Behind The Book (Sexy #2)

by Heather Dahlgren

  “So where did you go to college?” I ask.

  She glances at all of us and stands up. “I went to Florida. Listen, thank you so much for a fun night, but I need to get home in case Shannon gets there soon. I have the only key.”

  Kallie and Jax stand up and give her a hug goodbye. She starts to walk away and I stand up and rush over to her.

  “Hey.” She turns to me. “Are you sure you’re all right to drive?”

  She smiles. “Yes, I haven’t had anything to drink since I first got here. Even then, I only had two beers. But thank you for asking.” She starts to turn and I gently grab her hand.

  “I’ll walk you to your car.” She focuses down at our hands and tries to hold in her smile. We go out the side fence, that way no one inside would be all over us. When we get to the front, I look around but don’t see a car. “Where did you park?” She pulls her hand out of mine and points all the way down the street. “Holy shit. Come on.” We walk and neither of us says anything. It’s not an uncomfortable silence, and it feels as though we’re trying to absorb the last few hours.

  When we get to her car, she clicks the button to unlock it and turns to me. “I had fun tonight, Blake. I’m glad I came.”

  I move closer to her and slowly bring my lips close to hers. “I had fun too, and I’m really glad you came, and that you were honest with me. I’ll call you tomorrow before I pick you up.”

  I’m close enough to kiss her, and damn, I want to, but I want to make sure we’re both on the same page here. I definitely can feel her heavy breathing on my face, so I know I am affecting her again.

  “Looking forward to it. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I step back after that and she opens her car door and climbs in. “Good night.”

  “Good night.” I close the door and stand there until I can’t see her taillights anymore. I walk back to the house and go into the backyard. Kallie and Jax are still at the fire, so I grab my cigarettes and head over to them. I have one lit before I even sit down. “So, Brody and Shannon went back to his place, huh? That’s serious for him.” They both start laughing, but I just ignore them and stare at the fire.

  “Yeah, brother, it is serious for him. Unfortunately, she doesn’t live here. He didn’t mention that, but she told us she’s going back home to Arizona tomorrow.”

  That gets my attention and I turn to him. “No fucking way. So what does that mean?”

  He shrugs his shoulders and Kallie reaches over to hold his hand. “It means that he is going to have to decide if a long-distance relationship is worth trying out,” she says.

  I nod my head at her and focus back at the fire. I had no idea Shannon didn’t live here. I wonder if he knew?

  “So, what exactly did you and London talk about?” Kallie asks.

  I finish off my smoke and throw it into the fire. “We talked about a lot of things, but I’m not sure what the hell any of it meant.” I glance over at Jax. “Why the fuck do you keep grinning at me?”

  “Brother, you are totally into London. You have been ever since New York. You won’t admit it out loud, but I know you. I know you’ve done nothing but think about her, to the point of not even being into any other woman. You were hurt when she ignored you, but tonight, I finally saw you smiling again. You are so into her and it is now my turn to give you shit about it.”

  What the hell does he want me to say to that? He’s right about all of it, especially the part of me not wanting to admit it. “You are an asshole. Yeah, I think she’s great, but how can I be into her? I don’t even know her, so don’t act like you know me so well.” He won’t buy it, but I’m sticking to it.

  “Blake, I was into Kallie before I even saw her face. I was into her when I saw her laughing. So, don’t act like it’s not possible. Even a mut like you can finally find someone worth changing for.” There is nothing to do but laugh and they join right in.

  After a few minutes of silence, I finally decide to call it a night. Part of me wants to tell them about our dinner date, but another part, the bigger part, decides that until I know if anything is going to happen to keep it quiet.

  “I’m going to head in. Hey, let me know what happens with Brody. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” I take a shower and throw on a pair of boxers before heading to my room. I climb into bed, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I’m lonely. But I don’t want just a random chick in my bed. I want London.

  Chapter Five

  London

  Saying goodbye to Shannon was horrible. I didn’t want her to leave. I’m finally finding myself again, and she’s the reason why. Without her, I’m terrified I’ll climb back into my bubble and stay there. The last week, especially the last few days, has been amazing. I’m remembering who I am and I love her. Just thinking about the way I was with Blake last night, that’s Laken, not London. That’s the girl I used to be, open, funny, outgoing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been my true self, and even though I’m scared that going out to dinner with Blake may be a terrible idea, I’m doing it anyway. I’m doing it because Laken would do it.

  Shannon asked for all the details of what happened with Blake, and I was all too ready to tell her about it. She was not only so proud of me, but excited. You would have thought she was the one going out tonight. When I was done telling her about my night, I couldn’t wait to hear about hers. She told me how Brody took her back to his place, which she said was a beautiful house right on the ocean. She said that for the majority of the night they sat outside talking, but they finally made it to the bedroom. He told her that he had been in a horrible relationship and it had been a long time since he had been with anyone. It was like listening to her talk about me. My heart hurt for him, even though I didn’t know the details of what happened.

  She didn’t go into a crazy amount of details, but she did say they had sex. It was the most intimate, romantic, and mind-blowing sex she had ever had. He held her all night and they decided before she left that they would try the long-distance thing. I’m not sure I believe something like that can work, but if she thinks it can, I will support her one hundred percent.

  She left about an hour ago and I’ve decided to write for a while. I’ve neglected my writing since Shannon came, and I need to get myself back into it. I have a deadline and I’m not going to miss it. I end up writing for close to four hours, and I’m proud of myself for the progress I made. I save all my work and go sit on the couch to watch a little TV before I take a shower. My stomach is in knots with the thought of going out with Blake tonight. I’m so attracted to him, more than anyone I can remember. Definitely more than the man I was going to marry. Blake comes off as this perverted, man slut dumbass, but when we talked in his bedroom, I saw a totally different guy. He was sweet, understanding, and listened to everything. He got angry when I called him out on things, and I could clearly see hurt with other things. When he wrapped his arm around me, holy shit, I felt it all the way to my knees, as in they wanted to give out. He smelled amazing. His solid chest pressed up against my back and his breath fanned across my face when he talked. Yep, I definitely had wet panties.

  It is all of that which makes me so nervous. I feel like going out with my model for fun is one thing, but going out with my model in hopes of sleeping with him, or maybe dating him, is something else completely different. I know there is no written rule that says you can’t be with your model, and I’m willing to bet that many authors have, but that’s not me. I know he says we can take it slow, and I want to, but when I’m around him, it feels impossible. I want him to rip my clothes off and show me what I dream about.

  My phone rings, snapping me out of my thoughts. When I see it’s Blake, my heart pounds and my palms get sweaty. Damn it, he’s just a guy…a sexy, muscular, tattooed model. My phone rings again. Shit. I clear my throat and answer, “Hello?”

  “Hey, London.”

  Just hearing his voice makes me smile. It’s so deep and masculine, such a turn-on. “Hi, Blake. What’s up?”

  I h
it my forehead with the palm of my hand. What’s up? Oh my God, I am such an idiot. I know he’s calling about dinner.

  “Just wanted to make sure we were still on for dinner tonight.”

  “Yes.” Wow, I’m really great at keeping this conversation going. I hope it isn’t like this at dinner, or it will be one boring night.

  “Great, I’m looking forward to it. So, did Shannon leave?”

  I can hear him light a cigarette and part of me wants to run to my nightstand, but I just close my eyes and focus on the question. “Yes, she left a few hours ago. It seems like time goes so fast when she’s here.”

  “I’m sure it does. Having your best friend live so far away must suck. When Jax goes on a shoot for a few days, I miss his dumb ass. I can’t imagine going months without seeing him.”

  I think the relationship they have is so great. They both really do have an amazing bond that runs much deeper then friendship; it’s definitely more like brothers. You could see that last night.

  “It does suck, but we’ve also never lived together like you and Jax. There’s a big difference.” I look at the time and realize if I have any chance of being ready on time, I need to get my ass moving. Before he gets a chance to respond, I just continue, “Blake, if we’re still going to make it out at seven, I need to go shower.” He makes a growling sound that I’ve honestly never heard a guy make, but holy shit, it’s hot.

  “Thanks for the visual. But before you go, it might be helpful if you give me your address.”

  I laugh and tell him. We hang up and I get right into the shower. Once I’m done, I dry off and wrap the towel around myself before going into my closet to decide on an outfit. I probably should have asked where we were going so I could choose something appropriate to wear. I dig through all of my clothes, and believe me, I have a lot. In an effort to avoid people, I shopped. I have more clothes, shoes, and purses than I will probably ever use, but they make me happy, so I’ll never get rid of them. I decide on a purple strapless dress that I can dress up a bit with some jewelry, but keep it less dressy with strappy sandals. I put on my black and purple strapless bra and matching panties before stepping into the dress. Even with my hair a wet mess, I already love the outfit. It’s not a tight dress, but it clings to my breasts perfectly. I blow dry my hair and throw in a few curls, put on my makeup, a bit more generous like the night at the club, and check myself out. I can’t help but smile. Not only am I starting to feel like Laken again, but I am also looking like her again with the confidence I see. I put on a black chunky necklace and earrings before stepping into my sandals. I spray on my perfume and go out into the living room.

  The longer I sit waiting, the more I can feel my nerves kicking in. What if I bore him? What if this ends up being a horrible mistake? What if I want more and he doesn’t? I pick up my phone and call Shannon.

  “Well, I’m surprised it took you this long to call. What’s wrong?” She knows me so well.

  “Shan, what if this is a huge mistake?” I can hear the wind coming in her window and hate myself for bothering her when she’s still driving home. “You know what, I’m all right, and you’re driving. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Like hell. I’ve got you on speaker phone, so don’t worry. We talked about this before I left. You need to remember who you are. You’ve been living as London for so long that you forgot Laken altogether. I know you worry about your career, but believe me, this isn’t going to be something that ruins it. Going online and talking shit about him, that could potentially ruin it. You are just going out, getting to know each other. He isn’t proposing. Just relax and have fun. Don’t overthink shit so much.” Just then, the doorbell rings.

  “Oh shit, well, thanks for the advice. I need to go. He just got here. I’ll call you when I get home. Be careful driving.” I don’t even wait for her reply and hang up. The doorbell rings again, and I stand up, running my hands down my dress as I make my way to the door. I blow out a breath and open it. “Holy shit.” I just blurt it out.

  I can’t even help myself. I’ve seen Blake with no shirt on, in jeans and a t-shirt, and apparently naked, but now he has on a blue button-down shirt, his sleeves pushed up just enough so the beginning of his tattoos are showing, with dark jeans. Well, I can easily say this is the sexiest I’ve ever seen him.

  He grins and hands me a dozen yellow roses. “Holy shit is right. You look beautiful.”

  I am speechless, just staring at him. It’s not that I didn’t know how handsome he was, but I think everyone, me included, spent so much time checking out his half-naked body, you don’t expect him to be this amazingly sexy dressed up.

  “Hey, you know if we get those in water, we might be able to make our reservation in time.”

  I snap out of my trance and shake my head. “I’m sorry. Please, come in.” He comes into my house and looks around while he follows me into the kitchen. “Thank you so much for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

  He gives me that wink and goes back to checking everything out. “London, this is a great place. You live here by yourself?”

  I put the flowers in a vase, turn to him, and smile. “Thank you and yes, I do live alone.” He nods his head while he walks toward the living room. “Would you like a tour real fast before we go?” He says yes, so I show him around. Every room he sees, he tells me it is amazing, even the bathroom. I show him my office, and he smiles when he sees my computer.

  “So this is where all the magic happens, huh?” I laugh and shake my head. “Let’s see if we can change that.” He winks and walks out of the room. Holy hell. The last room is my bedroom, and after that comment, I’m a little nervous to show him.

  “This is my bedroom.”

  Just as I did in his room last night, he spins around taking it all in. He stares at me and smiles. “This is exactly how I pictured it,” he says, smiling.

  We both laugh and I walk to the door, hoping he’ll follow me out. Thankfully, he does, and after I grab my purse, we go out to his truck. It’s huge, and he has to help me climb up in it. When he gets in, I turn to him and laugh.

  “Is this a way of making sure girls don’t have an easy chance of getting away?”

  He puts the key in the ignition and turns his head to me. “Nah, I don’t need help making sure they don’t get away.” He winks at me, and part of me finds it funny while another part of me, a part I forgot even existed, is a little jealous.

  I’m not about to explore that or even give it another thought, so I just change the subject. “Where exactly are we going?” He backs out of the driveway and doesn’t say anything until we reach the first stop sign.

  “Now that I made the reservation, I’m hoping you like Italian food. We’re going to that little Italian restaurant on Seventh Street. I hope that’s all right?”

  I peek at him and smile. “Actually, Italian food is my favorite. I’ve never been to that restaurant, but I have driven past it a hundred times.” We stop at a light and he turns to me.

  “Brody, Jax, and I did all the construction in there a few years ago. We ate really good too because the owner used to bring us food that he made at his old restaurant. I’m telling you, this man knows how to cook.” The light turns green and he focuses back to the road. I love the idea of going to a place he helped build. It makes this night even more special.

  We don’t say much the rest of the ride. I’m not sure know about him, but I’m still a bit nervous. Although, he doesn’t come across as being a nervous person. I’m sure going out to dinner is no big deal for him. He’s probably done it countless times. I’ve only been out with a handful of guys since I moved here, and none past the first date, which is usually dinner. So, I guess I’m just nervous this will be our first and last date.

  Before I know it, we pull into the parking lot, and the amount of people here shocks me. There is a line at the door. Blake parks, and once he turns off the truck, he smiles at me. “I know you think I trap women in here, so this might sound wrong, but just wait her
e so I can help you out.”

  He gets out while I laugh so hard it echoes in the empty cab of the truck. He makes his way to my door and opens it for me. This truck is seriously high for the vertically challenged like me. He needs to step up on the running board and practically lift me onto it when he steps down. He holds my hand and I attempt to step down as ladylike as I can. Thankfully, I succeed, and he closes the door behind me.

  “Seriously, how tall are you?” he asks, looking down at me.

  I smile up at him as we start walking to the restaurant. “I’m five foot one. How tall are you?”

  He laughs and wraps his arm around my shoulder, which makes the rest of my body take notice. “Holy hell, I’m exactly a foot taller than you are.”

  We both laugh as we enter the restaurant, and he lets his arm drop, but grabs onto my hand. He tells the hostess his name, and we don’t even need to wait. She leads us right to a table. Well, it appears he definitely has some connections and I laugh. He stares down at me with his eyebrows drawn, and I take a breath to stop laughing.

  “Sorry, it’s just that this reminds me of Good Fellas when they go out to dinner and he leads her through the kitchen to get to a table placed right in front of the stage.”

  He chuckles and squeezes my hand. “I promise, I really do work construction.”

  I laugh again, just as the hostess shows us our table. Blake pulls out my chair for me. What I found so funny a second ago vanishes, and my heart beats a little faster at the sweet gesture.

  Once we’re both seated and given menus, we are quiet while reading them. I don’t know why I’m bothering. I know I’m going to order chicken Parmigiana. That’s my go-to dinner, but I try to make it appear like I’m trying to decide.

  “Do you know what you want? Believe me, you can’t go wrong with anything,” he says.

  I put my menu down and smile up at him, but the waitress comes to take our drink order. He orders a beer and I order a glass of red wine. I glance back at him and grin.