Page 81 of Holding The Reins

I nod. Not wanting to pry, just wanting to help, but hearing my dad’s words through him sucker punches me right in the heart.

“On nights you don’t have the dreams, what do you do differently? Maybe make a routine out of it?”

He smirks from the seat beside me and I don’t understand the look he’s wearing as he sighs and pulls into the parking lot of Sage and Salt. Gripping my thigh, he looks into my eyes and takes a second before speaking.

“Well, if I’m being honest, the only nights I’ve slept long stretches without dreaming, you’ve been in the bed beside me.” My mouth falls open at his admission but he just smiles. “Care to make a habit out of that? As a science experiment?”

I laugh and shrug. “Well, if it’s for science…”

“Come on let’s get some lunch,” he says as he lets go of my thigh.

“They’re staring at us,” I tell Nash, as we’re eating at a patio table outside the Sage and Salt.

“Let them, we’re allowed to have lunch together,” he says as he grins.

“We’re the town gossip. Maybe they’ve heard about you beating up my ex-fiancé in the street?” I giggle as I bite into my salad.

“Or maybe, they’ve heard the gossip about your vibrator and are wondering if I’ve used it on you yet.”

My eyes go wide and I swat at him.

“No, scratch that, they’d know, you’re loud.”

I laugh but I don’t deny it. I never was loud… before Nash.

“Maybe they’re all drooling over you and that damn backward baseball hat,” I blurt out.

He looks up at me, one eyebrow raised as he shoves in a bite, keeping his eyes on mine looking like the Cheshire cat.

“The backward hat?” He analyzes my face. “That’s what does it for CeCe Ashby?”

“Hell yes,” I say honestly. “Among other things.”

“Noted.” We chew in silence for a moment.

“What about you? What does it for Nash Carter?”

He’s thinking but keeps his eyes on me. “I can’t think of a single thing you do that doesn’t do it for me, Rae.” He leans in so his face is only a couple inches from mine. “Even coming into my bar with no fucking panties and placing that shot glass between your perfect tits just to torture me. It drove me crazy to think about you dancing with fucking Brent Wilson like that but I still wanted you.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Leaning back in my chair, I sober myself up from his gaze.

“You have no filter, has anyone ever told you that?” I ask

“It’s worth it to see the look you’re wearing right now.”

“Oh yeah, and what look is that?”

“The look that says you’re shocked I said that out loud, but that you still want to fuck me.”

I scoff, “Says you,” I retort, averting my eyes from his.

“If I reached under this table right now and pushed those lacy black panties aside, you would already be wet for me. So yeah, says me.” Nash manspreads, leaning back in his chair and takes a drink of his sweet tea, totally collected, his arms folded over his chest. Then he grins at me across the table because he knows he’s right. Forward dirty talking Nash makes me sweat, and it has nothing to do with the August heat.

My phone buzzes again in my purse for the hundredth time this morning breaking the never ending current between us.

“Does that thing ever stop?” he asks with a smirk.

“It’s just the girls talking shit about me and you, I’m sure.” I laugh.

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