“Who is that?” I whisper.
Cami’s answer doesn’t come as quick as I’d expect. I look up in time to see her pull her bottom lip between her teeth. She worries it back and forth several times before releasing it.
“I don’t know.” She shrugs.
I’m tempted to tell her she’s the one who sucks at lying, but that would be sassy, and my dad says I need to work on not being so sassy. Instead, I look out the window and all the air rushes from my lungs.
Papa!
I stand frozen, watching in horror as a gun pushes against Daddy’s forehead. Through gritted teeth, he says something that causes the other man’s jaw to clench tight, and even from the window, I feel the energy in the air shift.
Lowering the gun, the stranger pumps two rounds into the ground at Daddy’s feet before shoving the muzzle violently under his chin.
“No!!” I push at the window, beating my fists against the glass, trying to get out, trying to get to him, but I can’t. I turn around to look at Cami, but she’s gone. Another loud pop followed by a scream has me running through the house.
“Shae!”
A hand grabs my arm.
“Shae!”
I spin around, but no one is there. The house is eerily quiet, and then I hear it again.
“Shae!”
Who is Shae? Something isn’t right.
Another loud pop ricochets through the air.
With a loud gasp, my eyes open, and I fly up in bed.
I blink several times, taking in the dark, unfamiliar room. My chest is heaving, my palms sweating, and then I hear my name again. The fog in my head lifts, and Rex’s face comes into view.
“Shae.” He shakes his head before dropping his chin to his chest. “You scared the shit out of me.” Lifting his eyes to mine, he pauses. “Are you okay? You were screaming and thrashing and you wouldn’t wake up.”
“I—it was just a dream.” At least I think it was. I’ve had dreams over the years, but they’re inconsistent at best, and I can’t be sure if they’re memories trying to resurface or my subconscious playing tricks on my heart. Since returning to Chicago, I’ve been consumed with trying to remember that horrible day, and the dreams have become more frequent.
Running a hand through my messy hair, I glance at Rex. He’s crouched at my side, completely naked, fear and worry etched across his glorious face.
“I’m okay.” I grab his hand, grateful that someone was here.
He nods, but he doesn’t look convinced.
The clock says it’s only three o’clock in the morning, so I ease us back against the pillows.
“Want me to get you a drink of water or something?”
I shake my head and settle in against Rex’s chest where I feel safe. “I don’t need anything, but thank you.”
My hand rests against his stomach. Several minutes pass, and right about the time my eyes drift shut, Rex intertwines our fingers and brings my hand to his mouth.
I pry a heavy lid open and blink up at him. He tries to give me a reassuring smile, but I can see the concern still brewing behind his dark eyes.
“Sleep,” he says, kissing my hand. “I’ve got you.”
And I do.
Tucking my face in the crook of his neck, I drift into a dreamless sleep, waking up hours later to an empty bed and the smell of bacon. I stretch like a cat, lifting my arms above my head as I roll onto Rex’s side of the bed. It’s still warm, so I know he hasn’t been gone long.
My body is sore in the most delicious way, a gentle yet stark reminder of where Rex has been, and I can’t stop the smile from stretching across my face. For once I’m not thinking about my father or my sister, or finding a job. I’m not a daughter searching for answers, or a friend keeping secrets, I’m simply a woman who just had the best sex of her life with an incredibly gorgeous, attentive, and cocky man.
Who would’ve thought Rex could be such a gentle lover? Don’t get me wrong, he has a rough side. If anyone is unsure of that, all they’d have to do is look at my ass because I’ve got the red marks to prove it.
“I thought I heard someone rustling around in here.”
Rex’s gorgeous face pops around the corner as he saunters into the room, gray sweats hanging low on his hips, and all my thoughts drift away.
“Good morning, sleepy head.”
Damn, he’s sexy.
My gaze rakes over his body. Tattoos run up both of his arms, and there’s another on his ribs. I make a mental note to explore them more closely if the opportunity presents itself. When my eyes make their way back to his, Rex is grinning at me.
I grin back. I should be embarrassed for ogling him so openly, except I’m not. In fact, my eyes take another trip south, watching his muscles twist and flex beneath his smooth skin, remembering how good his body felt pressed against mine, as he walks toward the bed. Rex stops and leans over me.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.” His voice is husky and raw, and judging by the growing bulge in his sweats, he’s just as affected by me as I am him.
“You sure do like to ask that, don’t you?” I say, recalling the same question last night.
He swallows, seeming momentarily taken aback. “I’m usually pretty good at figuring women out—what they want, what their intentions are, but you? You’re a mystery. And you intrigue the fuck out of me. I know we said we were only going to give each other one night, but the way you looked at me last night and the way you’re looking at me now say something completely different.”
Wow. The vulnerability in his gaze slices me open, and I’m not really sure how to respond, so I decide to answer his question.
“What I’m thinking,” I say, blinking up at him, “is that you’re terrifyingly gorgeous. You should come with a warning label because I’m certain you’re a hazard to women’s health, mine included.” My voice is soft, my words slow and precise.
Rex swallows. His eyes drop to my mouth.
“But what I can’t figure out is why I’m here…” His eyes snap back to mine, the slightest furrow to his brow. “…in your bed, naked as the day I was born, when you could have any other woman in the universe.”
By no means am I insecure. I’m happy with my body and the way I look, but Rex is in an entirely different league, and I’m not sure how any woman could possibly measure up.
Lowering himself next to me, Rex brushes his fingers down the side of my cheek, across my chest, and then he pulls the covers down, exposing the top half of my body. My nipples pucker with need when the cool air hits them, and I shift against the pillows. Rex’s eyes stay focused on my mine, but his hand continues to explore.
“Shae, you don’t know how stunning you are. Everything about you is appealing. Your smile, the tiny dimple in your right cheek, your startling blue eyes.” His fingers skim across my breasts, stopping long enough to rub my nipples before traveling toward my stomach. “Your body is a masterpiece made be treasured, but none of that is what I find most attractive.”
No man has ever complimented me like this, and I swallow hard past the lump in my throat. “It isn’t?”
He shakes his head. “No. What I find most attractive is how brutally honest you are, how you speak from your heart. You’re not afraid to say what you think, and that’s a virtue hard to come by. Make no mistake, Shae, it’s not you who is undeserving. It’s me.”
Funny, because that’s my favorite thing about him.
Tunneling my fingers in his hair, I pull Rex’s face close to mine. “You shouldn’t say such sweet things,” I whisper against his lips.
“Why not? You deserve them.”
“Because they make me want to take back everything I said before about not being ready for anything more than a physical relationship.”
He smiles as he kisses me. “Then my evil plan is working.”
“Your evil plan is making me want to sample you for breakfast.” My stomach picks that exact moment to let out an unladylike gurgle, and we both laugh.
“Lucky for you I have an entire feast waiting in the other room.”
I slide my hands down his back, my nails digging into his skin, and his eyes glaze over. He stands up and swiftly tugs off his sweats.
“Forget it. The bacon can wait.”
I giggle when he pounces on the bed, but my laughter quickly turns to a moan when his mouth finds my breast.