with pent-up sexual energy and I was acutely aware of Oliver’s body heat emanating across the short distance between us. It was beyond infuriating that my close proximity to him didn’t seem to have the slightest bit of an effect on him.
He was probably used to sleeping with a different woman in his bed every night. I, however, had never had a man––other than my husband––in my bed. His closeness to me was positively electrifying, while my nearness to him was evidently sleep-inducing.
Knowing there was no way I would be able to fall asleep with him right there beside me, I got up and took my cell phone to the bathroom. After quietly closing the door and turning on the light, I called Soraya. It was late, but she was too good of a friend to be bothered by the wake-up call, since I really needed to talk.
Her voice was heavy with sleep, but she was with-it enough to answer the phone by asking, “So, how was it?”
“I wouldn’t know,” I answered, attempting to keep the whining tone out of my voice.
“You backed out of having sex with him?” she guessed.
I blinked several times to keep the hot tears at bay long enough to admit the truth. “No, I was more than willing to get naked with him, but he isn’t interested in me-eee.”
The sob erupted from deep in my throat as I forced the last word out. It was embarrassing to share the harsh reality with my friend, but I knew she wouldn’t judge me.
“What?!?” She sounded as astounded as I felt.
I sat down on the bathroom floor, hugged my knees to my chest, and leaned my back against the chilly porcelain tub. “That’s right… the biggest man-whore around has no desire to bang me.”
Soraya was quiet for so long that I began to wonder if she had heard the outlandish news that I had just dropped on her. When she finally spoke, her words couldn’t have stunned me more if she had suggested I run outside wearing a giant, floppy sun hat and nothing else.
Her tone was solemn, almost to the point of being reverent, when she said, “Whoa, he must really like you.”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me. “Maybe you misunderstood. I said he is not interested in touching me. He climbed into bed, promptly presented me with his back, and immediately fell asleep.”
“Right,” Soraya said quickly, as if I was the one being dense. “Don’t you see? Oliver is a classic skirt-chaser. It’s what he does with every single woman who crosses his path.”
“You’re not making me feel better,” I told her, surprised that she would be this insensitive. I already knew that I was the one woman that Oliver didn’t want. I didn’t need to be reminded of it by someone who was supposed to care about me.
“Those one-night stands and flings he engages in mean nothing to him,” she assured me, before adding, “You’re too important to him for casual sex. This is huge!”
“So, you think the fact that he’s not interested in banging me is a good sign?” My tone dripped with disbelief. This hypothesis was a stretch, even for my outlandish friend.
“Oh, yes,” she answered, sounding supremely confident.
I used one elbow crook as a pillow and rested my head on my bent knees. “I just don’t see how that is possible.”
“It’s more than possible,” she assured me. “It’s a fact. Trust me… Oliver has real feelings for you.”
Normally, I was leery of trusting anyone who uttered the words, ‘trust me.’ But Soraya was a true friend. My heart desperately ached to believe her, while my logical brain said her words didn’t make any sense.
Not sensing my inner struggle, Soraya continued, “Now, hang up this phone, slide back into bed with that sexy hunk, and cuddle right up next to him. He won’t be able to resist you.”
“You might be surprised,” I said in a flat voice, but I wasn’t able to truly keep the hope at bay that she might be right.
“Mark my words,” Soraya said before adding a dramatic pause. “Before this weekend is over, you’ll have completely stolen the heart of the heartless hunk.”
16
Oliver
Her delectable scent was the first thing I became aware of. It was an intoxicating mixture of fresh-scented fabric softener and a feminine, vaguely floral scent. Maybe lilac?
I took a deep breath to absorb it and realized I wanted to wake up every morning to this addictive smell.
It wasn’t just my nose that