“What? You quit your job? Oh, honey, that makes me so happy. Now we can concentrate on getting married and traveling and starting a family and–”
“Rex, I know. We’ll do it all, but right now, I just really want a hug from you. When are you going to be home?”
“I met with Jack’s realtor and picked up some information on a few houses that might fit our needs. I would have been home half an hour ago but there was an accident on the highway.” He hesitated for a moment. “Listen, Shelby, I’m gonna call Andrew and Cullen. I’m not sure if they’re on shift, but maybe they could swing by. At least make sure you get inside okay.”
“Rex, it’s really not necessary. I’m sure I’ll –”
“No arguments. Drive carefully and I’ll see you at home. I’m going to hang up and call them right now. Love ya, babe.” And he hung up.
She hadn’t even a chance to respond before he ended the call. Oh well, she couldn’t really be mad at him for worrying about her. And if she was forced to be truly honest with herself, she kind of liked it when he got all caveman on her.
She closed her phone and set it in the console of her car. Smiling, she started the engine and was about to put the car in gear when she looked up and saw him. She screamed and instinctively checked her doors to make sure they were locked.
He stood watching her just a few feet in front of her car. He was saying nothing and doing nothing. She was frozen for a moment before she realized she had to get out of there. She started to put the car in reverse when he came toward it. He slammed his fists down on her hood as she backed out. She quickly shifted into gear and peeled out of the parking lot, but not before she saw what was tucked under his jacket. There was no mistaking what it was. It was a very large hunting knife. It was in a tan leather sheath and had a thick black handle. The sight of it sent an icy chill coursing through her veins.
Her hands were shaking, and she was attempting to reach for her phone. She almost dropped it, but she managed to hang on. She fumbled to hit the green button twice, knowing that it would immediately call back the last number that called her. Rex.
“Couldn’t wait to talk to me again, huh?” Rex answered.
“Rex! He’s here, and he’s got a knife. I’m driving but –”
Rex’s playful demeanor took on an air of murderous rage as he heard what she said. “Honey, it’s okay. Where are you exactly? Can he get to you? Or did you get away?”
Her breathing was erratic as she tried to navigate the city streets and remain holding the phone with her trembling hands. “I’m–I guess about two blocks north of Flanagan’s. I got away. He was right outside the car and–oh, Rex, I’m so scared! I need you!”
Rex’s fingers tightened on the wheel, causing his knuckles to whiten. Her fear was tearing him apart. “Baby, listen to me. I left a message for Andrew and Cullen, but I haven’t heard back yet. I’m going to–wait, Cullen’s calling. Hold on, baby. Do not hang up! Stay on the line.”
She waited after she heard him click over. She was navigating the roads like a madman. If there had been a cop anywhere near her, she would most certainly have been arrested for reckless driving. She finally heard Rex click back over.
“Shelby, listen, I don’t want you stopping anywhere near there. Go straight home. He won’t be able to pull anything in rush hour. There would be too many witnesses. Just go straight home, and don’t stop for anything or anyone. Andrew and Cullen are about ten minutes out from your place. They are going to wait for you outside. Just stay calm, honey, and everything is going to be okay. All right?”
She had been nodding her head the whole time he had been giving instructions. Realizing he couldn’t see her acknowledge him, she replied, “Yes, okay. I’ll go straight home. I won’t stop for anything.”
“Okay, honey. Listen, the traffic is moving. I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay. I love you,” he told her.
“Rex?”
“Yeah, honey?”
“Hurry, okay?”
“Okay, babe, I’ll hurry.” They both hung up, and he tried to relax his nerves. He wanted to stay on the phone with her, but he could hear the distress in her voice. No matter how much he needed to hear her voice, he didn’t need her getting into an accident. Damn it! The son of a bitch had a knife. God help him if Rex ever got his hands on him.
Shelby saw the entrance to her parking lot and rounded the corner going way too fast. As she pulled into the first available spot, she rested her head on the wheel. She couldn’t get the expression of anger on his face when he pounded on the hood of her car out of her mind. There was something familiar about him that she just couldn’t place.
She lifted her head and looked around. She didn’t see Andrew and Cullen’s squad car. Didn’t Rex say they were supposed to be here? She continued to look around, making sure she didn’t see him anywhere when she heard the sirens. She looked behind her car and saw Andrew and Cullen pull up. She jumped from her car and went to them.
Andrew got out of the driver’s side and went to her. “Jesus, Shelby, you’re shaking. Are you okay?”
She said nothing and just nodded.
“Where are your keys?” Cullen asked her. She handed them to him. “I’m going to go check your place out just to be on the safe side. Stay with Andrew.”
She nodded again, saying nothing. She wanted to sit down, and she felt like she was going to be sick. When she saw that knife attached to his belt, she could only imagine all of the horrific things that could be done with it. She was beginning to tell Andrew what happened when they saw Rex’s Corvette speed into the lot.
He said nothing as he haphazardly parked in a fire lane and got out. He covered the distance between them in seconds and crushed Shelby in an embrace. He was shaken with the fear of losing her the entire drive home. He needed to feel her against him. He needed to prove to himself that she was okay.
He had been holding her so tight she could barely breathe. “Rex, I’m okay. Rex, I swear I’m okay.” She was rubbing her hands up and down his back in an attempt to soothe him.
He pulled away from her slightly and framed her face. “He wasn’t able to touch you, was he? You got away in time, right?”
“Yes, Rex. I’m sorry. I’m much calmer now. I was just scared, and I shouldn’t have worried you so much.” She answered, running her hands up and down his arms. “Rex, please, I’m fine. I’ve never seen you like this before. Please relax.”
Cullen had come back downstairs and looked at Andrew. He didn’t say what they were obviously both thinking. They had seen Rex with that look in his eyes before. They’d both seen it six months ago when he cradled her bloody and bruised body in his arms after he carried her out of Tamara’s burning apartment.
“The place is clear, and there’s no sign that anyone has been in there,” Cullen said as he handed Shelby back the keys.
“Rex, let’s go inside so I can tell Andrew and Cullen everything that happened.” She left his hold on her to walk toward the stairs.
He didn’t say anything, but he nodded as he walked with her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He held on to her tighter, relishing in the feel of her safe in his arms. He had to fight the memories of when he found her six months ago. He couldn’t think of how badly she had been hurt. He wouldn’t allow her to ever be hurt again. He would kill anyone who tried.
Once they got inside, Shelby was able to tell them everything that she remembered happening. It was strange to her that she was suddenly so calm. She hadn’t expected to be, but when she saw how shaken Rex was, she knew that she had no choice. She had to be strong for him. It was usually always the other way around, but now it was her turn to be the brave one.
She also told them how she felt a sense of familiarity when she saw him up that close. Although she couldn’t explain where it came from, she knew that at some point she had been in contact with him. It was so frustrating, and she wanted to be able to give them answers. She wanted to be able to give Rex a peace of mind.
Sh
e was, however, relieved to hear that at least some good had come from the incident. Since he had pounded his fist on the hood of her car, he had left a small dent. That would give them probable cause to arrest him for vandalism if they ever were able to find out who he was. It was a consolation, however small it may be.
Shelby had gone down the hall to change into more comfortable clothes as Rex walked Andrew and Cullen out. She knew he needed to talk to them alone. Rex was having a harder time with this than she was, and it was more than obvious that he was feeling helpless. Rex was such a dominant man that he was used to being in control of all situations. He didn’t know how to handle it when he couldn’t fix things or make them better.
She walked down the hall at the same time that he was walking back in. She wanted to say something but knew there were no words that could help him right now. So instead she did the one thing that she needed. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him.
He grabbed on to her embrace with everything he had. They said nothing for a little while as they held on to each other. Finally, Shelby looked up at him. “Rex?”
“Yeah, babe?” He answered her, but his voice came out strangled. His words were laced heavily with emotions.
His voice sounded so strange to her. She turned his face to look down at hers. “Oh, Rex. Why are you crying?”
He hated that a couple of tears had escaped his eyes. He didn’t cry. He was Rex Metcalf, strong Navy SEAL. He was her protector. He was the only one who could keep her safe. Only he hadn’t. She had been alone today and scared while a crazy stalker terrorized her, and he had a knife. “I guess I am. I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.”
“Rex, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for,” she told him matter-of-factly.
“I wasn’t there. You were scared, and I wasn’t there for you. If he had–God, if anything had happened to you. I would die if anything ever happened to you.”
She placed a finger to his mouth to silence him. “Shhh, Rex, it didn’t. Nothing happened. I’m fine, and you’re with me now. And I’ve never felt safer or more loved.”
“You are loved, honey. God, you are loved so very much.”
He paced his living room. How could he have been so stupid? He just wanted to be close to her, to let her know that he was there, and that they would be together soon. But it made him so angry when he saw the look of fear on her face. And then she tried to run from him.
How foolish she had behaved. He was the last person she should fear. He knew now that he shouldn’t have gotten angry with her. It was that asshole’s fault. He was obviously brainwashing her. He needed to get her away from Rex Metcalf as soon as possible before he completely destroyed any chance they had of being together.
No! He would not let that happen. It would take some extra work, but he would take her soon. He went to his kitchen table and sat down as he began to make a list. They would be gone a while, so they would need a lot of supplies. He started with food and worked his way through the essentials.
He had finished his list and went to place it on the refrigerator when he almost kicked himself for his stupidity. He had forgotten to order the chloroform. He knew now more than ever that he was going to need her to be unconscious. Everything that Metcalf had been contaminating her mind with would leave him with no other choice. She would never willingly go with him now. He went to his computer to place an order in hopes that he could get it on a rush delivery.
Pleased with himself and the very helpful website that had no problem delivering the chloroform in one day for a small fee, he walked back over to the wall holding images of his sweet Shelby. Some of them were months old and he was still able to stare at them in awe of her beauty. The photos were of different times in her recovery, or in her everyday life. She was a very beautiful woman when she wore no makeup. But when she did, she was absolutely striking.
He smiled, pleased with himself for being so close to his destiny. Just looking at her, he was getting aroused again. He had told himself that he wouldn’t touch himself anymore. He had promised that he would save his next release for Shelby. So she could enjoy it and bask in the glory of their love. But he couldn’t help himself. He ripped a picture off the wall and held it in one hand as he fisted his erection in the other.
It didn’t take long. Looking at the photo of her while he stroked himself, he came with a ferocity that only heightened his desire to put his plan in motion. He rubbed the seed of his passion all over the face of her photo and shuddered at the image of doing that to her for real. God, he loved her so much! Soon. Soon he would be able to show her just how much.
Rex and Shelby went to bed, and she snuggled against him. They had an early dinner of leftover lasagna and just relaxed with a white wine. She wasn’t really that tired, but she had wanted to distract Rex, so she claimed that she was exhausted. He had spent half of the evening looking out the balcony doors, watching for the man. He was so tense that she just wanted to forget about everything else and be close to him. The condo was locked up tight, so they had no reason to worry.
He was stroking her hair as she traced her fingers across his chest. There was such a feeling of contentment that there was no need for words. All they had to do was be near each other and the rest of the world disappeared.
Her head was tucked in the crook of his arm, and she glanced down and smiled at the sight of his muscular body. He was so beautiful. Aside from a few faded scars that she assumed he had gotten when he was a SEAL, he was pure perfection. He had the kind of body that young girls fantasize about.
The hard feel of his muscled body as it held her softer, curvier one brought out an amazing feeling of tranquility. She wanted him, and she didn’t know how since they had done nothing but make love for days. Every chance they had, they were stripping each other’s clothes away to meld their bodies together. This was the first time they had gone to bed with only the intention of sleeping in one another’s arms. And she didn’t like it one bit. She craved him. She needed him. She smiled to herself. She was going to seduce him.
“Rex, are you awake?” she whispered.
“Yeah, babe. What’s up?”
“I need you to–I guess what I’m asking is, do you trust me?”
He was surprised by the question as his hand stilled in her hair. “Of course I trust you. What kind of stupid question is that?”
“Would you do anything for me?” Her voice was still just a whisper.
“You know that I would. What’s this all about?”
“I want to try something, but I need you to do exactly as I say.”
He looked down at her, confused as he was trying to gauge her mood. “What exactly do I have to do?”
She pulled herself up and got out of bed as he watched her. She slid the straps of her negligee down her arms as she spoke to him quietly. “I want you to take off your underwear, Rex.”
He said nothing as he did what she asked. If she wanted to play a little game, who was he to judge? He would be an extremely willing participant.
She stepped out of her negligee completely and stood in front of him, wearing nothing but a tiny pair of red satin panties. She looked down at his growing erection and smiled. “Now, here’s where I need you to do exactly as I say. Can you do that for me?” Her voice was no longer a whisper and seemed like a low, seductive murmur.
He nodded to her in acknowledgement. “Good, now I want you to stay just like that. No matter what I do, I don’t want you to move. Do you understand me?”
He smiled, anticipation building as he enjoyed the little game that his woman was concocting in her mind. “Yeah, babe. I promise.”
She smiled and walked to her dresser. She pulled out two stockings from her drawer and walked toward him. “Scoot to the middle of the bed, Rex.”
Oh, Jesus! He wasn’t stupid. He knew exactly what she planned on doing with those silky stockings. He complied with her request and moved to the center of the bed as he raised his arms up to meet with the headboard.
“Shelby, where are you going?” He was frustrated with her because he was getting so damn turned on with her game and now she was walking away.
She turned back to leer at him over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Rex. I’ll only be a couple of minutes. You might have guessed what I was going to do with those stockings, but there is no way you’ll be able to figure out what I have in store for you.” She lowered the satin panties, revealing her rounded bottom, and winked at him as she closed the bathroom door.
So Rex lay there, curious as to what she had planned and delirious with excitement from the possibilities. He was hard as stone, and he was tied to the bed. He had no control over what was going to happen to him. Damn if that didn’t make him that much harder. His head cocked to the side in surprise at the sound of the shower turning on. He smiled. Underneath all of her layers, she was still a soft and vulnerable woman. His beautiful Shelby probably wanted to feel feminine and clean before they made love. He waited patiently for what seemed like an eternity before he heard the shower turn off. Actually, it was probably more like five minutes, but when you were as hard and horny as he was, even a second seemed too long. Finally, he heard the bathroom door open. His smile of anticipation left his face when she walked back into the bedroom.
“Hi, Rex. I hope I didn’t spoil the mood by making you wait.” She had taken on a new persona in the shower. She was no longer Rex’s sweet Shelby. She was a powerful seductress that would take her man to new levels of pleasure. She was in control. She reached her hand up to unclasp the clip that she had used to keep her hair up. It fell to her shoulders, and she shook it out.
Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Salvation [Sweet Awakenings 2] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 21
