Page 63 of Long Hard Road

“A lot of guys might’ve taken advantage of me for being so naïve. You were sweet. Encouraging.” She nestled her face into the curve of my neck. “And now you’ve got me wanting to do that again.”

I chuckled and rubbed her back. “Babe, I’m never going to say no to that.”

“I really like you, Nate,” she said quietly, her lips skimming my neck. “It’s going to be so hard to leave you in a couple of weeks.”

“Yeah.” I didn’t voice what I had been thinking for the last couple of days. That maybe Madison didn’t have to leave. Maybe this thing between us didn’t have to end. Because as hard as she thought it would be to leave me, I knew it was going to be even harder for me to watch her go.

21

MADISON

The hockey arena was larger than I expected for a middle-school team. It turned out that Crestwood only had one venue that was used by all the teams, all the way through high school teams. Nate held my hand tight inside his larger one as we navigated the stands to join his family.

I noticed a couple of younger women in the crowd were eyeing us while whispering loudly to each other. Probably just two of the many women around town who’d been hoping to land Nate Sullivan as their boyfriend. When he’d told me he’d been with twenty women, that number hadn’t surprised me. He could probably have a different woman every night if he wanted to.

A couple of teenage boys sitting a few rows down waved and greeted Nate with a, “Hey, Coach!”

“Coach?” I prodded.

“I coach the twins’ little league team,” he explained.

“I see. Coach seems like an appropriate nickname considering all the things you’ve been teaching me.”

The look he gave me was full of lust. It was the same look he’d given me as I’d looked into his eyes while taking him deep into my throat. As far as first times giving oral pleasure went, I was glad mine had been with him.

“Stop that,” he said, easily reading the desire on my face. “My family is right there.”

“I wasn’t doing anything,” I protested with exaggerated innocence.

“You’re looking at me with those eyes,” he said, squeezing my hand. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to look into them without picturing you on your knees.”

“Nate! Madison!” Harper jumped to her feet and started waving when she spotted us.

Nate waved back and pulled me closer to him. “Have you noticed that people are watching us?” he asked quietly.

“I just assumed those were your ex-girlfriends.”

“And what about the men who are staring?”

I shrugged. “I assume your sexiness would appeal equally to both genders.”

“Go.” He waved a hand up the stairs with a roll of his eyes.

The Sullivans had staked out a great location to watch the game. Harper waved for me to sit next to her while Nate stopped behind his father and bent down to speak with him.

“I’m glad you made it,” Harper said, giving me a quick hug. “I thought you might be in hiding.”

“In hiding? Why?” I didn’t think that Nate had told anyone in his family about my slashed tires.

“Because word of your presence in Crestwood has been circulating around town.” Harper waved a hand to where a group of teenagers was staring at us. “Didn’t you notice?”

“No.” My heart sank into my stomach. “How?”

Harper shrugged. “You haven’t exactly been laying low. I’m sure someone saw you at the bar or Amelia’s and wasn’t fooled by the new hairdo.”

“Damn it.” I ducked my head and let my hair shield my face from the stares.

“What’s wrong?” Nate asked once he was done talking to his dad and noticed I was tense. “Harp?”