Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
olivia
I don’t know how I expected Nate to react to my freakout, but it wasn’t by comforting me and then fucking me into oblivion.
By round three, I rode him, his eyes not once leaving mine. My rational mind was telling me there was something wrong with what we were doing, but his eyes and our bodies told a different story.
I came hard and collapsed on him. “My legs hurt, babe.”
He rolled me onto my back, his own orgasm not far. He grunted when he came. I winced when he pulled out.
“Are you sore?”
“A little. Worth it though.”
Concern etched his face, and he got up to get a cool, wet towel, carefully cleaning me before holding it in place. Yeah, that was nice. I’d had sex with more partners than I cared to admit, but Nate was the first partner who had ever attempted to take care of me when we finished.
“I wish we could stay,” he said as he flopped down on the bed next to me, pulling me to his side.
“Same. Sophie left when Austin got home, but I’ve gotta go soon.”
“Where’s your car?”
“I left it at the train station. Can you bring me back there?”
He stared daggers at me. “Do you honestly think that’s in question?”
“I’m used to finding my own way—with everything.”
“That’s not gonna fly with me. But once we get there, you head home, and I’ll follow a little after.”
“What are you going to tell Austin you did after the game?” I asked.
“If he asks, I’m going to tell him I had a date. Gonzo caught me texting you. I forgot to tell you—Austin overheard us talking, but has no clue it’s you.”
“What did Gonzo say about it? About me? He knows it was me?” I had been to many team events with Austin over the years, and most of them knew me.
“After giving me kudos for landing you—he thinks you’re hot, by the way—he warned me not to let Austin find out.”
I thought about the consequences if Austin found out about us.
Shit. Would he be more pissed at me? Or Nate?
It had been a long time since Austin had felt the need to defend my honor.
But he’d brought Nate into my house, and he was protective of both of us—for different reasons.
My biggest fear, though, was Jason. He’d find some way to make me look like an asshole, and Cooper would be the one who ended up suffering.
“I wish things were simpler,” I said.
“Yeah, but not gonna lie, this is kinda fun.”
I smacked his arm and stood up to find my clothes. “Sneaking around is so much fun. Sorry. Forgot myself for a moment.”
“No, Livvie, being with you is the most fun I’ve ever had.”
I tossed him his jersey and jeans after taking a sniff. God, his scent was addicting. “You’d better watch your sweatshirts, because I’m stealing this one the first chance I get.”
He smiled a wicked grin, his briefs not quite covering his goods, and I wanted another round. I licked my lips, unable to hide my appraisal.
“Keep looking at me like that, and we’re not leaving.” I was dead serious. In all the years since I had become a mother, I had never played the edge so close to my home life. I had never been tempted to say, fuck it. I wanted Nate with an intensity that should scare me. “Cover up.”
He nodded and turned his backside to me. Not helping Nate.
“I’ll leave a sweatshirt on the dryer—you don’t need to steal it. The only condition is that you promise to sleep wrapped up in me.”
I dressed silently, unable to speak. Confusion—this emotion battled the warmth I’d felt towards Nate. What had started as a feeling of protectiveness had taken a huge turn.
As we walked to the car, Nate checked his phone. On first read, he seemed happy, but he kept rereading the text message.
“What’s wrong?”
“You know how sometimes I’m not sure I’m reading things correctly?”
“I do.”
“My mom texted me. She’ll be in town on my birthday, and she’ll be at the game that night. But can you read this and see if she’s actually saying she’s bringing Coach Dobbs? Like, is she with Coach Dobbs, or is he coming with her to see me?”
I read through the text and studied his face. “I think your mom is dating him. Didn’t you say she was seeing someone new?”
“Oh, my God.” His hand ran through his hair nervously.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure how I feel about it. Coach was a father figure for me—he’s literally the reason I am where I am. And they’ve been friends forever.”
“But?”
“This is going to make me sound so fucking selfish…”
“It’s me, Nate. I’m not going to think less of you.”
“They both suck at relationships. And if they fuck this up, I might not be able to have the same relationship as I have with them.”
“That’s not selfish; it’s honest. Selfish would be if you did something to get in the way of their relationship.”
We’d arrived at his car in the meantime. “I haven’t said anything, but damn, Nate. This car is fucking hot.”
“Yeah?” His cocky grin sent a jolt straight to my long-dead heart.
“Yup.”
“I bought it thinking about what it would look like with me fucking you on the hood.”
“Well, I’ll give up my spot in the garage to make that happen.”