Page 27 of Clueless
He crowded in behind me, his chest against my back and his hand on my hip as he easily plucked the vase from a top shelf and handed it to me.
“Thanks.”
He braced his hands on either side of me at the counter while I filled the vase with water at the sink.I could feel the moisture pooling between my legs as I tried to resist the temptation to turn into his arms.
“Why didn’t you call me back?”he whispered, skimming his lips down my neck.
I shivered, letting the vase overflow with water in the sink before he reached around me to turn the tap off.
I swallowed, trying to remember how to speak.I didn’t know what the hell it was about this man, but he seeped inside of me.Every time I got close to him, I couldn’t speak or breathe.And I just wanted to get horizontal.
My nipples were pebbling against the tight cotton shirt and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so aroused.Yes, I could.Just over two weeks ago, when I brought him home.
“Are you gonna answer my question, gorgeous?”He was sliding his calloused palm across my bare stomach, making me whimper as I leaned into him.
No!I was stronger than this.I couldn’t turn into a mushy mess every time he touched me.I’d gotten pissed off at him for a reason.I hadn’t called him back for a reason.I had to remember that.
“Um, help yourself to that beer,” I said, sidestepping him.“While I put these in water.”
“Sure.”
I pointed to a drawer next to the fridge.“Bottle opener is in there.”
“Thanks.You want one?”he asked, holding up the bottle.
“There’s an open bottle of white wine on the side of the door.I’ll have a glass of that.”
“Okay.”He set both bottles on the counter and opened two cupboards before finding the wine glasses.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him pour, trying not to focus on his hands.The way they’d made me feel.The music they’d made with his guitar.The markings they bore of his past.
Forcing myself to focus on the task at hand, I set the roses in the vase and carried them into the small living room.After shifting some magazines, I set them in the middle of the coffee table.
I turned around and let out a little yelp when I realized he was standing behind me, glasses in hand.“Sorry,” I said, taking the wine glass from him.“I guess I’m a little jumpy tonight.”
“Must be the unexpected company.”He watched me sit down on one end of the small sectional, and use the pillow as a shield to cover my body.“Grace, if you don’t want me here, just say the word and I’ll go.”
“No!”I pinched my lips together, annoyed with myself for not playing it cool.“Sit down.”
He nodded before sitting down a foot away from me.“Are you gonna tell me why you didn’t call me back?”
I considered what I would tell a client faced with a tough situation.Get it out there.Talk about it.Write it down.Process your feelings.Advice I now had to act on.“There were a lot of reasons, I guess.”
He brought the bottle to his lips and tipped it back before he said, “Okay, let’s hear them.”
I was surprised Taz was so willing to talk about my feelings.He didn’t strike me as someone who would be big on the art of communication.But in my line of work, I’d learned I shouldn’t make assumptions about people.
“You hurt my feelings when you assumed I slept around.”He’d already apologized and I knew it was silly to hold on to the resentment, but his opinion of me mattered more than I was willing to admit.
He reached for my hand.“I’m really sorry.I’m an idiot for saying that, and I swear to you, I didn’t mean it the way it came out.”
His apology was heartfelt.I could see it in his eyes, and I coached people to let things go, when they had closure.“I accept your apology.I just want you to know, asking you out, and to come home with me, was really out of character.I just felt something when I met you and I had to act on it.”
He smiled, kissing my hand.“I’m glad you did.Best night of my life.Bar none.”
I returned his smile.“It was pretty epic.”
“Yeah, it was.So, was that the only reason you didn’t call me back?You were still pissed about that stupid comment I made?”
