She got to work early each morning and stayed late, trying to research solutions to problems and find ways to make every idea better, more effective. By the end of the day, she was exhausted but always thrilled with her efforts.
And every night, she fell into bed and dreamed…not of color palates or moisturizing slogans, but of Reid and wondering what he might think if he ever saw her in her new underwear. Or out of it! The nights were long and she hoped that her co-workers never discovered how erotic her dreams had become lately. Especially since all of her nights and dreams featured their illustrious, devilishly handsome boss.
Chapter 8
“You ready?”
Selena jumped, surprised to find Reid standing so close. Again.
He’d sent her a text yesterday telling her not to go into the office, they were going hiking. She hadn’t seen him all week, too busy with the marketing plans. Usually, his car was still in the garage when she left in the morning and she got home later than he did.
And boy, she missed him! Hiking and Reid, what an enticing combination. She had no idea how to tackle a mountain. And she didn’t think she had it in her to tackle Reid, but she loved the idea of trying both. A girl could dream, she told herself.
Today, he looked amazing in a pair of shorts and tee-shirt, the material stretching across his shoulders, straining along his arms where his muscles pulled at the material. He had on a hat, sturdy hiking boots and a pair of sunglasses hung from his neck. Goodness, he looked yummy!
She took a deep breath and stepped out of the guest house, tugging on the knob to make sure it was locked. Not that she needed to verify that it was locked. She just needed some reason to pull her eyes away from Reid’s enticing shoulders.
She noticed that he was carrying a backpack. “What’s in the bag?” she asked, sliding her driver’s license and some cash into her back pocket.
“Is that what you’re planning to wear?” he asked, taking in her tan shorts and blue tee shirt. She’d pulled on sneakers for the hike, knowing that it would be too rugged for a pair of sandals or flats.
Selena looked down at her outfit, then back up at Reid, confusion in her eyes. “Um…yeah?” she replied, thinking it should be pretty obvious that she was planning to wear the shorts and shirt. “Is there a problem?” She looked up at him warily. “You said this would be an easy hike, nothing crazy.”
He laughed softly. “Oh, honey. You’re cute.” He bent down and kissed her, shocking her further. “Open the door. You’re not ready.”
Selena was still reeling from the kiss, wondering if it would be too revealing to lick her lips so she could taste him. Probably, she thought. But oh, the temptation.
Shaking her mind free, she blinked up at him. “What am I missing?”
He chuckled. “Hiking boots for one. But I’m guessing you don’t have any, do you?”
“Uh…” she had about twenty pairs of heels in various colors, another four pairs of sandals, an old pair of running shoes and…well, her slippers. Because every woman needed a pair of soft slippers. They were old, broken in, and incredibly comfortable. As for boots, she had a black pair and a brown pair, a few pairs of ankle boots…nothing that he would consider appropriate for hiking.
Looking down at her footwear, she shrugged, confused. “What’s wrong with my sneakers?”
“Nothing,” he replied with a devilish look in his eyes, “if you’re sneaking around. Or going grocery shopping. Otherwise, they’re not going to work. Not in the higher elevations.”
She huffed a bit, but she wasn’t sure exactly why. “You told me that this would be an easy hike. What’s going on, Reid?”
“Trust me, Selena. The Rockies are…well, rocky. You’re going to need better protection for your feet and more support for your ankles. We’ll be climbing over rocks and ducking under waterfalls.” He held up a hand to stop her protest, “Yes, this is going to be a relatively easy climb and I guarantee that you’re going to love it. You also need a wool sweater and a waterproof jacket. It might be July here in Denver, but up in the mountains, it’s still cold. There might even be snow.”
She pulled back, latching onto one word. “Climb?” she asked, her tone a bit strangled. “Did I mention I’m not a huge fan of heights?”
He took the key out of her hand and unlocked the door. “You’re going to learn to trust me, Selena. And today, you’re going to enjoy your first hike in the Rocky Mountains. I promise, I won’t let you get hurt. But that starts with being prepared with proper clothing and footwear.”
He stepped into the guest house, dumping his backpack on the floor by the door before moving through the house to the back, not even pausing before entering her bedroom.
“Reid, what are you doing?” she demanded, hurrying after him.
“You need a sweater. Where do you keep them?” he asked, opening drawers. He didn’t stop until he found them. He lifted several of them up, rejecting each one. “No, cashmere won’t work on today’s hike.” He turned to hold the soft material up against her. “But I will enjoy seeing you in this once the weather cools down. He leaned forward and kissed her again. “You’ll look…pettable.”
She blinked, but before she could respond – again – he’d already gone back to sifting through her sweaters. “Nope. None of these will work for today’s hike. You’ll just have to borrow one of mine. I have an extra in my car.”
With that, he closed the drawer and turned to the wardrobes that were built into the wall heading to the bathrooms. “What are you doing?” she demanded, trying to rush ahead of him so she could block him. No way did she want him going through her shoes! She loved shoes! He’d make fun of her shoe collection!
Unfortunately, her rush to get ahead of him and block his invasion only gave him an easy way to torment her further. Leaning a hand on either side of her head, Reid looked down at her, a dark eyebrow raised in question. “Interesting reaction,” he purred teasingly.
“I don’t have hiking boots,” she told him, trying to be firm, but he was just so darn close!
She wasn’t taking the bait though. She could resist making a fool of herself. It didn’t mean anything, the way he was leaning into her. It was just his way. She understood that now. Don’t be a fool, she mentally chided.
Deciding to be straight-forward, she straightened to her full height. Poking him in the only spot she suspected might be soft, the point right under his collar bone. She was wrong. It was just as firm as the rest of him appeared. “Listen to me, Reid. And listen carefully. I’m not one of those silly women who fawn all over you just to give you a chuckle later on, okay?”
He stared at her but she continued.
“You keep leaning into me like this, and I’m sure it works on the other ladies, but I want you to stop. I know you’re not interested in me. Not seriously. So let’s stop the pretending.”
“Are you…?”
“I’m not finished,” she cut him off, holding up a hand to stop whatever it was he’d been about to say. When he closed his mouth, his eyes still confused, she continued. “I have a lot of shoes. I like shoes. No,” she corrected, shaking her head. “I love shoes. And I have a lot of them. But none of them would be appropriate for hiking. Got it?”
Reid pulled back slightly. She’d just thrown a lot at him and he wasn’t sure which to tackle first. He looked down at her, noting her closed off expression. It suddenly hit him why she’d been pulling back whenever he got close. She’d been deeply, cruelly hurt. By a guy pretending to be interested in her? It seemed impossible. But as he watched her, her vulnerability struck him. Hard!
He wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her that whoever had done this to her was an ass. A complete and utter ass! Women should be treated with respect. Someone hadn’t realized what a treasure Selena was and…she’d never fully recovered.
Okay. He understood that. Had suspected it during their previous conversations. But the shoe issue? Why in the world would she care about that?
“Selena
, there are a lot of issues I’d like to discuss with you after that little tirade, but let me first assure you that I absolutely love your legs. I love the shoes you wear, so there’s zero chance that I’m going to tease you about the number of shoes you own, simply because watching you walk is like watching art. Your walk is sensuous and your legs are gorgeous! Never doubt that, honey.” He smiled slightly, tilting his head to the side as he observed the confusion and disbelief wash over her. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
She shrugged, crossing her arms over her stomach. “In my experience, men are not the most trustworthy species.”
He smiled slightly. “Okay, fair enough. Something in your past has given you a distrust of men. Interesting comment and we’ll explore that.” He saw the panic enter her eyes and chuckled. “But right now, we need to hit the road. So, since you don’t have anything resembling hiking boots in there …” he stepped back, pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
He watched her carefully until his friend answered the phone. “Hey, I need a favor. I have an emergency need for hiking boots. Can you help me out?” He listened to his friend, but didn’t really hear the words. Reid was too fascinated with the emotions flitting over Selena’s beautiful features. She was horrified that he was calling someone so early in the morning, which he thought was hilarious. Soon, she would understand that many people who loved to hike, preferred to be up early in the morning, getting out to the trails or branching out into the woods so they could find their own path. Either way was a great way to enjoy the peace of being in the mountains.
“Thanks,” he said, still watching her. Ending the call, he winked at Selena. “We need to hurry,” he took her hand. Pulling her out of the guest house, he led her outside to the Jeep, ignoring her sputtering confusion.
“Where are we going?”
He shook his head. “You’re going to have to trust me. You don’t yet,” he said, stopping her response as she’d done earlier, “but through my slow, evil plan, I’m going to earn your trust.”
He loved hearing her melodic laughter as he walked around to the driver’s side.
When he stepped into the Jeep, she said, “I’m not sure an evil plan is the best way to gain a person’s trust.”
He shook his head as he put the Jeep in gear. “With you, honey, I’m guessing it might be the only way. But I’m willing to shift tactics if I suspect one way isn’t working.” He glanced over at her a moment before he turned right out of his driveway, heading towards the highway. “You’re eventually going to trust me, Selena. It’s just a matter of time.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Because I’m a very trustworthy fellow,” he replied, winking at her. In about an hour, they would be in full sunlight and he’d be able to see her properly. But for now, he was content to just be with her.
Selena laughed, then relaxed back against the leather seat. “You have your moments of charm,” she admitted. “But trust? Don’t hold your breath.”
He got off the highway a moment later and headed towards a shopping mall. “Where are we going?”
“You need hiking boots.”
“The stores aren’t open yet. My sneakers will be fine,” she assured him. “I’ll take it easy.”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’m making sure that your first time in the mountains won’t result in a twisted ankle or blisters.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him, but that was pretty normal around Reid.
“Come on,” he said and parked in the empty parking lot. As soon as they pulled in, another car drove up and a sleepy looking man stepped out of the vehicle. “Are you Reid Jones?” the man asked.
“Yep. Thanks for meeting us here,” Reid said, shaking the man’s hand.
“No problem. Getting a call from my boss sort of jump started my morning. Happy to help out.” He eyed Selena’s shoes. “Size seven?” he asked.
“Seven and a half,” she replied, feeling shock and embarrassment as she realized what the solution for her footwear problem was. Reid had called the shoe store owner who had jumped out of bed before dawn to open the store so that she could get fitted for hiking boots. Great!
But ten minutes later, she had chosen a pair of hiking boots as Reid thanked the guy. She even had some special socks that would protect her feet from blisters.
As they walked out of the store, boots and socks in hand, she shook her head at his audacity. “That wasn’t necessary.”
“Sure it was. I want your first experience hiking in a real mountain to be good. Besides, the guy owed me a favor.”
She cringed. “And you burned up that favor by asking his store manager to get to work five hours before he needed to?” She asked as they both stepped back into the Jeep.
“Yep!” he replied and swung the vehicle around in the parking lot. “Now, we need breakfast.”
“I’ve already eaten,” she told him, thinking of the oatmeal she’d consumed before he’d knocked on her door.
“Probably not enough,” he replied, shaking his head. “You need a lot of calories. First of all, you’ll be walking uphill for most of the morning. Also, it’s cold, so your body burns more calories than you might think.” She glanced at him warily and he laughed. “Trust me, Selena.”
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I won’t ever trust you, Reid.”
“And why is that?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Suffice to say, that I’ve learned the hard way that trust isn’t something that I offer to men. At least, not on a personal level.”
He smiled slightly, but she had no idea what might be going through his head. “What?”
Once again, he simply shook his head. “You’ll learn.”
She didn’t have time to ask him more since he turned into a parking lot that seemed to be teeming with cars and people. “Come on. You’re going to love breakfast,” he assured her.
She stepped out of the Jeep, ready to just turn down the food. But as soon as she moved away from the vehicle, she was struck by the intense smell. Bacon…cheese…eggs…! It all smelled heavenly! She hadn’t had bacon in…well, years! But at the first whiff, her stomach roared, telling her how hungry she already was even though she’d eaten oatmeal sweetened with strawberries about an hour ago.
Pulling back, she shook her head, refusing to step any closer to the diner where people were walking in and out, most of them carrying huge bags of what was most likely food.
“What’s wrong, Selena?” he asked, realizing that she was definitely scared of something.
She shook her head and glared up at him. “I have to go,” she told him urgently. “I can’t be here.”
He stopped, not pulling her further. “Honey, what’s wrong? It’s just food.”
Pressing her lips together, she fought against the old urges. She looked at the bustling crowd of people. They all looked happy and delighted with their pre-hike meal. But they hadn’t…they’d never…
Looking back up at him, she saw the patience in his eyes, the waiting until she felt she could tell him. “It isn’t just food to me,” she admitted, not knowing of any other way to explain it to him. But the expression in his eyes told her that he didn’t understand. “Food is…well…”
He put a hand to her cheek, looking down into her blue eyes. “What? What happened Selena?”
She closed her eyes and stared up at him, shame hitting her hard. “I used to be anorexic, Reid,” she whispered. It felt like a shameful admission. “I was hugely overweight in high school. Then in college, I…” she pressed her lips together, refusing to tell him of her ultimate humiliation. “Well, I have issues with food. Bacon is a trigger for me. It messes with my head.”
She opened her eyes and looked up into his dark ones pleadingly. “Please. I need to not be here.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. “That must have been difficult for you,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
Selena stood there in the warmth o
f his embrace for a long moment, inhaling his clean, masculine scent and avoiding the almost-overwhelming desire to inhale the smell of bacon. It was hard, but she moved closer to him, using his scent to help her through the urges. Closing her eyes, she fought the need, and eventually won.
“I can’t imagine what you went through. I can’t understand, but I want to help.” He pulled back, but didn’t release her from his arms. “You still need more food. This is your first hike and I really want you to enjoy it but you need to eat,” he squeezed her gently, stopping her from arguing with him again. “How about if you stay in the car and I’ll run in and get something to eat?” He kissed her forehead soothingly. “Does an egg white only burrito with veggies and cheese sound okay?” he asked gently.
She thought about it for a long moment, trying not to smell the bacon. “Yes. Yes…fine. That would be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” He first held the Jeep’s passenger door open for her, closing it firmly before he walked into the diner.
Selena watched him, feeling foolish for reacting so strongly to the smell of bacon. But there was just something about the strong smell, the comfort of the bacon and the fat and the rich flavors that threw her back into her old insecurities.
Five minutes later, he walked back out, a huge bag in his hand and he smiled, waving to others as he went.
She stared at him, at the long, strong legs that she could see with his shorts. The dark hair along his skin, lighter on his forearms and the rugged look of his jawline since he hadn’t taken the time to shave this morning…it all added up to a virile, amazing male. An enticing, dangerous male that was starting to get to her.
“Here,” he said, handing her a paper-wrapped…something.
“What is it?”
“Just what I promised. An egg-white burrito with extra veggies and cheese. You’ll love it.”
She unwrapped the paper and looked down at the burrito. “It looks like it was just made, but you were only in there for about five minutes. Maybe even less.”
The Billionaire's Challenge (Sinful Nights Book 1) Page 8
