Beneath, You're Beautiful Read online

  My eyes popped open and my heart rate spiked again as I heard the door open, worried that Stacey had followed us in. Thankfully, it wasn’t her. “Oh, excuse me.” Bobbie Jo almost ran into the other woman on her way back into the sitting area. She handed me a cool, damp cloth, and I put it on the back of my neck.

  “Thank you.”

  “Anytime. Can I get you anything else? Like some water, dessert, or a knife?”

  “Bobbie Jo!” Dana and I both exclaimed.

  “Don’t get your knickers in a knot! I’m only kidding. Lighten up.”

  “Not funny.” Dana glared at Bobbie Jo.

  “Actually, it was kinda funny.” I let out a laugh. “I might take you up on that offer if it weren’t for the prospect of having to wear orange. It’s not my color.”

  “It’s nice to see someone still has a sense of humor.” She rolled her eyes at Dana, who didn’t hesitate to show off her newly manicured middle finger. Bobbie Jo laughed and pulled me out of the chair and over to the vanity mirror. “It’s time to get you prettied back up and out of the ladies’ room. Skank whore needs a lesson or two.”

  Five minutes later, Bobbie Jo marched us out of the ladies’ room and back toward our table. The mood had shifted the moment we stepped out when I noticed that Stacey and her entourage were nowhere in sight. “What the hell did you do?” I questioned Jen as we approached our table.

  “I paid their tab and requested that they leave.” She set her beer down and looked me straight in the eye. “They listened.”

  “Why do I find it hard to believe they agreed to get up and leave just like that?”

  “I can be quite convincing when necessary, and they knew it was in their best interest to leave.”

  Just when I was going to push the issue further, the waiter arrived with a tray full of food, officially putting a stop to the conversation. “Here you go, ladies. Can I get you anything else?”

  “Nope. We’re all good here,” Jen quickly replied as she focused on the appetizers he was setting down.

  “Great, enjoy.”

  We ate in silence for several minutes, letting the strain of what happened subside. “So are you packed for your trip?” Jen asked between bites of bruschetta.

  “Pretty much. I need a pair of snow pants for snowmobiling, so I plan to hit the mall tomorrow.”

  “I’d be happy to go with you,” Dana offered. “I’m around for the next few days and would love to go with you.”

  “I’d really like that—thanks!”

  We continued with small talk, but the atmosphere at our table never fully recovered from the Stacey incident. I was ready to go and was pretty sure they were as well. After asking the server for our tab, I paid and bid a quick good-bye to Bobbie Jo and agreed to meet Dana at the mall at eleven the next morning.

  Jen and I drove in silence for about ten minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m sorry for being a downer tonight. I wasn’t prepared to have that paraded in front of me today. I feel like I’m finally in a good place, and just like that, I was knocked back down. Why does she have to be so spiteful? What did I ever do to her?”

  “You didn’t do anything. I compare her to one of those girls from high school. You know, the ones who let their insecurities transform them into the ultimate bitch. She makes herself feel better by bringing other people down. I couldn’t let her do that to you. You have been through hell, and what she did to you was disrespectful. I wasn’t just going to sit there and let her get away with it. She needed to leave, so I took care of it. Please don’t be mad at me—I was just protecting your dignity.”

  “I appreciate what you did, but eventually I’ll run into him, and when I do, I need to handle it on my own. I can’t live in a bubble anymore where the three of you protect me from everything. I’m a grown woman, and I need to own my life.” I paused for a moment to process what I just told Jen. “I need to be in charge of it again.”

  “Yes, you do. Maybe this was the kick in the ass you needed to realize that?”

  “Maybe,” I agreed as she turned down the street to my house.

  I was surprised to see that Blake’s car was parked in the driveway as we pulled up. “Looks like someone has company. I’m going to crash at my apartment tonight—I have an early morning tomorrow, and it’s a closer drive.” She came to a stop in my driveway. “You see that guy getting out of his car right there?”

  I nodded.

  “You know that I love you and want nothing but the best for you, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “That, right there . . .”—she jerked her head toward Blake, who was getting out of his car—“. . . that’s what’s best for you. Don’t fuck it up. Now get out.”

  “Love you too, bitch.”

  “Always and forever,” she called out as I closed the car door.

  I shook my head as I approached Blake. He was wearing a sexy smile and pulled me into his arms. “Everything okay?” he inquired as Jen drove away.

  “Yes. That was just Jen being the loving and caring pain-in-the-ass she normally is.”

  “And here I thought your ass would be feeling better after a massage. Guess I need to do something about that.” He tossed a leather overnight bag on to his shoulder. “And just so you know, I’m staying the night if Jen didn’t already tell you.”

  “What? That little shit . . . she knew and didn’t say anything,” I huffed in frustration.

  “She texted me from the restaurant and suggested that you could use a ‘house call’ tonight.”

  “I’m not a fan of the two of you getting along. I take that back. I’m not a fan of you and all three of my girlfriends getting along. Something tells me the four of you have more surprises in store for me.”

  “My lips are sealed.”

  “I give up, and I’m getting cold,” I complained and headed toward my front door.

  “Let’s get you warmed up then.”

  I was rummaging through my purse trying to find my house key in frustration. “Dammit. I can’t find my keys. Give me a minute.”

  “That’s okay, I got it.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a house key to unlock the front door.

  “Where’d you get that?”

  “Jen had a copy made for me. She figured I should have one since I live the closest to you. You know, in case of emergency or if you misplace your keys . . . like tonight.”

  “She’s really on my shit list now. I’m going to—” Blake covered my mouth with his and trapped me against my front door as he successfully used his house key to open it, and we stumbled in. After kicking the door shut, he guided us into the living room, and we came to a stop when my butt hit the back of a chair.

  He stepped between my legs and held my face in his hands giving me a final kiss before leaning back to look at me. “Are you done being grumpy?”

  “Yes,” I grumbled like a petulant child.

  “If you don’t want me to have a key, I’ll give it back.”

  “Umm. No, I guess I don’t mind you having a key.” I cleared my throat. “I just would have preferred to be the one to give it to you.”

  He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a shiny gold key on a Coach key fob. “Would it make you feel better if you had a key to my house?”

  “Really? Are we seriously at the stage where we’re giving each other keys to our houses? Isn’t it too early for that? I don’t know if I’m ready.”

  “Remember . . . no rules. Just do what feels right.” He placed the key in the palm of my right hand, clasped my fingers closed and kissed it. “And this feels right.”

  I relaxed a bit when his words sank in. Maybe he was right. No rules. I put the key on the sofa table. “Thank you. I needed a smile.”

  “I thought you always enjoyed spa day. Did something happen?”

  “The spa was wonderful—cocktails after didn’t go well, and it threw me off my game.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “Not really. Not now.” I
buried my head in the crook of his neck and breathed in his scent. It was a warm, woodsy scent that fit him perfectly.

  “I think I have something that will make it better.” He took my hand and led me up upstairs to the master bathroom and sat me down on the vanity stool before turning on the faucet to fill the soaking tub.

  After pouring in a generous amount of coconut scented bubble bath, he walked over to dim the lights and docked his phone. “Falling Slowly” by Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti started playing. The soft piano, combined with their soothing voices calmed my nerves as I undressed and stepped into the tub before he turned back around.

  Blake was surprised to see me in the tub already. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  Did I mind? Umm. No. “Not at all.”

  He discarded his clothes and climbed in to the tub facing me, not concerned about me seeing him naked for the first time. I did my best to avoid looking below his waistline, but failed. His body was beautiful, strong, and very generously endowed.

  After he settled in the tub, he took my right foot in his hand and began to massage it. “Mmm. That feels wonderful,” I sighed as I sank down further in the tub and closed my eyes, trying not to read too much into the words of the song.

  Blake repeated the process with my left foot and then turned me around so that my back was laying against his front. I was peaceful in his arms but took notice of his hardness as it pressed into my lower back. “You realize I had a ninety-minute massage already today, don’t you?” I asked as he began to rub my shoulders.

  “I’m well aware of that. However, the relaxing effects of it had worn off by the time you arrived home, and that’s not okay. I know you don’t want to talk about what happened, and I respect that, but it isn’t going to stop me from trying to make you feel better.”

  “Thank you.” I reached for his hands and pulled them around to hold me. “Just being in your arms relaxes me.” We didn’t talk as he held me; we just let the music fill the silence. Words weren’t needed.

  I’m not sure how long we had been in the tub until I looked at my fingers. “I put a prune to shame.” I grabbed his beautiful hands, and they were just as bad. “I think it’s time to get out.”

  Blake stepped out first, quickly wrapping a towel around his waist. What a shame. He reached for my towel and held it out to me. “I’m waiting.” He raised a brow at me as a sexy smile spread across his face.

  I stood and tried to grab for my towel to cover up, but he would have nothing to do with that. He held out his hand. “Let me help you dry off.”

  “Thank you.” I placed my hand in his as he proceeded to help me out of the tub. I was standing in front of him completely nude for the first time, and, surprisingly, it didn’t feel awkward. After he finished drying me off, he thoroughly lathered my body up in my favorite coconut body butter before slipping out of the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”

  When he reappeared, he was holding a pair of cozy flannel pajamas. “Really? You want me to wear those to bed?”

  “Are they comfortable?”

  “Yes.”

  “If I wasn’t here, would you wear them?”

  I started to blush. “Most likely, yes.”

  “That’s what I thought.” He had a victorious look on his face. “Put them on.” He handed them to me before he finished drying himself off. “I need to grab my sleep pants out of my bag. I’ll meet you downstairs.” The door clicked closed behind him.

  The day had been a complete disaster when it came to my emotions, yet Blake had instantly calmed me. He knew what I needed and didn’t try to push me to talk about it and, come to think about it, he didn’t even attempt to make it sexual. He just held me tight in his arms and placed the occasional kiss on the top of my bald head. Maybe I was being too hard on him in my mind. Maybe this, whatever this was, was right. Maybe.

  *

  The scent of popcorn led me to the kitchen, where I found Blake pouring melted butter over a heaping bowl of popped goodness. I admired him for a moment as he tossed the popcorn like a pro to mix the butter around. A tray full of movie candy and sodas sitting on the island caught my eye. “What’s going on here?”

  Pieces of popcorn went flying as I startled him mid-toss, which sent me into a fit of giggles. “Jesus woman. You scared the shit out of me,” he said.

  I knelt down to pick up the popcorn on the floor. “I couldn’t help it. I was admiring you and then spotted the concession-stand goodies, and I’m curious as to what you have planned here. . . . And I definitely enjoyed the flying popcorn act.”

  “Glad you enjoyed the show, but I think you’ll enjoy the main feature even more.” He helped me up and handed me the bowl of popcorn. With the tray of candy and soda in his hand, he steered me out of the kitchen. “It’s movie night—let’s go get comfy.”

  I followed him into the family room and found a heap of pillows and blankets lying on the floor in front of the sofa. He had moved the coffee table off to the side, and he set the tray down. I set the bowl next to it before dropping down on to the pillows. “What are we watching?”

  “Something tropical. Dana told me how much you love the Caribbean. So your options are Cocktail, Fool’s Gold, After the Sunset, or Boat Trip. There’s mystery, action, and humor, but they all have one thing in common . . . a beach or two.”

  “That is quite the beach collection you have. I can’t decide—you pick.”

  “Nope. Ladies’ choice. Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, Pierce Brosnan, or Cuba Gooding, Jr.?”

  “Well, since you put it that way, I’m going to have to go with Matthew.”

  “Fools Gold, it is!” He turned down the lights before settling in next to me. “Ready?” I nodded and grabbed the popcorn as he started the movie.

  The turquoise water and white sandy beaches were amazing. Not to mention seeing Matthew McConaughey without his shirt for ninety percent of the movie. “God, Matthew McConaughey is hot.” Whoops! I tossed my hand over my mouth, as I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Damn filter malfunction . . . again!

  I felt an elbow nudge from Blake. “Hey now.”

  “Let me rephrase that. Matthew is hot for a diving treasure hunter, but he has nothing on this hot doctor I know. He has thick dark hair that I want to run my hands through, warm brown eyes that make me melt, and a sinful mouth that says and does naughty things. It’s hard to believe he’s a highly respected physician.”

  “You’re terrible.” He began to tickle me.

  “Oh shit! STOP!!!” I laughed and flailed my legs around wildly. “You’ve been warned . . . I’m not responsible . . .” I could barely catch my breath as he continued his torturous tickling and pinned me down underneath him. “Uncle . . . I give up!”

  “You’re giving up that easily?” he whispered in my ear. His tickling turned into a light stroking, and I felt his lips graze the edge of my ear before he sucked the lobe into his mouth, which gave me the chills.

  “If this is my reward for giving up, then yes.”

  He lowered his lips to mine and gently began kissing me. His lips were soft and our bodies were perfectly molded together, except for my expanders. There was nothing comfortable about them. I moved my hands slowly down to his firm ass, which was covered in a soft pair of pajama pants. A deep growl rumbled in Blake’s chest.

  “You’re killing me.” He rested his arms on either side of me.

  “And you’re handsome.” I stated as he lowered his body down on top of me.

  “Victoria, you don’t know what I want to do to you right now, but you need to know that I’m not going to have sex with you tonight—I want it to be special and perfect. I’m not with you for that reason, and I’ll wait until I know we are both ready.”

  “Our first time will be special and perfect no matter if it is laid out on a bed, bent over a table, or on the floor.”

  He shifted on his side to lay next to me. “You deserve it all. Don’t you see that? You have a second chance at life, and I want everything goi
ng forward to be special, just like you.”

  “These last several months have been hell, and you’ve had the pleasure of seeing it all from day one. You’ve watched everything come crashing down, and yet here you are by my side, supporting me in a way I never imagined. You made today better.”

  “About that—are you okay? I’m not going to pry about what happened, but I’m here if you need to talk. You seemed pretty shaken up when you got home.”

  “I ran into Stacey.”

  “Stacey? As in the other woman?”

  “Yes.” I shifted to sit up a little more on the pillows. “When we got to the restaurant Bobbie Jo gave a toast, and she wasn’t quiet about it. I felt someone staring at me, and when I turned, my eyes were met by hers.”

  Blake sat up and pulled me over onto his lap so I was facing him. “I’m sorry that happened. What did you do?”

  “Nothing. I sat in silence as she intentionally showed off a ring on her left hand. I felt like I was going to vomit. Dana and Bobbie Jo ushered me to the bathroom so I could try to compose myself. By the time we got back to the table, Stacey and her friends had left. I know Jen said something to make them leave, and it pissed me off. I need to fight my own battles.”

  “You do—however, she isn’t worth your energy. That battle is over. It’s in the past and can’t be changed, so stop beating yourself up about it. What Noah did is unforgivable. He’s a coward and took the sleazy way out. You’re strong, you’re a fighter, and you will prevail. Neither of them can knock you back down because you aren’t living in the past anymore. The only thing you should see is your future. A bright new future that is yours to mold however you want. Leave the past where it belongs—in the past.”

  “I’m afraid of the future. I don’t know who I am anymore, or what kind of life I have ahead of me. Everything that felt safe was stolen from me and left me exposed and damaged. I feel alone in an unknown world, and I have no control over what happens next. I’m scared.” I could feel tears starting to build, and I buried my head in his shoulder.

  “It’s okay. Let it out. You’re safe here with me.”

  And just like that, a dam broke, and I sobbed for the first time in weeks as Blake held me in his arms. Feelings that I didn’t know I had hidden deep inside me poured out. Feelings of abandonment, anger, insecurity, and mistrust swirled inside me like a tornado. Like at the restaurant earlier, I could feel my insides trembling from the adrenaline, and I felt like I was going to burst. The storm of everything going on around me hit all at once, and it was terrifying.