Breaking the rules box s.., p.34
Breaking the Rules: Box Set, page 34
“I’ll tell him,” I assured her. I looked around and Nathan’s car was still in the drive, so he couldn’t have gone far. “So where did he go?”
“I’m not sure. He said he needed to clear his head and that he would be back in a little bit. Then he saddled up Sugar and took off.”
“Ah, I bet I know where he is then. Do you mind if I take one of the ATVs?”
“You go right ahead, and Alex, thank you for loving my boy.”
Nathan
I was sitting on my rock, looking out over the valley and listening for the sounds of the wild horses, but I didn't hear them tonight. I was completely alone. I’d panicked and walked away from the best man I’d ever known, and I was pretty sure the only man I would ever love. I was sitting here trying to convince myself that I didn’t have any other choice. If Alex lost his job because of me, he would come to regret it and resent me. Which means I did the right thing. But if I did the right thing, why did it feel so much like I was wrong?
I wanted him to wrap me up in his arms and tell me he didn’t care about the job. That he chose me. I wanted him to call me his sunshine and to kiss me until I didn’t hurt anymore. I had hurt for so long. First, from my parents kicking me out, and then from Trevor’s betrayal. But over the last few months, that pain had been replaced with something precious. It was like with every date and every kiss and every word he had slowly stitched my heart back together. He’d made it whole again. How was I supposed to let him go when I could feel him in the scars those stitches left on my heart? Because of him, I knew what real love was, but I couldn’t keep him because… because why?
Why couldn’t I keep him? We might have to find different jobs. I would be more than willing to change hospitals if it meant I could keep Alex. I loved him, and because of that, it wouldn’t be too much of a sacrifice, not if we would be together. My heart rate increased, and it was getting harder to breathe as my thoughts began to race. If I felt that way because I loved him, then odds were, he felt the same way. I loved my job at the hospital, but I loved Alex more and Oh. My. God. I’d walked away.
I’d walked away from him and he loved me. He was probably worried and angry, and I was such an idiot. This was so bad. Why hadn’t all this occurred to me on the way here instead of now when I was a couple of hours away and had already been gone long enough for Linc to deliver my message? Tell Alex I’m sorry. I just can’t do this. What a shitty ass message. You know what I really wanted right that moment? My cat. Sassy could always tell when I’d had a bad day and needed some kitty time. So that was it. I wanted my man and my cat, and I’d left them both in the city and ran.
But I was through running. I would go back. Explain what I was thinking and remind him that I love him and he loves me. And then I would pray that he would be willing to give me another chance.
I was trying to think of a Nathan is an idiot, win Alex back plan when an ATV roared down the trail. I stood up, dusted off my pants, and prepared for it to either be Patty or Mike on the ATV, but it wasn’t. When a big muscled body got off and started toward me, my breath caught. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but they weren’t. It was Alex. Here. And I figured at that point, fuck it, what did I have to lose, and I launched myself at him.
He caught me, wrapping his arms around me and we both just held on. “Oh, Sunshine,” he said and I could hear the emotion in his voice. “I don’t know if I want to kiss you or shake you.”
“I vote kiss me.” I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him. It wasn’t a hungry kiss or a passionate kiss. This was an I love you kiss, slow and gentle and perfect.
He pulled away and cupped my face in his big hands. Looking deep into my eyes, he finally asked, “Are you okay? Linc told me what Trevor said to you, baby. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there with you.”
“I’m sorry I ran. I just couldn’t let him get you fired. You worked hard to get that position. I didn’t know what to do, but as I was sitting here listening for the horses, I understood. Jobs come and go, but what we have is forever. Please forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive. You panicked, I get it. But you would've come back to me, I know you would.”
“I already was,” I assured him. “But I realized something sitting here. I didn’t have enough faith in us, Lexi. I didn’t trust that I was more important to you than a job and for that I'm sorry.”
“Well, you are more important to me than a job. I want to make that perfectly clear, you hear me? But the good news is it doesn’t matter because neither of us is going anywhere.”
“I can’t do it. I can’t work with him. If I had to see him every day, I would be a wreck. I’d always be waiting for him to do something to make things horrible for me, even if Mr. Davis didn’t fire you it would be impossible.”
“First of all, Mr. Davis is not firing me. Or you. But more importantly, he’s not hiring Trevor Gibson.”
“What, but Trevor said he was coming to work in the Emergency Department.”
“That was before Trevor opened his mouth and made it clear what an asshat he was in front of the president of the hospital. You should have seen it. I almost felt bad for Trevor as I stood there and watched all his plans fall apart. Almost, but not quite.”
“So no Trevor?”
“No Trevor. But it’s important to me that you understand that given the choice between my job and you, I would choose you every single time. I can find another job, but I can never find another you, baby. You’re it for me.”
“You’re it for me, too, Lexi. I was getting ready to come and find you and beg you to take me back. But since you already forgave me, how about if we go back to the house and I beg you for something else instead?” I ran one hand up under his shirt and brushed a thumb over his nipple while I used the other hand to caress the bulge in the front of his jeans.
“Sounds like a plan to me. You ride back and get Sugar put away, I’ll call Linc and stop to let Patty know we’re staying, then I’ll meet you in the apartment.”
“Ok, tell her I’ll meet her for coffee in the morning. I’ll see you at the apartment.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Alex
I called Lincoln and told him that everything was fine and that I’d be bringing Nathan home tomorrow. I went in the kitchen and let Patty know that a very exhausted Nathan was putting away his horse, so we could get some sleep. I passed along the message about the coffee, and she again gave me a hug and whispered, “Thank you for loving, my boy.” Afterward, I headed over to the apartment to wait.
He walked in to the apartment, but before I said a word, he put one hand out in front of him with his palm out in the universal sign for stop that he loved so much. “You just stop. Don’t you even dare tell me clothes off.” He rolled his eyes and wagged his finger at me. “You’re always saying ‘Clothes off now’, but not this time, big guy. I smell like horse. Literally. So you just stay here and wait for me and I’ll go shower, and then I’ll come see you.” And with that he flounced off to the shower.
I couldn’t help but smile. My sunshine was back. Thank God. The question was what I was doing sitting here in the living room. I rushed to the bedroom, stripped off my clothes, and headed for the shower. I slipped in behind him and pulled him against me. He sighed and melted against me.
“What took you so long?” he groaned as I rubbed against him.
“Hand me that soap.”
“Bossy much, Lexi?” he asked as he reached over and got me the bottle of body wash.
“You know I am, and I know you love it.” I poured soap into my hands and began to lather his body.
“Mmm," he hummed. “Yeah, I do.”
I washed him slowly from his neck down. I teased his nipples and trailed my soapy fingers down the V that pointed toward his cock. With my other hand I massaged his ass cheeks, and then ran my finger down his crack. He was groaning and writhing, trying to get my hands where he wanted them. I used one finger to massage his hole and began stroking his cock with the other. I felt his body vibrating with need, so I stopped and turned him toward me, kissing him hard enough to brand him.
“You never run from me again. Are we clear?”
“Yes, Lexi. We’re clear. I’ll never run from you again.”
“Good, come on. Let’s get to the bed.”
After doing a quick rinse job, we stepped out of the shower, and I wrapped him in a big fluffy towel. I took his hand and led him to the bedroom. Dropping the towel, he crawled to the center of the bed.
“Is this how you want me?” he asked as he posed there in the middle on his hands and knees. Ass up and ready for me. He was gorgeous, breathtaking even, but that wasn’t what I wanted tonight.
“No, baby, I want you on your back. I want to look you in your eyes while I make you mine tonight.”
“Oh, Lexi. I’m already yours, body and soul. Never doubt it for a second,” he said. Rolling to his back like I asked, he held his arms out to me.
“God, I love you, so damn much,” I told him as I began to touch his body. “So damn much.” His toned abs fluttered under my light touch, and his breath caught as I slowly skimmed his chest.
Nathan reached for me again, pulling me to him. He traced circles around my nipples with his finger and ran the other one up my back. “Love you, too.”
We kissed and touched for what seemed like forever until finally I needed more. I grabbed the bottle of lube and poured some in my hand. Then I slowly stroked my cock. Nathan pulled his legs back to give me easy access. I continued to stroke myself as I slowly teased his hole. “Baby, that is so beautiful. My fingers sliding in and out of you. I could watch you like this all night.”
“No,” he whined. “I would go crazy. I need you inside me, Lexi. Please.”
“We’ll get there,” I teased as I leaned over and licked the length of him from his balls to the tip of his cock. I licked him again and at the same time I curled my fingers up and found that sensitive bundle of nerves. His dick twitched and pre-come leaked from his slit, and he began to beg in earnest.
“Please, Lexi. Please, I need, I can’t…”
“Shhh,” I moved up his body, kissing as I went until finally we were face to face. “I got you, baby. I know what you need.” I hooked his legs up over my shoulders and lined up my cock with his hole. He gasped as I pushed through the ring of muscles, but I didn’t stop. I knew he could take me and that he liked it best when I was deep inside him.
He reached for the headboard and braced himself for what he thought was coming next, but pounding his ass wasn’t what I wanted or what he needed. I slid his legs down around my waist and reached for his hands linking our fingers together. Then I moved slowly in and out of his body making sure to drag my cock over his prostate with each easy thrust. In, out, in, out. He had his head thrown back, and he was magnificent.
I sped up my thrusts, and he moaned. He began to chant yes, yes, yes and I knew he was close. The pressure was building in my balls, so I wasn’t far behind him. I let go of his hands and moved his legs back up to get better leverage. “Now, baby. Now.” And I began to pound into him chasing my release.
His body went stiff, and he cried out as come shot from his cock pooling on his abdomen. Seeing him let go, combined with the tightening of his channel around my cock pushed me over and the strongest orgasm I'd ever experienced washed over me. I collapsed on the bed beside him and pulled him into my arms, both of us breathing hard.
“Sunshine?”
“Yes, Lexi,"
“Move in with me.”
He shifted so he could look at me. “Really?” he asked.
“Yeah, really. I love you and I want you with me all the time. I want to go to sleep with you in my arms like this. I want to hear your cute little snores during the night…”
“I do not snore!” he insisted.
“Yes, you do,” I chuckled. “But it's adorable, so it’s okay.”
“Do not.” I adored when he got huffy.
“Sunshine? You didn’t answer me. Will you move in?”
“Yes, Sassy and I would love to.”
Nathan
I woke up the next morning right where I belonged, wrapped up in my big bear’s arms. I was so tempted to rub my face on his chest because I loved his chest hair, but I wanted to let him sleep in while I had coffee with Patty, so I tried to extricate myself without waking him. That was easier said than done, though, and for a minute there I thought I had failed.
“Where are you going? Come back to bed,” he grumbled.
“Shhh, go back to sleep, I’m going to grab coffee with Patty.”
“Mkay,” he mumbled as he rolled over and went back to sleep.
I tossed on some sweats, chuckling at how bear-like he truly was in the mornings and headed over to the main house to get some coffee. When I got to the kitchen, the coffee was already made and waiting for me. I got my favorite cup, filled it with coffee, and added sugar and cream. Once I had it just right, I headed out back to find Patty.
“Morning, baby boy,” she said as she saw me headed her way.
“Morning.”
“Well, you look a lot better this morning than you did last night.”
“I bet I do.” I chuckled but then I said, “He came after me. I ran, and he came after me.”
“He did. But you didn’t really run. You left because you wanted to protect him. That’s what you told me last night, right?”
“That’s what I told you. That’s what I told myself, too. But I’m not so sure that’s true. I mean, I guess it is partially true. But, honestly, I panicked, and I ran. I didn’t have enough faith in us to believe that if he had to choose, he’d choose me. So, I didn’t give him a chance.”
“He would have chosen you, baby boy. I have no doubt. That man loves you and he isn’t going to let you go if he can help it.”
I nodded, “Yeah, he does, and I feel the same. We’ve decided not to let each other go. I’m moving in with him.” I looked at her cautiously. I knew moving in with Alex would mean leaving Lincoln, and I wasn’t sure how she would feel about that.
“That's a wonderful idea.” She beamed at me. “Especially with your schedule, this will be great for you two.”
“I’m worried about Lincoln though,” I told her honestly.
“Sweetie, don’t you worry about your brother. He’s an adult and can take of himself. This is your time to take care of you. Alex is a good man. He reminds me of Mike.”
“He reminds me of Mike, too. I think that is one of the things I love about him. He’s strong and steady, and he listens to me. Just like Mike used to listen back in high school when I would lose my mind over some crazy drama. And wait until you see the house! There’s a nice yard, and I can even have a garden. It’s also big enough that Kayla can come hang out if she needs to get away from the dorm.”
“How are you doing with that? Kayla and Cammie rooming together, I mean.”
“Good. I’m just trying to stay away from her until the girl’s graduation ceremony, then all bets are off. I don’t want to make things difficult for her at home. But I’m looking forward to spending time with her when she gets to Austin.”
“Well, you just give me a call when you’re ready to do that garden and I’ll come help.”
“I will.” I smiled at her once again, thanking God for Patty Reynolds.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Alex
“How do you have so much stuff in this small apartment?” I asked for the hundredth time.
“That’s what I’ve been wondering for the last few years.” Lincoln shook his head and laughed. “That’s your problem now, man. The fact that it was an apartment and not a forever home was what I used to keep it to this level. I have no idea how you’re going to manage to keep his hoarding under control.”
“I am not a hoarder,” Nathan insisted as he put what had to be the third box of magazines by the door to be loaded into the truck. “There are recipes and garden tips, decorating ideas, and fashion ideas. Those are all things I need to keep.”
“Those things are all available online,” I pointed out, but a side eye and a sigh were all I got for my suggestion.
“It isn’t going to take us long to get it all moved,” Mark said as he went by with a box. “We should be finished in plenty of time to make it to the bar to watch the game.”
Once everything was loaded up, we took it to the house and unloaded it in record time. As I looked around at the boxes all neatly labeled and sitting there waiting to be unpacked, I couldn’t help but smile. Nathan had taken a week’s vacation to get everything unpacked. When he told me he was going to do that, I thought he was crazy. He wasn’t bringing much furniture, just stuff, so I didn’t see why he would need so much time off. Now as I looked around, I got it.
“I know I have a lot of stuff. Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked as he chewed nervously on his bottom lip.
I pulled him into my arms. “Sunshine, I’m more than okay with it. The idea of you unpacking all these boxes and combining your things with my things makes me so happy. I don’t even have words for how right that feels.”
I felt him relax into me as he let out a content sigh. “It does feel right, doesn’t it?”
“Aw, you two look so sweet,” Lincoln said as he came into the living room from the back of the house carrying Sassy. “As much as I’m gonna miss you, I think I’m gonna miss her more. I might need to get a pet.”
“Or a boyfriend,” Nathan suggested.
“Oh no, you don’t. Just because you’re all happy and in love doesn’t mean you get to start trying to sprinkle love glitter all over your friends.”
“Love glitter?” I asked laughing.
“Yeah, you know, it’s like pixie dust. You get all loved up, and then you decide your friends all need to get loved up, so you blow love glitter all over them, then you start playing matchmaker, and it all goes to hell from there. No, thank you. You keep your love glitter to yourself.”
