by Jenna Tyler
“Come with me,” he breathes into my ear. That's all it took for me and we release together, letting the orgasms wash through us. I will never tire of this feeling. I don't think I really knew what sex should be like until I met Drew. Nothing could ever compare to him. I think I know now that I can't live without him. Not only do I want him like there's no tomorrow, I need him like my life depends on it. He's fulfilling my dreams and he doesn't even know it. What's weird is that I feel like I'm doing the same for him. Who knew it could ever be like this? Such passion and caring. And love. I want so badly to tell him that I love him, but I'm stubborn and refuse to be the first one to say it.
While my brain is reveling in the love fest I've conjured up, Drew and I are still connected and we haven't moved. Our breathing is returning to normal and my ache has quelled…for now. I take a deep breath and make the first move, loosening my arms from around him. As I pull away to see his face, I kiss his neck, then his cheek, and his lips. “That was amazing,” I tell him. “Our lunches should be more like that.” I smile wryly.
“You like it rough, do you?”
“I like you. I liked that. I'd like to do that again. Say tomorrow at noon?” Grinning widely, I kiss the corner of his mouth.
“You're insatiable.”
“It's your fault.”
“I've created a monster,” he jokes. “One hell of a sexy monster.” He pulls out gently and sets me down on my feet. From the looks of it, he could go another round right now.
“Talk about insatiable. Look at you.”
“It's all your fault. I never had this problem before I saw you,” he quips back. “I am forever grateful for this problem.” He leans down to give me a peck on the forehead. “We should go eat before we end up not eating at all.”
We each gather our clothes and start redressing. Drew grabs his shirt off of the floor and holds it up to me with raised eyebrows. “What?” I say. “I've always wanted to do that.”
He pouts. “I was quite fond of that shirt. May it rest in peace.” He walks it over to the trash can just inside the master bathroom door, does the sign of the cross, and drops it in the can. He looks at me with sad eyes and fakes wiping away a tear with a sniffle.
I roll my eyes and laugh at his theatrics. “I'm sure you have, like, five hundred more just like it in your closet. I think you'll be okay.”
He winks at me. “And you can rip off every one of them, if you so desire.”
We've put ourselves back together and he gets all his stuff packed up to spend the night at my place. We go into his massive kitchen and he grabs a menu for me to look at. It's for the restaurant downstairs that we ate at on our first date. I pick something out and he places our order.
“It will be about fifteen minutes before the food gets here. Would you like some wi...?” He was about to ask me if I wanted some wine, which he knows I'm not a fan of. “…something to drink?”
“Just water will be fine.” I go to get my water bottle that I left in the living room. When I return, Drew is sipping on a small glass of wine and leaning against the counter. I walk over to the counter across from where he is standing and hop up onto it. “How much work do you have to do tonight?” I ask him, hoping it's not too much.
“Not a lot. It shouldn't take me too long. Just a couple of things to look over and a few calls to make.” He sets his wine glass down, comes to stand in front of me, and places his hands on my knees. Spreading them apart, he steps in between them, making my heart beat faster. “Relax, baby. I'm not taking you again before we eat. I just want to be close to you.” My heart rate doesn't slow down much.
I wrap my arms around his neck and press my forehead to his. “I like being close,” I whisper, running my fingers through his hair at the back of his head. “I have to admit that I am most comfortable and at peace when I'm with you. It's like you're my happy pill.” We both giggle and grin.
“I'm glad you are comfortable with me. It should always be that way. I am quite comfortable with you…and in you, too.” He pulls his head back to separate our foreheads and wiggles his brows, making me laugh.
“I have another admission for you. I think I want to...”
The sound of the doorbell interrupts me. Drew taps me on the nose. “Hold that thought, baby. Dinner is here.” He takes off to answer the door and let the room service attendant in. I hop off the counter and snag another water bottle out of the fridge. I head into where I hear the noise coming from, arriving as the last dish is being set on the table in the dining room. For some reason, I feel that Drew is never in this room, but there is not a lick of dust anywhere. It must be nice to have a maid. I probably have dust bunnies the size of small mice and I've only been in my place for a couple weeks.
Drew tips the attendant, thanks him, and the guy shows himself out. “Have a seat, my love,” he says sweetly and pulls out a chair for me. I am starved and ready to shovel all of the food into my mouth. Trying to mind my manners, I start with my side salad when I really want to just lay into the steak sitting before me.
My admission that I wanted to tell Drew is put away…for now. We go through dinner without a whole lot of chatter. I think I was too focused on getting food into my mouth in a semi-decent manner.
After dinner, we pile up the dishes for room service to collect later, grab his overnight bag, and head back to my place. I can't believe he's okay with me not being comfortable in his place. The guys I've met in the past would be like, “Get over it”, or “There's the door”. Drew is definitely not one of those guys. Whatever stars aligned or numbers played in my favor, I am grateful to the powers that be that brought this wonderful man into my life.
* * * * *
Drew and I settle in for the night, after a much longer and much more satisfying sex session. We’re sitting in bed, he working on his laptop and me looking for something to read on my Kindle. I decide on a book and scoot over a little more, cozying up to Drew. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and leans over to kiss me on the top of my head. I can't help but sigh in contentment. This is pure bliss.
I start nodding off after just a few pages of my book and decide I can't hold my eyes open any longer. Just as I am putting my Kindle on the nightstand, I hear my phone ringing in the other room. I look at the clock and see that it's after midnight. “Only Charlie would call me this late,” I mumble as I get out of bed, not bothering to put any clothes on, and start towards the sound.
Hurrying down the hallway so I don't miss the call, I trip over my own feet and fall into the wall. “Damn it!” I can hear Drew laughing from the bedroom. He sure does get a kick out of my clumsiness.
Rolling my eyes and groaning, I pick up my phone, quickly seeing that it's Charlie before I answer. “Charlie?” I grumble into the phone, not pleased about the late night phone call or tripping on my way to answer it. There is no response on the other end of the line. Just silence. “Charlie, are you messing with me?” I ask, getting more frustrated.
“Ma'am, are you the parent of Charlotte Michaels?” My heart drops and my body stiffens, my face drains of blood, and I start shaking. Tears immediately start forming in my eyes. This can't be happening. I can't answer the question. I can't move a muscle. I'm just...frozen. “Ma'am?”
Needing to answer her, but not wanting this to be real, I manage to take a deep breath. I hadn't breathed since I heard the foreign voice on the other end of the line. “Yes,” I say, praying to God it's not my Charlie and there's been a mix up.
“Ma'am, your daughter has been in an accident. She's in critical, but stable condition. We need you to come to the hospital as soon as you can.” I know the lady is still talking, but all her words are just floating in the air, going nowhere. My body turns to ice, feeling heavy and lifeless. My arms drop to my sides and my phone crashes to the floor, not able to hold on to it any longer. I'm numb. My Charlie could die. My Charlie could die without me being there.
I hear shuffling and muffled talking around me, but I can't make out anything. Only pic
tures of Charlie flash in my head. My sweet baby girl.
Sixteen
Something snaps me out of my daze and I'm looking into Drew's eyes. His hands are firmly on my shoulders and he's bent over far enough that he's face-to-face with me. “Rebecca, are you with me?” He is searching my eyes for a sign that I hear him. I blink and focus on what he's said. “Rebecca?” His voice still sounds distant, like he's talking to me through a wall.
“Yes,” I breathe.
Drew moves his hands from my shoulders to my face, cradling it gently. “The woman on the phone wouldn't give me any information except that you need to get to the hospital immediately. I told her that you are in Portland and that you'd be on the next flight out. What's happened?” Tears spill over the rim of my eyelids and down my cheeks in a continuous stream. Drew's thumbs move to catch them, but end up just being an obstacle in their course. “Baby, please tell me what's going on.”
My chin starts to quiver as I think about the words I'm about to say. “It's Ch-Charlie.” Drew's face turns long and sullen. He lets go of my face and wraps me tight in his arms. He rests his cheek on top of my head, just holding me.
“Oh, baby, I'm so sorry,” he says, pouring his warmth into me. I don't know how long we stand embracing, but after some time, he breaks the hold. His hands are back to my face and he angles mine to see his. “We've got to get you packed and to the airport. There is no time to waste. I will make arrangements, you go start packing.” I don't make a move. I just look into his eyes, tears still running down my face. “Can you do that for me, baby?” I nod. “Good girl.”
He places a kiss on my forehead and moves his hands back to my shoulders. He faces me in the direction of my bedroom and pats me on the butt, urging me to move forward. I slowly drag myself towards my room and when I enter, I spot my overnight bag that I had packed to stay at Drew's.
Dumping the contents of my bag out onto the bed, I separate what I won't need from what I will, which is basically just my scrubs. I throw those onto my dresser, not worrying if I leave the house a mess. I walk into my closet to grab a suitcase and I snag a pair of shoes to throw in it. Tossing it up onto the bed and unzipping it, I hear Drew talking, but I can't make out what he's saying.
I put in the shoes and the stuff from my overnight bag, and then start for the bathroom to grab my toiletries. I'm moving like a zombie…not really thinking, just getting to my goal. Zipping along, I finish up fairly quickly. I stop to look around and see if I forgot anything when I catch a glimpse of myself in the dresser mirror. I'm still naked. I can't exactly get through security at the airport like this, although it might make their job easier. Going back into my closet, I grab a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a light jacket. I snatch a bra and pair of panties out of my dresser and get dressed. I'm slipping on a pair of sandals when Drew walks in, still naked. I take him in, but I can't appreciate the beauty before me right now. My face only shows sadness and weariness, my eyes are probably blank.
“We have a flight waiting for us,” he says plainly, heading over to where his clothes are draped over a chair and starts getting dressed.
“We?” I whisper.
“Yes, baby. We. I can't let you go alone to deal with…I don't know what. I want to be there for you. I've made all the arrangements. And I can meet Charlie.” His words make me tear up again. Charlie. Drew sees my eyes welling up when he glances my way. “Don't worry, baby. She will be fine.” Swiping the tears away, my head droops to look at the floor. Silently, I start to pray to the powers that be for my baby girl to be alright.
Somehow Drew is dressed and ready to go in no time at all. We are already in the limo, Benjamin taking us to the airport.
I'm still in a bit of a haze, but I notice the signs to the airport as I'm staring out the window into the dark night sky. Drew is sitting next to me with one arm around my shoulders while his other hand is holding mine. Every so often he brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. I am so out of it the entire ride that I hadn't acknowledged his affection. Realization hits me so when he does it again, I whisper, “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me for those, baby. I give them to you willingly.” He pulls me in so that I'm leaning on him.
“Thank you for everything else, too. I'm sure I would've managed to get myself on a flight eventually, but this was incredibly fast,” I say, not knowing exactly how he did it. I really don't care how he did it. I'm getting to my daughter as fast as I can because of him.
The car finally comes to a stop and Benjamin opens Drew’s door. He lets go of me and scoots out. I just get out of the door on my side, not really wanting to slide all the way across the seat or waiting for Benjamin to open my door. When I step out of the car, I quickly become aware that we are not at the passenger drop-off by the terminals. We are on the tarmac and there is a private plane right before my eyes. People are scurrying about, inside and out.
Right now, I'm in a haze and completely stupefied. I feel arms slide around my waist from behind and Drew's warm, hard body presses against my back. Placing my arms on top of his, I lace our fingers. He rests his chin on my shoulder. “I guess now you see how I got us on a flight so quickly.”
I lean my head into his. “This will be a conversation for another time, but I'm beyond grateful. I'm ready to get to Charlie.” Drew places a kiss on my cheek and lets me out of his embrace. Now feeling cold, I reach into my bag and grab my hoodie. After I get it on, Drew takes me by the hand and leads me towards the plane.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Benjamin carrying my suitcase and another, along with a garment bag. How did Drew get everything packed that he needs? His house manager must be a jack of all trades. Cooking, cleaning, packing. Must be nice.
Drew stops at the bottom of the steps to let me go up them first. When I arrive at the top, I'm greeted by…the captain, I guess. “Ma'am,” he says and reaches out to shake my hand. I reciprocate and keep moving into the plane. Standing near some seats waiting to greet us is a flight attendant. I turn around to see Drew talking to the captain and shaking his hand. He starts towards me and puts on a smile. It warms me from the inside out. Seconds later, his arm is around my waist and a kiss is planted on my forehead. He turns me back towards the flight attendant and urges me forward to one of the seats. “Mr. Chambers, so good to see you again,” she says.
“Alexa,” he says, curtly. “Baby, do you need anything? There is just about anything you need here.”
Shaking my head, I say, “I just need you touching me.” His eyes widen and he raises his brows. I can't help but giggle. “Drew! I'm hardly in the right frame of mind for that. I just need to be touching you.” He smiles and, after taking his jacket off and hanging it over an empty chair, takes a seat next to me. He takes my hand in his and holds it in his lap, running his thumb back and forth across my skin.
Taking a look around at the little, but spacious, plane, I notice that it resembles his apartment. White and wood grain this time, though, instead of white and black. Well, it's a change, at least. It’s a little warmer, but not much. I smirk and shake my head. “What's so amusing over there?”
He squeezes my hand to let me know he's talking to me. I turn to look at him, still with a smirk. “You should fire every decorator you've ever had. I don't see how you can look at the same color palettes over and over again, wherever you go.”
He takes a look around himself. “You are right, Rebecca. Everything looks the same with very minor differences. It's quite...”
I cut him off. “Boring? Monotonous? Plain? Cold?”
He laughs. “Yes, baby. All of those things. Consider them all fired.” I'm not sure if he's joking or not, but I really don't care.
Looking around again, I see plain and boring. It's beautiful, but boring. Kind of like me. Maybe that's why he likes me…for my simplicity.
A yawn fights to get out and wins the battle. “I know you're tired, baby. When we get up in the air, we can go rest in the bedroom.”
“There's a bedroom?�
�� I ask, surprised.
“Oh, yes. It's a small apartment with wings. A small kitchen, a bedroom, a shower. Every necessity.” He grins at me and wraps an arm around my shoulders, still holding my hand. A bed sounds really good right about now, but I don't know how much sleep I can get while I’m worried about Charlie.
Moments later, we are in the air and approaching our target altitude. Drew unbuckles me, picks me up, and carries me into the bedroom. He lays me down on the bed and climbs in behind me, wrapping his arm around me, pulling me close. He whispers into my ear, “I can't promise not to try anything, but get some rest while I can still control myself.” I can feel his hardness pressing against my backside. I can't say I wouldn't enjoy having sex with him right now, but I just can't stop worrying about Charlie. Once I know more about how she is and how she will be, I will feel better. I hope.
Lying in Drew's arms soothes my body, but it doesn't stop my mind from racing in every direction possible. Charlie is in critical condition. Every second that goes by can change for better or worse. I hope they called her dad and he gets there fast so someone is there with her. Hell, I might get there before him if he still drives like a grandpa. I place my hand over Drew's, which is nestled on my ribcage. I'm so thankful for him, his plane, and his crew for doing this for me. They might not know why they are on this flight in the middle of the night, but I'm still grateful that they are.
