Reaching Rachel (7 page)

Rachel studied his face, her heart constricting at his words. He seemed like he was being honest. As much as she knew it was probably the wrong move, and she would end up annihilating someone else, the pull for her to feel love and acceptance from someone again was seeping through her like a drug.

“I’d like to try,” Rachel whispered, reaching up to touch his face. “Thank you for caring about me.” She lifted up to touch his lips, allowing herself to feel the emotion that was surging through her. Someone cared enough about her to fight for her. That hadn’t happened for her in a long time. She had always been successful in keeping men at arm’s length. Hell, she kept everyone at arm’s length, even her best friends.

Justin grabbed her, pulling her to his body tightly, and buried his face in her neck. “Baby,” he breathed, kissing her softly behind her ear. “You just made me so happy. I’m so glad you took me back. I have a surprise for you.”

Rachel leaned back to look at him. “A surprise?”

Justin grinned, a lopsided boyish grin that made her stomach flop. “I guess I was hoping that you’d give me a chance. I took a big leap of faith that I could get through to you. Now, come with me. Please. Is your car okay here?”

Rachel looked at her car, her brain not able to process all that was happening here. Justin was taking her somewhere. He wanted her. “Uh …” She ran her hand through her hair. She shook her head, trying to clear her muddled thoughts. “Yes, it’s fine. How long will I be leaving it here?”

Justin smirked, grasping her hand tightly. “For the weekend. I’ll bring you back here for work Monday morning.”

Rachel’s mouth dropped open. “We’re going somewhere for the weekend? Really?”

Justin led her to his truck, opening the door for her and kissing her softly before she slid in. She watched as he walked around to the driver’s seat, his eyes never leaving hers. Her pulse quickened at the heady look in his eyes, and she knew that their weekend would be amazing, no matter where they were going.

“Close your eyes,” Justin whispered into her ear. She shivered immediately and listened. She couldn’t believe he did this. The part of her that never believed that anyone truly cared for her reminded her of his angry, flashing eyes dragging her by the arm out of the restaurant, all because a guy had talked to her, and the bruises that still discolored her arm. The word slut coming out of his mouth. She knew she couldn’t just let it go and move on without talking to him about it.

“Justin,” she began, her eyes still closed. She could feel him turn to look at her, and he cupped her face gently with his big, calloused hands. The same hand that had squeezed her arm in anger. He brushed his lips gently against hers, and she felt the tingle all the way to her toes.

“Yes?” his breath whispered over her, making her stomach clench. Could she really do this?

“I—I need to tell you something,” she began, and he dropped his hands from her but remained close enough that she could feel him. “Can I open my eyes for a minute?”

Justin hesitated, resting his hands on hers. “You’ll see the surprise if you open, but it seems important so go ahead. I’m listening.”

Rachel blinked open her eyes, taking in her surroundings. They were parked at one of the most prestigious hotels on the beach. Enormous white towers stretched into the clear Florida sky, gleaming in the sun. She could just make out the blue waves crashing gently on the shoreline. People milled everywhere, walking the beach and in and out of the large resort. “Justin,” she breathed. “This is too much. You didn’t …”

“I did,” he interrupted. “I did need to do this for you, Rachel. You need to believe that you are worth more than a no strings attached, no complications relationship. Now, tell me what’s on your mind so we can go enjoy our weekend.”

Rachel looked into the depths of those chocolate colored eyes, staring so intently at her while he waited for what she was going to say. “What happened at Fanz the other night? It can’t ever happen again, Justin. If you ever, ever lay a hand on me again, we’re done. I’m
not
a cheater. I may be many things, but not that. So I don’t need you getting all territorial and jealous about someone talking to me, okay? That’s a huge deal breaker for me.” Rachel pushed up the sleeve of her shirt to show the bruises around her arm. “See this? You
hurt
me, Justin. Someone who cares about someone else doesn’t leave marks like this. So if you really, truly want to see where things go from here, I need your promise. Never again.”

Justin reached out and gently traced her bruises with his rough fingertips. Something flashed in his eyes as he lifted his eyes and met hers, but she couldn’t quite tell if it was sadness, regret, or something else. “I’m so sorry, Rachel,” he whispered, leaning over the console and pressing his warm lips to her arm. “I was so crazy over you I lost my head. I want so much to move forward with you, see what we have. I have no idea why that guy made me react the way I did. I embarrassed you and myself. I hope you – and your friends—can forgive me for my horrible behavior. I never want to hurt you, baby. I just don’t want to share you.”

Rachel studied him, letting his words sink in. “I told you, Justin. I’m not a cheater. If I don’t want to see you anymore, I will tell you. So, we’re good, then?”

Justin pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Yes. It will never happen again. Now, let’s get to our amazing weekend.”

Rachel watched him as he swung the truck door open and hopped down, turning back to give her that killer smile once he saw that she was watching him. She hoped that what he said was true, and he truly did understand. She wasn’t playing that game with him, no matter how sexy he was.

Rachel sat by the pool in a chaise lounge, tapping her toes to the beat of the music playing on the deck, sipping a fruity drink, and watching Justin swim in the pool. His cut arms sliced through the water with ease, and every once and a while his head would bob up to the surface and grin at her, splashing a little water on her legs. And every time, she would smile back at him, put her glasses down a little so he could see her eyes, and laugh. It was a fun little flirtatious game they were playing, and it made her feel young and sexy. The pool deck was pretty full, with couples, families, and friends enjoying the beautiful afternoon. Rachel forced her eyes from Justin and scanned the deck, people watching. She wondered if others were people watching too and looking at her and Justin. If they were, what were they thinking? Did they think they were a couple, one that had just gotten together or that had been together a long time? She was sure that many of the women here at the pool had noticed Justin. It was hard not to. He turned heads everywhere he went, and being at a pool next to the beach meant he was half naked and very easy on the eyes.

She tapped the screen on her cell phone to check if she had any messages. She didn’t, but she opened the text screen and hit Kayley’s name. She wanted to make sure she knew where she was this weekend and give her a quick update on what happened. Kayley had pushed her to listen to Justin and give him the benefit of the doubt, and she wanted her friend to know that she not only gave him a chance, he did something supremely romantic on top of apologizing. It was a Ben type move, something he would do for Kayley on a whim. It wasn’t that she wanted Ben; it was that she wanted the
idea
of someone wanting her, desiring her, cherishing her that much.

Sending the text, she put her phone down on the small table next to her and lay her head back, tilting her face into the fading sun. This isn’t at all what she thought she’d be doing this weekend. And if she was honest with herself, she was beyond flattered that Justin had gone all out for her. She had kept everyone away from her for so long that she had never let anyone get close enough to do something this nice for her.

Her eyes found Justin again as he pulled himself out of the water. Her pulse raced as she scanned his body, from the wet hair he was running his hands through, to his broad, muscular shoulders and arms, trim waist sporting an impressive set of abs, and swim shorts that didn’t hide the vee of muscle that led underneath them. Water running down those hot muscles made it even harder for her to stay in her lounge chair. What she wanted to do was run to him and jump on him.
Wouldn’t that be interesting¸
she thought to herself.

He strolled towards her, his eyes raking her up and down just as she just did to him. Wearing her favorite skimpy red bikini with a cover up that covered her bruised arm from prying eyes, she knew the effect she had on him. She knew what she looked like, and she was proud of it. She smirked at him as he got closer, knowing that he wanted to go up to their room right now and get their weekend started, privately.

“You look good enough to eat,” Justin growled as he got close enough for her to hear. “I had to keep swimming laps to stop myself from being embarrassed if I got out of the pool. You are the hottest woman out here, by a landslide.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, making her knees weak. She hated how he could put her in a puddle of mush so easily, but loved it at the same time. She was a mess of contradictions, and her emotions ran the gamut with him. He was messing with her head. “What do you say that we grab a quick dinner at the tiki bar over there and then head to our room for the night? I’ve got quite a lot planned for us tonight.”

The way he said that left little room for negotiation, and she couldn’t argue with that if she tried. “Sounds good,” she purred, raising up on her flat feet to reach him. Grazing her lips along his jaw until she reached those luscious lips of his, she opened her mouth and slid her tongue into his, the feeling of his hot tongue intoxicating her. She backed off before she got any further involved and forgot where she was.

His eyes flashed as she smirked up at him. “Girl, you are going to kill me,” he muttered. “I’ll go order us some food and bring it back to our chairs. Anything in particular you want?”

Rachel lifted one eyebrow at him flirtatiously, and he got the drift loud and clear. Leaning down so that his lips brushed her earlobe, he whispered, “You better believe you are getting that. Now sit down and let your man wait on you.”

Justin walked away, a smile playing on his lips.
It’s going just as planned
, he thought, trying hard to keep himself from fist pumping in the air. She wasn’t all that different after all. She wanted the sweet words, the romance, and the apology. Tonight, he would show her in many ways how he ‘apologized’, and he’d be sure to keep showing her for the weekend. By Monday, she would be 100% his, and he could move on to the next part of their relationship. She would love it, just like they all did.

Turning the corner to head to where the tiki bar was, he noticed two guys walking the opposite direction. They were in their mid-20’s, attractive and muscular, and were talking loudly, probably having had a few too many around the pool today.

“Did you
see
that girl? Hot damn I’m gonna get that one’s number,” one of them said, shoving the other one playfully.

“Which one?” the other one said. “There’s a few around here I’d like to take upstairs for the night.”

“The one with the red hair and the red bikini on. Ho-ly hell. I’ve been watching her all afternoon! Did you see her with anyone? What I’d like to do with that hair wrapped around me …”

Justin didn’t even give him a second to process that thought. He grabbed his arm and shoved him back against the hotel wall behind him before he could even figure out what was happening. His friend stood, wide-eyed, staring at the scene.

“What the …” the blonde one yelled. “Get your damn hands off me, psycho!”

Justin gave the dark haired one a warning look to stay the hell away from him, and he backed up, his hands up. He turned his attention back to the pansy against the wall. “You will
not
talk like that about her, do you understand me? She is
mine
, and you don’t even get to
look at her
, much less talk about what you would like to do to her. Get it, asshole?” Justin put his forearm under the guy’s chin, making it so he couldn’t move. This guy was muscular, but had nothing on Justin.