Not My Type: Rhiannon Ch. 02

By the time I parked in my usual spot and got to the front door of the building, Joe had joined me. I covertly snuck my hand into the pocket of my jeans and wiggled my finger back into his ring before he noticed I hadn't been wearing it.

"I told you I'd call tonight. Where the hell have you been?" Even though his voice stayed calm, his anger was clearly written across his face.

I worked my key into the lock and let us into the warm lobby. "I went out for drinks with Adele and Lil. It's Friday. It's tradition."

That didn't assuage Joe much. "Drinks?" His auburn eyebrows shot upwards.

"Relax, big guy," I muttered. "I had water."

He followed me into the elevator, ignoring my sigh of impatience. On the third floor, he tromped dutifully behind me as I led the way to my condo. Once inside, he waited patiently as I kicked off my heels and turned on the lights.

"Is there something you needed?" I asked when he'd been quiet for too long. "Because if not, I'd really like to go to bed now. I'm not in the mood to play guessing games. Plus your jealous, domineering boyfriend crap is pissing me off. Especially since you're not my boyfriend."

He scowled and said nothing.

I stared at him for a minute. The reddish shade of stubble didn't soften the stubborn angle of his chin. His eyes were the same unfathomable blue as always.

"You know what, Joe?" I said with a weary sigh. "I don't care what you do. If you're not going to say anything, I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted. You do what you like."

I turned my back on him and made my way down the hall to my bedroom. I didn't bother with the lights either, just shucked off my jeans and t-shirt in the dark. I'd left my nightshirt on the end of the bed that morning and pulled it on as I tugged my bra and panties off with a satisfied sigh.

It was cool beneath the sheets; my pillow was soft. I closed my eyes and strained to hear the sound of Joe leaving the apartment. All the while I wondered what the hell he wanted and why the hell he couldn't just say whatever it was on his mind. He was undoubtedly the most frustrating man I'd ever met. He always looked like he was on the verge of saying something, but then he'd just stare at you with those big blue eyes as if he expected you to read his mind.

Joe must have slipped out the door because the condo fell silent. I settled down into the comfort of my pillow and willed myself to sleep. I'd been exhausted only moments before but sleep didn't come easily. It rarely did for me, but with so much on my mind I was doomed to toss and turn. I opened my eyes to watch the flickering reflections of the streetlamps outside dance on my ceiling. I wondered whether counting sheep was an option when I saw a movement out the corner of my eye. I turned my head to see a large shadow outlined in my bedroom doorway.

"Jesus, Joe!" I cried, clutching at the sheets. My heart beat furiously against my ribs. "What the hell are you doing? I thought you left." He moved too quietly for a man his size. I hadn't even heard him approach.

He didn't say anything and as my eyes adjusted to the dark I noticed he was peeling off his clothing until he wore nothing but his boxer shorts.

"What the hell are you doing?" I repeated again. Joe sat down on the edge of the bed to pull off his socks.

"Getting in to bed," he replied.

"No you're not," I argued. "There is absolutely no fucking way!"

Joe didn't respond. Instead he just tugged his half of the sheets from my iron grip and nestled down beside me, far enough away that we didn't touch.

"Are you insane?" I spat out. "Do you actually think this approach is going to work? Do you have any idea how much you are pissing me off right now?"

Again, Joe kept silent and I pulled an extra pillow from under my head, swinging it at him. He didn't even flinch. I hit him a few more times and each whack felt ridiculously satisfying. By the sixth or seventh hit, Joe must have had enough, because he pulled the pillow from my grip with surprising swiftness and tossed it to the floor.

"Feel better now that that's out of your system? You said you didn't care what I did, so this is what I'm doing." he said. His dry tone didn't help my temper any. I reached out and swatted his shoulder with my hand but he gently grabbed my wrist, holding it still. "Go to sleep Rhiannon."

I tried to wriggle free but was too tired to put up much of a fight. With a disgruntled huff, I settled back on to my pillow but Joe didn't let go of me until I had my frantic breathing under control.

"If you think you're getting lucky just because you're sleeping the same bed as me, think again," I muttered mutinously in the dark.

"I'm not here for that," Joe said in his slow, even tone.

"Then what the hell do you want?" I cried in frustration.

"I'd really like to sleep, if you'd just be quiet," he replied.

I didn't get it. I didn't feel like I'd ever be able to figure it out, to get inside of his head. I wanted to scream at him, hit him again, anything to get through to him, to get him to react in some sort of way other than the unflappable calm he always shrouded himself in. Lilly said he had a temper, but I'd yet to see it. Hell, I would have preferred it to the stoic, silent Joe I knew. How could you have an argument with someone when they refused to yell back?

"Go to sleep, darlin'," Joe murmured, and I could hear the rough edge of sleep in his own voice. I desperately wanted to, but his breathing had deepened and slowed long before mine.

to be continued...