Natalie nodded. “David’s going to move them in while we’re gone.”
Dillion grinned. “Then I suppose it will be worth it.”
Natalie blushed. “It’s only a few days, and then we’ll have all the privacy we want.”
Chapter Eleven
***Natalie***
The last thing Natalie wanted to do was go to Nashville, but Michelle needed her help, and she couldn’t tell her no, so she packed a bag. When they were ready to leave, Dillion came over to say goodbye, and the sight of him just walking across the street sent a wave of desire coursing through her.
He was grinning when he reached her. “You’re blushing again. I’d love to know what you’re thinking,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
She giggled, feeling silly for so many reasons. “You’ll just have to wait until I get back to find out,” she said, reaching up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on the cheek.
He looked down at her, a frown on his face, and for a moment she thought she’d done something wrong, but then he asked, “That’s all I get, a little kiss? You’re going to be gone for two days; I think I need a little more than that.”
When his mouth came down on hers, she couldn’t help but sigh with pleasure and wish that she didn’t have to leave. The desire she’d felt only a moment ago flamed to life, and the world around them dissolved.
But all too soon, they heard Michelle clearing her throat, and broke apart. Natalie could feel her face flaming, but her sister-in-law only laughed and said, “We’d better get going if we want to make that appointment this afternoon.”
Dillion gave her a questioning look. “We’re meeting with the guys who are refinishing and repairing Millie’s old furniture,” she said, then added, “He might know where we can find the stove and sink we need for the kitchen too.”
“Do you know what we’re looking for?” he asked, “I mean, we want the real thing, not a reproduction.”
Natalie nodded. “I know what you want. I found everything inside the store.”
Dillion looked at her surprised. “I didn’t know that,” he said.
“It wasn’t easy; I had no idea what I was doing at first. But I met some really nice people who helped me,” she said, then remembered she’d forgotten her phone book. “Hold on a second; I have to get my phone book.”
When she came back downstairs with the little black book she used as a phone book, Dillion took it from her hands. “I’ve never known a woman who had a little black book.”
Natalie laughed, but when he started paging through the book, a strange look appeared on his face. “These are all men,” he finally said, a scowl on his face.
It gave her a thrill to know that he was jealous. “Yeah, and they’re all at least sixty,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
The scowl disappeared from his face. “Sorry, I’m not usually the jealous type,” he said.
***Dillion***
Two days passed far slower than Dillion thought possible, and it was shocking how much he missed Natalie. It was like he’d been given the best gift ever, then had it taken away before he had a chance to enjoy it.
But it hadn’t been a wasted two days; he’d gotten plenty done on Millie’s house and helped David move into his new house. Although he’d had to endure a long lecture from David and a few threats before things were good between them.
“I should kick your butt for making me worry,” he said, when Dillion came into the store after the girls left.
“I’m sorry, David, I just wasn’t thinking,” he said, truly sorry.
“Oh, you were thinking, but not about the right thing. Which brings me to my next point. Natalie’s my sister, and I worry about her. I know I can’t make her decisions, but I can promise you that you’ll be sorry if you hurt her. She’s lived a pretty sheltered life; I’d hate it if you were taking advantage of that,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Dillion didn’t even have to think about his answer. “I have no intention of hurting Natalie. I care about her. I really did try to stay away from her, but it’s impossible. I just can’t help myself,” he said, not sure if he’d gotten through to David.
David nodded. “Lucky for you, I know what that feels like, so I’m going to step back and leave you two alone. But just know that I’ll be watching; hurt my sister and you’ll be sorry,” he said.
Dillion held his hands up in the air. “Peace. Natalie is the first woman I’ve cared about in a long time, she’s… well, she’s special to me,” he said, baring his heart to David.
David studied him for a second. “Well, then let’s hope she doesn’t break your heart,” he said.
Dillion grinned. “If I have my way, neither of us will get our hearts broken,” he said, then offered to help David move.
“I’d love to have the help, but I’m not quite done,” David said, then asked, “Have you told her about your father yet?”
Dillion wanted to lie, wanted to say that he’d explained about his father, but in the end said, “I haven’t told her yet, but I will as soon as she gets back.”
“Are you ever going to go back? I mean, he’s your father, and what about your sister?” David asked, making Dillion want to groan because he really didn’t have an answer, especially when he knew his father was on his trail.
“I hope I don’t ever have to, but there might come a time when I do. But I promise you one thing: when he’s gone, so is that business of his. I’m not spending my life keeping it going,” Dillion said, now more sure than ever that his path didn’t include his father’s corrupt business.
David finally seemed satisfied. “If you want to help me move, be here tomorrow morning bright and early,” he said.
***Natalie***
Natalie never knew that time could go so fast but so slow at the same time. The days they spent in Nashville seemed to fly by, full of shopping and antique hunting. But the nights seemed to drag, the bed so empty without Dillion that she was more than ready to go home when they were done.
Michelle had been teasing her the entire time about Dillion, which only made her miss him more. They were on the way up the mountain when Michelle announced, “When I talked to David earlier today, he told me that he got us moved into the new house.”
Natalie’s heart leaped with excitement, but there was a little part of her that was suddenly nervous. “Oh, that’s good,” she said, a slight waver in her voice.
“I thought you’d be excited to have the apartment to yourself?” Michelle asked, a look of surprise on her face.
“I am, but all of the sudden I’m nervous,” Natalie admitted. “I mean everything was perfect in Georgia, it was romantic and… oh, I don’t know.”
Michelle reached over and patted her hand. “Don’t worry, it will be fine. You felt that way before you went to Georgia with him; it won’t be any different at home.”
Natalie gave her a shaky smile. “I hope you’re right,” she said, then fell silent, trying to sort out her emotions.
When they got back to town, excitement won out over nerves, especially when Michelle drove off to the new house, leaving her alone in the apartment. It looked a little empty with all of David and Michelle’s stuff gone, but she realized that for the first time in her life, she was living alone.
The thought pleased her, but not as much as the fact that it also meant she could have Dillion over and they’d be totally alone. Humming as she unpacked, she decided that she’d cook Dillion dinner that night, an idea that made her just as happy.
She considered running across the street to invite him but instead decided to call him, to stretch out the anticipation just a little longer. He offered to come over right away to help her cook dinner, but she refused his offer knowing that dinner would never get cooked if he did.
Romance was on her mind, and she wasn’t going to give up on the perfect night she was planning. Before she even started cooking, she took a shower and shaved her legs, slathered herself with lotion, and painted he
r toenails. She chose a dress, knowing that it was a bit much for a night at home, but wanting to drive Dillion crazy the minute he saw her.
To her immense pleasure, it worked; when he walked through the door, his eyes got big, then filled with desire. He crossed the room in three big steps, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her until they were both panting.
She pushed him away and stood staring at him for a second, no longer the least bit nervous. “Dinner is ready if you want to eat,” she said.
“Dinner isn’t what I had on my mind,” he said, pulling her back into his arms.
“Dillion,” she said, laughing, “you just walked in the door.”
“Will dinner be ruined if we don’t eat it right away?” he asked, dipping his head down to nibble on her neck.
“Um, no, it’ll keep,” Natalie said breathlessly, pleasure washing over her. “I just need to umm… turn off the stove.”
An hour later, they were curled up together in her bed, their bodies still heated from the passion they’d shared. Natalie’s head was resting on Dillion’s chest, his heart beating in her ear, when they heard a noise in the living room.
Dillion sat up and listened. “I think someone’s in the living room,” he said.
“Maybe David forgot something,” Natalie said, but the words barely made it out of her mouth before the bedroom door crashed open and they were followed by a scream.
Dillion pushed her behind him and glared at the men standing in the doorway. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, his body vibrating with anger.
“Your dad sent us to bring you home,” one of the men said, then looked at Natalie and whistled. “That’s a cute little thing you’ve got there.”
Natalie could feel the anger radiating off Dillion, could sense that he was about to shift, and prepared herself, but then the other man said, “I wouldn’t do that, Dillion. I wouldn’t want to have to go home and tell your dad that you don’t care what happens to your sister.”
Dillion bristled but controlled his shift with considerable effort, and Natalie realized all at once that she didn’t know what was going on. She put her hand on his arm and asked, “Dillion, what’s going on?”
Dillion turned to her. “I can’t explain now. I have to go with them. I’m sorry, Natalie, it’s just so complicated,” he said, his eyes full of misery.
Natalie’s heart sank; all her fears about being hurt came rushing to the surface. “I don’t understand; why can’t you explain?” she asked, backing away from him on the bed.
Dillion opened his mouth to answer her, but the big man said, “Don’t worry, he’ll explain to you on the way; you’re both going with us. Get up and get dressed.”
“No way. Natalie’s not coming with us,” Dillion said, jumping out of bed and putting on his pants.
The big one pointed his finger at Dillion and said, “You’re not in charge here, kid,” then he looked at Natalie with a sneer on his face, which quickly turned to anticipation. “Get up and get dressed; you’re coming too.”
Natalie grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around her as she got out of bed, scooped her clothes off the floor, and ran for the bathroom, slammed and locked the door. She could hear laughter in the other room, then one of the men said, “You’d better be out here in two minutes, or I’m coming in there.
Natalie quickly put on her clothes and shoes, then opened the door. But when she stepped through, an arm reached out and grabbed her. “We’re just going to make sure you don’t cause any trouble,” the man holding her said, then she felt a sharp stab of pain in her neck, and the world went dark.
Chapter Twelve
***Dillion***
Dillion stood horrified as Natalie crumpled to the ground. “Pick her up and carry her,” George said.
He rushed over to her and picked her up. “You didn’t have to do that,” he said, barely controlling his anger.
“Just thought I’d make sure you came along quietly,” George said. “Now, let’s go.”
Dillion had no choice but to follow them, his anger at a low boil. Once they were on the road, he said, “My father must be desperate to have me home.”
But neither man said anything. “Is he sick?” he asked, but still got nothing.
Frustrated, he sat back in his seat and pulled Natalie into his arms, worried that she was still out. “How much did you give her?” he finally asked, worry in his voice.
“She’ll wake up when we’re on the plane,” George said, shooting Dillion a questioning glance as he drove. “You in love with her or something?” he asked, looking at Dillion in the rearview mirror.
Dillion knew better than to tell him the truth, so he met his gaze and lied. “Oh, she’s just a diversion while I’m in Gypsum Creek. I’m not exactly the settling type, but I’d hate it if you killed her.”
George snorted. “She’s not going to die.”
Dillion was relieved, but the relief only left room for worry. He had no idea what his father had planned, or how he would take it when they showed up with Natalie in tow. There was no way he could let his father know that he cared about her; it would only give his father more ammunition against him.
He just hoped that he’d have a chance to explain it all to Natalie before they got home. But even after they’d boarded a private plane, she continued to sleep, and he was beginning to think that George had overdosed her.
But as the plane landed, she began to stir, and relief washed over him. She looked up at him groggily and asked, “Where are we?”
“We just landed in Maine. Are you okay?”
It took her a minute to answer. “The last thing I remember was getting dressed.”
Dillion nodded. “I’m sorry, Natalie; when you came out of the bathroom, George drugged you.”
She stared at him shocked, then raised her hand to her neck where George had injected her with the drug. “Dillion, what’s going on? Why have we been kidnapped?” she asked, tears in her eyes.
Before he could answer, George appeared next to them. “Good to see you’ve woken up; guess I was a little too generous with the drugs,” he said, laughing. Then he pointed to Dillion. “You get up first and get off the plane; we’ll bring your little friend out in a second.”
Dillion didn’t want to leave Natalie but couldn’t see that he had any choice; cooperating now was the best thing, and he knew it. That didn’t mean that he like it though; he needed to talk to Natalie and soon, or she was never going to trust him again.
Before he stepped off the little plane, he looked back to where she was still sitting in her seat, a confused and frightened look on her face, and he knew that he’d made a mistake letting things go so far with her. He should have done like he’d always done and avoided women; now Natalie was in danger, and all because he couldn’t control himself.
***Natalie***
Natalie watched Dillion walk off the plane, a mixture of fear and anger flooding her system. She was also still a little groggy, and that made her even angrier. When the man Dillion called George pushed her up out of her seat, she stumbled a little, and he grabbed her to steady her, letting his hands roam a little before he let go of her.
She pulled away from him and said, “Don’t do that again or you’ll be sorry.”
Unsure what to expect when she walked off the plane, she took her time walking down the aisle, trying to calm her pounding heart. She was furious with Dillion, but also afraid of what she’d find outside the door.
When she stepped through the door and walked down the steps the first thing she saw was an attractive older man with his arm around Dillion. At first, she thought it looked like they were embracing, but then she saw the look on Dillion’s face and knew that it was anything but a happy reunion.
Dillion looked up and saw her, making the older man pause in what he was saying and looked over at her too. A look of annoyance appeared on his face, but then his eyes raked over her body, and a slow smile spread.
“You didn’t tell me you brought a frien
d,” he said, closing the space between them, his hand out.
When he reached Natalie, he grabbed her hand, bowed slightly and kissed the back of it. Despite her fear, she found herself drawn to the nicely dressed man holding her hand. “I’m Gordon Mathews, Dillion’s father,” he said, his voice rich with culture.
She looked over at Dillion, who was glaring at the back of his father’s head, and it took her a second to find her voice. “I’m Natalie Rayburn, umm, it’s nice to meet you.”
“I wasn’t expecting Dillion to show up with a guest, but since you’re here, we’ll find a place for you,” his father said, putting his hand on her back and escorting her to a limousine parked not far away.
When they were in the car, his father turned to Natalie, and said, “Tell me all about yourself, Ms. Rayburn.”
Natalie had no idea what to say, what to tell this man who was suddenly treating her like she was the most important person in the world. She couldn’t say that she was his son’s girlfriend, that wasn’t exactly true, yet and she couldn’t imagine he was all that interested in her.
“Oh, well, there’s not really that much to tell,” she said, searching for something interesting to tell him and coming up empty.
“Well, there must be a reason my son is interested in you; he has very good taste in women you know,” his father said.
Natalie waited for Dillion to say something, anything, but he just stared out the window as if the conversation had nothing to do with him. “Oh, umm, well we’re restoring a house together,” she said, hoping that Dillion would jump in.
Gordon patted her hand, “Not to be crass, but I heard that there was a little more to it than that.”
Natalie drew in a sharp breath, “Well, umm…” she couldn’t think of anything to say and was beginning to get angry at Dillion for not speaking up.
Restoration (Wolves 0f Gypsum Creek Book 4) Page 7
