Chapter 19

The car still smelled like sin.

Heavy, intimate, raw. The kind of scent that lingered long after the chaos was over — a heady blend of Liana’s sweet, aroused scent, Nash’s thick release, and the light sheen of sweat that coated both their bodies. The air was thick with it, every breath reminding Liana of the wild way he’d taken her just minutes ago.

And her body wasn’t done with him.

She sat curled against the seat, her thighs still trembling slightly, her lips swollen from his kisses, her pants clinging to her skin — sticky and damp. Her blouse clung to her chest in places it shouldn’t, and the ache between her legs hadn’t dulled. Not even close.

Nash drove in silence, one hand gripping the wheel, the other resting lazily on the console, fingers occasionally tapping in rhythm — calm, like he hadn’t just devoured her in a public car.

But his knuckles were still red from holding her hips too tightly.

Liana shifted in her seat, thighs rubbing together in subtle friction, trying to calm the heat pulsing between them. She turned her face to the window, inhaled deeply — and groaned under her breath.

The scent in the car wasn’t going away.

It wasn’t just in the air.

It was in her skin. Her breath. Her soul.

She glanced at Nash, lips parting. “This car smells like…”

“Like you,” he finished for her, smirking.

Her cheeks turned bright red. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Why?” He cast her a sideways glance. “You smell better than anything else I’ve ever had in here.”

Her core clenched hard.

“Nash…”

He pressed harder on the gas.

⸻

Ten minutes later, the car screeched softly to a halt in front of a rustic highway restaurant, the kind built for truckers and wanderers — wide windows, neon signs, and the smell of sizzling oil wafting through the air.

Liana blinked in confusion. “We’re stopping?”

“You didn’t think I’d skip lunch after all that exercise, did you?” he said, grinning.

Her stomach growled at the reminder, but her legs still felt weak when she stepped out of the car. Every step made her feel too aware — of her soaked skin, of her still damp pants, of how the breeze brushed too intimately against her lower half.

They entered the restaurant, and she quickly slipped into the booth, sitting across from Nash. The wooden table between them was sticky with years of polish and hot meals, and the place buzzed with casual chatter. It was almost… normal.

Except nothing felt normal when Nash was looking at her like that.

He didn’t even pretend to look at the menu.

His gaze was locked on her chest.

Liana glanced down and froze — her nipples were hard, straining visibly against the fabric of her blouse. The thin material did nothing to hide them. Her cheeks went hot instantly.

“Nash,” she hissed under her breath. “Stop staring.”

“You’re the one making a scene,” he said lowly, eyes never leaving her. “Look at you. Wet between your legs. Nipples hard like you’re begging for my mouth. And we’re sitting in public.”

She squeezed her thighs together.

“Please…”

“I haven’t even touched you, sweetheart,” he whispered, voice like honeyed smoke. “Not here. Not yet.”

His words ignited something reckless inside her. Her breath came quicker, but she tried — desperately — to act normal when the waiter arrived. She ordered a drink with trembling hands. Nash, ever calm, asked for steak.

And the entire time — he never looked away from her.

Under the table, his foot nudged her ankle. A soft tease. Then up her calf.

She tried not to react, but her breath betrayed her.

She kept stealing glances around. The restaurant was busy. People were eating. Laughing.

And yet she felt like she was the only one exposed.

By the time the food came, Liana could barely focus on her plate. Her entire body was strung tight, teased to the edge, and Nash hadn’t laid a single finger on her since they walked in.

He took bites of steak like nothing was wrong. Like he wasn’t driving her mad.

She bit into a fry, lips trembling.

And then his phone rang.

The name on the screen: Rose (Mom).

Liana blinked. Nash sighed and picked it up.

“Yes?”

There was a pause. His jaw tightened subtly.

“I know I haven’t come by. I’ve been busy.”

More silence.

“No, she’s not just ‘the girl.’ Her name’s Liana.”

His voice was calm, but Liana could feel the tension creep into the air like a slow fog.

“I said I’ll come by soon,” he said, voice a touch sharper now. “I’m with her right now.”

Another pause.

“I’m not abandoning you. You know I wouldn’t—”

He stopped suddenly. His eyes dropped to the table.

“I’ll come soon. I promise.”

Then he hung up.

Silence fell between them.

Nash didn’t touch his food after that.

Liana watched him quietly, fingers playing with her napkin. His shoulders were tense, his jaw locked. Something about the way his mother’s voice had pierced through had shaken something in him.

“Nash,” she said softly, moving from her side of the booth to his. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

“Family can get hard sometimes,” she whispered. “But I’m here.”

Nash didn’t answer.

But then she felt it.

The moment her body pressed against him, his arousal came back instantly — hard and thick beneath his pants. She froze. Then tilted her head.

“Nash…”

“You shouldn’t touch me when I’m like this,” he murmured darkly.

She nuzzled closer. “Why not?”

“Because I won’t be able to stop.”

Her lips brushed his neck.

“Then don’t.”

But Nash didn’t move. His hand slid to her waist, gripping it firmly.

“Not here,” he growled. “Not yet.”

⸻

The drive resumed — slower this time.

Liana watched the world fly past her window. The air changed. Saltier. Windier.

She rolled the window down and gasped.

“The sea!”

The road curved along a long, glimmering beach. The water sparkled beneath the sunlight, crashing softly against the sand. Her eyes lit up, hands gripping the window frame.

“It’s beautiful!”

But then…

Her eyes narrowed.

“Wait… what is that?”

Her gaze shifted to the sand. People. Lots of people. Sunbathing. Walking.

Naked.

Completely naked.

Her jaw dropped. “Nash?!”

He chuckled. “Yeah?”

“Where are we?”

“Relax,” he said, laughter shaking his chest. “It’s a naturist beach. We’re just passing it.”

Her face turned scarlet. “You brought me near a nudist beach?!”