Blue? Humph. Thinking about his word choice, I kind of liked being called Blue. I didn’t get how he came up with the name, maybe it was because blue was my favorite color. Either way, him giving me my very own term of endearment felt nice and made me feel special—Cy made me feel special.
Just for that, I made sure to wear my long strapless navy-blue maxi dress. I had no idea where he was taking me, so this would work and it was comfortable.
I was already standing by the door when Cy knocked, but I waited and took a few deep breaths before I unlocked and opened the door. I didn’t want him to know I was excited as I was to see him.
In fact, I had been jumping out of my skin and running to the door every time I thought someone had pulled up. He kissed my cheek and handed me a smaller version of the flowers I got today. This guy was something else.
“Cy, what is this?” I asked suspiciously.
“Beautiful flowers for my beautiful lady.”
He winked
I blushed.
I had never had this kind of special treatment. I was accustomed to expensive presents on the heels of a beating, not thoughtful flowers on the heels of mind-blowing sex. I kissed his lips and whispered, “Thank you,” against them.
“You look gorgeous,” he commented as I rubbed my thumb along his bottom lip to try to get the gloss off. It looked better on me.
“Thank you, again. Come in, please, let me put these in some water before we leave.” He closed the door and followed me to the kitchen.
I made quick work of putting the flowers in a vase, and before I knew it, we were walking out the door. He opened the passenger’s door for me, and I made sure to slide a little more to the middle and watch as he jogged around the front of the truck. He hopped in with a smile the size of Texas. Resting his hand on the inside of my thigh, he leaned over and kissed me, causing my heartbeat to kick up a notch. His touch alone did wonders to my body, and sensations erupted in me, putting my body on a constant standby—ready, willing, and able. But it wasn’t only the physical connection. Deep down I felt an emotional connection forming. I smiled at the thought.
“What?”
I just shook my head. “It’s nothing.”
I liked being this close to Cy, and I had to stop myself from putting my head on his shoulder a couple of times.
One of my favorite songs came on, and I couldn’t resist the urge to sing along. A couple of lines into the song, Cy stole a glance at me with a gorgeous smile playing at his lips. He turned up the radio a bit and then removed his hand from my leg so that he could drive. With his elbow propped up on the driver’s side door, he flicked his fingers to the beat of the song. When he started singing, I decided that men didn’t come any hotter than Cy Davis.
Cy smiled and I pressed my legs together, telling myself to behave. He knew exactly what his voice had just done to me.
Walking to the restaurant, I kept my attention on him. My brain was fogged over in lust, and I was trying hard to control it. His hand resting on the small of my back didn’t help much either.
“Reservations for two under Davis, please,” Cy said to the hostess.
She scanned her reservation book with the tip of her index finger before looking up and smiling. “Yes, Mr. Davis, right this way please.” Plucking up two black leather folders, she escorted us to our seats.
While she placed the leather folders down at each place setting, Cy held the back of my chair out for me and then gently pushed it back in. “Thank you,” I said quietly, smiling over my shoulder at him. “Such the gentleman.”
“Thank you for joining us tonight. Prince will be your server and will be with you shortly. If there is anything else that I may get for you, please let me know,” our hostess announced before leaving us. As Cy took his seat, I noticed his smile and his expression fell flat.
“Did I say something wrong?”
He shook his head and looked at me, pulling my hand into his. Entwining our fingers together, he rested our joined hands on the crisp, white linen tablecloth.
“No matter how much shit people put me through, my mom always told me to treat people the way you wanted to be treated”— he shrugged— “and insisted I be a gentleman.”
His eyes met mine, and out of nowhere, he asked, “So you’re religious?” My back hit the back of my chair, and I cocked my head to one side.
He tilted his chin. “The cross around your neck, it’s pretty . . .”
Oh! My fingers reached up to clutch the small pendant between my thumb and index finger, rubbing the smooth platinum cross with tiny diamonds. I hoped he wasn’t against religion.
“I wouldn’t go as far as to say I belong to a particular denomination.” I glanced up again, hoping to find any kind of clue as to what he might be thinking. His face was blank as he waited for me to continue, though. “I have my beliefs, I believe in God, and I have faith.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly while looking down at the table. “It’s all I ever had to hang on to most of the time,” I said, then paused, gaining enough strength to look up at him. “And with that, I believe everything will work out the way it’s meant to be.”
His gaze intensified. Cy’s brows furrowed, and he whispered, “Amazing.”
Slightly bowing my head, I needed to look somewhere other than at him. Faith and believing in a higher power could be a touchy subject, and his intensity was too much, especially right now—even when he mixed in nice words.
“We are all entitled to our own beliefs.” His eyes shifted from left to right and then back. “And I like that you have a strong sense that there is something bigger than us. It keeps us grounded—humble even.”
I smiled, grateful that he got it, but even more thankful that our server walked up to get our drinks and dinner order.
I didn’t think I had room for anything else, but then Cy ordered a cheesecake with cherry sauce drizzled on top that I just couldn’t turn down. I plucked the cherry from the dollop of whipped cream it sat in and popped it in my mouth. Not realizing until Cy groaned, somewhat loudly, and shifted in his seat, that I had made a spectacle out of that damn fruit.
Intrigued, he continued watching, as I pulled the knotted cherry stem from my mouth.
“Bad habit.” I smiled. I knew exactly what I was doing and where it would put his thoughts.
“Or good habit.” He choked on his words.
Leaning next to my ear he whispered in a low raspy voice that made my insides squeeze, “Your tongue and that trick you just did . . .” Looking up into a set of dark chocolate-colored eyes, my body responded. I knew exactly what he meant. I swallowed hard and ignored the throbbing beat between my thighs as he moved for a kiss, attacking my lips. A mix of pure unadulterated pleasure and lust slipped past my lips, and Cy’s hand gripped a little tighter onto my upper thigh.
He swept his tongue against my bottom lip, begging for entrance, and I quickly reminded myself this was not the place for that kind of display. Mirroring his hand on my thigh, I breathlessly whimpered, “Cy, later.” A promise of what was to come.
As soon as he closed the leather bound folder that held our check, I turned and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for tonight. You didn’t have to be this extravagant, but I do appreciate it.”
Lifting my hand, he kissed the back of it and then locked our fingers together. “I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. “Come on,” he said, standing and gently pulling me with him. “The night isn’t over yet.”
THIS TIME I didn’t stop myself from laying my head on Cy’s shoulder as he drove to wherever it was he was taking us.
When we turned right into what looked like a school parking lot, my eyebrows pinched. I hadn’t expected to come back to his old stomping grounds. Seeing the confusion on my face, he gave me a small smile.
“Trust me,” was the only thing he said as he drove right by Savannah High’s football field and right to the baseball field. The Bronco idled for a minute before he shut it off, but he kept the radio on. Extending his hand to me, he hel
ped me out.
“Aren’t we going to get into trouble for trespassing?” I asked, looking around and hoping no one could see us.
“Naw, I know the coaches and maintenance crew pretty well.” We walked hand in hand toward the back of his truck, where he dropped the tailgate. Without any warning, he grabbed me by the hips, lifted me in the air, and set me up on the tailgate. “Hold on a sec.”
I watched as he pulled two beer bottles from a cooler stashed in the corner. He popped the tops off and handed me one as he rounded back to where I sat.
“So tell me something about yourself, Cy.” I said, when he came to stand between my legs. I wrapped one arm around his waist and pulled him closer.
“I helped build that dugout over there.” He nodded toward the blue-and-white trimmed building across the field.
“You did that?”
“Yup. It was a senior class project.”
“Well, I guess your hands really are good at more than one thing.” It was a joke, and I meant for him to laugh, but he didn’t. He rested his forehead against mine and took a slow, controlled breath.
Setting my beer next to me, I reached up and placed my palms against his cheeks, trapping his face gently between my hands and urging him to look at me.
“Hey, where did you go?”
His eyebrows dipped. “It’s just that I love how we feel together.”
“Is that such a bad thing?”
“No, not bad. Just scary,” he admitted.
“You may need to explain that one.” I had never met a man so in tune with his emotions.
“What if you decide that you’re bored, or worse, that I’m not good enough?”
“Cy, I doubt that will happen.”
“Yeah?” I didn’t like the sound of his voice. It was full of resignation.
“Why would you be worried about that? Why not give this”—I shrugged, trying to find the right words—“at least a fighting chance? We can take it slow and see where it goes. This is equally as frightening for me as you say it is for you. I have just as much to lose.” If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn he scoffed at my last sentence.
After resting his forehead against my shoulder, he said, “No way, it almost feels like history’s repeating itself.”
Unintentionally, I clipped, “What the hell are you talking about? How could your past have anything to do with you and me?” Mild irritation bubbled over the butterflies that were fluttering around. I tilted Cy’s chin and gazed into his eyes, “What are you talking about?”
Bracing his hands on the tailgate on either side of me, he stared at the ground, scuffing his foot against the dirt. He looked so defeated at that moment, and I wished I could have snatched the words back.
“Just promise me one thing. Promise me that you’ll never fall for Levi or anyone else while we’re together. Please.”
“What are you even talking about? Cy, will you look at me, dammit?”
What felt like minutes later, he glanced up with the saddest eyes I had ever seen. “Trish,” was all he gave me.
“Who is Trish? And again, what does any of that have to do with you and me?” Man, I could guess that this girl probably hurt him, but it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk to me. He obviously wanted to tell me or he wouldn’t have brought it up, but playing fifty questions was getting a little old.
“Trish was the girl I fell for in high school. Hell, she was the only girl I fell for and was the person who taught me how to love, only to crush me.” I waited patiently, knowing he needed to get this out. “Basically, she led me on and made me believe that it was me she wanted, but all along, it was just a ploy to get close to Levi.” I saw it—the faraway look in his beautiful eyes. He wasn’t with me; he was locked in a memory.
His hands raked through his hair before he threw them up in frustration. “What was she thinking, anyway? It’s not like Levi would touch her after I’d already been with her. He’s my best friend for god’s sake, has been since we were kids.” His voice rose as he spoke, but then he seemed to reel himself in.
“Besides, I saw the way you looked at him when we came over the day of your barbeque. It was the same way she used to steal glances toward Levi. The way everyone looks at him. They always see him first, they all want him.”
I went back to that afternoon, and yes, I saw Levi first, but only because he was a tower blocking my view of Cy.
Cy stepped away from between my legs, turned his back to me, and faced the field.
“I don’t know what I was thinking bringing you here. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some great times here, but so much messed up shit has happened here too.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “Ya know?” He turned back to the field. “That girl did a number on me. It wasn’t only Levi, either.”
I hopped off the tailgate and he slowly turned to face me. “I understand, really I do, but it’s not fair to me for you to compare me to some girl from high school. It would be like if I assumed you were just like my ex.” I leaned to the side, attempting to get him to look at me. “Yes, I did notice Levi first, but not in the way you’re thinking. It was you that kept me intrigued that day, and I never even blinked in his direction after I saw you. We should give each other a fair chance, don’t you think?”
Irritated again, he shook his head and looked at the midnight sky.
“Why are you trying to ruin this perfectly beautiful night? Do you still want to see me? Or are you ready to write me off because some girl broke your heart in high school?” Heat flooded my veins, and it wasn’t the good kind. It was the heat of frustration.
Cy exhaled a heavy breath, as he slowly brought his head back down, and his now clear eyes met mine. “It’s just . . . It just about killed me when I saw Trish’s arms wrapped around Levi’s neck and her tongue being shoved down his throat. It’s a good thing I was too shocked to move. If I had acted out, I never would have seen the disgust that rolled off Levi like a damn wave. I probably wouldn’t have believed him if I hadn’t seen him shove her away and yell at her. I would have lost my best friend.”
“Cy,” I whispered and pressed my hand to his chest.
He shook his head. “This. . .” He wiggled his finger between the two of us. “I just don’t get it is all. I mean, look at you, and look at me.”
“Cy, have I given you a reason to think that I don’t want this? You don’t know exactly what I’ve gone through, but I can assure you, I know all about having my heart crushed and stomped on. I know what it’s like to not want to trust someone else and to have your heart set to default protect mode. There is something here, though. Something that can be great if we can figure out how to get out of our own way. If you give us a chance, maybe we can figure it out together.”
“Yeah, you might be right, but you’re also wrong. You deserve more than that, Blue. You deserve it all. I just hope I’m man enough to give it to you.”
EVERYTHING CY RELATED in the last month and a half that we had been seeing each other had been progressing smoothly. He was still intense at times, heck most of the time, but I could see he was trying hard to let me in. This was all new to me, too. I tried to forget that the only experience I had before him was with Trent. I was learning what it was like to be treated like a lady, and as wonderful it was, fear still tried to creep its way through the cracks.
If there was a chance of this blooming into a lasting relationship, I was going to have to open up to him. He still didn’t know about my past, and who was to say the darkness wouldn’t swoop in without warning. Cy didn’t believe me when I told him he held the power to destroy me too, and he had no idea how much trust I had already given him.
After acknowledging that, I squashed down the thoughts of potential heartbreak and reminded myself that I should not be scared to be happy. I had paid my dues. The bell above the front door dinged as I got off the phone with Grace, who had the day off. I turned to greet the person who walked in—it was Cy. Getting a surprise visit from my handsome boyfriend
at work usually put me in a giddy mood, especially when it was for a quick kiss.
“Hey, baby.”
What should have been a peck on the lips turned into a quick make-out session.
Uncle Blair walked out of his office right as Cy pulled away, but lingered at my lips. A fake cough and a chuckle, announced his presence.
“Do I get an introduction?” he asked, smiling.
“Uncle Blair, this is Cy Davis.” My uncle stuck out his hand. “Cy, this is my Uncle Blair. He manages the warehouse.”
They shook hands, both offering pleasantries. “So you’re the lucky guy stealing our girl here?” Uncle Blair winked at Cy, being his playful self.
Watching Cy, it dawned on me that unless he really knew you, he was like a crab climbing back into his own shell at the first sign of discomfort. His insecurities did affect him and stopped him from creating new relationships.
Uncle Blair nodded and smiled at Cy before turning back to me. “Well, kiddo, it’s almost quittin’ time, not much else going on, why don’t you start your weekend early?”
That was the best thing I’d heard all day. I didn’t hesitate to grab my purse and let Cy lead me by the hand out of the building and to my car.
“Hey, you want to go dancing tonight?” Cy asked as we approached my car.
“Rain check?” I looked up into his alluring brown eyes and lost myself, which didn’t take much when it came to him.
“Why would you need a rain check?”
“Well, I kind of already made plans with the girls to watch a movie. Last time we got together and went out, Grace couldn’t make it, she was sick.”
“Will you come over after?” He leaned his back against the driver’s side door of my car. Reaching for me, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. I loved feeling his body against mine, especially when it was skin on skin. Oh shit, why did I even think that? Now, I was going to be fighting off raging hormones for the rest of the day.
“Yes, I’ll come over when we’re done,” I said with a quick kiss to his lips. “All right scoot, I gotta get home and get ready, but I’ll definitely see you tonight.” I winked. Right before he walked away, I smacked his ass. “Niiccce.” I drawled out my appreciation, purposely licking my lips.
Waiting on Faith (She's Beautiful Series Book 2) Page 9