Harry was his handyman. He and Towanda were friends with benefits, or at least that was speculated.
“It would have been lots of boxes. My ski gear, bulky sweaters, that sort of thing. The stuff I took to Salt Lake City with me.”
“Oh, that. They’re in the utility room. I didn’t want to touch them until you got home.”
“Then let’s go check them out. Lead the way,” David said, already on Towanda’s heels.
The threesome headed down a long corridor and after several twists and turns came to a closed door. Towanda removed a set of keys and selected one. The open room revealed floor-to-ceiling cartons, Just the sheer number of boxes was overwhelming.
“What’s all this?” Beau asked.
“Mostly Christmas decorations. Items we never unpacked when you moved from the town house.”
“And the UPS boxes?” David asked.
Towanda shrugged. “Somewhere in that pile.”
It would be a daunting challenge to search through the maze of stacked cartons.
“Maybe Harry can help us,” Beau suggested. “You did say he helped you put them away.”
“Good idea, let me call Harry.”
She turned and left the room. They both followed.
In the kitchen, Towanda tried reaching Harry. “He’s not home,” she said, the receiver pressed to her ear.
“Leave him a message,” Beau prompted.
“Call me when you find something out,” David said, preparing to head off.
“Absolutely. Meanwhile I’ll be phoning Josh Vanderhorn to see if his memory’s better than Turner’s.”
“Good luck. You almost get the feeling there’s a huge cover-up.”
“I’m beginning to think there is,” Beau said. “And I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.”
“Me too,” David said. “If we confirm you’ve been sabotaged, there will be hell to pay.”
“You know it.”
* * *
It wasn’t until the following day that Harry surfaced. “Hey, boss,” he said, sauntering out to the patio, Towanda falling into step beside him. “I heard you had some questions for me.”
Beau thought the direct approach was the only way to go. “There were some UPS boxes Towanda mentioned you helped put away. Where are they?”
“There were several, all different shapes and sizes. I stacked them in the empty stall in the stables.”
“Can you bring them up to the house right away?”
“Sure, boss.”
“My name’s Beau.”
No matter how many times he’d told Towanda and Harry to call him Beau, it didn’t seem to matter. He supposed calling him mister or boss was their way of showing respect.
After Harry and Towanda left, Beau got on his cell phone and called David. He hadn’t been able to reach Josh Vanderhorn who was supposedly in Cancun.
“I’ll be right over,” his agent said.
Beau was grateful that David would be there to support him. Who knew how he would feel when Harry unpacked those boxes? It could be a traumatic experience and a very painful reminder of what he did not achieve.
For some unexplainable reason, Beau wanted Shayna there with him as well. He picked up the phone and punched out her number. It was risky letting her see the vulnerable side of him, the side he kept hidden from the rest of the world, but he needed her strength and having her there would make things easier because he trusted her.
She answered on the second ring. “Hi.” Her voice sounded breathy. “I was hoping you’d call.”
“I’m thrilled by the enthusiastic welcome.”
She chuckled. “Beau. I was expecting my mom.”
“That explains the warmth. What are you doing right now?”
“I’ve been out running. I’m about to jump into the shower.”
“Stop by when you’re through. David’s on his way over and I could use the moral support. We’re about to open the boxes with the stuff forwarded from Salt Lake City.”
“Sure you want to do this, Beau?”
“Yep, I’m sure.”
“Okay. Give me at least an hour.”
Mission accomplished, he hung up the phone. Shayna was coming over. He was in a much better mood now that he knew she would be with him.
Chapter Twenty
Shayna was in and out of the shower in record time. She dressed quickly and stuck her head in the refrigerator, scoping out the possibilities. Reggie was volunteering at the center and would most likely eat there, but there was plenty of leftover chicken and macaroni salad if he didn’t. She managed a quick nibble.
After driving like an insane person up the twisted mountain roads, Shayna parked in the driveway behind David’s red Jaguar. Beau met her at the door, greeting her with a kiss. She followed him into the den, where David and a man she didn’t know sat surrounded by boxes.
She tapped the decorative vases holding Salt and Pepper. “Hey, kids. Looks like you’re doing well,” she greeted the fish, swimming lazily back and forth.
“You look better than they do,” David responded, hugging her. “Elegant and lovely as always.”
Shayna felt herself go warm all over. She thanked him.
“Hey, you stole my thunder,” Beau interrupted, a gleam in his eye. He inspected her beige leggings and oversized man’s shirt closely. Shayna blushed under his intense scrutiny. She felt as if she were being x-rayed, as if he were peeling off layer after layer of her clothing, visualizing her naked body beneath.
David held on to both hands and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for coming over given such short notice,” he said, introducing her to Harry, before gesturing to the boxes. “We were just about to begin.”
Beau addressed them both. “Would you like something to eat? Drink?”
“Not right now. Maybe later,” David said as Shayna nodded her agreement.
The strapping man named Harry began opening boxes. Out of them came an assortment of sweaters, goggles, pants, and toiletries. But no skis and certainly no boots.
“Shall we try that one?” David pointed to an oversize box.
“Sure.”
It yielded a CD player, several CDs, more clothing but still no skis and boots. They opened another three boxes with similar results. Eventually a smaller carton yielded several pairs of boots and a long rectangular box held Beau’s poles.
“Well,” David announced, “we’ve got boots and we’ve got poles.”
Beau, aided by a walker, shuffled toward the items on the floor. “Not the ones I used that day.”
“Beau,” Shayna exclaimed, round-eyed with awe, “Why didn’t you tell me you’re able to get around using your walker?”
He winked at her. “I wanted it to be a surprise. I can even manage with a cane, but not for long periods. I tire easily.”
“This is wonderful,” she cried, hugging him carefully so as not to send him toppling and kissing him squarely on the lips. “Seeing you up and out of that chair has made my day.”
“And having you here with me has made mine.”
David cleared his throat behind them as they hugged again.
“Okay, you lovebirds, I have to leave. I have dinner plans. The lady doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” Walking away, David turned back. “I spoke with Miles Williams earlier.”
“Miles? My old teammate? How is he?” Beau asked.
“Holding his own. Incidentally he tells a very different story from Peter and Josh. He says they both volunteered to pack your stuff. He remembers one of them having your skis.”
“Did he say which one?”
“Nope. I tried probing but he clammed up. Call him. He might be more forthcoming with you.”
“I’ll do that,” Beau said, as David took off.
“Are we finished in here, boss?” Harry, the guy unpacking the boxes, asked.
“Yes, thank you. You can go now.”
Left alone, Beau slid onto the couch next to Shayna. He took her hand and pressed her palm to his lips.
“Thanks for being here. It meant a lot to me that you came. Reggie’s trial’s next week, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and I’m really nervous. Actually I’m scared. God, Beau, if my brother gets locked up for a crime he didn’t do it will kill my parents. It’ll probably kill me.”
Beau kissed her temple. “Let me see what I can do. I’ll talk to my dad. Maybe he and Reggie’s attorney can work something out. I’m certain your brother is innocent. I’ve gotten to know him these last couple of weeks. He’s a good kid. Comes across as tough, but under that hardened exterior is a vulnerable boy with incredible hopes and dreams. Did you know he wants to be a psychologist?”
“What? I’ve been pushing him to register for college. His grades aren’t that good because he slacked off.”
Beau treaded his fingers through hers. “I helped him fill out an application for community college last week. Let’s hope he’s able to go.”
Shayna’s eyes misted. “That’s wonderful. See, you’re a good influence on him.” She kissed him again.
Beau returned her kiss with urgency and an unspoken need. His tongue dipped and danced. It was a long time before they spoke again.
“If you keep this up, you know where this will end,” he said, coming up for breath. Then suddenly he changed the conversation. “I wonder if my dad knows about Ebenezer? If that man and his friend Bert saw those kids in McDonald’s, Reggie and his buddies should go scot-free. I’ll feel out my dad. He is a principled man.”
“I pray they did see them. I hate having you speak to your dad though.” She held up a hand, stilling his protest “Your father’s going to want to know why you’re interested. What are you going to tell him?”
“That Reggie’s a good kid. That he volunteers at Hill Of Dreams.”
“I still feel guilty. Like I’m using you.”
“Shayna, you must know by now I would do anything for you.”
The sincerity in his voice made her uncomfortable. He’d said he loved her before, but she was still up in the air about whether it was true love or gratitude. And yes indeed, she did feel guilty and manipulative.
“I don’t want you jeopardizing your relationship with your father,” she insisted.
“Dad’s tough but fair.”
When he kissed her again, Reggie and his problems ceased to exist “It’ll all work out. You’ll see,” Beau said against her lips. “Hungry?”
“No. I raided the refrigerator before coming over.” She pointed to the boxes. “What’ll we do about these?”
“Harry will take care of them tomorrow.”
Shayna liked the way Beau’s hand felt in hers. As though they belonged together. “I can’t believe your boots and skis are still missing,” she said. “Why would Peter and Joshua have a convenient lapse of memory?”
“Why indeed? I’ll call Miles Williams tomorrow and see what he has to say. Then I’ll try reaching Peter and Josh. Hey, enough about them. Let’s talk about us.”
This growing attraction probably needed to be discussed. But putting it into words made it seem real. By kissing him she’d already violated their patient-client relationship. Beau was still very much her patient.
“Look, I hadn’t planned on feeling this way about you,” he said, cutting to the chase. “I love you, Shayna. Is the feeling mutual?”
How could she lie when his thumb skimmed her cheek and just sitting next to him made her insides quiver? How could he sound so serious, so sure about his feelings, when she vacillated back and forth? She was afraid. Petrified. She’d had her heart broken before, and it was a painful experience. Michael, whom she had loved and trusted, had humiliated her, cheated on her, left her for another woman. Her ego couldn’t take that kind of beating again, nor could her heart.
Beau’s fingers outlined her lips. “What are your thoughts, Shayna?”
“Beau,” Shayna began hesitantly. “You’ve had a bad accident, you’ve been forced to live a different lifestyle. You’re just coming out of an intense relationship. You need time. This is all happening too fast. Let’s talk again after you’re completely mended and after Reggie’s situation is resolved and you aren’t my patient.”
“My feelings won’t change.”
Beau’s slender fingers stroked the hollow of her neck where the buttons of her shirt opened. She couldn’t think clearly, not with him touching her. Not when his clean, fresh cologne tickled her nostrils. Not when he was so near.
“This is madness, Beau. We can’t do this.”
“Do what?” He pressed his advantage, leaning over to trail his hands across her breast and kissed her again.
“We’re consenting adults, Shayna. We’re single and free to do as we like. Who’s to stop us from spending time together, getting to know each other?”
There was plenty to stop them. Good sense, for one, plus the fact that his father was prosecuting her brother. Not to mention the patient-therapist thing. She’d left Beau’s world behind a long time ago and didn’t know if she could deal with the type of adulation athletes like him received from the public. The invasion of her privacy, having always to maintain a public persona, was all too much. She’d been there, done that. She already knew what would happen when it became common knowledge Beau was on the mend. The press and public would be all over him again. Females would come out of the woodwork, not to mention Chandra would be there to stake her claim. She was already trying to edge her way back. Too many concessions would be required on Shayna’s part. She’d be forced to look the other way, put up with nonsense. That went against her very nature.
While she contemplated, Beau managed to work a button of her shirt free. He pressed his nose into her cleavage. “God, you smell heavenly.”
“Stop,” she ordered, slapping his hand away. He pressed a kiss against her neck, and his fingers worked another button. His hands dove into the open space to claim her lace-covered breasts.
“You’ve got the most perfectly shaped pair,” he said, his fingertips circling her nipples.
Jolting sparks of electricity raced through her body. Her mouth went dry as reason took a backseat to sensation. She should stop him now before it went too far. Before things got further out of control.
Beau’s fingers dipped below the fabric of her bra. Shayna pulsed in places she hadn’t pulsed before. Oh, God, what was she to do? His hands fondling her bare breasts were hot. The palms rough which only added to her excitement. When he circled her nipples she groaned. He planted another wet kiss on her mouth. She parted her lips, letting his tongue slip inside to dance, dip, tease, tempt, and tantalize. She was jelly now. Unbuttoning some of the buttons on his shirt, she ran her fingers through his thick chest hair, reached for his belt, and unbuckled it.
Beau’s hungry tongue continued to probe her mouth. Delightful sensations ricocheted through her body, and she kissed him back with an enthusiasm never displayed before.
His fingers plucked at her nipples, circled, squeezed, molded. The kiss was broken only when he drew a nipple into his mouth and laved it with his tongue. His hand worked magic on the other one.
“Oh, God!”
Was that her voice she heard? It sounded hoarse, needy, out of control. Was that her pressing up against him, gyrating like a pole dancer with wild abandon?
“Time to move things to the bedroom,” Beau said, his own voice rough with need.
“No. Not a good idea. What if Kelly comes home?”
“What if she does? This is my home. We’re consenting adults.”
She’d forgotten about Kelly. Forgotten about everything except the way he made her feel. Still, going with him to his bedroom meant that she’d made a commitment to move this relationship along. She couldn’t deny that she wanted to make love to Beau. But once that line was crossed there’d be no turning back. And she still wasn’t sure what she wanted from him.
Beau was already up, leaning heavily on an ornate walking stick. He held out a hand to her.
“Wouldn’t you be better off in your chair?”
she asked, stalling.
“I’m not about to roll out of a wheelchair and make love to you,” he growled. “I’m walking up that hall.”
She watched him; every step required effort. She held his hand, hoping to bear some of his weight. Slowly they treaded down the hallway.
Beau’s bedroom had been made wheelchair accessible and held minimal furniture. The idea being that Beau would not have to navigate around unnecessary obstacles. The walls were sand colored and the ceilings high. A giant bed with an elaborate wrought iron headboard and plush rust comforter dominated. Two nightstands were positioned next to it. A Queen Anne chair sat in close proximity to the bed, and an armoire holding a flat screen television and an assortment of audio equipment, had its doors wide open.
“Close the bedroom door,” Beau ordered, plunking himself down on the bed and gulping deep breaths of air.
Shayna poured water from the pitcher on top of the nightstand and handed Beau a glass.
He took a long sip, before saying, “Light those candles, will you?”
Shayna lit them inhaling the subtle scent of vanilla. Who would have guessed Beau was so romantic.
“Now pick out something you want to hear. Usher, Beyonce? We need mood music.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
“Sorry,” he said, sounding sheepish. “Guess I better tone it down.”
“Good idea.” She tried not to a smile. Beau’s personality was to take the lead. He needed to be in control. She selected a suggestive Beyonce tune and turned back to him. “Is this okay with you?”
“Perfect.”
The only thing missing was wine. But who needed it when she was already heady with desire? Desire for the man seated on the bed looking at her with such pent-up passion in his eyes.
Returning to Beau’s side, she took his face between her palms. “You are sweet so why don’t we take it nice and slow? Foreplay is a big thing with me.” The one thing she’d learned was to be assertive and ask for what you want.
“With me too,” Beau said, exhaling a breath slowly in her ear and sending the heat spiraling through her.
Shayna kissed him with all the love she’d held in these last few months. Soon she was lost in the feel of him, aware of only the candle’s smoky vanilla scent.
His Golden Heart Page 18