Page 24

If this kiss was a one-time deal, she had no plans of missing out on this opportunity to touch Nash.

As hard as it was, she released her hold over his biceps and caressed her hands over his shoulders and down to his chest. She snuck her hands under his suit jacket and over his pecs.

Only one layer of clothing separating her from his skin.

So close, she moaned against his lips, allowing herself to do something she hadn’t in years.

Live in the moment. Charley clawed his chest, wanting as much intimacy as she could get while stilled clothed.

It was that thought alone that sparked her next statement.

“I have the key to the apartment upstairs,” she blurted through a heavy breath against his lips. The second the words left her lips, she squeezed her eyes shut. She’d never been so forward with anyone in her life. Not to mention presumptuous. A kiss didn’t mean Nash wanted to sleep with her.

Does an erection?

There was no mistaking his desire bumping up against her waist. Charley was tempted to lower her hand but kept her control intact.

Nash drove his hands up her neck and into her hair, taking her lips again. A shivering ripple crossed over her flesh. Charley tightened her thighs, trying to control the moisture pooling between her legs. This was the natural effect Nash had on her.

“Nash?” she whispered against his mouth.

He tightened his grip and tore away from her lips, and his hot breath fanned over her face.

He slid his hand up her throat and across her cheek.

He stared back at her with so much passion and need.

Charley swallowed her breath and licked her lips.

She just wanted more. Charley wanted everything.

She was fully prepared to bare it all in the back room of her work. Literally.

Nash had other plans. His thumb strummed across her jaw, and he angled his head.

He didn’t say anything. He just stared. A moment, which could’ve been awkward, had Charley mesmerized and lost in his blue-eyed stare.

He had the most amazing eyes. Or maybe he didn’t.

But in this moment, they were everything to her.

His fingers slid across her hairline and over her forehead. His gaze followed his hand.

“Tell me about your dream.”

If anything could’ve ruined the moment in an instant…that was it.

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. She was fully prepared to strip down and give him anything he wanted. However, she wasn’t ready to share her inner thoughts.

His masculine rough chuckle echoed through the room. He caressed his thumb over her jaw. “We’ll get there.”

He leaned in, taking her mouth once again, but it ended too quickly. When he pulled away, she inched closer, wanting more. Nash’s hand grasped her jaw in a tight hold, keeping her at bay. His eyes, though? All heat.

“I’m taking you home.” His growl was a stern warning, and a promise.

Take me home!

****

What the fuck am I thinking? The sole reason for cornering her at the store was to get more information. Seducing her was never in his plans. Or was it?

The drive had been a mix of awkward silence and Charley fidgeting in her seat. She was nervous while he was completely at ease. Nash worked best under pressure. She was the polar opposite.

“Do you know where I live?”

Nash snorted, flicked on his left turn signal, and made his way to Inez’s complex. How the fuck does she live there? That would be a story for another day.

“You moved.”

It wasn’t posed as a question, but he noticed she turned in the seat with her gaze aimed at him.

“A few days ago.”

This would’ve been the perfect opening for him to question her. Why move? Why this apartment? How did you find it? It would’ve been a simple, easy interrogation. Nash held back. He slid his hand over the console, down her leg, and cupped her knee. She froze under his fingertips.

“Relax, Charley.” It was the same phrase he’d used with her days ago.

Her response was the same.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Nash turned his head toward the window, giving in to a smile. This woman following his commands? Fuck!

He pulled into the empty lot and parked near the entrance.

Once he shut down the engine, Charley was out of the car before he opened his door.

They’d work on that. In his world, opening her own door was unacceptable.

It wasn’t misogynist, nor chivalrous. It was all about protection.

It was his job to get out first, take in the surroundings, secure her safety before she emerged.

Charley was his only priority at the moment.

He reached into the backseat, grabbing the bottle of liquor and got out of the car. He rounded the bumper, meeting her at the passenger side door.

Nash rested his hand on her back, escorting her inside the building.

The threat at Inez’s would be minimal, but Nash wouldn’t take any chances.

They entered the elevator, and she pressed the third button.

He clenched his jaw. Why the fuck was she living here?

His back stiffened as he watched the screen.

When the elevator doors opened on the third floor, Charley walked out. Nash made no move to follow her. She only took three steps before glancing over her shoulder, then turning around. He’d given no explanation or excuse.

“Do you want come in?”

Fuck, yeah. He clenched his jaw, steeling his features. Why the fuck was this happening when he’d scheduled a meeting with Inez? There wasn’t an option to reschedule or delay it. He was at the mercy of Inez. And Charley. He had to make an impossible choice.

“I have an appointment.”

Her smile faltered, and her bottom lip pouted. “Oh.”

Charley misunderstood. Or maybe Nash hadn’t made himself clear. He had every intention of finishing what they started in the store. But he couldn’t risk being late to his meeting with Inez. Nash had his duty to the Underground.

“I just thought…” She looked over her shoulder and down the hall. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

Nash could’ve reassured her, but he was invested in hearing her thoughts. More importantly, her desires.

“What did you think?” Nash asked as he shot out his arm, keeping the elevator door from closing.

Her cheeks pinkened. “I thought you might want to come to my apartment.”

“I do, and I will. I’m meeting someone first. It’s in the building. I shouldn’t be long.”

Her brows hiked to her hairline, and she pointed to the floor. “Here?”

He gave in to his amusement, smiling. Nash understood her confusion.

This was the last place most people would envision him meeting anyone.

Saying he was seeing an old friend would draw the least red flags.

By its outward appearance, most would think all the tenants were shady at best. Charley being the exception.

“An old friend.”

She knitted her brows, nodding slowly. “Well, um, have a good visit.”

Charley was reading this differently. She saw it as the night ending. For Nash, it was a hiatus. Right or wrong, probably fucking wrong , he’d made his decision. She was coming home with him. He’d worry about the aftermath later.

“I should only be an hour, possibly two.”

Her eyes darted from one end of the hall to the other. “Okay.”

“What’s your apartment number?”

“Three twenty-two.”

“I’ll see you in a little bit. You’ll come home with me and spend the night.”

He didn’t ask. It was a deliberate move. Asking gave her the option to decline.

Charley widened her eyes, and her jaw dropped. “You want to sleep with me?”

Fuck yeah, I do .

It was a bold question, and one he hadn’t expected from her. It only lasted a second before her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. She dropped her chin to her chest. “I meant, sleep at your house.”

Nash tucked his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “So there’s no confusion. I do want to sleep with you. But for tonight, I only planned on inviting you to stay so we could spend some time together. Get to know each other better. Unless you don’t want to.”

“No, I do,” she blurted.

For a man who could get almost anyone he wanted, this was new territory for him. His control was wavering and had him wishing he could ditch the meeting with Inez. That was not an option. He’d settle for the next best thing.

Nash leaned halfway out of the elevator, looping his arm around her waist and pulling her back in.

He kept his hand, clutching the bottle on the doors but angled his head and pressed his lips against Charley’s.

Soft, sweet, and the instant she parted her lips, his pants grew tighter.

God, I fucking want her. Right now and right here.

Her lips slid over his, and her hands wrapped over his biceps in a tight squeeze.

A few more seconds of this foreplay, and he’d be ripping her jeans down to her ankles to sink deep inside her.

Fuck!

He broke the kiss, sliding his lips over her cheek and down her throat.

“I’ll text you when I’m done.”

Her soft mewl only increased his desire and had his mind plagued with irrational thoughts. Would Inez reschedule the meeting? No! He straightened, cupping her waist and pushing her past the elevator doors. He stared back at her until they closed.

Fuck, those eyes!

Nash got off on the seventh floor and walked down the long hall. It was always so intriguing how quiet the building was at any given time. Occupancy played a part, but the silence was deafening as if it was an abandoned apartment complex. He stopped at her door, knocked, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Inez knew to expect him, and when he glanced down at his watch, he took in the time. 10pm sharp. He exhaled a heavy breath, knocking once again. This time with a heavier hand, the weight of his frustration bearing down on the wood.

The door flew open, and Inez was standing in the doorway, a cigarette dangling from her lips.

“Don’t fucking bang on my door!”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d heard me.”

Her lips twisted. “I heard you. You just ain’t a priority.”

She turned and walked farther into the apartment, and he followed, closing the door behind him. It had been a while since he’d been inside her place. Nothing had changed. It was like being in a time warp. He placed the bottle on the counter. And again, waited.

Smoke circled around her, and she pointed. “You got five minutes. Go.”

Nash could’ve started the same as he did with every other associate. Outline the positives of the potential deal. But he knew what Inez needed.

“Oz was never entertaining Anders’ request. He had no intention of bartering a deal and cutting you out.”

She raised her brows. “He was sitting at the table with that asshole.”

“Courtesy to keep the peace, Inez.” Nash sighed. “You know how it works.”

She scoffed, waving her hand. She grabbed the bottle, inspecting the label. It was expensive. Most people would’ve been impressed by the offering. Inez dropped it on the counter, not giving it another look. She’d play it off. It was expected.

“Anders wants a meeting,” Nash said.

“So I fucking heard.”

“He just wants a fair deal, Inez.” Nash folded his arms.

She snorted. “You know, back in the day when Sal ran this shit, he wouldn’t have even considered stepping in, especially taking the side of a piece of shit, motherfucking scumbag little prick like Anders.”

Oh hell.

“No one is taking sides.” He rounded the counter, stopping across from her. “And if that was the case, you know Oz would take yours.”

She snorted. “Would you?”

I know where this is going. God, no one held a grudge like this woman.

“Yes.”

She smirked, shaking her head. “That’d be a first.”

“Aren’t we all on the same side?” he countered.

She waved her hand, ignoring his comment.

“It’s a good, lucrative…”

She scoffed, and her lips twisted. “Lucrative? You and your fucking fancy words. Why the fuck can’t you just say profitable?”

His lips twitched. “Profitable deal.”

“That motherfucker goes behind my back to make a deal for my product, and Oz is entertaining the idea. The lack of respect never happened with Sal running things.”

Nash gripped his hips and sighed. “That’s not what happened, and you know it.”

Inez shrugged, playing off the comment. She knew that wasn’t even a consideration.

“If you don’t want to take the meeting with Anders? Then don’t, and this ends here. But he won’t forfeit his business because you chose not to work with him. He’ll seek other avenues for distribution. Money that should’ve been going to you will go to another seller.”

“Not in this fucking state,” she snapped.

“No, but in another, and in the process, you’re enabling your competitor to move up in the ranks of distribution. You really want to help someone else climb the ladder, Inez?”

Fuck, no. This would be the clincher with Inez. She wouldn’t pave the way and make anyone’s life easier. He couldn’t fault her. Everything she had, her empire, she’d earned. Nash hoped she’d remember his words when it came to sitting down and making the deal.

She took a long drag of her cigarette, eyeing Nash head to toe. Her gaze drifted down his suit, and her upper lip curled in clear disgust. Nash didn’t take offense. This was nothing new coming from Inez.

“Problem with my attire?”

She glared. “There you go again with those words. It’s called a suit, you dumb prick.”

Nash chuckled, shaking his head.

“Could’ve been something more, but you always did enjoy doing all the work with little glory. Apparently, you ain’t as smart as everyone thinks you are, huh?”

Now, the insults.

“I don’t need the glory.”

She cocked her brow. “Or the title ’cause you ain’t got that either. Never will. Always gonna be a second in the Underground. A fucking minion.”

Nash arched his brow. “It that how you see Ace?”

It wasn’t.

The corner of her mouth curled, and for a brief second, he saw a little lightness in her. It was fleeting but reminiscent of years ago when he worked under Inez for a short while.

“Fine, I’ll take the meeting, but I’m not promising shit. And he sets it up with Ace.”

Nash gave a curt nod. “I’ll reach out, let him know.”

Inez snorted. “Yeah, you do that. Now, sit the fuck down. We’ll celebrate the fact that I didn’t shoot your ass.”

While he was grateful that wasn’t the outcome, Nash had other plans for the night that didn’t include Inez. Still, he took the drink when it was offered. It was never a good idea to upset her.