Sweet Temptation (22 page)

She wasn’t going to cry, but knowing he was going to sleep with someone else now really hurt.

Chapter 1
1

The next morning after walking out on Skylar, Nate was slamming tools everywhere. “What’s up?” Dom asked.

Nate turned around. “Nothing,” he groaned. He couldn’t believe he actually said he would sleep with someone else. Fuck, he couldn’t think of anyone but Skylar. Nate dropped his spanner and went into his office. Maybe going through paperwork would take his mind off of her.

After two hours of sitting there doing nothing other than thinking of her, he made his way back into the workshop.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Dom asked from under the hood of a mustang.

“I don’t get it, man. She’s hot for me one minute and the next she doesn’t want me near her.”

Dom got out from under the hood and wiped his hands. “Maybe you’re giving off the wrong signals. Have you tried asking why she is like that, then?”

“What do you think I’ve been trying to do, every time I ask her, she never gives me anything back,” he growled.

“Okay, you don’t have to growl at me, Nate,” Dom answered him with his hands up. “I was only trying to help.”

“Sorry,” Nate said, whipping his hand over his face. “I know there’s more to what she says her ex did to her; it’s not only the beating he gave her, but something else.” Nate looked at Dom.

Dom stopped what he was doing, and said nothing.

“You know something?” Nate walked up to him, waiting for him to answer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Dom moved over towards the car again.

Nate grabbed his arm to stop him. “Yes you do, spill.”

“I can’t Nate. That’s up to her to tell you. I didn’t force her to tell me anything, she did that on her own accord.”

        “So you’re keeping secrets now, is that it?”

“Sorry, bro. I promised her I wouldn’t tell a soul. Chantal and Craig don’t even know.”

“Well, that’s just great.” Nate stomped off towards the house.

Dom followed. “Nate, I’m really sorry, maybe if you sat down with her she might tell you.”

“I doubt that very much, Dom.” Ripping a beer from his fridge, he popped the top and swallowed half of it in one hit.

“Getting drunk won’t solve things, Nate.”

Nate grunted at him.

“Okay, well I’ll leave you to it; I’ll catch up with you later, if you haven’t fallen into a coma by then.” Dom grabbed his keys and went to his truck.

Nate knew getting drunk wasn’t going to solve anything right now, but it was a start. Opening the top cupboard, he pulled out the Bundy rum he had. He poured two shots into a glass and threw in some ice, swirling it around to cool it a touch he then swallowed the lot feeling the burn going down his throat. He slammed the glass back on the bench.
Damn
, he thought. Filling his glass with another two shots, he shot those back too. Jesus, the burn felt good.

He grabbed the bottle and tray of ice and headed for his porch out back. Slipping into a seat, he set the bottle and ice beside him and poured another drink. If he wanted to drink himself into a coma, it was his own damn choice. Leaning back in the chair, he threw that one down and stared out into the night.

* * *

Later that night, Craig and Alex came over and had dinner with Skylar. She didn’t say a word to Craig about her fight with Nate. She was too embarrassed about it. Clearing the table she filled the sink and started washing the dishes.

“I can tell something is bothering you, girl.” Alex walked in and grabbed a tea towel to dry up.

Blowing out a breath she said, “If I tell you, can you not tell Craig, he’ll get upset again.”

“You know I never tell him anything you tell me. That’s up to you,” he said, smiling.

“Well, Nate and I had another fight today.” Skylar moved away from the sink and slid into a chair.

“What was this fight about?”

“Craig told me you were to be calling and I wanted to talk to you. Walking into the kitchen, I asked Craig if Alex had called, but Nate was in my kitchen.” Sucking in a breath she continued, “He asked me who you were and said Craig asked him to stay while he was out. I told him to leave, but he wanted to know if I had slept with you. I told him yes, as we have in the same bed. Then he started on the whole cheating thing, saying I did the same thing to him, which I haven’t. I have never cheated on anyone I have ever been with.”

“Well, I understand, you didn’t have to tell him anything, girl. And I’m sorry you caught him screwing someone else, but two wrongs don’t make a right, darling.” Alex crossed over to her and sat next to her. Pulling her off her chair, he placed Skylar on his lap.

“I know that, but I didn’t have to say who you were, Alex. It really hurts that he has slept with this girl. I don’t know if I can trust him.” She curled up on him.

Alex wrapped his arms around her, “I don’t know the guy to tell you whether or not to trust him, Sky. You’re going to have to make up your mind yourself on that one.”

“I know. He’s everything I ever wanted in a guy, Alex. It’s just hard after he tried to force himself on me.”

“You’ll make the right choice.” Alex kissed the top of her head.

Chapter 12

Two days had passed since their fight. Skylar wanted to go over and see him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Sighing, she pulled out her work clothes and slipped on her mid-length skirt and blouse. Grabbing her bag, she closed her door and walked down the steps. She noticed Nate in the front yard working on a car. She wanted to know exactly what was going on with him, but was scared of him now after what he did. Her feelings for him confused the hell out of her
.
She made her way across the lawn, and stopped, keeping some distance between them.

       “Nate, can we talk, please?” she asked.

Nate removed himself from under the hood. “What do you want, Skylar? I’m busy.” He frowned down at her.

“I want to talk about the other day.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. You made yourself pretty clear. You don’t want me to sleep with you, only someone else.” Nate picked up a wrench and leaned over the motor again.

“I never said I wanted to sleep with someone else, Nate. You did,” she said calmly. She didn’t want to argue with him, again.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Skylar. Like I said, I’m over it. You go and sleep with whomever you want and I’ll do the same. It wasn’t like this was a relationship, Skylar. It was just sex,” he growled.

She gasped, “What?”

“You heard me and I’ve got work to do.” Nate turned and went back to what he was doing.

“You bastard! Tracy was right, you did use me. All men are the same, they only want one thing and you proved it, Nate. You can go to hell,” she yelled.

Turning her back on him, she stormed off towards her car. Unlocking the door, she jumped in, buckled up, turned the key and revved the engine. She slammed it into gear, screeched out of her driveway and made her way to Stacy’s. She was stupid, why did she have to go and talk to him? Well, at least she knew how he really felt about their so-called relationship now. It was just sex. What was she thinking? That he could have actually felt differently about her? That was it, she wasn’t going to waste any more tears on that jerk. Wiping her face, she turned down Peachester Road and headed for Stacy’s shop.

* * *

He couldn’t believe he told Skylar that it was just sex and nothing more. “Goddamn it,” he growled. What was wrong with him? Nate watched her get in her car and drive off. He didn’t think what they had was just sex, it
was
something more. Well, he fucked up whatever chance he had with her now. He just couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He had work to do, he couldn’t be thinking of Skylar right now when the car had to be done by 3:00p.m. Erasing all thoughts of her, he started removing the radiator.

“Dom, can you come here and help with this?”

“Sure, I’ll be there in a sec,” he said. Once Dom was finished with what he was doing he went over to Nate. “What do you want me to do?”

“Can you go under and remove the hoses and bolts attached to the radiator?”

“Sure, no worries,” Dom answered. Twenty minutes later the radiator was done.

“That’s the last thing for today, Dom,” Nate said to him.

        Dom nodded, “You sure, I can stay and help with anything else.”

“Nah, it’s all good, man. I can do the rest,” Nate told him.

“I’ll catch up with you sometime this afternoon,” Dom said.

“Sure.” Nate slapped him on the back and Dom headed for his truck.

When he walked back into his office, he heard Dom’s phone ring. It was probably Chantal calling him. He smiled to himself; that boy needed to settle down and she was a good catch for him. He stood up and watched him out the door. Frowning, he noticed Dom was running for his truck, jumping in, and taking off in a hurry. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked back in and got to work on his paperwork that had to be done for today.

* * *

After pulling out of her street, she drove down Peachester Road, taking a short cut to Stacy’s that would have less traffic. She only had one set of lights to go through and then there would be no interruptions until she arrived closer to the shop. Coming up to the lights, there were several cars that had stopped already. Adding pressure to the brakes to slow down, her foot went straight to the floor. Frowning, she did it again with the same result.

Her brakes weren’t working at all; she started to panic as she pressed her foot on the pedal again.
Great, just what I bloody need
, she thought. She took a sharp turn down Henry Street so she wouldn’t hit anyone. This had never happened to her before; she had no idea what to do. She grabbed her phone. She wanted to call Nate, but he would just hang up on her.

So she dialled Dom instead.

“Hey, Sky.”

“Something is wrong with my car, Dom.”

“What do you mean something is wrong?”

“My brakes aren’t working, Dom. I was pulling up at the set of lights on Peachester Road and my foot went straight to the floor. I couldn’t stop, so I turned down Henry Street. I can’t stop, Dom, and I’m scared,” she sobbed.

“I’m on my way. Everything is going to be all right. Stay on the phone with me,”
Dom said. He jumped in his truck and headed her way
. “
At the end of the street, turn right into Gumtree Road. It will take you to an old warehouse parking bay; half is gravel, and the other half is grass, stay on the grass side okay?”