Chapter 9 Iris #2
I looked over my shoulder to the man I had tied myself to, wondering for the hundredth time what I had gotten myself into.
Now that some time had passed, I questioned if I should let go of the past and move on, find love like my brothers had and live for me.
I loved my parents, they gave me life and raised me, but they left so much destruction in their wake.
That wasn’t a legacy I wanted to continue.
Once the dishes were done, I felt emotionally exhausted, too tired to sit around and pretend everything was ok.
“Sorry I crashed and thanks for dinner,” I said, forcing a yawn. “I hate to eat and run, but I’m exhausted.”
“I’m going to head out too,” Nash said. “Gotta be up early again.”
I wanted to be upset, but I was mentally capped out. Nova looked at us warily.
“Yeah, we will be knocking out soon too,” Colt said, looking half asleep.
“Izzy! Don’t leave yet.” Sol ran to me giving me a big hug. “I wanted to play or read.”
“It’s getting late, little one,” I said, hugging her back. “I’ll be back soon and we can play and read all you want, ok?”
Sol might not be my niece by blood, but this little girl was my niece no matter what. I’d do anything for her.
“We have to shower too, Sunshine,” Theo said, getting up.
“I promise this weekend we can spend a whole day together if you’d like,” I said.
“Even horseback riding?” She mumbled. “I gotta be better.”
“Yeah, even horseback riding,” I said, even though I had a night shift at the bar.
“Hey, did you know Nash is a bronc rider?” she asked as she pulled away.
“Yeah, I’ve seen him before,” I said.
“Oh my god, really?” Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Is he good?”
“Eh, he’s alright.” I shrugged.
Nash chuckled. “If you want to learn how to be the best rider, I need to teach you because I’m the best.”
“Pssh, bronc riding and barrel racing are two different things, cowboy,” I dismissed him.
“Maybe we should see who the better rider is.” He challenged.
“Oh, you’re on, Nash, you’ll eat my dust,” I said confidently.
“A race?!” Sol squealed.
I flinched, remembering we had an audience.
“Yeah, we can set a course,” I said leaning down. “But you have to go to bed and be a good girl till Saturday, ok?”
“I will, I promise,” she said, hugging me before going down the hall to what I suspected was the bathroom.
“God, I wish it was always that easy,” Nova chuckled, getting up to hug me.
“It’s that auntie touch,” I chuckled, as Nova hugged me.
“Do you need me to walk you out?” Nova whispered quickly.
I shook my head. “Nah, but we do need a girl’s night.”
“Definitely,” she said, releasing me.
Theo gave me a hug goodbye that felt like he was studying me a little more than usual.
“Call me if you need me, ok?” he said, glancing at Nash. “Love you.”
“Of course. Love you too.” I kissed his cheek, hugging him tighter, making up for all those years I didn’t get to hug him or give him affection like I should have.
“Bye, Iz,” Atlas said, getting up to hug me and I said goodbye to Colt who was half asleep on the sofa.
Nash and I walked out of the house, the cold instantly chilling me and the silence enveloping us. We walked to our cars as I waited for him to say something.
“Can we sit down and talk?” he asked, as I shivered.
“Can’t you just tell me why you are here?” I wrapped my arms around myself.
Nash sighed, throwing an arm around me, pulling me close. His warmth infused my side and my protest died on my lips.
“It’s cold and I’d prefer not to have you freeze to death on me,” he said.
“Well, if you started talking when we left then—”
“Why are you so stubborn?” he interrupted. “I just want to have a conversation.”
“I’m stubborn?” I clipped. “Says the man who left me after our wedding to never answer my calls or texts and then when I get to see you, you act like I was a stalking Buckle Bunny!” I pulled away.
“You embarrassed me, made me feel like I was just a nag when all I wanted was to figure out was going on with my family’s farm because your entire family was icing me out. ”
I pushed him away, all my anger ready to come out.
“So, now that you want to have a conversation you act all high and mighty—”
“That’s not what—”
“No, you shut up and listen.” I pushed him again.
“Let me explain,” he said, not listening to me.
“No, you had your chance to explain,” I growled, getting more upset, pushing him with both hands.
He grabbed my wrists. “No, I didn’t—I didn’t have a choice in this, and you think that—”
“You think I had a choice!?!” I yelled, trying to pull my hands back, but he wouldn’t let go.
“We didn’t have a choice and I’m starting to see that, that’s why I want to talk,” he snapped, pulling me closer.
“No, you shouldn’t wait a fucking year to speak to me,” I gasped, as he pulled me closer, moving my wrists to one hand and holding them to one side as he pushed me against a car.
“I’m trying to make this better,” he snapped. “I just want to talk, please.”
Our breaths were coming in quickly, our bodies were close together and my body took notice of our position. He pressed his hard body up against my own. It would have been so easy to lift my leg over his hip to bring us closer together. I was not immune to Nash.
I’d like to say it wasn’t me who moved first, but all I remember was the heat of his lips on my own and the roughness of his goatee.
He released my hands that found their way into his hair pulling him closer.
Strong hands gripped my hips sliding up, one continuing their exploration until he cupped my cheek, tilting my head and I opened up like a flower blooming in spring.
I gasped when his tongue touched my own and then it felt like we weren’t close enough.
My fingers grasped his longer blonde hair, hands pulling him closer even if he couldn’t come closer. He groaned when I sucked his bottom lip, grabbing a handful of ass, and hiking my leg over his hip.
“Fuuck,” he groaned again.
The sound elicited goosebumps over my body and I wanted more.
“Iris.”
My name was like a bucket of cold water on me. I leaned my head back, hitting the window hard.
Nash trailed kisses down my neck, unaware of the broken spell.
“Nash,” I said, pushing him back.
I wasn’t prepared for the wrecked look Nash was sporting.
His lips were swollen, eyes half lidded and his hair was messy, but he looked at me ravenously.
My traitorous lower body tightened her hold on him and we crashed together again.
It wasn’t as gracious as the first time. We were starving. I was starving.
Nash hiked my leg higher, pressing his hard cock against my core and I whimpered wanting more. There were too many pieces of clothing between us.
“Fuck, Petal,” he groaned, after I sucked his tongue.
He thrusted against me, inciting images of what it would feel like to have Nash fucking me into the mattress. My stomach dropped at the image, and I needed that more than I needed air.
A shrill ring came from his phone and a buzz was coming from his front pocket. The sensation was too close to my pussy that desperately needed attention. The ringing stopped as Nash kissed and sucked on my neck when his phone rang again.
“Fuck, that might be my agent or my PR manager,” he growled, reaching into his pocket kissing me as he brought the phone to his ear.
“What?” he snapped, dragging his teeth along my jaw.
“Bad day?”
The sound of his brother’s voice was a shock to my system. I jerked, pushing him away and when he didn’t move enough, I tried again. This time he stepped back several steps.
“This isn’t a good time,” Nash said as we stared at each other.
I shook my head, grabbing my purse that had fallen off my shoulder at some point.
“Brooks, I gotta go,” he said quickly.
Panic surged through me as I grabbed my keys, walking to my truck, needing to leave before he got off the phone. Whatever we had done was a mistake.
“Don’t leave, Ivy!”
I rolled my eyes, opening the door when he caught it.
“Nash, let me leave,” I said, pulling on the door, afraid to look at him.
“You can’t leave after that,” he said, but it was almost in a pleading tone. “You kissed me, practically mauled me.”
“Excuse me?!” I shrieked, as I glared at him. “You kissed me.”
“Nah, Rosie, that’s not how I remember it,” he smirked.
“Well, I wouldn’t trust your memory with how many times you’ve fall off a fucking horse,” I snapped.
“Hey, that’s a low fucking blow,” he pouted.
I tried not to think it was cute, but I did.
“It’s the truth,” I said, yanking on the door which only brought him closer to me.
“Don’t run away,” he said softly. “Please, can we meet somewhere and talk? Please, Iris.”
I couldn’t do this, kissing him was a mistake.
“Get out of my fucking car, Nash, or I’m backing up with you behind it,” I said, starting my car so he knew I was being serious.
“Petal, don’t be like this,” he said, grabbing my hand.
I put my truck in reverse, pulling my hand out of his.
“I can and I will be like this. Just because you need something doesn’t mean I have to be accommodating,” I said, as my voice wavered.
“I needed you and you ignored me. I knew this marriage was a sham, but hell, we could have been friends, allies or just fucking cordial with each other. So go fuck yourself, Nash.”
I backed up enough that he got the hint. He closed my door as I continued reversing and I kept my eyes straight ahead, afraid that if I looked at him, I would stop the truck and get out. His lips were like magic and he had almost completely put me under his spell.
No matter how good Nash felt, I had to remember that at the end of the day, Nash was selfish. He was only here because he needed something and if I let him, he would hurt me just to get what he wanted.