“She’s my best friend and unlike you I am invited to be here. This place belongs to her. You broke in and now you’re going to jail.”
“Listen, my name is Brian Terry and I’m friend’s with—” The rest of Brian’s words got cut off by a sudden pounding on the front door.
“Open up, it’s the police!” a male voice demanded.
Realization quickly settled in with Brian about what was going to happen if he didn’t make this woman understand that he wasn’t breaking into this place. He had permission to be here too—from Nash, but she didn’t know it.
“Please, will you just listen to me?” he snapped. Shit! He couldn’t afford to get arrested, not when he was about to start a new business. It would never get off the ground if he had an arrest record.
Hell...no!” the woman shouted before the knock came again but more insistent this time followed by another angry shout.
“Open up! This is the police. This is your last warning!”
“I’m coming,” she shouted shooting him one last look before spinning around and rushing out of the kitchen door.
Damn it! This couldn’t be happening to him.
Brian knew he had to get out of this kitchen and fast or he wouldn’t be able to tell his side of the story. If he didn’t leave now the police would be on him in a matter of seconds. He hadn’t broken into this place because Nash had given him a key. He was an invited guest just like her. Brian took off after Shauntie’s friend hoping to catch up with her before she made it to the door, but he didn’t make it in time.
Just as Brian rounded the corner, he stopped in his tracks and watched in growing horror as the front door was flung open and Chance charged in with his gun drawn. The second Chance’s eyes landed on him, they darted back and forth between him and the woman but he didn’t lower his gun.
“Miss, are you the one who called about an intruder?” Chance asked, staring at him.
“Yes, my name is Sapphire Rhodes and this man broke into this place. Arrest him.” Sapphire spun around and pointed her finger in his direction. “Slap the cuffs on him and take him away.”
“Brian, what is going on here?” Chance asked, sliding his gun back into his holster. “What are you doing out here? Did you break in like Ms. Rhodes is accusing?”
Brian took his eyes off of Chance and focused his attention on Sapphire who was taking a step back from them with complete surprise on her face. He would tell from her perplexed expression that she was wondering how he knew Chance. If she was taken back by Chance knowing him, he wondered how she was going to react to his answer to Chance’s question. “Of course, I didn’t break in here. I wanted something different to do for the New Year’s Eve holiday and Nash suggested that I stay here while he and Shauntie went on vacation. I guess he didn’t know that Shauntie had offered Sapphire the same deal as me. I didn’t have a clue she was already here. So, when she heard me downstairs, I’m assuming she called the police to report an intruder which is why you’re here.”
Chapter Seven
Standing back off to the side of the living room, Sapphire listened in complete disbelief as Brian gave the police officer his side of the story. How in the hell was the man she wanted to ask out on a date, friends with Shauntie’s boyfriend? Why hadn’t Shauntie told her about this? Why hadn’t she or Emerald met either one of these men before now?
Sapphire replayed the conversation she’d had with Shauntie in her head. There was no way her friend didn’t know about this. If Shauntie knew Brian then she had to figure out he was the mailman she had talked about.
God, Brian was friends with Nash and this cop named Chance who was standing right in front of her. The more Sapphire thought about it the madder she got. Shauntie had set her up on purpose. What kind of girlfriend did that to her best friend?
No way in hell was she going to let this slide. Here she thought when she was telling Shauntie about her mystery man that she was clueless to his identity, but she had known all along whom she was talking about. How could she play her like this?
Her mailman Brian was best friends with Nash. From what she was hearing, the two of them were around each other all of the time. So Shauntie had put two and two together and decided to hook her up with Brian at the cottage. For all she knew, Shauntie would have been the one to plant the idea in Nash’s head to send Brian up here.
Wait a minute. Maybe she was blowing this all of out portion and it was actually a coincidence. Could Shauntie have been truly smart enough to get one over on her without her figuring it out?
The thought rolled around in Sapphire’s head. Well, she was going to get to the bottom of this mess before Chance left because she was going to make sure he took Brian with him. This was her only down time and she wasn’t in the mood for a side kick. It didn’t matter one bit to her that he was hotter than Rob Lowe and Johnny Messner combined.
Easing further away from Brian and Chance, Sapphire grabbed her cell phone from her back pocket and punched in Shauntie’s phone number. One thing was for sure, Shauntie better not try to lie to her because she would be able to tell. Her best friend was a lot of things, but a good liar wasn’t one of them. The phone rang four times before Shauntie finally answered.
“Hey Sapphire. How are you enjoying the cottage? Have you gotten settled in?” Shauntie asked.
Sapphire ignored her friend’s questions and jumped right in with a few of her own. “Do you know a guy named Brian Terry?” she demanded.
“Yes, I know Brian. He’s one of Nash’s best friends,” Shauntie answered.
“What about a police officer named Chance?” Sapphire questioned, looking back at the two men who were still standing near the doorway. She still wondered if Shauntie was telling her the entire truth about this.
“Yes, his name is Chance Cutter and he’s also friends with Nash,” Shauntie answered. “Why are you asking me about them? How do you even know about Brian and Chance? You’ve never met either one of them. Every time I try to set up plans for you and Emerald to meet them, something happens and I have to cancel them.”
Sapphire heard the genuine surprise in Shauntie’s voice and a part of her was beginning to think maybe she had hastily jumped to the wrong conclusion. Maybe she shouldn’t have assumed the worst before knowing all of the facts first.
“Let me tell you how I got introduced to Brian and Chance. Brian is here at the cottage with me. I thought he was an intruder and called the police on him. Guess who showed up? Yeah, that’s right Chance did and Nash informed him that he wasn’t an intruder because your boyfriend had given him a key to the place. Nash told him to come up here and unwind for a couple of days. Do you know anything about this?”
“What! You called the cops on Brian, and Chance was the police officer who showed up?” Shauntie laughed. “I can’t believe it. I’ve wanted you to meet Nash’s best buddies but not this way.”
“Are you really telling me that you had nothing to do with this?” Sapphire asked with a tiny bit of doubt in her voice.
“No, I haven’t talk to Nash since he left this morning. I knew he was going to check on Brian because he felt something was going on with him,” Shauntie told her. “But I didn’t have a clue he would send him out there to our cottage. Why are you so upset? Did Brian get arrested?”
The sincerity was loud and clear in her best friend’s voice. She instantly felt bad for thinking Shauntie would be trying to plot something behind her back concerning Brian. Glancing back over to Brian, Sapphire saw the two men talking. They had moved further away from her, so she couldn’t pick up on what they were saying to each other.
“No, I don’t think Chance is going to arrest Brian since he had permission to be here like I did. I’m not going to stay here with him. I’ll just pack up my bags and leave. I’m really glad I caught you before you left on your trip with Nash and we got everything settled.”
“No, don’t leave,” Shauntie jumped in, cutting her off. “Stay there. You know the place is more than big enough f
or you and Brian. I can vouch for him. He’s a great guy. Brian isn’t going to do anything to you.”
“How did you figure out Brian was the mailman I told you I thought about asking out on a date?” Sapphire wasn’t interested in small talk.
Shauntie gasped on the other end of the phone. “Sapphire, I didn’t have a clue Brian was the guy you told me about. I wouldn’t have ever set you up like that. You should know me better than that. Besides, I’ve wanted the two of you to meet for a while. I still can’t believe he’s the gorgeous mailman you were lusting over. See how things can work out on their own? I couldn’t have planned this better if I tried. You wanted to spend some alone time with Brian and now there you are, all alone in the wilderness with him.”
Sapphire detected more than hint of happiness in Shauntie’s voice. “Are you serious about this?”
“Yes, I’m very serious. You were talking about how you never got the opportunity to ask Brian out on a date. Can you have any better luck than having him tossed into your lap? It’s meant to be.”
Yes, she had thought about asking Brian out for a cup of coffee or maybe even out to lunch. However, what made Shauntie think she would ever think about staying here with a man that she barely knew?
Was her best friend insane?
“Sorry, Shauntie I’m going to leave. There isn’t any reason for me to stay. Brian is your friend, not mine. I can’t agree to share a place with a man I don’t know at all. I know you wouldn’t do this and neither would Emerald. Honestly, after being here with him I decided he isn’t as attractive as I first thought he was.”
Suddenly, Shauntie burst out laughing and it lasted for a few seconds before she calmed down. Sapphire was torn between hanging up on her friend and staying on the line to find out what Shauntie had found so damn funny about her predicament.
“Girl, you need to stop lying. Brian is drop dead gorgeous with his light brown hair and those gray eyes of his. I love Nash more than anything in the world, but I’m not blind to how attractive Brian is. He was your type a few days ago. What happened to change your mind in such a short period of time?”
“Nothing happened...nothing at all,” Sapphire answered wanting this phone call over so she could go upstairs and pack up her stuff. Shauntie had made her believe the cottage was going to be her secret getaway; however, Brian showed up out of the blue taking over her personal space.
“I can’t believe you’re really going to leave. I never thought the Sapphire I knew was a quitter but I guess I was wrong. I know Brian will have a good time out there without you. Come on back home then and ring in the New Year alone on your couch with a bag of chocolate doughnuts and a cup of hot chocolate.”
The challenge had been thrown. Shauntie knew how much she hated being dared to do anything. She didn’t want to go back home at eat any kind of fried food. She liked it out here at the cottage. Turning around, Sapphire stared openly at Brian and she couldn’t disagree with Shauntie.
His tempting physique was the first thing she’d noticed about Brian when he first sauntered into her office. From where he was standing, Brian towered over Chance by at least four inches and Chance wouldn’t be considered a short man.
Brian was very powerfully built. Her pulse kicked up another notch when she noticed how his muscles rippled under the red polo shirt. God, how was it possible that the light dusting of hairs on Brian’s arms was turning her on.
Even his compelling eyes and rugged handsome face only added to his over all commanding air of self-confidence. What was wrong with her? Emerald would call her crazy as sin to let this chance pass by her. She was searching for a man to spend New Year’s Eve with and one had gotten dropped right into her lap.
Shauntie was right. Why should she spend the upcoming holiday alone? Brian was here and so was she. She wasn’t about to leave. If he wanted to leave then that was on him, but she was staying right here until the ball dropped.
“He is very good-looking. I only saw him from a distance at my office. I think you’re right. I should stay here. Why leave? I’ve already unpacked all of my things. I can’t promise you Brian will want to stay after I called the police on him, but I’m not going anywhere.” Sapphire dragged her eyes away from Brian as his head turned in her direction.
“Keep telling yourself that’s the only reason you decided to stay.” Shauntie laughed. “Okay...Enough about you my crazy friend. Can you give the phone to Brian? I want to make sure everything is alright there. I’m pretty sure Chance isn’t going to arrest him, but I want to be sure.”
“I’m not sure if he’ll talk to you, but I’ll see,” Sapphire answered.
Moving away from the wall, Sapphire made her way over to Brian who was still in a deep conversation with Chance. Once she was close enough to him, Brian stopped talking and looked at her.
“Brian, I have Shauntie on the phone and she wants to talk to you.” Holding out the cell phone, Sapphire held her breath wondering if Brian would take it or just stand there and continue to stare at her like he was envisioning her naked.
“Thanks.” Brian reached out and as he took the phone from her, the tips of his fingers brushed against hers. The moment her hand touched Brian's an electric tingle shot down Sapphire’s arm and continued down the rest of her body making her panties wet.
His beautiful gray eyes dropped down to her hand then back up to her face. He didn’t have to say anything, but Sapphire could tell that he’d experienced the same unexpected jolt she had when their hands touched.
“I’ll take the call over there by the kitchen door.” Stepping back from her, Brian turned around and walked away leaving her alone with Chance.
“Ms. Rhodes, can I speak with you for a moment while Brian is on the phone?” Officer Cutter asked her as he walked over to the front door.
“Sure, officer,” Sapphire answered following him.
Standing in front of her, Officer Cutter crossed his arms across his chest. “After talking with Mr. Terry, I’ve come to the determination that both of you have the right to be here. You got invited by Shauntie Kane and Mr. Terry’s invitation came from Mr. Wentworth who is Ms. Kane’s boyfriend. So, I’m going to leave it up to the both of you to figure out who stays and who goes. Do I need to stay around while you sort things out?”
“No, you can leave. I know Mr. Terry and I will be able to settle this without any more disagreements occurring between us.” Sapphire was pretty sure she and Brian could come to an understanding about their living arrangements. They were both adults and should be able to discuss this without any problems.
Officer Cutter glanced past her back at Brian who was still on the phone with Shauntie. “If you’re sure?” he asked.
“I’m positive. Thank you so much for coming all the way out here. I didn’t know who was downstairs. All I heard was on intruder and then I ran back to call the police,” Sapphire said.
“Ms. Rhodes, don’t ever doubt your first instinct. If you need me again don’t hesitate to call. I might not be the officer who shows up but another officer will be more than happy to assist you.”
“Thank you again for coming so fast.” Sapphire wondered how she and Brian were going to settle things, but one of them might have to end up leaving before the night was over.
“You’re more than welcome. Have a nice evening,” Officer Cutter said then left her standing there as he opened the front door and went out closing it behind him.
“Did I miss Chance leaving?”
Turning around, Sapphire stared at Brian standing behind her with her cell phone still in his hand. She was dying to ask him what Shauntie talked to him about, but it wasn’t any of her business. They were still practically strangers.
“Yes, he just left,” she replied. “I told him we would find a way to work things out between us.”
“Shauntie told me you were going to leave, but she talked you into staying at the cottage,” Brian told her as he came back across the room and gave her cell phone back to her.
“Yes, I decided to stay,” Shauntie answered. “What are you doing to do? Are you going to stay here with me or are you leaving?” Sapphire was surprised at how disappointed she would be if Brian decided to leave. She wanted him to stay here with her.
“I’m going to stay. I didn’t drive all the way here only to turn back around and go home. Seems like you’re going to be stuck with me for a little while longer,” Brian informed her. “I better to go upstairs and unpack.” Spinning away from her, Brian went over to his duffel bag by the side of the couch, picked it up and then made his way to the stairs at the other side of the room.
Sapphire stared after Brian as he walked away from her with mixed emotions. One part of her was excited that Brian decided to stay at the cottage with her. She would finally learn more about the hot mailman she’d lusted for since she’d laid eyes on him.
Another part of her was wondering would Brian live up to the picture she already had made of him inside of her head. Sapphire guessed only time would tell.
Chapter Eight
Why had he agreed to do this?
Brian wondered what he had been thinking when he let Shauntie talk him into staying here with Sapphire. She knew nothing about him beyond the fact he delivered the mail to her office, but he had to be honest with himself. A huge part of him wanted to stay so he could spend the time with Sapphire for the New Year’s Eve holiday.
In his opinion, Sapphire didn’t come across like she needed or wanted a babysitter. She seemed like a pretty damn tough woman to him. He doubted anyone or anything would be able to harm Sapphire. She’d charged into the kitchen with only a can of pepper spray to defend herself against a total stranger.
What red bloodied man wouldn’t be impressed by her?
If he picked up his bag and walked out of the door right now, the drive back to town wouldn’t take him longer than four hours at the most. This meant he could get back home in time to catch TMZ.
Hunks: Opposites Attract Page 5
