Rex (19 page)

I’m not sure what possesses me, but when we get to the bank of elevators, I throw my arms around him and he stumbles back, surprised. “Thank you for the picture,” I say with appreciation, “and good luck tonight.”

As the doors close, I expel a gratifying sigh. I reach into my bag and find the envelope, pinching it between my thumb and forefinger, then tuck it away safely. I can’t wait to see the look on Rex’s face when I give it to him. There are a lot of things he seems to want to forget. I’m glad I’ll be giving him something wonderful to remember.

“Evening, Henry,” I greet the doorman to Olivia’s building. He welcomes me, tipping his hat in my direction.

“Good evening, Miss Vanessa. And might I say you’re looking particularly lovely tonight,” he compliments, holding the door open for me.

“Yes, you might.” I wink, flipping my hair over my shoulder before stepping onto the elevator.

This may be Olivia’s night, but it’s impossible to deny the obsessive clockwatching I’ve been doing all day, or the way my mind wouldn’t allow me to focus on anything else. Tillie practically left bruises on my leg during the meeting from the amount of times she had to kick me under the conference table to bring me back on topic. Even now, I can’t seem to remember.

My phone chimes and it’s a message from Rex, almost as if he knew I was thinking about him. I slide the screen to unlock it and smile.

Hey.

Hey back.

Ready for tonight?

Yup.

There’s a long pause and I wonder if he’ll respond.

I really want to see you.

My pulse leaps underneath my skin as my shaky fingers type out a reply.

Me too.

And just like that, you couldn’t drag me off of the cloud I’m floating on. That’s the most peculiar thing about all this—I’m not
that
girl. The one who gets giddy over a guy or walks around in a dreamy state. I’m the one with the barricade, the wall around her heart that refuses to let anyone in. But Rex has found a way in, a loophole in my façade, probably without even realizing it.

I’m just about to knock on Olivia’s door when it opens and we both stare, wide-eyed. She’s wearing a teal, knee-length satin dress that makes her eyes appear an even deeper blue. Her hair settles in rich, dark waves over her shoulders, a subtle sweep of makeup showcasing her natural beauty.

“Liv… I don’t even know what to say. You look beautiful.”

“Funny,” she reclines an arm against the doorframe, “I was just going to say the same thing about you. Is that a new dress?”

“Maybe.” I strut through the door, tossing my purse on a nearby sofa. “So what are we doing?” I’m trying to play along with the charade, attempting to keep her guessing.

She applies some lip gloss in front of the hall mirror, puckering her pout. “I have no idea. Hunter was very mysterious. He just said his car would be picking us up at seven. But that’s all I know. So…,” she slinks over to the sofa, dropping down beside me, “what’s going on with you and Rex? Everything okay?”

I grin and point a finger at my face. “Does it
look
like things are okay?”

Her eyes thin and she glares at me. “Don’t play games, V. You know I’m concerned about you.”

“Liv, chill out. Everything is fine. More than fine, actually. So don’t get your panties ruffled. Well,” I grin, “that’s if you even have any on. Should I assume you made yet another trip to Victoria’s Secret today?” I continue to stare at her as I plow through my purse, feeling around for some lipstick.

“Even though I know you’re changing the subject, the answer is yes, I did.”

I shake my head and smirk. “Hunter must be a happy man.”

“He will be later.” She elbows me then checks her watch.

“You seem nervous. You okay?” I ask, still trying to make sure I don’t give anything away.

“I’m okay. It’s just—Hunter was acting kind of strange today.” Her teeth pierce her lip. “I hope nothing’s wrong.”

“Oh,” I flap my hand in the air, “you know how men are. I’m sure he’s fine.”

The cell phone chimes, making her jump, and she gets up to retrieve it from her bag. After looking at the screen, her eyes make their way back up to me. “The car’s waiting outside.”

It’s time. And I’m not sure who’s more excited. Her or me.

“You ready for this, bro?” I ask Hunter as he paces the private dining room doing last minute checks to make sure everything is perfect.

He ignores my question, and instead, examines the perimeter, ensuring all the candles are lit, flowers arranged accordingly, soft music playing at the right volume in the background. I almost want to laugh at him. But in this situation and given how nervous he is, that would be cruel. It’s just that I’ve never seen him this caught up in someone before and it’s unsettling to me.

I know what’s really bugging me though. I’ve been on edge since that annoying encounter with my mother. I already feel like shit because I blew off a whole lot of steam at Zeek. Fortunately, he knows me so he let it slide, aware that I was fighting my demons. Unfortunately, it’s a war I wage all too often and I’m sick and fucking tired of it.

The sound of laughter startles me from the hell that is my mind. I stand back, remaining in the shadows, taking a moment to just admire Vanessa from afar. My breath stills as I steal a quiet glance, noticing every little detail; the way her hand sweeps her hair over her shoulder then comes back around to softly tuck it behind her ear, the angle of her cheek, the bare skin of her neck, the dip of her collarbone. All the cold from the day leaves my body in a rush, replaced by warmth flowing through my veins. A shiver begins its journey up the crook of my spine, rooting my feet to the ground with a realization.

Somehow, she makes it better.

I watch as her chin subtly travels to the side, tentative eyes scanning the room, searching. So I step out of the darkness into the light of her blinding smile when those eyes land on me, our gazes locked, our connection undeniable. She sashays across the room, giving me a chance to take in the black dress that clings to her every curve, leaving little to the imagination. Her golden tresses cascade over her shoulders kissing her breasts, skin dusted with a pink glow. She’s like a fucking masterpiece. I make a lame attempt at swallowing, but my dry throat makes the action futile.

“Hi,” she says when she’s finally standing in front of me.

“Wow. You’re a stunner as always, Blondie. You look… beautiful.” I lift a finger, running the back of my knuckle down the side of her cheek and her eyelids flutter. “Beautiful,” I whisper, and it’s as if I’ve had an out-of-body experience when the words I’ve spoken actually reach my ears.

“You clean up pretty well yourself.” Her eyes roam the white dress shirt and black pants that I typically wouldn’t be caught dead in, but I knew Hunter wouldn’t appreciate ripped jeans. “You even brushed your hair,” she teases. “I might need to mess it up later.”

“I’m counting on it.” I step as close to her as possible, digesting the small space between us. “Hi there,” I say, her breath so close I can practically taste her on my lips.

“Hi again.” She brushes her mouth softly against mine. “So are you going to kiss me, or keep talking and make me wait, because you know, you have a habit of doing that.”

“See, that’s the thing. I can’t wait another minute.” I put my hands on either side of her face, my thumb drawing her bottom lip down, so soft and smooth. “You were on my mind today,” I breathe out, my tongue doing an upward sweep of her lip. She opens on a sigh that I freely catch before our mouths join together.

It’s as if she’s sampling me, every corner of my mouth being explored with her warm tongue, and I’m completely at her mercy. I think I finally understand the phrase ‘bringing a man to his knees’ because that’s exactly what she does to me.

Forgetting where we are, one of my hands moves lower, taking a fistful of fabric and tugging her up against me. The touch of our bodies so close together incites a riot within my chest. A spell that is broken when a cough sounds from behind us.

“Did you forget you’re not alone?” Hunter reprimands, and we quickly back away grinning, me with a hard-on and Vanessa with red, swollen lips.

“Sorry, Hunter,” Vanessa apologizes, fixing her dress, but I set her straight immediately.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,
does
she Hunter?” I glare at him until he gets my message loud and clear.

“No, you don’t.” Hunter knows that intimidation shit doesn’t work with me. I’m not one of his employees. He punches me in the arm to make amends and takes Olivia to the center of the room for a dance. I nod toward the table.

“You wanna sit?”

Her eyes wander to where they’re huddled together then back to me. “Sure.” I pull a chair out for her and she takes a seat.

“Such a gentleman,” she taunts, and I lean over her chair, my lips resting above her ear, the smell of her raspberry shampoo causing a momentary lapse in memory.

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I was thinking right now.”

She sucks in a breath and I grin before planting myself next to her.

“So how was your day?” she asks, her voice cracking, skin turning a soft shade of pink.

“Honestly, it sucked,” I admit, staring off into the distance, my mind forcing away thoughts of my mother trying to break through the blockade I’ve constructed for myself.

“Rex? Hey,” she taps my shoulder and I turn back to her, “you’re so far away. Where’d you go?”

I take a long pull of the beer, desperately needing help with my response. “I ran into my mother today,” I say through gritted teeth. “She never changes, you know?”

“Maybe someday—” she starts to say, but I instantly cut her off.

“No. There is no maybe someday for us. Too much shit has happened and my life isn’t a fucking fairy tale. I’m under no illusions when it comes to my mother. I’ve learned not to expect anything from her because that way I won’t be disappointed.”

“Have the two of you ever tried therapy?” she interjects, and I fucking snap.

“Been there, done that. It’s impossible to be in therapy trying to fix something when someone doesn’t show up because they don’t give a shit about fixing it.” My hand goes to my head, rubbing at my temples. “I can’t fucking talk about it, anymore,
okay
?” I raise my voice much louder than I’d intended.

“
Okay
!” she barks. “I’m going to use the bathroom.” She pushes back her chair, the legs scraping harshly against the wood floor, the grating noise a slap across my face. I’m being an asshole… again.

“Fuck!”

Hunter and Olivia stop dancing and Olivia walks over to me. “What’s wrong? Is Vanessa okay?” She looks toward the door then back to me. “I’m going to go check on her.”

“No.” I grab her arm, halting her. “I’ll go.” I dart toward the door, my eyes seeking out the sign for the ladies’ room, releasing a breath when I find it. With an apprehensive fist, I knock three times on the door. “Blondie, it’s me, open up.”

“No.”

I bang my head against the door, practically able to feel her leaning against it on the other side. “I’m sorry. I know I acted like an asshole. I just… it’s really hard for me to talk about her.”

She doesn’t say anything but won’t relent and open the door. Now I’m at a complete loss. I typically don’t have a problem getting women to talk to me, but then again, Vanessa isn’t like most women.

“Okay,” I begin, trying a different tactic. “So, did you know I’m pretty much the biggest contender for the asshole of the year award. You might have even voted for me….”

The lock clicks on the door and she opens it, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, a smirk that she’s trying to hide overpowering her mouth. “Asshole of the year?” She bites her lip, staring me down. “I think I voted for you
twice
.”

The door closes and I back her up against it. “Twice, huh?” A loose wisp of hair falls against her face and I push it behind her ear. “I’m sorry. Jesus. I say that a lot, don’t I?” I grab the back of my head, dropping a heavy breath onto the ground before meeting her eyes. “But I am.”