Beholden to You

by Sexton, Carlie

  “Oh, Nat. That sucks. Are you going to be in trouble?”

  “I’ll be talked to, but that should be it. One customer can’t get me fired.”

  “Well, you can resign anytime, baby.”

  “You’re a typical man, Mac Carter. Always angling to get your way.”

  “True. I have to warn you, I’m an only child and used to getting what I want.”

  “Well, we’ll just see about that,” she said with a giggle. I could listen to her laugh all night. I could think of a few other things I could do with her all night, too.

  “So, did you find anything you wanted to try on here at Nordies?”

  “No. I did look during lunch and tried on a few things, but nothing was quite right.”

  “I’m assuming you have an idea of other stores for us to try.”

  “Yes, there is a shop here in the mall, that has only evening attire. But it’s on the other side, so let’s drive so we can park close. My feet are killing me.”

  “Your wish is my command, Mrs. Carter,” I said smiling. I couldn’t wait to see her in an evening gown.

  We parked the car and I came around to open her door. She took my hand getting out, and then I was able to envelop her into my arms. Feeling her pressed against me caused an ache only she could fulfill. I inhaled deeply, smelling the gardenia-scented shampoo that she must use. The best part about all of it was her hugging me back.

  “So, where’s this store of yours?” I asked, nuzzling her nose.

  “This way,” she said, taking my hand.

  Natalie was right about the store. It was wall to wall dresses and I was content to see her try on every single one of them. The store owner was very smart and had provided a sofa for the men while waiting for their women. Natalie began selecting dresses, and within a few moments, her arms were full. The sales lady put her in a fitting room and I eagerly waited.

  While she was in trying on dresses, one in particular caught my eye. It was a white halter-neck dress that looked like it would hug every curve on Natalie’s gorgeous body. I hoped one day to see her in something sexy like that. I more than hoped…I was counting on it.

  Modeling dress after dress, Natalie’s face was lit up like a Christmas tree with twinkling lights. She looked incredible in every one of them, but the one that made my heart skip a beat, was the purple backless dress. It caressed her body, but still had an elegant tone. For me, that was the one.

  “I love this one and the black one. What do you think?”

  “I think they are both great, but the one you are wearing now is sensational. Purple is quickly becoming my new favorite color.”

  “Good to know,” she said, as she turned toward the fitting rooms. Watching her walk away, I wanted to follow her into the dressing room and have my way with her. A few moments later, she returned with the purple dress draped over her arm.

  “I see you’ve made a decision.”

  Her face lit up. “Yes, I have.”

  Somehow, it felt as though her response seemed to be more than just about the dress, but I wasn’t sure.

  “Let’s buy it and go eat dinner.”

  She begrudgingly let me pay for the gown and we began walking toward the car.

  “Can we just pick something up and go to my place?” Natalie asked.

  “Sure. What would you like?”

  “Chinese sounds good. There’s a Hot Wok near my house. I usually go there for take out.”

  We took the food back to Natalie’s. I dished it up while she changed out of her work clothes. I so wanted to assist her in disrobing, but I already had my plan in place for sweeping her off her feet, so I wasn’t going to make any moves. Returning in a clingy, long-sleeved knit top and yoga pants, I almost changed my mind about the plan. Fuck. She looked so damn hot, even in her comfy clothes.

  “I have The Big Bang Theory recorded if you want to watch it while we eat.”

  “I love that show.”

  “Me, too. I just need to wind down. I’m so tired.”

  We sat, ate, and watched the show. Natalie kept yawning and I knew that was my cue to leave after the show was over.

  We both laughed out loud at the witty banter between the characters. “I love Sheldon. He’s my favorite,” Natalie said.

  “Me, too,” I replied, picking up her soft hand and kissing the back of it. We held hands throughout the show and when it ended I stood to take my leave.

  “Leaving so soon?” she asked.

  “Yes, baby. You need to get to bed and get some rest. I know you have more long days ahead of you until Christmas.”

  She nodded. “I just need a hot shower. But going to bed does sound like a good idea.”

  I desperately wanted to be in the shower with her, rubbing my hands all over her soapy body. I nearly moaned out loud thinking about her wet soapy body, and tried to banish the thought before she could pick up on it. She looked up at me with her beautifully expressive eyes, and I almost crumbled. Time to go. Swiftly, I walked toward the door. Natalie followed after me. I needed to tell her what I was feeling. I didn’t want her to think I didn’t want to stay. She had looked disappointed when I announced I was leaving.

  “Thank you so much for the beautiful dress and dinner. I had fun tonight.”

  “Me too, baby,” I said, as she leaned into my body. “You know I don’t want to leave you, don’t you? I don’t want you to feel pressure, gorgeous girl, but I do want you. So much. But, I am keeping my promise. I just needed you to know that, okay?”

  My comment seemed to appease her somewhat, and she sighed quietly when I hugged her, and kissed her on the forehead. As I turned the doorknob, I said, “What time shall I pick you up on Saturday? The party starts at eight.”

  “How about seven?”

  “Perfect.”

  We said our good nights and I fled. I was beyond tempted, but knew sticking to my plan would be a romantic overture she would never forget. It might give me the worst case of blue balls, but, for Natalie, it was worth it. I needed her to know I would be there for the long haul.

  Chapter 19: Natalie

  I could hardly wait to see Mac and spend the evening with him. We had texted back and forth on Friday, but I didn’t see him, which felt strange. I wanted to be with him and texting didn’t cut it at all. His comment about wanting me, and respecting my wishes, only heightened my desire to make love to him. Damn, the sexy man.

  I got off work at six, raced home, and began getting ready for my Cinderella evening. It had been a long time since I’d had an occasion to dress up. I put on the purple gown and gazed at myself in the mirror. I checked myself from different angles to make sure everything was right. Walking out of my bedroom, I heard a knock at the door.

  Opening the door, I heard Mac inhale. “Damn baby, you look so beautiful. I’m going to have to watch you like a hawk tonight. Every man there is going to have his sights on you.”

  “Oh Mac. Right.”

  “No. You are exquisite and I am very proud to be your escort this evening.”

  I blushed, but my heart filled with love for this man. I was eager to see what the night, and the following weeks would bring. Bring on the romance.

  “Shall we go?” Mac asked, extending his arm.

  I had butterflies in my stomach fluttering their wings the entire way there. I wasn’t nervous about being with Mac, I was nervous about Kate’s questions. This would be harder to wave off than us spending time together in Vegas.

  We arrived at the party with a few minutes to spare. Mac picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. “You are dazzling tonight. I’m going to be the most envied man at the ball. So glad I found you, baby.”

  “Oh, Mac. I feel so fortunate to have found you as well. Thank you for being so loving and caring toward me. And patient.”

  “Baby, you’re easy to love. Patience…not so easy.” Mac smiled as he said that last part, but he sweetly kissed me on the cheek, and proceeded to get out of the car.

  We walked up the long dr
iveway, tastefully flanked with Italian Cypress trees. They had been decorated with white lights and red ornaments. I expected the entire Statton home was decorated to perfection.

  Mac held my hand as we walked up the steps to the house. The party itself was going to be under a tent in their expansive backyard. Mac didn’t knock, he just went on in. At first it seemed strange, but then it occurred to me that he was family.

  “May I take your coat?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I said, turning my back to him so he could slip it off my shoulders. Once he had it off, he trailed kisses from my shoulder to my neck. His lips on my skin made me tingle all over.

  The entire house was decorated with lights, ornaments, and even mistletoe. We were standing right underneath it. “Look Nat, we’re under the mistletoe,” Mac said with a wicked grin. Before I could respond, he scooped me up in his arms and kissed me. My body was pressed up against his and I could feel my muscles clench deep below. Mac Carter sure did have an effect on me that caused my panties to sizzle.

  He put me down and I steadied myself against his chest. As I was regaining my composure, Kate and Neil were headed straight for us.

  “Nat, I’m so glad you’re here,” Kate said, as she hugged me tight.

  “Me too, Kate,” I said, holding my dear friend. She was glowing with happiness, something I was just beginning to really understand.

  Mac and Neil were shaking hands as Kate released me. Neil hugged me as well. “How about a drink?” Neil asked.

  “Lead the way,” Mac responded.

  We all began walking toward the kitchen, but Kate grabbed my arm and brought me into the parlor. “Natalie, what’s going on with you two? Is it getting serious?” she asked, giddy with excitement. It almost felt cruel hiding this from her.

  “Mac invited me to the gala and I accepted. We’re just getting to know each other.”

  “Come on. There’s got to be more to it. I see how you two look at each other.”

  “Oh, Kate. You’re about to marry the man of your dreams so it’s only natural you want everyone else to be in love, too. Mac and I are just hanging out.”

  Kate didn’t seem satisfied with that answer. “I don’t know Nat…I think we’re going to be planning your wedding very soon.”

  Thinking about how apropos her statement was, I laughed.

  “Don’t laugh, Nat. You know I’m right.”

  Neil and Mac returned with a glass of wine in each hand. I was so grateful when Mac handed one to me. I was going to need large quantities of alcohol to survive Kate’s questioning. Neil had rubbed off on her a little and she was more relentless than she’d been in the past.

  More guests arrived, but they were ushered to the white tent by the service staff. Neil extended his arm to Kate, “Shall we, baby?” They began walking out toward the party and Mac and I followed in toe.

  The tent was its own outdoor room, set up with round tables seating eight, a dance floor, and a stage where the band was ready to play. Poinsettias were everywhere and the table centerpieces were huge clear bowls with an array of decorations in them. Each ornament had a child’s name attached and I couldn’t wait to choose one for myself. It would be good to do something for someone else at that moment. We followed Neil to our assigned table. The only problem was, there was someone already sitting in my seat.

  “Cassie,” Mac said, louder than he probably expected to. The frown on Neil and Kate’s faces, said they had been unaware of her presence.

  “Hi Mac,” Cassie said, in a voice that almost seemed unnatural. I’m not a violent person, but I felt the urge to punch her.

  “Cassie, why are you here?”

  “You invited me, silly.”

  “Cassie, I invited you when we were a couple. Us breaking up should have clued you in on the fact you were no longer invited. And that was months ago.”

  Cassie looked up at Neil. “I’m not allowed to donate to the children’s fund?”

  Kate stood there, her hands balled up and her brow furrowed. Neil tilted his head and said, “Of course we would love your donation to the fund and so would the children. But we don’t need a scene, Cassie. This is a charity event.”

  “I’m not going to make a scene, Neil. I’m going to enjoy the party, dance with my Mac, help some children, and go home.”

  At that moment, I started to lunge at Cassie, but Mac pulled me closer to his body, restraining me. My breathing was rapid. I was especially infuriated by the words “my Mac” reverberating in my mind. What is wrong with the woman? She was in for a rude awakening, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when we revealed the truth.

  Neil leaned over and said something to Kate. Kate nodded and made her way to my side. “Let’s go powder our noses,” she said, stretching her hand toward mine.

  I took her hand and we walked away from the whole scene. Part of me wanted to stay, to hear what she could possible say to justify herself, but the other part of me was grateful Kate had whisked me away. We found the downstairs bathroom which easily could have fit ten people in it.

  Once the door was locked behind us, I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Nat, are you okay?”

  “That woman is crazy. First she visits me at work and now she’s here? She’s a stalker.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth I thought about Roger stalking Kate and all she had been going through. “Oh Kate, please tell me the police have found Roger?”

  “No, but let’s not talk about him. I’m concerned about you. You said Cassie came to see you at work?”

  “Yes, she paid me a visit a few days ago saying she and Mac break up all the time, he fools around with someone else, and then they get back together.”

  “I can’t believe that. He’s not a player. But I can ask Neil if that sounds like him.”

  “No, I don’t want you to ask Neil. I believe Mac. I just don’t want to be caught up in all this drama with Cassie. It’s just too much with everything else.”

  Kate shook her head. “Don’t give up on Mac.” She put her hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “Nat, you deserve to be happy and I believe in my heart Mac can make you happy. He’s not going to run out on you and he’s not going to hurt you.”

  My eyes filled with tears. I knew she was right. He had already made me happy. I wanted to tell her right then that he was my husband, that I was falling in love with him, but I held back. Why couldn’t I share that? Kate hugged me. “Your family would want you to have the best life possible, sweetie. Try to trust that everything is going to be okay. Look at how I have been blessed with Neil.”

  “You’re right. I’m not going to let Cassie ruin things for me.” I checked my makeup, making certain my tears hadn’t streaked my face. When Kate opened the bathroom door, Mac was standing outside waiting for me.

  “Kate, may I talk to Natalie?”

  Kate looked back at me, giving me a smile of reassurance. Then she turned and walked away.

  Mac stepped forward, effectively causing me to step back into the bathroom. He locked the door just like Kate had done, but it felt different being in here with him. Like a wool coat, warmth surrounded me. I felt safe, somehow.

  “Cassie is refusing to leave, so I was thinking we should go. We can go to dinner downtown at the Hyatt and have drinks up at the top. We’ll have a view of the bay and the city,” he said, putting his hand on my face. “I just want you to feel comfortable. That doesn’t seem likely with Cassie here.”

  “I don’t want to spoil the night you had planned,” I said, placing my hands on his chest. Mac’s hands found their way to my waist.

  “Baby, my only plan is to be with you. I’ll just give a check to Neil’s mom, and she can take care of the rest. We can also pull some names off the trees at the mall, and do some shopping together, or drop off toy for tots, whatever you want.

  Jessica came to mind. She and I always loved to choose some children to give presents to. It was something we did together every year…until this year. Thinking o
f her just made me want to curl up in a ball and cry until there were no more tears left in my body.

  Mac’s hand found its way up my arm to my face. He gently cradled my face in his hand. “I know you miss her terribly, and if you don’t want to socialize I will completely understand. I can take you home, or the yacht, or my house, or out. Anything,” he said.

  “I’m not sure what I exactly want to do, but I don’t want to be here with Cassie.”

  “What time do you have to work tomorrow?”

  “I’m off tomorrow,” I sighed.

  “That’s great. How about we get what you need from your place, go to my yacht, and we can go to Catalina? Miles will captain the boat while we are sleeping and we can spend the day shopping, hanging out, hiking, whatever.”

  I smiled up at the beautiful man doing everything in his power to make me happy. “I love that idea.”

  “Great, baby. Let’s go.”

  Mac opened the bathroom door and we walked out straight to the car. Once we were driving away, I texted Kate that we had decided to leave. She understood. It would have been a fun night since Charlie and Mitch were due to arrive any moment, but Mac’s idea of going to Catalina was beyond perfect for us. I wanted to be curled up with him, forgetting everything else in the world existed.

  After packing what I needed for our voyage, we made it to the yacht. Since Mac had called ahead, Miles was ready and he had a couple of crew members with him for the journey. I looked at Mac quizzically, and reading my mind he said, “They will be helping Miles with everything we will need for our trip.”

  I nodded, too mentally exhausted to say very much. My legs felt heavy, as if I were wearing concrete boots, as I walked into the cabin of his yacht. One of the crew members, Trina, offered me a glass of champagne. I almost took it but decided on water instead. The other crew member, Alan, brought in my bag.

  “Mac, don’t you need to pack for our trip?”

  “I keep everything I need in my cabin, so I never have to pack.”