Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Shelby
Rolling in the Deep
She couldn’t tell what Wesley Hart was thinking, at all.
And she hoped that meant he couldn’t tell that she was nervous to be asking to stay at his home, and also strangely excited at the prospect.
He may not remember her, but she had been obsessed with him in high school.
Star of the baseball team, prom king, and head of the student body.
Of course he hadn’t noticed the girl with glasses, braces, and a tendency to blow things up in science class.
By the time he’d moved back to Sandy Point she’d made her escape and avoided their small beach town at all costs.
Even now, with everything going on in her family, she’d stayed away as long as possible, until her grandfather called.
And if there was one person she couldn’t resist, it was her paternal grandfather.
“Alright, you can stay on my couch for one night,” Wesley said, standing from his huge desk and pointing at her. “But tomorrow we’ll figure out how to get you home.”
Shelby popped out of her chair as he came around his desk and stood tall over her.
“Great, thank you so much. You won’t regret it,” she babbled and followed him out of his office.
She rolled her bag along the wood floor of the sheriff’s department and noticed each of the deputies kept their heads down as if they were working on something really important, but she suspected they wanted to avoid Wesley’s scrutiny.
“Jacks, you’re in charge tonight. Be safe and call me if you need me.”
“You got it, Sheriff. Have a good night,” a young deputy called after them.
Shelby dreaded feeling the bite of the cold again but knew she’d have to deal with it to get back into Wesley’s truck. She wondered how far away he lived.
Outside the wind seemed to have gotten even worse. She pulled up her hood, but snow still flew around them.
“We’re going to walk. It’s too dangerous to drive in this.”
“Oh God,” she moaned, already feeling the bite of the cold pass through her leggings, boots, and short flimsy coat.
But she had to tough it out. Wesley took her bag in one hand to pull it along and gripped her arm to guide her with the other.
The wind and snow made it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of them.
In the end it was only one block before they crossed the street to stand in front of what looked like an old warehouse, with large windows framed in steel, a brick exterior, and a large metal door.
Before she could wonder if he was taking her to an abandoned building to murder her, he typed in some numbers into a keypad and pushed the large steel door open.
Then pulled her inside and shut out the storm.
Warmth greeted them in what looked like an industrial-style mudroom. A bench, with several hooks against a metal cage, was lit with soft Edison lights that hung high above them.
“Take off your useless attempt at winter clothes here.”
Her teeth chattered, and her fingers felt numb again.
She sat with a thud on the bench and tried to kick off her shoes but failed the first few times. Wesley cursed and grabbed one of his large coats to drape over her. But she still felt bitterly cold.
To her horror he crouched down and untied her laces then pulled off her boot, before he gripped her foot in his hands.
“Your feet are freezing; you could have got hypothermia tonight.” He shook his head as he rubbed one foot with his large warm hands, then the next.
“Do you have any warmer clothes in that bag or did you forget to check the weather before you came home?”
“I, I, I—” she tried to speak but her teeth just chattered “—wasn’t expecting a winter vortex converging on the beach and that bag is just my work. I actually don’t have any clothes or toiletries in there.”
Wesley sighed heavily. “Do people just do everything for you? Is that why you seem completely unprepared to take care of yourself?”
“No, I assure you I can take care of myself,” she snapped back. “Just not today. I didn’t know about the storm. This trip was unexpected, last minute.”
“Fine. Come on, let’s get this over with. I’m too tired to worry about your poor planning.”
“Fine,” she grumbled but then figured she’d better save her annoyance since she was imposing on him and admittedly looked very foolish to an alpha who was probably always prepared.
She followed him through the expansive, stylish, and modern home built into the old industrial building.
But she refused to pay him any compliments on his choice of living.
The ceilings must be two-stories high and there were massive grid-style glass windows above where she could see the half-moon between gusts of snow being blown around.
There were probably phenomenal views on a clear night.
But as he led her through the spacious main floor of his home it quickly became apparent there was no separate bedroom.
They passed a kitchen, with a butcher block and stainless-steel island, a living room space defined by a big leather couch on a cozy-looking rug across from a TV, and a huge bed with plush gray bedding sat in the furthest corner. It looked heavenly.
She stopped and stood in front of the bed, while Wesley walked over to his dresser and pulled out a T-shirt, sweats, and thick socks.
He tossed those to her and then slid a barn-style metal door along the wall to reveal a bathroom with black hexagon tiles, a slate marble vanity, and a glass enclosed shower she was sure could fit at least eight people.
Next, he pulled a few more things from the drawers.
“Toothbrush, washcloth, towel, change of clothes. Take a hot shower. That’ll help warm you up. I’m going to go get some sheets for the couch.”
As he stepped out, she realized what an imposition it was for her to be crashing with him and how ill-prepared she’d been for the storm.
She hadn’t taken the warnings seriously as she’d pored over all her notes and research.
She’d been stalling to drive home because she didn’t want to be there.
Her family was difficult to say the least, and she was the darkest, noir version of a black sheep.
“Thank you,” she called to his retreating back, but he just grunted and opened the fridge.
After standing under the best water pressure she’d ever experienced until her skin couldn’t take the heat, Shelby got out of the shower and wrapped herself in the big gray towel he’d left her on the counter.
The tile floor beneath her was warm and she realized he had heated floors.
She could lie down right there and fall asleep, she was so tired.
She’d left an event in Washington State early that morning, flown to Atlanta, picked up her truck, and drove to Sandy Point only to sit in the diner for several hours waiting for the snow to pass.
And maybe the stress of spinning off the side of the road and walking through the snow had depleted her of all her energy.
His clothes were massive on her, but they were cozy, and she didn’t care how they looked. Once she exited the bathroom, she found Wesley sitting in the kitchen with two cups on the counter.
“I made you a hot tea, in case you still feel cold.”
“Thank you—the shower and heated floors did the trick. I realize how intrusive this is for me to stay here, but I really appreciate it.”
Wesley stood. “Well it’s not the Four Seasons but my bed is more comfortable than the wooden bench at the inn. I’ll take the couch.”
She could see he’d put a sheet, pillow, and several blankets on the large sectional couch and a yawn slipped out. “I can’t take your bed; I’ll take the couch.” She walked over and sat down on the large couch that was just as wide as a twin bed.
“Fine. Get some sleep. If I get called out for an emergency, I’ll try not to be too noisy leaving out.”
“I tend to sleep hard so please don’t worry about waking me in your home.”
He just nodded and then abruptly turned away.
She sipped the mint tea he’d made her and then set the mug on a coaster on the coffee table before pulling back the heavy covers and lying down on the couch.
Her entire body sighed with comfort, warmth, and exhaustion.
But as she laid her head on the soft pillow and closed her eyes, all she could think about was Wesley Hart a few dozen feet away, probably naked in the same shower she’d just used.
She heard the faint sound of the faucet turn on again and imagined his huge muscular body under the water.
Her entire body was alert with need. But she would not be getting any closer to him anytime soon.
He clearly was not interested in a woman who couldn’t even think to wear a proper coat in a snowstorm.
But maybe she could thank him for his generosity in another way.