by K. Marie
Lifting my left hand, I stared at the finger absent of its ring, knowing I was undeserving of it.
How can I claim to care about John, but do what I had with Garland?
There was no way I could just go back to normal with him as if nothing had happened. What would be the point? I proved conclusively I didn’t want to marry John.
And the fact that the realization wasn’t exactly devastating, had me feeling instant shame. But, I also felt some relief in finally admitting it.
I held off on calling the girls’ right away after returning, but when I finally did, I learned they’d been out shopping until the stores closed. Plans for tonight were already set, we would be going to a popular seafood restaurant that also served as a nightclub and bar. I hadn’t hung-out with them in a while, so I looked forward to some girl-bonding-time.
I also hoped it would help to keep my mind off of Garland.
Eighteen
I’m jerked awake by the sound of banging at the door.
Getting to my feet like an unstable drunk, I made my way over there expecting it to be Marie or Lauren on the other side of it. Only to find a uniformed hotel employee instead.
He stood there holding a huge bouquet of roses.
“Ms. Spencer?” he inquired.
“Uh, yes, I’m Ms. Spencer,” I confirmed.
“These just arrived for you,” he said, extending the flowers.
I accepted the beautiful arrangement in bafflement. The bouquet was huge—there must be dozens of roses, and the cut-crystal vase they sat in was a lot heavier than it looked.
“Hang on just a second,” I told the man, rushing to get my purse and grabbing a handful of bills from my wallet. After giving him the money and promptly shutting the door behind him, I turned back into the room.
Walking over to where I’d placed the roses on the desk, I eyed them curiously. A white envelope with my name scrawled across it in black script stuck up from the middle. Reaching for it, I pulled the card from inside with clumsy fingers, and my heart stuttered in my chest.
“Camry, the woman at the flower shop told me orange roses symbolized desire, passion, and excitement; while yellow roses conveyed the message of sorry and of caring. The orange roses speak for themselves, but please accept the yellow roses as my sincere apology for being a jerk. The time we spent together were some of the best days I’ve experienced in a very long time—Garland.”
I stared at the card long seconds, re-reading his words, absorbing them, before bursting into tears.
The words became blurred as I clutched the card in my hand, wondering what in the hell was wrong with me. Flowers were meant to cheer a person up, not cause an emotional breakdown.
Walking over to sit on the bed, I flopped backwards in exasperation, swiping at my tears in frustration. I was pissed over having let the man affect me so. If I were to psychoanalyze myself right now, my diagnosis would be crazy. However, after a few minutes of moping and sulking, I was finally ready to be honest with myself—to admit why I’d just fallen apart like an idiot. It wasn’t the words that Garland had written; which were heart meltingly sweet, but the overwhelming sense of finality I experienced at the end of them.
I was going to miss him, and the thought of never seeing him again was crushing.
Because for all his good looks and money, Garland wasn’t the asshole one would assume a man like him to be. He seemed kind; a genuinely nice person, and considerate. He was charming and sweet, affectionate even, and I liked him. Garland got under my skin, and even though I told myself I shouldn’t feel this strongly about a person I’d known only a few days, it didn’t help.
In fact, that healthy reasoning was telling me to just shut the hell up and deal with the consequences of my actions.
I would never admit it out loud, but it appeared Lauren and Marie were right. They both knew I wasn’t cutout for carefree flings. However, since Garland and I were now over, I was counting on distance to help put things back into perspective.
Dragging myself off the bed, I walked over to the flowers and examined them more closely. They were beautiful and brought to mind the color of a sun setting over the ocean. The golden yellow roses were ringed in coral at their tips, while the fiery orange ones had yellow at theirs. I leaned in to sniff their scent, inhaling the intoxicating perfume, and smiled in appreciation.
I can’t believe Garland actually went into a flower shop to buy these for me, how’d he even get flowers delivered at this late hour? That he cared enough to take the time out to do it, had my heart doing strange things.
Okay, so I admit it, I might have lost just the tiniest piece of my heart to the man. But I’d get over it.
Walking over to grab my phone from the bed, I hesitated, debating whether I ought to leave him in doubt a little while longer. It would serve him right, after all. But, I’ve never been the game-playing type, so I went ahead and texted the man.
“Thank you, the flowers are beautiful…apology accepted.”
I kept it simple, not wanting him to feel obligated to respond, and he didn’t.
The seafood restaurant was at maximum capacity when we arrived, but the scallops and stuffed shrimp I ordered were excellent and worthy of the long wait. I ate everything on my plate, not having realized just how starved I was. Garland and I ate lunch in Key West hours ago, we’d also been too occupied with other things to have bothered with food on the way back.
After dinner, the girls’ and I made our way up to the second-floor lounge, only to find it a bit too laid-back. We found the third floor much livelier; with the latest ‘Ed Sheeran’ song blaring through the speakers, and with too many people dancing on a too small dance floor. I was instantly reminded of Garland and me on the dance floor together the night before, and flushed at the memory.
“Cheer-up woman, you’ve been getting busy with Mr. Hotness the past three days, you should have a permanent smile on your face,” Marie told me, standing just inches away.
“Then I would walk around looking like a damn clown,” I retorted.
Marie and I hadn’t had a chance to talk since I’d gotten back, but she could tell I wasn’t my usual self tonight.
“Yeah, an ass-clown!” she declared on a laugh.
I gave her a playful shove as we made our way over to the bar, where I ordered another glass of wine.
Lauren and the others had taken a seat on the black sofa near the entrance, and as I glanced their way, I glimpsed a man wearing a black suit moving through the crowd. The man reminded me of Garland’s security guys.
Arrggh! I shook my head in disgust with myself.
Turning back to Marie; I determined to stop obsessing over Garland and to have a good time. Quickly downing my wine, I moved onto the crowded dance floor and lost myself in the music for a while. I danced some songs alone, and a couple with random men. But, I was sweating by the time we prepared to leave and felt exhilarated and happy.
There was a black Mercedes parked directly in front of the restaurant when we exited, and Joe—once again in his black suit, stood at attention next to it. My steps halted when I saw him parked somewhere he shouldn’t be.
“Ms. Camry, Ladies,” he greeted, as though it was business as usual.
“Joe, why are you here?” I asked in confusion.
“I’m your ride for the rest of the evening, I’ll take you wherever you’d like to go,” he answered.
“Why?” I asked again, wondering what in the hell was going on. Joe was one of Garland’s head security guys, his personal bodyguard, not just some driver. I wondered why he’d sent him.
“Mr. Vidov insists,” he said, as though it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
“How did you know where we were?” I questioned suspiciously. I didn’t tell Garland my plans for the night, as we hadn’t spoken since parting.
“I have my ways,” Joe answered mysteriously.
“Well, I say if Mr. Vidov insists, who are we to refuse him?” Marie piped-in next to me.
&n
bsp; I turned my head to scowl at her, before sliding a look at the other women. They all looked rapt with curiosity; so was I, for that matter. I hadn’t heard a peep from Garland in hours, yet, he’d sent me an armed escort?
“Is everyone good with this?” I asked in resignation.
They all murmured their approvals, and Joe moved to open the car door.
I hung back while everyone piled inside. “May I sit up front with you?” I asked him.
He hesitated, before nodding his head in the affirmative.
Once I’m seated up-front, Joe returned to the driver’s seat and asked, “Where to?” like a taxi driver.
“Back to the hotel,” I told him, trying not to smile.
“So, where is Garland, and why do I suddenly need security?” I asked Joe, twisting my body to better face him.
“Mr. Vidov worries about you being out late with no escort, that’s all,” he answered, keeping his eyes on the road.
Bullshit. “And Garland, is he stalking me from afar?” I questioned sarcastically.
Joe eyed me this time, looking on the verge of smiling. “Mr. Vidov had business that took him away this evening,” he told me.
Where in the hell to? I wanted to ask, but don’t. It was probably none of my business.
Still though. “I don’t understand why Garland believed an escort necessary, I’ve survived this long without one,” I complained, sounding unappreciative.
If I were being honest, I’d admit to being disappointed that he hadn’t come personally. Was he avoiding me? Did he send Joe because he was still apologizing for earlier?
“There’s a certain amount of exposure that comes with being involved with someone like Mr. Vidov, he just wants to shield you from that as much as possible,” Joe told me.
Whatever that meant.
I’ve known Garland all of three days, why should he have to shield me from anything? “Now you’re scaring me, Joe, I don’t understand. Does he put bodyguards on every woman he’s had brief affairs with?” I questioned.
I wondered if this was Garland’s usual routine and couldn’t help feeling a little agitated by the possibility.
Joe glanced at me, a thinly veiled look of surprise in his eyes. Was he surprised by my openness regarding the nature of Garland’s and my involvement, or perhaps my naivete` where men like Garland are concerned? He hesitated so long, I began to believe he wouldn’t answer.
“I probably shouldn’t say what I’m about to, but, you seem the type to keep privileged information to yourself,” Joe finally said.
He pinned me with a look, that I interpreted as his words having been more of a command than a compliment.
I nodded my understanding.
“I’ve worked for Mr. Vidov five years now, and this is the first time he’s ever assigned me or any of the other men as security to any woman. He never does anything without good reason, so, perhaps he feels he’s got something worth protecting,” Joe said with a meaningful look.
I eyed him uncertainly, trying to assimilate the information. What did it even mean? Besides, Garland and I were done anyway, right?
Then the puzzle pieces clicked into place. “He’s had someone following me since I left the hotel, hasn’t he?” I asked Joe, remembering the man I saw inside the restaurant. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, believed myself to be suffering from Garland on the brain.
Joe just gave me an indecipherable look, neither admitting or denying, but I had my answer.
“I don’t know how I feel about that; about any of this, I don’t know whether to be freaked-out or flattered,” I said warily.
“That’s a good thing, Ms. Camry, a smart response indeed,” Joe remarked.
I gave him a smile, feeling as though he’d just given me a sort of seal-of-approval by sharing privileged information. Especially for a man who seldom speaks.
“On second thought, Joe, I’d like to stop by a store if that’s okay,” I told him.
When we arrived back at the hotel, Joe came around to open my door before helping the women from out back. Waiting until everyone walked off; I turned to him.
“Can you see that Garland gets these?” I asked, handing him the package of gummy bears that I’d just bought at the store. I don’t know what possessed me to do it.
“Let him know his dirty little secret is safe with me,” I said with a devious grin.
Joe smiled, an actual smile. “I’ll make sure I do that,” he said, taking the package from my hand.
“You can also let the boss know that I’m in for the rest of the night, that should make your job easier,” I told him with a wink.
I liked Joe, and it sucked that he’d pulled babysitting duty again tonight.
“Take care, Ms. Camry,” he said, amusement evident in his eyes.
Ninteen
Getting a decent night’s sleep just wasn’t in the cards for me.
My phone buzzed incessantly on the bedside table next to me, pulling me from another sound snooze. Reaching over to silence it, my hand fumbled around clumsily before finally landing on it.
“Hello,” I breathed, voice barely a whisper.
“You should only sound this sexy when I’m inside of you, or lying next to you,” said an accented voice that could only belong to Garland.
I became fully awake.
“Get dressed, beautiful, I’m picking you up in five minutes,” he informed me.
“What—where are you?” I asked, sleepy brain struggling to catch-up.
Upon returning to the hotel tonight, I quickly showered, then passed out from exhaustion. It felt like I’d been asleep only five minutes.
“I’m waiting outside your hotel, patiently giving you five minutes to get down here,” he answered.
I smiled at his nerve. “Is this a booty-call?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered, without hesitation.
My smile grew even wider. “How rude, I was asleep you know,” I told him, not easily giving in to his demands.
“And now you’re awake,” he countered, unapologetic.
“Hmm…I’m thinking I should probably stay in bed, I need my rest,” I teased, voice dropping to a purr.
I was enjoying fucking with him. I had every intention of hopping my ass out of this bed, but I would make him work for it a little more first.
“I have a bed for you to sleep in,” Garland said, undaunted.
“But, we don’t tend to do much sleeping when I’m in your bed,” I returned.
The phone grew silent for what seemed a full minute.
“That’s because sleeping can be overrated,” he concluded.
“Your five minutes are almost up, Camry, are you coming down, or am I coming in there to get you?” Garland asked.
“What, you plan to throw me over your shoulder like a Caveman?” I scoffed, grinning like a fool. I didn’t think I would hear from him again before I left Miami.
“Don’t think I’m above doing that if necessary; and it seems necessary in this case. I’m coming in,” Garland said with finality.
My pulse leapt wildly in alarm. “Hey, stand down, Cro-Magnon! I’ll see you in five minutes,” I rushed to say before disconnecting.
Mr. Bossy-pants needed to work on his sense of humor. I thought to myself, laughing as I scooted out of bed.
Quickly washing my face and brushing my teeth, I pulled on a pair of tiny, black running shorts and a fitted turquoise t-shirt. Sliding my feet into black flip-flops, I gathered my hair into a ponytail, before stuffing a change of clothes into my tote and exiting the room. I wasn’t certain where Garland was taking me, but at this late hour, I probably wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.
The Miami air was still thick with humidity when I exited the building. And instead of seeing Garland standing next to the Rover as I’d expected, Joe stood once again waiting outside the black Mercedes. I gave him a wry smile as I approached the door he held open for me.
Did the man ever get off duty?
Climbing in
to the car, my eyes landed on Garland; who sat relaxed against the leather seat with long legs stretched out in front of him. He wore a gray suit with a light-blue shirt opened at the collar, and a patterned necktie that hung untied and draped around his neck.
“Hi,” I said, smiling at his stupidly gorgeous face. It was two o’clock in the morning, yet, he still managed to make disheveled look sexy.
His brooding gaze raked my body, lingering on my exposed legs, before returning to my face. “That was longer than five minutes,” he said.
Seriously? I gave him an incredulous look, simply shrugging a shoulder in response. But, a squeal escaped my mouth a second later, when Garland reached out to grasp my upper arm; pulling me across the seat and halfway onto his lap.
“Disobedience doesn’t go unpunished,” he growled next to my ear.
Not even pretending to object, I closed my eyes and leaned my head to the side as he kissed my neck. “You always smell like heaven,” he murmured, trailing his mouth to mine.
Our tongues met and mingled, as Garland’s clever hand traveled down my body, dipping between my thighs, before venturing down my shorts.
I spread my legs shamelessly in encouragement. Then, in a move as quick as lightning, I found myself suddenly lain across the seat on my back.
Garland’s intense gaze bored into me as he ripped off his suit jacket and tie, then reached to pull my shorts and panties down my legs.
He’d been serious about the booty-call.
He’s on me in an instant; with his head disappearing between my thighs, and his hot mouth on my flesh. Garland is ruthless in his assault; and had me crying out my pleasure in record time. I lie breathless afterward, gasping for air, and feeling as if I’d just been ambushed.
Christ. We’d barely said two sentences to each other. Not that he seemed that inclined to talk. I could do silence too, no problem.
Garland sat back and unbuttoned his shirt, tearing it off and tossing it onto the seat next to him. He unfastened his belt and pants next. I watched him the entire time, sensing he was somehow different tonight. Other than his lack of words, he seemed more intense than usual, maybe even a little on edge.
