Kiss Me Forever (Bachelors & Bridesmaids #1)

by Barbara Freethy

  Frustrated with him and with herself, she went into her apartment and shut the door, wondering how on earth she was going to write a serious story about a man she really just wanted to take to bed.

  * * *

  Alex drove back to his house, feeling extremely irritated with himself. The night had not gone at all as he'd planned, nor had any other part of the day. Andrea had gotten him off track in a big way. He'd not only taken her to the gym, he'd also shown her one of his private places where he went to think or escape. And he'd never taken anyone to the airport before, at least not that part of the airport. But he'd wanted to take her. He'd wanted to share something of himself, even if he couldn’t share everything.

  More importantly, he'd just wanted to be alone with her.

  His plan to surround her with people and parties was bothering him as much as it was bothering her. Not because he wanted to tell her anything about himself, but because he wanted to know more about her. She was very different from the women he usually dated. She had a passion for her career, a true calling for what she did, and how many people could say that? She was honest and open and interested in everything, and he liked that she didn't choose her words too carefully, that she spoke from the heart.

  But while all those qualities made him like her more, it also made it more difficult for him to keep her at arm's length, to stay professional.

  She was right—that kiss had not been professional, and while he tried to tell himself that kissing her was just part of the plan to keep her distracted from asking questions, he knew deep down that he'd just wanted to taste her lips, feel her mouth under his. And he hadn't wanted to stop with a kiss. It had taken all of his willpower to leave her at her door.

  But he wasn't completely stupid. He couldn't let desire take over his good sense. Andrea might be one of the most interesting and beautiful women he'd met in a long time, but she was also a reporter. And when she went after a story, she went all in.

  He needed to step back and regroup. Hopefully, twenty-four hours without seeing her would send his blood flowing in the right direction again—back to his brain.

  * * *

  With Alex off her Sunday schedule, Andrea joined her friends and fellow bridesmaids for Sunday brunch at the Bella Mar Café, a seafood restaurant famous for its Sunday brunch and spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay. She was excited to get together with at least some of the girls and hopefully talk about Laurel's bachelorette party. She knew her sister would not be making it to brunch, as Laurel's fiancé's father was having a birthday party today.

  After parking her car in the garage across the street, she ran into her friend Liz Palmer, and they exchanged a happy hug then walked to the elevator together. Liz was a pretty dark blonde with big brown eyes that were always sharp and inquisitive. In their group, Liz had been the smart, somewhat serious one, the girl who generally didn't make as many impulsive mistakes as the rest of them. And Andrea had always considered Liz's advice to be spot-on.

  "How did the hunt for the wedding photographer go?" Andrea asked, remembering that Laurel, Liz and Kate had spent Saturday in search of a replacement.

  "Great," Liz replied. "Laurel liked the second guy we spoke to. We showed his portfolio to your mom, and she signed off. So crisis averted."

  "Thank goodness. Now tell me how your dad is doing."

  Shadows entered Liz's eyes. "Not well. He's had cancer for a while, as you know. They've been trying to put it in remission, but nothing has been working."

  "I'm really sorry."

  "I know. It's rough, but he's a strong man, and he's a fighter. We're hoping things will turn around."

  "How is it at work without him there?"

  "Not great. Dad's partners are acting like he's already gone, and I'm a reminder that he's not. They can't just ride over his ideas or his part of the partnership while I'm there. Anyway, we don't need to talk about all that. I'm thrilled to see you here. I wasn't sure you were going to make brunch today," she added as they got on the elevator and rode it down to the street level.

  "I wasn't either, but my schedule opened up."

  "Kate thought you might be tied up with some sexy millionaire you're interviewing," she said with a curious smile.

  "He wasn't available to talk to me today."

  "But you've been spending some time with him, so what's he like?"

  "He's really attractive, charming, has a great smile and sense of humor. He doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. But he's also got some mystery to him. There are shadows in his eyes. He's hard to read. I feel like I've gotten to know him a little, but there's so much more to find out."

  "You like him, don't you?"

  She frowned. "How I feel about him isn't relevant to the article I'm writing."

  "I don't care about the article; I care about you," Liz said. "And it's been awhile since you liked someone—Doug really did a number on you."

  That was certainly true. "Well, I don't want to like Alex. He's business. And that's all he's going to be."

  Thankfully, she didn't have to say more since they'd arrived at the restaurant. They immediately saw their friends sitting at a large corner table by the window.

  Kate, a beautiful, blue-eyed brunette, was the first to see them and gave a welcoming wave. Next to Kate was Julie, a cool, quiet blonde, who worked as a fundraiser for a children's charity. Then there was Maggie, a gorgeous redhead with sparkling green eyes. Maggie worked as a front desk clerk at the luxurious Stratton Hotel in the Napa Valley, but today she'd made the trip from the wine country to San Francisco. Finally, there was Elisa, a striking Hispanic woman with dark brown hair, matching eyes and an incredibly beautiful smile that always lit up her eyes. Elisa worked at a dance studio and had always been the most musical and passionate member of their group of friends. The only one missing was Jessica, who had recently moved to San Diego with her five-year-old son to take a new teaching job. But Jessica had promised to be there for the wedding and hopefully a few other bridal events.

  "Am I dreaming?" Kate asked in amazement as they took their seats. "Are you really here, Andrea?"

  "We were beginning to think you found a new group of friends," Maggie put in.

  "I've been busy with work," she said.

  "As always," Julie said with a knowing smile. "We all work, you know," she added pointedly, but there was a smile at the end of her words. "However, we're very glad you could make it."

  "It makes my long drive from Napa even more worthwhile," Maggie added. "It's been too long, Andrea. Is Laurel coming, too?"

  "No, she has to do something with her soon-to-be in-laws," she replied. "Which is fine, because I want to talk about the bachelorette party today. I know I haven't been the greatest maid-of-honor so far, but that changes now."

  "You still have time to get it right," Kate said.

  "I hope so." She paused as the waiter set down a mimosa in front of her. "I like the service."

  "We went ahead and ordered drinks and appetizers," Elisa said.

  "Great. I'm starving."

  "So Kate told us about your new assignment, and we're all dying to know what Alexander Donovan is like," Maggie said. "Is he as hot as his pictures?"

  "Yes."

  "And…" Kate prodded.

  "You'll have to wait and read my article," she said, knowing there was no way they were going to let her get away with that. She sipped her drink as they fired questions at her.

  "Is he as rich as they say?"

  "What does his house look like?"

  "Who is he sleeping with?"

  "When are you seeing him again?"

  She smiled, waiting for them to run out of steam. When they were together, it was always like this. They could jump from topic to topic, sometimes finishing each other's thoughts without missing a beat. Even though it had been years since they'd shared a common bathroom in the college dorms, and even though they didn't see each other as often as they liked, when they got together it was as if they'd only been apart for
a second.

  "Are you guys done?" she asked.

  "Only if you start talking," Liz said.

  "Alex Donovan is a rich, attractive, sexy man with a huge business, many friends and a lot of power. That's why he was picked to be the magazine's Man of the Year. He came from nothing and he has made millions or billions, I'm not even sure how much he's worth. I think his story will inspire a lot of people. But I'm still trying to get to the real man, which might take some time."

  "Sounds like that would be a fun time," Maggie said with a grin.

  "He is charming."

  "Do you think he's interested in you?" Kate asked.

  "No. I'm way too serious for him. He likes party girls."

  "But he is single, right?" Kate pressed.

  "He appears to be, but there are dozens of women around him all the time."

  "You can handle the competition," Julie said. "You've always liked a challenge."

  "I like my job more, and right now my focus is on writing a good story. Unfortunately, Alex seems better at getting me to talk than I am at getting him to open up."

  "How do you mean?" Julie asked.

  "Well, last night at a party that Alex took me to, we ran into Doug."

  There was a collective groan from her girlfriends, all of whom at one point or another had heard her sad story and either cried with her, hugged her, or shared gallons of ice cream with her.

  "How did that go?" Maggie asked with compassion. Maggie was the nurturer in the group, the one who usually mothered them when they were down.

  "It was thankfully brief. Doug made some snarky comment, but I think he was a little taken aback to see me with Alex. I didn't bother to explain just what I was doing with him."

  "Good," Liz said approvingly. "That man treated you horribly. He should know that he made a huge mistake."

  "I doubt he cares. He's married and has a baby now. It's weird how fast things can change. Anyway, enough about me; I want to hear about all of you." She turned to Kate first. "Is my mother driving you to a nervous breakdown?"

  "She's not that bad. She knows what she wants, of course, but so far I've managed to keep her happy."

  "You'll have to tell me that secret sometime. Okay, on to the bachelorette party. Does anyone have any ideas?"

  "I do," Kate said tentatively. "I thought we could do a spa day at the Stratton next Saturday. Maggie said she could get us some rooms at a discount."

  "As well as reservations at the most exclusive restaurant in Napa," Maggie put in.

  "But only if you want to do that, Andrea," Kate said. "I don't want to overstep."

  Andrea looked around at her friends and realized that they were picking up the slack for her again. "It sounds perfect. Laurel loves going to the spa, so I know she'll enjoy the trip."

  "We can mix in some wine tasting," Elisa added. "My friend works at a winery and could get us a private tasting if we want."

  "Sold. You are all amazing."

  Kate nodded. "Does next weekend work for you?"

  "I'll make it work," she promised.

  "Great. Let's put it on the calendar then. Don't anyone make a date for that night," Kate ordered.

  "I'll try to keep my schedule free," Liz said dryly. "But you know I'm really in demand on Tinder these days."

  Andrea laughed. "You are not doing that dating site again. I thought you got off of it after the last loser made you pay for dinner and a very expensive cab ride."

  "I was bored," Liz said. "I had a weak moment. I'm getting off today."

  "Have you met anyone interesting?" Julie asked.

  "No. I don't know where the interesting men are, but they certainly aren't on there."

  "I think Andrea has found the most interesting man in San Francisco," Kate said.

  "Yeah, if you don't want him, maybe you should throw him our way," Julie said with a laugh.

  "Sorry, girls, Alex is all mine—at least until the story is done."

  Andrea settled back in her seat and sipped her mimosa as the conversation changed to Maggie's latest adventure at the front desk of the Stratton. As she listened to her friends talk about their lives, she felt happy for the first time in a long while. She needed these women, these moments of grounding with people who knew her better than anyone else. She was going to do better at getting together in the future. No more missed brunches or lunches. These were her girlfriends, and she needed to stay close.

  As she thought about all the secrets they had shared over the years, her mind turned back to Alex. There had to be someone who knew Alex's secrets, too.

  Chapter Eight

  Andrea found Mick in the gym Sunday afternoon. She waited while he ran a couple of kids through a boxing lesson, appreciating his quiet, firm patience. The man commanded respect, and the more she studied him, the more certain she became that this visit was going to be a waste of time. Still, she had to try. Even a small detail might help her flesh out her article on Alex.

  Mick walked over to her with a smile on his face. "Back so soon?"

  "I have a question or two for you about Alex. Do you have a few moments?"

  "I can make some time. Come on back to the office."

  She followed him down a hall and into a small, cluttered space. He grabbed a pile of t-shirts off of a chair and waved her toward the seat. Then he sat down behind the desk.

  "Now, what can I do for you?" he asked.

  "You know I'm writing an article on Alex's life. He mentioned to me that you let him sleep on the couch here in this office." She glanced at the small couch that was no bigger than a loveseat and couldn't imagine it had been very comfortable. But at least Alex had had a warm, dry place to sleep. It was still hard to really understand the life Alex had led as a kid and the one he led now.

  "He needed a place to stay until he could graduate from high school."

  "He said you really wanted him to stay in school."

  "I did. I dropped out when I was fifteen. Regretted it for a very long time. I didn't want Alex to do the same."

  "What was he like back then?"

  Mick thought for a moment. "He had a lot of anger in him, but he was able to direct it in a positive way. He was a stubborn, determined kid. I knew he'd make something big out of his life, and he certainly did that."

  "Yes," she agreed. "Alex seems to know a lot of people, but what he doesn't appear to have are really close friends or long-term friends."

  "Well, he moved around as a kid, and once you get rich, it's hard to have real friends—at least that's what they tell me," Mick said with a self-deprecating grin.

  "Me, too," she said with a smile.

  "Is there anything you can tell me about Alex that maybe only you and a handful of people know?"

  "Sure, I could tell you something."

  She could see by the sparkle in his eyes that because he could didn't mean he would. "But you're not going to."

  "Alex is a good friend of mine. I don't talk about him. He doesn't talk about me."

  "He's not just a friend, he's also an investor in the gym, isn't he?"

  "He helps out, probably more than he should. But Alex is the kind of man who gives back when he can." Mick paused. "I will tell you this about Alex. When he cares about someone, he goes all in. He's intensely loyal and incredibly generous, and not just with me."

  "What about his faults? He must have a few."

  "He's definitely not perfect."

  "Would you care to share any small detail?"

  "You're as stubborn as he is. The two of you are going to butt heads."

  "We're already doing that," she admitted. "I don't really understand why. I want to write a good story about him, but he wants to keep me at arm's length."

  "Somehow, I don't think he wants to keep you that far away," Mick said, a speculative gleam in his eyes. "But he probably should."

  She shifted a little uncomfortably under his gaze. "Why?"

  "Because if he doesn't keep his guard up, you'll have him on the ropes."

&nb
sp; "Is that a boxing metaphor?"

  "I suppose it is," he said with a grin. "But then life is a battle, isn't it? You have to learn to roll with the punches."

  She smiled back at him. "You have a bunch of those, don't you?"

  "I could go on all day, but I won't. I have a class starting in a few minutes."

  "Well, I appreciate your time. If I have more questions, can I speak to you again?"

  "Why don't you come back Wednesday night? I'm starting a new self-defense class for women. We're trying to make the gym a little less testosterone heavy."

  "If I take the class, will you tell me more about Alex?"

  "Tell you what, I'll answer one question for each woman you bring."

  "Really? And that wouldn't be disloyal to Alex?"

  "Well, I can't promise you'll like all my answers, but I'll do my best to give you a little more insight."

  She stood up. "Okay, you've got yourself a deal, Mick."

  "Good. I'll see you Wednesday."

  She turned toward the door, then glanced back at him. "Are you going to tell Alex about our agreement?"

  "I'll let you do that."

  "He won't like it."

  "Well, that's his problem, isn't it?"

  "I guess it is."

  * * *

  Andrea spent the rest of Sunday writing up what she knew about Alex so far and then searching the Internet for more details. Unfortunately, every news report on Alex was the same. He'd told a similar story to every reporter in every single interview. She supposed she should feel a little special that at least he'd taken her to meet Mick and see the gym and had also shared his love of airplanes and airports with her, but she still needed more.

  After a restless night of sleep, she went into her office on Monday with a new plan. As soon as she got to her desk, she put in a call to the magazine's private investigator. Joe was not only an ex-cop, he had excellent cyber skills, and he could usually get information no one else could find, although even he had come up short in trying to locate her source on the car seat story.

  "Andrea, I told you I'd call you if I came up with anything," Joe said shortly.