Silent No More (4 page)

I need to stop by a few stores to buy some new
clothes to last me until I get mine from my apartment. Luckily, I don’t have to
go far. My gallery is in a strip mall that has most of my favorite stores.
After locking the door, I head straight to
Eve’s
. It’s a dressy boutique.

I should have made arrangements to pick up my
things today, but I don’t want to deal with it yet. Seeing Luke earlier only
made things worse, and it’s not like I know where I’m going yet. How the hell
did I get here? Yesterday morning I thought life was peachy. Well apparently,
it wasn’t.

Once I enter, Melanie greets me with a warm smile
that takes me away from my negative thoughts.

“Hey Shannon, if there is anything I can help you
with just let me know,” she says as she goes back to helping a blonde with a
blue satin dress. 

I’m in here almost every other day, so most of the
sales ladies know me by name. As I look around the store, I decide on a pair of
jeans, two fitted shirts, a snug black strapless dress, a grey sleeveless dress
with a grey jacket and black belt, and black pumps. Melanie checks me out and I
head to the next store.

Walking into
Dentelle
and I know exactly what I want. I pick out two white
silk bras and a black strapless one along with three pairs of panties to match.
On the way to the checkout counter I grab a pair of black stockings and a pair
of nude-color ones.

After walking out of the store, I head to my car
with a bag in each hand.

* * * * *

Walking into the lobby of
The Cove
,
I head for the elevators. When I arrive in
front of the sleek black doors, I press the up button and wait patiently. The
door opens a few seconds later and people begin to file out. Nick is the last
to step through the doors when I look up. He stands just outside the elevator
doors holding his arms across the opening so it doesn’t close.

I know he’s waiting for me to step in, so I walk
forward, but he stops me with his right arm before I am able to enter. 

“Hello, Miss Taylor,”

I look up into his eyes. “I don’t like to be
called by my last name. Goodbye, Nick,” 

He’s still holding my arm so I don’t move. He
looks down at my bags. He eyes the
Dentelle
bag and smiles as he releases me. I like sexy undergarments, what
can I say? I move into the elevator, pressing the number seven button.

“I don’t like being called Nick.” He pauses then
adds, “Oh...and Shannon, I do hope you bought silk.” He moves his left arm from
the door so it shuts. The last thing I see is his half smile. Yet again, I’m
left stunned and rendered speechless for the second time today. Apparently, this
is an every time occurrence around him.

Don’t get your hopes up, buddy. As hot as you are,
I don’t plan on getting naked with you.

I enter my room then toss all my bags onto the
bed. I’m exhausted and am in need of a hot shower to help me relax. Walking into
the bathroom, I turn on the shower and strip out of my clothes. When I finish,
I touch the water before stepping in to make sure it’s hot enough. I enter and
stand under the steamy water cascading down my body; a sigh escapes me.

Once my hair is washed, body cleaned, and legs
shaved, I turn off the water and towel off. I wrap the oversized white cotton
towel around my body, and then saunter over to the sink where I dry my hair. I
have long, straight red locks that come down to the middle of my back. Its
texture is fine, but thick. I’m lucky; my hair doesn’t require a lot of product
to look decent. Just a comb through and it pretty much falls into place. 

I walk out of the bathroom to retrieve my makeup
bag from my purse. After a little powder, eye shadow, mascara and lipstick, I’m
done. My makeup routine takes less than five minutes. I don’t fuss over myself
like a lot of women. Sometimes when I oversleep, I’ll go to work without any
makeup on at all. My friends would die if they knew this about me, but I’m not
a “girly girl” in that sense. I never have been. 

Walking back out of the bathroom, I take the black
lace strapless bra and matching panties out of the bag and think of Nick’s
comment. I laugh to myself. Does he have no filter?

My mind drifts for a brief moment and I wonder
what’s underneath his clothes. He is one of the sexiest men I’ve even seen. And
not having had sex in a few months, this godly-looking man has me all hot and
bothered. I have to stop thinking about him. I need a drink, but just one. I
don’t need to end tonight like last night, in a man’s bed.

I quickly put my bra and panties on and then the
black stockings. I step into the black strapless tight fitting dress and pull
it up. After zipping it, I put on the new black pumps. I reach for my purse to
take out my spare earrings. They are silver hoops with black diamonds. They go
prefect with this dress.

My cell phone beeps, letting me know I have a text
message. I pull it out of my purse and slide it open. It’s a number I do not
recognize. 

Come down to Mist and have a drink with me,
please.

This is Nicholas, if you are wondering.

He has my number?

“How the hell does he have my number?” I say out
loud. I stop for a moment, eyeing my phone. I know I didn’t give it to him and
I know Jenny would not have either. My personal cell number isn’t printed on
any of my business cards, so how did he get it? Should I be worried about this?
He doesn’t come off like a weirdo stalker, but it’s not like I have ever had a
stalker before. I push the thought away and grab my purse before heading out
the door to
Mist
.

Mist
is a popular bar at
The Cove
. It usually has a live band every night and there’s a
dance floor. Ben and I love to dance, so we have enjoyed a few Friday nights
there in the past.

When I reach the entrance, I quickly scan the
room, but I don’t see him. Then again, I didn’t reply back to him saying I was
coming down. I walk to the bar and I’m immediately asked what I want. Service
at this hotel is like no other.

“I’ll have a glass of Kendall Jackson’s Riesling,
please.” I need to go easy on the alcohol tonight. No need for any repeats.

The bartender brings my wine to me and I take it
from his hands as I feel someone behind me. I know it’s him even before he
speaks. I’m beginning to like the warmth that tickles my skin when he is present.

Nick places a hand at the small of my back and the
other on my shoulder. The hand on my lower back stays in place, but he moves
his other one slowly down my arm until he reaches my hand. Lacing his with mine
he says, “Come with me.”

He’s not asking, and he doesn’t wait for my
response before he’s pulling me by the hand and leading me to a small booth in
a back corner. It’s a circular booth, and from here the sound from the band
isn’t so loud. We will be able to speak in normal voices instead of having to
yell over the music.

He waits for me to enter the booth and then moves
in next to me. Not across from me like a normal person would do, but next to
me.

“Thank you,” he says, settling in the booth. We
are thigh-to-thigh to each other.

      
I look at
up at him, confused. “For what?” I ask as I take a sip of my wine; I really
have no idea why he’s thanking me.

“For not making me come get you.” He takes a sip
of his dark drink. We are sitting so close I can smell his breath. I see he is
drinking rum and coke, one of my favorites.

“You would have come up and gotten me from my
room? What makes you think I would have come?” I question him and take another
sip. The wine is cool and refreshing.

 
     
He’s wearing a
smirk on his face. “Oh, I would have convinced you one way or another. I can be
very persuasive when I need to be,” he says and sits his drink on the table.

“Thank you, too; for earlier today at my work. If
you hadn’t stepped in, I don’t know what I would have done to him,” I say
without making eye contact. I feel him tense, but again, only slightly. 

“Dance with me,” he says as if to change the
subject. Once again, he doesn’t wait for a response before he is standing up
and reaching for my hand. I don’t say anything, but I get up and follow him to
the dance floor.

I’m not going to say I’m a good dancer, but I’m
nowhere near bad. He on the other hand makes me look like an amateur. The
second song starts to play and we slow our pace. I put my arms around his neck
and he moves his to my waist. He smells divine. Clean, mixed with a little
sweat. It’s a heavy cocktail without the wine I’m drinking. I could certainly
get drunk on this man.

His hand moves to the small of my back and the other
to my hip. He pulls me closer and bends his head to my neck. He kisses me,
above my collarbone and I let him. It sends tingles through my body. Goosebumps
prickle my skin and I suck in a deep breath while bowing into him. “You taste
sweet, like candy,” he tells me before straightening back into position.

Wow. That was not expected. Do I want this from
this man? Yesterday, I was engaged…to someone else. Today, this delicious man,
who I don’t even know, is kissing me and I like it. I’ve never experienced an
attraction this fast.

The song ends all too quickly, and he steers us
back to our table where I finish the rest of my half a glass of wine in one
gulp. I go to take a seat, but he reaches for my hand halting me. I look up at
him.

“I think we should get you out of here. I know
what too much alcohol does to you and I don’t want a repeat of last night,” he
says, smiling and leading me out of the bar.

When we reach the elevator, I notice the clock and
it reads 9:46 pm. It isn’t too late on a Thursday night, but I really could use
some sleep. I need to make sure I’m well rested for my meeting tomorrow
morning.

As we enter, I press the button for my floor and
he presses the code for the penthouse. When it reaches the seventh floor, the
doors open and I go to walk out, but he has other plans. He moves forward,
grabbing my waist and pins me in the front corner while holding the door open.
    
 

“Come up with me and have one more drink?” He
phrases it in a question. “I’ll even feed you,” he states and I look up into
his blue gaze. I grab the lapels from his jacket with both hands for something
to hold on to as he’s towering over me. If I don’t hold myself back, there is
no telling what I could do to this man.

“I can’t,” I say; although at this every moment, I
really want to. Luckily, my brain knows better. “I have an early meeting
tomorrow morning and I need as much sleep as possible,” I respond. It’s the
truth, but I know if I go up with him, I may not stop things from progressing.
It’s been far too long since I’ve been underneath anyone, and I’m finding
myself wanting just that. 

Releasing his jacket, I duck from under his arm
and walk out of the elevator.

“Goodnight, Nick,” I say breathily as I’m walking
to my room.

My phone chimes just as I’m opening the door and I
check the text. It’s from him and I smile. I think this is the first real smile
I have had in over twenty-four hours. 

Good night, Shannon

Walking in the door, I kick off my pumps and place
my purse on the bedside table, but keep my phone in my hand. I walk over to the
window and look out. The beautiful, dark sky is scattered with stars and a
bright full moon. I take a seat on the window pillow and continue looking out
it.

Sitting with my back to the wall and my side
against the window, I reply,

I could
call you Nicky.

Which do
you prefer?

I smile joyfully and it reaches my eyes. This just
might be a fun game and I really don’t want to stop talking to him. 

I prefer Nicholas since it is my name.

Nikki is my little sister, so you

can’t
call me that or
NICK.

I’m laughing when I hit reply again.

I’ll stick
to Nick then.

I prefer it
anyway.

It’s not five seconds later before my phone chimes
once again and I’m smiling even more.

You’re obviously not going to sleep,

so
come up here. The
code is 7480.

You’re
bothering me so stop,

and
I will go to sleep.

I continue looking out the window for a few
minutes. I really do need to go to sleep. Just then, there is a knock on the
door. You’ve got to be kidding me. I tell him he’s bothering me and he shows
up. I quickly send him a reply as I’m standing up.