REX (Finding Love)

by Beth Michele

  “Even though I know you’re changing the subject, the answer is yes, I did.”

  I shake my head and smirk. “Hunter must be a happy man.”

  “He will be later.” She elbows me then checks her watch.

  “You seem nervous. You okay?” I ask, still trying to make sure I don’t give anything away.

  “I’m okay. It’s just—Hunter was acting kind of strange today.” Her teeth pierce her lip. “I hope nothing’s wrong.”

  “Oh,” I flap my hand in the air, “you know how men are. I’m sure he’s fine.”

  The cell phone chimes, making her jump, and she gets up to retrieve it from her bag. After looking at the screen, her eyes make their way back up to me. “The car’s waiting outside.”

  It’s time. And I’m not sure who’s more excited. Her or me.

  “You ready for this, bro?” I ask Hunter as he paces the private dining room doing last minute checks to make sure everything is perfect.

  He ignores my question, and instead, examines the perimeter, ensuring all the candles are lit, flowers arranged accordingly, soft music playing at the right volume in the background. I almost want to laugh at him. But in this situation and given how nervous he is, that would be cruel. It’s just that I’ve never seen him this caught up in someone before and it’s unsettling to me.

  I know what’s really bugging me though. I’ve been on edge since that annoying encounter with my mother. I already feel like shit because I blew off a whole lot of steam at Zeek. Fortunately, he knows me so he let it slide, aware that I was fighting my demons. Unfortunately, it’s a war I wage all too often and I’m sick and fucking tired of it.

  The sound of laughter startles me from the hell that is my mind. I stand back, remaining in the shadows, taking a moment to just admire Vanessa from afar. My breath stills as I steal a quiet glance, noticing every little detail; the way her hand sweeps her hair over her shoulder then comes back around to softly tuck it behind her ear, the angle of her cheek, the bare skin of her neck, the dip of her collarbone. All the cold from the day leaves my body in a rush, replaced by warmth flowing through my veins. A shiver begins its journey up the crook of my spine, rooting my feet to the ground with a realization.

  Somehow, she makes it better.

  I watch as her chin subtly travels to the side, tentative eyes scanning the room, searching. So I step out of the darkness into the light of her blinding smile when those eyes land on me, our gazes locked, our connection undeniable. She sashays across the room, giving me a chance to take in the black dress that clings to her every curve, leaving little to the imagination. Her golden tresses cascade over her shoulders kissing her breasts, skin dusted with a pink glow. She’s like a fucking masterpiece. I make a lame attempt at swallowing, but my dry throat makes the action futile.

  “Hi,” she says when she’s finally standing in front of me.

  “Wow. You’re a stunner as always, Blondie. You look… beautiful.” I lift a finger, running the back of my knuckle down the side of her cheek and her eyelids flutter. “Beautiful,” I whisper, and it’s as if I’ve had an out-of-body experience when the words I’ve spoken actually reach my ears.

  “You clean up pretty well yourself.” Her eyes roam the white dress shirt and black pants that I typically wouldn’t be caught dead in, but I knew Hunter wouldn’t appreciate ripped jeans. “You even brushed your hair,” she teases. “I might need to mess it up later.”

  “I’m counting on it.” I step as close to her as possible, digesting the small space between us. “Hi there,” I say, her breath so close I can practically taste her on my lips.

  “Hi again.” She brushes her mouth softly against mine. “So are you going to kiss me, or keep talking and make me wait, because you know, you have a habit of doing that.”

  “See, that’s the thing. I can’t wait another minute.” I put my hands on either side of her face, my thumb drawing her bottom lip down, so soft and smooth. “You were on my mind today,” I breathe out, my tongue doing an upward sweep of her lip. She opens on a sigh that I freely catch before our mouths join together.

  It’s as if she’s sampling me, every corner of my mouth being explored with her warm tongue, and I’m completely at her mercy. I think I finally understand the phrase ‘bringing a man to his knees’ because that’s exactly what she does to me.

  Forgetting where we are, one of my hands moves lower, taking a fistful of fabric and tugging her up against me. The touch of our bodies so close together incites a riot within my chest. A spell that is broken when a cough sounds from behind us.

  “Did you forget you’re not alone?” Hunter reprimands, and we quickly back away grinning, me with a hard-on and Vanessa with red, swollen lips.

  “Sorry, Hunter,” Vanessa apologizes, fixing her dress, but I set her straight immediately.

  “You don’t have anything to apologize for, does she Hunter?” I glare at him until he gets my message loud and clear.

  “No, you don’t.” Hunter knows that intimidation shit doesn’t work with me. I’m not one of his employees. He punches me in the arm to make amends and takes Olivia to the center of the room for a dance. I nod toward the table.

  “You wanna sit?”

  Her eyes wander to where they’re huddled together then back to me. “Sure.” I pull a chair out for her and she takes a seat.

  “Such a gentleman,” she taunts, and I lean over her chair, my lips resting above her ear, the smell of her raspberry shampoo causing a momentary lapse in memory.

  “You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I was thinking right now.”

  She sucks in a breath and I grin before planting myself next to her.

  “So how was your day?” she asks, her voice cracking, skin turning a soft shade of pink.

  “Honestly, it sucked,” I admit, staring off into the distance, my mind forcing away thoughts of my mother trying to break through the blockade I’ve constructed for myself.

  “Rex? Hey,” she taps my shoulder and I turn back to her, “you’re so far away. Where’d you go?”

  I take a long pull of the beer, desperately needing help with my response. “I ran into my mother today,” I say through gritted teeth. “She never changes, you know?”

  “Maybe someday—” she starts to say, but I instantly cut her off.

  “No. There is no maybe someday for us. Too much shit has happened and my life isn’t a fucking fairy tale. I’m under no illusions when it comes to my mother. I’ve learned not to expect anything from her because that way I won’t be disappointed.”

  “Have the two of you ever tried therapy?” she interjects, and I fucking snap.

  “Been there, done that. It’s impossible to be in therapy trying to fix something when someone doesn’t show up because they don’t give a shit about fixing it.” My hand goes to my head, rubbing at my temples. “I can’t fucking talk about it, anymore, okay?” I raise my voice much louder than I’d intended.

  “Okay!” she barks. “I’m going to use the bathroom.” She pushes back her chair, the legs scraping harshly against the wood floor, the grating noise a slap across my face. I’m being an asshole… again.

  “Fuck!”

  Hunter and Olivia stop dancing and Olivia walks over to me. “What’s wrong? Is Vanessa okay?” She looks toward the door then back to me. “I’m going to go check on her.”

  “No.” I grab her arm, halting her. “I’ll go.” I dart toward the door, my eyes seeking out the sign for the ladies’ room, releasing a breath when I find it. With an apprehensive fist, I knock three times on the door. “Blondie, it’s me, open up.”

  “No.”

  I bang my head against the door, practically able to feel her leaning against it on the other side. “I’m sorry. I know I acted like an asshole. I just… it’s really hard for me to talk about her.”

  She doesn’t say anything but won’t relent and open the door. Now I’m at a complete loss. I typically don’t have a problem getting women to talk to me, but then ag
ain, Vanessa isn’t like most women.

  “Okay,” I begin, trying a different tactic. “So, did you know I’m pretty much the biggest contender for the asshole of the year award. You might have even voted for me….”

  The lock clicks on the door and she opens it, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, a smirk that she’s trying to hide overpowering her mouth. “Asshole of the year?” She bites her lip, staring me down. “I think I voted for you twice.”

  The door closes and I back her up against it. “Twice, huh?” A loose wisp of hair falls against her face and I push it behind her ear. “I’m sorry. Jesus. I say that a lot, don’t I?” I grab the back of my head, dropping a heavy breath onto the ground before meeting her eyes. “But I am.”

  “Okay.” She skirts around me but stops. “I think we should get back. This is Olivia’s big night, after all.”

  “Right,” I agree, following her to the room, catching Olivia and Hunter in a heated embrace. Similar to one I could be enjoying if I hadn’t acted like such an asshole. I cough loudly, interrupting their floor show, Olivia’s face turning a bright red.

  “So, who’s hungry?” Hunter asks, pinching Olivia’s ass then rubbing his hands together.

  I can’t get over the change in my brother and I don’t know what to make of it. I’m not even sure why I’m trying to analyze it. He’s happy. It’s really that simple.

  For him.

  But then again, he doesn’t carry around the same shitty baggage that I do.

  Two waiters clad in tuxedos walk in carrying silver trays. They make their way over to the round table and set them down beside it. Vanessa and I look at each other quizzically when we see the burgers and fries, while Olivia starts laughing.

  “I thought we were having prime rib? What the fuck is up with the burgers?”

  Hunter and Vanessa join in, and it appears I’m the only one who doesn’t think this is funny. I can get a freaking burger any day of the week.

  “They’re Olivia’s favorite,” Hunter elaborates, scooting her chair closer to his side. “I hope you like apple pie, too.”

  “All right, there’s obviously some little private joke I’m missing out on and that’s fine. I’ll admit these burgers look amazing. Come on, Blondie. Let’s dig in.” I hold her chair out for her and she sits, but I still feel a cold wind blowing from her direction. Moving closer, I put my hand on her arm until I get her attention, those pale blue eyes cutting right through me. “I meant what I said. I really am sorry.”

  “I know.” She gives me a half-smile and I take it as an opening to place a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

  “You know it’s impossible to stay mad at me.” I point a finger toward my cheek. “This face, it’s irresistible, isn’t it?” She shakes her head but she’s smiling now. I just might be forgiven.

  There’s a lot of talking during dinner, but me, I’m doing most of the listening. Hunter has decided to tell stories of when we were kids. Most, I’d like to forget. Although, there are some good ones, like the fishing one he’s telling now.

  “We were out in this little fishing boat that our dad had. It was nothing to write home about, but it was lived in, you know? I remember seeing Dad sitting out on the dock, just watching us. He was smoking these cigars that he only ever smoked when he sat out on the dock. Remember that, Rex?” he says, and I nod in acknowledgement, a pang hitting my stomach thinking about him and those darn cigars.

  “Anyway, nothing was happening, the water seemed pretty quiet, until all of a sudden something grabbed hold of Rex’s line, and instead of Rex reeling it in, it was more like the fish was reeling Rex. He was such a lightweight and the fish was so heavy, I had to hold him down so he didn’t go overboard. But we did get the fish, and boy was he a beauty.”

  “Aww,” Olivia and Vanessa say together. Vanessa tilts her head sideways, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. I want those lips. She has the sexiest fucking mouth I’ve ever seen.

  “Yeah, but who’s the lightweight now, tough guy?” I lean back in the chair and lace my hands together above my head, the muscles in my biceps flexing.

  “You got me there, little brother. Unfortunately, I don’t do that much working out in the boardroom. But I have much better ways now.” He throws Olivia a devilish grin, practically eating her up with his eyes alone.

  “Okay, then.” I spin around to Vanessa. “You want to dance with me, Blondie?”

  “Sure.”

  I take her hand in mine, helping her up. Her skin is soft and pliable, molding perfectly to my own. We reach the middle of the room and the song changes, her demeanor shifting right along with it. “What is it?” I ask, my thumb doing a continuous stroke over her knuckles as the words to Gavin DeGraw’s “Chariot” play softly in the background.

  Her eyes glaze over, a wistful haze clouding them. “I used to sit in my room and listen to music just like this over and over when my parents were arguing. It took me to another place. A happier place. I felt hopeless a lot of times when I was growing up, but music,” she shrugs, “always gave me hope. I know that probably sounds weird.”

  “Come here.” I gather her up and press our bodies together, my arms wrapped around her waist, hers settling around my neck. “I don’t think it sounds weird at all.” I catch her eyes, now seeing a small piece of that lost girl from the first day in the shop. “Hope comes in all different forms. Sometimes,” I tilt my head to the side, my voice growing quieter, “when I look at you… I see hope.”

  Her gaze fogs, eyes widening then narrowing, mouth slowly tipping up into a smile. “Rex Grayson. That has to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  “Yeah, well,” I counter, “don’t get too used to it. That’s about as far as I go in the sappy department.”

  “A bit of a stretch, huh?” she jokes, playing with the hair at the base of my neck, tingles working their way through every part of me.

  “Speaking of stretching, how ’bout you stretch those lips a bit closer and kiss me?”

  She smiles as if she likes the idea, moistening her lips with her tongue, my eyes dropping to her mouth as she does. Her long, golden lashes fall against her cheeks just before her breath skips across my skin. I fall prey to her, drugged by her presence, her lips on mine, fingers tickling my flesh, the scent of raspberry everywhere around us. Our tongues scrape against one another, fiery and hot, seeking and giving.

  I ease out of her mouth, practically panting because of my desire for her. “I want you so much,” I murmur, resting my forehead on hers, my breathing rapid. The rise of her chest against mine telling me she feels the same. “Can we get out of here?”

  “Are you insane?” She laughs, the sound light all around me. “He hasn’t even—…,” she backs away, spying on Hunter and Olivia, saying in a hush, “proposed yet.”

  “Well I wish he would hurry the hell up. I’ve got needs.”

  Vanessa snorts, making me chuckle and drawing the attention of Olivia on the other side of the room.

  “What’s so funny, V?” she calls out from across the table.

  “Rex has jokes, that’s what’s so funny.” She slaps me on the shoulder and I’m wondering why I’m getting turned on from hearing her sound like a pig. Is there anything about her that doesn’t turn me on?

  “You guys ready for dessert?” Hunter yells over to us and my response is immediate.

  “Hell yes.” But there’s only one person I’m looking at when I say the words, and it earns me another slap from the object of my desire.

  “Let’s go.” Vanessa tugs on my hand, pulling me back over to the table.

  “I think that chair is too small for you. Why don’t you sit on my lap?” I offer, wiggling my brows, grabbing my dick through my pants.

  “You are relentless,” she comes back with, and she may be shooing me away with her hand, but the glimmer in her eye tells me something entirely different.

  The waiters return again, filling everyone’s glasses with champagne and bringing out a
dessert tray. I have to wonder what Hunter is doing. Dinner is nearly over and he hasn’t made a move yet. But I’m starting to see a thin layer of sweat on his forehead so it must be almost showtime.

  “You okay, bro?” I ask, and Olivia looks over at him as well.

  She raises a hand to his temple. “You’re sweating, babe. You feeling all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine, sweetheart. It’s just a bit warm in here.” He fingers his collar, attempting to distract Olivia and probably trying to catch his breath. I honestly never thought I’d see the day my brother would be getting engaged. This is one for the books.

  Puzzled, Olivia looks over at Hunter once the desserts are set down on our plates. “Parfaits? No apple pie?”

  “They were all out. So this was the next best thing. It looks delicious, doesn’t it?” His voice is beginning to crack, and that’s when I finally figure out what’s going on.

  “Yes, it does.” She smiles at him before picking up her spoon and diving in to the parfait. Not more than two seconds later, her spoon falls against her plate with a clatter. “There’s something in my strawberry….” she mumbles as she shakes her head back and forth in disbelief, cheeks red, eyes filling with tears.

  Her jaw drops to the floor and hangs there, hands shaking as she tries to steady them enough to pluck the ring from the strawberry. Meanwhile, Hunter is already on his knees beside her and I think I even hear Vanessa sniffling.

  I’m not cut out for this shit.

  “Sweetheart,” he whispers, and she’s already gone, tears rolling down her cheeks, staring at the ring in her hand. “Sweetheart, look at me.” He tilts her chin, smiling up at her. I sigh and roll my eyes, wondering what we’re doing here. This is a pretty private moment.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful for a train ride in all my life. And I don’t know if it was the moment I first spotted you in the station, or the moment I spotted you in the café after looking for you for so long, not knowing whether I’d ever see you again. My heart spoke to me in a voice that was so loud it was impossible to ignore. My lungs filled with air for the first time because you breathed life into me, Olivia. You made me want things, and up until the time I met you, I didn’t want very much. But now I want everything… and I want it with you. Every part of me—my mind, my heart, my body, my soul—belongs to you. You keep them safe. You look after them, and I want to do the same for you. I promise you that I will treasure every part of you with everything that I have, everything that I am. I love you, Olivia Redmond, and I want you to marry me, to be my wife forever and always.”