Plus One Page 15

  “Anyway, Tessa and I knew that what we had was a forever thing. My senior year I was offered a scholarship for football to a big school, one out of my parents’ financial ability.” I shrug. “That’s why I’m slightly competitive, as Jimmy found out.”

  Kimbra smiles, shining light through her blue eyes for the first time today.

  “But Tessa and I wanted to get married. Our parents, all of them, thought we were too young. Hell, we were. We decided we’d elope if they wouldn’t agree. Which is a joke. We had no money, not really. But we had grand plans. So, finally, our parents conceded. Wedding first and then college. Our plans to marry necessitated that I give up my football scholarship, and I was okay with that. I walked away from it. But as two young married people, we learned we’d qualify for assistance, making college still possible. I think that was the reason our parents agreed.”

  I squeeze Kimbra’s hand, but look away. I can’t stare at her blue eyes and tell this story. I haven’t said it aloud for over fifteen years. “Tessa wanted to be successful like her mom. I guess it was a lot to live up to. Her grades were good, but when I say she was beautiful, I’m not exaggerating.

  “The wedding was supposed to be the summer after our high school graduation. My parents offered to allow us to live with them while we attended a local college. In the last quarter of our senior year, this man came to our school. He was a scout for a top modeling agency. Tessa’s grades were good, but not great. He told her stories about planes, travel, and money. He offered her dreams that I couldn’t.”

  “Duncan, what happened?”

  “I was eighteen years old with my future all mapped out when one day my future disappeared.”

  “Disappeared?”

  I nod, sucking in a breath, recalling her dad’s phone call. “Two days after our graduation, her dad woke to a note. Frantic, he called me, sure we’d eloped, but I was as confused as he. The note said that she had to do this.”

  My voice grows louder. “This. That was all it said. The police were no help. She was eighteen.”

  “Duncan, you don’t have to say any more.”

  I turn to Kimbra and look her in the eyes. “You called me a player. I know you’ve heard rumors. Hell, you were there and heard what happened—or almost happened—in the bathroom.”

  Kimbra nods.

  “I created a wall, a fucking ten-foot-thick and one-hundred-foot-high wall.” I smile. “That’s what the therapist said—the therapist my mom made me see.”

  “You were so young.” Kimbra’s voice is soft but gentle, like she doesn’t want to take away from my pain, but wants me to hear her.

  I shake my head. “Maybe that makes it worse. I wasn’t old enough to understand.”

  When I turn back to her, there are tears in her eyes again.

  Using my thumb, I wipe the tears from her cheeks. “Don’t cry for me. I don’t want that.”

  “What happened to Tessa?” she asks.

  I smile, because if I don’t, I’ll cry too. “She did it—her this. You’ve seen her, I’m sure. She uses a stage name, so it’s not Tessa any longer. She’s done everything from runway shows for the top designers to international perfume and lingerie campaigns. You know those magazines in every waiting room? She’s usually in one or two.”

  “I can’t compete with that.”

  I turn and pull her face toward mine. “Don’t ever say that. There’s no competition.” Holding her steady, I refuse to allow her head to tilt forward, though her eyes do look down. “No, Kimbra. Listen to me. You’re beautiful and smart. Tessa nor Scarlett nor anyone else has anything on you.”

  “I’m sorry,” she says. “I know this isn’t about me.”

  “Your hair was styled in a way where it was all piled on your head.” I run one hand down her neck. “Your neck was showing, so long and sensual. The dress you wore was gray. I think they call it charcoal; it’s darker than gray. Your shoes matched the dress. And around this beautiful throat was a string of white beads. They weren’t pearls, but bigger.”

  Her eyes narrow as she looks back at me. “What are you talking about?”

  “The first day you walked into my office. I told you that I remembered you and I did. For the first time that I could remember, I was awestruck. It scared me. I admit it was physical. That gray dress wasn’t revealing, but it hugged all the right parts.”

  I brush my palm against the side of one of her breasts. “I really do love your tits.”

  “Duncan.”

  “I’m a man. It’s not an excuse. It just is.” I take a deep breath. “I decided not to attend the local college Tessa and I had planned to attend together. Instead, I contacted the recruiter at a small college in upstate New York. It was a long shot. He couldn’t offer me a scholarship, but if I promised two years of play, the tuition would be adjusted to within my parents’ ability to pay. It was away from home, but close enough that my mom could check on me. She was worried that I would do something stupid. I was late to the whole enrollment game and was randomly assigned a roommate.”

  “Mr. Buchanan?” Kimbra asks.

  “How did you know?”

  “The company handbook has a biography in there, both of your dossiers. It talks about how you two met your freshman year of college.”

  My cheeks rise. “Not only beautiful, but you’ve done your homework too.

  “Mike and I met the first day of football practice. I was a little messed up. He thought I was an asset to the team and kept me from doing anything too dumb. My mom loves him like another son. I learned to cope. My mechanism is to block off women emotionally. I only thought of them as physical outlets. They were nothing more than the groupies who wanted to be seen with football players. Even when I stopped playing, I never had problems getting a date or getting sex.”

  “Duncan…”

  “I’m not proud of it, but I never took sex from anyone who didn’t offer. It just is. Women throw themselves at me. I use them, but if anyone gets close, I move on.”

  Kimbra nods. “I see.”

  “No, damn it, you don’t. You’re different. You always have been. You’ve never been like those women.”

  “I was never the football-girlfriend type,” she admits.

  I pull her eyes back to mine. “No. You’re not. You’re so much more. I waited for you to throw yourself at me. That’s the way my gamebook works. I’m a receiver, not the quarterback.”

  “I-I…” Kimbra swallows as she looks deep into my eyes.

  “For nearly three years I’ve waited. You never did. That day when you made me this deal, when you gave me the opportunity to be your plus-one, I seized it. Kimbra, I enjoyed this weekend. I don’t want it to ruin what we have at work.”

  Her smile is forced. “What do we have? I never really thought you noticed me.”

  “If you’ve listened to me at all, you know that I have. I’ve noticed and watched. You didn’t blackmail me into this deal: I seized it. I’ve wanted you since that day nearly three years ago.”

  Kimbra turns back to the window. “I guess,” she says softly, “I could be happy for that, or realize that I gave you the opportunity to add another notch—”

  “Fuck, no!”

  Her entire body flinches.

  “You’re not a goddamned notch. I don’t want this to end. I’ve enjoyed this weekend. A dog is a big step for me.”

  “I don’t want a dog.” She turns on me with fire in her stare. “What I want are some more answers. Honest answers.”

  “Honest? What do you want to know?” I ask, petrified of what she’ll ask. Because if she asks who the woman in the bathroom was, I’ll need to tell her the truth. I’ll need to tell her that I don’t know her name. And if I tell her that, I’ll confirm that I’m nothing more than a womanizing ass, and I wouldn’t blame her for walking away.

  “First, let me be honest, too. I don’t have a model in my past. But I did have someone who promised me more and took it all away. I won’t be cheated on or lied to. That’s wh
y I’m not asking for more. And I don’t want a fucking dog.”

  I nod. “Your question?”

  “You said you weren’t in a relationship.”

  “I don’t do relationships.”

  Her eyes close and then reopen. “The woman, whose name you haven’t told me, she isn’t… wasn’t… it’s not serious?”

  “No. Not serious.”

  “You said you were at Gaston’s with Jennifer because your date cancelled. Was that date just another woman or is she someone who’s important?”

  I try to restrain my grin. “She is someone serious.”

  “I see.”

  “Stop saying that. You don’t.”

  “Have you… is it more than physical with her?”

  I laugh. “It’s never been physical… well, I suppose I learned my love of breasts from her, but you can’t blame her.” Before Kimbra can speak, I confess. “They say breastfeeding is important. She’s always wanted what was best for me.”

  Kimbra shakes her head. “What?”

  “My date was my mother. And for the record, I wasn’t one of those eight-year-old breastfeeders like that kid on Game of Thrones. I don’t remember it, but I do love breasts. There may be a connection. Anyway, my mom and I have dinner every Monday night, ever since I went away to college.”

  “Y-your mother?”

  “Yes, and one day, I’d love to introduce the two of you.”

  “So,” Kimbra says, her eyes blinking rapidly, “you’re not involved with anyone?”

  “I’m not. Well, I wasn’t…” I correct, unbuckling my seatbelt and moving until I’m standing over Kimbra’s seat with my hands on the armrests. Since the plane has reached cruising altitude, thankfully the alarms don’t sound. I lean over her, just as I’d done on our way to Indiana. However, this time it isn’t about sex. This time I want to be sure she listens and understands every damn word.

  She lifts her chin and looks directly into my eyes. “Duncan, please. Don’t make this harder. I asked for a weekend. Your debt is paid.”

  “I want more than a weekend. And maybe someday I can introduce you to my mom and the rest of my family. I wish I could say they’re as much fun as yours, but… They are mine. I’ll claim them.”

  “You don’t owe me any more. Like I said, your debt is paid.”

  I lift her chin. “Stop saying that. I realize this began unconventionally, but only because you made me work so damn hard.”

  “I-I don’t know what you want.”

  “For the first time in my truly adult life, I want a dog.”

  Kimbra’s eyes narrow. “A dog?”

  “Metaphorically. We live in New York. We both work long hours. It wouldn’t be fair, but…” I lift her hand to my lips and brush her knuckles with light kisses. “I would very much like to try to continue this—what’s happening between us—beyond the weekend, if you’ll have me.”

  I HUM AGAINST Duncan’s mouth as he kisses me outside my apartment door. With my suitcase on the floor, his large hands hold me close, one splayed behind my waist as the other one tugs my loose braid, moving my head to his desire.

  Ever since he said he wants to try for more, I can’t seem to wrap my head around the thought. My mind is filled with questions. What does that mean? Are we really dating? What did he mean by a metaphoric dog? What the hell is a metaphoric dog?

  “W-what…” My question is lost to a whimper as he nips my lower lip.

  His hard body presses against mine, and we fall against the door, rattling it on its hinges.

  “Are you going to invite me in?” His green eyes lock on mine, while each of his words rumble deep into my core. They’re velvet—soft yet covered with just the right amount of coarseness. I feel them more than hear them.

  I shake my head. “No.”

  “No?”

  “We spent the last four days at my house, my parents’ house. Maybe we need a little break.” I don’t know why I’m saying this. I want him inside. Let me clarify. I want him inside me, not just my apartment. “And besides, you have a date.”

  “I could cancel.”

  My bruised lips slide to a smile. “I don’t think that’s a good way for your mother to find out about me. Besides, Mr. Willis, I think I like it when you’re needy. Umm…” My eyes flutter shut as he presses his hips against me and his hard shaft probes my tummy, letting me feel exactly just how needy he is.

  Suddenly the door behind us moves inward. I jump toward Duncan’s embrace as we both narrowly avoid tumbling and falling into a pile upon my apartment floor.

  “Well, hello!” Shana says with a giant smile.

  “W-what are you doing here?” I say, before freeing myself from Duncan and wrapping my best friend in a zealous hug. “You’re here!”

  “I am, but I can’t breathe.” Her muffled voice comes as her face is smashed against my shoulder.

  I release her and turn toward Duncan. “Duncan, this is Shana. Shana, this is my…” I pause, ready to say boss, the owner of my company. That wasn’t how I introduced him in Indiana, but now I’m unsure. What is he?

  Duncan extends his hand and flashes his sexy grin. “Boyfriend. I’m Kimbra’s boyfriend. And it’s very nice to meet you.”

  Boyfriend.

  The word twists my lady parts to just the right amount of painful pleasure.

  Shana takes a step back and wiggles her eyebrows. “It’s very nice to meet you too, Duncan. Come in. With the way the hinges were shaking, I was afraid the door couldn’t take much more.”

  Duncan looks at me, questioning if he should stay.

  I shake my head. “Actually, Duncan is late for an appointment.”

  “I am. But it was nice to meet you.” With his hand in the small of my back, he pulls me closer. “And you, this isn’t done. I’ll call you later.”

  I nod.

  As we step into the hall, he leans in toward my ear. “One more thing, Miss Jones.”

  My pulse quickens at his warm cinnamon breath on my neck. “Yes?”

  “No brushing your teeth. That’s my job.”

  My head tilts and eyes narrow in question, and then it hits me. He means my grandma’s vibrator. Pink again fills my cheeks.

  Before I can respond, his grin widens. “I do love it when you blush.”

  After we kiss, he winks and wheels my suitcase closer.

  “Boyfriend?” I ask softly as I reach for the handle.

  “Do you have a different title?”

  I shrug. “No, I like that title.”

  “Good. Hopefully I’ll do better than I have.”

  “You’ve been pretty good lately.”

  “That’s good to hear, coming from my girlfriend.”

  Girlfriend.

  I swallow as he turns and heads for the elevator. Once I close the door, Shana is right before me and her loud, high-pitched scream fills the silence.

  “Oh. My. God!” she shrieks. “I want to know everything. And I mean everything.” She reaches for my hand and pulls me to the couch.

  “Wait,” I say. “Why are you here? I mean, I’m glad you are, but why?”

  Shana shakes her head. “Maybe if you weren’t so busy doing whatever it is you’re going to tell me all about, you’d have heard about the big storm brewing. It’s early in the season, and right now it’s only a category two. Depending on the shifting winds, it could be bigger or smaller. I don’t think they really know. All that matters is that my flight was delayed and then delayed again. The airline is all backed up. As long as the storm stays south, I am supposed to fly out Wednesday.”

  I search my mind. “I haven’t heard anything about a hurricane.”

  Stay south. Stay south of where?

  Before I can ask, she bounces up and down. “Of course you haven’t. You’ve been a little too busy with Mr. Sexy. Now spill!”

  I lift my shoulders and sigh. As I lower them a smile spreads across my face. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

  “Let me help. You survived the wedding
from hell and most importantly, he just said boyfriend and girlfriend, as in a couple, as in a dating couple.”

  As in a relationship, something he said he didn’t do.

  My heart beats rapidly at the idea that he wants to do it with me. Memories of the weekend flash through my mind. Other than my breakdown, resulting in the painful massacre of a few boy bands, the weekend was about as far from hell as one could get. It was closer to heaven. “It wasn’t as bad as I predicted.”

  “That’s my philosophy. Expect the worst and it always comes out better. So… tell me what happened. How did we go from plus-one to more?”

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “I’m kind of in shock. I want to believe it’s real. But with the whole pretend weekend, I don’t know.”

  “Oh, the noises coming through that door sounded real to me.”

  My cheeks heat as I let out a long breath and fall back to the couch. “I don’t know. Shana, it was amazing. He was amazing. My family loves him.”

  “Grandma Helen?”

  I laugh. “Oh my God. That was so embarrassing. Can you imagine? I can’t believe my family.”

  “I love your family… well, when they’re not upsetting you.”

  I remember Duncan saying the same thing. “They mean well. Nevertheless, I wanted to hide in a hole at times because of my mom and grandma.” I shake my head, recalling Duncan’s comment about electric toothbrushes. “Grandma was no-holds-barred… and Duncan laughed right along. I can’t even imagine how anyone else would have handled them. Duncan was…”

  “The perfect plus-one?” Shana asks.

  “Quite possibly the most perfect. I think I also said yes to more because if I admit to my family that it was a sham, it’ll break their hearts. They fell for him. For them, I have to try.”

  Shana’s eyebrows dance. “That’s it? That’s the only reason you said yes was for your crazy family.” Her lips purse. “It wasn’t because you wanted to, or because you’ve fantasized about it, or, of course, because of the mind-blowing, fantastic sex?”

  My grin grows. “It was pretty mind-blowing.”