“I love you, Shelby. I love you more than I ever thought was humanly possible. I had nothing in my life until you. I never knew it, but now I see it. There was a reason I never took any of those women seriously because they didn’t matter. But you do, damn it! Can’t you see that?” He walked back and knelt down in front of her. He took her hand and placed it on his heart. “Don’t you feel that? My heart beats for you, honey, only you.”
She felt his heart beating under her palm, and she was unable to respond.
“How could you think that what anyone did to you years ago could affect how I felt about you?” He rested his forehead against hers. “Look at me, honey. Talk to me.” Rex pleaded with her.
Shelby wiped her tear-streaked face. “Rex, don’t you understand? I don’t remember it all. I have no idea how many men–how many–damn it, Rex, I was a whore!” This time she screamed at him. The shame she felt for what she remembered bubbling to the surface.
“What? How can you say that? You listen to me. You are not a whore, nor were you ever a whore. Damn it, honey, I don’t know why you have been dealt such a crappy hand in life. All I do know is that I love you and I think we have a real shot to be really happy. Don’t let the past ruin all that you are, all that we are together.” He kissed her salty cheeks, tasting her tears.
“Does that mean you still want me, that you still love me?”
Rex gave her a smile. “It means I love you enough to forgive the fact that you took my ring off. It means I love you enough to spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you and how happy we can be together.”
He reached over and picked up the ring. He took her ring finger and placed it back where it belonged. As he held her hand tight, he brought it to rest against his heart again. “Don’t ever do that again. Ever. Don’t ever take this ring off again, and don’t you ever doubt how much I love you. You are a part of me now. We are a part of each other. As long as we are together, I promise that everything will be okay.”
Shelby sighed and almost crushed him in an embrace. She was in awe of all that he had given her. But he always seemed to surprise her by giving her more of himself. How had she ever gotten so lucky? “Rex, I’m sorry. I love you so much. I was just so afraid that you would see me differently.”
“Well, honey, that’s just stupid. I am in awe of your beauty, inside and out. Now, are you hungry?” he asked her.
Half laughing and half crying, she nodded yes.
“Honey, we have to talk about this crying thing. I will die a young man if you can’t learn to control those tears. You know I hate to see you cry.” He gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Stop being so wonderful and I wouldn’t cry so much. Half the tears I cry are from happiness,” she said as she walked to the sink and began splashing cold water on her face. “Oh, geez, I’m sure I’m a mess.”
“Babe, if you’re a mess, then I have a serious fetish for messiness.” He winked at her and put his arms around her.
They ate their dinner and didn’t mention what had been discussed earlier. After dinner she had taken a long bath. Rex had surprised her by suggesting they go to bed early. He hadn’t made any attempts to do any more than hold her. It was then that he told her that he wanted her to tell him about the dreams.
And so she did. They spent the rest of the night talking. She told him details of the dreams as he held her tight, comforting her. She had surprised herself by the sense of peace that overcame her in talking to Rex in such an intimate setting. She no longer felt the need to cry. She no longer felt the fear of how he would see her. She once again just felt safe. Safe and secure in Rex’s arms.
Hours later, she had done all the talking that she could. She had told him everything, and they had discussed it all. There was nothing left to say. It was the past, which was exactly where it would remain. She looked up at Rex in the dim light of the moon shining through the window and was in awe of him. He was so ruggedly handsome. He was so sexy. Feeling a little adventurous, she raised her leg and gently ran her foot up along the inside of his calf.
Rex was awake, but his eyes were closed as he gently stroked her back. He opened one eye and quirked a brow at her. “What are you up to? Are you trying to seduce me?”
She giggled. “Me? Why I’m a lady, I wouldn’t be able to begin to know how to seduce you.”
“Oh, is that so? Well, if that isn’t a flat-out lie, I don’t know what is.” He laughed.
“What are you talking about?”
Rex brought her closer and used a finger to lift her chin. “Honey, everything you do seduces me. They way you walk, talk, look, the way you blush when you get embarrassed. Everything about you is a sweet seduction that reaches to the depths of my very soul.” He whispered the last sentence as he started to kiss up and down her neck.
“Rex. Oh, Rex. How do you do that so fast? My body is on fire. Make love to me.” She whimpered as the last words rolled out of her mouth.
“Always, baby. Always,” he said as he spent more of the night showing her how much she was loved. No words were said as they loved each other into the early morning hours.
When it was over, she fell asleep curled in his arms. Rex gently played with her hair as he waited for sleep to come. He thought of his life and everything he had been through to bring him to where he was today. To bring him to Shelby. He smiled and then closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Shelby met Tamara the next day for lunch. She had a bit of a headache, an aftereffect of the tears she had shed the night before. It had only been a few days since she and Rex had told each other that they loved one another and only a week since that first earth-shattering kiss. The emotions that they had gone through in that short time made her just as confident as ever that they would be okay. As she listened to Tamara ramble on and on about wedding plans, she couldn’t help but wonder what she had done to deserve someone who loved her the way that Rex did. But then she realized it didn’t matter because she was not going to take it for granted. She was going to live every day with him to the fullest. Her past didn’t matter anymore, only their future.
“Shelby? Are you even listening to me?” Tamara asked impatiently.
“Sorry, Tam. I guess I sort of got lost in thought.” Shelby reached for her glass to take a drink.
“Dreaming about Rex, no doubt. Well, anyway, you’ve got to set a date. I personally would appreciate it if it was sooner rather than later.”
“Why’s that?” Shelby wondered.
“Well, duh, if Jack and I manage to get pregnant, I hardly want to look as big as a house walking down the aisle. I mean, while I realize you haven’t asked me, I was hoping –” Tamara explained.
“Oh, my God, Tamara. I’m sorry. I can’t believe I hadn’t asked you. I guess I just assumed you would be–oh, crap, I’m not good at this bride thing at all.” Shelby reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Tamara’s. “Tamara, would you be my maid of honor? It would mean so much to me. I love you like the sister I never had.”
Tamara’s eyes welled up with tears as she nodded. “Yes, of course I’ll be your maid of honor. I love you, too, and I would be honored.”
They both sniffled a little, trying to hold back their tears. Shelby laughed. “You know, I think I’ve cried more in the past week than I have in the past several months. I swear I don’t know how Rex is going to put up with me.”
“He will. He’ll put up with you and all of your tears the same way Jack puts up with mine because he loves you. You know it’s kind of funny when you think about it. Jack and I were talking the other night after dinner. It was right in front of our faces the whole time. We just hadn’t realized it. Did you know that Jack said that Rex never spent the amount of time he did with you with any other woman? I guess if we had all opened our eyes, it would have been obvious that he was falling for you.”
Tamara wiped the tear that escaped down her cheek. “I’m so happy for you, honey. No one
deserves happiness more than you do. Shelby, what’s wrong?” Tamara had watched Shelby’s face turn ghost white, and her hands began to shake.
“Tamara, look. No, over there.” She pointed to the left, outside of the restaurant window. “Do you see him? In the jacket and ball cap?” Shelby asked in a trembling voice.
“Yeah, what kind of a weirdo wears a heavy jacket like that on a sweltering day like this?” Turning back to Shelby, she asked, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“He’s leaving.” Shelby tried to calm her nerves and reach for her water, but only managed to spill it. “Oh, great. Tamara, let me use your napkin, I’ve –”
“Shelby, what’s going on? You’re shaking.”
“I think that man is following me. I’ve seen him a lot, and he’s always just staring at me. And the other day I got a phone call, and then he was there and–I don’t know, but I think I’m really starting to freak myself out, Tamara.” Shelby was still shaking, unable to control her nerves.
“It’s okay, honey. Listen, you go to the bathroom and calm down. I’ll get the check and meet you there in a second,” she told her as she helped her up from her chair.
Shelby stood in the bathroom staring at herself in the mirror. Her nerves had begun to calm, and she was gaining her composure. She was almost scared into a scream by the sound of her cell phone chiming. She looked at the display. It was Rex.
“Hi, Rex. How are you–what?” She hadn’t been able to even finish her sentence when he had frantically interrupted her.
“Shelby, what guy has been following you? Are you okay? Why didn’t you tell me? No, forget it, it doesn’t matter. Where are you? I’ll come and get you.”
“Rex, how did you–no, never mind. Obviously, Tamara called you. I’m at The Apple Grove. But, Rex, I have to go back to work,” Shelby told him.
“No, Shelby, you don’t. I don’t care if you get fired. We don’t need the money anyway. Call your boss and tell him something came up. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Stay with Tamara. I don’t want you alone for even a minute.” He said nothing else and hung up.
Tamara entered the bathroom then. “Shelby, I didn’t realize that you hadn’t told Rex. Jack called, and Rex was with him and–oh, I’m sorry, honey. I hope I didn’t cause any problems.”
“No, it’s okay, Tam. I should have told him myself. The truth is it wasn’t until the other day that I was even sure that every time I saw him was more than a coincidence. And every time it happened, I would get distracted about something else. And, oh, I should have told him. I have to call Mr. and Mrs. Peterson. Rex wants me to take the rest of the day off.” Shelby reached for her phone and began to dial. After it began to ring, she turned to Tamara. “Could you stay with me until Rex gets here?”
“You know that I will,” Tamara assured her.
Less than twenty minutes later, she saw Rex speed into the parking lot. He jumped out of his car and strode across the parking lot in the same amount of time it took her to just walk down the sidewalk. Nothing was said when Rex grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace of protection and possession.
“Rex, I’m sorry. I should have told you. I just have been so distracted lately and –”
Rex silenced her by placing a tender kiss against her forehead. “It’s okay, honey. We’ll talk about it all when we get home. Let’s take Tamara back to work.”
Tamara, who was standing nearby and was awestruck by the love she saw in Rex’s eyes, answered, “No, I picked her up. I have my car right over there.”
Rex looked at Tamara. “Okay, thanks, Tamara. Drive carefully.” He kissed her on the cheek, and they both walked her to her car.
“Shelby, call me if you need anything at all.” Tamara hugged her friend good-bye.
“I will. Thank you, Tam. I swear I don’t know what I would do sometimes without you.” After they watched Tamara drive away, they both walked hand in hand back to Rex’s car.
On the drive home, Rex held Shelby’s hand and asked her to tell him everything. He remained calm for the most part, listening to her tell him about all of the times she had seen that man, but his hand tensed when she mentioned what had happened on the balcony two days before.
They arrived back at the condo and walked inside. Once the door was locked and she was looking out the balcony doors, he came up behind her and placed his hands around her waist, pulling her close.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you, Shelby. No one will ever hurt you again. I promise you that,” Rex vowed. He tried to ignore horrible images out of his head. He couldn’t think like that now. The idea of anyone hurting Shelby sent a rage pulsing through his entire being.
“I know that. I guess I’m more angry than scared. I’m so happy. Why can’t I just be happy? Why does there always have to be something to try and interfere?”
“It won’t, honey. Whatever is going on, whoever he is, we’ll handle it together. Now, I need you to think. Do you remember him from anywhere? Is there someplace you might have met him? Usually stalkers get fixated on someone after they have had some sort of interaction with their victims.”
“No, I mean, it’s weird. There’s a familiarity there. But I’m not sure if it’s because I have seen him so many times in the past week or if it’s because I know him from somewhere. It’s so hard to even see his face. Like I said, he always wears that heavy, fleece, zip-up jacket with a hoodie and a dark ball cap. He couldn’t look more conspicuous if he tried. It’s the thing that really makes him stand out. He wears all that despite how hot it is outside.” She leaned back further into his embrace.
Rex tilted her chin up to see her face. “I promise you I won’t let anyone hurt you, honey. I need you to believe that. I don’t want you to be scared.”
She smiled at him as she reached her hand back to touch his cheek. “I know. If there is one thing I am sure of, it’s that I’m always safe with you. God, Rex, do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“Oh, honey. I hope it’s at least half as much as I love you?”
He stood under the cover of the gazebo in the courtyard. He knew she was up there with him. He wasn’t happy when he watched that asshole go to the restaurant to pick her up. When he saw him put his arms around her, he had to stop himself from gunning his engine and running him down. If Shelby hadn’t been so close, he might have done just that. He wouldn’t have even cared about witnesses. Just the joy of knowing that the son of a bitch was dead would have been worth it.
He wanted to go up there and gut the asshole right now, stick him with his knife and watch him bleed until there was nothing left. But he had been distracted this morning and left without his knife. It was the first time that had happened in the months since he had been courting her. He wasn’t focused. The news that she was planning on marrying him was playing havoc with his emotions. He had to get it together.
Soon, he was going to have to take her. Sooner than he had planned on. He couldn’t take a chance of letting that bastard try and take her innocence away. Oh, sure, he knew about the rapes. But those didn’t matter, and they didn’t count. She was still a virgin in his eyes. And whether she was aware of it or not, he knew that she had been saving herself for him all along.
Shelby turned to face Rex. “You said you wanted to start looking at houses next weekend. Do you feel like starting early?”
“Sure, that’s actually why I was with Jack. I was getting the name of the realtor he used years ago when he bought his house. I never used one when I bought my place. It was under construction, so I just dealt with the builder.”
“Okay, so let’s call her or him.” She walked over to the phone. As she reached for it, she jumped when it rang. “Geez, you’d think I never heard a phone ring before.”
“Let me answer it, honey.” Rex reached for the phone, but it was too late. She had already hit the button.
“Hello.” Shelby turned to Rex when she heard the whispery voice on the other end.
The look of fear on her face was evident. H
e grabbed the phone from her. “Who is this, damn it?” Rex’s urgent question was met with a dial tone. He slammed the phone down and turned to Shelby. “What did he say to you, honey?”
“He told me to not let you touch me. He told me to make sure I save myself for him.” She said nothing more but went into Rex’s arms and held on tight. “What does it mean? Who is he?”
“It’s okay, hon.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to be honest with you. I think that maybe he has been watching you for longer than you thought. I think now that he realizes we’re together, he is escalating his obsession with you.”
Shelby looked up at him in shock. “What do you think he’s going to do?”
“Nothing, honey. He’s not going to do anything. I won’t let him. Listen, we need to call Andrew and Cullen. You need to file a report.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
An hour later, Shelby sat on her sofa with Rex as she told Andrew and Cullen Jr. everything she knew about the man whom they believed to be stalking her. Although they agreed she and Rex had reason to be concerned, they also explained to them that at this point there was not much they could do. He had made no real threat and hadn’t even attempted to approach her.
Andrew reiterated this by explaining to Rex, who was becoming increasingly irritated, that there was no law against looking at someone, which was all he had really done so far. And the sad truth of the matter was that they had no real proof that he was the same man who had placed the calls.
“So, this asshole can scare the crap out of her and you won’t do anything about it?” Rex shouted at them.
“Rex, please. It’s not their fault.” Shelby pleaded with him to calm down.
Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Salvation [Sweet Awakenings 2] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 18
