Girl Crush(66)

“Nothing in particular. Just glad I’m here.”

When the meal was over, and we’d sat there as long as we could, we finally got up to leave. I realized then I hadn’t thought this whole evening through very well. We were in two separate vehicles, which meant our time together ended when we left. Then it dawned on me as we stepped into the parking lot, my hand in his…I hadn’t seen Collier’s 911 when I’d pulled in, but he’d definitely arrived before I did.

“Where’s your car?”

“I had Beck drop me off. I hoped our evening wouldn’t be over after dinner.” A mischievous grin crossed his lips.

“A little presumptuous aren’t we, Mr. West?” My inner whore jumped for joy while I tried to play coy.

“Just figured we’ve wasted enough time. But I can call a cab.” He tried to mask his disappointment in favor of being a gentleman.

“Come on. I can take you home.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything. My car wasn’t hard to spot in the sea of blue, red, and white vehicles in front of us. Collier led the way, opening my door and helping me in before rounding the car to the passenger side. He remained silent during the ride, and I debated whether or not to take him back to his place or assume he wanted to come to mine. Taking a risk hadn’t paid off before, so I opted for the safe choice.

There wasn’t a light on inside when I pulled in behind his Porsche, and I hated the idea of leaving him alone. I knew the feel of those cold floors and the emptiness that grew inside me when I was inside those walls. When it was filled with his friends, it came to life, but without anyone around, it was like a vacuum. But I’d made an effort to pursue Collier, to show him I wanted to be with him. I’d taken the chance of emotional rejection—I couldn’t face physical, too. This was where I turned over the reins.





15





The Camaro idled in the circular drive behind his sports car. He hadn’t made any move to get out, but he hadn’t said anything, either. I put the car in neutral and pulled up the parking break, waiting for him to tell me whatever was on his mind.

“I know it’s getting late, but do you want to come in?” He motioned with his thumb over his shoulder to the house behind him. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve dated, and honestly, Giselle, I don’t know what I’m doing. Beck isn’t going to be home tonight so you won’t—”

“I’d love to.” I needed to stop his rambling before he said something that would make me laugh at him. Collier was normally a confident man, and I didn’t want him to question anything. I didn’t have a clue what we were doing or where this was going. My heart raced like I was fifteen and about to go to second base for the first time. My jingle-jangle rang between my legs, and I desperately wanted him. Maybe that made me easy, I didn’t know…nor did I care.

The closer we got to his house once we were out of the car, the more my sexual failures plagued me. Every bad date from Justin to Heather ran through my mind. I hadn’t been able to seal the deal with a man or a woman, and even rubber had lost its appeal. I dropped Collier’s hand in favor of wringing my own together to try to ease the anxiety.

But somewhere between the hesitancy in the car and the foyer of his house, Collier made a decision, and it didn’t include hours on the couch watching television or talking. Each step I took with him leading the way put us deeper into his home. I’d only been in his bedroom once, but I knew that was where we were headed. I tried to fight the nagging doubt in my thoughts—not doubts about Collier, but doubts about my ability to stop overthinking this and live in the moment. It had always been something I’d been good at, but that all stopped after Justin.

Collier turned on the lamp beside his bed, and it cast a warm glow over the large room. I stood firmly rooted just inside the doorway waiting for an invitation—or hell, maybe even instructions. But West was in his comfort zone, everything here was familiar to him, and the tension that had been pulled across his shoulders in the car had disappeared.

I hadn’t moved an inch; like a daft cow, I just watched him. He toed off his shoes with his back still to me, then reached down to the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. With each inch of skin he revealed, my mouth watered, and my knees weakened. The muscles along his spine flexed, and all I could think about was running my fingers over them.

He slowly turned around to face me. His features had softened, and a warmth radiated from him that invited me closer…but I didn’t move.

“You want to come in? Take your shoes off?”

I searched my mind for something smartass to say but drew a blank. Sarcasm was my first line of defense, and without it, I felt naked and exposed.

His laugh echoed off the marble floors that ran through the entire house. “Babe, seriously. Come here.”

He’d called me babe a handful of times in the past, but it took on a different meaning today. Those four letters went from casual acquaintance to intimate affection in one breath. I wanted nothing more than to please him, and before I could consciously make the decision to follow his instructions, my feet listened to his command. In a few short steps, I stood inches before the man who’d occupied my dreams and danced in my thoughts.

“Shoes.”

His hands steadied my hips, and I lifted my feet from the confines of my heels. Collier kicked them to the side in a move that screamed of sex appeal. Once my soles were planted firmly on the cold surface, his fingers snaked beneath my top and lingered on my lower back. Our eyes connected in the soft light, and at that moment, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind of what was between us. There was no need for words or professions of devotion. Our hearts spoke in a language I didn’t know could be understood.