Love's Crazy Twists (2 page)

              “What?” she yelled into the receiver.

              “Hello?” asked the voice on the other end of the line. “Are you all right?”

              When she realized it was Shane, she began to sob even harder. “I don’t know.”

              “Jules? Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?” he asked, concerned for his friend.

              “No, he didn’t hurt me. I’m OK.” she told him.

              “I was calling to make sure you made it home. You don’t sound like you are OK. Do you want me to come over?”

              “I’m all right, Shane. I just don’t know what to do. He was so mean. What he said...” She started to cry again.

              “Listen, Jules; I am coming over right now.” he told her.

              “You don’t have to.”

              “I know I don’t have to, but you need me and I am here for you. Anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Try to calm yourself and I will be there in a few.”

              “OK,” was all she could say. She wanted him to come over and comfort her, she needed him to hold her and tell her it was going to be all right.

              They said bye and hung up the phone. About ten minutes later he arrived. She was still sitting on the kitchen floor, her face buried between her knees. When she heard the door she looked up, her face tear-stained and her eyes red and swollen. She was a terrible mess. But she didn’t care, it didn’t matter.     

              “Oh, babe...” He started towards her, his arms outstretched. “Here, shhh, it’s OK.” He put his arms around her and held her tight. She began sobbing uncontrollably. They sat in the kitchen like this for what seemed like eternity.

              She managed to calm down and she looked up. Shane was simply “there” for her and she loved every minute of it.

              He helped her to her feet and gave her a really big hug. The kind that she was used to getting and the kind that she loved to get from him. She held on to him, maybe a little too long. But he didn’t seem to mind. She unconsciously let her mind drift back to her dream about Shane and the beach, and she smiled.

              “Thank you,” she said still hugging him.

              “What did I tell you? Anytime, anyplace, anywhere.”

              She pulled away and looked at him...and smiled. “Yeah, I remember.”

              “Now that is the smile I like to see on your face,” he teased her.

              She gave a silly grin. “How do you like that one?” She laughed.

              “Very funny,” he said. “So do you want to tell me what Matt said that made you so upset, or do I have to guess?”

              “I don’t know. It was just a lot of different things.”

              “Was it about us again?” he asked.

              “Yeah. He said that it was over because you and I were sleeping together. And he said he never wanted to see me again. You know what he’s like.” she explained.

              “Yes, I do, unfortunately. I know that you love him, Jules, but I really think that you could find better.” He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side.

              “I know what you think,” she told him. “I just don’t know what to do about anything. I want to leave him, but then I don’t...or maybe I just can’t.” She shrugged and turned around to walk away.

              He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder. “Hey, I am not saying that you should leave him. I know that you’ve been with him for a really long time, and I know how much you like to be in a relationship. But is it really worth it if he just makes you cry all the time?”

              She lowered her head and whispered, “I don’t know.”

He pulled her to him once again. She was becoming very aware of his presence near her. “I promise you, Jules, it will all work out for the best.”

              “Thank you,” she said. “I’m sure it will. I am just confused right now.” She looked away for a moment before continuing. “You know it is awfully late and if you’d like to go, feel free to do so. I really appreciate you coming over. It really means a lot to have a friend like you.”

              “It is no problem. I am just happy that I can be here for you.” He lifted her face to look at him, and then he smiled. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay for a while to make sure you are really OK.”“

              She nodded. Why should she argue? “Aren’t you tired?” she asked him.

              “Well, yeah a little, it is 2:30 in the morning after all,” he chuckled, “but I’m OK.”

              “I am beat,” she told him. “I think I should go to bed.”

              He took her by the hand and led her into her bedroom and said, “Here let me tuck you in.” He pulled the corner of her covers down and patted the bed for her to get in.

              She looked at him, smiling, and obeyed. She sat down on the bed and them put her feet under the covers and lay down. He pulled the covers up over her. He looked at her and gave her his sexiest smile ever, and she melted. He stood by the bed for a minute and she didn’t know what he was going to do. At first she thought that he might try to kiss her and then she thought that he might just turn and leave. He headed toward the door and hit the light switch.

              “I’ll be right out here on the sofa, if you need me. ‘Cause I’m not leaving.”

              “Oh really?” she taunted. “What? No good night story?”

              “You want a good night story, huh? What would you like to hear?” he teased.

              “Oh, I don’t know. You could just lie down here with me until we think of a story.” she said a little sheepishly.

              “Are you sure it’s all right?”

              “Of course it’s all right! Why wouldn’t it be?” she asked. “Besides, you said that you weren’t leaving me until you knew that I was all right.”

              “Fine, have it your way.” he joked.

              He walked over to the opposite side of the bed and lay down on top of the covers. She couldn’t help thinking that he really must be a gentleman. He wouldn’t even get under the covers with her! It never occurred to her that he might be afraid to get under the covers with her because he didn’t trust himself around her. Which he didn’t. She was a beautiful woman and any man would be crazy not to want to touch her. But he knew that she was taken and, like it or not, she loved Matt.

              From the first time Shane met Julie he had loved her. She had long flowing blonde hair, and green eyes that sparkled like a thousand emeralds. She had a thin waist and full curves. She looked like an angel the first time he had seen her. She was a bridesmaid in Sarah and Evan’s wedding. Sarah was a mutual friend of theirs. Julie was wearing a light blue, off-the-shoulder gown with a scooping neckline that really showed off her large breasts. Her hair was swept up with little wisps flowing along the neckline; she had tiny white flowers in her hair that looked like she wore a halo. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. When he was introduced to her, he was speechless. And even more so when she agreed to dance with him.

              She lay in bed beside Shane and was content with him being there, but what if Matt found out? He should know better than that. Shane was her best friend. And she loved Matt, didn’t she? Her mind wandered around and drifted back to her dream about Shane. Then she dozed off.

              About an hour later she woke up and turned toward Shane who was still wide awake, and shivering. “Shane?” she whispered.

              “Uh-huh,” he said.

              “Are you still awake?”

              “Yeah, couldn’t sleep,” he answered.

              “Hun, if you are cold, why don’t you get under the covers?” she asked.

              “I didn’t want to wake you.”

              “I don’t think that you getting up and then getting under the covers would wake me up. Now get under here, you are freezing!”

              He did as she told him. But now he wasn’t cold anymore, he was getting hotter by the second. His body was beginning to burn up. “Yeah, this is definitely better.” He laughed.

              “See I told you.” She yawned. “Good night, Shane.”

              “Good night, Jules.”

              She went back to sleep right away. And even though she was asleep she was still very aware of Shane sleeping right next to her. She dreamt of him lying there, and of him reaching over and putting his arm around her. About him pulling her to him and kissing her. Her thoughts jumped all over the place. Once she even dreamt about being with Shane and running into Matt, which was not a good thing. Matt would be yelling at her about sleeping with another man and then she woke up. She turned once again toward Shane to see if he was sleeping, and she thought that he was so she turned back on her side. Her mind wandering and her heart racing.

              “You OK, Jules?” She heard a whisper.

              “Yeah,” she muttered and yawned again.

              “Jules, can I tell you something?” he timidly asked. But he heard no reply. She was obviously asleep again. After a few moments of silence he said, “I guess not is not the time.” He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But he wasn’t successful. He lay there listening to her breathing and he could see her beautiful face in the beam of moonlight that came through the crack in the blinds. She looked even more angelic now than ever before. Yet another image of her, in his mind, that he’d never forget...or want to forget.

              A little while later he heard her making sounds of distress, instinctively he reached an arm around her and pulled her close. Her distress seemed to have faded to nil. His body was beginning to burn for her. She was too close to him now. He didn’t know if he could refrain from trying anything with her or not. Not long after he decided he couldn’t hold out and if she rejected, he would pretend to be asleep.

              He reached his arm over to her and gently cupped her breast. What was he doing? He couldn’t believe what he was doing. It just wasn’t right. But he couldn’t stop. Lightly he rubbed her breast and found that her nipple had grown hard. She let out a little moan, and he held his breath for fear that she would freak. She was still asleep. He should stop, and he knew it. But he didn’t stop, he couldn’t. He caressed her cheek, and kissed her neck.

              She woke up this time. Not at all surprised, she thought that it was Matt. She rolled over toward Shane and began kissing him. She ran her hand down the front of his torso to his waistline and then she noticed that something in his kiss was a bit different, actually it was better. Then she remembered! It wasn’t Matt; it was Shane! She had already started kissing him and she couldn’t just freak out and stop now, could she? Well, she could have, but she didn’t want to. She kept kissing Shane. She was getting hotter by the minute. She kept thinking,
I can’t believe this is happening.
She could feel his hands all over her with an urgency that she had never felt from Matt. Shane needed her and she could feel it with all her being, and she needed him too!

              “Do you want me to stop?” Shane asked breathlessly.

              “No,” she answered.

              “Are you sure? Because if we don’t stop now, I don’t think that I’ll be able to stop myself,” he told her with all honesty.

              “I’m sure, don’t stop,” she told him.

              He proceeded to kiss her. His mouth explored hers and he simply wanted to devour her. He didn’t realize how much he had wanted her until that moment. She was his best friend. That was all he thought there could ever be between them. Now he hoped that he was wrong. He kissed her all along her neck and collarbone. She would arch her head back to allow him to continue.

              A little moan escaped her, “Mmmm.”

              He smiled to himself, for he knew that he was making her happy, at least for the time being. And he was very happy, too. He wanted so much to please her. He slowly and gently slid one hand up under her nightshirt to her breast. He cupped it with loving care and his need for her was growing. Her nipples hardened under his touch and her flesh had goose bumps. Her body was on fire! She was so hot for Shane. She wanted to savor each and every touch from him, and yet she needed to have him so badly that she didn’t think she could wait any longer.

              He sat up and then lifted her shirt off her so that he could look at her beautiful tits. Instinctively his mouth went to one and sucked gently on it. She gave a little moan and he took her cue to suck a little harder. She could feel his tongue rolling over her nipples one at a time and she could feel her desire grow wilder. He trailed kisses all the way down over her stomach and then stopped at the waistline.

              “Are you sure you want me to keep going?” he asked.

              “Oh, yes. Don’t stop now!” she instructed him.

              He pulled her boxer shorts off to reveal that she wasn’t wearing any underwear. He kissed her mound of hair and then ran his fingers over and around it. He could hear her breathing become harder and shallower. He kissed her thighs and ran his hands once more over her soft hair. Gently and slowly he parted her lips and inserted a finger into her wetness. She let out a cry of joy. He began to rub her all over and he enjoyed listening to her pleasure. He started kissing her down there, licking and flicking his tongue fast then slow and all around.