by C. A. Harms
It was safe there, and for now safe was good.
“How you holding up, kid?” my dad asked as he moved me around the dance floor with ease. My mom and Kim’s mother we off doing motherly things, and my father had decided that me sitting tucked away in a corner was unacceptable. So here I was dancing with my father, for a short time feeling like a kid again and ignoring the fact that being an adult was hard. It felt great to leave my troubles behind even for a bit.
“I’m good,” I assured him with a confident smile. But from the way he frowned, I could tell he didn’t buy it. “I promise I’m okay, Dad.”
“You know that offer I made the other night,” he said. “The one for you to move back home.” I nodded, hoping we weren’t about to have yet another heated conversation about that. “I knew you wouldn’t accept,” he went on, surprising me. “You’ve always been ready to conquer the world. But you’ve got to understand that as a father, it’s sometimes hard to let go. Especially when it’s his only child, and a daughter no less. I just want to fix everything for you.”
I smiled because my nurturing personality didn’t only come from my mother; my father was a nurturer too. He just went about it a little differently.
“I’m okay. There isn’t anything to fix, Dad. It happened, and now I just need to move on and forget it.” I could tell he wanted to argue that point from the way he looked at me, but instead he offered me a gentle nod before smiling at someone over his shoulder.
“Can I cut in?” Kim asked as she laid her hand on my shoulder. I needed the interruption. I wanted to be happy today, instead of worrying about my parents feeling as if they needed to save me.
My father gave us a quick kiss on the cheek before he said he needed to find his wife to spin her around the dance floor. Sometimes they still behaved like newlyweds, which I found to be sweet. It gave me hope that one day I may find the same thing.
Some people may have found a bride dancing with her maid of honor to be weird, but it wasn’t to Kim and I. It was normal for us, and we’d never cared what anyone thought.
“It was perfect, Kim,” I said and loved how her smile grew wider.
“It was, wasn’t it?” she asked in a singsong voice, which only made me laugh. “No mishaps, no frustrating mothers, because let’s face it, my mother can be over-the-top at times.” I wasn’t about to tell her that her mother, Betty, wasn’t the only one. I’d leave that for another day.
“Please promise you won’t start any drama now,” she stated, almost as if scolding me. And when my gazed locked with her, her eyes told me something was up.
“What did you do?” I asked as I stopped dancing and placed my hands on my hips, my irritation growing. “Kim.”
“I know you’re angry at him.” She returned the look I was throwing at her. “But I also know that you’ve missed him. You won’t admit it, but I’ve known you long enough to figure things out without you saying anything.”
I wanted to yell at her to butt out, but instead I stood there frozen and waited to see where this all went.
“You have questions that need answers, and you deserve those answers, Elle. But you also deserve to have a man love you like I know Beckett could.” I didn’t miss the way her eyes glistened in the light of the room. It pulled at me, because Kim didn’t get emotional without good reason. “Just give him a chance to explain.”
I closed my eyes tightly, refusing to respond, because I knew he was standing behind me. It was like I instantly felt his presence the moment he was close. When I opened my eyes again, I knew I was right as Kim gave a gentle nod to the person standing behind me before she slowly retreated from the dance floor.
“Hey, pretty girl.” His deep, soothing voice felt like a warm blanket thrown over me. “I’ve missed you.”
Forget the relaxed feelings I felt only moments ago. Because my body couldn’t withhold the reaction he evoked in me. It was unstoppable.
Chills followed by the overwhelming need to run hit me first. Then he touched the small of my back and suddenly I felt like I did the night I looked up from my place on the couch to find him standing before me—like everything was going to be okay. Even though there were a million reasons for me to believe otherwise, and even though all the time we’ve spent together led me toward nothing but heartache, in that instant I still felt as if everything would work out.
“I just want a chance to give you the explanation I should have given before leaving you that day.”
I took in a deep breath as I slowly turned to face him. Though I was hurt and still slightly irritated, for a moment I forgot those feelings, because no one could possibly deny just how amazingly handsome Beckett Montgomery looked in a tuxedo. My inner vixen growled, wanting to claw away at the gorgeous man before me, but I maintained control.
“I should have told you that being with you made me feel things I never did before. Every time I was near you, I didn’t care if I was risking my job, and for me, that’s big,” he confessed. Stepping in closer, he curled his finger around the stray curl that hung near my left temple. “I don’t know how to do this,” he whispered as his gaze scanned my face. “I just know that it sucks not to have you in my life anymore. Kim was right. Nothing about being with you was just a job. It was always so much more.”
“You hurt me, Beck,” I said, feeling raw both from what he’d just said and from being near him again.
He moved in closer, hooking me around the waist with one hand while placing the other on the back of my neck. “I’m so sorry, Elle. I won’t lie to you; I thought I could walk away. I thought if I just left, and busted my ass day and night to solve the case, I’d be able to be with you sooner. But in the end I still got reprimanded and suspended, so I should have just stayed with you.”
“You got suspended?” I asked, concerned I’d cost him his job.
“It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head when I attempted to argue and passed his thumb across my lips. “It doesn’t matter,” he repeated. “The only thing that matters to me is proving to you that leaving you that day was the worst mistake I’ve ever made.”
We were standing in the center of the dance floor, no longer dancing as music, laugher, and the constant chatter of guests swirled around us, but I felt as if he and I were the only ones in the room.
“I just want another chance,” he whispered as he leaned in and pressed his forehead to mine. “One more chance to show you that nothing about you is as forgettable as I made it seem that day. Because, Shanelle Kramer, you have been in my head since day one.”
I couldn’t speak, so I just nodded as I wrapped my arms around his waist. His body relaxed against mine as if he’d been wound tight for weeks.
“Thank you,” he whispered, and it made me smile. The idea of my forgiveness meaning something to a man like Beck amazed me. He could have easily forgotten I existed. Nothing made him show up here; he only did because he wanted me.
Even though I still had my guard up in the back of my mind, an even bigger part of me wanted to see where this thing between him and I led.
“I’m gonna kiss you now, Elle.” Beckett’s hoarse whisper made me smile wider as I leaned in, allowing his lips to touch mine as I sank into his familiar heat. I found it was a place I loved. A place that even though I’d tried to hide from, I couldn’t escape.
This man was that rare kind of guy you wanted to hate, but couldn’t help but fall for. He was cocky, arrogant, and demanding, but secretly I found all those aspects of him incredibly sexy.
BECKETT
I was never one for meeting the parents. Hell, I’d never stayed with a girl long enough to do the whole “get to know the ones who raised the person you’re dating” thing. In fact, I couldn’t even really call my past dating life actually “dating.” The women I’d been with before were all the same. We’d meet, have some small talk, get it on, and then rarely go for a repeat. Yes, I know, that was fucked up, but hey, I was taking a turn for the better now. Elle was my rare find in a world of random ho
okups. She was the one woman that stuck, and when I say “stuck,” I meant she was in my fucking blood and there was no way to shake her.
So even though I didn’t really do meeting parents, it was happening. Like right now, in the center of a wedding reception with an audience. My palms were sweating, my heart was racing, and the way Mr. Kramer was giving me the shakedown had my stomach tensed.
“So what is it you do, Mr. Montgomery?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, going into full defense mode. He was shorter than me, but he had some serious muscle. I’m talking pro-wrestler-type shit.
Oh, and Shanelle had ditched me the moment after she introduced me to her father. She walked away with a big smile on her face, like she’d just left me to get torn apart by the alpha wolf.
“I’m a detective for the NYPD,” I said, sounding like I’d swallowed a frog. Was I seriously this intimidated? Thank God my brothers weren’t here to observe this pathetic display. They’d have a field day.
I looked to my left to find Lexington leaning forward, a glass of wine in his hand, fully invested in the conversation between me and Elle’s father.
Strike that thought. I was definitely no longer safe from my brothers finding out about this conversation. I knew the rat would be running back to give them a play-by-play.
“Did you work on the case involving my daughter recently?” I turned back toward Mr. Kramer as he spoke. When I nodded, he continued to stare at me as if I were on trial. “So you met the man that terrorized her and violated her privacy?” Again I nodded, feeling that familiar anger rise inside me as I thought of the things we’d found in Andrew’s apartment.
“How hard was it not to beat the hell out of that sorry son of a bitch?”
I was surprised at his question, but in a strange way it relaxed me. I’d had no idea what type of man he was until now.
“I think I spent the entire interrogation imagining all the ways I wanted to inflict pain on him,” I said honestly, and when Elle’s father smiled, I felt as if he’d just accepted me into his circle.
With a nod he lifted his beer to his lips and took a big swig. “Good man,” he said. “But just so you know, if you hurt my daughter in any way, you being a detective will not save you from me. She is and will always be my little girl, so keep that in mind with each and every choice you make regarding her. I may not be a big man, but I won’t let that stop me from coming after you with all I’ve got.”
Not a big man. Was he kidding?
“Duly noted, sir,” I said, gaining another accepting nod just before his face lit up with pride. I looked to where his eyes were focused and saw Elle and her mother standing across the room in a group of women. Their smiles and laughter lit up the room.
Maybe it was because I was at a wedding and the atmosphere smelled of nothing but romance. Or hell, maybe it was because the girl across the room was one I knew without a doubt I could fall deeply in love with one day. But her laughter was honestly the best damn sound I’d ever heard.
I couldn’t control my reaction to it as a wide smile stretched over my lips.
This gorgeous girl had the chance to tell me to leave. She had every right to, but instead she agreed to give me another chance.
I could guarantee nothing would get in our way this time. Though I knew I’d struggle with the relationship side of things, I just hoped she’d have a little patience with me along the way.
Walking into Elle’s apartment building on 32nd felt like déjà vu, only this time I walked inside hand in hand with my girl. She didn’t know it yet, but the moment she agreed to give me another chance, she became just that—my girl.
I held her hand the entire way on the elevator ride to the fifth floor and the walk to her door. When she paused at her apartment door and turned to face me, looking up at me with those big blues eyes of hers, I knew what I wanted to do.
But I did the noble thing instead. I leaned in, pressed a soft kiss to her lips, and lingered there just a little longer than necessary before pulling back.
“You work tomorrow?” I asked, hoping she’d taken a little time off for the wedding.
“Tomorrow night I’m on ‘til eleven,” she replied, sounding disappointed, “but I’m off on Sunday.”
Maintaining distance between us now was harder than I thought it would be. My hands were itching to touch her, and my body remembered what it felt like to have her pressed against me.
“How about Sunday I pick you up and take you on a date?” The words felt foreign because I’d never asked a woman out on one before. “Our first real date,” I added.
“And what would we do on this ‘real’ date?” she asked with a smile. I wondered if she knew just how that smile of hers affected me. Her smiles could make miracles happen, at least in my eyes.
Instead of saying I’m going to devour you for hours and fall asleep with you safely tucked in my arms, I took the safe route. “You just leave that part up to me and be ready at four.”
“Four,” she echoed. “Who starts a date at four?”
Leaning in close, I whispered, “We do,” just before kissing her one last time and turning to walk away. “Get inside, sweetheart. I’ll see you soon.” I looked back once I reached the elevator and watched as she finally slipped inside her apartment and closed the door behind her.
I knew her parents would be arriving soon. They’d stayed behind to see off the remaining guests when I assured them I’d see Elle home safely. What surprised me most was that Lexington took a cab home to allow Elle and me time alone. Maybe the guy wasn’t so bad after all.
SHANELLE
As I shut the door to my apartment, I was still reeling from today’s turn of events. Beckett’s words, his kiss, and even the way he held me close without saying a thing, all felt surreal.
The man infuriated me and intrigued me at the same time. But beneath his brooding behavior and “I am king, hear me roar” dominance, he was a man who knew how to make a woman melt at his feet.
I could still feel the aftereffects of his kiss and the way he held on to my waist, as if he was fearful of losing me. I’ve never felt so exhilarated. Having someone be so hungry for me and so desperate for my forgiveness was overwhelming and exciting.
I went to bed before my parents arrived and woke to my cell phone chiming with an incoming message.
Mom: We decided to stay at the hotel tonight. Dad got a little tipsy and it just seemed easier. Have a good night.
The message from my mother made me laugh, because she was probably tipsy too.
I fell back to sleep quickly with thoughts of Beckett rolling around in my mind. Only instead of trying to stop them, this time I welcomed them.
I woke the following morning with a jolt of panic to find Kim sitting on the edge of the bed with a huge smile on her face. I shouldn’t have been surprised to find her there, but with recent events I was still a little jumpy.
Groaning unhappily, I attempted to roll over, but she yanked away the pillow I was using to shield my eyes from the light pouring in through the blinds she had opened upon her arrival.
“What are you doing here? Don’t you have a honeymoon to leave for?” I whined.
“Not until six o’clock tonight, and I wanted to see you first. Get up,” she said as she tried to tug away the covers. “You are not spending the day in bed.”
“I don’t have to work until later today. I just want to sleep in and dream about the controlling, arrogant, but super-sexy detective. The man that finally gave me a sneak peek of the sweet side he hid behind all that brooding behavior.” I let out an exaggerated sigh as I hugged my body pillow closer. “I just want to stay in bed and dream of deep brown eyes and smiles that are toxic to my libido. I’ll get up and shower before work. Now skedaddle. I have dreams to get back to.”
I lay on my stomach with my face buried in the bottom sheet, then shivered as she yanked the top sheet away. Instantly, I regretted choosing to sleep only in a tank top and underwear.
Kim’s laughter i
rritated me. It was too early for that. I started to tell her to go back to her husband and leave me be, but a deep chuckle filled the air and my body stiffened.
I lay there with my ass on display, afraid to look up, because I knew that controlling, arrogant, super-sexy chuckle. It belonged to a man with deep brown eyes and smiles that were toxic to my libido.
Yep, he’d heard every word of my comments about him.
“Though I greatly appreciate the view,” Beckett said with humor in his voice, “I was hoping you could get up and maybe brush your teeth too. Because this super-sexy detective would love to kiss you good morning.”
Turning my head to the side, I peeked out from beneath my hair that now formed something of a shield to find both him and Kim standing only a few feet wearing matching smiles.
“Then again, you lying there with your cute ass on display seems perfect too,” he added. “Maybe I could just toss you a mint so you can stay right where you are while I kiss you.”
Kim laughed, and I twisted completely, trying to grab for the blanket that hung partially off the bed. But Kim grabbed for it first and I shot her a glare of death. “I’m gonna color your face with permanent marker when you sleep,” I threatened, and she shrugged.
“Is she like this every morning?” Beckett asked Kim, still scanning over my body that lay on display before him.
“Yes,” Kim replied. “She hates mornings. Or at least she hates to be interrupted on her mornings off.”
“You two can leave now,” I stated, only they chose to ignore me.
“She’s feisty,” Beckett said with a smirk.
Were they serious right now?
“You should have been there the time I tossed a toy snake in the shower with her,” Kim said. “She screeched so loud I swear the windows shook, and then she chased after me.”
