Page 59 of Shattering Nash

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, probablyfucking 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 shadeof 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.”

---