Best Friends Forever (12 page)

“Baby,
what we’re going to be doing later…what you’ll be going through, you’ll need
extra protein.
 
I know you prefer chicken
but red meat, the pinker the better, is the best source of that protein.
 
I ordered the vegetables instead of a potato because
I know you normally watch how many carbs you eat.
 
Besides…” he grinned.
 
“Too many carbs will make you sluggish and we
definitely don’t want to be sluggish tonight, now do we?”
 
I looked at him through my lashes and smiled.
 
“Of course not…sir.”
 
“That’s my girl.”
 
While we waited for our food, we enjoyed the
wine, which was wonderful but I tried to go slow.
 
I didn’t want to get drunk and miss anything later.
 
Inside, my tummy was aflutter with what seemed
like a million butterflies.
 

I
set down my wine glass and placed my hands in my lap, nervously twisting them
together.
 
“May I ask a
question…sir?”
 
“Of course.
 
You can ask me anything, sweetheart.”
 
“Later, when we…after dinner…what happens
next?”
 
“What happens next?
 
You mean when we leave here?”
 
He grinned when I nodded nervously.
 
“Well,” he crossed his arms on the table and
leaned forward.
 
“I don’t want to spoil
the surprise but I will tell you this much.
 
From here, we’ll go to my friend’s club.
 
He says he’s looking forward to meeting the woman who owns my heart.”
 
I looked up and gasp.
 
“Really?”
 
He shrugged and I knew he only pretended to misunderstand.
 
“Malcolm wants to meet you.”
 
Really,
Grant Thomas?
 
I’ve known you for how
long?
 
You can’t fool me.
 
You know
exactly
what I mean.
 

“Malcolm’s
a charmer and he has a thing for very sexy, beautiful women.
 
But…I want you to remember…you’re mine.
 
Understand?”
 
My heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in his voice and the…
love?
...in his eyes.
 
I couldn’t help the huge grin on my face as I
answered him, “Yes, sir!”
 
Our food soon arrived
and Grant changed the subject, talking about my plans for the temporary
library.
 
We shared a wonderful meal and
conversation.
 
Ricardo returned to our
table and inquired about dessert but Grant shook his head no.
 
“We’d like our check, please.”
 
He took care of the bill before holding my
chair as I stood.
 
His hand was once more
at the small of my back as we left the restaurant.
 
My heart practically leapt for joy when he
simply nodded at the hostess as she smiled and told us goodbye.
 
He’s
mine, bitch.
 
Eat your heart out.

Stepping outside the restaurant, Grant handed the ticket to the
valet.
 
As we waited, a large black SUV
pulled up and four men got out.
 
The
driver handed his keys over to the valet and accepted a ticket.
 
As the four men, laughing and joking together
walked closer to the restaurant door, one of the passengers glanced up at Grant
and me.
 
He turned to listen to one of
his friends but his head immediately snapped back to stare straight at me.
 
“Meri?”
 
His laugh was annoying and much too loud.
 
“As I live and breathe, is this little
Meredith MacDonagh all grown up?”
 
Oh crap!
 
Jack Callahan.
 
I dated Jack
once or twice my junior year in college, during the
Dark Years
until he dumped me when I refused to have sex with him,
calling me frigid and uptight.
 
As I stood
there, staring at him, all my insecurities came rushing back.
  
Grant, sensing my tension, wrapped his arm
around me and pulled me tight against his side.

Jack and his friends stopped in front of us.
 
Jack said to his three friends, “Meri and I
were
an item
...”
 
Really?
 
With the air quotes?
 
I can tell he hasn’t matured much.
 
“Back in college,” he continued.
 
All four men stared at my breasts, one of
them even licking his lips.
 
Gross!
 
Grant tugged on my curls until I looked up at him.
 
“Are you going to introduce me to your
friend
, sweetheart?”
 
He winked and I knew everything would be
okay.
 
I smiled impishly.
 
“Of course, baby.”
 
I met Jack’s eyes coolly before looking back
at Grant.
 
“
Professor
Grant Thomas, this is Jake...um...Calhoun?
 
I’m sorry, but I seem to have forgotten your
name.”
 
His eyes narrowed.
 
“It’s Jack...Jack Callahan.”
 
He held out his hand and Grant took it.
 
“Professor, huh?
 
You teach at the local college?”
 
Jack tried to retrieve his hand but Grant
refused to release it.
 
“That’s right,
Calhoun.”

“That’s Callahan,” Jack spoke through his gritted teeth and I could
see the strain in his arm as Grant finally released his hand.
 
Just then, the valet pulled up with Grant’s
car.
 
“Well, it was
nice
meeting you but Meri and I have plans.”
 
“Of course, good to meet you, too,” Jack
responded coolly before looking at me.
 
“Meri, I’ll call you?
 
Is your
cell number the same?”
 
Grant kissed me
on the neck, sending shivers throughout my body.
 
As my nipples hardened, I knew the men could
see them through the thin silk.
 
Grant
raised one brow at Jack.
 
Grant knows I’m not frigid.
 
“I don’t believe it would be appropriate, or
desired, that you contact my
fia
...Meri at all.
 
Good evening gentlemen.”
 
What
was that?
 
What was Grant going to call
me?
 
Darn it, I wish he had finished what
he started to say.

His hand at my lower back, Grant escorted me to his car and
quickly tucked me inside.
 
As we drove
away from the restaurant, I tried to suppress the giggle that escaped
anyway.
 
Glancing over at me, he grinned.
 
“What’s so funny?”
 
“The look on his face when you squeezed his
hand like that.”
 
I giggled again when he
snickered.
 
“That was a...
interesting
encounter.
 
Jack Callahan hasn’t changed a bit since
college.
 
Still the same immature
jerk.”
 
Grant nodded.
 
“I can’t believe you and he were an
item
.”
 
He made air quotes sarcastically.
 
I smirked, “Jack and I dated a sum total of two times.
 
We were never an
item
.
 
He dumped me after I
refused to have sex with him on the second date.”
 
He jerked the wheel and the car swerved
slightly.

“I’m glad you refused.
 
He’s not right for you.”
 
“He
seemed to think so.
 
He even went so far
as to call me frigid and uptight to explain why he just didn’t do a thing for
me.”
 
Grant laughed.
 
“There is no way on earth you could ever be
considered frigid or uptight, hon.” He placed his hand on my bare thigh just
below the hem of my sarong and I could feel the heat all the way to my
pussy.
 
“He’s a loser and doesn’t deserve
you.”
 
His fingertips softly rubbed small
swirls on the inside of my thigh.
 
“I’m
so sorry that I wasn’t there for you, that I didn’t take care of you the way I
should.”
 
“But...you had your own life to
live.
 
I’m a big girl, Grant.
 
I’m not your responsibility.”
 
He growled softly and his hand tightened on
my thigh.

“You don’t get it, do you?”
 
My eyes widened at the possessiveness in his voice.
 
“Get...get what?”
 
“You have been my responsibility since the day
I was born.
 
I’m
supposed
to take care of you.”
 
His grip loosened and he returned to rubbing the inside of my thigh
gently, slipping under the hem of my sarong a little.
 
“Meri, I’ve tried to go slow, to not rush
things because I didn’t think you were ready.
 
You will always be my best friend but...you mean so much more to me than
a best friend.
 
I truly believe that
everyone has a special kindred spirit...a soul mate, if you will.
 
And
you
are mine, Meredith MacDonagh.
 
You’re
mine
!
 
Understand?
”
 
My heart was beating so fast and hard, he had
to have heard it.
 
I felt a flush go over
my entire body and understood exactly what he was saying.
 
He
loves me.
 
Oh, I’ve always known he loves
me but he’s telling me he is
in
love
with me.

I love this man
so deeply
it scares me but
I know that he will always protect me and take care of me.
 
Yes, I am his...and…he is mine.
 
I felt this wonderful sense of power,
knowing that he’d do anything to make me happy.
 
Glancing up through my lashes at the special man next to me, I smiled
gently.
 
“Yes, sir.
 
I understand
completely
.”
 
His eyes on the
road, Grant started at my words.
 
Glancing quickly over at me, his grin looked relieved.
 
Was he
worried that I wouldn’t accept him?
 
How
could I not?
 
I’ve been in love with this
man my entire life.
 
The car slowed
and Grant flipped on his turn directional.
 
I looked up to see that we’d turned off onto a two lane paved driveway
leading to a large, well-lit, attractive two-story home.
 
Curious, I looked around, noting a small parking
area to the side and valets working at the front of the home.
 
Seeing my wide-eyed gaze, Grant grinned.

“Not what you expected, sweetheart?”
 
“Um...no, sir, it’s not.
 
It looks like someone’s home.”
 
“Malcolm says it puts the clientele at
ease.
 
He actually lives in a small house
on the property.”
 
My eyes met his.
 
“And will I be meeting Malcolm, sir?”
 
His eyes narrowed a bit before he
answered.
 
“Yes, but like I told you
earlier, he is a charming man.
 
He will
not touch you unless you consent so as long as you don’t allow him to sway your
judgment you’ll be fine.”
 
I looked up
through my lashes at him.
 
Is he nervous?
 
Does he seriously believe I would allow
another man touch me?
 
Wanting to
reassure him that he had nothing to worry about, I responded quietly, “You have
nothing to worry about, sir.
 
I will only
allow the man I love to touch me.”

Grant

The man she
loves?
 
Does this mean that
I’m
the man she
loves?
 
My heart skipped a beat and
nearly leapt out of my chest.
 
“Meri...”
 
Before I could ask her
if she meant what I thought she meant, the front door opened.
 
We turned to see a tall, thin, beautiful
blonde dressed in a black leather bustier, thong and thigh-high heeled boots
with a black dog collar around her neck.
 
“Good evening, Mina.”
 
Meri looked
from me to the blonde, suspicion in her lovely eyes.
 
Is she
jealous?
 
I leaned down and murmured
in her ear, “Don’t worry, baby.
 
She’s
not my type.”
 
Meri’s face flushed a
pretty pink but I saw the look of relief in her eyes.
 
Her eyes downcast, the blonde greeted
us.
 
“Good evening, Master Grant…miss.
 
Master Malcolm is expecting you.
 
Do I have permission to lead you to
him?”
 
I nodded, “Please do.”
 
Placing my hand at the small of Meri’s back,
we followed Mina into the house.