I don’t blame him.
I’m a horrible person.
A really horrible person.
I mean, here he is creating this great evening, preparing a wonderful meal, catering to my every need, the perfect host, letting me cry all over him, and even listening to me babble on about my ex. Where’s the gratitude, Lexie? Where’s the thankfulness? He’s clearly an amazing guy. Plus, he’s sexy as hell, and I feel so good when I’m with him.
So, what is my problem? Why did I agree to come here? I don’t deserve this. He’s way too good for me.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“Sweetness, there’s no reason for you to be sorry. If I’m to be honest, I’m right disappointed, but the heart wants what the heart wants, I suppose. I just hope he’s deservin’ of it.”
His voice sounds normal, but he looks devastated.
“What if I don’t know if my heart wants him?” I ask before I can stop myself.
“Well, when you figure it out, I’ll be here,” he says.
God, he’s perfect.
This is what I should want. This is what every girl wants, a guy to be honest about his feelings and upfront about his intentions. You’d have to be an idiot to turn him down. To not pursue him.
I’m done being an idiot. Aren’t I?
I don’t know, are you?
Shit.
Decision made, this is what I do want. He is what I want. I let go of his hand and turn toward him, reach up to cup his cheek then pull his face toward mine. He stops before our lips meet, then takes my hand and pulls it back down to our laps with his.
“What’s the matter?” I ask.
“We were gonna kiss,” he says.
“I know,” I say. “Isn’t that what you want?”
“More than you realize,” he says. “But, Lexie, our first kiss is not going to be when you’ve spent half the evening talking about another man. And our first kiss is not going to be when another man is anywhere in the vicinity of your brain. It may not be tomorrow, or even next week, but there will be a time. And when it happens, there will not be another man anywhere in your beautiful brain for you to think about.”
Wow. Okay then.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
I nod in agreement, but feel overwhelmingly embarrassed at his rejection, regardless of his reason.
“I should go,” I say.
“You don’t have to leave yet.”
“I know, I just . . . clearly I’m a wreck. And before you say anything to counter that, just . . . don’t. I need to get myself together. So, I’m just going to go so I can do that.”
“Can I walk you home?” he asks.
Relieved, I nod, not trusting my voice to speak.
He holds my hand the entire mile and a half back to my front door. We walk in a comfortable silence. His thumb runs along the side of my palm, sending slight shivers up my spine.
I’m so attracted to him. What’s my problem?
Everyone leaves, Lexie. Look, Trevor has left you twice and you survived it both times. You already know you’ll be fine if he does it a third time. You can handle it. With this guy, who knows? He could destroy you when he leaves.
Make no mistake, everyone leaves.
We reach my front door, and for a moment I think he’s going to kiss me. Until I remember what he said before. He smooths my hair away from my face and leans in to press his lips to my forehead. He lingers for a beat then pulls away.
“Sleep well, sweetness.”
I nod. Not really knowing what else to do. He motions for me to open my door. I can hear all the dogs howling inside.
He smiles. “Seven, huh?”
“Yeah.” I laugh. “They can be a handful, but at the same time I don’t know what I’d do without them.” I step inside, give a small wave, and close the door slowly. Then watch through the curtains as he walks back down the drive.
Damn. I’m an idiot.
But, given the chance to change it, I doubt I would have handled anything differently tonight. Because I am a wreck. And I desperately need to get myself together.
* * *
I have a tough time getting to sleep. My mind keeps flip-flopping as much as my body tosses and turns.
Trevor.
Cole.
Trevor.
Cole.
I remember the day in the vet’s office with Trevor, and how hot that was. My orgasm seeming to last forever. And then I think back to Cole sweaty and shirtless, working on the fence, and how I wanted to jump him right then and there. And all through tonight, when he touched me or held me, there was that combination of comfort and desire. Such strong desire.
My hand snakes down my body and beneath the band of my panties. My fingers toy with my clit, just barely grazing across the top of it, back and forth until the sensations start to center around it.
“Oh, that feels good,” I breathe. I push down harder and make my circling smaller, my hips start to move in time with my hand. I slide my middle finger inside me and continue the pressure on my clit with the heel of my hand.
“Oh, God.”
I picture Trevor, his hands roaming my body. My other hand reaches over to my breast and I circle the nipple, tugging at it slightly.
“Oh shit, I’m going to come.”
An image of Cole pushes through my thoughts. Tanned skin glistening with sweat, muscles bulging from exertion, his eyes boring into mine, the roughness of his fingertips as he holds my hand in his, the outline of his cock in his jeans and how it’s going to feel pushing into me. Stretching me. Filling me.
I move my fingers back to my clit, my hips strain up, my body tightens, and everything explodes in heat and bright light.
“Oh, Cole!”
Pleasure courses through me, again and again. Heart racing, breath short, eyes closed; my body undulating, imagining his hard, hot skin against mine.
My muscles start to relax, my pulse slows, my limbs limp, my soul sated.
Oh.
My.
God.
If this is what fantasy Cole is, then real life Cole is going to wreck me.
In a really good way.
Chapter 18
Cole
Dinner with Lexie was great. And my God if I didn’t want nothing more than to kiss her at the end of the night, but I’m playing this smart and taking it slow. I know she’s attracted to me, but she also says she’s still in love with the other guy. I don’t even want to say his name. The one who remains my competition, aka TOWRMC. He puts a real wrench in my plans to be sure.
Lexie’s winery is hosting a wine event tonight for TOWRMC to announce he’s taking over as the new vet. This I know from Miss Mavis, God bless that woman for her plucky spirit, and for noticing I’d taken a liking to Lexie and then not so subtly suggesting I act accordingly. I adore that woman, but I’ll be damned if she can’t talk the ears off a mule.
My plan is to escort both Babs and Miss Mavis to this event, then spend the rest of the evening showing Lexie that I’m the right choice. Truth be told, there’s no comparison between him and I. I know this already and I’ve never even met him. I just need Lexie to know it too. Plus, to hear Miss Mavis tell it, TOWRMC is so dense he couldn’t hit the floor even if he fell out of bed.
I shower, put on clean jeans, white tee, my lucky rodeo belt and buckle, and head out the door to pick up my two dates for the evening.
* * *
Somehow, I’d plum forgotten what it was like to be in confined quarters with both Babs and Mavis. I picked them up at their condo building and have now got them both stuffed into my truck cab with me; backtracking my route to get to the side of town where the winery is. And where I started from.
Having them both sitting in the front seat, Mavis between Babs and me, will surely teach me to find a car to use in the future when I’m toting them around. They are like two widowed peas in a pod. Except one pea is a persnickety, Jewish busy-body and the other pea is a nosey southern belle out of Georgia. L
ong out of Georgia I might add, with stretches in Texas and now California. But you know what they say, you can take the girl out of the south, but you can’t take the south out of the girl.
Regardless, neither has stopped talking since I helped them into the cab of my truck.
“Oh, Mavis,” Babs says in a not so hushed voice. “Did y’all see the new dress that Marjorie Miller had on at bridge club yesterday? My word. It was so tight across her bottom I do swear I could see all the way to the promise land.” Babs fans her face with her hand to enunciate her point.
“Feh! Since her poor Joseph passed, it’s all short this and tight that. Like a common nafka I say. A whore. Oy. It hurts my heart.”
“Maybe she’s just naturally horizontal if y’all know what I mean?” Babs cackles. Mavis joins her. Both cackles quickly turning to coughs.
I turn to look at them. “You okay there, Babs? Miss Mavis?”
Mavis waves her hand at me in a motion that is most certainly annoyed. I hold up a water bottle from the center console, but neither woman takes it.
“You fixin’ to see a doctor about that cough?” I ask. It doesn’t matter to me which one of them answers. I’m concerned about both their health.
“All is fine. You worry so,” Mavis says. She reaches up and palms my cheek, patting it lightly, then turning back toward Babs. “Such a good boychik. Oh, you have done well, Babs. He will make a wonderful husband for my bubala.”
Now it’s my turn to cough. “The hell? Excuse me? Miss Mavis, I think I may have misunderstood what you just said.”
“Cole Warren Mason, you know better than to use foul language in the presence of a lady.” She reaches behind Mavis across the bench seat and flicks my ear.
“Ow! Jeez, Babs. I was just surprised, that’s all. I mean no disrespect.”
“You apologize, young man.”
“I’m sorry,” I say.
She sits back in her seat, obviously satisfied with her punishment. “Besides,” she continues, “it should come as no surprise that I intend to have a decision in who y’all marry.”
“I’m sorry, did I miss the part where we traveled back in time to when that was an acceptable practice?”
“Ah, is still acceptable in many areas of the world,” Mavis interjects. “Besides, is not force. Is strong suggestion that should not be ignored. Fershtay? Understand?” She reaches over and squeezes my bicep. No comment or follow up gesture, just that.
“And you know that girl is so pretty she’d about make a man plow through a stump,” Babs adds.
Mavis turns to Babs. “I tell you, Babs, no? He watched my Lexie’s tucchus with the look in his eye.”
“The look?” Babs asks.
“Of a man who wants to shtup! Ha!” Mavis says.
“He wants to shtup!” Babs agrees.
“Well, of course, I want to shtup. Lexie is gorgeous, and I’m a red-blooded man who is attracted to female gorgeousness. But that don’t mean we should run off and get married.”
I have to steer this hurricane as far off course as I can, or I will never hear the end of it. If Babs gets wind that I think Lexie is my lightning bolt, they really will start planning a wedding and I’ll be married by week’s end.
“Now, Cole,” Babs says. “There’s no need to get yer knickers in a knot, sweetheart. Mavis and I are just tryin’ to help. You’re not getting’ any younger—”
“I’m barely thirty-five years old!”
“When I was your age I’d had four babies already, and one of them was getting ready for high school.”
“I know, Babs, but that was a long—”
“If you know what’s good for you, young man, you will not finish that sentence. I swear sometimes you boys are as dumb as a box of rocks.”
“I wasn’t gonna . . .” I stop what I’m saying before I finish it. Seeing as I probably would have got myself in deeper trouble. I can be as dumb as a box of rocks, for sure. Pappy always said there’s two strategies for winning an argument with a woman and neither one works.
I’m relieved to see the winery directly ahead.
Thank God.
I don’t know how much more of their meddling I can take. I find parking easily, and head over to the passenger side of the truck to help each of the ladies out.
“Now, Cole, we will let you know when it is time to leave. Fershtay? We have much to accomplish tonight. You must focus on my bubula, no? Keep her away from the putz.”
“No offense, Miss Mavis, but that might be kinda hard seein’ as it’s his party and her winery is hostin’ it and all.”
“Cole Warren, now don’t you worry none, sugar. You always could draw a pat hand from a stacked deck, even when you were a boy. Born lucky. And you got the Barnett genes, handsome as all get out. Just like your pappy was.” Babs licks her fingers and reaches up to smooth the side of my hair down. “Now, you just be yourself and go win that girl’s heart. And, here.” She rummages through her bag and produces a box of mints. “Take a few of these, your breath is not so hot, sugar.” She hands me some mints and before I can barely blink, she and Mavis are off toward the winery.
I blow my breath in my hand trying to assess just how bad my breath is.
“That never works like you think it will.” A female voice drifts forward from behind me. I turn around and see two women walking toward me. If I’m not mistaken, the same two women who were at the Mexican restaurant with Lexie the other night. One is tall and willowy, the other a tad shorter and curvy; both pretty as all get out.
“Uh . . .” I’m not sure how to respond.
“I think we embarrassed him,” the curvy one says.
“He’s gonna be more embarrassed when he finds out we heard the whole conversation with Mavis and Babs,” the tall one says.
“Good point,” curvy replies.
“Ladies . . .” I start but have no idea how to proceed. So, I just stand there with my mouth gaping open, feelin’ about as smart as molasses is fast.
“How about this,” the tall one says. “I’m Kat and this is Remi. We are Lexie’s best friends and Mavis’ surrogate granddaughters.” She holds her hand out to shake mine, which I take, and then turn to do the same with Remi. Both women have firm grips.
“A true pleasure to meet you both,” I say. “It’s nice to know your names, especially since you know all about my grandmother’s plan for my future, my alleged halitosis, and that I apparently get tongue tied around beautiful women.” I smile.
“Oh, he’s a charmer, Remi. I like it,” Kat says. “On top of being the most shtupable man in the world.”
I draw in a quick breath at that, causing me to choke on the mint. It takes a minute to catch my breath. The girls wait patiently.
“You good?” Kat asks.
“Yes,” I rasp.
“Okay, so it’s not normally like me to butt into other people’s business—”
“Kat, don’t lie to the poor guy,” Remi interrupts.
“Fine, it’s totally normal, but had this situation not presented itself, and by that, I mean overhearing your conversation and running into you in the parking lot, I would not have butt into this particular situation right here.” She turns to Remi. “Fair?”
“Fair.” Remi nods in agreement.
“Okay. First, you should know that we will do anything for Lexie. She is our soul sister. So, when I say anything, I mean anything. I’m an ex-criminal defense attorney and she sleeps with a cop—”
“Detective,” Remi says.
“What?” Kat turns to face Remi.
“You know he hates it when you say cop and not detective,” Remi says.
“God, he’s such a baby,” Kat huffs.
“Oh, don’t even get me started,” Remi confirms.
“Anyway,” Kat turns back to face me. “I’m an ex-criminal defense attorney and she sleeps with a detective so between the two of us, we know where to hide a body. You get me?”
I nod silently. I’m partly amused and partly frightened by
these two.
“Good,” Kat says.
“May I be so bold as to ask why you are telling me this?” I ask.
Remi and Kat look at one another, and then back at me. Remi speaks first. “If your plan is to pursue Lexie, then proceed with caution. And you better make damn fucking sure that it’s because you want to and not because Babs wants you to.”
“Noted,” I say. “May I ask another question?”
“Of course,” Kat replies.
“Why did you call me the most shtupable man in the world?”
Both girls laugh, and Kat says, “That is a conversation for another time, my new cowboy friend. Now, if you would be so kind as to escort us in, we’ve got some wine to drink and a bestie to see.”
Chapter 19
Lexie
Wine events always stress me out and this one is no different. Especially with this being our inaugural event before our grand opening and there’s still a ton of stuff to finish. It did not go by unnoticed that I failed to hear from Trevor again since he hung up on me after I wouldn’t have phone sex with him. It leaves me with an odd feeling not having talked to him before tonight. Knowing that I’m going to see him is either a bonus or a curse, I’m just not sure which it is yet.
I also haven’t talked to Kat or Remi since I saw Remi at the hospital. The girls don’t know I haven’t heard from Trevor. And they don’t know I had dinner at Cole’s house, threw myself at him, and then had him reject me.
Take a breath. Get centered. Be here now.
I look around the room at the people drinking and enjoying my wines. It’s an intoxicating feeling, no pun intended, knowing that you alone have created something that other people enjoy. Winemaking is an art, though not everyone sees it that way. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a ton of science involved as well; and farming if, like me, you’re growing your own grapes. It’s deceptively hard work. I can geek out for way too long on all things wine and winemaking if someone gets me going. Stopping only after I see their eyes glaze over and that look on their face that says I only asked to be polite, just give me more wine.
Love Unforgettable: Love in San Soloman - Book Three Page 11