Promise Me Always Read online

  “It just isn’t good timing. First of all, she just got cheated on, again, by that douchebag. And she has made it perfectly clear, on more than one occasion that she just wants to be friends.” I put my head in my hands. I was so confused. I sighed, obviously frustrated, and just looked at Devin. “I don’t know what to do. She keeps sending me these crazy mixed signals. One minute she acts like she fucking wants me and the next minute she tells me she doesn’t need any more complications in her life.”

  “Dude, no offense, but it sounds like she’s just as confused as you are. Maybe you should just take things into your own hands. If you want her, then let her know. Stop being such a pussy and make a move. You’re Blake Bentley for fuck sakes; you have women eating out of your hand on a daily basis. I taught you better than this,” he said, shaking his head dramatically. “This should be a cake walk for you.” He sat up and looked at me with an, I’m sorry you’re so pathetic, look on his face.

  “It isn’t like that with her, Devin. She’s different. I don’t want to just fuck her… If I mess this up with her, if I lose her, it will destroy me.” I looked back down at the floor. I closed my eyes and memories of Tess filled my mind.

  The first time I saw her, all of our drunken conversations, talking about that Bruno Mars song, the way she looked in the sunlight leaning up against my truck… I smiled as images of her flashed like pulsing lights. The way she tasted as she kissed me for the first time, the way I fit perfectly inside her, her smile, her smart ass mouth, the way she fit like a puzzle piece in my arms when I held her, how it killed me to see her crying yesterday over that jackass… and then it finally hit me like a ton of bricks. My heart started beating so fast it felt like it was on fire.

  I fucking wanted this girl. No, I needed her and I was going to do everything in my power to fucking make her mine.

  The week went by extremely fast. Jared called me twice and tried to get me to meet him for dinner. I decided that would be a really bad idea, especially with how much I had to get done this week. He was pretty offended when I declined his offer, but said that he would try calling me this weekend and maybe we could do dinner on Saturday. I knew what he was doing and I had to politely remind him that I was going out with Blake. Getting together on Saturday wasn’t going to happen. He tried to get me to re-think my decision of going to the ball with Blake with little comments and innuendos. When I reminded him for the tenth time that we were going as friends and he was the one that cheated on me, he gave up and said that he would just call me on Sunday. I felt a little bad when I heard the hurt in his voice, but then I reminded myself the way I felt when I walked in on him and MoniCunt, I mean Monica, and I didn’t feel so bad anymore. Funny how that works.

  I spent the week getting my portfolio ready for my final review on Monday and I finally finished it late Friday night. I couldn’t believe I only had one week of classes left before graduation. I had an internship set up with an amazing portrait photographer in downtown Denver for the summer and I couldn’t wait to start working with him. At midnight, I was finally feeling completely content with my work. After almost an entire bottle of Moscato, I decided it was time to get some beauty sleep. I washed my face, brushed my teeth and was climbing into bed when my phone chirped. I picked it up and saw I had a new text message from Blake. Weird, he never texts me.

  Hey baby girl u up?

  I instantly smiled. There was something about the fact that Blake was texting me that made me feel like I was in high school all over again. I texted back a little too quickly.

  Just going to bed. Whats up?

  I sat there and stared at the phone, pleading for it to chirp again. My stomach flipped when it did.

  Are you excited for tomorrow night?

  Was I excited?

  Well, to be honest, I was a bit nervous. But I was never going to let him know that.

  Yeah should be fun u better behave yourself lol. What time r u picking me up?

  I am not promising anything lol. Starts at 7 so say 6:15? What’s your fav flower?

  Typical ;) Perfect see u then. Gerbera Dasies. Why?

  The next text that came through sent my whole body into overdrive.

  You’ll see :) Got a room with 2 beds just in case we r 2 drunk and want 2 stay the night. So u may want to bring a change of clothes just in case. ;)

  The mere thought of Blake getting a room made me think very dirty thoughts. I knew he wasn’t getting it for any other reason than actually sleeping because he made it clear that it was two beds. Still, I couldn’t keep the thoughts out of my mind. As I sat there, playing with my hair, trying to figure out what I would reply back with, there was another chirp from my phone. This time it was Jared. Ugh!

  Hey babe wanted to say I luv u. Good night.

  That was a great way to ruin my mood. I knew I was going to have to break it to him eventually that we were done for good but, for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I decided to lie and texted him back.

  Sleeping, talk to you Sun good night.

  Then I went back to Blake’s message.

  I am not sleeping with u. lol I will bring a change of clothes with me. Thanks for the heads up. See u tomorrow.

  I set my phone on my night stand and turned off the lights. As I was lying there, trying to force the thoughts of a naked Blake from my mind so I could sleep, I heard someone yell “fuck” from the parking lot. I heard a car door slam. That’s strange. I decided to check and see what all of the commotion was about. I got out of bed and started for the window. Before I got there, I heard a car start up and then heard it pulling out, tires squealing, from its’ parking spot. As I pulled back the blinds, I got a glimpse of a black beamer screeching around the corner with its’ lights off. I had never seen that car before and figured one of the single women in my building was having problems with a boyfriend. I went back to bed, closed my eyes, and dreamt about Blake.

  The next morning, I woke up with a dull ache between my thighs from all of the orgasmic dreams I had about Blake. I’ve had plenty of dreams like that before, but they were never as intense or real. I had at least three orgasms’ last night and they did nothing to satisfy the throbbing that was still coming from between my legs. I decided I needed to go for a long run to get these visions out of my head. I didn’t understand why I was having these thoughts about Blake. He was the guy that didn’t do relationships, and I knew that. But, for some reason, I couldn’t stop day dreaming all week about what it would be like to be his.

  I changed into my running shorts, threw on my sports bra, and slipped into my running shoes. After putting my hair up in a pony tail, I grabbed my iPod off of the kitchen counter and headed out the door. Running was my drug. Whenever I was feeling stressed out, sad or just needed to clear my thoughts, I ran. It gave me time to think things through in my head.

  I got down to the trail that I ran on a daily basis, put my ear buds in and hit play on my iPod. “Lose Yourself” by Eminem filled my head as I started down the trail. It was a gorgeous May morning in Colorado and spring was everywhere. Trees were starting to sprout leaves and the wild flowers were starting to bloom in the fields. I could smell the rain in the air from the previous evening. I loved the rain. Something about it was just so romantic and sexy. With the thought of sexy, my mind went right back to Blake. I had been thinking about him ever since the night on the balcony. Something about us changed that night and I could feel it. I have always thought Blake was attractive, you would have to be a completely blind to not think that, but we always had the “friend” rapport. Once he confided in me about his childhood, though, I saw another side of him that took my emotions for him to a whole new level. I felt like he had let me in a little bit. A tiny part of a wall had been torn down and he was letting me see the real him—and I knew that was something Blake Bentley didn’t do very often.

  I experienced something in that moment that made my heart flutter. Seeing another side of him was the trigger… the sight and feel of his bare chest may
have had a tiny bit of an effect on me, too.

  Blake didn’t feel the same way about me, though. I mean, yeah, he flirted with me all the time, but he’s a guy and that’s what they do. Even after our rendezvous three years ago, he was only worried about our friendship being ruined. The sex that day was the best I had ever had. I had been attracted to him for so long that I just had to get a taste of what it could be like. I was a little broken when he acted like it was just another ‘transaction’ to him—that he didn’t have any feelings for me after it happened.

  Not that I could blame him for my entire heart break—I never once told him how I really felt, either. I was going to that night at Cole’s, but the moment he asked me if I remembered what I had promised, I knew he was only interested in friendship. So I lost my nerve and kept my mouth shut. Eventually, I got over it and decided that maybe we were just better off as friends. Better friends than nothing, right?

  Things were different now, though. The physical attraction was still there, but now I was attracted to him on a whole new level. I wanted to have real conversations with him—the ones where you talk about life, your future, and your dreams. But I didn’t want to scare him away. I didn’t know what I would do if I lost him. He was too important to me.

  By the time my two mile run was over, I decided that as hard as it was going to be, I was going to let him take the wheel. If he wanted me, eventually he would make it known. And, if he didn’t, as much as that would kill me, then I would just have to deal with it.

  Palmer, Lexi and Avery showed up around five o’clock to help me do my hair and make up for the ball. Lexi and Palmer applied black and silver shadows to my eyes, giving them a smoky look—it looked amazing. I never wear lipstick, so they just applied a simple nude, shimmering lip gloss to my lips and a touch of blush in a warm pink to give me just a bit of color. Avery decided to do my hair up to show off the back of my dress, or lack thereof. It was pinned up in a low messy bun with soft, curly tendrils falling all around my face. My dress was amazing—a black, empire cut, long, chiffon gown that had sequins all over the v-neck bodice and up the straps that crossed in the back. Other than the thin crossing straps, the rest of the back was completely open. There was also a very sexy slit in the skirt that came all the way to my thigh. It would definitely get Blake’s attention.

  The girls helped me into my dress. I put in a pair of simple diamond earrings and then slipped on my new silver stilettos and I was ready to go.

  “Damn, Tess! You look stunning!” Lexi squealed as she threw her hand up and covered her mouth. “Blake is going to drop dead when he see’s you in this dress.”

  “No, he won’t. Besides, he said it himself—we’re just going as friends,” I said, winking as I started to laugh. I had filled the girls in on all the crazy thoughts I had been having while they were making me over. Lexi and Palmer always thought Blake had a thing for me—something that went beyond friendship. They just thought he was scared to admit it because he was a stupid guy. They all agreed that I had to take matters in my own hands—and my only choice was to seduce him until he broke.

  I hugged them all goodbye, thanked them for their help, and waited for Blake to show up. I had about five minutes before he was due to arrive, so I checked myself in the mirror one last time and made sure my overnight bag was ready to go.

  When my doorbell rang, it took everything in me not to run to the door. Somehow, I managed to take my time answering it. I turned the knob and slowly opened the door. When I looked up, I was staring straight into the eyes of the sexiest man I had ever seen. I had to hold on to the door to keep from falling over. Blake’s Armani tux fit him like a glove; I had never seen him this put together before and he looked absolutely delicious. In his arms, he held the biggest bouquet of red, pink, and yellow gerbera daisies I had ever seen.

  It took him a minute to speak as he looked me over. His hungry brown eyes traveled up and down my body and I could tell he was impressed. He drank in every part of me and it made me feel sexy as hell that he couldn’t tear his eyes from me.

  “Holy shit, baby girl! You look fucking gorgeous!” he finally said, stepping into the doorway. I gave him my best sexy smile, silently thanking him for the compliment, and took a step away from the door. He was staring at my legs and I cleared my throat; he shook his head like he was trying to clear his mind. When he finally looked up, he handed me the flowers. “These are for you.”

  “They’re beautiful. Thanks,” I said, admiring the beautiful arrangement. “You clean up pretty nice yourself. Let me just put these in some water and we can go.” I turned around and headed for the kitchen in search of a vase. When I did, I heard Blake take a deep breath when he saw the back of my dress.

  “Fuck, Tess, do you want me to get in a fight tonight? The guys are not going to leave you alone with you wearing that. How is it even staying in place? There is nothing to the back of it.” He sounded a little irritated.

  “First of all, there are straps holding it in place. Second, I thought we were just going as friends—so who cares if other guys hit on me?” I winked at him as his face clouded in irritation. He didn’t look too impressed with my statement. “It’ll be fine, Blake. No one will hit on me, you’ll see. And I promise to only dance with you the whole night,” I reassured him as I finished arranging the flowers. My brain was working overtime, trying not to read too much into the fact that he cared if other guys hit on me.

  I placed the vase on the table and grabbed my purse from the couch, taking a deep breath to calm myself down.

  “You better not break that promise. I don’t want to have to kick a fellow firefighter’s ass just because he couldn’t keep his hands to himself.” He took my hand and led me out the door and down the stairs, never removing his other hand from the small of my back. He guided me around the corner and into the parking lot. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the giant H2 Hummer Limousine parked in front of my building.

  “Oh my God” I squealed. “This is too much! I can’t believe you are really picking me up in a limo!” Blake had gone all out for this and it made me wonder if he did this for a lot of girls. He never really seemed like the romantic type, but maybe I was wrong. Flowers, a limo and a hotel room—I wondered how much tonight was costing him.

  “Wait, why did you get a limo and a room? If we get drunk, can’t we just have the limo drive us home?” I asked him, more than a little confused. I smiled as the driver opened the door for us.

  “Well, there is a huge after party going on in the presidential suite, but I didn’t know if you would want to stay for it. I figured if we did, I would let the limo leave and we could stay. But if you didn’t, then we could have the limo bring us home. I just wanted to leave every option open, baby girl.”

  I climbed into the limo and Blake slid in beside me. He handed me a glass of champagne and raised his glass to mine, staring into my eyes with ferocious intensity. “To an amazing evening with the most stunning woman I have ever laid eyes on,” he toasted. We tapped glasses and the bubbles tickled my nose as I took a sip.

  On the drive over to the hotel, we talked about some of the people I would be meeting and what I should expect at the ball. Dinner would be first and then they would have the award ceremony to honor firefighters that had gone above and beyond the line of duty to help save lives. After that, there would be dancing and a silent auction to help raise money for the department and some pre-chosen charities. The closer we got, the more excited I became.

  As we were pulling into the parking lot, Blake leaned over and put his hand on my thigh. I felt chills run up my spine when he touched me and my whole body got goose bumps. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “Tess, you really are amazing. Just the way you are.”

  I felt tears prick my eyes and I knew, in that moment, Blake really did have deeper feeling for me. That or he just wanted a piece of ass. I hoped it wasn’t the later as I looked up at him through my lashes and smiled.

  Tess looked stunning in that bla
ck dress. I had to readjust my pants about ten times in the limo. All I wanted to do since the moment I saw her was rip that dress off of her and show her just how beautiful she really was. Her legs looked fucking sexy as hell, peeking out behind that slit in her dress and I couldn’t help but wonder if they felt as soft as they looked. When we pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, I knew that was going to be my last chance for a while to touch her. So, leaning over, I put my hand on her leg and whispered the one line that I had sang to her three years ago. She shivered in response as goose bumps ran up her leg. Apparently, her body liked what I was doing—I just hoped her mind wasn’t thinking something different.

  The limo pulled up to the front of the hotel and the driver came around and opened the door. I got out and then offered my hand to Tess so I could help her out of the limo. As she stood up, I grabbed her around the waist with my other arm so I was standing behind her. I brushed my lips across the back of her neck and in a soft, but serious voice, I told her, “Don’t forget what you promised me, Tess.”

  She slowly turned her head, so she was looking over her shoulder, and stared at me with those mesmerizing, honey brown eyes, and simple stated, “Never.” I rested my forehead against her temple and she closed her eyes. I felt her take a deep breath in. I mimicked her actions and we stood there like that for just a moment.

  As I inhaled through my nose, my senses were flooded with her scent. She always smelled like the beach—like coconuts mixed with vanilla and a hint of musk. What I really wanted to do was take her home and show her just how perfect I thought she was, but we needed to get through this night first. And I needed to make sure she was feeling exactly what I was feeling before anything like that happened.

  I pulled myself out of my day dream and took one last deep breath. “I guess we should go get this party started.”

  She opened her eyes and nodded in agreement and I escorted her into the hotel.