“But?”
“I bought two spa packages earlier this morning and I was wondering if you would go with me. I talked to a few people and they’ve said nothing but good things about being pampered at the spa. I thought we could both use it.”
Her silent treatment was torture as he waited for her to speak. Shawn ran his hand through his head, and tried again. “The certificates are good for any day of the week, so if you’re busy tonight, I’ll understand.”
“A spa visit sounds tempting.”
Shawn grinned. “So, is that a yes?”
“Yes. I’ll be ready in about an hour.”
“I don’t want you to starve. I’ll make reservations for dinner. Which restaurant? Your choice.”
“I like Italian.”
***
As she and Shawn sat in the quiet dimly lit room following their massages, Alexia tried to recall the last time she ever felt so relaxed and stress-free. The tranquil, floral-infused ambience together with the soft music made her forget about those business matters that always tended to be so burdensome.
Alexia took a deep breath and took another sip of her chilled wine. She glanced over at Shawn who sat beside her on the chaise lounge with his eyes closed and face tilted to the ceiling.
“Thank you for the chance to just relax,” she said.
He turned to glance at her, and his thigh slightly brushed hers once more. “I’m glad you came along with me. I’d say that we both needed and deserved this.”
“Dinner was nice as well. I’ve never had Italian prepared quite like that.”
“We should do this together more often.”
She smiled. “Are you asking me out again?”
“I am. You don’t stress me out.” He downed the rest of his drink, and set it out the table beside him. “I regret that so many years passed until we met again.”
“But we barely knew each other in high school.”
“I feel like I’ve known you forever, you know, like we’re old friends.
He hit the nail right on the head. She felt that he was definitely friend material. “The massage therapist must have sensed that. I can’t believe she thought we were a couple.”
Shawn pointed to the mirror in front of them. “Well, we would make a damn fine couple.”
Alexia laughed. “You’re funny.”
His expression turned serious. “What’s so funny about that?”
She shrugged, and looked in the mirror at their reflections. With nothing on other than a robe and her unruly hair up in a ponytail, she wasn’t exactly dressed to impress. Good thing they had dinner first, as the moisture from the steam room had definitely messed up her hair and makeup.
They sat shoulder to shoulder on the chaise. Shawn’s robe was slightly open in the front, showing off a hint of muscles. He was certainly a heartthrob with his exceptionally good looks and chiseled facial features, but for her, personality was most important over looks.
The thing was, he had an outgoing personality and high-achieving work ethics. In her book, that was personality worth having, but why would he be interested in an ex-lawyer, former geek, turned entrepreneur like her?
He met her eyes in the mirror. “What are you thinking about?”
“Just stuff.”
He lifted her feet with his own, so that their ankles were crossed with each other’s. His feet were surprisingly smooth, not rough as she would expect from a man.
“Reveal one thing about yourself that you haven’t already told me,” he demanded.
“Ummm…my favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.”
He laughed. “I meant something more personal, but we can play this game. I prefer chocolate. Tell me something else.”
“I like playing and dancing in the rain.”
“Hmmm.” He pretended to think. “I’m not much of a cook in the kitchen, but I can grill a mean steak.”
She giggled. “Well sometimes you have to burn up a few good pots before you can declare yourself a cook.”
“This is true.” He nodded. “What else?”
“I’ve always wanted to sky dive.”
“Adventurous, huh? You were once quiet and shy.”
“Only once upon a time,” she said.
“So…here’s one. I’m very attracted to you. But you knew that, right?”
His declaration had come out of nowhere. She blinked at him in disbelief and then said the only reply that came to mind. “Most men are attracted to women.”
“I think you know what I mean.”
She eyed him incredulously. “Are you being serious?”
“Yep.” He nodded.
Alexia turned to face him, drawing her legs up under herself. “Lots of men are and have been attracted me. They only get as far as their words of intention, despite their plans and efforts. From what I’ve learned about you, you seem to have a master plan for everything. So, what will you do about that?”
He raised an eyebrow surprise. “Are you daring me to follow through?”
“I double dare you.” Her thoughts had slipped to form the actual words.
In half a second, his palm stroked the side of her face. His gaze held hers for what seemed like minutes and all the sounds around them were drowned out by her rapid heartbeat and the drumming it caused in her ear.
Shawn slid his hand from her face to the back of her neck. “Your dare is tempting and so are your lips.”
With minimal efforts he guided her so that their lips met gently in a kiss. He smelled of sandalwood and some other oil used in their massage session. His lips were soft and they glided across hers, urging her to comply.
Her body finally relaxed as he caressed her neck. His lips pressing against hers felt like she was experiencing a piece of heaven for the first time. He deepened the kiss, pressing firmly, and coaxing her mouth open. His tongue against hers was cool to the touch, and she offered herself without pause. She tasted and smelled the wine on his breath as their tongues danced, slowly and sensuously. The longing to continue came from somewhere deep within her.
They separated for air, and he pressed light kisses on her jawline and neck. The feeling of euphoria was like no other. Even better than the seventy five minute Swedish massage they’d just indulged in.
It was too much. Her body wanted something that she was not ready to accept. Alexia pressed a palm to his chest and pushed gently. Why was it that she wanted to pull him back? This was not like her. She’d had too many drinks.
Shawn rested his forehead against hers. “That was nice.”
“Yes.” She swallowed and turned away. “But, I think it’s time to go now.”
He looked a little disappointed. “You’re in charge.”
They didn’t say a word as he helped her off the chair. She exhaled deeply just as she made it to the lady’s locker room to change.
No man had ever kissed her like that. What they’d shared on the chaise made her realize that there was such a thing as the perfect kiss.
Chapter Five
Alexia kicked off her sandals and leaned back in the pool side chair. She tilted her straw hat at just the right angle so that it blocked the torturous rays of the sun. These relaxation breaks were fast becoming a habit of hers, but they made her time working at the shop less nerve wracking. Pretty soon, her life would get hectic. She’d find out whether the day to day grind working behind the counter of Reilly’s and under the hood of a car was more difficult than sitting behind the desk as the owner and CEO of her newly formed company.
She couldn’t wait to put the final plans to action.
David, who’d agreed to become her CFO, would be in town any day now to complete the formation process. It was the perfect role for him, and despite living hundreds of miles apart, they’d managed to grow bits of ideas into a viable business plan. With him taking care of the finances and leaving the operations to her, she hoped they launched a new corporation with a future of continued business growth. Together, she and David had over two decades e
xperience in the business. How could they fail?
If her parents were here, they’d be so proud. She’d probably be on the other side looking in. Her father had always wanted the business to grow into something bigger, so he’d most likely be at the forefront doing all these things that she was. What took her several years of procrastinating would have been done by her parents in months. With her father’s go-getter attitude and her mother’s supportive ways, Reilly’s might have already been a public company.
She missed them so much. How had she ever survived without them?
“Alexia.”
The voice above her sounded exceptionally familiar. It was the deep, smooth tone that she had found herself reminiscing on this whole week.
She opened her eyes to find Shawn standing over her, blocking the heat rays. It was no surprise that seeing him brightened her spirits, but how long would he stick around? How long would he choose to remain in her life before he moved on to the next hopelessly lucky woman? “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you,” he said, nonchalantly.
She removed her stray hat, and looked around at her surroundings. Besides a couple on the far side of the atrium and the two ladies who sat across from her, there was no one else around. “We have guards and top security access. How did you get in?”
His lips twitched into a smile. “I was very polite to the guards.”
She should have known. This man would do anything, even use his art of expert persuasion, to get what he wanted. His gaze swept over her body, and she wrapped the long towel tighter around her midsection. “Now that you’ve breached security, is there something I can do for you?”
He sat down on the lounge chair next to her. “I don’t appreciate my voicemails being ignored and all my calls going unanswered.”
“I’ve been extremely busy,” she said.
He clasped his palms together. “Okay. Maybe I’m being a little selfish here, but I was beginning to worry.”
“Worry about what?”
“I was worried that maybe I did something wrong.”
Alexia opened her mouth to ask him to explain, but then it dawned on her that maybe she was the one who’d been in the wrong. After thinking of one reason why she hadn’t returned any of his calls, she couldn’t think of a plausible one.
“It wasn’t you,” she said.
“Okay, then what was it?”
“It’s just…” she shrugged “…I don’t know how to handle everything at once. The anniversary of my parent’s death just passed and I haven’t felt myself lately. Connecting the day I lost my parents with the day that I officially met you…well, it was just too much. I’ve also put in a boat load of hours this week to prep for the expansion.”
He visibly swallowed. “Enough said. In an attempt to try to help relieve some stress, I created an even bigger burden by bothering you.”
“No.” Alexia shook her head. “You have helped me. In more ways than one. I just have never had someone …pursue me as much as you have.”
He looked at her skeptically. “I beg to differ. You’re a business savvy person. An extremely attractive woman. Smart as hell. Sexy as hell. I could go on, but I can’t imagine that I’ve been the very first man to pursue you.”
Heat rose to her neck in an involuntary blush. “I’m not quite sure that I’m worth all the trouble. After a while, they take the hint and leave me alone.”
“How long will you make me wait?”
“Excuse me.”
“I work relentless for everything I have, Alexia.”
She bit the corner of her lip and glanced at him from under her lashes. What would possess him to want anything to do with her?
“And don’t look at me like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“You haven’t decided what?”
“How long I will make you wait.” She picked up her straw hat and stood. “Would you like to come inside for lunch?”
Alexia turned around just as he stood, and it only took one grin from him to know his answer.
***
“I didn’t think that you’d be the type to take that type of risk,” Shawn said, as he flipped over the burgers on the built-in grill on the stove.
He turned to watch as she fumbled around in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator for something. Her long, toned legs were in clear view as she knelt, and he reminisced on how soft they were touching his at the spa. That had been the most relaxing time he’d had in months. He remembered the soft music playing with short pauses of complete silence in between, and the brief glances shared with each other as they laid on the therapist’s table.
“Ah! There it is.” Alexia placed the pineapple in the center of the cutting board. “No pain, no gain. Isn’t that a motto? Are stocks not a money maker?”
“Investing in stocks is a good option. They’ll provide you income now and grow pretty steadily over the long term from what I’ve seen, but you don’t want to put all your eggs in one nest.”
“I see.” She selected the biggest knife from the storage block, and poised it over the pineapple. “I’m terrible at balancing my portfolio. The rate of return is never what I expected.”
Shawn removed the burgers from the grill and placed them on a serving tray. “Well, now you have some expert advice. We can’t control the market, but we can adjust the percentages so that you’re on track with your retirement goals.”
He joined her near the sink, sneaking a glance at her just as she slipped a piece of the juicy fruit between her lips.
“Just test tasting.” She smiled. “To make sure it’s ripe.”
“I’m sure it is.”
She ate another, giving him a teasing glare. “It is.”
“Sweet tooth?”
“Good observation.”
He took the hand which held the knife and she laid the tool on the counter. “I observed something else. Can you guess what it is?”
She shook her head, and glanced at their hands as he brought her fingers to his lips.
“You are unique with a drive to be in control, but still very much a woman.” Pressing his lips to her fingers, he tasted the sweet pineapple juices. “Painted fingernails…delicate beauty…graceful, but sure movements.” He met her gaze. “Strong but guarded, exceptional black woman.”
“When did you realize this?”
“Observations were made from day one.” It was already warm in the kitchen with the heat from the grill, but as he stepped in closer the heat from their bodies warmed his temperature even more.
“You are a tad affectionate,” she whispered.
His thoughts slipped and he spoke them out loud. “Maybe that is my weakness.”
“Weakness? I don’t think so. You are very much in control of your actions right now.”
He swallowed, and then placed her palm to his chest. “Are you not in control of yours?”
“I think…yes…I am.”
Shawn’s breath hitched at the same moment she closed the gap between them. The kiss that followed rekindled this need to possess her and to claim her as his. What had brewed between them over the course of weeks? It was like waiting by the kettle, knowing that the water would come to a boil. This reaction to have her was inevitable, just like their reuniting had been.
Alexia orchestrated the rhythm and pressure for what seemed like forever, but the need to please took over him and he deepened the kiss. He grabbed the small of her waist and pulled her even closer. She was just the right fit against him. Neither too short, nor too tall. Just perfect.
Their breaths became heated and her body eagerly leaned into his. Did she finally trust him? Had she finally realized the strong connection between them?
“Shawn,” she whispered, pushing at his chest lightly with her palm.
“Yes.” The sweet tangy taste of Alexia and pineapples lingered on his tongue.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t
have to say anything,” he replied. “This kiss…your body…has already responded.”
“My body might be confused,” she whispered.
He lifted her chin, and kissed the underside of it. “You think so?”
“Either that or it would like to know what you have to offer.”
Shawn stepped back at least a foot, shocked from her statement. He didn’t expect it from her. She held his gaze, and there was no mistaking the assurance in them.
“It’s not nice to tease,” he said.
“I’m not teasing.” She closed the gap between them again and slid her hand up the inside of his shirt. Her palms were soft and warm, and he inhaled sharply as he stroked his abs. Sure fingers ventured upward and she lightly ran her nails across his upper chest.
Alexia was a tease, and Shawn could only take but so much. He backed her up into the center island and took her mouth again. He slid his hands down her waist and over her soft mounds, wondering what she looked like naked. She was just the right size, and his dick hardened as he imagined fucking her from behind with her ass suspended in air.
He slipped his fingers past the waist band of her panties, and dug softly into her plush flesh. Her breath came in pants, heated against his neck.
“Shawn.”
“Stop me now.”
She grabbed at the front of his jeans, stroking at his erection. “I don’t want you to stop.”
He pressed his lips tightly together and moaned. It was all he could do to keep from being too aggressive. She was tempting him. Tempting him to do things to her that he’d not done to a woman in years. He wanted to learn each and every inch of her gorgeous body. The head of his dick pulsed as she cupped him tighter. He imagined taking her slowly with long strokes, but blood raged through his erection and he didn’t think he could control himself.
She unbuckled his belt and unzipped the front of his pants. It was apparent that she was the one in control of him. Her fingers eagerly slipped inside the opening of his boxer briefs to grasp the center of his need.
“You’re…um…” Her voice trailed off as she stroked him skillfully.
Mz Mechanic Page 4
