After the meal was paid for, they walked outside to Rex’s baby, his red Corvette. He was just about to open her door when Shelby turned up to him. “Rex, I’m really stuffed. Do you want to take a walk and burn off some of these monster calories I just practically inhaled?”
He smiled at her, the first smile since he heard the news of her dating again. “Sure. We could walk down to the coffee shop a couple of blocks over. Sound good?”
“That sounds more than good. It sounds great. I could probably use some caffeine anyway. I can’t believe you let me drink all that wine.” She punched his arm and laughed.
They started to walk when Shelby shivered a bit. “Are you cold? I can run back to the car and get a jacket out of the back.”
“No, no, it’s okay. I’m not really cold. I just had the strangest feeling.” Turning to look around, she scanned the dark street for signs of anyone else. There was no one.
She had the strangest look on her face, as though they were being followed, but the street was empty. It was well after nine o’clock on a weeknight.
“Are you sure?” He pulled off his sports coat and wrapped it around her. “Here, at least wear this. I don’t want you getting a chill.”
They rounded the corner to the coffee shop and started to go in when Shelby hesitated and swung back to look behind them, almost knocking him down.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“What?” Her expression was intense. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m sorry. Let’s get some coffee.”
After they got their drinks, Shelby sat down at a little table near the window. Rex was about to sit down when he took a drink of his coffee. He almost spit it out in disgust. “What the hell is this?” He grimaced. “This is a chick drink. I’ll be right back.”
Shelby laughed at him. She was the one who liked the flavored coffee, and if it had caramel or chocolate in it, all the better. Not him though, he liked his coffee strong and black. No sugar, no cream, no nothing.
Shelby took a sip of her caramel concoction and noticed a man standing on the other side of the street wearing a dark zip-up jacket and a dark baseball cap. She couldn’t see his face, but she had the strangest feeling that he was looking right at her. There were other people in the coffee shop. But she still felt like he was looking straight at her. She was startled out of her thoughts when Rex came up behind her and whispered in her ear, “Penny for your thoughts.”
She turned back to him and smirked. He said it to her a lot. He said it so many times it became sort of their own little personal joke. Even Jack and Tamara didn’t know about it. He sat back down in front of her, and she glanced back to the street. The man was gone. Hmm, maybe he hadn’t been looking at her after all.
They finished their coffee and headed back to Rex’s car. They got about halfway there when it started to rain. At first, it was a gentle rain, which just made them both grimace with annoyance over getting wet. Then, when the car was in sight, the downpour began. They both started running to the car. Shelby got to the door and waited for Rex to unlock her door. When he didn’t, she turned back to see him getting back up from the ground. He had fallen and was now thoroughly drenched. He was sprinting toward her, laughing. He was way more soaked than she was.
He quickly unlocked her door and ushered her in. Then he ran around to the driver’s side and jumped in behind the wheel. Rex was laughing so hard he was almost doubled over. Shelby almost couldn’t stop, either, until she realized they were getting water all over his custom leather interior.
“Rex, your car. Your interior is going to be ruined.”
He just shrugged it off and kept laughing. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get her detailed tomorrow.” He put the key in the ignition and was about to put it into reverse when he saw someone run behind the car. “Whoa, that was close. I almost didn’t see that guy in the ball cap.”
That piqued her interest. She looked at him. “What guy, what ball cap?”
“I don’t know. He was probably trying to get out of the rain, just like us.” Rex slowly, paying attention this time, got the car out of the parking space and back onto the road.
Twenty minutes later, they were pulling up to Shelby’s condo parking lot. “Give me your keys, I’ll run up and get an umbrella and be right back down.”
She just looked at him like he was the dumbest man on earth. “Why, Rex? So I don’t get wet?”
Nodding in acknowledgment, he grinned. “Last one there has to make the coffee.”
Before she could even remind him that they already had coffee, he was running for the door. She swung out of the vehicle, laughing. “Hey, wait, no fair, you cheat.” Just as she caught up to him on the stairs, she pretended to stumble on her heels. He turned to help her when she gave him a quick shove against the railing. Running up the stairs as she got out her key, she got to the door first and opened it. When he finally got inside, they were both in hysterics like a couple of children who had just gotten finished playing the most exhilarating game of tag. Shelby was almost brought to tears, and she could barely catch her breath. Rex locked the door and walked up to her and started to shake his whole body like a dog. He was spraying water everywhere.
“Rex, stop it. Are you going to clean this up?” She tried to sound irritated, but she still was laughing.
Rex looked at her and stopped dead in his tracks. He halted his shaking from side to side and just stared at her. Her hair was falling out of the cute little twist she put it in, and curls were falling everywhere. Her face was wet and glowing with laughter. And her dress, my God, her dress was wet, completely soaked, and clinging to every curve of her magnificent body. Every instinct in him told him to stop what he was about to do. But he couldn’t stop. She was standing up against the living room wall looking so damn beautiful he was getting even more aroused than he was earlier that day in Jack’s office. Don’t do it, he told himself. Don’t ruin what you two have. Don’t give in to your desires, Rex. Just say good night and walk away.
“Rex? What’s wrong?” Shelby stopped laughing as she watched the way he was staring at her.
“Shh, don’t say anything.” He walked closer to her and brushed some stray curls out of her eyes. She was still just staring at him, but the way her eyes looked was making his pulse race.
“Rex, I–”
He cut her off, and leaned into her. , His lips were brushing against hers. It wasn’t even a kiss, but a gentle caress of his mouth. Slowly, he slid his tongue in between his teeth and swiped it across her bottom lip ever so delicately. It was such a tender and erotic sensation that he thought he would die from the sweetness of it.
He continued to gently brush his lips against hers, occasionally swiping his tongue across her lips. It seemed to go on forever before he took both of his hands and placed them on the sides of her neck and face, drawing their mouths closer together.
Rex took a shuddering breath and leaned his forehead against hers. His eyes were closed as she stared at him in shock. He suddenly opened his and stared deep into hers. Their color was usually a vivid blue, but right now, they seemed to shimmer with something else, something she couldn’t quite put into words.
“Shelby, oh, Shelby, please. For the love of God, kiss me back. Please.” He brushed his lips back against hers, and his tongue slowly started a seductive slide from side to side, encouraging her mouth to open and accept him.
Her lips parted on a sigh, and with the first touch of his tongue against hers, she felt a jolt and an incredible, foreign sensation started to ripple through her body. The kiss was gentle at first, an innocent meeting of tongues with gentle swipes of his lips. She was starting to melt in the tenderness of it.
She always assumed Rex would be a wild and aggressive lover. The gentleness he was showing her was almost making her dizzy with the most euphoric of feelings. She could feel her nipples getting hard, and parts of her body were starting to ache as she felt a wetness coat her panties. He was slowly driving her crazy by making her feel things she had never
felt before. The kiss seemed to go on forever when he finally pulled back and stared into her eyes.
Rex took a deep and steadying breath. He was shocked by what just happened. Until about a month ago, he had never had a single sexual thought about Shelby. And he had been fighting it ever since. But now, the thought of her sweet body lying beneath him was all he could think of. The kiss they had just shared rocked him to the core. His blood was pounding and burning for the need to bury himself within her. He was hard, and it was taking everything he had to not grind his body against hers.
What was happening to him? He couldn’t treat her this way. She was more than just an object of desire. She was his best friend. The person he loved to spend time with. He loved everything about her. If he continued this, they could lose that forever.
“Shelby, honey, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He pulled away from her. He turned to look out the French doors to her balcony. With his back to her, he continued. “You know how important you are to me, don’t you?”
She didn’t speak. His body was on fire, and when she didn’t answer, he turned around and saw the look of shock on her face. He had to look away. She almost looked scared. He couldn’t stand the look of fear on her face. Especially since he knew that he was the one who put it there.
“I should leave. I’ll show myself out.” He started to walk toward the door when Shelby stopped him.
“Rex? Are we–did I–are you angry with me?”
God, he hated that look on her face. “No, honey. No, of course not. I’m the one that screwed up. I broke the rules. I’m so sorry. Please forget this happened.” He kissed the top of her head. “Go get out of those wet clothes and get a good night’s sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
She nodded and hesitantly smiled.
“Good, Shelby, I–”
“Yes, Rex?”
“Nothing, Good night.” He turned and walked out of the door.
Rex got in his car. He was furious with himself. He was torn between anger at himself and desire for her. He was rock hard right now. He had just violated Shelby and the trust she had in him, and he was still horny as all hell. He should go to hell for the things he was thinking about doing to her and for the ways he was dreaming about taking her. What was wrong with him? She was his best friend, and she was just beginning to heal. She was raped for Christ’s sake. More than once. How could he even think of treating her like she was some sort of sexual plaything?
“You’re a shitty friend, Rex Metcalf.” That’s what he told himself as he drove home.
After Shelby locked the door, she turned and leaned against it. She put her fingers to her mouth and realized that her lips were still tingling. She could still feel the sensation of his lips against hers. She could still taste his mouth on hers. It had felt so wonderful while it was happening. Why did it happen? But Rex was right, it shouldn’t have happened. They’re friends, best friends. She’ll just forget it, just like he said. But how? How could she possibly forget how wonderful it felt to be in Rex’s embrace with his mouth kissing hers with such sweet tenderness? Oh, my God, what had they done?
Chapter Four
Shelby spent the day in a daze. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get what happened with Rex the night before out of her head. She hadn’t spoken to him yet today. He said he would talk to her today. But did that mean he was going to call her, or was she supposed to call him? And why on earth, after months of an easygoing, comfortable friendship, was she acting like a sixteen-year-old girl? If she wanted to talk to him, she should just call him. They were best friends for crying out loud.
She was heading to the gym for her final training session when her cell phone rang. Digging it out of her purse, hoping to get to it before the light changed, she fumbled and dropped it on the passenger side floor. Knowing it could be Rex made her all the more nervous. What if it was him and she didn’t pick up? Would he take it personally? He knew she was out of work and it would be a good time to reach her. Would he think she was screening her calls? God, she hoped not.
Once she began driving again, she prayed for the first time in her life for a red light. She wanted to reach over and grab the phone from the floor. It had already beeped telling her she had a voice mail. Of course, as luck would have it, this was the one day in the history of the world that she was going to make every single green light. Typical.
When she pulled into the gym parking lot and found a space, she quickly reached over and grabbed her cell phone. Looking at the call log, she was partially excited and partially nervous when she saw it was Rex who had called. She dialed her mailbox to see what he had said.
“Hi, Shelby, it’s me, Rex.” There was a long pause, then the sound of Rex taking a deep breath. “Look, I don’t blame you for not picking up the phone. I totally screwed up last night. I know that. What can I say? Blame it on the rain.” He made a noise that sounded like it might have been a chuckle. “That was supposed to be funny. Anyway, I’m sorry. I truly am. You and our friendship are really important to me. I hope I haven’t ruined things. I know I probably broke some sort of unwritten rule in the friendship handbook. I’m going to take off for awhile. I don’t want you to worry. It’s not your fault. None of it is. But hopefully, if I give you time, you will be able to forgive me for crossing that line. Heck, maybe the next time I call you, you’ll even answer the phone.” There was another long pause and then, “Take care of yourself, Shelby. Bye.”
What? Oh, no, don’t leave, Rex. How long are you going to be gone? She frantically started to call him back. It had only been fifteen minutes since he called. Surely she could catch him. After getting no answer at his home number–the one he called from–she tried his cell phone. It went straight to voice mail. He must have it turned off. Oh, God, Rex, I dropped the phone. I wasn’t avoiding you. Damn it! She was suddenly startled by someone knocking on her car window.
She looked up to see Mitch, her personal trainer. He was smiling at her. She opened her car door and started to get out when he noticed that she was close to tears.
“Shelby, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Mitch. I just had a misunderstanding with someone, and it–well, I guess it has me a little worried. But I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“Good, come on. I just got here. Let’s go get your last workout in. I heard that you already made your goal. Way to go! I’m really proud of you, Shelby.”
He had wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they were walking together, but she couldn’t even feel it. All she could think about was Rex. She was more worried than she cared to admit, even to herself. Rex had been such an important part of her life for so long now. How long was he going to be gone? Could she even get through a day without hearing his voice? She hoped so because she had a really bad feeling about the way things were left between them.
“Well, how do you feel?” Mitch was leaning over Shelby’s sweaty body.
“I feel like telling you that you are probably the closest thing to Satan himself.” She was exhausted. This was probably the hardest he had pushed her in all of her training sessions.
“Good, then my job is done.” He held out his hand to help her up. She stood up and was taking a giant drink when he asked her the question he had been dying to ask her for two months. “Shelby, since this is our last session, and, well, you know Jack and his rules. I couldn’t ask you before, but I was wondering if maybe I could take you out to dinner sometime.”
Shelby choked on her water. She was definitely not expecting that. He was a great guy, good looking and very sweet. But she never once thought of him in that way. After she regained her composure, she looked at him and could tell that he was dead serious. “I, uh, well–”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. If you aren’t interested, you aren’t interested. No big deal. A guy has to try, right?”
She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but his last comment really had her wondering. Since the newspapers made her pas
t such common knowledge, she was always a little wary of men that came on to her. “Why?”
“Why what?” Mitch asked.
“Why does a guy have to try?”
“I guess a guy has to try when he spends several weeks dying to take someone out and finally has no more reason or excuses not to.”
“Oh, well, that’s very sweet, Mitch.” Spending the past hour with Mitch, she hadn’t thought of Rex, but suddenly, the memory of kissing him was swirling in her head. But she also remembered the regret in his voice. He obviously had no intention of letting it happen ever again. If she was going to feel comfortable around Rex again, she certainly couldn’t constantly be thinking about the kiss they shared. She was going to have to say yes to Mitch. He really was a good guy, and maybe it would help take her mind off of Rex and the feelings that kiss invoked. “I would love to go out with you, Mitch. When?”
“Really? Great, um, I have more clients tonight. How about tomorrow, say 6:30? We can meet there, or I could pick you up.”
“You can pick me up. How about I leave my address at the front desk for you?”
“Great, that’s great!” Mitch was beaming.
“This is Jack.” Jack answered the call, breathless. He had been clear on the other side of the gym when he got the page.
“Hey, it’s me,” Rex replied in a gravelly voice.
“Hey, man, what’s with your voice? You sick or something. Are you calling to cancel our racquetball game later? God, you’re such a wuss. A little cold and you’re wussing out. Pathetic.” Jack loved getting the jabs in at Rex at every opportunity.
“No, I’m not sick, but I am canceling.”
“What? No, smart-ass. Come back. Are you sure you’re not sick?”
“No, just a wee bit hung over. I’m in Las Vegas.”
“What? What the hell are you doing in Las Vegas?” Now, Jack really was worried. Rex sounded like crap, and he left town without even telling anyone. Something had to be wrong.
Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Salvation [Sweet Awakenings 2] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 5
