Sapphire wished it was only that simple. She was in such a world of confusion that she wasn’t sure how to get out of it. “No, I haven’t tried to pepper spray Brian again. We’ve moved past the stage of being perfect strangers to...”
“Perfect lovers,” Shauntie finished for her.
“How did you know?” Sapphire asked, surprised.
“Girl, you constantly talked about how much you wanted Brian before you knew his name. Did you truly believe the two of you would be able to keep your hands off each other at the cottage? I think you and Brian are a perfect match for each other. Where Brian is used to his comfort zone you’ll be able to pull him out of it. On the other hand, he’ll be able to help you laugh and open up more besides using your blog to do it.”
Biting her bottom lip, Sapphire was worried about how Shauntie would react about Brian and the news about using him on her blog, but she had called for advice which meant she would have to tell her.
“About my blog, do you remember how I was having a hard time thinking of a new topic,” she said.
“Yes, I know and you were so upset about it,” Shauntie answered. “Did you ever find anything to get you over that hump?”
“My writer’s block is gone. I’ve been working on it and my followers are eating up the new topic. It’s a hit!”
“Okay Doctor Rhodes, are you going to let me in on your topic? I know how much working on Sapphire’s World relaxes you. I’m thrilled you’re back at it again.”
“The hunks challenge Emerald suggested we all become a part of.”
A long pause came from the other end of the phone while Shauntie digested the information just given to her. “Are you telling me you’re writing about me and Nash on the internet?” Shauntie demanded. “How could you do that to me?”
“No, I only mentioned you and Nash once I swear to you. However, the other posts have been all about Brian along with our time at the cottage. I haven’t given a lot of details about him, but my followers do know I picked him to fulfill my hunk requirement.”
“Sapphire, please tell me that Brian gave you his okay before you did this,” Shauntie pleaded with her.
“Brian isn’t aware of the hunks challenge or my blog. He’s totally clueless and I’m very nervous about telling him. I get the feeling he’s sort of a private guy and wouldn’t be into being placed on the internet. What man in his right mind would?”
Sapphire didn’t miss the curse that came from her friend’s mouth on the other end of the phone. Panic began to settle in the pit of her stomach. If Shauntie was this upset with her then how would Brian react to her news?
“Where’s Brian right now?”
“He went out for a jog. He’ll be back later on and we’re going to do some things around the cottage. I want to tell him when he gets back but I’m not sure how he’ll take the news.”
“How would you take the news that Brian’s attraction towards you was to win a bet? I admit Nash wasn’t too happy with me at all. But we overcame it and now we’re getting married.”
Everything else stopped in Sapphire’s head after hearing Shauntie’s last statement. Nash proposed to her best friend!
“Shauntie, why didn’t you tell me Nash proposed when I first called? When did it happen, give me all of the details. I want to know every single detail. How does the ring look?”
Shauntie retold her how Nash decorated their hotel room and then popped the question. She was so thrilled for her friend after J.T. and his mistreatment of her. Her girlfriend never thought she would find love again in her life.
“I’m so happy for you,” Sapphire said sincerely. “Nash is a great guy. I know you’ll be so happy with him. Start having those babies pretty soon because I’m ready to become an aunt.”
“Come on. At least let me get down the aisle first and then I’ll see about having babies. However, you can find the same happiness with Brian too. But not if you don’t tell him about everything and I do mean everything. I can hear it in your voice how much you like him. I can almost bet you’re falling in love with him. Don’t risk it by not coming clean with your secrets. Yes, he might be pissed at first but I know he’ll forgive it in the end.”
Would Brian be as forgiving as Shauntie thought he would be? The question stabbed at her heart. Just thinking about the possibility of losing Brian shattered her.
“Alright, I’ll come clean as soon as he gets back. Why should this come between us?”
“You’re right. You’ve gotten yourself all worked up for nothing. Well, I better go. Nash is getting out of the shower. We’re going sightseeing. Call me back and let me know how things turn out with Brian.”
“I will,” Sapphire promised right before Shauntie hung up.
Sapphire placed her phone down on the night stand and tossed the covers off her body. She’d better get dressed and eat breakfast because she couldn’t come clean to Brian on an empty stomach.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Brian’s feet pounded across the hard, cold ground, the wind blowing against his face as he ran the trail in the woods behind the pond. He needed this time to get his racing feelings together about Sapphire.
Last night, he laid in bed next to her getting completely and truly lost in how wonderful it felt to finally care about a woman longer than having her in his arms for one night. Something about Sapphire’s aura made him feel at ease and not so guarded. Usually he only had good times with females because neither one of them were looking beyond having a hot night of sex.
For a very long time in his life, he lived his life like he was the carbon copy of Chance and only thought about the day he was living and without any concern about his future. However, Nash along with Chance never saw past his outer layer.
He wasn’t turned off by the idea of marriage and a few kids running around. The only thing that concerned him now was adding Sapphire to the picture he painted in his head.
Successful women like Sapphire usually weren’t happy to think about getting married to a struggling blue collar working man. How would she be able to introduce him to her colleagues? She sure wouldn’t introduce him as her mailman boyfriend and surely not her husband.
No, he would impress her more by having his own business. Sapphire should have a man next to her who she could be proud of in every aspect of their relationship. Besides doing this big move for Sapphire, he was also doing this step for himself as well.
Becoming a professional web designer was something he’d kept on the back burner from his friends and family until he felt it was the right time for him to take the giant step. Brian was nervous of failing at something new, but now was his time.
Sapphire had been so honest with him and it was about time he showed some honesty with her. She needed to know he was going to change his career partly for her. She wasn’t aware how she ended up being a huge deciding factor in him leaving his current job.
She might think he was out of his mind to leave a paying job for one he would be working to build, but how could he push his dream away anymore? He got a feeling Sapphire would tell him to rethink it.
However, this ultimately was his decision and he knew he was making the right one. Brian only hoped she would accept his love enough to stand by his side while he made this transition into a new phase in his life.
His feet continued to pound over the dirt as he turned around going back in the direction of the cottage. He loved the thought of going back there to Sapphire. Getting all of this out in the open was more important to him than finishing up his workout. Brian was positive later on tonight he would get another type of work out to burn the calories he missed during his run.
Not once in his life had Brian ever cut his exercise routine short for a woman; however, Sapphire had changed him and he knew it was for the better.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Opening the cottage’s front door, Brian walked inside and spotted Sapphire curled up in a chair by the fireplace reading one of those romance books his sister loved so much
. Sometimes, seeing her there like that seemed right to him almost like home.
“I can see from how engrossed you are in your love story that you didn’t miss me one single bit,” Brian said, closing the door behind him.
“You would be so wrong,” Sapphire said as she unfolded her legs. Getting up from the chair, she tossed the book down in the empty seat then made her way over to him. “What woman would want typed writing on a page when I got my real life romance hunk standing right here in front of me?” Standing on her tiptoe, Sapphire kissed him, slowly running her tongue along the edge of his bottom lip.
Opening his mouth, Brian let Sapphire tongue tease his for as long as he could take it before he gently eased her away from him. “As much as I love doing this with you, I want to talk to you about something and it’s very important.”
Taking a deep breath, Sapphire stepped back from him. “I want to discuss something with you too.”
Brian’s heart skipped a beat. From the tone of Sapphire’s voice, he could tell it wasn’t going to be good. Could she be getting ready to dump him? No, that wasn’t possible. Sapphire would be crazy to give away or blow off this natural chemistry they shared with each other.
Whatever she was planning on telling him wasn’t as bad as his mind believed it was. However, whatever it was they would be able to work through it. Nothing Sapphire confessed to him would make him not want to be with her.
“Do you care if I go first?” Taking Sapphire by the hand, Brian led her back over to the couch. Sitting down he tugged her down next to him.
Brian could tell from Sapphire’s tense body language she was puzzled and more than a little nervous. “I guess it would be okay for you to go first,” she said, turning her body so she was facing him. “What I have to say isn’t going to change.”
A wave of apprehension swept through Brian. It gnawed away at some of his confidence, but Brian wouldn’t let it stand in his way. “You don’t know the real reason Nash convinced me to come out here. So I thought it was about time I came clean with you. I don’t want to have secrets between us because if I’m not wrong I believe we’re forming something really special here. Am I right?”
“You’re right,” Sapphire agreed, smiling at him.
“Good, I would hate to think I’m the only one who feels this.” His confidence was coming back from the encouraging look in Sapphire’s eyes.
“I’ve been thinking about doing something different with my life for a while now; yet, I didn’t think I could do it until I laid eyes on you. I knew a professional woman like you wouldn’t be drawn to a man like me.”
Frowning, Sapphire leaned back from him. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”
“I was worried you wouldn’t agree to go on a date with a man who didn’t run in the same social circle as you. I knew after I found out you were single I had to give myself a fighting chance at a shot with you.”
“Brian, I never thought you were beneath me because of your job. The moment I saw you in my office I wanted you. Are you quitting your job for me? You shouldn’t do it. I mean...it isn’t right.”
“Could you fall in love with someone who wasn’t walking around with endless money and working hard to keep his wealth?” Brian wasn’t dumb. Sapphire had never in her life dated someone like him and he had to make sure she’d stay with him. “I wasn’t sure if you could watch me pursue my dream of starting my own professional wed design business. You were giving me a second chance to live my life and do what I truly wanted. I guess you could say that you were my inspiration without even knowing it.”
Moving her hand away from him, Sapphire laid it back on her leg. Brian sensed she was taken aback by his confession to her. Was he moving too fast? Maybe he should have waited to tell her this after they had been together longer.
“You quit your job because of me? I’m not sure how I feel about you doing something so drastic. You should only make a career change for yourself and no one else.”
Reaching out, Brian grabbed Sapphire’s hand making her look back at him. “You don’t understand what I’m trying to tell you. Sapphire, I wasn’t happy at my other job anymore. It wasn’t rewarding enough for me. I always felt like something was missing each and every day I was there.
“I would hear Nash and Chance talk about their jobs with such passion and I could never do it,” Brian confessed. “This change was for me but I’m hoping you’ll go along for the ride. We truly have something special here. Yeah, I know it happened in a matter of days and a lot of people will find it odd or even maybe stupid on our parts. But I know how I feel when I see you and it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before in my life. So, what I’m asking is do you think you’ll want to continue this after we leave here after New Year’s Eve is over? I’ll understand if your answer is no. In addition, you won’t have to worry about me making you feel uncomfortable any time we’re around Nash and Shauntie together.”
“Brian, I would love to see you more after we leave here,” Sapphire told him. “Nothing else would make me happier.”
Pulling her to him, he cupped Sapphire’s face in his hands. “You don’t care about our differences in careers? You’ll always have more money than me.”
“I’m not judgmental and I will never be. I date a man for who he is and not what he can or can’t do for me.”
Relief washed over Brian at Sapphire’s acceptance of him. She wasn’t going to hold his lack of career or not being her equal against him. She was the woman he wanted in his life for now and always.
“Do you know how amazing you are?” he asked. Right then and there, Brian knew whatever it took, he would find a way to make Sapphire his wife. “I feel like I can open up to you about anything without being judged. Most of the time, I keep things to myself because I’m a pretty private person. I don’t like everyone knowing everything about me. I hope I make you feel as comfortable. Whatever you want to tell me, I’m here to listen.”
****
Sapphire never felt so bad in her entire life. She couldn’t tell Brian now. Not after the heart felt speech he just gave about her honesty and being able to look past his lack of money to the man beneath the surface. If she confessed to him about the hunks challenge now she would look like a damn liar and she wasn’t about to lose him for anything.
How could she get through this weekend without Brian figuring out something was wrong? He could read her emotions pretty well after only knowing her for such a short period of time.
“Sapphire, are you listening to me?” Blinking a couple of times, she found Brian grinning at her. The corner of his eyes crinkled making his dark eyes sparkle even more.
“No, I was daydreaming. Sorry,” she apologized.
“I told you that I was ready to hear what you had to tell me. It seemed very important. I should have let you go first, but I got a little ahead of myself.”
“It was nothing,” Sapphire lied. Please God. Don’t let this come back to bite me.
A frown marred Brian’s smooth forehead. “Are you sure? You really acted like you couldn’t wait to tell me.”
“Sweetheart, it was nothing at all. Why don’t we just sit in front of the fireplace and relax for a little while. This is supposed to be a mini-vacation for the both of us. Why aren’t we acting like it?”
Resting his back against the couch, Brian pulled her against him so her back was pressed against his chest and his arms were around her waist. “I could stay with you like this for the rest of the day. It’s going to be hard to find moments like this with each other when we both get back to work, but I know we can do it.”
“Hey, if Nash and Shauntie can make it work with their schedules then I know we can do it too,” Sapphire agreed, snuggling closer pushing aside the fact she still hadn’t been completely honest with Brian. When the time was right, she would tell him and anyways, it wasn’t like it was a big deal.
Didn’t Shauntie tell her that Nash forgave her, so why wouldn’t Brian overlook this little
deception on her part? What they had going on was too good to throw away over something like her blog and the challenge.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Pulling off the highway, Emerald drove down the road that would take her to Shauntie’s getaway hideaway. She had tried numerous times to get Sapphire on the phone but without any luck. So, she decided to make a trip to her friend’s house to see if Sapphire was in the mood for a spur of the moment shopping trip.
On the drive to Sapphire’s house Emerald was very excited about spending the day with someone since it was the first day she’d gotten off in a while. Things at work were so hectic. She’d been working almost sixteen hours a day.
However, when she arrived there Sapphire wasn’t even at home. She already knew Shauntie was in New York with Nash to celebrate New Year’s Eve as a couple, but Sapphire hadn’t mentioned going anywhere.
Thank God, one of Sapphire’s neighbors caught her before she drove off and was nice enough to tell her where Sapphire was staying. She should have known Sapphire would have gone somewhere. Why didn’t she think of the cottage? Sapphire loved being out there with all of the wildlife.
Emerald made another left turn at the end of the road. She knew Sapphire would be so shocked to see her way out here. The wilderness, Bambi, Flower and the other Disney woodland creatures weren’t at all on the top of her list of things to see today. She would rather be at a spa getting a massage.
Being out this far from anyone was too much for her, she was too much of a people person to put herself away from the rest of the world. However, here she was looking for something to do since she wasn’t having any luck finding her hunk.
Sure, her deadline hadn’t passed yet, but it was fast approaching and she was getting nervous. Emerald was woman enough to admit she was jealous at how fast Shauntie found Nash. She should have been first. Shit! It was her plan. At least, Sapphire hadn’t found anyone.
Hunks: Opposites Attract Page 15
