Chapter 6
Delilah
“When nothing goes right, go left.”
~ Grant Turner
“Well, isn’t this pretty?” Mrs. Nelson held onto my arm as we entered through the lighted arch.
I tried to hold the irritation that had been building like a pressure cooker inside of me and was about to explode at bay. “Yep, it sure is.”
“It looks like dinner’s over and we’re just in time for the party. I never liked the dry chicken they serve at these things, anyway.” Mrs. Nelson patted my hand. “Oh, I see Dixie Rose and Edith are here. I’m gonna go say howdy.”
I watched as Mrs. Nelson made her way to her friends and tried to shake off the feeling of dread that was consuming me. Nothing about this night was going right, and it gave me a bad feeling about my entire plan. It felt like this was a race, and I hadn’t even made it off the starting block while the rest of the runners had lapped the track several times.
My first stop had been to the shop, where I was unable to find the arrangement my mom had made for the mayor. I called her and she told me that my dad had picked it up, so my trip had been for nothing.
Then, when I arrived at Mrs. Nelson’s, she opened the door in her housecoat, slippers, and a head full of curlers. I’d immediately offered to come back and pick her up later, but she’d dismissed that idea promising it would only take her “a few minutes to get gussied up.” She’d lied. My sisters had always taken forever in the bathroom getting ready, but the triplets had nothing on Barbara Jean Nelson. I’d tried to speed along the process by offering to take the curlers out of her hair and apply her makeup, but she’d insisted that it was half the fun of a night on the town.
An hour and a half had rolled by before we made it here, and I’d been tempted, once again, to abort the mission. I’d thought about just dropping Mrs. Nelson off and then going home to regroup. But I knew if I gave into that feeling, if I didn’t show up tonight, I’d regret it. I had to keep my eye on the prize.
Lifting my head, I did just that when I locked gazes with Sawyer Briggs from across the room. Most of my night might’ve been hijacked and it had taken some detours to get here. But now that I was, it was the exact scene that I’d pictured when I was doing my visualization. I’d just entered the event and was standing beneath a blanket of twinkle lights. He was across the room, in the same corner I’d imagined. He wore a dark gray button-up shirt and black slacks, no tie, no jacket, looking like a dark angel sent from heaven to save the world. He held a drink in his left hand. He stared at me for a moment before his stare drifted lower, down my entire body and back up. The heat of his stare washed over me like a summer breeze. It was so strong, so real, so tangible, that I half expected my skirt to blow up in a recreation of the famous picture of Marilyn standing over the grate.
Before I’d even had a chance to adjust to the sensation of having Sawyer Briggs’ undivided attention directed at me, the second part of my visualization played out in real life. Sawyer started towards me like a lion stalking his prey. Everyone in the room went fuzzy. The only thing I could see was the mountain of a man headed my way. The blurred-out crowds parted for him, leaving an opening that led straight to me.
I reminded myself to breathe and tried not to freak out…on the outside at least. On the inside, I was going full on Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch. I tried to tell myself to play it cool, but that same voice was also screaming that it couldn’t believe this was actually happening. The synapses in my head were lighting up like a Christmas tree as thoughts zig-zagged around trying to make sense of what was transpiring.
The law of attraction was working. I’d read The Secret ten times, and the principals I’d learned were finally manifesting themselves. That was the only explanation my squirrel brain could come up with to justify why the man I’d spent a lifetime pining after, who rarely gave me the time of day, was now a couple of yards away from me and eating up the distance in long, purposeful strides. With each step he took my heart beat faster, my palms grew damper, and mind went blanker.
As he stopped directly in front of me, a surge of adrenaline—so strong it weakened my knees—rushed from my head to my toes. I stumbled back from its dizzying power but strong fingers wrapped around my upper arm, steadying me for the second time today. The heat of Sawyer’s grasp grounded me as much as it aroused me.
“Are you okay?” A crease formed on his forehead. “I think you should sit down.”
Well, it wasn’t I can’t stop thinking about you. I spend every second of every day thinking about you. I want you. I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you.
I love you. I’ve loved you for so long I don’t remember not loving you…but I’d take it.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
I’d hoped to exude grace, confidence, and beauty when I’d seen him. I may not have been able to pull that off, but there was still hope I could bring it back around. That is, if I didn’t pass out first.
The room started spinning, and Sawyer stepped beside me, wrapped his massive arm around me and ushered me to an empty table in the corner of the room. As we sat, a glass of water magically appeared in front of me, as did a basket of bread.
“Drink.” Sawyer lifted the glass of water.
I took it from him and our fingers brushed. A zing shot up my arm at the contact causing a new wave of light-headedness. As I brought the glass to my mouth and the liquid ran down my throat I realized just how spacey I felt. I was trying to figure out why it seemed like I was floating outside my body. Maybe it was the mix of adrenaline and arousal. Maybe it was anxiety and nerves. Maybe it was excitement and anticipation.
“When’s the last time you ate?” Sawyer narrowed his gaze on me.
“This morn…” I stopped mid-word.
Had I eaten this morning?
No. I’d made eggs but then my sister Madison had called because she’d locked herself out of her house, so I’d turned off the stove. I’d worked through lunch because I closed the shop early to get my hair and makeup done.
So, I flipped back to yesterday. Surely I’d eaten yesterday. But as I took a short trip down memory lane I realized that I hadn’t because I’d been working so hard the last couple of days getting the arrangements put together for this fundraiser. The last time I could remember eating was…Thursday morning, and it was Saturday night now.
Between the extra work at the shop for the event and the fact that I’d been so distracted by everything with my plan finally coming to fruition, I had completely forgotten to eat. Mystery solved. I didn’t feel this way because of adrenaline, arousal, anxiety, nerves, excitement, or anticipation. It was good old fashioned hunger. I’d inadvertently been starving myself.
Sawyer must’ve seen the realization on my face because without waiting for my response he handed me a piece of bread. “Eat.”
As I took the bread the first thought that I had was that I wanted to weigh myself as soon as I got home, just to see if my accidental diet had at least produced the added benefit of shedding a few of the unwanted pounds that I carried, but I shut that thought down.
I was done with that kind of thinking.
Part of my year of self-improvement had been to eat healthier, move more, and stop obsessing about a number on a scale. And this was a perfect example of why I knew that I was doing the right thing. The man of my dreams was sitting beside me, feeding me and my first thought was how much I weigh.
No. No more. I was going to live in the moment and be grateful for the body that I was given. I walked in here on two legs. Sure they might be a little larger than I wished they were but they worked. Not everyone was that lucky. I was done feeling insecure and taking for granted things that other people would give anything to have. I was going to appreciate and love my body. And if things went the way I hoped they would, I wasn’t going to be the only one.
“Thank you.” I took the bread from him and just like when he’d handed me the water, our fingers grazed each other.
Again, a buzz ran through me at the innocent touch. As I took a bite of the bread and began to chew, I wondered what it would be like if he touched me other places. If it would have the same electrifying effect in more sensitive areas of my body. Another visualization popped into my mind, this one not quite as PG as the last. I pictured his hand running up my thigh, slipping beneath my skirt, not stopping until he reached the apex of my legs where his fingers dipped beneath my white lace panties and…
“Good. You’re getting some color back.” He handed me another roll.
I didn’t want it, I tried to limit the amount of bread I had, but I took it anyway because I’d rather have him think it was the food causing my flush than a Skinemax scene playing out in mind. Although, if he did know, it might move things along at a much quicker pace than my original plan.
No. As tempting as it might be to rush things with Sawyer, I needed to stick to the program. What I wanted from him wasn’t just sex, I wanted intimacy. I didn’t want to be like the girl from that bar in Dallas that said he was as much of a stranger six months into their relationship as he had been the first time they met.
When I finished the second piece of bread, he handed me the water again. This time I took it without his gruff one-word instruction to drink.
I had to admit I was feeling better as I set the glass down and licked the excess moisture off of my lips. I lifted my eyes and noticed the outer edge of his nostrils flare while his eyes were laser-locked on my mouth. The intensity radiating off of him as I took one more pass along the seam of my lips, had me feeling dizzy for an entirely different reason. This time I was light-headed from the buzz of arousal.
My chair wobbled, and I heard a voice beside me. “Damn, girl, you look mighty fine.”
Glancing up, I saw that Brady Calhoun was standing with his hand on the back of my chair. I’d known him since primary school, and he’d never shown even the slightest bit of interest in me. My sisters, yes. But me, no. And I’d always been grateful for that. He was cocky, egotistical, and a loud mouth. None of the qualities that I looked for in a man.
“Thanks.” I shifted uncomfortably at the way Brady’s eyes drifted down to the cleavage that I’d been so proud of when I’d stood in front of the mirror as I was getting ready.
Not reading the room, or table, in this case, Brady extended his arm. “Care to dance?”
No. I wanted to stay here with Sawyer, but I didn’t want him to feel like he had to babysit me all night. I wanted him to want me, not feel obligated. But getting up from this table went against every cell in my body screaming to stay put. I bit my lip trying to decide what the right thing to do was and glanced up to see if I could read the temperature of the table. When Sawyer’s eyes met mine I sucked in a breath at the intensity that was in them, and I breathed, “No thanks.”
“Come on. One dance.” Brady reached for my arm.
Sawyer placed his arm around the back of my chair, knocking the hand that Brady had been using to lean on, off, causing him to stumble slightly.
“Hey!”
Not wanting this to escalate further, I tried to smooth things over. Turning to Brady, I explained, “I’m just going to take it easy tonight, but thanks for asking.”
Because he didn’t have a brain in his head, he was now more determined than ever and doubled down. He leaned in towards me and whispered in my ear, “Come on, that dress deserves a spin on the floor.”
Before I had a chance to reply, Sawyer stood, and Brady backed away with his hands in the air. I could’ve easily handled Brady Calhoun. I might be nice and sweet, but I had no problem setting boundaries, at least when it came to unwanted advances. If I had as much of a backbone with my family as I had with guys that got out of line, it would honestly change my life.
When Brady was halfway across the room, Sawyer slowly sat back down, not taking his eyes off of him.
Before I had a chance to tell him I appreciated him stepping in but it wasn’t necessary, Cooper slid into the chair beside me, making me the meat in a Briggs-brothers sandwich.
“What the hell was that about?” he asked.
“Umm…” I wasn’t sure how to answer that because I honestly had no idea. For some reason, Brady had seriously pissed Sawyer off, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t about me. My eyes searched Sawyer’s for answers, but he didn’t seem to have any inclination to answer his brother. So I tried. “I’m not sure.”
“Was Brady being an ass?” Cooper grabbed a roll from the basket and took a bite.
I shrugged. “Not really. He just asked me to dance.”
“That’s it?” Cooper’s eyes bounced between his brother’s and mine. “He asked you to dance?”
I nodded. “A few times.”
“Well, apparently he has a death wish,” Coop teased. “I mean, I get it. You look absolutely gorgeous. He probably thought if that was how he was going to go out it would be worth it.”
“Thanks, Coop,” I grinned and rolled my eyes, taking his remark in stride.
Unlike Brady, Cooper Briggs always complimented me and every other girl in his general vicinity. Blonde, brunette, redhead, it didn’t matter. Tall, short, thick or skinny, they were all his type. Twenty years old to ninety, age made no difference. He was an equal opportunity charmer.
“I mean it. You’re always a knock-out, but tonight, you really outdid yourself. You are like a walking, breathing fantasy.”
My cheeks heated even though I knew that he had probably used that same line on Dixie Rose, Edith, Barbara Jean and Dorothy, all of whom had passed senior citizen status decades ago.
“Since you’ll be spending a lot of time with my brother and I know I won’t be taking my life into my hands because my brother wouldn’t hurt a hair on my head, how about you let me steal you away for a spin on the dance floor?”
Wait. He said that I was going to be spending plenty of time with his brother that meant that the bids must have been announced and I’d won. I’d been fairly certain that I wouldn’t be outbid. But now it made sense why Sawyer was here. He probably wanted to ask if I was insane.
I wasn’t sure, but I thought I heard Sawyer growl, actually growl beside me.
“Do you want to dance?” The offer came from the very last person I’d ever expected it to, and it was nowhere near as smooth as the other invitations. Sawyer’s voice was gritty and rough, and it made my sex clench.
This entire night had gone from zero to sixty, and I was still trying to get my bearings. I looked up at him with uncertainty. I knew that he was probably asking so he could figure out if I needed a straitjacket, but the chance to dance with him was too much of a temptation to pass up. “Yes?”
His lips pulled up into a smile and his left brow rose. “You sure about that?”
Oh. My. Lord.
I’d been ready for a lot of things tonight. Sawyer ignoring me. Sawyer avoiding me. Sawyer not speaking to me. What I hadn’t been prepared for was Sawyer smiling at me.
It stole my breath. It stole my ability to speak. It stole my heart.
Not able to form words I took a page out of Sawyer’s book and nodded. The next thing I knew I was being swept up in his arms and we were in the middle of the dance floor. The feeling of being surrounded by his strength as he held me tightly while we swayed together was better than any dream, any fantasy, any visualization I’d ever had.
Being in the arms of my dark angel was heaven on earth, and I never wanted it to end.