by Katie Dowe
Caitlin, along with Steve who was dressed rakishly in black pantaloons and a dazzling white shirt, hurried around making sure everything was in place. The caterers had food ready to be served and waiters were circling with glasses of champagne. Her friends were standing with her father, but she had not seen a sign of Matthias, that is until she had hurried back to where they were standing and she saw him coming towards them. Her heart slammed inside her chest as she looked at him. He was not wearing a costume but had on khakis and a black shirt that was stretched across his broad shoulders tautly. The slight summer breeze had stirred his thick dark hair across his forehead and he looked so achingly handsome that she had a hard time holding on to her equilibrium! She introduced him to her dad and her friends and saw the way both Valerie and Yvonne looked at him and could not blame them.
“Good to meet you, Mr. Zeng,” Calvin Sharpe told him with an enthusiastic handshake.
“Please, call me Matthias,” he said with a smile.
“I have admired your contribution to museums for some time now.” Her father steered him away from them, no doubt to have an avid discussion about the same pieces.
“Oh, my Lord! He is sizzling hot!” Yvonne whispered.
“And those eyes,” Valerie said with a moan. “How do you stand to work with him every single day and not drop your panties and beg him to take you?”
“It’s called doing my job.” Caitlin steered them toward the buffet table and left them there while she went to check on the sound system. He came to find her soon after and she felt his presence before she turned her head and saw him there. “This is very impressive,” he murmured. “You really know how to throw a party.”
“Steve had a lot to do with it.”
“I suppose he does.” Matthias was determined not to let his jealousy show. “I need to congratulate him.” He spotted the man standing next to several reporters, his hands moving as he made his point. “Or maybe there is no need to do so.”
Caitlin looked over to where his attention had been drawn. “He is making sure the series gets a lot of write ups.”
“Hmm.” Matthias turned his attention to her. He had noticed her the minute he entered the area that had been reserved for the launch and it had taken all of his self-control not to take her into his arms and ravish her lips. That was the problem and part of the reason he had to stay away from her. He was usually in control of his emotions, but when he was with her, he tended to lose control and get rough like an animal in heat and he could not afford to be the one to destroy what he wanted so badly! He could not just have sex with her in the usual way, he found himself wanting to devour her. Even now standing next to her, his entire body was aching for her! Swearing silently, he decided that he had to keep his distance from her. “Nice work,” he told her formally and he was gone. For the rest of the evening, he left her alone and Caitlin felt the joy of the success they had achieved drain away from her as depression took over!
Chapter 7
It was two months before Dr. Fritz could verify that enough eggs had been matured enough to be removed from her body. It was a Saturday afternoon that they had the appointment. The launch of the gothic series had been a tremendous success coupled with the latest in the crime series. Matthias had been absent for weeks as he had told her briefly that he had acquired an art gallery in the South of France and had to be there for the transition. Caitlin had buried herself in work and refused to think about him or the fact that it had been months since he had touched her! He had noted the time of their appointment and was back the Friday before she had to go back to the doctor.
“We are going to make you as comfortable as possible, Caitlin,” he told her with a smile as she laid there on the bed with pillows to support her head.
Matthias reached for her hand. “Is it going to hurt?”
“Not at all,” they were assured. “I have given her medicine to relax her.” He adjusted the ultrasound machine that he would be using. “We are hoping that we will not have to go through this process again.”
“So am I,” Caitlin said as she took a deep breath. Matthias threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed reassuringly. She turned her head to look at him and their eyes met and held for a moment.
She closed her eyes as he inserted the thin, hollow tube through her vagina to get to her ovary and follicles to get to her eggs to retrieve them. The process did not take long and before long she was left to put her clothes back on while Mathias went to speak to the doctor. Caitlin sat on one of the chairs for a moment to get her bearings and to pray that this would be the only time she would have to do this part of it. She was edgy and scared and was trying not to let Matthias see that she was!
He put his hand on her arm to stop her from getting into her car. “I need the truth. How are you?”
“I am fine.” She shrugged. “I am scared, a little bit.”
He ran his hands up and down her arms as if to reassure her. “So am I.” He took both her hands in his. “What you are doing is something that I will never be able to pay you back for.”
“You mean like offering me money?”
“How much do you want?” They had not discussed anything like that, but he wanted her to know that there was no sum too high for her to ask him for!
“I don’t need your money, Matthias,” she told him with a weary sigh. “I just need to go back to my place and lie down for a while.”
“How about coming back to my place? I could order us dinner and you could get some rest.”
She stared at him. “Are you sure that is what you want?”
“I want to take care of you today. Please allow me to do that.”
She started to tell him no but nodded instead.
“Good.” He saw to it that she got inside her vehicle and buckled in before he went to his.
Caitlin programmed something relaxing as she followed behind him. She just had something shoved inside her – well, not exactly shoved because she had hardly felt the tube going in, but right now she really could not think of him being inside her no matter that she missed that part of him. She just wanted to rest and get a few hours’ sleep and maybe clear her mind somewhat.
She followed him up into the elevator and they both did not make conversation until they were inside his apartment. He took her coat and hung it up before leading the way into the kitchen. “What would you like to eat?”
“I am not really hungry,” she told him.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“What would you like to do?”
“Go and lie down.”
“Of course.” He came around and took her hand as he led her upstairs and into his suite of rooms. The place was as neat as a pin and still sparsely furnished. Caitlin guessed that he had not decided whether or not he wanted to settle there yet. He helped her up on the bed and stood there while she settled back against the pillows.
“You don’t have to stay, Matthias, I am fine.”
He nodded but stood where he was. “I am not quite recovered from the procedure,” he admitted.
Her eyebrows lifted. “You are not recovered?”
He smiled at that. “If at any time you decide you do not want to go through with it, please let me know.”
“Do you work on trying to piss me off or does it come naturally?”
“I am sorry-“
“I guess it comes naturally,” she said heatedly. “Go away, Matthias, and leave me to get some rest.”
He started to say something but did not bother and stepping back he turned and left the room, closing the doors behind him.
Caitlin closed her eyes and fought down her temper. She needed peace and relaxation and she was damned if she was going to make him take it away from her, but the man was so damned contrary that it was impossible not to entertain the thought of strangling him! She would have liked him to climb in next to her and wrap those strong arms around her, staying with her while she slept, but he had not offered and she was damned if
she was going to ask him to do it. Closing her eyes, she willed her mind to go blank and for the sleep to come. In a few minutes, it did, and she sank into oblivion gratefully!
Matthias stood at the door for several minutes before he opened it slowly and went inside the room. He had sat in the kitchen before a roast beef sandwich, from the leftover meal his housekeeper had left him, and had tried to drum up the effort to eat but had not been able to do so. He seemed to have the ability to upset her and she certainly did not need that right now. A few steps into the room showed that she was fast asleep, her hands curled under her cheek and her eyes closed. He stood by the foot of the bed and stared down at her, the powerful arousal he always felt whenever he was near her surfacing. He closed his eyes and made to move away, but something held him there. He had deliberately stayed away from the publishing house so that he was not near to her and be tempted to have her, but not even going away had accomplished that! He thought of her even when he was away. He wanted her so much that it had become a constant craving inside him that he could not control! He lifted a hand and pushed back tendrils of hair from her face, his touch lingering. With a tortured sigh, he stepped back and left the room, determined to get his mind off the woman lying in his bed!
*****
She woke up three hours later to find him out on the balcony with his feet propped up on several cushions. He had taken a shower and was wearing a light grey sweater with his faded denims, his dark lustrous hair still slightly damp. He had his iPod in his hands, his brows knitted in concentration. He looked up as she came forward and noticed that she looked rested. “I was not sure what time you would be up so I ordered dinner from the Italian restaurant across the street. You look rejuvenated.”
“I guess I needed the sleep.” She took a seat in front of him and pulled the blanket over her. She had on denims and s sweater, but the October breeze was penetrating the clothing.
“We could go inside if you prefer.”
She shook her head. “It’s nice out here.” And it was! Darkness had descended and the lights from the various high rise buildings coupled with the orb of eerie brightness from the moon made for a spectacular ambience!
“Would you like us to eat out here?”
“I would.” She gazed at him. “Don’t let me interrupt what you are doing.”
“One of the galleries in New York was broken into last night and I am reviewing the report sent to me by the police.”
“Was anything taken?”
“A few minor pieces. We have an elaborate alarm system and they were interrupted before they could get to the really expensive ones. I am going to have my P.I. firm do an investigation. It seems to be an inside job.”
“You have several galleries as well as interests in museums.”
He nodded. “I am fascinated by the created work and have been ever since I knew myself.” He smiled slightly. “My parents could never understand my fascination and why I did not have the slightest interest in the supermarket they had.”
“So you sold it and invested the money into art?”
“An art gallery that was several blocks away from where we lived. I used to go there on my way from school just to check out the paintings and sculptors there.”
“And years after you owned it.”
“I made several changes to the layout. The owner had the idea that the paintings should speak for themselves and did nothing to the interior of the place. I wanted the interior to have its separate expression and that when people stepped inside, they would know instinctively that they had stepped into somewhere of beauty, not just when they studied the pieces on display.”
“And that is the main reason for your success.”
He thought for a moment. “I would have to agree with you.”
“And you invested in artists who had the talent but had nowhere to display that talent.”
“And it paid off dramatically.” He lifted his head as the phone rang. “That would be our food. I will be right back.”
Caitlin stayed where she was and stretched languidly. The sleep had really done wonders and she felt comfortable just being here on his balcony and talking to him. They had never had such an easy conversation before and she loved it, loved getting to know him. She had felt resentment and frustration with his behavior, but that had been shelved for the time being.
She could smell the meal before he came back onto the balcony and chicken scaloppine with lemon glaze was as delicious as it smelled! They ate in relaxed companionship and spoke about different art pieces they liked. In the middle of the rich tiramisu, he got a phone call and excused himself to take it inside, causing her to wonder for a moment if it was someone he had been seeing before her. Was he really seeing her? She pondered the question as she dug into her dessert. She was going through a procedure where if successful she would be carrying his children, but he had not touched her for months now! A man like Matthias Zeng with his potent sexuality and his money and looks surely had women lining up to be with him! He had been away from the publishing house for several weeks and she wondered if during that time it had not been all business! She toyed with her fork as the darkness of her thoughts took over and when he stepped back outside he saw the frown on her brow. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she told him.
“Are you seeing someone else?” she asked him abruptly as he took his seat.
“What?”
“It’s a reasonable question and considering that you have not been with me for months, it makes me wonder.”
“I told you I will not see anyone else while we are together.” He reached for his plate of dessert, his eyes appraising her face.
“But you are not really seeing me are you?” she persisted.
“We are in this together-“
“You have not touched me in months, Matthias! I know that I am not seeing anyone else, but what about you? I am sure you have women who would do anything to be with you.”
“And I made a promise to you.”
“We are not at the stage yet where I am pregnant. We are not even sure it is going to happen. Is that why you have not touched me? You are waiting to see if this will happen first before you make a full commitment?’
He did not respond at first and was surprised at her perception. That was part of the reason and the other part was his craving for her! “I have not touched you because I am afraid of doing something to hinder the process.”
“Ah, yes! Making sure I am pregnant and able to carry your children comes first.”
He put away his plate, his expression forbidden. “I don’t want to fight.”
“Well, I am sorry to disappoint you.” She put aside her own plate. “I need answers.”
“And you have them.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I am afraid of hurting you, Caitlin.”
“And I am not a Dresden china. I can take it.”
“Can you?” he asked with lifted brows. “I have this violent urge to rip your clothes off and bury myself inside you, going in deep. You just had a procedure done to you and I am not going to risk hurting you.”
She stared at him for a moment, her body stiffening with an almost violent need herself. “I am not made of glass-” She broke off with a gasp as he moved forward and with lightning speed, hauled her onto his lap. He buried his fingers into her hair and angled her head towards him, his mouth coming down and taking hers in a kiss designed to steal her breath! Caitlin felt the heat searing through her body as she wrapped her hands around his neck and opened her mouth to him, their tongues tangling as desire poured out from them. Matthias could feel the craving taking flight and the powerful need to have her was much more than he could bear. With a supreme effort, he ended the kiss and put her away from him, stumbling to his feet and raking his fingers through his hair, his dark eyes glittering.
“Does that answer your question?” he asked her thickly. He was aching and he knew that if he went near her again, he would not and could not stop himself from taking her.
“Yes,” she whispered, putting one hand to her swollen lips.
“Good.” He turned on his heels.
“Where are you going?”
“To take a shower,” he told her grimly.
She leaned back against the chair and closed her eyes, her body trembling and her nipples stiff and aching. She wanted to feel him inside her so badly that she was tempted to go after him and demand that he take her, but he was right! She could not afford to do anything to mess things up! This meant that she would have to go home and soon; she could not run the risk of staying the night!
*****
They went back on Thursday for the embryo transfer. After what had happened between them Saturday night, Matthias had gone out of his way to stay away from her. They had their usual meetings in the conference room and she gave him regular updates, but he did not try to be alone with her and as much as she understood, she was still suffering from it. She needed him and she was not doing a good job of hiding it or even sure she wanted to. He left her in her office every day and did not extend an invitation for her to go to his apartment.
She had left before him because he had been tied up in a meeting and he had told her he would meet her there. She was on the table waiting for Dr. Fritz to come into the room when he walked in. His eyes met hers as he came forward and he took his seat next to her and reached for her hand. “Ready?”
