Jeans, leggings, summer shirts…all went into the various drawers and she was starting to feel a sense of accomplishment. Shutting the drawer, she turned around and…panicked!
“What are you doing?” she demanded, watching with horror as Reid peered down into the last clothing box. It was her underwear and…well, she really didn’t want him to see what she wore underneath her suits. She worked out hard, and had a lot of sports bras. But even the underwear she wore to work or just hanging out, relaxing wasn’t very pretty. It was…utilitarian. That was about all she could say about her tan, white, or black bras. She bought her underwear at Target, avoiding the pretty items, buying the un-fancy, unsexy, un-anything pieces that were comfortable and easy.
Reid gestured to the white, cotton panties in his hand. “Why do you wear things like this?” he asked a hint of horror to his tone.
“What are you doing in here?” she demanded.
“The front door was open. I came by to see if you wanted to come out to brunch with me.” He peeked into the box again. “And you’re not answering my question, Selena. Why?”
Her spine stiffened defensively, grabbing the underwear. “My underwear choices are none of your concern, Reid.” She turned back to the box. “You shouldn’t even know what kind of underwear I’m wearing.”
“Why not? I’m going to find out pretty soon anyway.”
She looked up at him, shocked by his assertion. “No! You’re not!”
He chuckled. “Let’s deal with the most important question first.”
“Which is?” she demanded, closing the flaps on the cardboard box and shoving it under the bed.
“Why you wear such boring underwear.”
She shrugged, unable to look him in the eye. “Because there’s no need for anything fancier. Why waste money on something I wouldn’t wear?”
His eyes widened. “You have no desire to wear pretty lingerie?”
“Absolutely not! Why would I?” She glared up at him. “It isn’t as if anyone wants to see me in them.”
She shifted uncomfortably under his direct gaze, afraid she’d just admitted something horrible to him. Something too revealing.
“So someone has seen you in your underwear,” he murmured. He understood immediately. “And he didn’t like what he saw.”
She turned away, picking up a perfectly folded towel and re-folding it. “It doesn’t matter. Not relevant.”
Selena moved away to the bathroom, but when she came back out, towel – a.k.a. “shield” – gone and she wasn’t sure what to do with her hands.
He was sitting on her bed, his elbows propped against his knees as he waited for her. “What happened?”
She shrugged. “As I said, not relevant, Reid. Did you need something?”
He stared at her. Need? Yeah, this gentle, strong, amazing woman was becoming a need. But more than that, he sensed a deep hurt in her. The more he got to know her, the more he realized that she was deeply wounded. Still strong and confident in business. But personally, she was shy and…wounded. There was no other word for it. His instincts told him that she had been hurt in the past. He suspected that someone in the past had not just rejected her, but had humiliated her.
How could someone do something so brutal to a woman who obviously was smart, brilliant even, and vibrant, funny, easy to work with, and a joy to be around…was beyond his comprehension. She was beautiful, strong both physically and mentally, and fun to talk with. Not to mention, she had a knockout figure and eyes that glowed with a humor born of intelligence, even if she might be scared to embrace some of life’s greatest joys.
So why was she so afraid of him?
Because she’d been hurt in the past. The knowledge came with a fury unlike anything he’d ever known before. Yes, someone had hurt her, humiliated her and he wanted to find the man and pulverize him. Only a coward, a man afraid of himself would hurt a woman. And this wound wasn’t the kind that showed on the outside.
Cat walked through the open door, rubbing up against his leg. Automatically, he reached down to pet the little guy, but he never took his eyes off Selena as she nervously stuffed clothes and towels away into drawers in such a haphazard manner, he knew she’d have to re-do it later.
He also suspected that the wounds hadn’t healed on the inside. She’d just covered them up and pretended they weren’t there.
“Yes. I came over to ask if you wanted to get something to eat. I noticed that you went for a run this morning, but you haven’t gotten any groceries yet.”
She stopped, painfully aware of the tug of happiness that hit her with his invitation. “Um…I don’t…”
He gave Cat another rub, then stood up. “Come on. I think there are a few things we need to discuss.”
He didn’t wait for her to say no, simply took her hand and pulled her out of the bedroom. “Don’t worry about unpacking. I’ll help you when we get back.”
He stopped by the kitchen, still holding her hand as he peered in her fridge, confirming that it was empty. “As I suspected.” Armed with that knowledge, he led her gently out of the house.
She trotted after him, thrilled to be with him again, but also telling herself that she was getting in too deep with Reid. She liked his company and this sexual attraction wasn’t going away. In fact, the more she got to know him, the stronger her feelings for him became.
But why did he peek in her fridge like that? “What did you suspect?”
“That you didn’t have any real food in there.” Turning to face her, he squeezed her fingers gently. “I’m guessing that your eating, exercise, and underwear issues are all tied up together, aren’t they?” At her startled expression, he squeezed her fingers again. “It’s okay,” he told her softly. “I won’t pry.” His eyes moved over her features and Selena tried to hide her emotions. She was getting choked up about his gentleness and that wasn’t a good thing.
“Please don’t,” she begged him, knowing that he wasn’t just tenacious, but also perceptive. Too perceptive! She didn’t want him to know about her past. She needed those things to stay there, hidden and unacknowledged. She’d dealt with the pain and moved on, grew stronger. She’d survived and thrived. And she didn’t want him to ever know about that humiliating time in her life!
He sighed, that rough thumb rubbing over the back of her hand and sending shivers down her spine. “I can’t seem to stop. There’s just something about you, Selena.”
Oh, she’d heard those words before!
Angrily pulling away from him, she moved to the other side of the driveway. “Yes, well, you’re a nice man, Reid, but…”
She stopped, surprised by the peal of deep laughter.
“What?” she demanded.
“You know that being called ‘nice’ is the kiss of death for a man. Is that a trick you’ve learned over the years?” He shook his head as he grabbed her purse, handing it to her as he led her down the driveway. “It’s effective, but it isn’t going to work on me.” He leaned down, closer to her and she held her breath, wondering if he was going to kiss her. Instead, he simply smiled and said, “I’m more stubborn than the other men you’ve met in the past. So you’ve been warned!”
Selena couldn’t stifle the surprised laughter. Of all the things he might have said; more handsome, more charming, smarter, or anything else. Yeah, all of those applied to Reid Jones. But he’d gone with stubborn.
Why did that comfort her so much?
She was an idiot, that’s why, she told herself as she followed along behind him. She felt a bit like a duckling being led by her mother, but in no way could Reid Jones be mistaken for a mother duck. Or anything feminine! He was about as rawly masculine as they came.
Speaking of which... “Why aren’t you out shooting down a river on a kayak or climbing a cliff today?” she asked. “Isn’t that what people in Colorado do on the weekends?”
He chuckled as he held open the door to a sleek, black sedan. “I’ve been known to haul out the kayak on the weekends or do a bit
of rock climbing. I think we should start with hiking though. I was going to take you up into the mountains today, but we’ll start with a relaxing day. Next weekend, you’re heading up to the Rockies with me.”
He closed the door before she could protest, and again, she had to laugh. The man definitely liked getting in the last word. Not that she was going to argue with him. She really did want to head up into the mountains and find out what all the fuss was about.
Looking around, she realized that this wasn’t his Jeep Wrangler. The leather seats on this beauty were buttery soft and amazingly comfortable. She didn’t recognize the logo on the steering wheel.
“What kind car is this?”
“It’s a Tesla. All electric. I prefer to drive this around town, but it wouldn’t work too well going off road when I get up into the mountains.”
With a press of the button…nothing happened. No sound at all. But the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree!
“It’s beautiful,” she sighed, thinking that this vehicle suited him perfectly. It was sleek, powerful-looking, subtly luxurious but without the pretentiousness of some of the more expensive models. “No Ferrari for you?”
He shook his head. “Nope. They are great to drive on the open highways, but I prefer a more environmentally friendly approach for driving around town.”
He took her deeper into the city and parked near…the train station?
“We’re having lunch at a train station?” she asked, surprised.
“I noticed that you prefer healthier foods and there’s a great place in here that serves excellent food that isn’t filled with grease and cheese. You’ll love it.”
A warm happiness bubbled up inside of her chest. The last guy she’d dated had become irritated with her when she’d ordered a salad at his favorite pub. He wanted her to have a burger with him, as well as some fries and a beer. Years ago, she would have loved that kind of a meal. She’d have smothered the fries in malt vinegar, added a bit more salt and dunked every wonderfully greasy strip of fried potato into a mound of ketchup. Probably even ordered a second slice of cheese for the burger, just to make it extra delicious.
Now, the idea of all that grease and salt made her stomach ache. She indulged in a burger occasionally, and even enjoyed the meal. But that was only an indulgence. After discovering exercise and eating cleaner foods, her life had truly transformed.
That made dating a bit more difficult though. Men might ask her out, but then argued with her about her food choices. When that happened, she stopped going out with them. She wasn’t going back to that old life. Not for anyone!
When she picked up the menu, she was excited by some of the options. Most were even vegan, with loads of vegetables served up in creative ways. “Oh, this looks amazing!” she gushed, eager to try so many of the items on the menu, it was hard to narrow it down.
“What are you going to have?” he asked her, not even looking at the menu.
Tilting her head, she beamed across the table at him. “I have no idea what a squash blossom is, but I’m going to try the pepito salad and find out what a squash blossom tastes like.”
He laughed as well. “A squash blossom is exactly that. It’s the flower that forms on the plant right before the squash or zucchini starts to form.”
They put in their order, he ordered the swordfish, and Reid was enchanted. “You’re going to love that salad.”
“You’ve had it before?”
“I’ve had just about everything on the menu at one point or another. This is one of my favorite restaurants because they change things up so often. They also find different ways to serve foods that we eat all the time, so it’s creative. Plus, the restaurant gets almost everything from locally sourced farms.”
“That’s nice. I love restaurants that support the local economy.”
He nodded in agreement. “So tell me what else you need to unpack.”
They discussed the details of moving and Selena joked about the chaos and what it does to the mind.
When they finished their meal, he tossed money onto the table and took her hand. “Now for your next adventure,” he said and Selena tensed up with the mysterious comment.
“I thought we’d head home and I’d finish unpacking so I can be ready for work tomorrow,” she told him.
He shook his head. “No. You’re not doing that. At least, not yet. You’re coming with me and I’m going to explain a few facts of life to you.”
Selena didn’t like the sound of that. Not one little bit! “Uh…Reid, I’m pretty familiar with the facts of life.”
He shook his head as he held the door for her. “No. You’re confused about a few things.” He led her down the street. “I remember sitting next to a couple in a restaurant a while ago. The woman was scoffing at an advertisement for a new kind of bra. It was an ugly contraption, made of some new kind of material that was supposed to be incredibly comfortable and with all of the bells and whistles that a bra might need…if you were a one hundred year old woman.”
“Reid,” she was silenced by his finger on her lips.
“No. Since you won’t tell me what happened in your past to make you shy away from everything sexual, I’m going to explain things to you my way.” He paused, chuckling when she simply rolled her eyes. “Good. Now, as I was explaining, this bra was incredibly ugly. The woman mentioned how ugly the bra was and that it didn’t matter how perfectly the bra fit. If the bra is ugly, the woman wouldn’t want to take off her clothes.”
He watched as understanding brightened her beautiful eyes. Obviously, Selena silently agreed with the woman. “She’s right. If a woman isn’t wearing something that makes her look sexy, she won’t feel sexy.”
He could tell that she didn’t believe him. “Think of it this way,” he changed tactics, “when you go to work, you wear professional outfits. You put on your sexy heels and your pretty jewelry. You do up your hair, which, by the way, I love when you put it up.” He grinned, winking at her. “Makes your neck look all hot and sexy. Gives me ideas about what I want to do to your neck.” He chuckled when the expected blush appeared. “Anyway, the guy replied that she was missing the whole point of the bra.”
Reid watched and waited, but the blank look in her eyes told him that she didn’t understand what he was trying to tell her. “If the woman didn’t feel sexy, because she was wearing an ugly bra, she’s not going to want to take off her clothes.”
The slight eye roll caused him to chuckle. “Yeah, I get that.”
He smiled slightly. “Not only do you get that side of what I’m trying to tell you, but I suspect that you use your underwear as a defensive mechanism.”
There was a long pause as she absorbed his words. They hurt. He was wrong! She didn’t…she wouldn’t….!
“I don’t!” she snapped, wanting to argue with him that her underclothes were simply that – something to wear underneath her dresses and suits.
“You do. If your bras and panties are ugly enough, you are in no danger of taking anything off and showing me what’s underneath.” He waited…and it took less time. Damn, he loved her soft, pink blushes.
Belligerently, she held to her story, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”
He took both of her hands in his. “Selena, the man in this story never grasped that pretty lingerie isn’t necessarily for the man. His point was that the bra would be on the floor of the bedroom as soon as things started to get going and that’s the way men like things.” He laughed when she rolled her eyes again. “Lingerie is more for the woman. It’s to make her feel good. A woman can wear the prettiest dress, but it’s really what’s underneath that makes the difference. It’s all psychological.”
She didn’t want to believe him. “It’s practical.”
“And you’re hiding behind that.” He turned, walking down the sidewalk again, taking her hand and leading her along. “So here’s my challenge for you. I’m daring you to wear something more inte
resting during the next few days. I want you to wear lingerie that makes you feel pretty. It doesn’t have to be anything risqué,” he added when she opened her mouth to argue. “Just something comfortable and pretty.”
She looked up at the name of the store he’d stopped in front of, her eyes widening with horror. “I’m not going in there.”
He rubbed his thumb over the pulse beating at her wrist. “Let me do this for you, Selena. Let me show you.”
She looked over his shoulder one more time, the pretty lingerie in the windows grabbing her attention.
Her hesitation was all he needed. “Come on,” he urged, leading her into the store.
“Nothing crazy,” she whispered to him, moving closer as she looked around at all of the lace and silk.
“Nothing crazy. Just something pretty.” Immediately, a salesperson walked up to them and smiled.
“How can I help you today?” she asked.
Selena liked this woman. She wasn’t making eyes at Reid, pretending she wasn’t here. She was older without a ton of makeup on, and she wasn’t painfully thin, making her feel fat by comparison. Flashbacks hit her, the memories sharp and painful. It took every ounce of her willpower not to turn and run out of the store.
But Reid had challenged her and she wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.
She decided right then and there that she would simply pay for every item that Reid thought would work and then return it later. She’d just make sure that none of the tags were damaged in any way.
Reid took the salesperson to the side and explained in hushed tones what he wanted. Then he handed her a credit card. The woman nodded, taking the payment and both of them turned to face her.
“I’m leaving,” he announced. “This is Grace and she’s going to help you.” He took her hands and looked into her eyes. “She’ll guide you through this. Don’t worry. I’ll be outside and I won’t know anything that you’ve bought. Okay?”
Selena’s muscles were so tense, she thought that she might shatter.
“Got it,” she lied, her chin lifting ever so slightly. She wasn’t playing his game, she thought resentfully. He could tell her that this was all for her benefit as much as he wanted, but she knew the truth. She knew what a guy wanted…
The Billionaire's Challenge (Sinful Nights Book 1) Page 6
