by Claire Adams
I rose and headed over toward his office. His door was even open. It was like he was dying for me to come in there and talk to him anyway. Maybe I didn’t even need the work excuse.
Drew looked up at me and motioned me inside before I’d even arrived at the door. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I just sent you a spreadsheet with some notes about the social media campaigns,” I said. “I was going to run it through Daniella, but she’s in a meeting. I figured it was better to get your opinion on this, since you didn’t look like you were drowning in work.”
I held my breath. Maybe I’d assumed too much, and he’d yell at me about having tons of work to do.
“Sure thing,” Drew said. No yelling after all. “Take a seat.”
I sat down. He clicked his mouse a few times and opened up the email.
Silence reigned the next few minutes as he skimmed the spreadsheet and asked the occasional question about the different plans.
I waited and did my best to answer, also trying hard not to hold my breath and fixate on what it had felt like to have three orgasms so close together not all that long ago. I’d forgotten how great sex could be. Drew and I were obviously very sexually compatible.
As he studied the file, I could only wonder what he could do to me if he had hours to work with and no worries about anyone walking in on us. Just thinking about it left my panties soaked. I crossed my legs, trying to get my lust under control.
My cheeks warmed at the thought, and I was glad he was so focused on reading the spreadsheet and not watching me.
“Everything looks good from what I can see,” Drew said, still looking at his screen. “Let Daniella know first before you do anything, but you should be able to pass this on to PR, so we can get started on getting these campaigns going on Monday.”
I smiled, “Good to know. I guess I’m getting a good feel for things here already.”
“Good. You’re already proving you were a good hire. My sister has good instincts, but it’s not like she’s never wrong. So it’s nice to have the proof.” Drew turned away from the computer to look at me. “Okay, now that we’ve got that taken care of. I have a question for you.”
“What?”
“What are you doing tonight?”
I swallowed, and my heart raced. I doubted he was about to ask me to stay late and look at reports.
“What do you mean?” I said. I guess I wasn’t the only one who wanted things to be crystal clear.
“After work, specifically this evening, by say—seven o’clock. What are you doing? Going out? Hanging out with friends?”
I offered him a shrug. “Nothing in particular. I was just planning to be at home.”
Drew smiled. “Perfect, then you wouldn’t mind going on a date with me?”
I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh or say ‘just kidding’ or anything, really, to make it clear he was serious.
Though Drew had a sly smile on his face, it didn’t look like the kind of expression that someone who was joking about a date would have.
After taking it in, I slowly let out a deep breath. I guess I finally knew where Drew wanted to take things. My pulse thundered in my ears.
Drew wanted more, not just sex. He wanted to date me like a normal woman.
Now, I had to make a big decision. I’d already given him a big speech about keeping our distance. Maybe I could do something similar again, including telling him we couldn’t keep having sex, no matter how fantastic it felt. That would be the smart thing to do, the best thing for my career at Stroker Motorcycles.
Before I’d even finishing thinking about the possibility, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I wanted something more, and Drew wanted something more, too.
I was tired of running from our attraction and my heart. He wasn’t going to fire me over dating him, and we could just keep a low profile. This could work out if we were smart about it.
“I’ll need to ask my mom if she can watch Jack,” I said.
“No problem. You do that,” Drew said. “Then let me know. If it’s a problem, I could always find someone and pay for them.”
“Pay for my babysitting?”
He shrugged. “If that’s what it takes to get you on a date with me, then yeah.”
I rose, my legs trembling slightly. I couldn’t believe it. A date, not sex over a desk or a quickie before my son woke up, but an actual honest-to-God date.
It took all my self-control not to go skipping back to my desk.
* * *
Hours later, I sat in my living room in a little black cocktail dress, waiting for Drew. Mom was more than happy to watch Jack for a few hours.
She was happy for me to go out with Drew, of course. As far as she was concerned, he was the living embodiment of financial stability—a man who owned a big company.
The funny thing was, until she’d stressed that in the conversation, I realized I’d almost forgotten. It wasn’t that I’d forgotten how he’d casually made a major donation to pay my bills, but the man rode to work on a motorcycle in a leather jacket and ate his lunch in the employee cafeteria. He didn’t always give off a billionaire vibe.
As the clock struck seven, I could hear a vehicle pull up. I headed to the door, then glanced down at my dress, hoping he hadn’t planned for me to ride a motorcycle. I’d gotten a bit more used to being around them because I had to see them every day, but that didn’t mean I was willing to ride one.
The minute I opened the door, I relaxed. There was no motorcycle, just a huge, shiny red truck. I looked it up and down—the thing looked brand new, and I half-wondered if he’d just bought it. I’d never seen it in the parking lot at the company.
Drew watched me from the driver’s seat, a surprised look on his face. He was in a nice blue suit. He’d told me we’d be going somewhere fancy, and he was dressed up more than I’d ever seen him. Just more confirmation.
Heading straight to the truck, I got in the passenger’s seat.
“Didn’t want me to come up and knock on your door?” Drew said.
“No reason to waste time,” I said. “I heard you pull up. You’re definitely punctual.”
“When I care, I get there exactly on time. Early wastes time, late is rude,” he winked. “Now, one thing before we head out, I’ve got a question for you. I should have asked you this before, but it slipped my mind.”
“Sure. Fire away.”
“Do you like French food?”
“Yes.”
Drew grinned, “Good. Then I made the right choice.”
* * *
I had read about La Maison d'Automne online, but never thought I’d be able to go an actual Michelin-starred restaurant. Beyond the quality of the place and the fact that it was booked up months in advance, there was the problem of the prices. Three-hundred dollars a person for a tasting menu? The wine wasn’t much cheaper.
Dang, I kept letting myself forget that Drew wasn’t just some biker who happened to work in the same office as me but was, in fact, a very wealthy man. Just how wealthy? I wasn’t even sure I wanted to know. I was definitely so far out of my league, it was ridiculous. But for now, I just wanted to let all that go and just enjoy the night.
Nothing wrong with being treated to some nice food.
I inhaled the aroma of the salmon in front of me, the light spices providing a nice counterpoint to the salty aroma of the fish. I tried a bite of the fish, and it literally melted in my mouth.
I gasped. I wondered if someone could orgasm from eating good food.
“That good, huh?” Drew said, with a grin.
“Do you eat like this all the time?”
“Me? Hell no. I’d grown used to eating at crappy dives from my days on the road, but my dad did make sure I appreciated what a good chef could do, and it’s nice to be reminded of it every now and again.”
I forced myself to take another small bite, even though I wanted to shovel the fish into my mou
th.
I’d had salmon before, but the bite in my mouth wasn’t just some fish, but more like the perfect representation of what fish could be, from flavor to texture.
Wondering how rich people stopped themselves from eating all the time if their food tasted like this, I was happy to realize we still had several courses after the fish.
“My God, the dessert must be personally made by angels if this was what the fish tastes like,” I said.
“Maybe,” Drew said, with a grin. “I’ve never gone back to the kitchen to check.”
I picked up another forkful of fish with a smile.
Drew was handsome, fit, great in bed, good with my son, and rich. The more I thought about it, the harder it was not to be dazzled by him. The man certainly had a lot more going for him than just his looks.
Now that’d I let myself stop worrying for a few hours and just enjoy his company, I could appreciate it, and could easily see myself falling for the man. The thought made my heart race.
Chapter Thirty-three
Drew
Saturday morning, as I finished my shower, I couldn’t help but think about Cat. When I’d dropped her off at home the night before, I made sure not to ask to go in, no matter how much the idea of fucking her made my cock jump.
We’d had sex several times, and it was damn great, but I needed to prove to her that we could be something more, and that meant resisting the cravings of my body. So I’d left with a sweet kiss, nothing more.
It was important that she understood that I wanted a real relationship and that what we had wasn’t just about my raw attraction to her, even if it was as strong as ever, if not more so. My only disappointment was that it wasn’t that many hours later before I wanted to see her again. At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to go five minutes without wanting to see her again soon.
Throwing on my clothes, I tried to think about every conversation we’d had the night before. Cat hadn’t mentioned having any Saturday plans, not even anything like taking Jack out to a movie.
As for me, there were always documents and work waiting for me at the company, but it was like Daniella kept telling me: the world wouldn’t end if I took some time to relax. For the first time since I’d started at the company, I didn’t feel the pull. Or maybe it was there at the edge of my mind, and I pushed it away. I couldn’t be sure.
Sure, I’d taken time off before, but I felt guilty even on my stupid little weekend ride. This time, I didn’t give a damn. The company was in a good place between the model ad campaign, the social media plans, and our deal with the producers of Thunderstruck V. I needed to stop acting like the company would fold if we didn’t maintain ridiculous growth levels. We were already a household name across America, and that skeptical board of directors had already been forced to admit what a good CEO I was.
That meant I could spend a day with Cat. She wouldn’t have a babysitter ready, but that was fine. I hadn’t seen Jack in a while, and I wanted to spend time with him, too. Part of any relationship with Cat would involve spending time with her son. Now was as good a time as any to start getting used to that. Besides, I liked the little guy, so it wasn’t some huge chore.
I resisted the urge to hop into my new truck and head right over to her place. Just showing up at her place and saying I wanted to take them somewhere sounded cool at first, but the one thing I’d picked up from my time on the road was that women with young children didn’t like being put on the spot. Spontaneous crap was for couples, not for couples with kids.
Moms liked having time to digest and plan. There was a good chance that a stunt like showing up at her door unannounced would result in her being pissed off at me. If we were going to have a relationship, I needed to always keep her wants and needs in mind. I’d finally managed to get to a good place I could build on with Cat, so I didn’t want to fuck it up with dumbass selfish stunts.
Finally, I came up with a simple solution. I’d use the shocking strategy of just calling her and asking her if she wanted to do something. I grabbed my phone and dialed, hoping she was already awake, even if it was on the early side for Saturday.
Eight was early for a weekend, but at least it was better than six. I couldn’t help it if I was so addicted to Cat that I couldn’t wait. I didn’t think she’d find that funny if I told her, though. Also, given that she answered her door with a baseball bat the other day, I was willing to bet that she wasn’t much of a morning person.
Snickering at the thought, I waited as the phone rang several times. I grumbled to myself, wondering if she was still asleep after all. Maybe I was the only one excited about our date the other night.
The call connected just as I was ready to give up and stick my phone back in my pocket.
“Hello?” Cat said, sounding half-asleep. “Drew, why are you calling?”
“I wanted to know if you wanted to do something today.”
“I—I have Jack,” she sighed. “Last night was wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not fair to Mom or Jack to run off with you on another date, even if you do have some babysitting service on retainer or whatever.”
I laughed. Getting a babysitter on retainer was a good idea.
“So what? That’s no big deal,” I said. “Jack can come with us. I’ll take you both out to breakfast, and then we’ll find something fun to do together. He’s had a tough run of late and deserves some extra fun to—uh too.”
I’d barely stopped myself from saying ‘together as a family,’ and my heart thundered at the thought. I knew I was getting ahead of myself, but that didn’t change how I felt. Not one little bit.
It was a strange thing to think about. I’d never even come close to considering that kind of a future with any other woman, but Cat already had her claws so deep into my heart, the idea of her and Jack as my family didn’t scare me at all.
It was the opposite, and the idea actually excited me.
The next few seconds passed in agonizing silence as I waited for Cat to respond. If she blew it off, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but I knew it would hurt.
“Jack’s just a little kid,” she said softly. “We can’t go to any place fancy. He’s well-behaved, but it just wouldn’t be fair. I don’t want him stressed out.”
“I was thinking more like a diner for some pancakes, anyway,” I said. “Nothing fancy at all.”
“Oh. That sounds fine, then.” Cat let out a loud yawn. “As long as they have coffee.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” I said as I grinned ear-to-ear. Two perfect, back-to-back dates. “Okay, I’ll hop in the truck and head your way. Take your time though, I don’t mean to rush you.”
* * *
I’d never forget the happiness in Jack’s eyes when I stepped into Cat’s living room. The kid gave me the tightest hug I’d ever had before we headed out to get breakfast. I picked him up and swung him around before we all piled into the truck to head to the diner.
After some pancakes, eggs, bacon, and about a gallon of coffee for Cat, we headed to an indoor rock climbing place.
We watched as an instructor helped Jack into a harness. Cat kept rubbing her wrists and sighing.
“He’ll be fine,” I said, gesturing to Jack. “He’ll have a harness and rope. It’s totally safe. He’s not free-climbing Everest.”
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” she mumbled. “You and your dirty tactics. You knew exactly how he’d react.” She shook her fist at me, obviously teasing, though I was still glad she didn’t have her bat nearby.
I grinned at her. At breakfast, Cat asked what we were doing next, so I asked Jack if he wanted to learn how to rock climb. His eyes lit up, and Cat groaned. She knew there was no way she could say no at that point without disappointing her little boy.
Cat glanced around and shook her head. “You didn’t have to rent out the whole place.”
I surveyed the room, marveling at the emptiness. The other instructors stood around, chatting with each other, only occasionally glancing our
way.
“I wanted him to be able to concentrate,” I said. “And this way, he gets to feel a little special, too.”
At least that’s what I’d thought. Maybe I was trying too hard to impress Cat. It was kind of a strange feeling.
I wasn’t the kind of guy who normally threw cash around. Years of living on the road had made me realize that you didn’t need a lot of money to have a good time. Then again, I always knew I had money, so it let me relax and enjoy things. Money couldn’t buy happiness, but it could buy freedom, and freedom could easily lead to happiness.
That sort of freedom was something I wanted Cat to experience. She’d tied herself up in knots over worries about her son’s education and his illness. She didn’t have the money I had, so she didn’t have the freedom not to worry as much. If I could give her even a small taste of that by renting out an indoor rock climbing place, it was a small price to pay.
Now secure in his harness, Jack started crawling up the wall like he was Spider-Man.
“Damn, look at him go,” I said, chuckling. “When I was his age, I was still afraid of heights.”
Cat eyed me. “His age? I’m still afraid of heights now.”
About ten feet up, Jack stopped and waved. “Look at me, Mommy! Look at me, Drew!”
We both waved back.
“You’re kicking as—you’re doing great, Jack,” I called out. “Go all the way to the top.”
A warm smile appeared on Cat’s face. “Keep going, sweetie. I’m so proud of you.”
Jack grinned and grabbed the next handhold to pull himself up. Cat clapped.
I soaked in the whole experience, a sobering thought washing over me. Even though I didn’t have Cat naked and moaning beneath me, I was having a good time. There was no denying the truth anymore.
The hole that had always been in my heart could be getting filled by Cat and Jack.
* * *
A trip to a pizza parlor followed the rock climbing, and then I took them back to Cat’s house. By the time she opened the door to her place, it was almost two o’clock. We’d spent all morning and a good chunk of the afternoon together.
