Breaking Shaun (26 page)

“Don’t worry, Killer. This doesn’t mean anything. I’m not falling in love with you. I’m not trying to get you to fall in love with me. I’m just being a friend and offering to help you fix your piece-of-shit car. Now, get over yourself, and put your juicy ass in that seat before I do it myself.” He pointed to the passenger side of his car.

As I much as I hated it, I gave in. “Fine,” I muttered.

I went to move forward, but he didn’t budge. Shaun stood there, looking at me, as a smug grin curled his lips.

We stayed there, staring at each other, for a few seconds, but it felt more like minutes before he finally stepped back and let me pass.

I’d never gotten so much enjoyment from making a woman give in to me as I did with Natalie. I could see the fight in her eyes. She was probably berating herself right now for letting me win, but she would get used to it. If I wanted something badly enough, I always found a way to get it.

As I climbed into my car, I realized how messy it was. Wet boardshorts were thrown on the floorboard, towels and sand were all over the backseat, and empty wrappers and water bottles were on the floors. Reaching across the center console, I moved some trash from the passenger seat and tossed it in the back before Natalie sat down.

She smelled so good. She had on some kind of fruity perfume or lotion. It was the same stuff she’d had on this morning. And just like one of Pavlov’s dogs, my dick responded instantly to the smell.

“Did you go surfing today?” Natalie asked as she craned her neck to look in the backseat of my car.

“Yeah.”

I turned on the car and began pulling out of the parking lot when I realized I wasn’t sure where we were going.

“Where do you live anyway?” I asked as I slowed to a stop at the road.

“You don’t know?” she asked, cutting her eyes to me.

“No. How would I know?”

“Well, you seemed to get my phone number pretty easily on your own.”

I chuckled. I wondered if she would ever ask how I’d gotten her number. It amused me to know she was curious. I’d gotten it from Nick, but there was no way I would give her my source.

“Yeah, well, I only got your number. I’m still new to this stalking shit.”

That got her to laugh.

“Oh. Well, I guess I should be grateful for that. Nick’s apartment is in The Cosmopolitan downtown.”

I nodded as I pulled my car out onto the street.

“So…” we both said at the same time.

Then, we smiled at each other.

“Go ahead,” I said, wanting to hear what she would say.

“Thanks for helping me out,” Natalie muttered, her blue-green eyes meeting mine.

“You owe me one now,” I teased, grinning at her.

“Oh, is that how it is?” she asked, laughing.

“No.”

She turned in her seat a little, and I could feel her eyes studying me.

“You really don’t have to worry about getting my car, you know? I can just call a tow truck.”

I sighed. “It’s nothing, really.”

I looked over at her and saw conflict in her features, but she hid it quickly as she turned back to face the road again.

“So…” I said, changing the subject and reminding her that I was going to say something, too. “You want any more surf lessons?”

She straightened her back, and a smile lit up her face before she turned to look at me again. “Yeah, that would be great. When?”

I contemplated inviting her to my class, but I really didn’t want little kids running around while I was fantasizing about fucking her. Knowing Natalie, she’d probably try to pay me for the lessons.

“When is your next day off?” I asked as I pulled into the parking garage attached to Nick’s building.

“I work all weekend. I’m not off again until Monday.” She watched me drive the car up to the second floor of the garage. “You can just park here by the elevator.”

I slowed the car down and pulled into an empty spot.

“I’m off Monday, too.”

“Okay. Great. Well, I guess I’ll see you then.”

Natalie hesitated with her hand on the door. I thought about inviting her to my apartment, but I needed to keep a clear head and show some restraint.

“Okay. Later.”

When she opened the door, she turned back and let her eyes sweep down my body before meeting my gaze. “Just so you know…I’m not opposed to car sex, but you just lost your chance.”

My mouth fell open, and I saw the satisfaction all over her face before she got out and strutted toward the elevator doors.

I woke up the next morning with a sore body and a raging hard-on. I must have been having a good dream. Of course, I wished Natalie were here with me to help relieve that problem, like she had done yesterday, but she wasn’t.

Lifting my head off my pillow, I squinted as I checked my phone to see it was nine o’clock, and I had missed a text from Rob.

We’re at Dad’s. You should stop by.

Fortunately for me, I didn’t have a set schedule at work, so I could go in whenever I wanted to as long as shit got done. So, I decided to take the day off. I was eager to talk to Rob and get his thoughts on Dad’s new girlfriend. Rob had looked just as shocked as I was when he met Samantha at my birthday party. I wondered what Asia thought about it, too. I had a feeling that if Samantha had to get anyone’s approval in the family, it would be Asia’s, and that wouldn’t be easy.

Making my way to my bathroom, I turned on the shower and stripped out of my clothes before walking out into my living room and putting some music on. That was one of the many perks of living alone. I could do everything naked if I wanted.

I started bobbing my head as I sang along to the music playing from my stereo, and then I remembered that Natalie’s car was still broken down in the parking lot at Red. I’d have to borrow my dad’s trailer and see if he’d let me use his garage, so I could fix it.

Standing in front of the mirror, I wiped the condensation off with my hand to look at my reflection. I needed to shave, but I decided I could hold off another day. What I didn’t want to hold off on was seeing Natalie. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her all night. Her little comment about fucking in my car had filled my head with all kinds of nasty ideas and thoughts. I needed to find a way to see her again.

I’d finally given up on sleep and made my way toward the kitchen. Nick was sitting in his usual spot, drinking his coffee. When our eyes met, I could see the suspicion and curiosity in his stare, but he didn’t voice them.

His lips pressed into a flat line before he muttered, “Good morning.” Then, he continued looking at his iPad.

Usually, Nick never bit his tongue, and the fact that he wasn’t grilling me over not coming home the night of Shaun’s birthday party scared me. I couldn’t have Nick mad at me. He was my only friend and the only person I felt I could count on here.

Clearing my throat, I approached cautiously and poured myself a cup of coffee before going to sit next to him.

“Hey.” I pasted on a fake smile, hoping he wouldn’t see right through it.

His blue eyes speculatively lifted to mine before he responded, “Hey.”

I couldn’t stand it. I felt my hands starting to sweat against my mug, but it wasn’t from the warmth of the coffee. It was from my nerves getting the best of me. I’d never confided in anyone before, but I could feel the words crawling up my throat as the moments of silence passed between us.

I had to just do it. If I wanted things in my life to change, if I wanted to build relationships, I had to be willing to put myself out there. If I was going to do it, Nick was the one person in the world I felt I could be vulnerable with.

“I slept with Shaun,” I blurted out before I could second-guess myself.

Nick looked at me. I could see his back stiffen, and he seemed just as shocked by my admission as I was.

“What?” he asked as he put his iPad down and gave me his full attention.

“The morning after his birthday party. We weren’t even drunk,” I admitted as I leaned forward, putting my elbow on the table. I rubbed my sweaty palm on my forehead.

Nick was unusually quiet, and it made me uneasy.

“Say something, please,” I pleaded as I twisted my neck to look at him.

He had a smug grin and an I-told-you-so look on his face. “How was it?”

His grin broke into an all-out smile, and I reached across the table to smack him on his arm.