Slow No Wake (7 page)

“I really like you, Daniel. But it’s only been a few months since I broke off my engagement, so I’d like to take things slow.”

He nodded but I could see a flash of disappointment sweep over his face. “I understand. From what you’ve told me, it sounds like you went through a pretty bad time.”

“I did,” I admitted. “But I don’t want our date to be a downer. Let’s talk about something else. Tell me all about kite surfing.”

I could see a small smile return to his face and the glow of his smile warmed my heart.

“My roommate got me into kite surfing. He was crazy about it and his passion for the sport was contagious.”

As Daniel talked about kite surfing, I could see a twinkle in his eye. He was obviously as enthusiastic about the sport as his roommate.

“Kite surfing is one of the main reasons my roommate decided to move to Florida. And he was already familiar with the area because his family liked to vacation here. He got a job pretty quickly and then I followed.”

When the waitress brought our food, it smelled delicious. My stomach actually rumbled a bit. I guess I had been hungrier than I thought.

We both dug in. We managed to make quite a dent in the generous portions of enchiladas and burritos.

“Dinner was delicious,” I said as I stared at my nearly empty plate. I rarely at that much but the food was so yummy and so was the company.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Daniel said. “And I’m glad you agreed to join me this evening.”

Daniel reached across the table and grabbed my hand. His rough skin felt masculine and rugged. I imaged those powerful hands gripping my ass and pulling me close as he kissed me. I shuddered.

His eyes met mine as he pulled my hand to his lips and gently kissed my knuckles. The contrast between his rough hands and soft lips was enticing.

“Can I walk you home?” he asked.

“I would love that.” And I would love more of your rough hands and soft lips all over my body, I wanted to add.

Daniel paid the tab and we exited the restaurant.

***

T
he evening air held a level of dampness I wasn’t used to. It felt almost heavy. The moisture cooled the ocean breeze a bit as it blew through my curls.

Daniel took my hand in his and we strolled along the beach. It was quieter than it had been when I walked to the restaurant. In the darkness, the beach was still and almost desolate.  It was a sharp contrast to the tourists and activity on the beach earlier that afternoon.

As we headed toward the residential area, the stark lighting of the shops and restaurants faded and it felt like we had more privacy in the cover of the darkened street.

Daniel stopped and pulled me closer to him. “I’d like to kiss you.” The way he said it sounded like a question. No man had ever asked if he could kiss me. Most of the guys I had dated needed to be fended off rather than encouraged to act.

“Okay,” I said, although the word felt as though it had gotten stuck in my throat.

He leaned down and brushed his lips softly against mine. His kiss was so tentative and
tender, I felt my heart skip a few beats.

When he withdrew, I could a feel single word resting on my lips…
More. I wanted more of his gentle mouth on mine.

His kissed my forehead. “I know you want to take things slowly,” he whispered. “So, I’d better get you home.”

“I don’t live very far from here,” I said.

“Neither do
I.”

I smiled. “I didn’t realize we were neighbors.”

“Now you know where they get that cliché about it being a small world.” 

I didn’t realize just how small the world was about to get.

***

W
hen we reached my front door, I could feel Daniel’s body go rigid.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Y-you live here?” Daniel stammered.

I nodded.

“I live here,” he said. “I’m next door.”

I froze as the full weight of what he said sunk in.

Then the door of Eddie and Daniel’s apartment swung open and Eddie appeared.

“Hey, Danny-O,” Eddie said. “Are you doing to introduce me to
your…”

Eddie looked over and saw me holding hands with Daniel. “Holy, shit! Your date is Alexandria.”

Daniel went wide-eyed and dropped my hand. His expression was unreadable. “You’re the hot chick next door that Eddie is trying to bang.”

I looked at Eddie. “You’re the science teacher. You’re Mr.
LaRoche.”

The three of us just kept starting at each other in utter disbelief. I felt like I had just been transported into one of those bedroom farces that community theaters often produced. Only this was far from a
modern comedy. I had a horrible feeling it was going to quickly turn into a tragedy.

My no wake zone was quickly being overtaken by a tempest.

When I glanced over at Eddie, I noticed he was smirking.

Asshole.

I wanted to smack the smirk right off of his face.

When I glanced at Daniel, his expression was so pained, it looked like he had just been smacked. I wanted to give him a big hug.   

Daniel looked like he wanted to say something but no words came out. Instead, he just shook his head, turned and walked into his apartment. I could feel my chest constrict. Why was this happening? 

Eddie stepped closer to me and said, “So, did you think about me when you were kissing Danny?”

What the fuck? It took me a minute to register what he was saying.

As if I was watching a movie in slow motion, I could feel my hand as it swung toward Eddie’s face. He grabbed my wrist just before my palm made contact with his cheek.

“I wondered if you were the kind of girl who liked it rough,” he said as he closed the distance between us. I could feel his breath as he spoke. “I can do rough. I’ll do whatever it takes to rock your world.”

I made an attempt to free my wrist but he held it tighter. “You know you want me,” he said, his brown eyes boring into me. My chest tightened so much I could barely breathe.

“You have no idea what I want,” I managed to spit out.

Eddie grabbed my other wrist and pushed me up against the wall of our duplex. He pinned my arms to the wall above my head. I would have protested if I hadn’t been so completely aroused. He slammed his mouth into mine and kissed me fiercely. Hunger and longing raged through my body like a wildfire as his lips assaulted mine. The intensity of his desire, and the heat radiating from his body, was almost too much to bear. Every part of my body responded to Eddie in ways I had never felt before. It was as if every nerve I had was suddenly activated. Holy. Shit.

The exterior light flashed on over Eddie and Daniel’s door and I gasped.

Daniel.

Oh, my God. I wondered if he had seen us. All of the lust drained from my body and was quickly replaced with guilt and horror.

I ripped my arms free and wrenched myself from Eddie. He blinked a few times as if he was processing what just happened.

I shook my head. “I can’t do this.”

I didn’t have the nerve to look into his eyes. I knew if I looked into those sexy brown eyes again, Eddie would be in my bed in minutes.

I could feel his hand grab my shoulder and I could feel his breath on my neck as he whispered into my ear, “Yes, you can.” Three little words, but they held so much power.

Could I? Could I ever be with Eddie knowing Daniel was right next door? Could I be with Daniel now that I had a taste of Eddie? If I kissed Daniel again, would my thoughts drift to Eddie?

A few seconds passed, and when I didn’t turn to face him, Eddie let go of my shoulder. I unlocked my apartment and was barely able to shut the door behind me before I slid to the floor and started to cry.

I was awash in a sea of emotions as tears of anger, frustration, confusion, humiliation and sadness flowed down my cheeks. My only saving grace was that I had a full day to try and restore my sanity before I had to go to work and face Daniel again.

SIX

Unhooked

A
ll day Sunday, I stayed holed up in my apartment, drowning my sorrows in several pints of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy ice cream. I had no idea what was going to happen when I had to see Daniel at work on Monday. I wondered if I should even call him Daniel. His friends called him Danny or Danny-O. I wasn’t sure if he’d even consider me a friend anymore. Or if I ever was one.

I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Eddie again either but I was sure it was inevitable. He lived next door. And we worked together. I didn’t think the chemistry between us was going to subside any time soon. I thought about having sex with him, just so he’d leave me alone. He did say that he didn’t do two-night stands. But I didn’t know how I’d face Daniel again if he knew Eddie and I were intimate with each other.

Maybe the best course of action was to minimize contact with both of them. I could treat them as I did any other co-worker. That was a plan consistent with my no wake zone policy. And it was the only thing that made sense in my chocolate induced state of mind.

***

I
spent Monday morning, sitting in my office, staring at the wall. I wasn’t expecting to hear from Daniel about lunch and I didn’t. A twinge of sadness shot through my heart as I thought about the possibility that we would never go out again. My heart cracked a little when I considered the possibility that I would never get to hold his rough hands or kiss his soft lips again. I guess I really had gotten my wish. Peace, serenity and celibacy. No men in my no wake zone. If that’s what I truly wanted, why did it hurt so much?

I sat on the bench near the pond closest to the waterfall. I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to clear my mind. I heaved a sigh. Then I heard a male voice say, “Mind if I join you?”

I opened my eyes and saw Ricky looking down at me. He grinned. “Meditating?” he asked.

“Something
like that,” I responded.

“May I sit down?”

“Sure.”

Ricky took a seat next to me. “How are you doing?”

I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to reveal to Ricky. I knew he was friends with Daniel, and probably Eddie.

“I was kite surfing with the guys yesterday,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow. I guess I didn’t have to worry about revealing anything to him. It sounded like he already knew.

He continued. “Things were a little tense.”

“Am I to assume the tension had something to do with me?” I asked.

“You are a shrewd therapist,” he commented.

I opened my lunch box and examined the contents. Ham and cheese bagel sandwich with chips and a pickle. I wasn’t hungry anymore. Not even for the pickle. I closed the box.

“They both like you,” Ricky said.

“I didn’t know they were roommates. Obviously. I wasn’t even aware that they knew each other.”

He gave me a cold stare. “Does that make it any better? You were still playing a dangerous game.”

“I don’t think it really matters at this point, Ricky. I don’t plan on going out with either one of them again. Not that I was ever going out with Eddie. He kind of pushed his way into my life. And I don’t think Daniel ever wants to see me again.”

Ricky gave a single laugh. “That’s what you think? Eddie doesn’t give up until he gets what he wants. And he really wants you.
Badly. Daniel has absolutely fallen for you, but the problem is that he doesn’t think he can ever compete with Eddie, because Eddie has always gotten the girls.”

I didn’t know what to say. I certainly didn’t want to be the reason for tension between roommates and best friends. “And what do you suggest I do?”

“It’s not a counselor’s place to give advice. I only wanted to help clarify the situation. It’s up to you to figure out what to do about it.”

“So you’re my counselor now?”

He grinned. “Only in an unofficial capacity.”

I shook my head. “I really have no idea what to do.”

“I will tell you this. You can’t have both. Eddie and Danny share a lot of things, but I don’t think they’d be willing to share you.”

“I’ll take that under advisement,” I said.

Ricky stood up. “Okay, well, I’ll let you get back to your lunch then.”

“Thanks,” I said, as Ricky headed off toward the main building.

I guess I never actually believed I could have either Eddie or Daniel. Forget about having both. 

The rest of the day went by like a blur. I saw clients and typed notes in their case files but my mind was on Eddie and Daniel. I still had no idea what I was going to do. My father, who was an amateur philosopher, always told me and my sister, if we didn’t know what to
do, we should just do nothing. It was as good of a plan as any, I supposed.

***

T
hat evening, I half expected there to be a knock on the door but there wasn’t. I was starting to doubt what Ricky had said about both Eddie and Daniel wanting me. If they did, they both had an odd way of showing it. They were completely ignoring me.

I went to bed early and thought about Daniel and our kiss near the beach. I wondered how his rough hands would feel on my breasts and hips and stomach and thighs. I thought about feeling his tender kiss on my lips and neck and the sensitive spot behind my ears. 

Then my mind flashed to Eddie. I imagined him pushing his way through my door, grabbing my ass and lifting me up so I was straddling him, then pushing me up against the wall. He would slam his lips into mine and kiss me hard and rough, his calloused hands on my thighs. There would be a hard edge to everything he did and everything he wanted me to do.

Stop!

How could I fantasize about two guys in one night? Especially when they were roommates and especially when they lived next door. They were both so different but it was the differences that seemed to attract me to each of them.

I was in big trouble. 

***

I
wasn’t looking forward to the staff meeting the next day because I would be forced to sit in a room with Daniel for an entire hour. And seeing him for the first time since the incident on Saturday night would probably be anywhere from awkward to extremely uncomfortable. 

I decided the best strategy would be to get to the meeting room early and have my choice of seats. I arrived ten minutes early and to my surprise, Daniel was already seated in the room. His eyes were closed and he was rubbing his temples with his fingers.

I cleared my throat so Daniel would realize he was no longer alone. When he looked up at me, I noticed his eyes had dark circles under them. He looked haggard. Still sexy but also weary. My stomach clenched at the thought of me causing him so much anguish.

“Hi,” Daniel said so softly it was nearly inaudible.

“Hi,” I replied.

“Do you mind if I sit down next to you?” I asked.

He hesitated then nodded. I wasn’t sure if that meant he minded or if he was okay with me sitting next to him. I should have asked a better question.

I sat down anyway and he didn’t protest. It took a minute for Daniel to look at me, but when he finally
did, his eyes were filled with pain.

“I’m really sorry,” I said. I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. Shit. The last thing I wanted was to start crying at work.

Daniel slowly lifted his hand to my face and wiped the tears from my eyes. His rough skin tickled my cheeks just a bit. “Please don’t cry,” he whispered.

I tried to stifle the inevitable sobs that I knew were coming. Once the tear floodgates opened, I usually turned into a sobbing mass.

“Stand up,” Daniel said.

Without questioning it, I stood. Then he stood up next to me and wrapped me in a tight embrace.

“The rest of the staff will be here soon,” I whispered.

“I don’t care,” he whispered back. “Right this moment, this is the only thing I care about.”

Before my mind had time to register exactly what was happening, Daniel’s lips were on mine. His soft kisses quickly turned more urgent and needy. His breathing quickened as his mouth became greedier and more hungry. We may have ripped each other’s clothes off if we hadn’t been in the middle of a meeting room at work. And if the rest of the staff was due to join us…right now.

We were interrupted by the sounds of the twins’ voices as they entered the room arguing. Daniel jumped away from me and we both tried to quickly compose ourselves.

I don’t know how much the twins actually saw, but when I glanced over at them, they were both wide-eyed. That couldn’t be good.

I took a seat at the far end of the table, opposite Daniel. I tried my best not to look over at him, but the pull toward him overwhelmed my rational mind.

I could see that Daniel’s breathing was still heavy and he had pure desire in his eyes. I nearly melted in my chair, the chemistry between us was so palpable.

When I looked over at the twins, their eyes were darting between the two of us. I knew then that I would have to tell them what was going on—everything that was going on. I needed someone to confide it. That role used to be my sister’s, but since I no longer had a sister, I hoped the twins would be willing to listen and not judge. And hopefully not gossip, either. 

The meeting was long. The hour felt like three, especially with Daniel undressing me with his eyes. I barely even remembered what Tom was talking about. It was a new type of treatment for people with autism, which we were seeing much more of at the facility. I would have to look it up on the internet later. It was so hard to focus on anything but Daniel, and his rough hands and soft lips.

The only thing that finally got my attention was when Tom said that the outpatient therapy team would be going through
a Ropes Challenge Course training together as a team building exercise. The twins, Brad, Daniel, Ricky and I would be spending an entire day outside engaging in physical, mental and emotional challenges. And guess who would be our Ropes Challenge Course facilitator?

Eddie
LaRoche.

Great.
Just what a girl dreams about. Spending the day with BOTH of the guys, she’s attracted to and sort of involved with. Just the way I wanted to spend one of my days at work. Could anything be more embarrassing? I had always been a terrible liar, but calling in sick for that day seemed like a terrific plan.

After the meeting, Trinity and Serenity cornered me. They each grabbed one of my elbows and pulled me into the office they shared. Serenity made sure the door was closed and locked behind us.

“Spill,” Trinity said before we even had a chance to sit down.

I heaved a sigh as I sat down in one of the client chairs. Trinity and Serenity took their therapist chairs. The two of them gawked at me until I spoke.

“It’s probably obvious that Daniel and I have been seeing each other,” I said cautiously.

“I think everyone in the staff meeting could feel the energy between the two of you,” Serenity said.

“And the two of you were eye fucking again,” Trinity said.

“Well, things are a little strained between us at the moment,” I said.

Trinity let out a laugh. “You call that strained?”

I continued. “We went out on a date Saturday night and things were going really well until he walked me home and we discovered that
we were next door neighbors. And I may have been, well, kind of seeing his roommate, who I didn’t actually know was his roommate.”

The twins went wide-eyed. “What does kind of seeing mean?” Serenity asked.

“I sort of kissed him,” I said.

Trinity frowned. “How do you sort of kiss someone? Seems to me your lips touch or they don’t.
Kind of like being sort of pregnant. You either are or you’re not.”

She had a point. I guess I just didn’t want to admit I had actually let Eddie kiss me.
Especially after I had just kissed Daniel.

“And are we to assume that you also kissed Daniel at some point during your date?” Serenity asked.

“That would be a fair assumption,” I admitted.

Trinity grinned.
“You little slut.”

“I’m not a slut,” I protested. “Am I?”

“Well, you did kiss two guys, roommates, on the same night,” Serenity said.

It sounded a lot worse when Serenity said it. “I am a slut,” I said, resigning myself to the term.

“What now?” Serenity asked. “You’re not going to continue seeing both of them, are you?”

The fact that she even had to ask the question should have told me I was going down a dangerous road.

“I’d like to see where things lead with Daniel,” I said. “But Eddie is very persistent and persuasive.”

Trinity looked at her sister then looked at me. “Why can’t
Lexie see both of them?”

Serenity’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t be serious.”

“Think about it. She’s not hiding anything from them. It’s not like she’d be cheating on either of them. They live together. They’ll both know exactly what’s going on.”