Say Yes

by LK Shaw

  13

  CASEY

  The warmth from just the touch of Philip’s hand on mine enveloped me. He was larger than life, not just physically, but his mere presence. Except for the first few months after I’d moved here, he’d made me feel safe and protected. Now that I’d been in his arms and felt the touch of his lips to mine, something inside me had shifted. I didn’t want to think too hard about it, but it was there, prodding lightly at me, making its presence known. I had a feeling I knew what was shifting, but I was planning on ignoring it. At least for now.

  “So, now we both know where we stand, and we can continue to move forward. We’re in this together, you and me, Philip.”

  He squeezed my hand. “Together. Now I at least know what not to say. So, let’s start over. This time, I promise I won’t have such a trigger reaction if something happens. We’ll slow down and discuss what is going on. Just be patient with me.”

  Feeling suddenly shy, but also a little bold, I scooted closer. “I don’t want to start completely over. Cause I kind of like your kisses. A lot.”

  Philip’s eyebrow shot up, and he sent me a grin I could only describe as cocky. “So, you like my kisses huh? Honey, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

  I rolled my eyes, but a blast of arousal shot through me at the thought. What Philip and I had done so far was what high schoolers were doing on dates. I wanted more. It was all I’d been thinking about since Tuesday. His touch wasn’t what set me off. It had been his words. Now that we knew what my trigger was, we knew what to avoid. Which was good, because touching was definitely something I needed more of. Before thinking it through, I threw my leg over him and straddled his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.

  “Whoa, there tiger. I wasn’t expecting that,” he laughed even as his hands tightly gripped my hips, but not enough to hurt.

  I pulled my hair back and draped it over one shoulder before leaning down, stopping just before my lips reached Philip’s. It was the type of seductive move I didn’t even know I had in me. “I have to keep you on your toes, old man.”

  I swallowed his rebuttal as my mouth closed over his. He tasted of divine temptation and raw lust. It was a heady feeling knowing I inspired that in him. He let me lead even though I wasn’t exactly sure what I was doing. I was running on pure instinct here. My tongue darted in to tease his. Where I lead, he followed. A rush of power surged through me. I threaded my fingers through his long hair, and his beard tickled my face. My nipples pebbled beneath my shirt, and I rubbed them against his chest, trying to increase the friction to ease the ache.

  A tingle began deep inside me, and I didn’t know what to do about it. The sensations were more intense than anything I’d ever felt before, and while my mind knew what it was, my body was still learning. Without conscious thought, I scooted even closer and rocked my lower body against Philip’s in an unpracticed move. My entire frame froze when Philip’s erection slid against my core.

  Conflicting feelings poured over me. I pulled my mouth and body slightly away from Philip’s as I gasped to catch my breath. My brain was fighting a battle with itself. It didn’t know whether my body should continue to be aroused or if I needed to fight off an attack.

  “Talk to me Casey. I’m right here. What’s going on?” Philip asked, deep concern coloring his voice at my rigidness.

  “Just having a moment here. Staving off the freak out as I remind myself it’s you. I’m okay now, promise.” Even still, I moved off Philip’s lap, but remained close, my head on his shoulder as my fingers plucked at the front of his shirt in a nervous gesture. His hand stayed my movement.

  “Was it something I did? I need to know so I can make sure that whatever it was doesn’t happen again.”

  I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t anything you did, Philip.”

  “Well then, what was it? Remember the whole communication thing we just agreed on?” I could tell he was trying to be patient.

  I know I shouldn’t be embarrassed over it, but I was. And I hated it, because I felt like some inexperienced virgin.

  “It was your…erection.” I said the last quietly as if it were a bad word. “I felt it, and it just shocked me is all. But, I told you, I’m fine now.”

  Philip remained skeptical looking. “If you’re sure.”

  “I’m positive. Now, let’s talk about something else please. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over the last few days, and I wanted to ask you a favor.”

  I wondered if he realized he was still holding my hand. I loved the feel of his skin against mine. His fingers were calloused, and even though he was strong, he was always gentle with me.

  “What kind of favor are you talking about here?”

  I pulled back at the leery tone to look at him. “Don’t sound so nervous. It’s nothing awful. I was hoping you’d be willing to take me out on another date. I want to try being around more people. Not a lot,” I rushed to add. “But some.”

  Philip gave me a thoughtful look. “Did you have anything specific in mind? Or are you leaving it up to me?”

  “You’ve done pretty well so far in knowing what I’m able to handle, so I guess I’ll leave it up to you.”

  He glanced at his watch. “Let me make a quick phone call. I think I know the perfect place we can go.”

  I untangled myself from him as he rose from the couch and pulled out his phone. While he had his conversation, I went in the bedroom and changed my clothes. If I was going to go out in public, I wanted to look my best even if the thought caused me to break out into a sweat. Once I was moderately satisfied with what I was wearing, I headed back to the living room where Philip patiently waited.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  “I think so.”

  “You’ll be okay. Just breathe, and if it becomes too much, we’ll leave.”

  Philip reached for my hand, and I grasped onto his like a lifeline. I could do this. I needed to do this.

  14

  PHILIP

  Imagine my surprise when Casey asked to go out on another date. Where there were people. I was proud of her though, because she didn’t let a little fear hold her back. I’d called Sully to see how busy the pub was on a Sunday afternoon. If it was too crowded, I was going to have to find another option. He confirmed that it was pretty slow, with only four or five tables filled. He agreed to keep a table toward the back open for us.

  I was also surprised by how quickly she’d forgiven me for being MIA over the last four days. Usually, when she had something on her mind, she wouldn’t let it go. I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth though. While Casey had been getting ready, I settled on the couch. I looked up when I heard her re-enter the room. God, just the sight of her took my breath away. She didn’t even realize how beautiful she was.

  Once we were on our way, I explained where we were headed. “I have a former Marine buddy who owns a bar in town. He assured me that while busy, his place is far from packed right now. I thought it would be a good place to start.”

  “Oh, I get to meet another one of your friends? I can’t wait. That’s something else I want. To make friends. Any friends I had as a kid are probably long gone from here by now. Even if they weren’t, I don’t really remember most of them and wouldn’t even know where to find them.”

  “I wish I would have known you wanted to try and meet friends. I’m happy to introduce to anyone I know. Clarissa is dying to meet you.”

  She looked over at me, startled. “Your sister wants to meet me? But, why? She doesn’t even know me.”

  I had to laugh a little. “That’s why she wants to meet you, because she doesn’t know you. Other than what I’ve told her, of course.”

  “You talk about me to her? Like, what do you say?”

  “Casey, we’re friends. Of course, I talk to her about you. I’ve told her how wicked smart and funny you are. About how you don’t let me get away with anything. I think that right there endears you to her more than anything else.” I chuckled.

 
; “Well, that’s what friends are for. To keep each other in line, right?” She smiled. It was the kind of smile I wanted to see on her face all the time.

  “Well, anytime you want to meet her, just let me know. Ah, here we are.” I pulled into an open spot in front of Sully’s.

  Casey took in the brick exterior and wooden placard mounted over the door proclaiming the name of the establishment.

  “What’s your friend’s name?” she asked as I opened the door for her, and she jumped out.

  “Richard Sullivan, but he goes by Sully. I should also probably warn you about him. He’s a harmless flirt, but if he makes you uncomfortable in any way, tell me. I’ll make sure he apologizes.”

  She swallowed, but straightened her shoulders. “I think I can handle your friend.”

  “I’m sure you can, but I still want you to tell me.” I reached for her hand.

  The bell above the door jingled when we walked inside, signaling our arrival. As usual, Sully stood behind the bar. He came out from behind it when he spotted us.

  “Welcome,” he greeted us, his white teeth shining in the darkened room when he smiled. “You must be Casey. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Philip has told me all about you. Although, he was woefully lacking when describing your beauty.”

  Casey reached out to take Sully’s hand, but she stepped just a bit closer to me when she did. She took things in stride. “Philip didn’t tell me how charming you were. It’s nice to meet you as well, Sully.”

  I stiffened when Sully didn’t release Casey. Instead, he pulled her slightly toward him and tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow, causing her to release her hold on me in the process. I attempted to intervene, but Casey gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. I kept a sharp eye on her, but other than her smile faltering a bit, she appeared unscathed. He led her to our table, with me following closely on their heels.

  My fists clenched with the urge to snatch her out of his grasp and then punch him in the face. I’d told him she didn’t like strangers. While I knew Sully hadn’t meant any harm, he and I were going to have a little discussion soon.

  “I’m not sure what you like, but our Reuben is out of this world. We also have a kick ass buffalo chicken sandwich,” Sully boasted as we reached our table.

  He finally released Casey’s hand so she could slide into the booth. I pushed him out of the way and slid in next to her. His eyebrows rose in surprise when I glared at him.

  “We’ll let you know when we’re ready,” I snapped at him, my dismissal clear.

  “Sure thing,” he replied, unperturbed by my brisk tone.

  Casey elbowed me in the side. I winced and rubbed the offending area. “You didn’t have to be so rude to your friend. He was just trying to be helpful.”

  “He was a little too helpful. There wasn’t any reason for him to maul you that way.”

  “Maul me? You’re kidding, right?”

  My silence was telling.

  Casey’s nose wrinkled adorably. Then her eyes widened. “Are you—are you…jealous?”

  “What? No,” I scoffed.

  “You are! You’re jealous.” She laughed and smiled that smile again.

  “Fine, maybe I am a little bit.” Or a lot. When Sully had touched Casey, I thought it was just overprotectiveness I felt. Instead, rage filled me that some other man was touching her. No matter how innocent it had been, I’d hated it. I had no idea what I was going to do when this thing between us was over, and she was able to start living the life she wanted.

  Casey placed her hand on my thigh under the table in a totally unexpected move. “You have absolutely nothing to be jealous about. Your friend is cute and all, but not really my type.”

  I turned slightly toward her and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “And what is your type?”

  She blushed and shifted. “Well…at the moment, my type is the strong, Viking warrior with long hair, big muscles, and a really nice beard.”

  Well, then.

  15

  CASEY

  When Philip touched me, I shivered, and goosebumps rose on my flesh. My body heated, and I could feel the flush in my cheeks at my boldness. But, everything I said was true. It wasn’t just the description that was my type. It was Philip himself. When his friend first pulled me toward him, I’d gotten clammy and even a little light-headed. But, when I’d glanced at Philip and saw the expression on his face, I knew he was a millisecond away from intervening. As much as I appreciated it, I knew I needed to take care of myself. And it wasn’t like his friend was hurting me. There were going to be a lifetime of situations in which a random person might accidentally touch me in passing: shaking hands, jostling as we pass, anything really. It was about time I got used to it.

  Thankfully, we were soon interrupted by Sully.

  “Hey lovebirds. Are you ready to order yet?” He was clearly nonplussed by Philip’s earlier gruffness and obvious irritation as he grabbed a nearby chair, turning it before straddling it.

  I hastily picked up the menu and began scanning it. Philip spoke first. “Give me the cheeseburger and fries. And a Corona with lime.”

  “And for the lovely lady?” Sully still oozed charm, even if it didn’t really affect me.

  “I’ll try your Reuben special, please. Just a water to drink for me.”

  “Coming right up.” He turned and whistled at a waitress nearby. “Tabby, my dear, can you give this order to the kitchen for me. Tell them they’re friends of mine.”

  He handed the slip of paper he’d written our order on over to her before he turned his attention back to us.

  “So, Casey, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself? First thing being what you’re doing with this knucklehead right here. I mean, look at him. I don’t think he’s cut his hair since the Marine Corps. In fact, he has better hair than most of the women I’ve dated. They’ve even told me how jealous they are of Philip’s hair here.” Sully nonchalantly rested his forearms on the back of the chair, but I could tell he was studying me.

  There really wasn’t much to tell considering the life I’ve led. “Well, I’m a business major, and I work in financial planning. Other than that, I lead a pretty boring life as Philip can attest to.”

  Sully seemed a little taken aback by my short and abrupt history. But really, what was I going to tell him? I was an agoraphobic hermit who only recently began venturing outside my four walls, but only because of Philip. I was who I was, and I made no apologies for that.

  He recovered quickly. “Well, I’m glad you came here to break up the monotony. You’re welcome any time. And, if you ever need me to kick this jarhead’s ass or put him in his place, you just give me a call.”

  Sully winked as he rose from his chair. “I’ll leave you two alone, but I’ll check in and make sure you don’t need anything. Casey, it was a pleasure. I hope to see more of you in the future.”

  Now that he was gone, nervousness returned because Philip and I were alone once again. I wasn’t sure how to act around him now that I’d basically told him I was into him. Where did that leave us? I didn’t want things to get awkward between us. I needed to stop overthinking things, that’s for sure. I knew better than anyone that there were no assurances in life. If you didn’t like the life you had, you did what you could to change it.

  “I don’t think you lead a boring life.” Philip’s words broke through my reverie.

  “Oh, I don’t know. You know as well as I do that I don’t get out much.”

  He shrugged. “That doesn’t mean it’s boring. You work hard at both your job and school. I know Josie and Miles enjoy your company. You have a friend who visits you often, and you make him laugh with your wicked sense of humor. I know for a fact he doesn’t think you, or your life, are boring at all.”

  Tears of joy filled my eyes, and love filled my heart. “That’s the nicest thing you could have said to me. Thank you, Philip.”

  “Well, shit, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” he said, clearly distre
ssed by my tears.

  “They’re happy tears. Swear.” I hastily wiped them away.

  The waitress chose that moment to bring our food to us.

  Throughout the meal, Philip and I talked, laughed, and settled into our usual routine. But now, I looked at him a little differently. My eyes studied his face a little more closely. I watched how his lips moved when he spoke and wondered what they would feel like on my body. His beard tickled my chin, but then my mind drifted to imagining the sensation on other parts of my body.

  “Are you okay?” Philip asked.

  “Hmmm?” I replied, distractedly. I shook myself and focused on him. “I’m sorry, what?”

  His smile was smug. “You were staring. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

  “Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” I said breezily even though I was hiding my mortification at being caught.

  We stared at each other for another minute before he returned to eating. I breathed a sigh of relief. As I started eating, I looked around Sully’s and realized that while we’d been sitting here, more people had entered, and it was becoming slightly more crowded. I took a quick peek at my phone and realized how close to the supper hour it was. I expected that on most evenings this place was packed. I tried to measure my bites and not start rushing in order to get out of here quickly. I’m not sure how well I succeeded, because I could feel Philip’s gaze on me.

  I finished eating before he did. I picked a spot on the wall and began my breathing techniques I’d learned in therapy. Slow inhale through my nose and even longer exhale through my mouth. I counted to ten. Three times. From my periphery, I saw Philip lean my way and then back upright. A stack of bills landed on the table and then his hand grasped mine, causing me to jump.

  “Come on. Let’s go home.”

  After helping me out of the booth, Philip wrapped his long arms around me, tucked me into his side, and led me toward the door.