“Hon, I’m not sure who you’re telling the bigger lie to. Me or yourself?” she heard Brad admonish as she grabbed a bowl of peanuts from the counter to add to the order. Hefting the serving tray laden into her arms, she rolled her eyes at Brad before she turned toward Shaw’s table and squared her shoulders. Pasting an impersonal smile on her face, she reminded herself that while her panties might be in danger of melting clean off her body, her heart was definitely fireproof.
Chapter Two
Shaw
“Man, you’ve got it bad for this chick, don’t you?”
Crenshaw Jacobson merely nodded as he leaned back against the booth, stretching his arm out over the seat as his gaze remained boldly fixed on the pretty woman that had been dominating all of his thoughts and fantasies lately. What else could he do besides agree with his friend? Because, honestly, his buddy Wyatt Kinkaid had nailed it on the head. He did have it bad for the sweet little waitress currently trying to steal looks in his direction without him noticing.
It was too late though.
Where Waverlee was concerned, he made it a point to both notice and know everything.
Being independently wealthy had its perks and in the last few days he’d made it his mission to find out anything and everything there was about the lovely woman he’d fallen head over heels for. He supposed some might call hiring a private investigator to find out all there was to know about her an invasion of privacy, but Shaw had never given a single shit what anybody else thought. Upon spotting her just over a week ago, he couldn’t exactly explain the change that had come over him. It was as if his heart had instantly recognized its mate. With every step she’d taken in his direction, he could feel his cold, empty heart begin to warm and fill with adoration and devotion, the beat in his chest growing stronger… faster. All for her.
All at once, for the first time in his life, his very soul had felt whole… complete in such a way he wondered how he’d been able to survive this long without having her in his life. It sounded corny, yes, but with one look in her innocent eyes, he’d known she was meant to be his and he’d set about finding quick answers to his questions about the gorgeous woman with the long, thick copper colored hair. Thankfully, he’d been in a position to hire the best PI firm in Nevada to obtain the information he wanted.
Had it been slightly invasive? Sure.
Did he regret it? Not for a single second.
Because after reading the impersonal file of information his PI had collected, he was certain of one thing above all else.
Waverlee needed him.
With two parents who had virtually abandoned her, she was alone in the world, working two jobs while trying to complete her business degree at the local community college. On average, the tiny slip of a woman worked close to seventy hours a week, but still managed to maintain a nearly perfect grade point average. Based on the research the firm he’d hired had gathered, his Waverlee – and yes, she was most assuredly his - had very few genuine friends and no relatives other than her absentee, worthless parents.
At just over twenty-one years old, his sweet girl was almost completely alone in the world.
And a woman as utterly perfect as Waverlee Armstrong should not be alone in this cold, often cruel world.
So, Shaw was determined to change that for her as quickly as humanly possible.
But first he had to coax her into coming over to his table and bringing him and his friends a drink. Then, perhaps, he could enlist Wyatt and his wife, Bailey’s help in stealing Waverlee’s heart. “The way I heard the story, you weren’t much different when you met your lovely wife, Wyatt. In fact, I think Jack told me his sister captured both your heart and your balls with one kiss,” Crenshaw replied without looking away from Waverlee.
Wyatt’s smile widened as he wrapped one arm around his giggling wife. “I’d say that’s pretty much the way it went down…though I would like it noted I am in full possession of my balls.”
“Only when I decide to let you have them for a night here and there,” Bailey teased, squealing when Wyatt’s teeth nipped her earlobe.
Bailey’s laughter drew Shaw’s gaze briefly away from Waverlee and he couldn’t help grinning at the couple. Deeply in love with each other, he could see what had drawn Wyatt to Bailey. The woman was gorgeous both inside and out. “Not gonna lie, Wyatt. I want what you’ve found with your woman,” he declared truthfully as he nodded to the other man’s wife. “The happiness. The devotion. I swear, once you found Bailey, your eyes have never once strayed from her.”
“They never will either,” Wyatt decreed, wrapping his arm around his wife and pulling her against his side. “So this girl is the one you’ve been telling me about?” he asked with a look toward the girl Shaw had been staring at all night like a besotted teenager.
“Yep…that’s my Waverlee,” Shaw declared proudly.
“She’s beautiful, Shaw,” Bailey acknowledged with a soft smile.
“She is,” Shaw agreed. “But she’s so much more than that, too. Sweet. Kind. Such a hard worker. Did I tell y’all she’s working two jobs and going to school full-time? You just don’t see that kind of work ethic much anymore.”
Wyatt laughed again. “Man, you’re worse than I was. She’s got you under her spell.”
“Yeah, she does, but she doesn’t seem to realize it. She’s so shy and based on what she’s said to me the last few nights, she’s convinced she’s not the type of girl that could interest a guy like me,” Shaw explained to his friends.
Wyatt snorted at that remark. “Did you tell her there hasn’t been any girl that’s remotely caught your interest in the last several years? I swear, man, you’re part monk.”
Shaw shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m not a monk. I’ve just been incredibly selective in who shares my bed, Wyatt. Sue me.”
“Yes, Wyatt,” Bailey growled, elbowing her husband in the ribs, “Not every woman enjoys reforming a Casanova the way I did.”
Shaw couldn’t help his low laugh because Bailey was right. That’s exactly what she’d done. Up until Wyatt had met her, he’d enjoyed playing the field, often hitting this very bar with Bailey’s brother, Jack, and partying it up.
All that changed the second he laid eyes on Bailey, though.
“But I was worth it, wasn’t I?” Wyatt asked his wife in a husky voice, his dark eyes solemn as they met hers.
“Always,” Bailey whispered, pressing her lips against Wyatt’s before turning back to Shaw. “Okay, how do we help you get the girl? I’m a sucker for a happy ending.”
“I’m hoping I can convince her to join us and maybe you all can help me get her to open up tonight. Make her feel comfortable.
“Absolutely,” Bailey volunteered instantly as she leaned her head against Wyatt’s shoulder. “We’ll have her convinced you’re the cat’s meow in no time, Shaw. I promise! “
Looking at Wyatt with solemn eyes, Shaw murmured, “You do know you’re a lucky son of a bitch to find a woman like Bailey, right?”
“Hell, yeah, I do. And she’s mine. Now and forever,” Wyatt returned with a growl, dipping his head to nuzzle his wife’s neck.
Shaw grinned as Bailey lifted a hand to pat Wyatt’s jaw gently. “Yes, my caveman, I’m definitely yours,” he heard the woman quietly soothe her husband. Watching Wyatt and Bailey together, Shaw nodded in his satisfaction, happy to see one of his oldest friends finding and holding the love of a good woman. They had the kind of relationship Shaw fantasized about having. Warm, loving, and genuine, there was no doubt the young couple was entirely devoted to each other. And now they were also the expectant parents of twins, and with that recent news, Shaw knew Wyatt was happier than he’d ever been in his life.
And by God, he was gonna get the same for himself! The wife. The kids. All of it. He just had to remain patient. His goal was already in place; now he just had to implement the plan to achieve it. The last five nights had been reconnaissance mission of sorts of a sort, and he had merged all of the information he had ob
tained through the private investigator with his personal observations to develop the step-by-step strategy.
It involved persistence, money, and a whole lot of charm. He had all three, so he had no doubt he would succeed.
Shaw’s grin remained firmly in place as he watched the object of his affection move in their direction, her slender legs encased in form fitting light denim quickly eating the distance between them as she balanced her serving tray on one hand while the other held a large pitcher of beer sheltered in her perfect hand. Damn, she truly was beautiful, he thought to himself, his jeans suddenly tightening uncomfortably against his groin as he watched her large, firm breasts bounce gently underneath her tight pink t-shirt. Tendrils of dark auburn framed her porcelain face dusted by a smattering of adorable freckles across the bridge of her nose, and he wondered idly if those same freckles that barely shadowed her nose could be found on other interesting parts of that delectable body. Jerking his eyes back to hers, he forced himself to remember the plan and not to get too sidetracked.
“Good evening, everyone,” Waverlee greeted with a professional smile when she reached the table. “I went ahead and brought over the pitcher of beer you requested when you came in, Mr. Jacobson,” she continued as she sat the glass ewer in the center of the table and began passing out the empty frosty mugs to the occupants of the table.
Catching her wrist gently in his hand, Shaw frowned at Waverlee’s formal use of his name. “Now, I thought I finally got you to callin’ me Shaw last night, pretty girl. Don’t backslide on me now,” he chastised her gently, winking playfully as he used his thumb to stroke the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist, his smile widening when she shivered slightly beneath his touch. He was getting to her, he thought with no small amount of excitement thrumming through his veins. Finally!
Trying to draw her hand away from his, Waverlee smiled tightly. “Ah, I forgot,” she returned, her cheeks blushing prettily.
“No harm done, sweetheart. I just reminded you is all. I’m glad you made your way over here to me, though, because I’d like to introduce you to a couple of my good friends. This is Wyatt and Bailey Kinkaid. My construction firm often works closely with Wyatt’s architectural design firm and we’ve been buddies for years.”
Looking quickly to the couple sitting across from Shaw, Waverlee bobbed her head as she filled each man’s mug with beer. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Can I get either one of you all anything else?”
“Actually, I can’t drink right now,” Bailey replied in a kind voice as she nudged the beer away from her. “Not with my little passengers on board,” Bailey replied, dropping a hand to rest on the slight mound of her tummy. “So could I please get a soft drink?”
Waverlee’s eyes widened as her gaze dropped to Bailey’s obviously pregnant belly. “Oh, my gosh! I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were expecting. Of course, I’ll get you a soda. Is cola okay? When are you due?”
“I’ve got a couple of months to go, and cola is fine,” Bailey answered as the man beside her reached out to rub her belly possessively. “We’re actually out celebrating tonight.”
“Well, babies are quite a good reason to celebrate,” Waverlee noted happily with a nod toward Bailey’s rounded tummy.
“Oh, no. Not that. Tonight’s celebration is more business than baby related. My husband’s architectural firm,” she said, patting her man’s leg, “was awarded the bid to design a new casino that’s going in just outside Red Springs’ city limits. And Shaw’s construction company,” she continued, gesturing at the silent man sitting across from her, “will be doing the building. The fact that two hometown boys got the deal is kind of an unheard of thing. We all figured some outfit out of Vegas would undercut us.”
Shaw watched Waverlee’s eyes brighten with sincere happiness for him as her gaze moved to meet his. “That’s awesome. Congratulations, Shaw!” she commended him, dropping her hand to one of his broad shoulders and squeezing gently. “I’m truly happy for you guys.”
Emboldened by her enthusiastic response, Shaw wrapped an arm around her narrow waist and pulled her closer until her hip rested against his side, the warm weight of her body the best thing he’d felt in ages. “Thank you, darlin’. Why don’t you go grab that soda for Bailey and a drink for yourself and come sit down and join us? I’d love for you to help me celebrate tonight. Wyatt’s got Bailey to cuddle over there, and I’m feelin’ like the odd man out over here all by my lonesome.”
Waverlee laughed lightly. “Oh, please. We both know you wouldn’t be lonesome long if you crooked your finger at any girl in this place, Shaw,” she noted with a shy smile.
“But I don’t want just any woman, darlin’. I want the only one that matters to me. That’s you. Besides, you’re off the clock about now anyway, aren’t you?” he asked, well aware of her schedule thanks to her boss’s loose lips. “C’mon, give an old man a break and come keep me company. I feel like a third wheel with those two lovebirds here,” he cajoled as he nodded to where Wyatt held Bailey in his arms protectively. Shaw knew her shift ended in approximately five minutes. He’d timed everything perfectly and it’s why he’d suggested Jumpin’ Jacks to Bailey and Wyatt when they’d suggested going out for drinks to celebrate.
“You’re not that old, Shaw,” Waverlee mumbled, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red as Shaw’s hand tightened on her waist and his thumb brushed back and forth over her hip bone.
“Older than you by more than a decade,” Shaw pointed out softly as the noise of the bar seemed to fade away until the only thing in the world that mattered was him and Waverlee. “You don’t mind that I’m older, do you?” he asked, voicing one of the few things that had concerned him the most about diving headfirst into a relationship with this gorgeous woman. Staring at her now, Shaw acknowledged that while Waverlee was young in years, one look in her weary eyes confirmed she was an old soul. He just hoped she’d be willing to overlook their age difference and take a chance on him.
Waverlee shrugged. “Age is just a number. My mother is over fifty years old, and she’s one of the most immature people I know. Meanwhile, Brad is barely thirty and one of the wisest men I’ve ever met,” she remarked, gesturing over her shoulder with her thumb. “I’m learning somebody’s age doesn’t necessarily correlate with how smart they are.”
“Sounds like you found yourself a pretty sharp woman there, Shaw,” Wyatt said from across the table as he held his wife against him. “Better keep her close.”
Keeping his eyes on Waverlee, Shaw grinned and nodded. “Oh, I plan on it, Wyatt,” he returned without moving his gaze from hers. “I definitely plan on it.” Tightening his hand on her waist, he dropped his voice as he asked, “So, you’ll stay?”
Shaw held his breath as he watched her eyes darken with uncertainty. “Waverlee, I won’t hurt you, sweetheart. I will never hurt you. Just spend some time with me tonight and let me begin to prove it to you. Stay with me, darlin’,” he urged as he watched a battle rage in her eyes.
After a long moment during which Shaw felt himself slowly die a thousand deaths, Waverlee slowly nodded. “Okay,” he heard her concede with obvious reluctance. He suspected she was only agreeing because she didn’t want to disappoint him after landing such a huge business deal. Was it emotionally manipulative of him to play on her kindness that way? Absolutely, but he just couldn’t afford to care at this point. He was going to selfishly take advantage of every opportunity he could get from this amazing woman! “One evening, Shaw,” he heard her warn him. “You get one evening and then… well, we’ll have to see.”
Could he convince her they belonged together for the rest of their lives in the space of a few measly hours?
Fuck, yeah, he sure as hell was going to try.
Chapter Three
Waverlee
Two hours later, Waverlee still couldn’t believe she was sitting there curled up beside the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on in her life. Better than any rock god or movie star, she knew Crensha
w Jacobson would be the standard by which she measured all other men for the rest of her life. Being with him this evening had been every girl’s dream first date. He’d been warm and attentive, funny and charming, everything an introverted girl like her never thought she’d have.
Not only that, she told herself with a small, slightly hysterical laugh in her head, but she also couldn’t believe how utterly natural it felt to lean against him and rest her head on Shaw’s broad chest. Wedged tightly inside the booth between his muscular body and the wall with one of his strong arms wrapped around her shoulders as if he’d been holding her all his life, she could feel every breath the sinfully sexy man took as he sat there chatting with her and his friends. Crazily enough, he was the same man she had been diligently trying to ignore all week… the one she’d been desperately trying to shut out of both her mind and her heart. The same man that had occupied her thoughts every waking moment of the day and starred in her often X-rated dreams each night for the past seven days. The very same man that was obviously intent on sending erotically charged shivers up and down her spine for the rest of her earthly days.
Yes, for the last two hours, Waverlee had surprised herself by actually enjoying Shaw’s rapt attention. Throughout their meal of burgers and fries, she had found herself relaxing in his company more than she ever imagined possible, chatting with Bailey about her coming babies, laughing with Wyatt about the local townsfolk, and somehow snuggling tightly against the strong body next to her while he doted on her every word. Listening to the two men begin to discuss various business deals they had in the works, she knew she was out of her league, but she refused to acknowledge it – if only for just that moment – instead allowing herself an escape from reality she usually never permitted. For those couple of hours, she let herself pretend to be someone else. Someone fearless and fun. Someone sexy and sophisticated. Someone confident and carefree.
Someone who was most definitely not her.
Sex, Vows & Babies: One More Night (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 2
