“Alright, well, the offer still stands. And be careful.” She nodded in agreement as he stepped from her office and out the door to his truck.
He contemplated stopping for dinner but settled on a frozen pizza he knew was sitting in his freezer, ready to be cooked and eaten. As he began the journey home, he wondered what Shelly and Abel were doing that weekend. Had Abel ever been fishing? Maybe he could teach him on one of his favorite lakes. He wasn’t sure if Shelly would allow Preston to take her son on a trip alone, but she could join them just like his mother had.
Oh man, what would his mother say if she knew the thoughts running through his head?
Laughing as he turned into his driveway, he followed the path and parked his truck in front of the garage. Hopping down from the truck, he heard a creaking noise coming from his front porch and instantly fell into alert. His hand went to the butt of the gun in his holster strapped to the belt around his waist. Slowly walking toward the porch steps, he kept his movements steady and silent.
“I was wondering when you’d be home,” a voice called out from the far left side of the covered porch where there was a wooden porch swing attached. The sound of Shelly’s voice was like music to his ears, his heart beating wildly at the notion that she had waited for him.
“Sorry, I’m not used to having a beautiful woman waiting for me at home.” Preston walked up the steps and moved closer to the bench. Shelly placed her foot on the floor to stop the rocking movement.
“Well, I’m happy to be of service this evening,” she replied seductively. He wasn’t sure if she meant to sound that way, but the way her voice traveled across his ears left the hairs on his arms standing on end.
“Where’s Abel?” he asked, loving how her body softened at the mention of her son.
“Sleepover.”
“Want to join me for pizza?” Leaning toward her, Preston placed one hand on the arm of the bench and the other on the back beside her shoulder.
“Pizza sounds delicious,” she whispered.
“Do you know what else is delicious?”
Her breath hitched as he leaned closer, trailing his lips across her ear and down her jaw.
“What’s that?” she whispered and Preston noticed the knuckles of her hands clenched tightly.
With a smirk, Preston replied, “You,” then he brushed his lips against hers in the lightest of touches.
He wanted to kiss her with everything he had, to possess her and make her his, but he had to bide his time. She was wary of him, and he wasn’t sure why she had to end up on his porch this evening, but he planned to play by her rules and take his time. He wanted to savor her for as long as he had her and he knew that if he kissed her fully, he would have lost himself in her lips and body.
“Pizza,” he murmured as he stood up and held a hand out to Shelly, who looked utterly confused with her furrowed brows.
Preston guided her inside the house. He found Ace barking inside his crate, wanting to be fed. He had Alexis let the puppy out before she came into the office per instruction from the first obedience class, but he could tell by the shredded towel that had been in the crate with him that it was going to take some time.
Releasing Shelly’s hand with an apology, Preston let the dog outside after snapping the invisible fence collar onto her neck. The wiring had been laid when he renovated the property, but he had just begun working with Ace to learn the barriers in the mornings. So far, the dog had done well.
While he waited for the pup to return, he got the oven ready for the pizza and grabbed them each a bottle of water. He was dying to know what caused her to wait for him on his porch this evening, but he knew he would have to be patient. She’d tell him when she was ready.
It wasn’t long before Ace was back in his open crate, snoring loudly while Preston and Shelly settled on the couch watching a movie they found on television.
“You’re probably wondering why I was waiting on your porch, huh?” she said as she took a final bite of pizza crust.
“Well, I was curious,” he added as he stood and took their plates to the garbage. When he returned to the couch, Shelly twisted her body toward his, tucking one of her delicate legs under the other.
“I know that I’ve been sending crazy mixed signals, but I thought about it today and I realized that there is no reason why I can’t, why we can’t . . .I don’t know. I just can’t stop thinking about the kiss and I want more.”
Placing his hand gently on her bent knee, Preston looked into her eyes to gauge her reaction to his touch. He had expected to see her flinch, but Shelly surprised him as she leaned her body closer to his.
“Shelly, I. . .”
“Just kiss me,” she demanded as she lifted her hands to either side of his cheeks and sealed their mouths together.
His only reply was to slip his tongue between her lips and if her grip on his face was any indication, she enjoyed his response.
***
Shelly couldn’t believe her own brazenness. Taking charge and going after what she wanted wasn’t a habit she had in her repertoire. Shelly was more of a stay in her lane and out of trouble kind of girl.