Candace Shaw - His Loving Caress

However, she didn’t have a chance to carry out any of her thoughts, as the DJ appeared at the top of the staircase and shouted down. “Hey, B. Stop flirting with the lovely lady and bring the cord up here so we can get the music popping again.”

Braxton jerked his eyes away from Elle for a moment. Taking a step back, she figured she could flee out of the revolving doors, jet down Peachtree Street to the parking garage, hide in her rental car and hopefully remember how to breathe again. Instead, Braxton tossed the cable up to his DJ and placed his focus on her once more. This time his stare was serious to the point it was almost sexy and commanding. The tension in her neck crept back again. She was supposed to be mad at him, not turned on, but he was the only man who had ever made her insides burn.

He hesitated for a moment before treading closer, displaying a confident smile as if he were in control of the situation. “Hello, Elle.”

His low, deep voice caressed her like satin on her skin as her name rolled off his tongue in a seductive manner. Braxton possessed a swagger he didn’t have before, and it was downright intriguing. It reminded her of the summer before their junior year in high school when he’d returned from music camp. He’d shot up almost four inches during those two months of being away and had a faint mustache growing in. When he’d hugged her, she was overcome with nausea and panic, which was odd, because she’d always felt comfortable and secure in his embrace. That was the first time she’d realized she had a crush on her best friend, and then she ignored him for the next few weeks until he demanded to know what was wrong.

Now she felt like that high school girl standing in front of her crush all over again. Except this time there would be no hug even though her heart longed for one. And she hated that.

“Hi.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but she was relieved that the frog in her throat didn’t make its presence known. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

“Normally I’m not. But I had something important to tend to.” His eyes darkened, and he stepped toward her.

“Then I’ll let you get back to it.” She pivoted on her heel and headed toward the staircase before the perspiration forming on her hairline appeared.

“Wait.” He outstretched his hand as if he was going to wrap it around her forearm but quickly dropped it back to his side when she winced. “How long will you be in town?”

“Why?” Her tone was curt and abrupt as heat rushed to her face. If he thought she wanted to see him past this moment, he was dead wrong.

“So we can talk?” He closed the gap between them. “Maybe we can have dinner or something...”

The fresh scent of his woodsy cologne engulfed her senses making her forget for a moment her disdain for him. She gritted her teeth at his closeness and the fact that she had to restrain her body from nestling against his. Elle couldn’t believe her thought process or her mixed emotions over the man who had left her. She silently chastised herself.

“We really don’t have anything to discuss. I don’t want to catch up on our lives, or reminisce about our wonderful memories, which clearly meant nothing to you. And I certainly don’t want any explanations as to why you weren’t man enough to face me on our wedding day. I know exactly why you didn’t show up. I’ve known you since I was five years old. So unless you’re going to tell me what an asshole you are, we don’t having anything to talk about.”

She stormed up the stairs before he could answer. Braxton was never one for a scene in public and wouldn’t call or chase after her considering the music was still off and there were dozens of women upstairs. She made it back to her table and plopped into the chair next to Megan.

Elle let out a long sigh. “Your brother is here.”

“Yeah...I just found out and I promise you I didn’t tell him.”

“Me, either,” Tiffani chimed in. “Are you okay?”

“No. I’ll probably leave soon.”

Megan shook her head vigorously. “No. He can’t know you’re ruffled by his presence. You have to stay and appear unfazed.”

“Yeah. I guess so.” Elle shrugged and took a sip of her mimosa. “Besides, I left him downstairs.”

Megan’s face scrunched. “Mmm, no. Actually, he’s talking to the DJ but looking right at you.”

Elle turned her head slowly and right into Braxton’s intent stare. A cocky grin raised up his left jaw along with a sexy wink. Even though it had been years, she knew him well. They’d been best friends since kindergarten before dating off and on in high school and all the way into graduate school. He was determined, confident and focused. He was also a stickler for a schedule. If Megan said he slept in on Saturdays, he did just that, which meant Braxton had purposely ventured to the club during the brunch in hopes of running into her. And he had, just as she was alone on the first floor. But how did he...?

Elle’s eyes diverted to a security camera in the corner above the buffet table and there was another one she’d spotted in the bar area earlier. Well, she had her answer but that still didn’t explain how he knew she would be at the brunch. She believed what Megan and Tiffani had told her; they were aware of her disdain for him and would never betray her. And while she hadn’t had a chance to speak to Megan’s twin sister, Sydney, Elle didn’t think she’d told him, either.

Glancing at Braxton again, she saw him fumbling with cords on a subwoofer. She let her eyes roam over him momentarily. She’d seen him grow from a scrawny little boy into a handsome, six-foot-four young gentleman and now that he was thirty-four years old, he was all man. Tight arm muscles bulged as he lifted a speaker from a cart and set it on the floor. She remembered him working out, but his muscles had never appeared so tempting before, and she could only imagine how his chest and abs looked under the black golf shirt. His warm brown skin was flawless and smooth all the way up to his bald head. She liked the bald look on him; it complemented his big soulful eyes and his confident smile.

Grateful when Braxton disappeared through a door in the DJ’s booth, the tension in Elle’s neck relaxed, and she hoped that would be the last she would see of him. However, for some reason, she had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case. The fact that he was there wasn’t coincidental and since he’d stated he wanted to talk to her, she knew he wasn’t going to give up until it happened. After he was a no-show on their wedding day he tried numerous times to contact her, but her parents had prevented him from calling or seeing her. Over the years he’d sent white Phalaenopsis orchids—her favorite flowers—whenever she had a birthday, fashion show, or had won an award from the industry, and sometimes just because. There was never a note, but she assumed they were from Braxton because he knew of her love for the exotic plant and she had never revealed her favorite flower to any other boyfriend after him.

Just as she was starting to feel at ease again, Braxton reappeared. He pulled a keyboard to the ministage, then proceeded to hook the instrument up to a subwoofer. Her heart cringed. Hearing him on a CD or the radio rarely bothered her and if it did, she would simply turn it off and find something to do in order to suppress her hurt. However, this was different. She couldn’t run out of the room. Especially considering she noticed a few of her sorors, including two who were hostesses in the wedding that never happened, glance her way with whispers. Instead, she placed a pleasant smile on her face and prayed that Braxton wouldn’t dare play a song that held any special significance to them.

* * *

Braxton chuckled to himself as he glanced in Elle’s direction. He could sense her discomfort, but he also knew she was a strong woman and under no circumstances was she going to let him see her sweat. That just wasn’t in her nature.