He spun so fast she almost missed it, and she found her back against the side of his truck with no idea as to how it happened. He boxed her in with his arms, and his eyes flashed dangerously
“You think you know me after one night together? You don’t know a goddamn thing. I stopped caring about anything else in this world a long time ago, but every time I see you it hits me right here,” he said, taking her hand and pressing it against his chest. “And if you were mine, I would scream it from the highest building, but the day would come that you would know the real me and you would hate me for it, and that I could not live with.”
She felt the sharp sting of tears at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall, knowing it would ruin everything if she did.
She prayed for him in that moment harder than she ever prayed for anything in her life. If only God would see his suffering maybe it would stop.
The taste of her skin was one that he would never forget. She tasted like heaven. She was the closest he would ever be to that glorious place, and he would savor his night with her forever. Chill bumps formed over the length of her body, making him aware of the cool temperature and reminding him that she stood outside with no shoes or coat. He could try to talk her into one more sleepless night, one to last him the rest of his life, and the temptation to kiss her now was overwhelming, but he knew he would be gone again come the morning, and she deserved so much more than he could offer. Shannon was right when he said that Weave was in love with her. He loved her enough that he would walk away, stepping aside to leave Shannon a clear field. He felt a crack begin to form inside his heart. He dropped her hand and stepped away. He could tell by the look on her face that he missed his chance. “You need to get back inside. It’s freezing out here.”
She searched his face a moment longer, but without a word of argument, and with her head held high, she moved past him, closing the door to her room, shutting him out forever.
***
“I didn’t know if you needed a jersey to wear for today’s game so I brought over a couple of mine for you to try out.”
Genie felt ridiculously giddy at the sight of Shannon standing at her door holding a plastic bag. For some reason, that she was still unable to nail down, Shannon brought the sunshine with him everywhere he went. He was like the pied piper of happiness.
“Thanks. Come on in and I’ll see if one of them fits.” He followed her through the door, closing it behind him, and she carried the bag into the bathroom. Shannon dropped down in the first chair he came to, switching on the T.V.. Genie left the bathroom door open since she couldn’t be seen from where he was sitting. There were two shirts in the bag and the first one she tried was huge. Pulling out the next one, she held it up against her, seeing that it was smaller. She yanked the one she was wearing over her head, and another knock sounded on the hotel room door.
“That’s probably…” she trailed off as Shannon rounded the corner.
Shannon froze in his tracks at the sight of her in her white lace bra. Her tanned, trim body caused his body to harden instantly. He covered his eyes then turned his back for good measure, but it was too late: the sight was burned into his brain. “I’m sorry,” he said automatically, even though it was a lie. “I saw the door open and I thought you were dressed. I’ll just get the door.”
He heard Genie chuckle behind him, but he kept his eyes focused straight ahead, not daring to look any other direction.
Swinging the door wide, he found a man waiting on the other side. Genie moved to flank him, thankfully fully clothed. “Hey, Jacob. This is my friend, Shannon.”
Jacob held his hand out for Shannon to shake. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Shannon. Genie has told me so much about you, but I expected you to be taller.”
“Really,” Shannon asked unbelieving. “After all she’s told me about you, I expected you to be better looking.”
Jacob threw his head back, roaring with laughter before turning to his sister. “He’ll do.”
With her hair pulled through a baseball cap, and wearing a football jersey that hung almost down to her knees, Genie looked cute as hell. On the other hand, the picture of her brother that Genie kept on her mantel did not do the man justice. He was easily six foot seven with shoulders that filled the doorframe he pushed his way through. People tended to step back out of his way as if his presence alone alerted the room to an upcoming ass kicking, but he turned out to be extremely good-natured, and Shannon liked him right off the bat. He treated his sister with a great deal of respect, and Shannon’s respect for him skyrocketed in the process.
The game itself was an interesting experience with Jacob calling friendly jibes to the opposing team’s nearby fans, and afterwards they found a sports bar in order to grab a bite to eat. Jacob spotted two women right away that sent him off like a shot, flirting shamelessly. With Genie’s brother distracted, Shannon dug into his pocket, pulling out her Christmas present. “I know I’m a few days late, but I’ve been trying to come up with the best gift for you, because only the best would do.”
“Really, you know you didn’t have to go through all that.”
“Yes I did. Especially after all the thought you put into my badge, and then finding someone to actually make it for me. That made me feel special, and I want you to feel special as well, because you are. You know?”
When she stayed quiet, he bumped her with his knee. “You’re special to me.”
At his words her smile widened, letting Shannon breathe easier. “Okay. Hand it over.”
Smiling, he did as she asked, handing over the small gift box. He held his breath as he watched her opening it. The moment she lifted up the top and stared down into its contents, a small frown of confusion formed between her brows. “A key?”
“Mm-hmm. It’s a key to my house. You know it’s the best friend’s key. That way, when you come to town you don’t have to stay in a hotel. You can come and go as you please at my place.”
She clutched the gift to her heart. “This is the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received. I’ve never owned a best friend’s key before.”
“Would you like to go see the place when we leave here?”
“I’d like that,” she smiled sweetly as she said the words, and he was forced to look away to hide his reaction.
“Just let me hit the restroom and we’ll go.” He caught Jacob’s eye as he walked past. Jacob took his cue and separated himself from the two women before rejoining his sister.
Jacob straddled the barstool next to Genie. “You should snatch this Shannon guy up. He seems the steady sort.”
Genie felt a sharp pain slash across her chest at Jacobs’s words. Shannon was the steady sort. He’d never leave her in the middle of the night.
“He reminds me a lot of dad,” Jacob added wonderingly. “The fabled nice guy.”
Shannon returned claiming the barstool on Genie’s other side, and Jacob leaned across her, a teasing glint in his eyes making Genie nearly groan aloud. “So, Shannon, what are your intentions with my sister?”
Genie felt an evil smile spread across her face as she finally spotted her opening to get a little payback. “Shannon is my very best friend in the whole wide world but I think it’s probably all just a ploy to get into my pants.”
Shannon didn’t as much as flinch at her words. “Actually I’m staging a sneak attack,” he admitted. “One day she’s going to wake up married to me and have no idea how it happened.”
Jacob never one to miss a beat said, “Well then, welcome to the family,” he raised his beer to his lips and, taking a quick swallow, added. “You’re in for one hell of a shock."
Shannon was rather proud of his house. It belonged to his grandparents and he had lived here all of his life. Six years earlier, when his grandparents passed away they left their house to his father. Instead of selling the house, his father decided to go into a semi-retirement, and he and Shannon’s mother moved into the house and signed the deed to Shannon. It was too big for him
alone, but it was beautiful and he loved it. This was his own private domain and he never allowed anyone a key to it before now, until Genie. He watched Genie as she trailed from room to room, pausing at each family picture as she came to it. “What a beautiful home you have. Is this your grandparents?” she asked, pointing to a framed picture on his mantel. He leaned over her shoulder for a better look, and the smell of her sweet perfume filled his senses. “Yep, that’s them; Cameron and Chantel Smith. You know, back in their day it was almost unheard of for a white man to marry a black woman, but they were happily married from the day she turned eighteen until the day they died.”
“I think that’s awesome. Isn’t that what everyone dreams of, someone to love and grow old with?”
Touching her arm to draw her attention back to him, Shannon handed her another box. “Since having a key made only cost about two dollars and was really more symbolic, here is your real gift.”
She lifted the lid and light flashed across a tiny golden key that was no bigger than a thumbnail and hung from a fine gold chain. “This key you can wear close to your heart so you’ll never forget that you have another place to call home.”
Genie lifted it out of the box and he noticed her hands shook slightly. “I’m always a little blown away by you,” she confessed.
She turned away and lifted her hair after handing over the necklace. “Would you put it on for me?”
He brushed his fingers across the nape of her neck as he worked the tiny clasp, and chill bumps appeared beneath his fingertips, leaving him fascinated. “Okay I think I got it.”
Genie let her hair fall back into place as she turned back to face him with her head bowed. She stared down at the necklace for a moment longer before meeting his eyes. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”
She was beautiful inside and out. “I want to try something,” he told her softly. “Just so I’ll know for future reference.” Lowering his head, he touched his lips to hers gently. He lingered for only a moment and when he opened his eyes, the words fell from lips feeling as if they were being ripped from his chest. “Oh no.”
Oh, no, indeed. Shannon’s kiss was so unexpected that the move alone nearly stopped her heart, but when his lips actually touched her skin, a tingle began in the tips of her fingers then spread throughout the rest of her body, leaving her devastated. She hadn’t known. She really hadn’t. Now it was as plain as day and she couldn’t stop it. The knowledge was there and once learned couldn’t be unlearned. She was in so much trouble.
She wanted Weave in her bed. As it turned out, it truly was a case of wanting what she could never have, because he was the lure of the forbidden. At the first brush of Shannon’s lips, something shifted inside her, shining a light on one great truth. She was in love with Shannon Smith.
All the signs were there. Her rushing to be with him every chance she got and missing him when he was gone. The burning need to know all about him, and searching for hours for the perfect gift for him, only to end up calling in a favor from her Uncle Dan. She could have gone with only her brother to the game but she wanted Shannon by her side. She needed to be with him, and now she didn’t want to go back to Texas without him. How could she have missed it?
“What am I supposed to do with you now?” she asked, feeling lost.
Shannon paced away from her, unable to face her for a moment. With his hands on his hips, he stared down at the toes of his shoes. He started out with the best of intentions. He really did. He wanted to help Weave but he never expected her. That was all, just her. She was everything he ever wanted. She was his friend and so much more. He couldn’t shake her loose and the thought of Weave ever touching her left a hollow feeling in his gut. Damn it. She belonged to him. On that note, he found himself once again hovering over her. “I think we should try it again. You know, just in case it was a fluke?” This time when their lips touched, she brought her arms up, wrapping them around his neck and he pulled her hips against his, letting her feel how turned on he was. He nearly groaned at the contact. “Stay with me tonight,” it wasn’t a question, and they both knew it. In response, she lifted the hem of her borrowed shirt pulling it over her head before dropping it at his feet. This time he didn’t look away, like earlier in the day; instead, he pulled off his own shirt before moving in, crowding her with his body.
Genie inhaled sharply before whispering. “You’re beautiful.”
“I think that was supposed to be my line.”
“I’ll let you have it next time,” she told him as he shuffled her down the hall and through the door of his bedroom.
Genie barely took notice of the inside of his bedroom. She was that arrested by the sight of him. His faded denim jeans were slung low on his hips and his chiseled chest made her mouth water. His face-hardened in his lust causing a muscle to tick in his jaw, and his eyes sharpened, narrowing in on her with intent. The air became lodged in her chest only by looking at him. He was extraordinary. There was a part of her that knew that his body would be perfection, but his personality always eclipsed everything else about him, and now that she was seeing the entire picture, she knew that no other man would do.
He reached out, snagging the waistband of her jeans, and she found her clothing suddenly confining. He peeled the layers away while holding her gaze, then gave her a gentle nudge onto the king-sized bed. For a moment, he only stared down at her with a look that made her skin burn.
“You’re a bit overdressed,” she told him when he made no move to remove his own jeans.
“I’m barely hanging onto control now, baby.”
Leaning down, he brushed his lips over the arch on one of her feet, making her giggle.
“Oh, are those ticklish?” When she didn’t answer, he said. “File that away for future reference. Maybe I need to start here,” he kissed the inside of her knee, causing her to moan. “Oh, I’ll be labeling that one in a different box but still for further reference. Do you know what?”
“What?” She asked with laughter shining in her eyes.
“I know exactly what you need.” Falling over onto his elbows without issuing a warning, he opened his mouth wide over her core, driving his tongue in and flattening it against her, before making a twisting motion that made her squirm and moan underneath him. He was relentless in his attack. She knew that by the time he was finished with her she would be begging for mercy, and she would not ever be escaping him. She’d be held prisoner by her own pleasure. An orgasm crashed over her body without warning, and she cried out his name. While she was still reeling from its intensity, he shed the rest of his clothes then covered her body with his. He kissed her deeply while entering her fully, and she felt herself being stretched wide. When he filled her completely, she gasped into his mouth at the intensity of the moment. He moved inside her, making her moan before answering in kind. She dug her fingernails into his skin and he tilted her hips, deepening his strokes. She came undone in his arms and he leaned back to watch her as the pleasure rolled over her skin. His eyes fell closed, his nostrils flared and he gasped as his own orgasm finally hit him. She never loved anyone more.
He rolled to one side, tugging the blanket over their bodies as he went. There were no words exchanged between them since nothing they could say would be enough. They fell asleep holding one another, and as the sun rose, he made love to her once more. She needed to go back to Texas as there was no holding back the demands of real life. He kissed her sweetly before she left, and she hoped it wasn’t the end.
CHAPTER FOUR
A part of him had always known, Shannon realized. He couldn’t so much as think about another woman since seeing her inside the grocery store after she held him for questioning for hours that same day. Still, his brain felt numb as he went in search of Bob. The inside of Smith Brother’s fight club was dead at this time of day, but he knew Bob would be there.
He found him in the last training room beating the shit out of one of the many bags. Shannon knew from the amount of sweat covering his body that Bob h
ad been at it for a while. Leaning against a nearby wall, Shannon pitched his voice to be heard over the sound of fists pounding. “I think I’ve made a grave miscalculation.”
Bob froze, his chest heaving as he held the bag still. “I know.”
“You do?” Shannon asked incredulous.
“Yep, you forgot to factor your love for Genie into the equation.”
“You knew all this already?”
Bob shrugged. “So did Weave. You were making such an ass of yourself following her into that grocery store even though you didn’t need to buy anything that it was pretty obvious.”
Shannon couldn’t help the feeling of annoyance that rose in his chest. “You mean to tell me that Weave knew this all along and he still moved in on her?”
“Shannon, you’re a good person.”
“Thank you,” Shannon said automatically, not understanding what that could possibly have to do with anything, but it felt good to hear it.
“That wasn’t a compliment,” Bob said with a small smile. “Because it makes you a blind fool.”
“Well then, never mind. Scratch that thank you and replace it with a fuck you.”
Bob snorted. “Weave knew you were falling for Genie. He just didn’t give a shit. He doesn’t give a shit about anything anymore. Least of all himself. It’s easy not to when you’re completely numb to it all.”
“I thought he stopped drinking?”
“He did, but why do you think he quit fighting in your dad’s program?”
“Because of that kid,” he answered with a shrug.
Bob shook his head sadly. “He couldn’t pass the drug test, Shannon.”
“What?” The question fell from his numb lips even though he knew it was a stupid one. He couldn’t help but hope that if only he asked, the answer would be different. Bob dropped his gaze to the floor, taking away the last of Shannon’s hope that it was a terrible lie. “But he comes to work every day. He shows up for every assignment. He’s never let us down.”
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