“Thank you.” He smiled at me and squeezed my hand. Our food arrived shortly afterward and we ate in relative silence, sharing our food like we always did. After lunch Drew drove me back to the office, but said he had to get back to the Stapletons.
“Are you coming over tonight?” I asked before I got out.
“Yeah, if it’s okay with you.”
“Always, Drew. Don’t start doubting us, okay. I’m not.”
“I’m not either, baby. I promise.”
“So we’re okay?” I asked, still feeling like something was off.
“Yeah, baby, we’re okay.”
He kissed me with everything in him, passion and desire flooding me as our tongues tangled and our lips held each other. I knew, without a doubt, that he loved me as much as I loved him.
When we finally broke apart he apologized for having to go but promised to be by my apartment for dinner. I let myself back into the office smiling, ready to finish the rest of my day so I could spend the night with my man. The man I loved.
The front door opened a little while later and his mother walked in. Before I could tell her Drew wasn’t there she crossed the lobby and was standing in front of my desk. “You and I need to have a talk,” she said.
My only thought was, ‘Oh, shit.’
Seventeen
“Why do you need to talk to me, Mrs. Montgomery?” I asked, trying to figure out why she would ever want to talk to me. The woman hated me, something she’d never tried to hide. Why make nice?
“You need to stay away from my son,” she said angrily. Her face twisted into a nasty scowl that didn’t go with her floral print dress. Her brown hair was streaked with grey and all twisted into another neat bun just above her neck. She was carrying a large bright blue purse and wore the same gold chain necklace with a cross hanging from it.
Overall she looked like a nice woman, but that look on her face put me back in my place within her world. I was the enemy, and she wasn’t going to stand by any longer and let me win.
“Mrs. Montgomery, with all due respect, Drew is a grown man. He can see whomever he chooses.”
“You’re a distraction. He’s only with you because you’re convenient. He doesn’t have to work for a relationship with you. You’re here and you’re willing. He’s a handsome man and very successful. But he’s not for you.”
I bit back the nasty retorts that were on the tip of my tongue. Not only was she Drew’s mom, but they were close. I had no doubt she’d run straight to Drew and twist everything so I came out the bad guy in the situation, even though she was the one there telling me to back off.
“I don’t think you can tell me, or Drew, who someone is right for. You don’t know anything about our relationship.”
She scoffed at that and rolled her eyes. “We’re not done.” She turned and headed for the kitchen. I guess she needed a drink to get through the talk with me. Hell, I did too but I never brought tequila to work.
I just hoped Drew didn’t mind if I got shitty drunk later. Maybe he could join me and we could try out drunk sex like Lexi suggested.
I took the few minutes she was gone to compose myself. I could record the conversation but that wouldn’t do me any good unless she went to Drew about something I said and I could refute it. Calling Drew to come back to the office was another option but I knew she’d just lie about why she was there when he showed up.
Plus, it wouldn’t get her to stop.
She came back from the kitchen with a mug of coffee in her hands. She set it down on the edge of my desk and glared at me from her elevated position.
“Drew is still in love with Brandi. When she comes back to him he will leave you. I’m telling you this to help you. I’m sure you’re a very nice person, but my son has already met the woman he’s going to spend his life with.”
Her words hurt, even though I knew they weren’t true. Drew had told me how hurt he was by Brandi. If his mom honestly thought he would ever go back to her she was delusional. Drew hated her, probably almost as much as I did, and he wasn’t going to get back together with her, no matter what his mom said.
I struggled to control my frustration with her. Drew mentioned how close she was to Brandi. I also remembered their argument about how much Brandi shared with his mom about their relationship. Maybe she knew something I didn’t know.
No, it didn’t matter. She didn’t know anything because she didn’t know Drew. Not like I did. I had nothing to worry about.
“Mrs. Montgomery, I’m sorry you feel that way, but I don’t believe it’s true. Their relationship has been over for a while and he and I have been seeing each other for months. If he was still in love with her he wouldn’t be with me.”
She shook her head as though I was a child arguing over TV time. “He’s lonely. Before you came along he was working constantly. He’s a man, and while I don’t approve of his behavior, I understand it. Men can’t go long without sex. I’m sure there were others before you. The only reason you’ve lasted is because you’re convenient. I have no doubt my son has led you to believe he cares for you, but it’s just his sorrow talking. He’s in love with Brandi, not you.”
She was wrong. Drew told me he hadn’t been with anyone between Brandi and me. He wouldn’t lie about that. He also wouldn’t lie about his feelings for me. Not that he’d come out and said how he felt, but he told me all the time how beautiful I was and how much he liked spending time with me.
I wasn’t imagining his feelings.
“Mrs. Montgomery, if you have a problem with us being together, you should talk to Drew. If he’s in love with Brandi, as you believe, then I’m sure he’ll have no problem calling things off with me. But as far as I know she’s the one who left. If that’s the case then he can’t do anything about not being with her. Until she comes back, he should be free to live his life how he chooses, and with whom. Then if she comes back he can decide if he wants to be with her or with me.”
She looked me over carefully, judging me as though my appearance could tell her who I was. I was proud of who I was. I may not have my life completely figured out, but I knew who I was. I was a good person, hardworking and kind. I would never do what she was doing, or what Brandi did. If she found me lacking simply because I wasn’t her friend first then she could stuff it.
“Brandi is coming back. Especially when she hears you’re trying to take her place. No one can replace her, so don’t get too comfortable. Before long you’ll be out of a job and out on your ass.”
With that last shot she turned and walked out, leaving her dirty coffee cup on my desk. I gaped at her, astonished that someone would say something like that. I wondered what Brandi had told her when she dumped Drew. Obviously she never admitted the truth or Mrs. Montgomery would never want that bitch near her son.
Once I got over my anger with her for being so nasty I wondered what I should do. If I told Drew what had happened I worried he’d be mad at me for being less than charitable toward his mother, even though she was a complete bitch to me. He’d told me how close they were and I knew it was important to him that we got along. I knew it wouldn’t happen, but I wasn’t so sure I could burst his bubble in such a drastic way.
Hell, even if he did believe me, it would create a distance between him and his mom and she would likely only get worse. Next time she might bring Brandi.
By the time I got home that night I was still confused. I decided not to talk to Drew about his mother’s visit. If he was still in love with Brandi I wasn’t ready to hear it. I also wasn’t ready to challenge his mother. If Drew was forced to choose between me and her and I really wasn’t sure who he would choose. And that worried me more than Brandi.
When Drew arrived he seemed distracted. He assured me nothing was wrong but I could see the stress in his eyes. He said the day at the Stapletons went well and they were on track to finish the following week. I knew there was more to it, but Drew just said he was tired.
We ordered in Chinese food, neither of us in th
e mood to cook. After we ate Drew asked how the rest of my day was and I lied and told him it was uneventful. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t.
“Should I go?” he asked when we were done cleaning up.
“What? Why would you go?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel like something is off between us. Like we’re not okay.”
I went over to him and stepped into his arms, wrapping mine around his middle while his draped over my shoulders. I listened to his heart beating beneath my ear and used the calming effect to soothe me. After a minute he rested his chin on the top of my head and squeezed me tighter.
“How did you know I needed that?” he asked.
“I didn’t, but I needed it. I don’t want you to go. It’s been a hard day, but I want you here with me. Besides, I have some really great news to share with you, the you that’s not my boss.”
I was careful not to call Drew my boyfriend. Boyfriend meant commitment and we hadn’t actually talked about it. We were staying together almost every night and definitely exclusive, but we’d never used the words boyfriend or girlfriend to describe each other.
In a way I didn’t feel like it was a strong enough word. He was more to me than a boyfriend. I just wish I had a word for it.
“Oh, yeah,” he said with a smile in his voice. “What news is that?”
I played along and guided him to the couch. “Well, at work today my boss told me he’s going to step back and really let me do some more of the design work I’ve been doing. I love getting into the houses and making people love their stuff again. I’m really excited about it.”
Drew pulled me onto his lap and kissed my nose. “I’m happy to hear that, baby. You do good work, I’m glad someone is recognizing what you’re capable of.”
“Me too,” I agreed. “My bosses are awesome. And the one… well, he’s pretty fucking hot.”
“Oh, really?” Drew teased. “Is there something I need to know about the two of you?”
“I should probably tell you that he’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, and he’s amazing in bed. Just a look from him, or the rumble of his sexy voice, and I’m ready to come apart.”
“Is that so?” Drew asked, his voice deeper and rougher.
“Oh, yeah. And earlier today… well, we did it against the wall. It was the hottest sex of my life. I wanted to do it again as soon as we were done, but he had to get back to work.”
“Hmm,” Drew mumbled as he nuzzled my neck.
“The only problem is he works too hard sometimes. He ends up getting wrapped up in work and forgets to take care of himself.”
“Well, maybe you should take care of him. I’m sure he’d appreciate that.”
I nodded then tipped my head back when Drew’s tongue glided over my collarbone. “I’d love to take care of him. I cook for him when he’ll let me and I make sure he gets lots of good sex, but I wish there was more I could do for him.”
“You do so much, baby. And I don’t get good sex from you. I get fucking amazing sex from you. I don’t think I would have survived these last few months without you. I would have worked myself to death if I didn’t have you to come home to at night.”
I stood up so I could straddle his lap. When I lowered myself back down his erection met me on the way. I’d changed from the skirt I wore at work but my yoga pants weren’t thick enough to block the feel of him.
“Jesus, you feel good, baby,” Drew said as his hands cupped my ass and pulled me closer to him. “Any problems in my day are erased as soon as I see you.”
“Me, too. But for tonight, let me take care of you. Please.”
Drew cocked an eyebrow at me. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
“Well, first I was thinking I could get you in the shower. You’ve had a long day and a hot shower always makes you feel better. Maybe you could get a little extra relaxation while we’re in the shower, but that would be up to you.”
He thrust against me. “I think I could go for some extra relaxation,” he groaned.
With a grin I rubbed against him. “Then after your shower I was thinking maybe I could give you a nice massage. You know, work out all the tension from these big muscles of yours.”
“Shit, my muscles are shrinking. I need to start getting back to the gym.”
I looked over his body and shot him a disbelieving look. He was still stunning. His muscles rippled when he moved and he certainly hadn’t lost any strength. He never would have been able to hold me up if he had.
“You,” I said with a kiss. “Are.” Another kiss. “Beautiful.” Another kiss. “Perfect.” Another kiss. “Hot.” I gave him a lingering kiss, slow and teasing.
Drew groaned against my lips, taking control of our kiss and thrusting his tongue into my mouth. I fought him for control since I was supposed to be taking care of him. He smiled against my lips, knowing what I was doing, and refused to let me dominate the kiss. His hips rocked against mine and I was lost, at his mercy whether I liked it or not.
Drew let me take care of him after he took care of me. He relaxed during his massage so much that he drifted off to sleep. His big body filled up my entire bed when he had his arms spread wide and his feet hanging off the end. I grabbed a blanket from the couch since my covers were underneath Drew. I covered him up then snuggled up next to him, knowing everything between us was good, and his mom was wrong.
I fell asleep confident his mom would never come between us. And neither would Brandi.
Eighteen
A little over a week later the Stapleton project finally finished and we planned a quiet evening. He agreed to let me cook him dinner, in his beautiful kitchen, so I’d gone to his place early to get started. Just as I was pulling roasted potatoes and baked chicken out of the oven he opened the door.
“Something smells good,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me from behind and nuzzled my ear. “And I’m not just talking about the food. Fuck, I’ve missed you.”
Just hearing the word ‘fuck’ put me on edge. Drew’s dirty talk could turn me on in a second and that word always sent a rush of desire straight through me. His mouth opened on my neck and he brushed my hair away so he could get better access. My head fell to the side and I moaned softly when his tongue slid over my skin.
“God, I want you so fucking bad right now,” he growled into my neck. “But I think I’ll wait because it’ll be that much better.”
Drew had developed a habit lately of teasing himself, and me, with talks about sex and then backing off. He was right though. Whenever we waited after getting riled up, the sex was that much better. Not that it was ever bad with Drew, nothing was, but everything was heightened when we waited.
His talk also gave me courage. I was finally going to tell him how I felt. Over the past few months our relationship had changed and grown, but we’d never talked much about how we felt. As much as I pushed the thoughts aside, it bothered me that he still wanted to hide us from Xander, and everyone else, but I hoped hearing that I was in love with him, and hopefully having him admit he felt the same, would push past the awkwardness with our friends so we could confess.
God knew if I had to go to another girls’ night and fend off questions about why my mood had improved and completely changed lately I would just tell them all the truth anyway.
Drew fell into step beside me, reaching down plates for us as I poured cold glasses of water. He served our plates then carried them to the dining room and set the plates side-by-side for us to eat. He tucked into his food like he was starving, but I knew he was just anxious to get me into bed.
Not that I wanted to slow things down. I could feel my panties getting wetter by the second and knew I’d be screaming his name as soon as he touched me. He turned me on so easily and made me come with such little effort that I wondered if he found a guidebook for my body. I didn’t want to think about the experience he’d racked up before me and where he could have learned some of his tricks.
&nb
sp; We finished dinner in near record time and didn’t even take time to clean the plates from the table before we were in each other’s arms. We were pretty flexible with where we had sex, probably because we were still sneaking around. It felt dangerous and that much hotter to do it on the living room couch or the kitchen island, but we’d never christened the dining table. As Drew laid me back over it I wondered if we were about to change that.
A sound tickled the back of my mind. In my foggy, needy state I couldn’t quite place it, but I knew it wasn’t right. Drew’s lips came down over my neck and I asked, “What’s that noise?”
“All I hear is the blood pounding in my ears,” he groaned back to me, thrusting his hips up to me. My head dropped back to the table and the bite of pain brought clarity.
“Drew, it’s the door. Someone’s trying to get in,” I whispered, pushing him up and off me.
Drew stood up just in time for me to see the door swing wide open. He shielded me from the person walking in, but I could still see her.
She was stunning. Long, wavy blonde hair that was straight out of a shampoo commercial, or a hair color one. Bright blue eyes and high cheek bones made her face look sharp, but her light pink lipstick softened her. A designer purse hung from her elbow and matched the skin tight dress she wore. A dress that left nothing to the imagination, including what she’d look like naked since she didn’t appear to be wearing anything under the dress.
Large breasts led to a narrow waist, slightly wider hips, and endless legs. Her five inch spike heels not only looked deadly, but made her legs look that much longer.
I’d always thought I had nice legs, but I couldn’t fool myself into thinking I looked anything like her.
What I didn’t know was why this supermodel look-alike was in Drew’s house. Or how she got in.
“Brandi,” he breathed from in front of me.
Husky & Hot Page 16
