Out of Alignment (Hearts & Horsepower #5)

by A. K. Evans

  He was so proud, and I couldn’t help from feeling just as proud of him. From a size standpoint, my home wasn’t exactly small. It was the kind of place where two people could live and start a family. I had my master bedroom and two spare bedrooms, a couple of bathrooms, and all the other necessary rooms. But I didn’t feel about my house the way I could see Nash felt about his.

  There was something incredibly special about his home and the way it felt to walk through it and see the look of pride on his face as he talked about what he did in each room on his own.

  “I always thought you were good with your hands,” I told him. “But now I’ve got undeniable proof of it.”

  Nash let out a laugh before he responded, “I hate knowing that there was ever a question in your mind about it.”

  We made it to the top of the stairs, where I stopped and folded myself into his arms. Sliding my hands over his shoulders and up into his hair, I began kissing him at the side of his neck. My mouth worked its way up toward his ear where I whispered, “It was never a matter of doubting you had the skills. I just didn’t realize how good they were.” I parted my lips and bit down gently on his earlobe as my tongue licked it. Nash’s arms tightened around me, and he groaned. After I released his ear, I pulled my face back, kissed his mouth, and continued, “I like knowing just how talented you are.”

  Grinning at me, Nash gave me one final squeeze before he asked, “Do you want to see where the magic all happened?”

  The bedroom.

  I hated that he talked about it in the past tense, as though he were telling me how he’d used his very talented hands and mouth on someone else. I wasn’t a fool; I knew Nash had a life before I came along. That didn’t mean that I wanted to think about him being with another woman.

  Even still, there was such a look of excitement on his face when he asked, and I really did want to see his bedroom, so I returned the smile and answered, “Yes.”

  Nash loosened his hold on me, took me by the hand, and led me down the hall a few steps to a closed door. Putting his hand on the knob, he asked, “Are you ready?”

  I bit the corner of my lip and nodded.

  With my confirmation, Nash turned the knob and pushed the door open. Suffice it to say, I was surprised. Because while I’d been working myself up to see his bedroom, what I saw was not that.

  My chin tipped up as I looked at the room with curiosity on my face. I could feel my furrowed brows and pursed lips, as though every part of me was trying to figure out what Nash meant when he said this was where all the magic happened.

  Nash must have noticed my confusion because I heard him laughing beside me. “Confused, baby?” he asked.

  “A little,” I admitted.

  “If it hadn’t been for the fact that I decided to renovate my laundry room weeks ago, we wouldn’t have had that encounter with one another more than a month ago,” he explained. “I’d been frequenting the laundromat for a few weeks while I worked on getting this space completed. Imagine my surprise when my last day there was the day I met you.”

  Nash had been at the laundromat because his own washer and dryer were out of commission while he renovated. It was all starting to hit me just how critical every little thing either of us did affected where we were now.

  Tearing my eyes away from the beautiful space to look at the man who’d stolen my heart, I teased, “And boy, did I make sure it was a memorable visit for you.”

  “That’s one way of putting it,” he countered.

  I sighed and looked around the space again, taking it all in. And even though it would have been easy to get lost in the details of all the work he’d done, I was too busy thinking about something else.

  “It’s incredible to think about how much things have changed over the last few weeks,” I remarked.

  Nash’s hand, which had been resting at the small of my back, traveled up my spine and into my hair. He gripped a fistful at the back of my head and gently urged me to look at him.

  “I’m thrilled with where we are now, Parker,” he told me, a seriousness in his tone, unlike anything I’d ever heard from him before now. “You make me forget everything, and I find that when I’m not with you, I’m always thinking about you.”

  “Me too,” I rasped. After clearing my throat, I added, “I can’t remember a time, especially in recent years, when I have felt so happy. I never thought I’d be able to feel this way with someone. And, to be honest, I never expected it would be this good.”

  I watched as Nash’s features softened. His grip on my hair loosened enough for him to start stroking his fingers in my scalp rhythmically.

  “I’m beginning to feel something more for you than I’ve felt for anyone in a long time, baby,” he shared, his voice hoarse.

  I swallowed hard at his admission, feeling relief sweep through me. The girls had been right. When it mattered, where it counted, Nash wouldn’t just let things go. This was something important. When we went out, taking my purse with me wasn’t a battle Nash thought was worth getting into with me. But something about what was happening between us now, the way we were standing close in his laundry room sharing our feelings for one another with each other, convinced me that I had no reason to be worried about what he’d do when it was going to count.

  “I feel the same,” I confessed. “And even though I like how it feels, sometimes it worries me.”

  I thought it was best to be completely honest.

  “Why are you worried?”

  “The fear of the unknown,” I answered.

  Nash’s fingers stopped moving as he gave me an assessing look. “Parker, I’d love to give you guarantees about what’s ahead for us, but the truth is that I don’t know any more than you do. What I do know is that I like you a lot, and I want this to work. I think as long as we’re both on the same page, we’ve got an excellent chance at getting where we want to go.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” I noted.

  “Shouldn’t it be?” he countered. “Obviously, we know things can get heated. We’ve been there already. But it’s clear to me that when we’re living in the moment with one another, there’s nothing better in this world.”

  That’s when it happened.

  The moment Nash admitted that there was nothing better in this world to him than living in the moment with me, I fell in love with him.

  It hit me so hard—though I couldn’t understand why—that I was unable to speak. I shoved my face into his chest and wrapped my arms around him.

  He wrapped me up in his embrace and held me tight while I let the good feeling move through me.

  When I pulled back, I pressed up on my toes and kissed him long and hard. And the moment we disconnected, his mouth just inches from mine, he whispered, “Come on, I’ll show you where the real magic is going to happen.”

  I bit my lip in an attempt to stifle a giggle.

  And that right there was the very reason I knew I wasn’t wrong to allow myself to fall for this man. He made me laugh, something I so desperately needed in my life.

  At that, I turned and was about to walk out of the room when I felt something brush up against my ankle.

  I looked down and yelled. Then I moved, shifting my body behind Nash’s and digging my nails into the skin at his biceps.

  “Oh my God, what is that?” I shrieked.

  One of Nash’s hands reached behind him and came to my thigh. He gave me a squeeze there and urged, “Relax, sunshine. It’s just Claudia.”

  Claudia?

  “What?”

  Nash bent down in front of me, scooped Claudia up in his arms, and turned to face me again. “This is Claudia,” he started. “She’s my cat.”

  Nash had a cat? Nash didn’t seem like the kind of guy who had a cat. How did I know this man for over a month now and manage to fall in love with him without knowing that he had a feline living with him?

  “I… I… you have a cat?” I stammered.

  Grinning at me, he nodded and answered, “Yep.” />
  “Really?”

  Nash’s eyes went from mine to Claudia several times before a look of concern washed over him. “Oh no,” he sighed. “You’re not allergic, are you?”

  I shook my head. “No, no. I just… I didn’t think you were the kind of guy who’d have a cat. It was a bit of a shock.”

  “I wasn’t before,” he told me. “Now, I am.”

  That made me wonder. Was this cat the product of a former relationship? Did someone talk him into getting a cat, and now he was a single dad to it?

  I nodded my understanding and looked away.

  “Parker?” he called.

  Slowly, I turned my attention back to him. “Yeah?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing, I just… I’m not really a cat person. Actually, it’s not about the cat specifically. I’m just not an animal person altogether.”

  Something came over him, a look I’d never seen and one I couldn’t begin to read. Seeing it, all I knew was that it wasn’t good.

  “Maybe you just need some time to get to know her,” he suggested.

  I shook my head. “No, that’s not it. I’m sorry, Nash. I don’t want to be rude. It’s not a problem that you have a cat. Pets just aren’t for me.”

  “I’ll always have a cat,” he shared.

  And just like that, I felt something awful start churning in my belly. There was no doubt about it now. The girls were absolutely right. When it boiled right down to it, Nash would speak up on important things.

  Claudia was his cat. I couldn’t imagine he’d ever give her up, nor would I expect him to. But the fact that he stated he’d always have a cat seconds after I said pets weren’t for me told me that this was something important to him.

  Beyond that, I could see the sadness in his face. I hated to think I’d made him feel that way.

  “Nash?” I called. When his eyes connected with mine, I said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. She’s cute.”

  That’s right. I told him his cat was cute. In my defense, she was adorable. I wasn’t a total lunatic. Just because I would never want to own a cat or any other animal didn’t mean that I couldn’t appreciate the sight of a gorgeous one.

  Shaking his head, Nash said, “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. It’s not like we’re moving in with one another tomorrow or anything. I can still hold out hope that you might change your mind about her.”

  I wouldn’t, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I didn’t want to create any more tension than there already was between us.

  Nash gave Claudia a few scratches on her head before he put her down. As she walked out of the room, his hand came to the small of my back and urged me forward in the direction his cat had just walked.

  Once we were out of the room, Nash took me by the hand and led me down the hall. A moment later, we were standing inside his bedroom.

  “This is incredible,” I said, looking around the entire space. “Did you do all of this by yourself?”

  “It was the first space in the house that I did,” he replied. “Since I spend hours in this room, arguably more than I do compared to every other room in the house, it only made sense. The bathroom was the second project, followed by the kitchen.”

  I walked to the opposite side of the room, looked out the window, and took in the view. When I turned back around, I allowed my eyes to roam over the entire space again. “How did you learn to do all of this?” I wondered when I eventually returned my attention to him.

  He shrugged and said, “I’ve always liked working with my hands. Even as a kid. When I was a teenager, I’d always be working on my BMX bike or building a jump or ramp to do tricks on. It was great practice for me and has obviously helped me a ton in the work I do now.”

  “You’re incredible,” I told him.

  “Thanks. I know I’m good at what I do, but it’s always nice to hear someone else tell me they like it,” he returned.

  The silence stretched between us for a beat before I declared, “So, I just have one question left.”

  “What’s that?” he wondered.

  A slow smile spread across my face. I took a few slow, deliberate steps toward him, pressed my palms to his chest, and slid them up over his shoulders. Once my body was pressed tight to his, I asked, “Are you going to show me that real magic you were talking about earlier?”

  “Is that what you want?” he challenged me, a glint in his eye.

  “I mean, I never took you as being the kind of guy who was all talk,” I shot back deviously.

  He let out a small laugh and promised, “No, baby, I’m definitely not that.”

  “Then I think you should kiss me,” I advised him.

  Nash needed no additional encouragement. He dipped his head and touched his mouth to mine. Then he took his time and made all the magic happen.

  The barest hint of daylight told me it was morning. Early morning, but morning nonetheless.

  It was so early, though, that if it hadn’t been for the delicate brushes of Nash’s fingers teasing my naked skin, I knew I’d still be sleeping. Even if I tried to get a little extra rest on the weekends, I couldn’t be mad about what was happening right now.

  Gentle caresses over my hip, up my side, and across my abdomen weren’t a bad thing to wake up to, especially when they were being delivered by the man I loved. I closed my eyes again at that thought.

  Love.

  I was in love with a man.

  Having something like this seemed like an impossibility for so long, I almost didn’t know how to react to it. Part of me wanted to tell him how I felt while the other part of me was too scared.

  The fear I felt, oddly enough, had nothing to do with why I would have normally expected me to feel fear. Instead, I was afraid of sharing my heart with him knowing that once I did, he’d have the power to destroy me far worse than any physical wound. Just the idea that someone could have that kind of control over my life was enough to make me feel anxious. I guess I believed that it wouldn’t be real if I didn’t share it with him.

  So, I decided that I’d keep it to myself for just a little while longer. I wanted a bit more time to learn about him.

  But that wouldn’t be happening right now.

  Because it was clear Nash had already come up with our plans for the morning. As much as I should have said no just to feel like I had control again, I didn’t. I was nervous about what was ahead for us, but I wasn’t stupid.

  The man was an incredible lover. Why would I deny myself, and him, what I knew was going to be extraordinary?

  On that thought, I chose to let Nash know he’d accomplished the first part of his plan to have me this morning.

  “I’m awake,” I rasped.

  I felt the heat of his solid body pressed against my back as his mouth touched the skin at the juncture of my shoulder and my neck. He kissed me tenderly while he flattened his palm against my abdomen.

  “Good morning,” he returned, his voice indicating he had not only just woken up but was also seriously turned on. Of course, I had the evidence of that nestled against the cleft of my ass.

  When Nash’s hand drifted down my body, I separated my thighs. He pushed his thigh into the opening, giving me a place to rest my leg while his hand slipped into my wetness.

  “Good morning,” I moaned.

  I felt him smile against my shoulder.

  “So wet, baby,” he declared with a bit of pride. “All I did was touch you for a few minutes.”

  “It was more than that,” I returned absentmindedly. If I had been paying attention, there was no way I would have shared that information.

  Nash slipped a finger inside. He cupped me firmly for a moment before he slowly dragged his finger out.

  “Nash,” I breathed.

  His finger went back in. Then it came back out, slower than the first time.

  Nash repeated the same movements with his finger over and over again, relishing in building me up to the brink of org
asm without ever actually sending me over the edge.

  When I could no longer take it, I realized I didn’t have to accept this. I could take charge and give myself what I needed. I hardly believed he would mind considering he’d be getting something out of it as well.

  Determined as ever, I leaned back into Nash’s chest, forcing him to shift his body back a bit. I was sure he thought I was just trying to give him better access, but that wasn’t the case at all. I barely got to my back and saw his mouth descending toward mine when I began turning toward him.

  Using his need to kiss me as a distraction against him, I drove my fingers into his hair and pulled his mouth to mine. I lifted my torso, sending Nash to his back. His hand that had been between my legs was gone the minute I swung my leg over his body and straddled him.

  Groaning as I kissed him, Nash kept one arm locked securely around my back while the other gripped me firmly right at the spot where my leg met my ass. As our tongues danced with not an ounce of space between our bodies, I grew more and more desperate for him.

  I tore my mouth from his and pressed my palms into his chest. Lost in the moment, I shifted my body and reached down between my legs. Grasping him firmly in my hand, I positioned him.

  “Parker, baby, I don’t have a condom on,” Nash declared as he quickly reached out and gripped my hips in his hands.

  Shocked by my carelessness, I froze and pinned my eyes on him. I swallowed, loosened my hold on him, and rasped, “Sorry.”

  His fingers pressed in gently as he said, “If you’re protected against pregnancy, I can promise you’re safe taking me like this.”

  Just like that, Nash made it better. He didn’t make me feel bad about being caught up in the moment.

  I smiled at him, positioned him again, and slid down over him.

  Nash’s grip on my hips went from firm to bruising. I loved it. Loved it.

  “Sunshine, you feel amazing,” he groaned.

  “So do you,” I breathed.

  “Are you going to move?” he questioned me. There was no doubt he had a loose hold on his control right now. And because I wanted to take the lead this time, I decided it was best to give him what he wanted and move.