He leaned in and she closed her eyes in anticipation. She felt his breath on her lips as he paused briefly before kissing her slowly. Deliberately.
His hand on her waist pulled her tighter against him while the hand on her face moved to the back of her neck, angling her head upward. His mouth tasted hers gently, unhurriedly. Taking his time, making her lose track of her senses. Completely taking over her every thought.
He pulled away, almost reluctantly, and rested his forehead against hers.
“Your kisses make me dizzy, Newton,” he said through staggered breathing.
She couldn't respond. Her pulse was too loud for her to focus on anything else.
“I'm going to need to amend my original statement.” He took another slow breath, his eyelids having dropped to half-mast. “Those kisses need to be added to our daily activities.”
“I think I can handle that,” she tried to say confidently as she smiled up at him, but her knees were weak and her voice matched. His eyes focused on her mouth again and she reflexively licked her bottom lip. His breath hitched as his arms tightened around her.
“Brookings!” a voice yelled from below the balcony, breaking the spell they were under. Shane growled in frustration, letting his forehead drop to her shoulder.
“It may have been a bad idea to include all of these people. I apologize and hope you can forgive me.”
Lucy couldn't hold back the laugh that bubbled out. He grinned at her before sighing and looking over his shoulder at a bleached blond, shirtless man waving from the center of a handful of people with luggage.
“Hey, Steve,” Shane said, completely unenthusiastically. Lucy turned her face into his chest to hide her grin.
“Who's the babe?” Steve called out.
Shane rolled his eyes, amusing Lucy even more. “For the record, the only person here I consider a friend is Serge. I barely know these other idiots,” he said to her, ignoring Steve's question entirely.
“I see,” she nodded, biting her bottom lip. His arms were still surrounding her and she was loving it.
“You say the word and we can go somewhere else. Anywhere else.” His eyebrows were raised, imploring her to make such a request and spare him from whatever humiliation he imagined was coming.
“I'm sure it's not as bad as you're fearing,” she reassured him, running her hands over his strong shoulders and down his arms.
“Yeah, you're right. It's probably worse.” He chuckled nervously, and she was surprised to see the anxiety so apparent in his expression. It was a drastic contrast to the calm and collected man she was used to seeing.
“What are you afraid of?” she asked gently, reaching up and touching his face. She directed his eyes back to hers, wanting to ease his concerns the way he always did for her.
“I haven't always made the best choices.” He chewed on his bottom lip momentarily, his face pensive. “Some of that might be brought to light this week.”
She smiled and pressed her lips to his chin lightly. “I'm not running an investigation, Shane. I'm not worried. Not even a little.”
His shoulders eased as he let out a contented sigh and pulled her closer. “Mmm, I like you.”
Shane kissed her forehead, lingering for several breaths as his hands rubbed her back soothingly. Taking her hand in one of his, he finally led her back inside and down the stairs. She followed easily; she was starting to think that she would follow him anywhere. Was it too soon to feel this comfortable with someone? Should she be more cautious? She couldn't think of a single reason why.
***
Shane tried to ignore the tension in his stomach as he led Lucy into the kitchen where the rest of the house guests had gathered. He liked his friends, he did. But he was a little afraid they wouldn't behave themselves. This thing with Lucy was still so new and fresh, he didn't want anyone else ruining it.
“Hey! It's Mister Wonderful! Nice of you to break away from your make-out sesh to join us,” Steve greeted sarcastically. Out of all of his friends, Shane couldn't stand Steve the most. Mostly, he was a dick.
“Hey everyone,” Shane waved and put his hand on the small of Lucy's back, hoping he didn't come across as too possessive even if that's exactly how he was feeling. “This is Lucy Newton. She's my guest this week and I expect you all to be respectful and courteous.”
He glared specifically at Steve, but the announcement was for the whole room even though he knew they would completely disregard it. He pointed everyone out by name, quickly going around the room, wanting this over as soon as possible so they could move on to the next thing. Steve, the loudmouth; Kip, the hippie; Adam, the cool guy; Bo, the playboy; and Brady, the only responsible one. And then of course, Harmony.
“Is she like your girlfriend or something?” Harmony asked in her singsong, Valley-Girl voice that grated on his nerves. She leaned her half-naked body against the kitchen countertop, twirling her blonde hair with her fingers and snapping her gum at the same time. It was as close to multitasking as Harmony got. Shane hadn't dated her based on her charming conversational skills.
“Yeah, something like that.” Shane clenched his jaw but maintained his composure. He really hated the fact that Harmony was there. Way more than Steve or anyone else. She was rude and inconsiderate and would present the most difficult challenge for him. He did not want her coloring Lucy's opinion of him.
“It's so nice to meet you.” Harmony twisted on her plastic smile and eyed Lucy up and down as if measuring her up for some sort of competition. Shane didn't understand it. The two were polar opposites, and as far as he was concerned, there was no comparison.
“You always know the hottest girls,” Adam commented, giving Lucy his own once-over. This is exactly the kind of thing Shane did not want. Lucy wasn't a tasty treat for his friends to flirt with all week.
“All right, cool it,” he glowered. “We're going to get something to eat, we'll catch up with you guys later.”
He knew he had rushed introductions but he didn't care. They had all week to ogle his girl, he didn't have to share if he didn't want to. Taking her by the hand, something that was becoming his favorite thing because she never resisted, he led her out the door.
“I like your friends,” Lucy spoke up from beside him. Shane couldn't help but laugh as he opened her car door.
“What? Why? They're terrible.” He shook his head at her sweet misconception.
“No they're not. They're just people.” She smiled up at him and he couldn't help but grin back as she jumped in the vehicle. He paused as he took in her sincere expression. She was the sweetest thing he'd ever known.
“Yeah, but people can be the worst,” he finally pointed out, then he closed her door and made his way around to the driver's side.
“You seem to forget who I spend most of my waking moments with,” she reminded him playfully, putting on her seat belt as he settled behind the steering wheel.
“That's right, smelly rock stars.” He chuckled as he reached over to hold her hand. He couldn't resist finding any excuse to touch her now that she was within reach. “How has that been going?”
“Let's just say I'm really looking forward to sleeping in a real bed and not seeing Chad for a while.” She flipped her hand over to face up, sliding her palm across his before entwining her fingers in his.
“How do those bunks feel? I can't imagine they're too terribly soft.” He had backed out of the drive and turned down a couple different side streets. He knew exactly where he wanted to take her to eat. One of his favorite crab shacks, a place he'd never taken a date before. He'd been saving it for the right girl. Was it too early to have thoughts like that? He pushed that question out of his mind for the time being.
“Pretty much the equivalent of sleeping on the ground except not as comfortable,” she answered matter of fact.
“I will do everything in my power to make this week as enjoyable as possible,” he promised, and impulsively pulled the hand he was holding up to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“What do you have planned?” Lucy asked curiously, her brown eyes shining with open adoration at him. He enjoyed the rhythm of his heartbeat that she seemed to create with her smile.
“I promised to teach you how to surf, remember?” he reminded her, thinking about how great it was going to be to share that with her. While he excelled at snowboarding, surfing was where he felt most at ease.
“And while I'm looking forward to that, I should warn you, I suck at most things.”
Her pithy reply made him chuckle and he shook his head in disagreement. Putting the car in park in the lot of the tiny restaurant, he looked at her seriously. “Highly doubtful.” He let go of her hand and moved a stray hair out of her eyes. He could honestly stare at her all day.
“Are you hungry now?” he asked, looking at her lips and wondering, since they had passed the first kiss milestone, if it would be okay for him to kiss her whenever he wanted.
“Starving,” she said, her eyes trained on his mouth. His stomach clenched.
He leaned over swiftly, slipping his hand behind her head and pressing his mouth to hers. The kiss turned feverish very quickly. Her open and inviting lips caused his heart rate to skyrocket, and he knew he had to stop.
Letting go, he sat back in his chair, out of breath. “Sorry,” he said, giving her a lopsided smile. “You make me crazy, Newton,” he reverted to her last name again in an effort to bring himself back to earth.
“No apology necessary, Brookings.” She looked at him shyly, lips red and already swollen. He knew he needed to slow it down. His biggest mistake with women had been going too fast too soon. He was not going to rush this.
***
When Lucy told Shane she'd never had seafood, he had been shocked. He ended up ordering nearly everything on the menu and made her try it all. She was thankful that she didn't end up being allergic to shell fish and that he was an adorably good sport.
The dinner conversation was also highly delicious. They talked about the tour, his new business venture and their mutual friends.
“Tell me about Clarke,” Lucy asked as she snagged another coconut shrimp off of Shane's plate.
“There's not much to tell. She works for me.” He leaned back in the booth and grabbed his napkin from his lap, cleaning off his hands. He shrugged slightly and reached for his water. “She surfs, she keeps my West Coast stuff running smoothly.” He chuckled slightly. “She has the biggest crush on Serge I have ever seen.”
Lucy smiled as she remembered their little discussion in the kitchen. “I take it you don't approve?”
“He's her celebrity crush. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah, like Russell Crowe is for me,” Lucy nodded in understanding.
Shane's eyebrows shot up. “Russell Crowe? You're telling me that I have to compete with that guy for you? Have you seen Gladiator?”
“Why? Is he here?” Lucy made a show of looking around eagerly before laughing at Shane. “Don't be ridiculous. It's a celebrity crush. It's not even real.”
Shane looked skeptical and Lucy liked how he was slightly jealous of the actor.
“Well, imagine if Russell Crowe came around where you worked all the time and flirted with you and then took off for months at a time without any contact.”
She nodded, “That would suck. Serge doesn't like her back, huh?”
Shane shook his head. “Don't get me wrong. He's a great guy. One of the best. But he's a lone wolf. He's not looking to settle down. And Clarke...” He let out a heavy sigh. “She deserves better than that.”
“You sound like a big brother,” Lucy pointed out as she swirled the ice in her glass before taking a long sip of iced tea.
“I may have assumed that role in her life,” he admitted shyly. It was sweet. Another part of Shane Brookings that she liked.
They talked nonstop throughout the meal; no awkward pauses or weird silent moments. His relaxed and witty sense of humor had her laughing more than she thought possible. By the time they left the restaurant, her stomach was starting to cramp from laughing so hard. Or maybe that was the amount of food she'd consumed.
When they got back to the house, the rest of the guests had already gone down to the beach.
“Let's go down there with them,” she suggested as she unpacked her clothes from her duffle and put them in a short dresser next to the bed. She set aside her bikini, planning on putting it on under her clothes before they left again.
“Ah, okay. If I have to,” Shane sighed begrudgingly, and she laughed at him.
“They're your friends, don't you like them at all?”
“Yeah, but I like you more.” He winked at her and opened his own suitcase.
Lucy moved her bathroom essentials into the enormous master bath. She did a little twirl, excitement building at being able to use it later. Such a far cry from the facilities on the bus. When she returned to the bedroom area Shane was holding up her swim suit, his eyebrows raised.
“Are you kidding me with this, Newton?” he asked with light panic.
She snatched the green fabric from his grasp. “What?! It's a swimsuit!”
“My friends are going to be impossible if you wear that in front of them,” he teased, running a hand through his hair and then rubbing the back of his neck.
“Should I go buy a different one?” she asked, biting her bottom lip and suddenly feeling self-conscious.
“Hell no!” he exclaimed, moving to put his hands on her waist and looking into her face. “I want you to wear whatever you want. You're the sexiest when you're comfortable.”
“Sexy?” It was her turn to raise eyebrows. “I've been called a lot of things, Brookings. Sexy has never been on the list.”
“Probably because the guys who know you are afraid you'll shoot them.” His mouth ticked up on the side as she scrunched her nose at him in disapproval. “Don't make that face, it's on your record.”
“You're impossible,” she growled.
“I think the word you're looking for is 'awesome,'” he corrected her seriously.
Lucy rolled her eyes and pulled away as he chuckled heartily.
“I'm gonna change.” She took her suit into the bathroom and closed the door.
She slipped the green fabric onto her fit body and looked at herself in the large mirror over the sink. The black script on her left side caught her eye and she felt her heart fall to the floor.
That may have been the single dumbest thing she had done in her entire life. How was she ever going to explain it to Shane?
She traced the fine lines with her fingertips, remembering the night she had gotten it done.
She'd been sober in the chair, but had gone straight to Red's afterward to tie one on. Officer Barry Klinisky, a guy she graduated with incidentally, gave her a ride home instead of arresting her for public intoxication and disturbing the peace. It was mighty nice of him considering she was had been with his kid brother at the time, and had convinced Philip Klinisky to get his eyebrow pierced. Blake would have been so proud.
She deliberately didn't think about Blake when she was with Shane. She didn't want it to put a filter on what was really going on. If she was going to give Shane the ability to chase away the memory of Blake, then she couldn't invite Blake along. Even if it was only in her thoughts.
But with his name staring back at her in the mirror, it was kind of hard to ignore.
She tugged the side of her top down to cover it. She would have to be careful. And when the moment came to talk to Shane about it... she would deal with it like she had everything else. Honestly.
She redid the braid in her hair and wondered if she was ever going to do something in her life she wouldn't have to be ashamed of later.
Putting on her jean shorts and gray tank again, she took a deep breath and swallowed her unexpected tears. She couldn't let her internal issues affect her week with Shane. She refused to be that person. She was better than that.
***
When Lucy emerged from the bathroom,
Shane felt his palms start to sweat. He didn't get nervous easily but there seemed to be a lot of new things happening with him when he was around Lucy.
He reached into his pocket and clutched the piece of jewelry he was planning on giving to her. He'd been waiting for the perfect time, and this seemed to be it. He could have given it to her at the airport or the restaurant, but he kept chickening out. It was now or never.
“I have something for you.” He was proud of himself for keeping his voice level and controlled. Especially when her reaction was that small, shy look she flashed him beneath those impossibly thick lashes. Her lack of expectation drove him to want to do even more for her. To constantly surprise and excite her because her genuine appreciation was so evident and expressive. She was amazing.
When she got close enough, he took her hand and led her back out on the balcony where they had shared their first kiss. In the sunlight, her dark hair glimmered with streaks of gold and bronze and he just wanted to sink his fingers into it. Later, we can do those things later.
He pulled the bracelet out of his pocket and held it out for her to see. A combination of rough and polished stones held together by a braided leather cord dangled from his hand. “I got this for you in New Zealand. This lady makes them from stones off the beach and it's supposed to represent confidence and beauty... two of the things I think of when I think of you.”
“It's beautiful,” she breathed, taking the delicate piece in her hands. “Will you help me?” She held out her wrist for him to tie it to and he gladly obliged.
Her soft, sweet smell surrounded him, and he couldn't resist sneaking a quick kiss to her cheek. She turned her head and caught his lips with her own, surprising him in the best way. He felt her hands travel up his chest as she leaned into him.
“Thank you,” she whispered against his lips as he fought to recover his breath. He opened his eyes and stared into her dark irises. He lost almost all ability to reason when he was this close to her. She could very well be his undoing.
When they got to the beach, all of his fears and assumptions about having her around his friends came to pass. She shed her outer clothes, revealing her fantastic body, and his friends began to stare and comment. She either didn't hear them or was very good at ignoring them.
In Your Honor Page 20