CHAPTER SEVEN
HEATHER
I wake to multiple, unused parts of my body deliciously sore and achy but in the best possible way. In fact, my body has never been so well loved, er…nope, not going there. I feel incredibly satisfied thanks to the perfect attention Rex gave me.
Rolling over, gazing at his muscular still form, I fight the temptation to wake him and show him just how much last night meant to me.
I lost count of how many orgasms rocked me. Not that having more than one was necessary, but oh, my glorious goodness, they’d been mind-bending experiences I can’t wait to repeat. And that is definitely a thought I’ve never had about any of my exes.
Stretching, I wiggle my bottom against his lean body, brushing up against what I will no longer mistake for his thigh.
A giggle escapes me, and I feel lighter than I have in years.
Have I ever woken up this way after a night with my ex or one of the handful of boyfriends I’ve had since college? No, no, I have not.
Hmmm. He’s certainly set a high bar for the next guy in my life. I begin to laugh, but quickly sober at the thought of only having a few precious days with Rex and then never experiencing his touch again.
“What has you chuckling so early? Anything you’d like to share?” Rex pulls me into his warm body, which includes his erection.
“Early?” Squinting, I look at the bedside clock.
“It’s ten-oh-five. We’ve only got forty-five minutes ’til brunch.
” Ignoring my depressing thoughts, I roll over, tugging the sheet over my breasts.
Rex quickly tugs it back down, palming the nearest one, and gently squeezes, teasing my nipple until it puckers under his maddening touch.
How could I possibly want him again after making love like, what, four times?
Playfully slapping his arm, I say, “Don’t start something you can’t finish. I’ll get in the shower first.” Before I can push the sheet back, he winds his arm over my waist, leaning over me.
“Give me ten minutes. I promise you’ll finish. First.” Rex waggles his eyebrows. Laughing, I scoot out from under him.
“Oh, I have no doubt you can deliver. Especially after last night… and earlier this morning. But I don’t want to be greedy. C’mon, we can’t disappoint the happy couple.” Dropping a quick kiss on his frowny face, I walk to the bathroom. A wolf whistle follows me across the threshold.
Lathering my hair, I work my fingers through the tangles Rex helped create. Last night was… unexpected.
It had been my first time sleeping with someone I barely know.
But honestly, I feel closer to Rex than any other man I’ve been with.
It’s as if… no, not going there. My heart just repaired itself.
Tamara may have found instant love with Stefan, but I know that’s rare.
I have no expectations of it happening for me.
But a part of me knows what Rex and I share is more than just off-the-charts, spectacular sex. During the plane trip, it hadn’t taken us —well, me— long to go from awkward pretending to opening up and discovering our likes, our dislikes, and sharing funny anecdotes from our jobs.
After a while, it made me wonder why he’s still single. Handsome, well-paying job with benefits, funny, and smart— Rex is the whole package. For someone else. Pushing that possibility to the back of my mind, I zip through the rest of my shower, dressing quickly before looking for Rex.
I find him sitting at the dining table reading a newspaper, sipping coffee while shirtless. A pair of low-slung sweats cover his legs. I drool. A little. Okay, a lot.
“Hi.” Rex’s slow grin goes straight to my girly parts, waking them back up.
No time for that now. “Hi. Shower’s free.”
His face falls into a frown. “I had kind of been hoping you’d walk back out naked. Nice dress. Uh, show’s quite a bit of your, uh… skin, doesn’t it?”
Damn, he’s cute even when grumpy.
Looking down at the lightweight beach dress I’d bought on impulse, I adjust the spaghetti straps, smoothing down the material that ends mid-thigh. “You don’t like it?”
“No. I love it. I just don’t want any other guy to see you in it.”
My stomach flutters at his possessive comment. It surprises me that something so alpha sounding coming from Rex makes me want to change just to please him. I’m about to do just that when he stands, taking my hand.
“Sorry. You can wear whatever you want. I’ve never been jealous. I guess with you, it’s different. Give me fifteen to shower and dress. And we’ll head down to brunch. I don’t mind sharing you with everyone, as long as we’re together. Besides, it’ll give me more time to convince you.”
“Convince me. Of what?”
“I’m your guy and you’re my woman… er, gal, mate, destiny. Whatever you want to call it, I plan on convincing you we are meant for each other.” Rex winks, then shuts the bathroom door.
The sound of the shower turning on filters through the door and I just stand there, dumbstruck.
Rex’s clean plate proves the excellent brunch Tamara ordered was a great choice. I’ve barely touched mine, spending most of the meal watching the surrounding couples interact. And Rex picked right up where he left off on the plane yesterday, attentive and affectionate… I never want this day to end.
Tamara scoots her chair down and gives me a quick hug. “You look tired. Didn’t sleep well?”
Avoiding eye contact with Rex, I smile but choose not to verbally acknowledge his satisfied grin.
“No. I mean yes. The bed lived up to the hype. Must just be the time difference. So, what do you need me to do to get ready for the ceremony? Don’t you need a bouquet? What about a photographer?”
Tamara holds up her hand, her gaze bouncing between Rex and me as I list off anything to get me away from his sexy gazes and wandering hands that are keeping me in a constant state of intense need.
“Everything is set. The hotel has a wedding planner on staff and she’s fabulous.
All you need to do is keep me calm and stand with me, looking gorgeous in that dress we picked out. Has she shown it to you, Rex?”
Rex shook his head. “I haven’t had the pleasure.”
“Well, just wait. It’s perfect. Actually, it sort of looks like a wedding dress, doesn’t it, Heather?
Anyway, I want you two to enjoy the rest of the day— together.
Some of the others are going snorkeling, but I need a nap.
You two look like you had a late night, too.
Get some rest, and I’ll see you tonight at the rehearsal, okay?
” Tamara hugs me then buzzes off to talk to Stefan’s parents, who’ve just arrived; hers are due in later and should be at the rehearsal.
“I like her. And Stefan. They seem really happy and very compatible.”
Rex’s hand disappears under the table, landing on my thigh, and he begins rubbing light circles on my exposed flesh.
His touch feels electric and necessary. How quickly I’ve become addicted to having his hands on me.
Is this how it started for Tamara? She’d told me she knew Stefan was the one on their first date, but was this more than just chemistry?
Or was this something so indefinable that any to attempt to pick it apart would ruin any chance that Rex and I could also have something real?
Because he seemed to think that was possible, even though he’d yet to say the three little words I had a hard time believing in anymore.
I move just out of his reach. I can’t think straight with his hand on me. Plus, I need to get a few answers because overthinking what I’m feeling for him is driving me bonkers.
“Why hasn’t some lucky woman taken you off the market?”
My question definitely catches him off guard. He sits back in his chair, rubs his jaw, and stares off into the distance.
We’re the last couple to leave, so we have this section of the outdoor dining area to ourselves. The sound of waves crashing further down the beach where the shoreline merges into a small cove is the only sound between us for so long. I rack my brain for a follow-up question to end the awkwardness.
“Hmm? Well, it’s not like I haven’t dated.
I actually have dated quite a bit. Doesn’t mean I sleep with every woman I date, either.
I just usually don’t get past the second or third date.
I’ve, uh, kind of gotten this reputation amongst my friends.
It’s pretty funny actually, considering today’s Valentine’s Day.
” He pauses, but still doesn’t look at me.
“Oh, now I’ve got to hear this story. Don’t leave me hanging.” I purposely put a lilt in my words to keep the tone light. Intrigued, I really want him to keep going.
“Cupid.”
I look around, confused. Is he referring to the holiday tomorrow or… “Huh?”
“That’s what they call me. Mr. Cupid. Seems like I have this knack for relationship counseling.
The last three women I dated, before you, that is, went back to their exes.
” Rex shrugs and finishes his drink. “I mean, it's pretty obvious when someone is still hooked on the previous guy, and I’m not looking to hook up anymore. We’re in our thirties and I want more from my relationships.
If a woman isn’t into me, I usually know it right away, so if I can help her see that and maybe get back together with who she really wants to be with, then it saves a lot of time and headaches. ”
His story done Rex leans his forearms on the table, then brushes a piece of hair that had blown across my face out of my eyes.
He slowly tucks it behind my ear. Rex leaves his hand on the side of my face, cradling it.
His gaze locks onto me, his eyes darkening right before he pulls me into a kiss.
Slow and light, he brushes his warm lips across mine.
The action steals my breath and another piece of my heart.
“I didn’t have that issue with you. I knew from the moment I met you.
How very special you are, probably the one.
But I was too late. You belonged to someone else.
For months after you transferred out of the ER, I carried on like a lovesick puppy.
Just ask Austin.” He laughs, then runs his thumb over my bottom lip.
Lost in the moment, my head feels fuzzy, full of desire and so much hope.
“And then a miracle happened, and your friend Miranda was my nurse when I was released the other day. She knew I had a thing for you all along and told my sister about you needing a last-minute date. Stitches or not, I was going to be on that plane. They wanted me to surprise you, thinking you wouldn’t be too happy it was me. But I had faith. And look at us now.”
He dips his head, kissing me again. Another slow and soft kiss that makes me want more. Harder, deeper, longer. I want to race back to our room and lock ourselves away.
I let out a disappointed sigh when he ends the kiss. “And then you proved to me, very quickly I might add, that you were nothing like any of my previous dates. That my days of being Mr. Cupid were behind me.”
“What made me different?” Whispering, I lick my lips, craving another kiss but also needing to know.
“One, you aren’t still in love with your ex.
If you were, you wouldn’t have responded so sweetly, perfectly, to my touch the way you did in the galley.
Two, you easily fell into the role of girlfriend, allowing me to touch you, speak to you, as if we were already lovers in front of your friends and your ex.
And three, despite our rocky start, you, Heather Campbell, are totally into me.
And that’s why I’m not letting you go. I love you. ”
Thump, thump, thump! My heart feels as if it will burst from my chest. Full body chills, the really good kind, envelope me. That little voice in my head, the one that kept me safe and on track when faced with the unknown, is now screaming. Rex. Is. The One.
Tell him, kiss him, drag him back to the room and show him.
So, I do.
“I love you, too. Happy Valentine’s Day, Cupid.”