MISTAKEN - The Complete First Season

C
opyright
© 2015 by Renna Peak

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J
oin
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A
n old quote
floated through my mind as I lay on the bed, staring up at the dark ceiling.
Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment.
I couldn't remember who said it, but it gave me something to do while I tried to figure out how to get out of my latest predicament. I have been the queen of bad decisions over the past year. When will enough bad decisions help me have good judgment?

I sighed to myself and he draped his arm across my chest.

I looked over at the clock on the dresser and I was sure it had to be wrong. Had I really just spent all night with him? How had 'just a drink' become an all-nighter? The gnawing feeling in my gut reminded me that I had just done something horrible, another terrible decision to add to the list. I had to get out of there, out of that bed.

I lifted his arm from me and placed it on the bed. I heard him take a sharp breath and I looked over at him. His eyes were still closed and I saw him settle back into the pillow. God, he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I had to stop myself from reaching over to touch his silky black hair. The panic I had been feeling was giving way to lust as I felt my body coming to life just looking at his sleeping body. The memory of running my fingers through those curls was fresh in my mind. I could still almost feel his hands moving up my sides, touching the tender flesh of my…

No, I had to leave. This was wrong—so wrong. A one night stand was definitely not in my character and I knew I would have to live with the consequences. If this ever came out, if he had recognized me... I couldn't even let myself think about it. I just needed to get out of there. I slid myself out of the bed and touched my bare feet to the floor. My clothes—where the hell were my clothes? I had the sinking feeling that only some of them were in the bedroom. My stomach almost dropped to the floor when I realized that I had taken the rest off on the way in.

I grabbed my panties and saw my bra across the room. I hadn't realized how huge the bedroom was in my lust-filled entrance. This room alone was bigger than my entire apartment. I tiptoed across the room, grabbed my bra and put it and my underwear on as I tried to sneak out of the room without making a sound. I looked back at him one last time before I slipped through the door. He took my breath away. I could still feel every ripple of his chest muscles on my fingertips. I had to look away. I had to get out of there.

I made my way back to the living room--the space was enormous. The converted loft was huge and open and someone had taken care with its tasteful decoration. I saw my dress lying on the floor near the door. I shook my head at what a slut I had been. I walked over to pick it up, smoothed it out and slipped it over my head. My shoes had to be somewhere around there, too, but I couldn't see them. I saw my purse on the table next to the door. At least I hadn't tossed that with too much haste.

I cursed myself for being so sloppy, so out of control. This wasn't me. I wasn't a one-night stand type of girl. A bad decision was one thing, but this had to be the biggest one I had ever made. I couldn't even remember what I had been thinking the night before to have allowed myself to do this. My head throbbed and I rubbed at my temples. The two Long Islands I'd had with him might have contributed to my stupidity. Maybe.

I scanned the floor for my shoes. I saw one under the dining table on the other side of the room and the memory of kicking it off when I wrapped my legs around him as we entered the apartment returned to me. God, I really was a slut. I walked over near the table and looked for the other shoe. I cursed myself again with my thoughts. How could I have been so stupid?

"You don't have to leave, you know. I was hoping we could spend some time together today." I heard his voice behind me and I felt my stomach drop out of my body. I winced before I turned around--I was so hoping I wouldn't have to face him again. If I had only been able to find my other shoe, I could have left and I never would have had to see him again.

He grinned at me and filled a glass with water from the tap and took a long drink. "I thought I'd at least make you breakfast. I'm not much of a cook, but I can do eggs and toast. Sit down." He motioned to the table behind me. "Do you drink coffee?" He started pulling things down from a cupboard.

I forced a smile and took a step away. "I'd love to, but I can't. I have…" He caught my gaze and I couldn't even finish the sentence. How could a man I just met yesterday take every thought out of my head like that?

"Plans?" His eyes crinkled with his wry smile. "What plans do you have on a Sunday morning?" He raised an eyebrow. "Church?" He started walking around the counter toward me.

"I'm just... I just…" My brain went to mush and I couldn't even form a sentence. I watched him move around the counter. He had put on his boxers before leaving the bedroom, thank God. I doubt I would have been able to form a thought, much less a sentence if he'd come out of the bedroom naked.

He walked up to me and took my hands in his. He pulled me against his body and breathed into my hair. I felt the stubble covering his chin on the sensitive skin of my neck and drew in a long breath. My knees almost buckled when I caught his scent. He let go of my hands and slipped his arms around my waist. He kissed that spot on my neck that I had never even known was there before last night, and I felt myself melt into him. He dipped his head toward me, his lips brushing against mine. He was so gentle, so soft with me. He pulled back from me a little. "You just?"

I let out the breath I had been holding and pulled away. I swallowed hard. "I… I need my other shoe." I pulled myself out of his arms. There was no way I was going to let myself lose control with him again.

He threw his head back and laughed before his mouth twisted into that wry smile again. He caught my gaze and looked into my eyes. I felt like I might drown in their perfect ocean blue. I had just met him—it wasn't right that I should lose control like this. It was almost like a drug. I knew it was so wrong, but I just wanted more. I had to fight that urge, that craving. I didn't have a choice.

I snapped myself out of it and took another step back. There was no way I would let myself lose control again. It was too dangerous. I took another step back and turned away from him. I walked back toward the table and grabbed my shoe from the floor. "My shoe? Have you seen the other one?"

He nodded and walked back around the counter to the kitchen. "I think I can help you out." He bent down and came back up with my matching shoe in his hand. He held it out to me and I walked over to the counter and took it from him. I didn't even want to think about how it had ended up all the way in the kitchen.

I put both of the plain black flats on my feet and turned toward the door. I hadn't worn a coat the day before and I was regretting it now. It had been such a warm, early spring day, and I never thought I'd be gone all night. Now, I'd be cold walking home. I snapped my mind back to the present and walked toward the door, picking up my purse from the table.

This had just been a huge, terrible mistake. Another bad decision in a long line of them, though this one threatened to take the cake. I turned back toward the kitchen. I felt like I needed to say something, even though I wasn't sure what.

He was already there behind me and I hadn't even heard him come out from behind the counter. I pressed my lips together and tried to think of something to say. "I..."

"Jen, I had a fantastic time with you and I'd like to see you again." He ran his hand through his black curls. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." He smiled.

I swallowed hard. I hadn't been expecting him to say that. I motioned with my arms. "I'm not this girl. I don't do this." I looked down at the floor. "This was a huge mistake and I'm sorry."

He nodded and gave me another small smile. It almost looked like there was pain in his eyes. "I understand regret, but there's nothing to be sorry for here." He walked over to a small writing desk in the living room and opened a drawer. He pulled out a business card and wrote on the back of it. He walked back over to me and pressed it into my hand. "In case you change your mind." He smiled at me again.

I managed a weak smile and nodded. I shoved the card into my purse without looking at it. I reached for the doorknob and felt his hand cover mine before I could get it open. I felt his breath in my ear and my knees went weak again. Just feeling his breath--let alone his touch--turned me into an insane person, an utter basket case.

"Jen, this was no mistake." He ran his finger from my hand up my arm. "This, what you feel when I do this." He rested his hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear. "Not a mistake." He kissed the spot on my neck under my ear and whispered into it. "You have no idea how amazing you are."

My back bristled and I pulled the door open. I was many things and amazing wasn't one of them. I couldn't turn to look at him because I knew I wouldn't be able to leave if I made eye contact with him again. "Goodbye, Brandon."

"
W
here have you been
, young lady?"

I rolled my eyes and closed the door. Melissa was sitting at our little dining table reading the newspaper. "Out." It was the only reasonable response, given the situation.

"It's frickin' seven in the morning. Where were you all night?" She looked me up and down. "Oh my God, you were with someone, weren't you?" She made a high pitched sound in the back of her throat and jumped up from her chair. She was as giddy as a piglet, squealing with delight.

I looked down at myself and saw nothing out of the ordinary. I was sure my hair wasn't doing anything other than hanging straight down my back, the same as it always did. I smoothed it down with my hand just in case. "How can you possibly know that?"

She giggled and squealed again before calming herself enough to talk to me. "Okay, sorry. I got a little carried away. It's pretty obvious, Jenna."

I frowned and looked down at myself again. "I don't get it. Am I glowing or something?"

She giggled and shook her head. "No, silly, your dress is on inside out." She raised an eyebrow.

It wouldn't have been noticeable unless you looked at the seams on the sides. I supposed my tag was also hanging out on the back and I reached up for it. Sure enough, it was. "Shit. God, I'm an idiot."

Melissa plopped herself down in the chair again. "What are you talking about? It's about damn time. It's been over a year."

I took a deep breath. "Thirteen months."

She shook her head and motioned for me to sit down at the table with her. "Jenna, honey. Thirteen months is a long time. Daniel wouldn't have wanted you to grieve for him for this long. He would want you to be happy. To be back out there."

I shook my head. "Not after everything that's happened."

She sighed and reached out to squeeze my hand. "How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't your fault? It was an accident, and he would want you to be happy, Jenna. He would."

I felt tears sting at my eyes and I sat down at the table. She was right. He would have wanted me to be happy. I forced myself to nod in agreement. "I know. I know you're right, but it feels like I cheated. I can't believe I let myself do this."

She squeezed my hand again. "You did nothing wrong. Nothing. Okay?"

I nodded and wiped at the corners of my eyes. I sniffled and nodded again. I knew in my head that she was right, that there was nothing wrong with what I had just done. It was my heart that was taking longer to agree.

She patted my hand again and tossed the newspaper aside. "Good. Now, please enlighten me."

I managed a weak smile. "Enlighten?"

She nodded. "Yes. Please explain to this single woman how you manage to go to a painting class, a freakin' watercolor painting class and end up spending the night with someone." She tilted her head and looked into my eyes. "Wait. He was hot, though, right? He wasn't some old geezer grandpa that was trying to pick up chicks at the co-op, right?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, Mel, he was hot. Really hot, and definitely not a grandpa." I thought about Brandon's chest again and I felt tingles in places that I shouldn't. I had to stop that. "We went for drinks after, then things got a little out of control."

She shook her head. "Who knew that hot guys hung out at painting classes?" She shrugged. "I obviously have been looking for men in all the wrong places."

I nodded. "Obviously. I thought everyone knew that bars were bad places to pick up anyone but alcoholics."

She gave me a fake glare. "That was one time, Jenna."

I managed a tiny giggle. "Maybe try pottery? That's pretty hot."

She grimaced. "Ugh, and dirty. I don't want that stuff getting under my fingernails." She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Okay, now dish. He was hot? Hotter than Daniel? Because Daniel was pretty damned hot."

The smile fell away from my face. The last thing I wanted to do was compare my dead fiancée to the man with whom I had just had a one night stand. The only two men I had ever been with. "Yes, Mel. He was hotter than Daniel. I really don't want to talk about it. It was a huge mistake and I'm sorry I did it."

"Honey, it wasn't a mistake. It needed to happen for you to move on." She grabbed my hand. "This is a good thing! Look at it as a stepping stone. You don't have to see him again. Just take it for what it was and move on."

I nodded again. Maybe she was right. I could just look at it as a stepping stone. Put him out of my mind and use the experience to move on from Daniel. I had spent the last year trying to run from myself and everything that reminded me of him. I was here in a new city to try to get on with my life, something I hadn't been able to do in D.C. I could just use this experience as a final step to finally putting him to rest in my mind. Somehow, it seemed easier said than done.

I saw Mel watching me from the corner of my eye. She caught my gaze and grinned. "Unless you want to see him again. Did you give him your number?"

I groaned. "Ugh, no." I reached into my purse and dug for the business card he had given me. I pulled it out and looked at it for the first time.
BR Holdings, Inc. Brandon Richardson, Owner and CEO
. I turned it over and saw a handwritten phone number. He had also written a note.
Jen, this was no mistake. Call me.

I felt my stomach drop to the floor. My eyes must have gone as wide as saucers because Mel grabbed the card from my hand. She smiled. "You have to call him. Not today, though. Maybe on Tuesday. Give him a few days to stew."

I shook my head. I grabbed the card back from her and shoved it back in my purse. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and I had to fight the tears I felt stinging in my eyes. Brandon had to be a one-time thing. I couldn't let myself have anything more. I didn't deserve it, not after everything I had done. After what I had done to Daniel. I took a deep breath and stood up. "I'm going to take a nap. Try to hold it down out here."

Melissa giggled and stood up. She came over and gave me a quick hug. "I know you liked him, Jenna. You know how I know?"

I took a step back and let her see me roll my eyes. "How, Mel?"

"You let him call you Jen."

She was right, of course. I hated it when anyone called me Jen. I hadn't had the heart to correct him and there was something about the way that he said it to me, that whole breathless thing he had going on, that sent shivers down my spine. Just thinking about his voice again was making the hairs on my arms stand on end. I shook my head at her. "It means nothing."

She smiled. "Are you sure? Because I think it means everything."

I couldn't help the little grin that found its way to my lips. Maybe it did mean something.