Shana Mine (3 page)

“Hey girl, what the hell is going on?” she demanded.

“What do you mean?” I asked warily.

“Taylor just called and read me the riot act.”

“He did?”

“He told me he was sick of my shit and that he had no more interest in me than I had in him. Then he told me to fuck off and hung up on me. What happened between you two?”

“What makes you think anything happen?”

“The last time I saw him, there was still some heat between
us,
and he wanted me to come back to Philly. He meets you and the next thing I know he’s telling me to fuck off. That’s what makes me think something happened between you two.”

The obvious disbelief in her voice would have pissed me off if I didn’t feel so guilty. “He expressed some interest but—”

“But you weren’t interested?”

I closed my eyes. “I’m horny and lonely and damn girl, he’s a hunk.”

“So?”

“You’ve already slept with him.”

“That happened nearly five months ago,” she said with obvious reluctance.

“You still have some warm feelings for him.”

“Actually, I don’t know if the feelings are for him or that big cock of his.”

“Talk like that isn’t helping, Jasmin!”

She sighed. “You know what? You’ve raised two great kids and kind of put your life on hold while you did. I suppose you’re allowed to do what feels good once
in
awhile.”

“So you’re back to it’s okay to sleep with him? I wish you’d make up your mind!”

“Look, you want to sleep with him? Fine. Do it.”

“I won’t be able to unsleep with him if you decide you want him after all.” The silence that greeted my words unnerved me. “Jas?”

“Yeah. I know,” she finally said.

“And? You’d be okay with that?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I do know you deserve to unwind and clearly he’s pissed off enough with me to want to unwind with you. Go for it. If I decide I want him back later…”

“What?”

“We can arm wrestle for him.”

“Jas—”

“Look, I don’t know how I’m going to feel or want when I return home. So do what feels right and we’ll worry about the consequences later.”

“You were angry just a
few
seconds ago, Jas.”

“I was just…surprised that he wanted to jump your bones so quickly, but I’m back on track now. Go get laid, girl. Just try to do me a favor.”

“What?”

“Don’t fall in love with him—just in case I do want him back.”

“What I’m feeling starts with an l but it ain’t love, girl,” I assured
her
.

“Lust is natural and nothing to be ashamed of. Go for it. Sleep with him if you want. Lord knows he clearly wants to sleep with you. We’ve been through so much together that if we find we both want him, we’ll work it out.”

“How? By sharing him?”

“I don’t know how. I just know we will.”

“Are you in love with him, Jasmin?”

“No. I’m not and he sure as hell isn’t in love with me. Okay?”

It wasn’t but there didn’t seem to be much point in continuing the discussion. I knew if I saw him again, we’d end up in bed. And what did that say about the strength of my commitment to our long friendship? “I can’t lose you as a friend.”

“That won’t ever happen,” she promised. “Even if you killed a few people, I’d still be in your corner—as long as those people didn’t include my babies.”

My kids loved Jasmin but hated the way she called them
her babies
—even though they were nearly twenty–one
. I sighed. “I might have to hold you to that promise. I’ll see you when you get home.”

After we ended the call, I felt restless and uncertain what I should do. My desire to hop into bed with Taylor Raymond hadn’t lessened a single iota. Still, as much as I wanted him, I kept telling myself I didn’t want him enough to strain my relationship with Jasmin.

The wisest course would be to head home and remove myself from all possible temptation. But first I’d spend the next few days exploring the city.

Strapping on a fanny pack, I went down to the lobby, picked up a few sightseeing brochures and went on a walking tour to explore the area around the hotel. I returned to the hotel just after five p. m. My plans for the evening included a quick soak and then dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Those tentative plans vanished when Taylor Raymond rose from one of the lobby chairs as I entered the hotel.

He wore a dark suit with a white shirt and a silk tie. His long, dark hair rested over his broad shoulders. He looked sexy and determined. As our gazes locked, a slow, warm smile spread across his handsome face.

I came to an abrupt halt. My heart pounded. My thong flooded. And I was so lost in him.

He kept walking. When he reached me, he engulfed my hand
in
his
. Then
he bent to brush his lips against my cheek. “Shana.”

I couldn’t remember any potential lover whispering my name with such need and warmth.

He lifted his head. “I came prepared to convince you to have dinner with me,” he said.

I disengaged my hand from his and stepped away from him. “Thanks but I already have plans for tonight.”

“So do I and they all revolve around you.” He reclaimed my hand and brushed his lips against it.

“You slept with my best friend.”

“I’ve slept with a lot of women,” he said bluntly.

Annoyed, I jerked my hand away. “That remark doesn’t help your case.”

“It’s not reasonable to hold things that happened before we met against me, Shana.”

How could I argue with that logic? “Who you’ve slept with is no concern of mine.” I continued towards the elevator.

He followed me. “I’ll wait down here while you do whatever you need to.”

I shook my head.

“Please don’t give me a complex by dumping me.”

I pushed the call button before looking up at him. “In order for me to dump you, there’d have to be something between us and there’s not.”

“Don’t bust my ass,” he said. “And let’s not play games.”

“Who’s playing games?”

“You are. We both knew there was something between us the moment we met.”

True dat.

“So why waste time denying the obvious?”

H
e certainly didn’t lack confidence. The elevator doors opened. I stepped in without responding.

He reached out a hand to keep the doors from closing. “I’ll be waiting, Shana. Don’t stand me up.”

“If I do?”

“It won’t do you any good. I always get what I want. And I want you.”

I stared at him. “You do?”

“Hell to the yes.” He smiled and stepped back, allowing the doors to slide close.

In my hotel suite, I sank down onto the loveseat. Closing my eyes, I took several slow deep breaths.
You cannot go out with him. You can’t.

The phone rang.

Startled, I sat up and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Why aren’t you in the shower instead of answering the phone?”

Persistent and attractive. And so sexy I just had to have him.

“Shana?”

My decision made, I rose slowly. “Give me an hour.”

“Make it forty minutes and we have a deal.”

“Forty minutes,” I promised. Smiling, I put the phone down and rushed to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Fifty minutes later, he met me in the lobby with a beautiful bouquet and a warm smile that made me imagine all manner of things—none of them utterable in polite company. “You look exquisite,” he said.

“So do you.” Good enough to spend all night fucking.

He gave me the flowers and offered me his arm.

I hesitated. Once I left with him, there would be no going back.

“It was over between Jasmin and me months ago. That’s why she wouldn’t take my calls and why I didn’t pursue her or do anything to try to change her mind. It’s just starting between you and me.” He offered me his arm again.

Mentally clinging to Jasmin’s promise that our friendship could withstand my sleeping with him, I slipped my arm through his.

Smiling, he gently squeezed it against his body.

I looked up into his dark eyes and felt like a teenage girl crushing the entire night. Every time I met his gaze, I struggled not to lose myself in sexy fantasies. We had dinner on the patio of a historic restaurant overlooking the river. I was only conscious of him seated across from me alternatively staring and smiling with an intimacy that kept me aroused and eager for the night to end—with us in bed.

After the meal, we danced slow and close together. But he surprised me by making no attempt to grind against me or fondle me. He kept his hands above my waist and his lips to himself—which annoyed the hell out of me. Who wanted a big, handsome hunk to behave like a gentleman while dancing under the stars?

“I’m in the mood for a drive. Are you interested?” he asked as he led me back to our table after our last dance.

I was a little old to park and cuddle, but what the hell. I had no doubt it would be thrilling with him. “Yes,” I said.

After a drive, he parked in
a secluded spot in a
large park
and then the damned man wanted to talk. Not undress or fondle me and fuck me senseless but talk!

“Tell me about yourself,” he said, staring ahead into the darkness surrounding us.

I took a slow, calming breath, and told him about myself—including the fact that I had two twenty-year old kids.

“I understand they’re both destined for great things,” he said, turning his head to smile at me.

“I’m sure they are, but how do you know that?”

He shrugged. “Jasmin told me.”

“She did?”

He nodded. “She thinks you and your kids are the best thing since sliced bread. That’s how I recognized you yesterday morning.”

“She described me?”

“She did better than that. She showed me your picture—which totally enchanted me.”

I blinked at him. “My picture enchanted you after you’d met and slept with her?”

“You ask that as if you expect to be less attractive to men than she is.”

“Hello. She’s a model. I’m not.”

“She’s a beautiful woman,” he admitted. “But she’s…she’s…”

“She’s my best friend,” I reminded him
. He needed
to know that I had no interest in hearing anything bad about her.

“She’s not as…natural as you are,” he finished. “A woman doesn’t need to wear false eyelashes, excessive make-up, or overly suggestive clothes to ca
tch
and hold my attention. Hell, she doesn’t even have to be pretty.” He paused and gave me a long look. “The fact that you’re so attractive is a bonus but your beauty isn’t the sole attraction for me.”

Damn but he had a way with words. “Then what is?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I just know I’m smitten.”

Smitten? I liked the sound of that. I smiled, pleased. “That must have been some picture she showed you.”

“You were smiling into the camera wearing a dark reddish or plum colored dress that ended just below your knees in the picture she showed me. It was sleeveless and kind of highlighted your breasts and the fact that you were a woman of…substance.”

“A woman of substance?”

“You weren’t skinny. I’m 6’ 3”and 210 lbs. The days when I found skinny women desirable are long past. These days I have no use for
a
skinny woman I’d be afraid of hurting when things got interesting. You looked exquisite and I was smitten.”

“Smitten? You were smitten?”

“Smitten.” He looked at my lips for several moments before turning in his seat to stare at the windshield again. “Completely.”

“What if Jasmin had showed up instead of me?”

“I would have told her what I told her when she finally took my call today—I have zero interest in continuing any type of relationship with her.
I have a feeling she would have known why—because I planned to pursue you.
”

I considered his words in silence for a moment. I didn’t know if I believed him because it was true or because I wanted to believe him. Either way, we were ending up in bed. But I probably should show some interest in something other than his sex. “Have you ever been married?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

He sighed. “Like my parents, I only planned to do it once so I didn’t see any need to rush into it.”

“Is there anyone special you’re considering?”

He seemed to take long time to answer. “I’m not dating anyone at the moment.”

“But you’re sexually active?”