Waiting for Him (Waiting Series Book 3) (16 page)

C
hapter Twenty-Five

Jake

      My afternoon with Shelby went better than I could’ve planned. She opened up to me about some of her relationship doubts and it helped me to better understand where she’s coming from. She’s been hurt badly and she’s like a skittish little kitten and I need to slowly gain her trust. I’m not in a rush...I can be patient when it comes to her. I only have this one shot and I’m not going to blow it. Every move I make has to be carefully planned out like a chess match. I have to keep up the “friends only” vibe and make sure that she has fun every time we’re together. I’m going to fill her heart up with so much joy there won’t be any room for anyone else to reside there. Then I’ll swoop in and steal it without her even realizing it. I’m going to own her heart...and her body. Shelby Tyler belongs with me forever...she just hasn’t realized it yet.

           ***

      My work week passed in slow motion and I’m sure that had something to do with my plans to see Shelby on Saturday night. It’s pretty much an unspoken law that anytime you’re looking forward to something time passes at a snail’s pace and whenever you’re dreading something it will undoubtedly fly by. It doesn’t help that I don’t have the most exciting job in the world. I’m an IT Specialist so much of my time is spent repairing computers, and I usually work alone. I like the solitary aspect of my job, though. As much as I’m a people person, I also enjoy my quiet time.

      I’m excited to see Shelby tonight. She’s coming over to my condo to have dinner and watch a movie. We texted a few times during the week. I didn’t want to come on too strong, so I refrained from calling her or inundating her with texts each day. Restraint is a good trait to have and I have a feeling by the time I get my girl, I’ll be an expert at it in more ways than one. I was encouraged by the fact she actually texted me first yesterday. It was nice to see proof she must enjoy hearing from me.

      I’ve made chicken fajitas for dinner. Everything is prepared already so all I have to do is reheat the chicken and rice, once she’s here. I bought all the fixings for margaritas and I’m hoping a couple of them will help her let loose a little. I would love to be able to steal a kiss or two, but I’m not counting on it.

      She knocks at precisely six o'clock and a rush of excitement runs through my veins. I can’t wait to set my eyes on her. My palms are suddenly damp so I wipe them on my favorite pair of jeans as I walk over to the door.
I’m nervous about tonight and I’m not really sure why. In my past, I can’t remember any other girl having this effect on me. I’m not the kind of guy that’s unsure of himself.
Stop being a pussy and let her in.
The metal of the doorknob is cold against my palm and as I turn it, I offer up a silent prayer that tonight will be a positive step forward for us. I’m not really an overly religious man, but I do believe in a higher power and when it comes to Shelby, I’ll take whatever help I can get.

      Her beauty takes me by surprise at the first glimpse of her this week. I can’t contain the smile that stretches across my face even if I tried to. Seeing her, knowing that she’s here with me fills my chest with so much happiness. I don’t know how to handle all this emotion and feel good shit. I’m a guy...I don’t do warm and fuzzy and yet that’s exactly how being around her makes me feel...warm and fuzzy.
What the fuck?
I’m seriously turning into an emotional pussy and I’m going to have my man card revoked soon.

      “Hi,” my voice sounds husky to my own ears as I take her hand and pull her inside, closing the door behind her. Time stands still for a moment as we pause, both of our gazes are locked together until she breaks our connection when she unwinds the purple scarf from around her neck.

“Can I take that for you?” I ask and wonder what the fuck I’m going to do with a scarf? I don’t think I’ve ever owned one and least not since I’ve been an adult. Real men don’t wear scarfs, we brave the chilly winter temperatures without them.

      “No, I’ll just put it in my bag.” She tells me as she neatly folds it up, and places it in the large, brown, leather bag she has slung over her shoulder.

      “Come on in and make yourself at home. Can I get you a drink? I can make you a margarita.” She follows me into the kitchen, placing her bag on one of the bar stools that tuck under the large, granite-topped island, before sitting on another.

      “I would love a margarita. If I drink one now, I should be okay to drive home later.”

      “Don’t worry about that Shell. I can always drive you, or you can have my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch. I want you to relax and have some fun tonight. Just enjoy yourself and I’ll make sure you’re safe.” She smiles at me and I swear it physically affects me. My chest tightened and my breath stuttered just from seeing her bee-stung lips arc upward.

      “Okay, that sounds like a plan. I’d love to be able to go with the flow tonight. Sometimes it feels like all I do is worry and it’s like there’s a heavy weight bearing down on me at all times. I can’t remember what it’s like to be carefree.” She chews on her bottom lip lost in thought as I mix her Margarita.

      It’s only as I place the glass in front of her that she snaps out of her introspection. Her face is flushed as if she’s embarrassed and I’m pretty sure she revealed more to me than she had intended. I act as if I didn’t notice as I move about my kitchen, setting out the fajita fixings. I line them all up on the large island so we’ll have access to them as we eat. I don’t have a table and chairs in my condo, but the island is oversized so we have plenty of space.

       The two of us dine in companionable silence only broken by her occasional moans of enjoyment. It’s good to see her eating as much as she is. She’s always been a little on the thin side and now, I actually think her body looks hotter than ever. Her curves are more pronounced and just thinking about them is making me hard. I nonchalantly place my napkin over my lap to camouflage my body’s natural reaction to her. You’d never know judging by my dick that I’d jerked myself off in the shower only an hour ago.

      “This is so good Jake. I didn’t know you knew how to cook.” She says before taking a sip of her margarita.
      “I taught myself how. You can google anything these days. I’m thirty-one years old now and I can’t be eating takeout all the time. Unless I want it to catch up with me.” I say patting my stomach. It takes me going to the gym four times a week to maintain the muscle tone I have, not to mention, I’m not getting any younger.

      “I was just thinking about how old you are and wondering why I’m hanging out with someone so advanced in years.” She teases.

      We clean off the counter and put all the leftovers away. I rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher after I’ve made sure she’s comfortably situated on my brown leather sectional. I want her to relax and enjoy herself while she’s here. I quickly mix a pitcher of Margaritas and grab a beer for myself before I join her in the living room. I refill her glass and set my beer down on the coffee table, before taking a seat on the couch beside her. I’m close enough that our legs are almost touching, but I don’t want her to feel as if I’m crowding her. As much as I want to have her in my arms, I have to go slow with her. One wrong step with Shelby and I could lose my only chance.

      I put the very first episode of The Walking Dead on for us to watch. I love this show and I have all the episodes on DVR.

      “I can’t believe you’ve never seen this show. Have you been living under a rock?” I tease her.

      “Ha-ha, not quite. I have more discerning tastes in the shows I watch.” I bark out a laugh at her reply because I’m well aware of the shows she and my sister like to watch.

      “I don’t think your love for The Vampire Diaries proves that statement to be true.” I tap the tip of her nose with my finger and take in her beautiful face as she smiles up at me. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are gleaming and her lips...oh man...her lips are begging to be kissed by me. Begging to be fucking devoured by me.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
My dick is so hard right now and I’m trying to keep her from noticing what being near her does to me. I try to be nonchalant as I place one of my throw pillows in my lap and leisurely rest my arm on top of it. At least now she can’t see the beast trying to break free of my pants.

      Jesus, she makes me act like a prepubescent boy. It doesn’t help that I haven’t had sex in a long time...a really long time. I’m
sure that would surprise most of the people that know me. I don’t make a habit of discussing my personal life with my friends. Most of them assume that I’m having one night stands and I’ve never corrected them. I don’t really care what they think, I know the truth and that’s all that matters. In my early twenties when I was in college I slept with a few girls that I didn’t really know, but isn’t that what happens when you’re at college? For the most part, I’ve only had sex with women that I’ve dated, or I’ve had a sex-only arrangement with.

      Now that I’m thirty-one, I don’t have the time or the energy to go out as much. It’s difficult to meet someone if you’re always working or at home.

      I was so disappointed when I found out that Shelby was pregnant. That was an extremely tough time for me. Once I heard about the baby, I assumed that my dream of being with her was over. Even when I found out she was engaged to Jeff, it didn’t impact me the way finding out about Liam did. I would never be the guy that would break up a family, it’s not who I am or who I want to be.

      After hearing about Shelby’s pregnancy, I spent the first two days in a drunken stupor and then on the third day I slept with an old ex-girlfriend of mine, which was a huge mistake. The sex was mediocre and she mistakenly thought we were getting back together. It took me two weeks to convince her it would never happen. After that, I decided to abstain from sex until the right person came along and I’ve been having sex with only myself since then. As great as leftie is, he’s no substitute for the real deal.

      When Hailey mentioned that Shelby wasn’t with Jeff any longer I felt the first glimmer of hope that my dream of being with her wasn’t over yet. When I saw her at J.J.’s that first night, back in September, I asked her if she was involved with either Jeff or Garrett and she said no. I knew that she needed some more time to come to grips with her breakup with Jeff. I kept my distance even though it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I wanted to make sure that I’m not just a rebound for her, but now that enough time has passed, I know I need to go after her with everything in my arsenal. Life doesn’t give you second chances very often and when it does hopefully, you have the clarity to see it for what it is. I know that this is my only opportunity to make Shelby mine and if I screw it up, I’ll have to deal with the fallout for the rest of my life.

      We’re currently watching the second episode of The Walking Dead, and she keeps getting closer and closer to me with every gory scene. This is great...by the end of episode three she should be in my lap.

      “Aaah.”
She shrieks at one of the bloodier scenes and buries her face in my bicep. I gently slide the arm her head is resting against out from under her and pull her onto my chest. A wave of her vanilla scent washes over me conjuring up visions of licking vanilla frosting off various parts of her body. Her arm wraps around my waist as she snuggles against me. My eyes close as I savor the wonderful sensation of having her in my arms. I love that we’re cuddled together on my couch, watching television like a regular couple. I hope we have a lifetime of nights like this.

     By the end of episode four, the Margarita pitcher is empty and Shelby’s head is resting on the pillow in my lap. Having her here with me like this is the most exquisite form of torture. My fingers are resting on the side of her hip and I can feel her soft curves through the thin yoga pants she has on. My hand is so tempted to slide back and move over the contours of her ass, but I clamp down on my desire. I need to be patient and show some restraint which is easier said than done. There’s nothing I want more at this moment than to flip her over on her stomach and fuck her mercilessly. I want to thrust inside her so hard she’ll never forget the sensation of my cock filling her up. I’m going to erase all the intimate memories of Garrett and Jeff when I own her tight pussy. She’s going to give herself to me and I’ll be the last guy that ever knows what it’s like to be inside her.

      My fingers involuntarily clench on her hip as I try to get a handle on what little self-control I still have. I try to distract myself by thinking of various sayings that could apply to my situation. My gun is cocked and loaded, ready to fire...I’m on the razor’s edge...I’m hanging by a thread. It’s pathetic that I’m so turned on I’m about to come in my pants just from having her head in my lap.
By the time, we finally have sex I’ll go off as soon as I’m clenched inside her tight, wet, heat.

      It’s after midnight and Shelby is now sleeping on the pillow in my lap. Her hair is soft as silk on my fingers as I lazily trail them through her long, curly strands. It’s getting late and I need to wake her up and find out whether or not she wants to go home. I wish that we could stay in this moment forever and she never had to leave. The more time I spend with her, the harder it is for me to not get my hopes up. My fingers caress her cheek as I say her name.

      “Shelby.” She stirs immediately and slowly opens her large chocolate colored eyes, blinking a few times. She smiles sleepily at me.