Nash

by Lynn Hagen

  But could Nash blame him? So much had happened in just a short amount of time. The guy hadn’t had time to process anything. Hell, Nash hadn’t had time to process anything. His panther had taken over and bitten Layne.

  If he could separate himself from his beast, he would’ve beaten the shit out of it for biting Layne.

  But what was done was done. As Nash had told Layne, he didn’t run from responsibility. He might not have “noticed” Layne before he saw the birthmark, but he was getting to know the guy, and so far, Nash liked what he saw.

  People got pregnant with one-night stands all the time. Not that Nash thought of Layne as that kind of guy. But they would deal with whatever came their way.

  Nash pulled into the driveway and carried Layne inside. He placed his mate on his bed and then went to the bathroom to run some bathwater.

  He and his brothers were trying to sell the huge house, but what if he bought it? What if he laid roots down in the home he was raised in? If he did buy it, he was doing some redecorating because the floral print wallpaper had to go.

  When the bath was full, Nash went back to his room and undressed himself and then Layne before carrying him to the tub. He still couldn’t believe he’d inherited half a million from his aunt.

  What the hell had Beatrice done to earn that money? She’d had two million tucked away, and none of her nephews had known about it. Even so, these days five hundred thousand dollars didn’t go very far. An investment was a smart idea, and he was glad Layne had thought of it.

  Nash got into the tub, lowering himself and Layne into the cool water. He cupped the water and let it pour over his mate’s heated body.

  Layne stirred, groaning. His hand went to his stomach as he winced. Then his eyes popped open, and he let out a startled gasp.

  “Relax, sweetheart. I’m just trying to cool you off, not take advantage of your unconscious state.”

  At first Layne was stiff, and then he started to relax. “Why am I so hot, and why does my gut feel like I was in a brawl?”

  “I told you.” Nash kept cupping the water and letting it drip onto Layne’s skin. “Your body is going through the change.”

  “You know this is insane, right?” Layne said in the quiet bathroom. “I keep telling myself that, that this situation is crazy, insane, unreal, and I’m scared out of my mind that it isn’t.”

  “Do you really love me?” Nash grabbed a washcloth off the shelf above him. He dipped it into the water and wiped it down Layne’s slim chest.

  Layne elbowed him. “I’m freaking out, and you want me to stroke your ego?”

  “No, not at all.” Nash still couldn’t believe Layne had professed his love. Those words had nearly knocked him on his ass. Nash had felt humbled by them. “It’s just that no one has ever said them to me before.”

  Layne turned his head to the side and looked up at him. “I find that very hard to believe.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re hot as fuck. Your sex partners must tell you that all the time, even if they don’t mean it.”

  Nash grinned. “I have had a few tell me I fuck like a god. Does that count?”

  Layne elbowed him again.

  Nash laughed. “I was kidding!” He sobered. “I honestly haven’t been with that many people.”

  Nash’s life had been a complete mess, and while he wasn’t a monk, getting himself together had been his first priority. So far he hadn’t been doing that great a job.

  “What about Sissy?”

  God, Nash had forgotten about the cheerleader he’d dated in high school. She hadn’t crossed his mind once he’d graduated. “A teenage thing.”

  “So you’re bisexual?”

  “I was finding myself back then,” Nash confessed. Just like he’d been “finding himself” after getting out of the military. He’d been lost most of his life, and it wasn’t until he’d come back to Kendall and discovered Layne that something finally settled in his chest, that ache slowly fading. “She was the last female I’ve been with.”

  Was that jealousy Nash detected? His answer seemed to satisfy Layne. His eyes were no longer narrowed, and he didn’t look like he’d elbow Nash again.

  “There’s one other thing. I wasn’t going to tell you about it, but since you’re my mate, full disclosure.” Nash had to take a few deep breaths to mentally prepare himself to go down memory lane. Speaking the words out loud was more frightening than just leaving them as thoughts in his head.

  He felt vulnerable and exposed and feared Layne would judge him because he’d been driving the Humvee on that fateful day. He’d never given a rat’s ass about someone else’s opinion, but Layne’s mattered. He didn’t want to be seen as a monster in his mate’s eyes.

  He told Layne about the roadside bomb, how he’d lost most of his unit, and how Duke Rawlings had called to say he wanted revenge.

  Layne sat up and twisted around until he faced him. God, the guy’s body was what dreams were made of. Nash lowered his gaze to Layne’s stomach, and he imagined his mate swollen with his child. The very thought of becoming a father should’ve terrified him. He wasn’t ready for parenthood. His life was still a damn mess, and he had Rawlings coming after him. This wasn’t the right time for any of this.

  Even so, Nash’s heart did somersaults as he thought about tiny kittens running through the house.

  “But how was that your fault?”

  Nash’s chest loosened when Layne didn’t look at him with judgmental eyes. God, the man was a blessing that he had badly needed. “You don’t look at me like a monster.”

  “Is that how you see yourself?”

  He shrugged. “Men died on my watch. Who else is there to blame?”

  “The person or persons who did the actual killing,” Layne said.

  “Survivor’s guilt,” Nash said as he brushed his knuckles over Layne’s cheek. “Rawlings has to place the blame somewhere, and I guess he decided it would be on my shoulders.”

  “Can’t you call the cops or something?”

  Nash had done one better than that. He’d enlisted his brothers’ help. He was glad he’d done that considering he would soon have a child on the way. It was only a matter of time before Layne conceived. His mate wouldn’t be able to resist the heat, no matter how much Layne said otherwise.

  “I told my brothers. They’ll keep an eye out for him. I don’t want to get the cops involved. Rawlings is just hurting, and if I can help it, I’ll try to talk him down before anything happens.”

  Nash knew all too well about guilt, and just because Rawlings was coming for him didn’t mean things had to end bloody.

  At least he hoped not.

  Chapter Six

  When Nash had told Layne that he wouldn’t be able to resist the heat, Layne had been determined to prove him wrong. In his defense, he hadn’t the foggiest clue how bad it would hit him. He was so horny he was ready to jack off, though he doubted that would extinguish the fire racing through his veins.

  He’d never been this hard-pressed for sex in his life. By the time they’d gotten out of the bath, Layne felt worse, but at least he no longer felt like he was running a fever. That had been a different kind of fire than the one he was experiencing now.

  But Layne was determined to stick to his guns. Besides, he felt like crap. Even if he’d wanted to have sex, his body was too damn achy. No, achy wasn’t a strong enough word.

  Nash tucked him into bed and kissed his forehead like Layne was his damn kid instead of his mate. “I’ll get you something light to eat.”

  Layne didn’t argue. As soon as Nash was gone, he balled up, curling his arms around his midsection. Holy fuck. This was real. His body was doing whatever it was doing to get him ready to carry a baby.

  He needed to stop denying the truth and think about what was next. According to Nash, any panther could get Layne pregnant, but bonding with a mate stopped him from emitting pheromones and he would carry Nash’s scent.

  Layne wasn’t sure if he liked th
at idea or if that grossed him out. He’d think about it later. Right now he just wanted to get through the pain. It felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing him in the gut.

  By the time Nash returned with a serving tray, Layne was ready to claw his stomach out.

  “It’s Aunt Beatrice’s recipe.” He set the tray on the dresser. “I found a recipe book of hers, and this soup is supposed to help with this.” He waved a hand at Layne.

  Nash helped him sit up then went to the tray and grabbed the bowl, along with a spoon. “Tiny sips.”

  The effects of the cool bath had worn off, and Layne was back to sweating bullets. His sheets were damp.

  The soup was kind of chalky with a bland flavor, but Layne sipped as much as he could before he had to lie back down.

  “I hope that wasn’t one of her favorite dishes,” Layne said as he curled back into a ball. “It sucked.”

  Nash left the room and came back with a wet washcloth. He laid it across Layne’s forehead. The chills took over, and soon he was shivering. It felt like he had the damn flu.

  If the flu included severe cramps.

  Nash curled in beside Layne and held him. “I’m so sorry I did this to you. I got caught up in the moment and couldn’t stop my panther before it struck.”

  Layne could’ve easily been mad at him, blamed Nash for what was going on. But that took too much energy, and he didn’t have any to spare. Like he’d thought before, what was done was done. And if Layne had to get knocked up, who better than the man he’d loved since forever? Even so, he was still going to find a way to make Nash pay, even if it was foot massages for the rest of his life.

  Layne didn’t think it possible, but he dozed off. When he woke, he noticed it was dark, except for a small light coming from a dim lamp across the room. There was also a body next to him. The warm heat had him sitting up to look at Nash, who’d fallen asleep stretched out next to him, fully clothed.

  If Layne was gonna go through all this, at least he deserved some perks, like waking up next to a naked god.

  Then Layne noticed that the pain, sweats, and exhaustion were gone. He was happy about that. He’d rather get hit by a truck than ever experience that kind of shit again.

  He looked down at Nash’s sleeping form and thought about the stories his mother and grandmother used to tell him about carrying the panthera mark. Layne still couldn’t believe they’d been telling the truth and not making up a fanciful story.

  He blew out a breath and pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead just as his stomach growled. He needed sustenance. There had to be some food in this house. He slipped from the bed and grabbed one of Nash’s robes from the closet, keeping as quiet as he could.

  After easing from the bedroom, Layne padded to the kitchen to see what was in the fridge to eat. In truth, he felt more freaked out about someone coming after Nash than this whole pregnancy thing. Maybe none of this seemed real because his belly wasn’t as round as a beach ball.

  In his mind, Layne could pretend it wasn’t real, at least until reality smacked him in the face. Until that happened, he wasn’t even gonna think about it. He was gonna shelve all that for much, much later.

  Layne entered the kitchen and stopped midstride. Nomad was in there, sitting at the table with a bowl of spaghetti in front of him. He’d caught a glimpse of Nomad at the wake, but Layne hadn’t truly seen him since before the O’Briens had taken off to pursue their lives, and Nomad was still the most intimidating man he had ever come across.

  All the other O’Brien men had gray eyes. Nomad had blue, but they were more intense and hard to read. He had a long beard and a tattoo sleeve, making him appear even more badass and scary.

  They locked gazes, and Nomad sniffed the air. Oh crap. Hadn’t Nash said that other panthers could scent his…what was that word? Readiness? Was that it? Layne wasn’t sure, but he began to slowly back out of the kitchen, afraid Nomad would try to attack him.

  Hunger darkened the guy’s eyes. “You have nothing to fear, Layne. I’m not going to attack you.”

  It was as if he had read Layne’s mind.

  “I have better control of my panther.” He went back to eating his food, and Layne wasn’t sure if he should enter the kitchen or run back to Nash’s bedroom.

  “Eat,” Nomad said in his low, gruff voice. “You’re gonna need the energy.”

  Layne had started to take another step backward when he felt a presence at his back. He looked over his shoulder and saw Keller standing there, his lips thin, his nostrils flaring.

  This was bad. Layne wanted to run back to Nash, but he would have to get past the eldest brother first.

  A chair scraped across the floor. Layne looked at Nomad and saw that he was standing. Layne’s heart was beating so fast that it should’ve jumped right out of his chest. His knees wobbled, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

  Enough with the sweating already.

  When he looked back over his shoulder, Layne gave a small squeak. Quinn, the youngest O’Brien, was right behind Keller, his eyes just as molten as Keller’s.

  “Come here, Layne,” Nomad said. “Right now.”

  His voice hadn’t risen. It was still deadly calm. Layne couldn’t believe he was gravitating toward the scariest brother, but he walked slowly, afraid the others would attack if he moved too fast.

  Keller and Quinn moved as gracefully as cats as they matched Layne’s steps. Nomad gave a small, rumbling snarl as Layne reached him. Layne moved behind Nomad, eyeing the back door. If shit went south, Layne would use the door to run for his life and pray no other panthers smelled him before he got home.

  “You two have five seconds to get out of here before I put you on your asses.” Nomad rolled his shoulders, as if readying for a fight.

  As far as threats went, that one wasn’t very intimidating. Keller was a tall, beefy guy, and Layne suspected Nomad would have a hard time taking him down. Quinn wasn’t anything to sneeze at, either.

  Just when Layne didn’t think things could get scarier, a black panther stalked into the room, a deep growl emanating from him. No one moved as the panther walked past Keller and Quinn.

  “Back the fuck up,” Nomad warned his brothers. “You really don’t want to tangle with Nash.”

  Layne was too busy focusing on the panther. Its coat was shiny and black, so beautiful, yet terrifying. That was Nash coming toward him. Nash, the man who’d stolen Layne’s heart so long ago, yet Layne’s brain was having a hard time connecting the two.

  He yelped when Nash shifted into a human. He stood tall, broad, and was completely naked. Layne’s gaze dropped to his mate’s rounded, delicious ass.

  Heat exploded inside Layne like a volcano erupting. Warmth slid through him, and underneath Nash’s thick robe that Layne had worn, his cock hardened. Now that was a god, and Layne wouldn’t mind being ravished by him.

  Why in the hell was he thinking about getting fucked with four lethal men standing in the room, knowing all of them wanted to have sex with him? The thought should’ve been unnerving, terrifying even, but all Layne could concentrate on was Nash’s gorgeous body.

  Snarls erupted all around the room, and the back door was looking better and better. Layne eased toward it, ready to run if a fight broke out. He was the shortest, skinniest man there, and no way could he defeat one of them.

  His best bet would be to run his ass off.

  Keller moved first. He tried to get past Nash, but Nash slugged him so hard that Keller stumbled back. Nomad grabbed Quinn by his shirtfront and shoved him against the wall.

  Layne reached for the doorknob, but Nash was at his side so fast that Layne hadn’t seen him move. He picked Layne up and carried him past his siblings.

  “Why’d you leave the room?” Nash stalked back to the bedroom. “I warned you about the pheromones you’re emitting. If Hayward hadn’t stopped them…”

  Hayward. That was Nomad’s real name? “I was hungry.”

  “Then you should’ve woken me.” Nash entered t
he bedroom and kicked the door closed behind him. “I’m at your beck and call until you’ve conceived, no matter how small the task.”

  “Put me down,” Layne argued, although he didn’t want to leave Nash’s arms. His cock was still hard, and he still felt liquid lava racing through him.

  The fact that Nash was gloriously naked wasn’t helping. Layne was naked, as well, beneath the robe. He wanted to fling the damn thing off and straddle the guy’s waist.

  Nash set him on his feet. Layne thought Nash would get dressed, but he didn’t. Nash climbed onto the bed and lay there, looking so damn good that Layne wanted to jump the guy’s bones.

  “How do you feel?” Nash tucked his hands behind his head, his body on display, his cock resting against his thigh, soft, but still impressive in size.

  “I’m no longer in pain.” Layne twisted the belt to the robe, strangling it as he forced himself not to join Nash in bed.

  Nash gave a slow nod. “That means your body is ready to carry my child.”

  “Ha!” The bark of laughter—or one could argue that it had been a bark of madness—escaped so fast that Layne hadn’t been able to stop it. “Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?”

  “Join me in bed and let’s find out.” Nash spread his legs, tempting Layne.

  Layne was lightheaded at that statement, but he couldn’t think while Nash lay there like a freaking buffet. He moved around the bed and stood there like a virgin on his wedding night. Layne’s heart was doing somersaults, and his limbs were shaking.

  With Nash’s robe securely around him, Layne crawled into bed. He no longer had an appetite. Not after the heated confrontation in the kitchen and the temptation lying next to him. He actively avoided looking at Nash’s sculpted body. If he looked, he just might cave to his body’s cravings.

  “I’m gonna kick Keller’s and Quinn’s asses tomorrow. Those were my favorite jeans.” Nash turned onto his side, facing Layne as Layne lay there stiffly, battling the heat coursing through him.

  “You can rest, kitten. I’m not going to touch you unless you want me to.” Nash tucked an arm under his head and closed his eyes, but not before Layne had seen the struggle in their gray depths.