Through The Grapevine: A BWWM Romance (6 page)

Chapter Five

Colby watched her pass out with a little smile on his face. She was going to so much trouble to try to get him to Tiffany. He wanted to do something for her to show his appreciation, so he took their few bags of groceries into the kitchen and began to cook dinner for them.

A short while later, Shannon woke up to delicious smells wafting from the little kitchen. She rolled over in the bed and saw that night had fallen and it was dark outside.

"Colby?" she called out. The fire was going strong and it was warm in their cabin, but there wasn't much light except for the light over the stove.

"I'm in the kitchen," he said, leaving the stove and walking over to the bed. He sat beside her and looked down at her. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he smiled down at her.

The corners of her lips curled up and she gave him a smile in return. "I'm good. I could use some more sleep but I think I'm more interested in whatever it is you're cooking in there. What did you make?" she asked.

He stood up and held his hand out to her. "I made a surprise for you. Get up and come enjoy it." He  grinned at her.

She gave him her hand and he pulled her to her feet and walked her to the fireplace where he had set up a little fireside dinner on the carpet. There was French bread, a salad, and a bottle of wine sitting beside two wine glasses.

"I'll be one minute," he said, heading into the kitchen and coming back out again with two plates filled with pasta and marinara sauce. "We're a little limited, but we did pretty well with what was available."

He set the plates down in front of them and reached for the wine, pouring each of them a glass of it.

"Where did all of this come from?" she asked. "We didn't get all this at the store when we went down there."

He shrugged. "I went back down for a few more things when you fell asleep. I just wanted to do something really nice for you. I'd never have made it this far without you, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. You're a really good friend, Shannon, and I'm so lucky to call you that. Thank you for everything that you have done, and everything that you are doing. You're incredible." he raised his wine glass in a toast to her.

"To true friends," he offered.

She could not hide the wide grin that spread over her face. She lifted her glass and toasted his. "To true friends," she said. They drank and then they enjoyed the dinner he made.

"This is really good, Colby. I may have to have you come over and cook a few more times when we get back to Cali." she teased him.

He nodded at her. "I'll do it if you want me to!"

"I may hold you to that,” she said with a smile.

"Hasn't this been a wild and crazy ride?" she asked, thinking over all of it. He took their empty plates to the sink and brought back two slices of chocolate cake and another bottle of red wine. She laughed at him, helped him settle in, and poured more wine for them.

"It has been a wild ride. Who would have ever thought it." he scoffed a little and shook his head. "I thought she and I would be attending party after party and going to showers and having dinners with friends and family from all over. I never ever saw this coming," he said, indicating the cabin and the storm. Then he looked up at her and tilted his head a little.

"At least I know that I could not be in finer company." He toasted her again and she chuckled at him.

"I couldn't, either." She watched him as he threw two more logs on the fire and then sat back down with her.

They finished the second bottle of wine and both of them were feeling heady and warm, when she noticed that he was looking at her face.

"What is it?" she asked, smiling at him. "Did I get frosting on me?" She ran her hand over her lips, but he shook his head.

"Well then? What is it?" 

He didn't look away from her. "I had a dream last night, and I could have sworn it was real. I could have..." he shook his head and paused, his blue eyes intent on her dark brown eyes.

"What was the dream?" she asked quietly’ as her heart began to pound. She hoped he hadn't remembered what had happened between them.

He leaned closer to her and spoke softly. "I dreamed that you and I were walking down a road, and then partway down the road we stopped and I held you in my arms and kissed you, and then we started walking together again."

Her heart began to beat faster still. "That's a funny sort of dream to have about us." She  tried to play it off as nothing.

Colby shook his head. "I've been thinking about it all day and I can't decide if it was a dream or a memory. Whatever it was, it was the sweetest kiss I have ever known."

Shannon's breath grew short and her heart pounded in her chest as he reached his finger up and touched her cheek lightly.

"I wondered... I mean, I wanted to know if it would be alright for me to...” he paused and leaned closer to her, his face inches from hers. "Would you mind if I kissed you once? Just to see if it was really only a dream?" he said, feeling sure that he'd had too much wine and it had made him far too bold.

Shannon was lost in the beauty and romance of the moment; the snow falling outside, the fire burning before them, the feel of the wine making her a little dizzy, and Colby, who couldn't take his eyes off of her, leaning in close to her, asking her if he could kiss her. She knew she must be dreaming herself, but if she was dreaming, she decided she didn't want to wake up.

She nodded at him and he reached his hands up to her face to cup her cheeks in his palms as he gazed into her eyes. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers, touching hers tentatively and gently at first, but as he moved his mouth over hers, he realized the truth and he lifted his head and looked at her.

"It was a memory!" he whispered incredulously. "We've done this before!" He touched her cheek and then ran his finger over her lips and she closed her eyes for a moment and drew her breath in, and then looked at him again.

"I kissed you last night, didn't I?" he whispered, staring at her in surprise.

Shannon nodded at him. He shook his head. "Why did I do that?" he asked in amazement.

She smiled a little. "You were dreaming. You were dreaming of Tiffany."

He shook his head. "No, I wasn't. I remember it so clearly. I was dreaming of you." He stared at her eyes and lowered his gaze to her full lips, and then he leaned close to her and brushed his lips against hers. "I was dreaming of this."

She felt a dizziness that had nothing at all to do with the wine, take over her head and her heart, and she let herself melt into his arms as he wrapped them around her, pulling her close to him and holding her to his chest. His mouth moved over hers slowly, tasting her and feeling her as if he wanted to make sure he didn't miss any bit of her.

He opened her mouth with his lips and at the touch of his tongue on hers, she moaned softly and he echoed her as his kiss deepened and his mouth moved more fervently over hers.

His fingers slid from her cheeks slowly down her neck and then to the back of her head, tangling in her hair and holding her mouth pressed firmly to his. Shannon felt as if she was falling in slow motion right into him and she knew that there was no way out, but she didn't want to stop it.

Colby's mouth left hers and he trailed his lips and tongue down her neck, ending at the hollow of her throat, tasting her and setting her on fire with his passionate kisses. She curled her fingers in his hair and soft moans escaped her as his mouth moved lower to the top of her breast and he gently pushed her backward down onto the carpet.

He rested his body on top of hers, and his fingers moved over the buttons on her blouse, pulling each one open and pushing the material away from her skin.

She had wished for this moment and dreamed of it so many times, and never once had her imagination come close to the fire and electricity that was burning between them.

Colby felt as if he was breathing her in and coming to life, as if nothing he had ever known could compare to what he was experiencing with her. It was like waking up for the first time in a new life, and he felt a need for her that seemed insatiable. His breath was rapid and his heart raced in him as he slipped her bra from her and revealed her full and rounded breasts.

His hands closed over her flesh and his mouth overtook her nipples, dark and hard, and yearning for his tongue and teeth. She cried out softly as he pressed himself against the core of her between her thighs and she felt his solid erection moving subtly on the outside of her clothes. Her cry of pleasure ignited an increased need in him and he pressed himself against her again, making her clutch at his shoulders and arch her back.

Suddenly Tiffany's face flashed through his mind and he stopped short, drawing his breath in sharply. Her blue eyes and red lips had been like a blast of ice water on him and he pulled himself from Shannon and laid beside her on the carpet, covering his face.

Her eyes flew open and she turned to look at him in confusion. "What is it?" she whispered softly in concern.

Colby rubbed his hands over his forehead and his eyes and took another deep breath. "I can't do this to you," he said quietly.

Shannon's heart was racing in her and her body was hot with need for him, but his words pulled at her and she felt tendrils of pain rising up in her heart. "Yes, you can, Colby, it's fine with me. It's more than fine." rolled over and laid her body on top of his, leaning her mouth down to his and smiling, "I want this too, Colby. I want you." She kissed his lips softly and spoke again, "I want you so much." She  said the words aloud and her dream ended.

He moved out from beneath her and sat up. "I mean that we can't do this, Shannon. We have to think of Tiffany. She's the only reason we are even here. I'm trying to save my marriage, not add to the problems that it already has. I'm so sorry." He   looked at Shannon and reached his hand out to her, seeing pain and shock etched across her face, but she moved away from him.

"No, I know you're right. She's my friend. I already betrayed her by telling you everything I have, and I have no right to take more on top of that. I can't have you to myself as well, no matter what I might want." She felt sorrow and guilt filling her, lifted her trembling fingers to her blouse, and buttoned it back up.

"I'm so sorry, Shannon. All of this was my fault. All of it. It was selfish of me to want you. I would never do anything to hurt you or Tiffany, and I should never have let myself... want you like that. I'm so sorry," he repeated. She stood up and he stood up with her, reaching for her, but she pulled away.

"No apologies. It was what it was, and nothing really happened. We just had too much wine and things got a little out of hand. We're going to be okay," she said, not willing to lose him over the incident.

"We just go on and pretend this didn't happen. We stay friends, and we look out for each other." She  turned away from him and went to the bathroom to put her pajamas on and ready herself for bed. When she came out he was cleaning in the kitchen and she looked at his back for a moment, and then turned and went to bed.

She fell into a half sleep, facing the wall, and when he came to bed she bit her lip and closed her eyes, determined to make their friendship work, no matter what, because she couldn't bear to lose him.

Colby wrestled with his thoughts and emotions all through the night until sleep finally came and stole him away. They both stayed asleep until late in the morning and when they awoke, they both acted as though everything was fine between them, and doing that only made them hurt a little bit worse.

They learned that the roads were finally open at midday and they checked out of the cabin and got back on the road toward Aspen. It took much longer than they expected, but they finally reached the famous old mountain town, and they decided to get a room there and figure out their next move.

Chapter Six

They were finally able to get a room with two beds and it helped to ease the quiet tension between them. They unpacked and settled in and while Colby was showering and dressing, Shannon was hatching a plan to help him get Tiffany and win her back. She was determined to be the good friend he needed, and the true friend that he believed her to be.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, she stood up from the chair at the desk in their room and said, "I've got a plan to help you that's going to work like a charm."

He raised his eyebrows and gave her a half smile. "Really? What is it?" he asked curiously.

She walked to him and looked up at him with serious eyes. "I'm going to help you make some positive changes, but you have to trust me on this, and do what I tell you to do. Okay?"

He smiled down at her fully then and nodded. "Alright. I'm all yours. What are we going to do?"

Shannon pushed the thought from her mind that she wished he really was all hers, and she took him to the downtown area of Aspen. Their first stop was a salon where she and the hairdresser agreed on a stylish cut that tapered his longer unruly black hair into a flattering design. Then she took him to an optometrist who had him fitted for contacts and she tucked his glasses into her bag for keeps.

Following that, she shopped with him at  a few of the finer stores in the town to dress  him with a more fashion forward clean cut style, and by the time he looked in the mirror at the finished product, he could hardly recognize himself for the changes he had undergone. He was overwhelmed, and in his gratitude, he swept Shannon up in an enormous hug, holding her close to him and then kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"What would I ever do without you?" he asked, grinning at her. She handed him a pair of dark sunglasses and they walked outside into the bright snow.

Shannon spoke softly to him as they walked down the main street. "She isn't going to be expecting you at all, let alone expecting you to look like this, so you'll have the element of surprise on your side, and that is going to benefit you more than anything else.

You will have an opportunity to show her that you are worth ten of Ron, and that not only do you love her enough to come all this way through hundreds of miles of a raging blizzard, but you are willing to forgive her and take her to the altar to marry her and give her a beautiful life.

If that doesn't convince her of your love, I don't know what else would. She probably shouldn't know that I'm here, so I'll stay up in the room and wait for you to let me know how it all went."

"How am I going to find her?" he asked, looking at Shannon incredulously.

Shannon smiled at him. "It just snowed harder than it has all year here, and now the sun is finally out. There's only one place she'll be today, and that is the slopes. Go to the ski lodge and you'll run into her."

She looked up at him in admiration and shook her head in disbelief. "You look incredible." She leaned up on her toes and kissed his lips softly, just once, and then she stepped back from him. He stared at her as the fire on his lips cooled.

"For luck,” she said  simply and turned to walk away.

"Shannon!" he called out after her.

She turned to face him. "Yeah?"

He grinned at her. "Thank you. You're the best."

Shannon nodded and laughed. "Yes, I am! Now go get her!" and with that she disappeared.

Colby headed to the ski lodge and people who thought he was a movie star stopped him three times before he got to the bar. It boosted his ego and his confidence enormously to hear comments like that from strangers who admired him.

He downed a whiskey and then ordered another one, but moved to a large leather armchair that faced the huge windows overlooking the slopes, and there he sat, waiting for her. Two hours passed, and he had three whiskeys over his lips and a small fan club forming around him when he finally saw her. She came traipsing in the door laughing and talking with a great hulk of a man who looked like he was one solid muscle from his blonde head to his snow boots.

Colby stood up and the women around him began to chatter at him and giggle, and in a single moment, Tiffany flipped her long wavy blonde hair over her shoulder and turned, looking at him in passing and then stopping in her tracks when she realized who he was.

She did a double take at first, looking at him and winking, and then looking back at him and staring. Her face flushed scarlet and a wall of panic hit her as she stood there.

The man came up behind her and swatted her on the ass, but she quickly pushed his hand away from her and then whispered something to him and he nodded and walked away from her, heading toward the bar.

Tiffany smiled a little and walked awkwardly toward Colby, reaching for him and giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"What on earth are you doing here, and what have you done to yourself?" she asked in wonder, acting as though everything was alright and it was no big deal that he was standing in front of her in the ski lodge.

He shook his head at her. "I came to see if my bride was ready to leave her lover and come back home with me so we could get married."

She stared at him and her mouth fell open. "My... what? What are you talking about?" she asked with faux innocence, blinking her eyes and laying her hand on her heart.

Colby looked at her seriously. "Ron? Your lover? I was hoping you'd be ready to leave him by now, and come home with me. We have a wedding to get ready for, if you still want to get married."

Tiffany didn't speak to him, she just shook her head. "How did you find out?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, I talked to your dad and the rest just kind of fell into place. I've been here for a while today, so a lot of questions were answered that way, too." He kept it vague without seeming suspicious.

She looked like she was weighing several things over in her mind, and at long last she walked up to him slowly and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry, Colby!" She  buried her face in his chest and shed a few tears on his new shirt. Then she looked up at him and said, "Let's get out of here and go talk somewhere."

Colby felt for the first time that there might actually be a real light at the end of the tunnel. "I'd like that very much." He took her  under his arm and walked  toward the front door of the lodge. She was stunned when two more people stopped him asking him for autographs and thinking he was a celebrity.

They drove to a cafe downtown and sat at a table together.

Tiffany stared at him and grinned. "I just can't take my eyes off of you! What a transformation! You look so good! What made you change so much?" she asked curiously.

He shrugged lightly. "Well, knowing that you were so unsatisfied with me that you were looking for fun elsewhere; that was a catalyst in the changes I've been going through this week."

"Well, you  look amazing, and I love it." 

The strings in his heart that she normally tugged on with nothing but a mere smile didn't seem to be reacting to her charms.

"We need to decide what we are going to do,” he asked plainly, looking directly at her.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, we ought to get married of course, I mean, I was silly and I made a mistake, but we are both adults and I think we can look past this little bump in the road and move forward. Don't you?" she asked hopefully.

Colby cocked his head a little at her. "Well, that really depends on you, doesn't it? If you decide to come home and marry me, I'm going to expect you to be my wife, only my wife, and not ever be anyone else's lover. That's the deal. If you want someone else, you better not walk down the aisle to me, because I won't marry you."

He leaned forward and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm your friend and your lover, Tiffany. I'm your fiancée and I will be your husband. I will care for you better than anyone else ever could, and I will treat you like a queen for all of our days, giving you all of the love I have, but you have to hold up your end of the deal.

You have to give me the same thing in return. There can be no affairs, no cheating, no lying, no screwing around; you have to prove to me that you want me, that you love me, and that spending the rest of your life with me and only me is your first priority."