by Unknown
After that, she ad-libbed her brains out, answering more questions for another ten minutes.
When they thanked her and she walked down the hallway, she thought she might burst with excitement. She saw Blake at the door and couldn’t help herself. She leaped into his arms and hugged him tight before pulling away.
“Good news, I take it?” he asked. The surprise on his face overrode the concern in his eyes.
“I don’t know yet,” she said, following him outside. The warmth of the sun felt good after the cold audition room. She didn’t even let the fact that he scanned the street in both directions get her down. “It went really great.” She grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Like, really, really, fantastically great. I’ve never spent that much time in an audition. They really wanted to hear more about me. They laughed and we talked and it was awesome.”
“Good. I’m glad.” His blue eyes sparkled in genuine happiness.
They piled back into his SUV and Abbey squealed after closing her door. “We have to celebrate,” she said.
The open-mouth surprise on Blake’s face made her laugh. “What’s your definition of the word celebrate?”
She pointed ahead. “Ice cream. There’s a little shop about a mile down. C’mon. It’s on me.”
He looked through the rearview mirror then at her. “You’re on.” He found a parking spot in the lot and together they walked into the empty store with pink-and-purple dots on the walls, amid pictures of ice cream, floats and shakes. A few minutes later, they emerged with double scoops of ice cream on cones. Gold medal ribbon for her. Mint chocolate chip for him.
The sun blazed down as people walked by and cars cruised down the busy street.
“Let’s walk across to the park,” Abbey suggested. Blake took another look around and Abbey wasn’t sure if he’d agree. “C’mon. Troy didn’t see anything when we left the house and he followed us too. We’re fine.” Although she hated the bruises on his face and couldn’t help feeling guilty. If he hadn’t been at that audition, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Of course, she’d probably be dead so grateful probably out-weighed guilt. After waiting for the light to change, they walked across the street as they enjoyed their cones.
Abbey found a secluded spot near a small grove of magnolia trees. She sat down on a bench then faced Blake, kicking one leg under the other. The smell of fresh cut grass filled her head.
“How does your face feel?” she asked. His eyes were on her mouth and she wiped her lips with a napkin.
“It’s fine. A little tender like my ribs, but okay.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re feeling better.” The whole world seemed to be looking better at the moment. Blake was healing and she had a great audition. Life was good. She grinned and took a long lick of her cone.
“This job means that much, huh?”
She nodded. “Yeah, this job could be it for me. Make or break. This is high profile. The real deal.” A wasp flew by her head. She yelped and crouched forward then shoved closer to Blake as it made another pass.
Blake swatted it away, but when Abbey sat up, their faces were inches apart. Blake reached up a hand to her face, but Abbey shied back. “You just have some ice cream,” he said. He tapped the spot on his own lip to show her and she wiped her mouth again.
This close, she smelled the heady, woodsy clean scent of him. The sparkle in his blue eyes faded as he watched her and something serious took over. He leaned in a fraction and, terrified that he might try to kiss her, Abbey stood up and walked toward a nearby tree.
Blake looked around the mostly empty park as he joined her. “Can I ask you something without you getting mad at me?” He took a bite out of his sugar cone.
“I don’t know. I guess it depends on the question.” His lead-in scared her.
He glanced up at the branches above her head before leveling her with his beautiful eyes. “Are you gay?” He rushed on before she could answer. “I mean, it’s fine if you are, don’t get me wrong. People should be free to live their lives the way they want as long as they aren’t hurting anyone else or…” He closed his eyes, shook his head and exhaled a long breath. “Look, I’m not usually this big of an idiot, but…” He opened his eyes. “I don’t know how to… I don’t know…about you. And I want to.”
Abbey stood frozen. He thought she was gay. It shouldn’t surprise her really, but it had never crossed her mind. She could lie and tell him she was, and it would solve her Blake dilemma, but it wasn’t like her to lie. Keeping herself private didn’t make her a liar. “No,” she finally said, cocking her head a little. “I’m not gay.”
“In all the time I’ve known you,” Blake went on, “I’ve never seen or heard about you going on a date.”
“Julie keeps me pretty busy,” she said, hoping that sounded plausible.
He watched her like a hawk eyeing his next meal, gauging her face and her words. After a few seconds, he shook his head. “Nope. I don’t believe it. Especially since she married Troy. He does half the stuff you used to do, simply because they live in the same house. Try again.”
She should’ve seen this coming. The man was training to become a PI. As she well knew, Troy was a good mentor to Blake. “It’s really none of your business if I go out on a date or not,” she told him. She tried to keep her voice even.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t get mad at me.” He gave her a small, chastised grin.
“I’m not mad at you.”
“Then tell me why you don’t go out.”
Abbey looked over his shoulder. Maybe she should just tell him. There existed a good chance that he figured it out or at least considered the possibility.
He shrugged at her silence. “There are a few reasons it could be.” He ticked off one finger. “Maybe some bastard hurt you somewhere along the line. Maybe he cheated on you or lied to you. Or maybe your parents might’ve had a rocky relationship and it’s tainted the way you see men.”
She waited for his next reason, but he just watched her. Maybe he hadn’t figured it out. Or maybe he just didn’t want to go there. “Nope, my parents are solid. Very solid. They’re actually kind of disgusting with all the hand holding and touching.”
Blake nodded. “Yeah, my folks are the same. I can see how two people in love is really gross.” He lifted an amused eyebrow at her.
Abbey playfully smacked his arm then had to shake the sting out of her hand. God, he was hard bodied.
“That leaves the ‘some bastard hurt you’ choice,” Blake continued. It was true, but maybe not quite the way he imagined. “If you don’t give a guy a chance, how can he prove he’ll be good to you?” he whispered, but his steely-eyed gaze meant serious business. He had a valid point, but it went beyond giving a guy a chance. It was about her fears. Her phobias. It was about her ability—more like inability—to be close to a man.
“I’m not good with touching,” Abbey said softly, her eyes downcast, she couldn’t look at him. “It’s kind of hard to have a relationship with someone if you can’t stand to be touched.”
“But I touched you in the elevator the first time we ever met.” A breeze blew through his hair and she remembered the softness of it from the other night.
“Because I thought we were going to die and it just seemed like I needed to hold on to something, someone. You were there, so…”
“How long have you been like this?” he asked.
Abbey finished off her ice cream and wiped her mouth. “A long time.”
Chapter Ten
Blake looked up to the cloudless blue sky and tried to tamp down the rage building under his skin. To think that someone had hurt her, that someone might have violated her made him crazy inside, but he didn’t want to leap to a conclusion. “Why?”
“I think you might know the answer,” she told him. “But trust me, you don’t want to go there. I don’t like going there either.” She looked around the park and Blake followed her gaze, made sure the coast was still clear. No one seemed suspicious. A guy throwin
g a Frisbee for his dog, two women with babies in strollers. It was pretty quiet. Except for his insides. His insides boiled with anger because everything she said took him to a dark place.
“Someone hurt you. Physically,” he said.
She nodded.
Blake had to wrap his brain around that. How could anyone hurt this woman or the girl she used to be? “How old were you?”
“I’d just turned fifteen.”
He ran a hand over his jaw as his rage multiplied. He turned and looked up at the tree line. “Fuck,” he said under his breath. He searched for calm so he wouldn’t go off like a fucking lunatic and demand answers so he could track the son of a bitch down and kill him. Turning back to her, he shoved his hands into his back pockets to keep from reaching out to her. “So was this like a first boyfriend situation?” Fifteen was young, but about the age of sexual exploration. Maybe some asshole took things too far.
“No, I’ve never had a boyfriend.”
She was twenty-four years old and never had a boyfriend.
He must have looked skeptical because she continued.
“You heard me right.” She folded her arms across her chest and watched him. “I’ve never done a lot of things. I’m pretty useless when it comes to any type of relationship knowledge, so you’re better off knowing that now and…you know…moving on.”
Her body language said hands off, but her eyes looked wistful, like a woman who knew she was missing out on something, but didn’t know how to get it. She looked over his shoulder and the longing on her face had him following her gaze. A young couple had set out a blanket beneath a nearby tree and the kiss they currently shared might’ve gotten them arrested if a cop walked by.
“Has anyone ever kissed you, Ab?” he whispered the question.
She looked at his lips as she shook her head. She’d started breathing harder and he hadn’t touched her.
“You look scared and interested at the same time,” Blake said, reading her expression.
“I guess I am.” She met his gaze and struggled with something. “If I’m being honest, I’m afraid I won’t ever share a first kiss with someone.” She uttered the words so softly that Blake barely heard her.
“We could fix that right now, if you want to.” He didn’t dare get his hopes up. “You know I won’t ever hurt you, right?”
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t mean now. Here. God, how embarrassing. Blake…” She trailed off, but the look in her eyes changed to something closer to optimism.
“We can start small. An Eskimo kiss,” he blurted.
Her brows pulled together. “What?”
His confidence spiked. “An Eskimo kiss. You know what an Eskimo kiss is. No lips.”
She looked suspicious and he smiled.
“It’ll be completely painless. I promise. Want to try?” It took her a few seconds to think about it, but when she gave him a slight nod, an instant bolt of heat shot through his gut. “Keep your eyes open, okay. Watch me.” He leaned in slowly, clued in to her uncertainty by the rising of her chest. “Eyes on mine,” he whispered as he closed the distance. He grazed the side of her nose with his as they stared at each other. Their lips so close together, he felt the warmth of her breath across his cheek. He continued to softly nuzzle her nose. First one side, then the other. His skin tingled all over with electric energy. It took every ounce of will power he possessed to keep his hands stuffed in his pockets, to keep his lips from joining the party. Just his nose, brushing against hers in a playful little two-step. God, she smelled like fresh lemons. Finally, he pulled away but not too far. He had something else planned. “Not bad, right?” he asked.
She swallowed again and shook her head. “No.”
“I’ve got another one for you,” he said.
“Another Eskimo kiss?”
“A butterfly kiss,” he told her. Before she said no, he leaned in again, his nose grazing hers before he fluttered his lashes against her cheek. He felt her smile, felt the warmth of her lips a fraction of an inch from his skin. After a few seconds, he pulled back. “Not so bad, right?” She lowered her gaze and shook her head. “How about we go for a small one. If you don’t like it, you can bail and I won’t mention it again. Deal?”
She looked skeptical. “I don’t know.”
“Have I steered you wrong yet?” he asked.
“No, but…”
“Are my hands still stuffed in my back pockets?” he asked. Touching her would only send her running.
She smiled at that. “Yes.”
“Then…? What do you say? Totally up to you.”
Her tension ratcheted up about ten notches before she said, “Okay.”
All he wanted to do was take away the fear. “It’s all right,” he whispered. Blake moved in slowly and nuzzled her nose again with another Eskimo kiss. He wanted to wrap her up tight in his arms, put his lips on hers and kiss her forever, but if he did that he’d lose her. Slowly, he let his lips brush against hers in a barely there kiss. She was as soft as he imagined. Hell, softer. Her plush lips begged for more, but he kept it simple, kept it sweet. Back and forth, so slowly. Her breath washed over his mouth in short gasps and Blake pulled back a fraction.
She opened her eyes and he saw a mix of surprise and panic. He wanted to touch the smooth skin of her cheek, wanted to run his hands through the softness of her hair. “That wasn’t so bad,” she said.
His heart lodged in his throat and he nodded, tried to find his voice. He gave her reassuring grin. “See? Your first kiss and you survived fine.” He let her process that. “Wanna try another one?”
Shyly, she nodded and swallowed again as her gaze fastened on his lips. She looked more ready to do battle than kiss.
Blake moved in again. The same speed, the same movement. Setting his lips on hers he just brushed across back and forth, let his nose nuzzle hers as he moved over her mouth and let her feel his breath. His heart beat loud between his ears as he savored her softness and fought the same demons demanding he take her in his arms and make her his. Show her exactly what they could do together with a little encouragement. He was about to pull away, when she got closer and deepened the kiss. She molded her lips against his and actively participated. Blake had managed to keep his dick from calling the shots, but now it perked up with an immediate need for attention. Blood flooded south and pressure built behind his jean’s zipper.
Abbey’s mouth parted a fraction as they kissed and Blake lightly grazed the tip of his tongue across her bottom lip.
Sucking a quick burst of air, Abbey froze as Blake took the kiss to another level. She might’ve pulled away, but he continued to be so gentle, so patient that she just didn’t want to end the contact. His warm breath mingled with hers as his lips continued to graze across her mouth, taking little nibbles along the way. She drowned in his scent, the way it blanketed her. An overwhelming sense of safety enveloped her. Once again, his tongue teased across her lips, this time along the slightly parted seam and Abbey’s heart galloped faster. Heat crept up from her stomach all the way to her chest, neck and face. He didn’t storm her mouth, but simply waited for her to join him.
What if she did? Would he think it meant she was on board for more? Would he take matters further and lock her in an embrace? Would she panic and bolt? Her heart raced with fresh panic, but Blake didn’t seem to notice. He just kept brushing his lips across hers in the sweetest, gentlest of kisses. Every few passes over her lips, his tongue darted across her mouth, just a hello, a little reminder that more waited the second she wanted to experience it.
God, she wanted to be brave. Wanted to find out what it felt like to really kiss him, to taste him fully. What if this was her only chance? What if no other guy wanted to be as patient as Blake was being now? He was giving her an opportunity and she had to take it.
Tentatively, she reached out and touched the tip of his tongue with her own. He tasted like mint chocolate chip ice cream. He tasted like Blake. Like heat and sex appeal and patience. He didn’t tak
e her action as a cue to pounce, he simply took it in stride and kept up his sweet assault. Just the tips of their tongues danced together in a little game of you’re it as they met, retreated and met again.
Blake slanted his mouth more fully against hers and Abbey opened wider for his kiss. His groan vibrated into her mouth and after another, longer taste of his tongue against hers, he pulled away, breathing hard. He rested his forehead against hers. “You have no idea what this is doing to me,” he murmured.
To him? What about her? Her heart pounded so hard, she felt seconds away from a coronary. “We should probably get back. Julie and Troy might be worried about us.” She needed to regroup.
The old fashioned brrrng of a telephone sounded in the quiet moment and Abbey reached for the small pack slung around her shoulder as she backed up from Blake. “Speak of the devil. It’s Julie,” she said, after retrieving her phone. She punched the screen. “Hi.” She leaned against the tree as she scanned the park with its big green magnolias and manicured lawn.
“Hi. Everything okay? I thought you’d be back by now,” Julie said.
“Yeah. The audition went great and Blake and I stopped to celebrate with some ice cream. We’re headed back in a couple of minutes. Be there soon. Did you need something?”
“Nope. Just checking that you’re okay. I can’t wait to hear about the audition,” Julie added.
“I’ll tell you all about it. See you in a few.” She disconnected the call and Blake stepped in front of her.
“One more for the road?” he asked, leaning in, his breath already fanning across her mouth. His panty-melting grin had always affected her, she’d just been good at not letting it show. But now, she couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“One more ice cream?” she teased, her face just a fraction of an inch from his.
His mouth hovered over hers. “Uh…no. Not ice cream,” he whispered. Heat bubbled from her stomach once again and crept all the way up to her cheeks. “One more of these.” His lips touched hers and everything else disappeared. Nothing registered but the pressure on her mouth, the slight rasp of his stubble against her skin, the clean scent of him and taste that was uniquely Blake. When he finally pulled away, Abbey’s skin tingled as if she’d been lit from within.