Shana Mine (9 page)

* * *

Alone in my hotel suite, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. But I was not going to spend the day mooning over him like a lovesick teenager. While I prepared to spend the day sightseeing, I realized I hadn’t called my kids or checked in to make sure everything was running smoothly at the office.

Overcoming a disturbing reluctance to answer possible probing questions from my kids, I called them. Neither picked up so I left messages assuring them that I was fine and having a great time. I then called the office and spoke to my office manager.

Reassured that everything was fine at home and at work, I left the hotel for a day of sightseeing. I visited the Poe House, The Betsy Ross House, took a tour of City Hall and then had a salad at a mall called One Liberty Place. As I sat sipping my diet drink, my cell phone rang.

My heart beat a wild tattoo when my caller I.D. screen read T. Raymond. I lifted the phone to my ear. “Hi,” I said.

“Hi, sweet.”

His voice was low and warm and I could imagine him smiling that wonderful, sexy smile of his.

“How’s your day going?”

“I’m out sightseeing,” I said and told him the places I’d already visited and my plans for the rest of the day. “How’s your day?”

“Hectic. I’ve been busy from the moment I left you. I’m pulling up to do an emergency water heater replacement. I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow, sweet.”

“Bye,” I said.

After lunch, I hopped on a bus and spent a few hours at the Franklin Museum before returning to the hotel during rush hour, which meant I ended up standing all the way back to the hotel on a crowded bus.

Tired from my day out, I undressed, filled the tub, and thankfully sank into the warm scented water. Closing my eyes, I lay thinking of Taylor while I dozed. When I got out of the bath, I decided to spend the night in.

I put on a
comfortable, cotton pant
suit and ordered room service.

I was delighted when the room service waiter arrived with a dozen roses, and an expensive box of chocolates from Taylor along with my steak and grilled vegetables.

Smiling, I picked up the card.

I miss you, Shana mine.

Taylor.

My cell phone rang as I sat watching a movie and thinking about Taylor and how we could make a long distance relationship work. I recognized Jasmin’s ring and bit my lip. Then I did something I’d rarely done in our long friendship—ignored her call, allowing it to go to voicemail.

I then spent the rest of the night berating myself for not taking her call. I hadn’t because I was afraid she might be calling to tell me she wanted Taylor back. And I didn’t want to give him back. I clutched the small teddy bear he’d given me against my breasts.

He found me more natural and had told me about the sons she didn’t even know existed. He’d taken time off from work for me. Not her. He hearted me. Not her. And God help me, I hearted him in return.

He called me just after nine. “The guys are popping corn in preparation for a movie we’re about to watch. I just wanted to say goodnight.”

I smiled. “Oh, Taylor, Taylor. You are too sweet for words.”

“Dad!”

He sighed. “Hold that thought. I’ll pick you up eight o’clock tomorrow morning after I take the guys to school.”

“Good night, Taylor.”

“Good night, Shana.”

Considering I’d had little sleep since Taylor and I first had sex, I should have slept soundly that night, but I tossed and turned instead. Thoughts of him kept me awake, along with the guilt I felt for blowing off Jasmin’s call. Finally, I got up and listen
ed
to
her
message.

“Hey girl, where are you? Give me a call. I’ve met some amazing men and a satisfying number of them love women just like us—sassy and large. But damn if I haven’t found myself comparing every one of them to Taylor. I cannot stop thinking about how wicked he is in bed.

“I hope you’re having a good time with him, but not too good because I’m thinking I’m going to be sashaying my ass into his bed when I return. Call me. Love you, girl.”

Oh hell! I knew I should call her and confess that things had quickly gotten out of hand with Taylor. But somehow I couldn’t.

It took a long time to fall asleep. I woke feeling guilty and tired as hell. But my world brightened tremendously when Taylor arrived, took me in his arms, and kissed me until I couldn’t breathe.

I sucked in a deep breath and burrowed in his arms. “Hi.”

He laughed, lifted my face, and kissed me again. “Damn
.
I missed you last night.”

“I missed you too.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “Shit, this is so intense. I feel like I’m burning every time I think of you and I think of you nearly every waking moment.”

The need I heard in his voice matched what I felt. I linked an arm around his neck. “This is crazy, Taylor. We didn’t even know each other a week ago and—“

He pressed his fingers against my mouth. “We know, need, and want each other now to the exclusion of everyone else. Yes?”

“Yes,” I whispered, pressing my cheek against his shoulder. “Oh lord yes.”

“What else matters, Shana mine?”

“I feel like a silly teenager with you and I get such a thrill when you call me Shana mine. And when you do, nothing else matters.”
Unless you count a little thing like the lifelong friendship I’
ll
risk if I try to pursue a relationship with you after Friday.

He smiled. “You are mine and God help anyone trying to take you from me.”

“Jasmin called,” I said when he released me.

He picked up my suitcase. “Are you ready to checkout?”

“Yes. Jasmin called,” I said again, glancing around to make sure I hadn’t left anything in the room.

“I heard you the first time, sweet.” He opened the suite door and waited for me to walk out in front of him. “And I’m no more interested in what she had to say now th
a
n I was yesterday. We had a pleasant but meaningless fling that went on far longer than it should have. End of story and discussion.”

For him maybe, but not me—not when I knew I’d be caught between a man I hungered for with a passion beyond reason and my best friend.

We spent a few hours shopping for souvenirs before we went to South Philly to have one of Phillie’s famous cheese
steaks
for lunch. Then we walked hand in hand along Penn
’
s Landing down by the river.

Each time he stopped to hug or kiss me, I could feel myself falling a little more in love with him.

That night we had dinner while cruising along The Delaware on a dinner cruise ship. He kissed and caressed me at every opportunity and I eagerly responded, all too aware that we were spending our last night together.

We were both quiet on the drive to his house.

“Can you imagine yourself living here?”

Surprised and pleased by the question, I turned to look at Taylor. “What?”

He closed and locked the door and set the alarm before meeting my gaze. “You heard me. Can you?”

I looked around the foyer. I loved the textured floors and the pleasing cream-colored paint. The centerpiece of the foyer was the wide staircase that wound at the top and opened up onto an interior second floor balcony. Each room was tastefully furnished. There were a few things I might change but nothing major.

It seemed like a solid, well-built brick house that had been thoroughly modernized. I shrugged. “It’s a very nice house. Who updated and decorated it?”

“I bought it at auction five years ago. It was a wreck and had to be completely gutted.”

“That must have been a lot of work.”

“It was but I didn’t do it alone. I had two mentors. One of them, along with his brothers, and my father helped me completely gut it and rehab it.”

“You did a great job.”

“One of my mentors is a very skillful carpenter. He took me on as an apprentice and taught me nearly everything I know and encouraged and helped me to start my own business—even sending clients my way he could have kept for himself.”

“He sounds like a great guy.”

“Both of them are. I’ll introduce you to them one day.”

“I’ll look forward to it. So who decorated it?”

“My mother decorated.”

“She has great taste.”

He sighed and shook his head. “Now are you going to answer my question?”

“No.”

To my surprise, he arched a brow but didn’t pressure me for an answer.

After a swim, we undressed and slipped into bed. I was surprised and disappointed when he showed no inclination to make love to me.

He held me all night and woke me early the next morning. “I need you,” he whispered, rubbing his erect cock against my thigh.

“Bathroom break,” I said.

He reluctantly rolled off me.

When I returned to the bedroom, he sat on one of the chairs by the window with a condom on.

I tossed off the robe I wore and crossed the room to him. Smiling, I placed my hands on his shoulders and rubbed my slit against his cock.

He reached up to squeeze and caress my bare breasts. “Ride me, sweet.”

I leaned forward to touch my lips to his forehead. “Which entrance, Taylor?”

“Your sweet pussy.”

I sighed in relief and reaching down to part my slit, I pressed it against his cockhead.

Gripping my hips, he pulled them down slowly.

Tightening my hands on his shoulders, I closed my eyes. I enjoyed every second of feeling his hard length pushing up into me until I sat with my ass on his lap savoring the joy of having him buried deep inside me again.

I thought he wanted to fuck, but his gentleness and tenderness as he caressed and kissed me filled with me wonder that I could invoke such deep emotion i
n
him so quickly. When he whispered to me in his native tongue, I lapped up each word—even though I still couldn’t understand a word he said.

I sat on his lap with my cheek pressed against his neck after we’d both come. By six that night, I’d be on a plane—leaving him and my heart behind
—
unless I tossed Jasmin under the bus
by
starting a
long distance relationship with Taylor.

But even if I decided to put desire above friendship, what were the chances he and I would fare any better than he and Jasmin had? Like her, I was nearly ten years older than him. Like her, I lived and worked on the opposite coast from him. Unlike her, I had two kids who would probably think I’d lost my mind thinking I could keep his interest for any extended length of time. And unlike Jasmin, I’d be devastated if he lost interest in me.

I lifted my head to look at him, the muscles of my throat tight. “I’m going to miss you so much, Taylor.”

He caressed my back and shoulders. “You won’t if you stay here with me until I can accompany you home in a few weeks when I’ve handled my work commitments. “

That would only make the eventual breakup harder. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

I peeled myself off his cock and rose. “I think I’m always going to remember this week with you as the sweetest of my life.”

He stood up and caught my hand as I turned away. “But?”

“But I did what I came to do and now it’s time for me to go home.”
Before I fall hopelessly in love with you.

“Your kids are nearly adults
and living on their own
. If you go home without me, what are
you
going home to?”

I stared at him. “Did it ever occur to you that you just might be overestimating the effect you have on me?”

“No,” he said coolly. “That thought never occurred to me. Why should it when we both know it’s not true?”

“It’s a bit much for you to imagine that unless I have you in my life, it’ll be emotionally or romantically empty. We had a fling.”

“Oh fuck
,
Shana. Don’t you go there. You know damned well this isn’t just a fling for you any more than it is for me.”

Staring into his angry gaze, I couldn’t deny the truthfulness of his words. “Jasmin probably wants you back,” I said.

“I don’t want her or anyone but you, Shana.”

“She’s my best friend.”

“And?”

“And I think she wants you back.”

“That’s too damned bad, isn’t it? I told her it was over when we
spoke
on the phone. But we both know she already knew that.”

“That’s all well and good for you but what am I supposed to do? Pretend I don’t know and won’t be betraying her if I ignore how she feels?”

He cupped a hand over my cheek. “Oh, sweet. All she and I shared was sex. We both know there’s far more than that going on between us. Yes?”

I nodded. While I knew I did and suspected he felt more as well, I wasn’t willing to risk my life-long friendship on the very slim chance that we could build a meaningful relationship despite our various differences.