by Sable Hunter
Today had been the first time since receiving that call that he’d felt anything except despair. Just being with Angelina had made him feel alive again. Like a man, again.
“What could happen?” he asked himself, thinking. Neither he nor Angelina were doing much with their lives. Drew knew he woke up every day and just went through the motions of existing. Doing his job, eating meals, interacting with the community, but not really living like he had before.
Angelina seemed to be doing the same thing. “Working in a daycare?” He knew she would be awesome with the kids, she’d make a wonderful mother, but Angelina was a master biologist. She belonged in a lab, working on new and exciting things, helping mankind and achieving the greatness she was put on this earth to achieve.
Outside, in the distance, he heard a coyote howl. Poor devil, he sounded lonely too. Why did life have to be so cruel? For some unknown reason, fate had chosen to intertwine his and Angelina’s lives to such a degree that her whole identity as a woman, her ability to ever feel anything, was in his hands…and Drew knew it. He had to live with the fact that he’d hurt her. Twice. The mental scars Angelina lived with were far more debilitating than the physical ones. Drew worried that if someone didn’t break through the walls Angelina had constructed around herself soon, nobody ever would.
Shoving himself away from the window, he returned to bed. “Why should those damn walls stand?” Angelina was a beautiful and vibrant woman. Why shouldn’t she be allowed to be happy? His cock flexed at the thought of her. Being with Angelina would be no hardship. Drew craved her beyond reason.
“Fuck!” Would it be selfish for him to be with her? Drew might not have a future and drawing Angelina into his expanding circle of doubt seemed so unfair. If only the research would tell him something.
He sat up in bed as if struck by lightning. “The research!”
He’d been in such a haze for so long, the answer to everything was staring him right in the face and he hadn’t been able to see it until now. He needed a great biologist to help with his research and who better than Angelina for the job? “Haley, you idiot. What took you so long?”
Now, all he had to do was convince Angelina.
More excited than he’d been in many a day, Drew left his bedroom. The hour was late. He’d been tossing and turning under the covers for hours, unable to chase away thoughts of Angelina and the damn GSS. As a doctor, he’d gone many nights without sleep and he knew tonight would be one of those nights. Heading to his office, he planned on crunching some numbers and making some plans. If he was going to try to lure Angelina to come work for him, he needed to know exactly what he could offer her.
But the word if dominated his thoughts as he sat behind his desk pouring over financials and ideas. He’d hit the jackpot with the oil discovery, Drew had no doubt he’d be able to afford to pay her more than she would ever ask, but he couldn’t shake the doubt of whether or not she would be interested. Drew kicked his feet up on the desk. “Of course, she’ll be interested. Why wouldn’t she?”
Oh sure, she didn’t seem to want to be a part of his life. She’d left their little chat last night under less than positive conditions, but Drew swore and he’d swear until his last breath, that he’d seen a glimmer in her eyes, part of her wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. But those damn walls Angelina had built were high and fortified strong.
“I’ve got to try.”
Angelina was born to change the world - the woman was special. She just needed a chance to rediscover her purpose. And now here it was, the chance for her to delve back into a field she loved, a chance to make a difference for others…and possibly for him. The bonus to all this was the opportunity for Drew to ingratiate himself back into her life. And when he did, he fully intended to get her back into his bed.
* * *
Drew sat in his truck outside the Landon residence and stared toward the eastern sky. The sun was just barely up. Taking his phone, he called the house number. Letting it ring twice, he hung it up, waited a minute then repeated the process. Getting out of his truck he headed for the front door and waited for his phone to ring.
Right on cue. “Why, in God’s name, are you calling me this early?” Ky asked in a groggy voice.
Drew acted surprised. “Did I just call you?”
“Yes. Twice as a matter of fact.”
“My bad. I must have butt-dialed you by accident.”
“Twice?”
“Never mind. What are you doing?”
“I’m taking a piss. You woke me up, remember?”
“Great. I’m coming by.”
Ky stopped mid-stream. “When?”
“Right now, I’m outside. Come down and let me in.”
Cooper pulled her robe on and met her husband in the hallway. “Who are you talking to this early in the morning?”
Ky stopped and kissed his sleepy wife on the nose, rubbing her belly with his big hand. “Drew. Apparently, he’s downstairs at the front door.”
“What is he doing here?”
Drew’s second call had roused Angelina from sleep and she listened intently with an ear pressed against her door.
“He didn’t say,” Ky told his wife. “Just said he was at the door and to come let him in.”
Cooper didn’t like this, not at all. “Ky Landon, I told you how upset Angelina was last night. You tell Drew I said to apologize for waking up a pregnant lady and to go on home before I lay a whoopin’ on him.”
Ky kissed her on the nose again. “Yes, dear. Although, I’d give a pretty penny to see you lay a whoopin’ on him. Where did you learn that word? Hee-Haw reruns?”
Angelina’s heart leapt at the mention of Drew’s name. She jerked on a pair of jeans and ran a brush through her hair. Sleep had eluded her, she’d been up for hours, worrying. One minute she wanted to throw aside all her doubts and run straight into Drew’s arms. The next, she was doubting herself again and thinking it would be better if she packed her bags and left. Angelina’s head had spun the entire night - every possibility, bad and good, were running through her head.
She was more confused than ever.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here,” Ky said when he opened the door.
“I know it’s early, but I have to see her.”
Ky put a hand out to stop his friend when he tried to move in past him. “You upset that girl last evening and my very pregnant wife stayed up half the night consoling her.”
“I just want to talk to her, Ky. Quit being a dick and let me in.”
Ky Landon didn’t fear any man, not even a man the size of Drew. No, what Ky feared was his pregnant wife. She’d tear him a new one if he let Drew into the house right now.
“Drew Haley!” Cooper called coming down the stairs, closing her robe. “What on earth are you thinking? You’re liable to send me into early labor with the way you’re acting.”
Ky moved the hand that had been barring the door. “Oh shit, you done stepped in it now, bud.” He backed out of the doorway and let Cooper take his spot.
She stood with her chin pushed out and a scowl on her face. “Well? Speak up when a lady is talking to you, Mr.”
Angelina stood at the top of the steps. “Wait.” They all looked up at her, but the only one Angelina had eyes for was Drew. “Cooper, could I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure thing.” Cooper pointed a finger at Drew. “You. Stay right there.”
Drew held his hands up in defense. Angelina’s desire to talk to Cooper could only be good for him so he buttoned his lip until she left. “Damn, that little thing is scary.”
Ky didn’t try to fight back the grin. “I hope Angelina is just as tough. I’ll enjoy watching you jump through hoops.”
Upstairs, Cooper followed Angelina into her room and closed the door behind her. “He’ll leave Angelina. Don’t worry about it.”
Angelina looked at the floor. “Well, that’s the thing. I’m kinda thinking I don’t want him to leave.�
� She looked up at Cooper’s stunned face. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Angelina, you cried your eyes out over him last night. I know, I was there.”
Angelina threw her hands up in exasperation. “I know I did.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “But he said so many good things last night. And I’m not happy, Cooper. You must be able to see that. I know he hurt me before, but I can’t help myself. Just hearing his voice makes me go tingly all over.” She looked right at her friend. “You know that feeling, don’t you?”
Cooper was trying to stay strong for her friend, but she knew exactly what she meant. “I get it.” Her face softened. “Just the sound of Ky’s voice still gives me chills.” She gave Angelina a hard look. “Are you sure you want this?”
“No. The only thing I know is…I want him and I can’t control how I feel. I wish I could, but these last months have been miserable. Even when I was angry at him, I still wanted him. I plan on taking him up on his offer.”
“What offer?”
“Oh heck, I don’t know, whatever offer he makes. I don’t care. If I don’t do something, I’ll never get over him and get past this. I want a life, Cooper.”
Cooper couldn’t disagree with the argument. She could remember the ups and downs when she first met Ky. “Okay, let me wrangle my husband and we’ll disappear for a while so you two can talk.”
“Oh, crap,” Drew said to Ky when he saw Cooper coming back down the stairs.
“Be cool,” Ky advised.
Cooper had put on a pair of yoga pants under her robe. “Let’s go,” she said to Ky as she struggled to pull a pair of running shoes on.
“Where are we going?” Ky asked.
Drew knew better than to open his mouth.
Cooper moved into the spot Ky had been inhabiting while he put his own shoes on. “You’re taking me out for breakfast,” she told her husband as she glared at Drew. “If you hurt that girl, I will geld you myself, Drew Philips Haley. Understand?”
Her talk was tough, but Drew could see the smile in her eyes.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Cooper pulled him in for a hug. “Good luck,” she whispered in his ear and gave him a peck on the cheek. “She’ll be down in a minute.” Drew waited in the kitchen for Angelina to materialize.
After a few minutes of trying to make herself presentable, Angelina joined him.
“You look beautiful,” Drew said. There was a cup of coffee in the spot directly across from him on the table. “I made you a cup.”
“Thank you.” The moment was awkward and Angelina’s hand shook as she took a tiny sip. “It’s very good.”
“Just the way you like it, a touch of cream and way too much sugar.”
He remembered. Angelina smiled. “I have a sweet tooth.”
“Because you’re so sweet.”
His endearment made her blush and Angelina took another sip to hide her embarrassment. “What did you want to discuss?”
“I have a proposition for you.”
“Yes.” So much for playing hard to get.
“Yes?” He was dumbfounded.
“Yes.”
“But you don’t know what the offer is.”
Angelina blushed anew. “I suppose I don’t, do I?” His proximity and those seductive eyes had Angelina vibrating with excitement.
“I’d like to offer you a job.”
She felt her stomach sink to her toes. This was not what she was expecting. Angelina did her dead level best to hide her disappointment. “A job?”
“Yes, to come work with me.”
Angelina looked apprehensive. “I don’t…”
“Might I remind you that you already said yes?” He wasn’t letting her off the hook – no way, no how.
“What kind of a job?”
Drew sat forward in his chair, his face serious. He couldn’t let her know what this really meant to him. “It always embarrasses me to talk about money, but the oil windfall has been incredible. Hell, I don’t need the money and I wouldn’t miss it if it had never happened. But I feel like God gave it to me for a reason, so I could do something good, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. Since you’ve been gone, I’ve enlarged the clinic, built a rehab center, and a whole host of other things around the community.”
“You did? You’ve been busy.” She wasn’t about to tell him that she knew some of these things. At times, she’d become weak and checked the internet to find any news articles mentioning his name. “You’re a philanthropist.”
Drew brushed it off, he never liked to talk about the things he did, he never did it for the notoriety. “I built a research center also, right on my property, south of the pecan orchard. A lab.”
“What for?”
“To study GSS, the disease.”
“I think I’ve heard of GSS, but I can’t say I know much about it.”
“It’s horrible, Angelina.” He leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. “They say GSS is like ALS on steroids. I want to do my part to bring attention to it and I want to fund research to seek a cure. I need a crack biologist on my staff to make this happen.”
Angelina stood and began to walk around the room. “Oh, Drew, I don’t know.” This was so different than what she’d been expecting. She’d come down the stairs to agree to an affair, or at least a one-night stand. And what did she get?
Just her luck. A job offer.
An incredible job offer – but a job offer.
Drew followed her around the table to the sink where she was absentmindedly washing her mug. “What don’t you know? You’re the best. I know you miss it, Angelina.”
Angelina was stunned at the prospect. “I never intended to return to the scientific field.”
“Just think, this is one of those orphan diseases. There are people, hundreds of people who are suffering and no one is doing anything about it. You can make all the difference in the world in those folk’s lives.” He watched her face change. “I know you want to do it, Angelina, I can see it in your eyes.” He took her by the arms. “This is the kind of thing you were born for. Help me help others.”
She looked up into his face. Damn him, why did he have to be so handsome.
“Do this with me, Angelina. Please. I need your help.” He gave her a heated smile. “I do have an ulterior motive, you know.”
“Really?” She wasn’t about to jump to another conclusion. “You’ve missed Fun Facts With Angelina?”
Drew laughed. “Well, yea, that too. Mainly, I needed an excuse to be around you. I want this time with you, Angelina. Let’s do this together. I need you and you need me, in more ways than one. What do you say?”
“What are you offering, exactly?”
“Eight thousand a month with full medical and dental. Hell. I’ll throw in a damn pension if that’s what it takes.”
Angelina was impressed, but not sold. “That’s a very good offer. What else?”
Drew stumbled. “A company car?”
“No, the money and car aren’t important. I want to know what you meant when you said you need me in more ways than one. What’s the other way? Exactly.”
Drew didn’t pull any punches. “I want to teach you how wonderful sex can be between two people who want each other as much as we do.”
His answer made her heart thrill and her stomach ache. “I can’t make any promises, Drew. I don’t know if I can ever be normal.”
Drew closed his eyes. “I don’t need promises,” he said in a whisper. “All I need is you. Just give me the chance to love you for a while, let me show you how good it can be. Come with me and let’s fight these dragons together.”
Damn he was a good salesman.
“Yes.”
“Yes?” He pulled her close for a big hug. “Thank God, Angelina. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you said no.”
A million things suddenly filled her head. “I’ll have to call my boss and quit.”
“I’m sure she will understand.”
&nb
sp; “I’ll have to send for my clothes.”
“Forget them. You need all new ones.” He pinched a bit of the fabric of her shirt. “You wear these damned baggy clothes like a suit of armor. When you dress like a bag lady, it doesn’t kill my desire for you, you know. It just pisses me off.”
She ignored him and kept thinking. “I’ll need to get an apartment.”
“Oh, no you don’t. The job comes with full room and board. You’ll live with me.”
The idea sent sparks all over her body. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
“If you come back, Hattie will come home too. She up and left me a few months ago. Frankly, I don’t care what people say.” He’d learned life was too short to sweat the small stuff. “We deserve this. I want you in my bed every night.”
She was shaking. Suddenly, the desire was back.
“Don’t be embarrassed, I’m shaking too.” He held out his hand to show her.
Angelina was reticent, but she wanted Drew more than her next breath. She craved to touch him and to be touched. She dreamed of feeling him inside of her again, filling her, pressing her down into the mattress, burning her alive. She ached for him to fuck her so wild and so hard that she passed out from the pleasure. Angelina was so desperate that her fists clenched and her nails bit into her palms.
“I want you, Angelina.”
Her skin flushed, her pupils dilated and Drew could see the slight shivers wracking her body.
“I want you too, Drew.”
“Hallelujah!” Drew pulled her close, crushing her against his rock-hard body and ate at her mouth with a frenzied, frantic heat.
Angelina surrendered, she never thought she’d feel the sear of his kiss again.
