Keep Me (Shelter Me #3) (21 page)

He’s glaring at me now, killing me ten times over with his wounded look.

“So, you expect me to just leave, jump on a plane and forget about the last few days we shared, the fact that WE. LOVE. EACH. OTHER?”

The way his emphasizes those last few words stab me right through the spot where my heart used to be, leaving the gaping hole wide open and the knife dangling. He pulls in a loud breath, the tell-tale signs of his anger bristle within the small room.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he declares in a pissed off burst of fury. “You do not get to decide what I will and won’t do. And you sure as hell won’t push me away, not when you need me, and most definitely not when I need you.”

His chest rises and falls, his legs take two long steps, landing him right in front of me.

“No fucking way, Shelby. It’s not going to happen. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to keep me from being here with you. We will pick up the pieces together, and this lame excuse about us living so far apart is a crock of fucking shit. Do you not know by now I would move heaven and earth just to be with you?”

Those last few words of his are spoken on a whisper as he clutches my cheeks in his hands, caressing them while his thumb moves over my bottom lip.

“Four damn months I waited for you. No, I take that back. My whole adult life I have waited for you, and now that I have you, I’m not letting you go. You’re stuck with me. It’s as simple as that.”

My eyes close. He’s doing a damn good job of affecting me with the things he says.

“Open. Not closed, Shelby,” is all he says to make me open my eyes, to look deep into not only his soul, but into mine.

“Do you get me? I love you, you love me. Is it complicated and crazy all at the same time? Hell, yes it is. But it’s me and you baby. It’s me and you.”

He lowers his head slowly, until finally his lips float over mine. I am a fool to believe I can live without him. He’s hesitant at first, which isn’t like Antonio at all. I don’t know if he is waiting for me to say something, to try and push him away again. I won’t. If my head was screwed on straight, I would bitch slap her for being a damn irrational fool who needs to pull her head out of her ass and admit she truly has a man who loves her simply for who she is.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper against his soft lips, my words barely coherent.

All of the hurt, anger, and frustration of the situation I am in comes barreling down as I shake, sagging against him in a heap of a crumpled up mess.

“We will get through this, Shelby. I promise you.”

I am lifted and cradled into his arms like a baby, taken into my bedroom, and adored like a woman. This time when he makes love to me, it’s with un-hurried movements. I will never take his love, or mine, for granted again.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Antonio

Damn, talk about a heartbreak. This is the first time I have realized it’s not just a figure of speech. I know Shelby is in so much pain right now. It’s pouring out of her like a torrential rain storm. When those words, ‘I can’t do this’ fell out of her mouth, I felt a physical sting. I knew she didn’t mean what she said the minute she spoke them, doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

But fuck, when you see someone you love and care so deeply about going through heartache, it’s like an actual blow to the depths of your gut, especially when you know there isn’t a damn thing you can do to take it away. It sucks.

Being a lawyer I have seen this shit time and time again, like when people get a divorce, they try and hurt each other by saying some of the cruelest shit to one another. Thank Christ she didn’t mean it. I spoke the truth when I told her I wasn’t going anywhere. My life solely revolves around her now, and she needed to know.

I was expecting her to put a fight and demand I leave, throwing her firecracker attitude at me and pulling all kinds of challenging shit, turning her words into a huge ass fight. She needed to be brought back to the here and now, focusing on us, on dealing with the rebuilding of her restaurant. I don’t like the thought of her having to deal with everything all by herself. Well, she has Markus and her staff to help, but nothing like the help I can give her.

I think back to all those years ago and the shit Luke went through when our family had to just up and leave Michigan. I hated seeing my brother go through the heartache of leaving the one and only woman he loved behind. Fuck that shit. I am never going through that bull.

Shelby is sleeping next to me, tucked into the crook of my neck right where she is meant to be and right where she is staying. I’m not leaving this woman for anything. She’s scared and I get that, but no way is she pushing me away, not this time, not ever. The thought of climbing out of this bed right now is the last thing I want to do, but I have to. I need to call my family, update them on all of this. Shit, my mom. I can’t believe she hasn’t called yet. Knowing her, she’s worried sick.

Kissing the top of Shelby’s head, I carefully remove my arm from around her soft, warm body, extracting myself form the bed. She’s so emotionally drained and exhausted she doesn’t even stir. I pick up my shorts up from the floor where I discarded them after placing Shelby on the bed with her hair all wet and tangled, looking up at me as I crawled up her body, and making love to her. She’s the most erotic, beautiful woman I have ever seen. My dick stirs when I pull my shorts on thinking about how responsive she is to my touch. It’s like she was made for me and only me.

Christ, I need out get my ass out of this room. Thinking of the long road ahead of us shrivels my dick up in a damn hurry. Finding my phone on the counter where I left it last night, I take a good look around her kitchen. Straight up Shelby. It’s all white, except the stainless steel appliances built right in, and the black countertops. She has the biggest damn oven and stove I have ever seen. Hell, I have no clue. It suits her, though. I can picture her dancing, shaking her sexy ass in here while she whips up some fancy meal. And there goes my cock again as I visualize the two of us making a meal together naked, just how I like her.

Fuck me. I’m such an asshole. My hands and biceps clench, walking toward her front door to soak up some Texas sun. Damn, it feels good as I sit on the steps leading to her house. The view is remarkable here in her cozy neighborhood. It’s quiet, no sound other than the birds chirping, and a warm breeze flowing. It’s crazy knowing just fifteen minutes from here is the hustle and bustle of the busy street where Shelby’s restaurant is.

I love the name of it, too. “Erisishe.’ I remember how excited she was when she told me the story of how she came up with the name, naming it after Erin, Sierra and herself. Yeah, fuck that. I can’t do this shit. That girl is so much like me. We were meant to exist with each other. Both of us are close to our family. Speaking of family, I need to call mine like, now. Taking a hefty swig out of the water bottle I grabbed out of the fridge before I walked outside, I dial my parents’ number.

“Antonio! Oh, thank goodness. We have been so worried,” my mother screeches into the phone. God, I love her.

“It’s a mess here, Mom. I can’t even begin to describe this shit. They destroyed everything inside her building.”

I lean back against the railing, sprawling my legs out before me, face uplifted toward the sun while I pour out the entire situation to my mother and listen to her comforting words. It doesn’t matter how old you are or even if you’re a man, there is just something about the way your mom can set your mind at ease; give you direction when you have no idea which way to go.

“You know,” I say after she fills me in about how miserable Shayne is and how my pansy ass brother Luke is driving all of them crazy.

“What’s that, son?”

“I have the best mother.”

It’s the truth. Raising my brother and me, my parents have always put us first. When we first moved to California, Luke and I were pissed as hell at the two of them. But after being out there for a while and finding out the reason why, we understood. All they wanted to do was protect us.

Those feelings of nostalgia creep back in when I see the front door open to a sleepy-eyed Shelby. Fuck, she is stunning. It doesn’t matter what she is wearing, right now she has on a pair of short jean cut off shorts, a plain red t-shirt, and her hair pulled into a high ponytail.

“Mom, Shelby just woke up so I’m going to let you go,” I say, never taking my eyes off the goddess of a woman in front of me.

“Okay. Give her my love. Oh, and Antonio?”

“Yeah?” I say hoarsely. I can’t seem to lift my gaze from her long ass legs.

“I’m happy for you.”

“I’m happy for me, too, Mom. Love you.”

I snap my phone shut and toss it on the chair on the porch.

“How you feeling?” I ask with concern.

“I’m fine. Erin just called and they’ve landed. They’re getting a rental and will be here in a bit. Are you hungry?”

I’m about to say,
I’m always hungry for you
, but my stomach speaks for me first as it lets out a rumble.

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

For the first time in two days she smiles. It lights her face as bright as this Texas sun. We laugh. I’m fucking starving, for more than just food as I open the door and watch her shoulders shake from her silent laughter, those barely there shorts cupping her ass. Motherfucking hell, my body needs food. My dick screams like a banshee saying,
Feed me!

Shelby runs outside as soon as we hear two car doors shut. Long gone is the playful woman from an hour ago flitting her way through her kitchen while making quick work of a pasta salad.

“I’m a chef and I have nothing in my house to eat. How pathetic,” she had said.

Try telling a stubborn woman she has been gone for two weeks and her mind isn’t thinking clearly was not the right thing to do. If looks could have killed, as they say. Hell, her chef skills came in quite handy. For someone with no food, that shit was good. Now as I stand with my arms gripping tightly to the frame of her front door, watching her shoulders sag as she holds onto her sister for dear life, is the first time I understand why people say love can hurt. This power constricting my gut as I watch Erin wipe away Shelby’s tears, makes me comprehend the nature of love, when they bleed, you bleed; when they hurt, you hurt. It’s a never ending cycle.

“Hey, man.”

Adam takes the few steps up the stairs to greet me.

“Hey.”

My eyes never leave her, watching the way her hands move as she fills her sister in.

“This is a bunch of shit.”

Adam’s words draw my attention away from the ladies.

“It sure the hell is. Come on in, let’s give them the time they need.”

I push myself off of the frame, glancing her way one last time.

“Well, I hear congrats are in order, dude.”

I shake his hand, patting him on the back. He shakes his head.

“Shocked the hell out of me, that’s for sure. Knowing she’s carrying my baby, has my last name. Fuck, it feels good.”

“That’s great news.”

And here comes the sting in my gut again, leading me right back down the path of love equals pain, knowing Shelby won’t ever be able to carry a child of her own. My child. Like an epiphany of some sorts going off in my head, as soon as it hits me a calm spreads throughout me. As soon as I can, I have some major investigating to do. Better yet, I know just the person who can do it for me.

“Where the hell did you go, man?” Adam says from the kitchen table. “Did you hear a fucking word I said? Sit the hell down and tell me everything, you love sick ass.”

He chuckles, which makes me laugh right along with him. I pull up the chair across from him, filling him in with everything I know so far. Who knows how long the two of us sit there and talk about the future plans for Shelby’s restaurant.

It’s when the ladies come in a while later, both of their eyes red-rimmed from crying, that I know damn well the minute I have the chance, I will call my good buddy Neil back home whose wife happens to be a doctor. That light bulb episode I had a bit ago better bring my firecracker back to me. There’s no sparkle in those stunning eyes, no confidence in the way she walks.

“Oh, good lord.”

Erin places her arm around Shelby as we walk into the restaurant the next morning.

“No, it’s more like, ‘oh rotten Satan,’” Shelby’s snarky tone snaps back.

“Fucking junkies. I sure as hell hope they’ve learned their lesson. If anything good comes out of this, those nimwits who survived this will never touch another drug as long as they live.”

She looks so overwhelmed and stressed out, and here she is thinking about the good that could possibly come out of this. As my dad would say, that is definitely a woman to keep, and I intend to.

“Did you just say
nim
wits?” Adam asks while chuckling.

“Yes, they are. And if I wasn’t so mad at them, I would beat their faces in, knock some sense into their heads. So, yes. They’re nimwits.”

Shelby strolls over to the bar, gazing around as if she were looking for something.

“It’s dim wits,” Adam blurts out, laughing.

“Huh?” Shelby says.

“I said it’s not nimwits, it’s dimwits.”

“Adam. Are you mocking me?”

Damn, she is so fucking hot when she’s feisty. Makes me want to take her back to her office and spank her sexy little ass.

“Nope, just teaching the English language, sis.”

“Erin, put a muzzle on him, would ya?”

Her hands go to her hips. Those sexy hips. And I think I better stand behind this table. My dick is hard when it shouldn’t be. But damn if she doesn’t turn me on when she gets all riled up. And I know firsthand what she can do with those hips. The way she swivels them when she rides my cock. The way-”

“And you!” she points at me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” I hold my hands up in the air, feigning innocence.

“Like you want to eat me until morning, and… and your eyes are all haywire, like. You damn pervert, your fuck-eyeing me, aren’t you? Right here in front of my sister you are fuck-eyeing me.”

“Oh, my God. Honey, can you bring two chairs over here and sit beside me and watch this show,” Erin states, while I am over here about ready to bust the hell up.

Adam grabs two chairs and they both sit back. This shit is fucking funny. I’ll push her until she gives us all that beautiful smile that lights up her entire face. Then, maybe I’ll just throw her ass over my shoulder, take her back to her place and tie her smart ass mouth and hands to her bed and really show her what eye-fucking is.

“I’m getting back to work,” she snarls.

“Oh, no you’re not. Adam’s right, you most definitely need to be taught a lesson in the English language. It is dimwit and it’s also called eye-fucking.”

I step out from behind the table, my dick still growing harder by the second. I am thanking God right now I have on loose cargo shorts and also sending out a silent prayer I can walk right with it straining so damn hard right now.

“That’s what I said,” she frowns, her irritation getting stronger.

“No, you didn’t, firecracker. You said fuck-eyeing me.”

Her eyes flare up. Erin is laughing and Adam... well, who cares what he’s doing? All I care about right now is getting to this woman and making her smile.

“What difference does it make? You’re still doing it and this isn’t funny. Stop right there. I’m pissed.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Not until you admit you were wrong.”

I quirk up a brow as if to challenge her.

“Antonio, I mean it. This isn’t the time to be funny.”

“You started it,” I say.

“Fine, then you win. I give up; it’s dim wit and eye-fucking,” she smirks.

“Damn, baby, I like it when you submit,” I say cockily.