“If I were telling you what you wanted to hear, I’d be whispering how sexy you sound.”
“Fair enough,” Joe answered, his voice darkening with a hint of amusement. “Did you miss me?”
Rachel took a deep breath, suspecting her answer was coming more from her own conscious thought than Kirby’s. “More than you know, big guy.”
“Hmm, you’re hauling out the big guns tonight,” he remarked, his voice a tingle-invoking rumble. “Aren’t you going to ask me how I’ve been?”
Oh — therapy foreplay. How interesting. Rachel giggled softly.
“Of course I want to know,” Rachel answered after the briefest moment of silence. “Spill it, mister. What’ve you been up to?”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “Remember the girl I told you about?”
“Mmm. Did you take my advice?”
“I didn’t have to. We actually got set up. A friend of mine is her best friend’s brother.”
I know! “Really? That sure is interesting, Joe. Almost like — ” Kismet.
“Kismet.” He commented, inadvertently finishing her thought.
Rachel’s heart nearly jumped out of her mouth. Is that really how he felt, or was he just blowing smoke? Rachel spoke finally, her voice wispy and hopeful. “Tell me all about her, I’m listening.”
Joe let out a dreamy sigh, and a smile pulled the corners of Rachel’s mouth upward.
“She’s amazing, Kirby. Wait, are you … are you sure I can tell you this?”
Please, Joe … please. Rachel let out a small, playful chuckle. “I think I can handle it, buddy.”
Joe laughed slowly. “Got it. She’s incredible. Did I already say that?”
Rachel smiled wide, trying to keep her grin from showing up in her voice.
“Technically, no. You said she was amazing.”
“That too.” She heard Joe groan as he allowed himself a stretch, and she felt a familiar pull in her abdomen. “We pretty much have everything in common. Movies, family, jokes … I can relate to everything about her.”
“I like the sound of that,” she replied, silently willing him to say more. “Did you kiss her?”
“I couldn’t help it,” Joe confessed. “By the time dinner was over, the air was so electric between us — I could barely keep my hands off of her until we got to the movie theater. All bets were off the moment we sat down.”
Pins and needles started at the tips of her fingers and made their way swiftly throughout her body. It was with a delicious pang to her abdomen that Rachel weakened, flattered to the heavens. Vapors, she sighed inwardly.
“Is she a great kisser, Joe? What did her mouth feel like?”
Joe sighed, his exhale trailing off in a small growl that set her nerve endings ablaze.
“Her mouth is like … candy. I could kiss her all day, and not even care that I didn’t get any work done.”
“Very nice. Tell me more. What does she look like?”
It was like having an out-of-body experience, listening to Joe describe what “she” looked like. He described her in detail, swooning over everything from the way her hair fell down her back to the way her hips swayed when she walked. Joe marveled in the taste of her mouth, and the feel of the soft curves of her body. Her body tingled every time he sighed after saying her name. She was pleasantly surprised to actually get to see herself through his eyes. Ah, the eyes I could get lost in for hours. She closed her eyes and rode out the wave of lightning that bolted through her body.
“She’s super sexy,” he continued, his voice sexy and wistful, “and not like the other girls I’ve dated. I’m really tall, so normally I don’t date anyone under five-eight. But the tradeoff is usually that they’re rail thin. I’m usually afraid of breaking the girls I date, but not her.
“Rachel’s got these killer curves, and she’s tall enough so that I don’t feel like too much of a giant next to her. She’s big enough to stand up to me, and small enough for me to carry up a flight of stairs with her legs wrapped around my waist.”
The vision started a surge of heat in her pelvis. “You like being the aggressor, don’t you?”
Joe chuckled nervously. “Of course, I’m a big guy — I like that I can lift my woman up and make her weak at the knees, then surprise her with just how gentle I actually am.”
He paused for a brief moment, and Rachel waited with bated breath to hear more. He finally continued with a chuckle. “She got aggressive with me, though. In the movie theater, she pushed me back against the seat. I almost lost it.”
“Is that right?” Rachel giggled. “You must like when a woman can hold her own, and maybe even initiate a little sexy time herself.”
“Mmm-hmm,” he agreed, the sound from his mouth making her slump in her seat.
“She initiated a whole lot of sexy time that night. Did I tell you about her voice?”
Rachel sat up straighter. “Uh, no — you didn’t.”
“Like caramel sauce,” he stated, following up with a chuckle. “In fact, you kind of sound like her.”
Rachel nearly had a heart attack, but fought to keep it together. “Oh, yeah? How so?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “You just remind me of her a little. Except … well, no offense, Kirby. But her voice is a little deeper, sexier — like Lauren Bacall.”
She hadn’t realized that she’d been holding her breath until it all whooshed from her body when he finally answered. Rachel sighed with a giggle. “None taken.”
“She has no idea how I feel, Kirby. But I want every part of her … so much.”
Hmm, wow. “Well, that sounds promising, honey — when are you going to see her again?”
Yeah, when? Huh, Mister No-Word-In-Four-Days?
Joe drew in a sharp breath. “I don’t actually know. I haven’t called her.”
Rachel was a little surprised that he admitted to it. She decided rather quickly to get the information she wanted, even though it might have been just a little unprofessional.
“Oh, Joe,” she sighed and made a tsk sound. “Why not? Did you think she wouldn’t want to hear from you?”
“Honestly?”
“Have you lied to me yet?”
“Believe it or not, I haven’t,” Joe answered with a throaty chuckle, “But you’re sort of right. Before the blind date, she was really distant with me — wouldn’t give me the time of day. And I had such a great time with her. Can I tell you something I’d probably never say to her this soon?”
Rachel held her breath. She made a small sound of agreement, and was thankful that it was enough to keep Joe talking.
“I can see myself falling for her.”
Rachel paused, her mouth agape. A blaze of heat started in her chest, quickly rising to burn her face and shoot out of her ears. The silence caught Joe’s attention, and the concern in his voice was apparent.
“Did I go too far? Do you want me to stop?”
Rachel struggled to recover. “No! No! It’s just that, well, that’s probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Here’s what people don’t understand about me,” Joe explained. “I date a lot … I’ve taken my fair share out for nights on the town. But I like being a boyfriend. I’m good at it. It’s just where I’m most comfortable.”
Ah, he wants to be a boyfriend? Her heart ached, and she wanted to hug him through the phone. This guy can’t be for real.
“You probably think I’m full of it,” he remarked, reading her mind. “But I know what I see when I look at her — Rachel’s someone I could love. I’ve never felt so drawn to anyone before. And if the kissing is any indication, man … I’m in trouble.”
Rachel smiled, her eyes closing as she savored the words as they came out of his mouth so easily. Could lies flow this smoothly?
Her filters off and emotional walls down, she asked, “Are you saying this because you think it’s what a woman wants to hear?”
“I could see why you’d think that,” Joe answered quickly. “But I’m actually telling you because I can’t tell my guy friends without getting crap for it. It’s a little easier to be vulnerable with a stranger that I know I’ll never see.”
“So, you wouldn’t be able to tell this to Rachel?”
Joe paused for a minute. “Not yet. She rejected me way too easily before we got set up. What if she’s emotionally unavailable?”
Her brow furrowed. “But, weren’t her actions on the date proof enough that she’s into you too?”
“Not to me. Sex is sex. In the heat of the moment, when you’re so carnally attracted to someone, anything can happen. What about the other stuff? If we’re having an argument, and we can’t come back from it because she feels nothing for me?”
“Do you really think that’s a fair assumption? Maybe she’s guarded because she’s been hurt before. Perhaps she’s reluctant to let a guy see what she feels because he may end up using it against her.”
“I would never — ”
Rachel let out a small giggle and interrupted. “Please, before you say it — guys say that all the time.”
Joe chuckled. “Sorry.”
“Let’s just stay away from the clichés, okay?”
“Fair enough,” he answered in amusement. He gave a great stretch, invoking another groan from deep within his gut. Damn it, stop! Rachel fanned herself.
“So you’re saying I should call her?”
She let a moment pass. “I’m saying you should call her.”
“Thanks for the therapy, Doctor Kirby.”
“Given my occupation, I’m still not sure I’m the best option,” Rachel teased.
“You’re a bargain, to say the least,” he chuckled. “But worth any price.”
“Go to sleep,” she instructed. “And call Rachel. Doctor’s orders.”
Joe chuckled again. “I’m wrapped up in stuff later this morning, but I’ll call her as soon as I can. Assuming I haven’t already lost her interest.”
“I’d bet my paycheck that you haven’t.”
• • •
Camille’s phone rang at 5:05 A.M. She rushed from bed, fumbling in the dark for her cell phone. It was Rachel. She flung the flip open and answered frantically.
“Rachel, what’s wrong?”
“I’m so sorry to wake you up. I need to talk.”
She stared squinty-eyed at her phone for a moment before placing it back to her ear.
“Are you okay, Rach?”
“Really, Cami, I’m fine. I just need to talk. Can I come over?”
Camille cleared her throat. “Yeah, come on over — where are you?”
Rachel answered sheepishly, “Downstairs.”
Camille couldn’t help but let out a sleepy laugh. “You have keys, woman. Get up here.”
• • •
The door opened in less than two minutes, and Rachel entered with a sleepily confused look on her face. She was holding a bag of donuts and a tray with two large cups of coffee.
“This must be serious,” Camille said, taking a cup of coffee. “Go on, sit down.”
Rachel sat on the couch and looked up at her best friend. “He called tonight.”
“Who, Joe?”
Rachel nodded, and Camille perked up. She placed the coffee down and clapped her hands together. “Wow, seriously? He hasn’t called you in three days but he’s checking in with Kirby? I can’t even take how crazy this!”
She ended her mini-rant with an amused laugh, but gave Rachel an empathetic look. She placed a hand over her friend’s. “You have to tell me … did you guys have phone sex yet?”
With a roll of the eyes, Rachel pulled away. Camille giggled furiously.
“I’m sorry! But you’ve gotta look at this from my perspective. This guy is absolutely drawn to you! And why did he call Kirby, if not to indulge in a little ear porn?”
Rachel cracked a smile as she sipped her coffee. “He, uh, called to talk about me.”
“About Kirby?”
She shook her head. “About Rachel.”
“He called to talk to you … about you?”
Rachel groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “I know; it’s so weird!”
“You can say that again,” Camille agreed bemusedly. “No, really. Say it again!”
“It is weird,” Rachel repeated, looking up and slapping her hands on the table.
“Don’t leave me hanging, Rach. What did he say?”
“Everything, Cam,” Rachel replied dramatically. “He said everything. How much he liked me, how gorgeous I am … he confessed to Kirby that Rachel is a girl he can seem himself falling for.”
Camille gasped. “He did not!”
Rachel nodded. “I don’t know whether or not to believe him, or how to even react to it! But if he has feelings for me … oh, Cam … ”
“What is it? Are you afraid of falling for him? What’s the deal?”
“If he’s falling for me, then I can’t keep up this charade. I have to tell him.”
“Tell him what?”
“The whole Kirby-Rachel thing,” she answered, her voice raising nearly an octave.
“How can I keep something like this from him? It’s not fair!”
“What’s not fair? The fact that you’ve got the inside track on the relationship? You’ve gotta be the first girl ever to actually know what a guy’s thinking in the beginning. Do you know how many women would kill to be in your shoes right now?”
Rachel shook her head. “This isn’t right, Cam. It isn’t fair to him, and it’s awkward as hell for me. Do you know how surreal it is, offering a man advice on how to date yourself? God, did I even say that right?”
“You can’t tell him,” Camille insisted. “It’ll ruin everything — you’ve already been Kirby with him twice.”
Rachel cursed under her breath. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.”
“But it’s true! How are you going to explain this now?”
“How am I going to explain this later?”
Camille sat down in front of her, putting her hands on Rachel’s knees and shaking her head almost frantically. “You can’t say anything to him. No, look at me. You’re not going to be Kirby for much longer. I seriously doubt that any good can come from telling him about your night job.”
Rachel gave Camille a desperate look, letting out sigh. “What if he calls again?”
“Don’t take the call!”
“And if he asks for me?”
“Then take the call. Just use your powers for good. Treat him well. At least now you know you can trust him, even when he’s laying the playboy swagger on you. You already know how he feels about you; now you can enjoy when he flirts with you without worrying whether or not he’s going to break your heart! You’ve got to look at this as a good thing.”
Rachel’s head dropped as she fought with herself. Part of her was vehemently against keeping this secret from him. Another part actually agreed with Camille — nothing good would come from telling him now. He’d never understand why she didn’t just end the first call and never talk to him as Kirby again. I don’t think even think I understand it, she told herself as her body began to feel more like lead and less like the girl who, only an hour ago, was walking on air at the thought that Joe was really digging her. In the end, Rachel went with Cami’s logic. She wouldn’t be working at Orchid forever; maybe she could just phase the whole situation out.
Rachel looked up. “All right, you win. I’ve got a meeting in four-and-a-half hours. Lucy moved the author introduction to today. What the hell am I supposed to do until then?�
�
“Take a shower, then a nap,” Camille answered, standing up and rubbing her best friend’s shoulders. “You’ll feel loads better, I promise.”
Rachel stood. “Can I borrow something?”
“Whatever you want, honey,” Camille answered, “I’m going back to sleep. Towels are in the hall closet.”
Rachel barely muttered an acknowledgement as she grabbed a towel and shut herself in the bathroom. Maybe the shower would help her feel a little better. Would she be able to make it through a meeting with her new favorite author on an hour’s rest?
• • •
Rachel was actually a lot more chipper than she thought she’d be. Her notes were meticulous as Lucy went over the details of the initial meeting with AJ Pavon with her and Michelle. She knew she was there in an assistant capacity, but asked questions as if she’d be on the editorial team.
Remembering that she had something to prove, she played a proactive role in the preliminary discussion that seemed to impress Lucy. Rachel also couldn’t ignore, however, that Michelle seemed to grow more annoyed with every question she asked. Whatever, beast. Rachel was thriving on the fact that her career cherry was about to be popped — this would be her first book, and she’d remember it forever. The rookie excitement coursing through her veins did more for her than the coffee did.
“Would we offer him an advance in this situation?” Rachel asked, pen to paper as she awaited Lucy’s answer.
Michelle scoffed and Lucy held up a hand. “Really, Michelle? Are you actually discouraging her from asking questions?”
“I wasn’t trying to, Lucy,” Michelle replied quickly, her voice mockingly submissive. “I just don’t understand why we have to treat her like a trainee when the author is supposed to be the focus right now.”
Lucy frowned slightly. “She is a trainee. Questions are okay. Is everything okay with you, Michelle?”
“I’m fine,” Michelle answered, straightening her back and looking over at Rachel’s notes. “I’m sorry if I seemed rude, Rachel.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. They continued to discuss the meeting’s agenda, with Rachel squeezing as much out of it as she could. This whole process made her feel absolutely alive. At nine-thirty exactly, the conference room’s speakerphone beeped softly. Lucy pressed a single button.
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