.”
I have no idea how a man can sound so sweet while talking about the filthiest things.
He groans one last time as I feel him pulse inside of me.
His hips slow as he carefully massages the globes of my ass.
Pulling out of me with a grunt, he runs his fingers over the sensitive skin between my legs.
“So beautiful,” he mumbles, almost to himself, before shimmying my panties up and flipping me onto my back.
A startled yelp releases as my back hits the bed. He bends over and cages me with his hands on either side of me. Reaching up, I cup his cheeks, brushing my thumbs over his cheekbones. “Please be careful tonight.”
He wears a cocky smirk as he bends down to kiss me as passionately as he just had sex with me. I’m breathless and wanting another round by the time he pulls back, puts his clothes on, and leaves me practically naked and very much aroused.
After Nate leaves, I take a relaxing hot shower that lasts way too long but feels fantastic.
I pull on the fluffy hotel robe, curling up in bed and turning on the TV.
With Nate at the show and Cade out at some club, that I have no interest in going to, it looks like it’ll be a chill night in the hotel room for me, with a dinner consisting of one of the bags of chips I stole from the plane.
And Nate bought me some candy from a shop on the boardwalk.
Since we ate lunch, got a snack, and ate ice cream earlier, I probably won’t be hungry, but I’m glad I have at least those to hold me over if needed.
I don’t get paid for another week and a half.
At least Cade knows about how tight money is right now, but with Nate, I feel so guilty about letting him pay for everything.
But every time I try to refuse whatever he suggests, he tells me I don’t have an option and pays for both of us.
I hope he doesn’t feel like I’m taking advantage of him.
I also hate not being honest with him, but it seems like a lot to say, “Well, as you know, my brother is in rehab, and also, I’m paying off some drug dealer for reasons I haven’t been told, so I’m broke on top of that. ”
Telling him about Benny didn’t cause him to run as fast as he can away from me, but the rest…no sane man would stick around. It’s for the best that I keep that little part to myself.
I’m three episodes into some cooking show when my phone vibrates. Hoping it’s Nate, I scoop it off the bed.
But my stomach drops instead.
Marcus: My boss went to see Benny today.
This man, who’s probably an awful man, went to see Benny.
Me: Please tell me he isn’t going to hurt him. I made a payment.
Marcus: I know. But my boss says he wants another payment. And he wants it to be double what you gave the first time.
Double? Where in the hell am I going to get $14,000?
Me: You have got to be kidding. I don’t have $14k just lying around.
Marcus: Oli, you have got to figure something out. This isn’t someone you want to fuck with.
Me: Marcus. Please. Can you please talk to your boss?
Marcus: I tried. I promise I tried to talk to him. But he’s pissed. And I think whoever his boss is breathing down his neck.
My breaths are coming in short pants as I sit upright. I feel sweat starting to line my back. This cannot be real life.
Me: How much time do I have?
Marcus: One week.
Me: I’ll see what I can do. But please, Marcus, try not to let anything happen to him.
Marcus: I’m trying.
The second I read his last text, I dial the rehab facility, demanding to speak with anyone with any authority.
After being on hold for what seems like hours, someone picks up.
By the time the manager gets on the line, I’m hysterically crying, trying to explain that myself and Benny’s sponsor are the only ones who can come and see him.
When I tell them how they let his former drug dealer in, the lady is appalled and apologetic.
I know it isn’t their fault. They had no idea who Marcus was to Benny.
I make one last request that his treatment team be alerted so they can preemptively assess Benny for a relapse risk, given how triggering that visit could’ve been.
Benny could decide to leave at any time, and I need them to do everything they can to prevent that.
As soon as I hang up with the facility, I call Benny’s sponsor, James.
I beg him to visit Benny as often as he can.
James agrees immediately to visit every day unless something major prevents him from going.
He doesn’t bother reassuring me that Benny will be okay, probably knowing better than to promise me that right now.
It’s hard for me to believe, no matter how desperately I want to.
I disconnect the call with James and see a text from Nate.
Nate: Today was the best day. I wish I was with you right now and not here.
I resist the urge to throw my phone across the room. Why in the fuck would the universe bring this man into my life, who’s my literal fantasy man, only to give such a cruel wake-up call? There’s no happily-ever-after for me. There’s only stress, despair, and grief.
Forever. Over and over, until I die.
I drop my head against the headboard and close my eyes, tears flowing down my cheeks like waterfalls.
After five minutes of crying, I take one last shaky breath.
And then, because I have no other option, I start trying to figure out how in the hell I’m going to come up with $14,000 in one week’s time.