Page 38

K ENDALL

I didn’t think my lunch break would ever come.

Not wanting to deal with my coworkers today, I hide out in my classroom and sink into my desk chair.

My body is weak and sore in the best way, and I hardly have the energy to open my lunchbox, but I know I need the fuel to get me through the rest of the day.

Last night, Nash worshiped my body. I wanted him to fuck me hard, leave his marks, destroy my insides, as he had promised.

Instead, he made love to me. He fucking made love to me even when I tried to hurry him along. When I climbed on him and rode him hard, I was hoping for a fast fuck. I needed a fast fuck.

Going two weeks without Nash inside me was torture. Then he tortured me even more by pulling out and flipping us so I was on bottom and he was in control. No matter how high I lifted my hips, or how deep I dug my heels into his ass, he didn’t take me hard and fast.

No, he had to do the unthinkable and make me feel cherished. His touches turned softer yet more intense, as if he was studying, learning, memorizing me. Every inch of me. The self-control that man has is freaking ridiculous.

Every time I reached for his hard cock, wet from my orgasms, he pulled away and kissed me somewhere. My neck. My clavicle. My hip. My belly button. His fingers roamed and touched as well.

It shouldn’t have been erotic. I shouldn’t have orgasmed again when he massaged my breasts and dragged his lips along my neck and whispered in my ear. The slow-burning orgasm shouldn’t have been so intense I thought I burst a blood vessel behind my eyes.

Nash was in no hurry last night, and I worried he’d keep me there in orgasmic bliss until sunrise. Eventually, he slid back into me again and moved slower than Boston’s rush hour traffic.

He was in no hurry, yet I could see the strain holding back had on him. The veins in his neck were prominent, as was the sweat along his brow and down his spine.

You’re beautiful.

You’re so fucking perfect.

I can never get enough of you.

Nash made me feel like his everything, but it was the heat of the moment talking. He’s a talker during sex. Dirty words. Praise. It’s his kink. At least, that’s what I need to believe.

When we’re not having sex, we’re...friendly. I need to keep reminding myself of this. We’re friends with benefits. Just because he’s amazing in bed and makes me feel cherished and loved doesn’t mean he cherishes or loves me.

He loves sex. Hell, the man went without it for a long ass time. Of course he’s going to be horny and talkative when he’s getting off.

Yup. That’s all it is. I take out my chicken sandwich and tear into it, hoping the protein goes straight to my muscles so I make it through the rest of my day without collapsing.

At the end of the day, once again, Paisley is the last student to get picked up. I watch her concentrate on cutting out her snowman. Sitting still is a challenge for her. She’s an active girl and loves spending time outside. But with the freezing rain today, we had to stay inside for recess.

I startle when a hand cups my ass and lips find my neck. “Have a good day?”

“Nash.”

“Breathless. Just like last night.” He grins at me and stares at my mouth. “How are you feeling today?”

I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how sore my body is, even though he wasn’t rough last night.

“Fine.” I fold my arms across my chest and take a step away from him. “Paisley is finishing her snowman.” I state the obvious.

Nash runs his tongue along his bottom lip and meets my gaze. “Come over for dinner.”

“I have plans,” I lie.

“Cancel—”

“Daddy!” Paisley saves me and runs into Nash’s legs. “I made a snowman and cut really good on the lines. See?” She holds her paper out for him.

Thankful for the interruption, I busy myself with picking up while Nash gathers Paisley’s things. Staying on the other side of the room, I wave to Paisley. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ignoring them, I turn my back on them and straighten the bookshelf.

“Dinner tomorrow.” Nash comes up behind me and brushes my hair to the side, kissing the side of my neck. “I’ll pick you up at six.” He leaves before I can turn him down.

WHEN NASH PICKS ME up the following evening, I’m surprised he’s alone. “Where’s Paisley?”

“With my parents.” He gives me a friendly kiss on the lips, then looks over my shoulder. “You must be Ms. Wentworth.” Nash brushes past me and holds out his hand to my mother.

“You can call me Lina. It’s nice to meet you...”

I let out a sigh. “Mom, this is Nash. Nash, my mom, Lina.”

“Lina. What a pretty name. I see where your daughter gets her beautiful looks from.”

I roll my eyes at my mother’s giggle and refuse to believe there’s any sentiment behind his words. Dani comes in from the kitchen, and when she sees how huge Nash is, she curls her shoulders and lowers her head.

Rushing over to her, I take her hands in mine and look her in the eye. “Danielle, this is, um, a friend. Remember Paisley from my classroom? He is her father.”

A few weeks ago, it was Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, and Revere always lets me bring Dani. She loves interacting with my students and playing with them outside. Paisley didn’t leave her side and the two played together all day.

“You’re Danielle?” Nash remains where he is on the other side of the living room. “Paisley hasn’t stopped talking about you. One of the best days of her life was with you at the playground. I’m so happy to finally meet you. My name is Nash.”

My mother does nothing to hide her verbal swoon, and I’m tempted to roll my eyes again. When Dani giggles, I release the tension in my shoulders. She picks her head up and smiles at Nash. I mean, it’s hard not to. He’s a gorgeous man.

“Paisley is my friend.” Dani puts her finger in her mouth and nibbles on her fingernail. “Can I play with her again?”

“She would love that. We’ll have you over soon. Kendall and I will find a time that works for you.”

“Can I see Paisley now?”

“Not tonight, honey.” My mother comes over and squeezes Dani’s arm. “Your sister and Nash are going on a date. Some other time, okay?”

“It’s not a date,” I grumble.

“Oh?” She looks at me with shock and...disappointment?

“Nash is my student’s father.”

“There’s nothing wrong with dating him,” she says.

I do everything I can to ignore Nash’s chuckle. “It’s not like that. I help him watch Paisley when he’s working. Dinner is, uh, a thank you.” Dinner and orgasms.

“Oh.”

I see the disappointment in my mother’s eyes.

“I won’t be gone long.” I give my mother and sister a hug and brush past Nash to get my coat from the closet.

When we’re in his car and at the end of my road, he turns to me. “Tonight is not a thank you .”

“Would you rather I have told her we’re in a friends that fuck relationship?”

Even through his winter coat, I can see Nash’s chest rise and fall as he lets out a deep breath. “You’re more than that. We’re more than that.”

Not wanting to get into it with him right now, I don’t argue. We turn out of the city in the opposite direction of his house. “Where are we going?” I figured he’d feed me then fill me with his cock.

“There’s a new Thai place in Danvers that I’ve heard good things about.”

“What’s wrong with your kitchen?”

“Nothing.”

We’re quiet the rest of the way to the restaurant, and it isn’t until after we’re seated and have ordered that Nash speaks to me.

“Your mom and sister seem really nice.”

“They are. Which is why I don’t like lying to them.”

“What are you lying to them about?”

I give him a deadpan glare. “Really?”

“Your mother is correct. This is a date.”

“No. A date is when you ask someone out and they agree. You told me you were picking me up.”

Nash rests his elbows on the table and leans forward. “You could have said no.”

“You would have showed up anyway.”

He grins. “You didn’t have to dress up for me.”

I glance down at my sweater and jeans. “I didn’t.” Another lie. By six o’clock I’m usually in my sweats, makeup free, and donning a messy bun. Instead, I showered, reapplied my makeup, and went through eight tops before deciding on my cream cashmere sweater, a gift from Riley last year.

“That’s true. You always look beautiful whether you’re trying or not.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“The only place I want to be is here with you.”

Fucking butterflies. I refuse to let them mess with my head. “Laying it on a little thick, Potato. I’m a sure thing. No need to wine and dine me.”

“Why is it so hard for you to believe I want to spend time with you? I genuinely like you, Kendall. Besides, you’re the one who came up with friends with benefits. Friends go out to dinner together.”

Well, shit. Maybe I’m looking too much into this. Maybe Nash just wants a friend right now. He’s a good guy, so I’m sure he feels guilty about using me for my body. Not that I have any problems with that.

When I allow myself to let my guard down, I end up enjoying myself.

We talk for nearly two hours about nothing.

Conversation is easy and flows with Nash.

We laugh over our love for stupid, slap-stick comedies, agree summer is the best season (my reasoning is I have school off, his reasoning is he gets to spend all his time with Paisley), and argue over reality television.

I think it’s great entertainment, he thinks it’s a waste of time.

He pays the bill and apologizes when he takes out his phone on our way to his car. He opens the door for me at the same time he answers.

“Hey, Sweet Pea. Getting ready for bed?”

He checks that I’m buckled, then closes my door. I don’t hear the rest of the conversation as he walks around the car, staying outside to finish his conversation. A few minutes later, he climbs behind the wheel.

“Sorry about that.”

“No apology necessary. We should have left earlier so you could be home to tuck her in.”

“I didn’t tell her I was out with you. I didn’t want her to be upset.”

“Nash.” I turn in my seat. “You should have stayed home with her.”

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and cups my face. “She’d only be upset because she’d want to come along. Call me selfish, but I didn’t feel like being the third wheel.”

He runs his thumb along my bottom lip, and when I think he’s going to lean in and kiss me, he pulls away and backs out of the parking space.

Too soon, he’s turning into my driveway. He walks me to the front door and gives me a soft kiss on the lips. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight.”

Nash opens my front door, and it isn’t until I’m inside and he’s backing out of my driveway that I realize this is the first time we didn’t argue or have sex. When we’re together, it’s one of the two. Or at least some serious kissing and touching. Orgasms are a guarantee.

That’s not what he wanted tonight to be.

And I’m not sure how I feel about that.