“It took me a while to admit it to myself,” she confessed. “I was afraid there were too many obstacles, too many reasons for us not to be together. I was afraid I wasn’t good enough for you. I didn’t think I could fit into your world. As your friend, I could at least be close to you.”
I shook my head. If anything, she was too good for me.
“And now?”
She sighed wearily. “I’m tired of holding the feelings in, Liam. I’m tired of trying to stay away and only be your friend.” She drew in a deep breath. “Malcolm let me know, so often, I was a failure as a wife because I never made him happy. I never did anything right in his eyes. Everything that went wrong was my fault. All the time. Even his inability to keep a job.”
I waited. She rarely spoke about her ex. All I knew was their marriage had ended long before he left her, and that when he did leave, he took everything they had, leaving her in a vulnerable financial position. Everett had disliked him intensely and hated how he treated Shelby.
“I swore I would never let my guard down again. I was too busy trying to fix what was wrong with me, to make him happy, I didn’t see what he was doing or that Everett was right, and Malcolm was only using me, until it was too late. Once I lost my job, and the only income for us, I was no longer of any use to him, and he left.” She snorted, “Taking everything of value with him.”
“Not everything, Shelby.”
She looked up. “What?”
“He left the most valuable thing behind—you. He was just too much of an idiot to know that.”
“He never made me feel that way.” Her quiet voice revealed her vulnerability.
“I’ll show you that—every day, if you let me. I know it took me a while, but I want you to know how much you mean to me. Let me in and trust me. I won’t let you down, I promise.”
“I want that, Liam. Very much.”
“Hey.” I waited until her eyes met mine. “We can have both, Beaker. You are my best friend—the added bonus is we love each other, too. It’s the best of both worlds. And you, you, are perfect for me. Never doubt that.”
The smile I loved so much lit her face. Warm, open, and filled with love.
“You’re the best of both worlds for me as well.”
I tugged her closer and kissed her deeply.
There was nothing left to say.
She had said it all.“God, I miss you,” I sighed into the phone. “This week is never going to end.”
Shelby sighed. “You’ve only been gone two days, Oscar.”
“Two bloody long ones.” I paused. “Don’t you miss me?”
Her voice became shy. “Yeah, I do.”
“Where are you sleeping, Shelby?” I asked huskily.
“In your bed. It smells like you.”
I shut my eyes, groaning. I could see her there, her dark hair spilled across the pillow as she slumbered, curled up like a contented kitten. I wanted to be behind her, tucked around her soft body and feeling her warmth pressed against me. I could feel myself stirring, my cock aching at the thought of being close to her again. “I’m not letting you out of our bed for days when I get home,” I growled. “I’m gonna shag you senseless.”
“We don’t have to stick to the bed,” she whispered, teasing me. “I like the kitchen…and the sofa.”
“What about the desk—and the stairs? You like those too?”
She whimpered.
My head fell back against the chair. This woman was going to be the death of me. I also knew I had to change the subject and fast. I had a wardrobe fitting in a few minutes, and at the moment, I couldn’t possibly walk in there. “Behave, Beaker.”
Then I cleared my throat. “Any trouble today?”
She sighed quietly. “Ryan took me to the store to pick up some things. It was fine.”
“Fine?”
“He drove. I hid.”
“Did they follow?”
“No.”
“Really?” I was surprised. There had been a crowd outside the gate when I left and at the airport, yelling their inane questions with flashes going off so often it was like one steady bright light in my eyes. Even flanked by Everett and Mark, I felt exposed, and I worried constantly about Shelby. I made Everett promise to stay close while I was gone, before he left me at the gate. Ryan had come highly recommended by Mark, and he and Shelby had hit it off right away. The man was massive—almost as big as Mark, and he looked bloody menacing with a scowl that said, “Back the fuck off,” although his demeanor in private was far more affable. He, too, assured me no one would get near Shelby while I was away, and she was under his protection. I’d been fairly sequestered since arriving in New York, but I was more concerned about Shelby. She hadn’t left the house since I’d departed, and today was the first time she had gone out.