Break My Fall (No Limits) (9 page)

He saw the look on my face. “What?”

I laughed a little. “I think I found out what you do for a living. You’re a door-to-door Apple Jacks salesman, right?”

Drew laughed. “
Interesting guess. Do you want some or not?”

“You know what? I think I will have some.”

He smiled. “Excellent choice, madam.”

So we ate Apple Jacks together. Cliff had a
milkbone.

Drew and I talked
about music, and while we had some similar taste, he was a big fan of some British bands I’d never heard of. He got out his iPad and played a couple of songs by a band called Keane, and a couple more by Doves. When he played a song by a band named Travis, it made me think of Liz’s boyfriend, which only brought me worrying thoughts of having to return to Florida.

“Don’t like this one?” he asked, picking up on my body language.

I shook my head. “It’s okay, but I like the first two more.”

We talked about TV shows, with Drew insisting that TV sucked these days, and me trying to convince him that there was plenty of good stuff out there and you just had to look for it. I told him if he signed up for Netflix
, I’d give him some suggestions and he could watch it on his iPad.

He downloaded the app while we sat there. “I’ll give this a try. Just please don’t try to get me to watch stuff about vampires.”

I laughed and promised him that I wouldn’t.

We were sitting closely on the couch as we talked. Drew had taken my hand in
his and entwined his fingers through mine. Softly, gently, our hands explored each other’s as we spoke.

When the conversation trailed off, he kissed me again, this time more intensely. There was
an eagerness to the way his lips and tongue played with mine.

The heat between us intensified—figuratively and literally. His mouth tasted like sweet apples, and I’m sure
he tasted the same in mine.

Without
me realizing it, he’d gotten me on my back. His hands were on either side of my head, his arms supporting his upper body as he positioned himself between my legs.

We were both wearing shorts
, but the fabric between us didn’t prevent me from feeling his excitement.

He lifted my shirt a little, running the backs of his fingers along my stomach and the muscles twitched under his touch.

Breaking the rhythm of our kiss for a moment, he said, “I swear this isn’t why I brought you here.”

I looked into his eyes. I believed him.
And while I’m sure things would have progressed if he hadn’t stopped to talk, this little intermission snapped me out of the fog of lust.

Before I could change my mind, and before he kissed me again, I just said it. “I think we should stop.”

He slowly pulled away from me. “Say no more.”

I sat up and looked at his face, trying to read whether he was upset with me. The left side of his mouth curled up in a slight smile and he kissed me on the cheek.

Almost an hour had passed, and I had completely forgotten about the clothes until he mentioned them, which reminded me that I needed to get moving so I could get to work. I was really enjoying the time on the boat, and was disappointed that I had to get going.

When we got back to the
Laundromat, I took my clothes out of the dryer. As Drew had predicted, no one had stolen my underwear.

“
Well, I better get going. I have to work at twelve.”

“Leah, before you leave… You know I wouldn’t want you to do anything you don’t want to, right?”

“Of course.” How could I have thought otherwise when just minutes earlier he had backed off when I said we needed to stop?

“But—”

“Oh, no.” I should have known there was a but.

“No, no,” he said, smiling. “It’s not about that. I just want to know one thing.”

“What’s that?”

His eyes focused on mine. “Are you okay? I mean, you haven’t told me what happened and why you’re here, but I
just want to know—you’re okay?”

I
nodded. “Yeah. I mean mostly… It’s just something that I don’t like to talk about.” And that’s when I saw my opening. “Sort of like how you haven’t told me what you do for work.” I turned my head to the side a little, looking at him out of the corner of my eye, basically taunting him with the reminder that he had a secret too.

He thought about it for several seconds and I wondered what the big deal was. Maybe he didn’t work. Maybe he had a settlement from the a
irline. But why not just tell me that?

“I’ll tell you the next time you have two days in a row off.”

“Huh?”

“When’s the next time you have two days off?”
There was something in his eyes, a kind of searching as he looked at me. It was odd. Not unsettling, just different than any look I’d seen him give me before.

“Actually, I’m off Wednesday and Thursday this week.”

“What time do you get off on Tuesday?”

“The shop closes at eight
. I’ll be out of there by eight-thirty or so.”

He stepped toward me. He didn’t put his arms around me or touch me anywhere other than
where our lips met as he kissed me. “I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon. Then you won’t have to wonder anymore. Actually, I’ll make you a deal.” He stuck out his hand. “After I tell you what I do, you tell me why you came to Charleston.”

I reluctantly put m
y hand in his, sealing the deal, and then immediately regretted it.

Chapter Nine

“I’m just saying this can’t be good,” Rebecca said.

“Well, whatever it is, I’ll know soon enough.”

“I can’t wait to find out.”

It was later in the afternoon and we were at the shop. It had been busy since the moment I arrived, and we didn’t have our first lull in the action until almost four o’clock. That’s when I told her how I had spent my morning.

At first, when I told her I had gone to his boat, she was all about finding out if we had sex. I couldn’t even tell the story the way I wanted to. She was eager to get to the “good part,” and I kept telling her that from my point of view, the whole morning was the good part.

When I told her about his promise to tell me what he did for a living, her curiosity quickly refocused, and she didn’t have a good outlook on it.

“
Gotta be something illegal,” she said.

“If it’s something illegal, why would he tell me at all?”

She considered that for a millisecond. “Maybe it’s something illegal and he wants you to help him. I’ve been thinking more about that smuggling thing. Like that movie where that guy pays that girl to help him take pot across the border.”

I laughed. “
You think he wants me to be a mule.”

“
Is that what it’s called? Hey, it happens. And he has a boat. Drug smugglers use boats all the time.”

“Not everyone with a boat is a drug smuggler,” I said. “Plus, he never takes it out anywhere. It’s just a house on water.”

“Shit, I don’t know then. We’ll just wait and see.”

I didn’t say anything, but I was glad she had finally come to see that as the only option.

I changed the subject. “You haven’t gone outside to smoke all day. Are you quitting?”

She paused befor
e answering, then picked up a shark-tooth necklace and fidgeted with it. “Yeah.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“I guess.” She looked up at me with sad, worried eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Okay, if I tell you, please don’t let this get out.”

“I won’t. What is it?”

“I think I’m pregnant.”

My eyes widened. “Why? And since when?”

The door chimed and a couple came in with two kids. The timing couldn’t have been worse. They didn’t stay long, though, and when they were gone, Rebecca picked up where my question left off.

“I didn’t get my period a few weeks ago like I should have. And I thought…I don’t know, I guess I was just in denial. But I’ve been feeling sick in the mornings. I thought maybe it was because I haven’t
been getting enough sleep, but…I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you take a test?”

She hesitated before saying, “If I’m pregnant, it’s early. And…I just don’t want to know right now.”

It was her decision to wait, not mine, so I didn’t say anything about it. Had it been me, though, I would want to know right away.

“Did you say anything to Kyle?” I asked.

“No.”
She started to cry, and grabbed one of the nearby beach towels that were for sale. “Fuck it. I’m using this.” She wiped her face and blew her nose into the towel. “The one time I give in and we don’t use a condom. He promised me he would pull out, but he didn’t.”

“Shit.”

“I know,” she said. “I shouldn’t have trusted him.”

I wanted to agree with her, but I didn’t say anything. I knew what it felt like to have trust betrayed, knew the guilt and self-blame that went along with it, so for the moment I just wanted to be supportive and comfort her in any way I could.

.  .  .  .  .

Drew called around five
that afternoon and I stepped outside to talk to him. I had a feeling Rebecca would have been way too nosey, and with me going outside, she had no choice but to stay inside, so I was able to talk freely.

He asked me how the day had gone and after we got the small talk o
ut of the way, his next statement slammed into me. “Pack a bag for an overnight stay.”

This was starting to sound like I’d gotten myself in deeper than I could handle.
“If you’re thinking I’m going to spend the night with you, think again.”

“
You’ll have your own bed, don’t worry. We’re going on a trip.”

“A trip.”

“Right.”

I turned around to look in the store, making sure Rebecca wasn’t trying to listen.
“We’re going out of town together,” I said, a little mystified by how sure he sounded that I would agree to this.

“
No matter how many different ways you put it, the answer is yes.”

“And I’m assuming I can’t say no.”

“Right again.”

I leaned up against the window
. “I thought you told me you didn’t want me to do anything I didn’t want to, and now you’re telling me I can’t say no.”

“Oh, a debate. I like this. But you’re about to lose.”

I laughed. “Am I?”

“Yeah.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because this is something you want to do.”

.  .  .  .  .

He was right
, but I hadn’t counted on this trip involving a flight. Not because I thought it was such a big deal to go away with him. I had become more comfortable with Drew than I could ever have anticipated in such a short time.

What surprised me about all of this was the fact that Drew
was getting on an airplane. He had mentioned traveling around the world after the crash, but I didn’t think much about it at the time. Now that I was with him at the airport, though, I couldn’t imagine having survived a plane crash and getting on a plane again. Had it been me, I would have done everything possible to avoid air travel for the rest of my life.

I brought this up as we arrived at the airport.

Drew scoffed at the notion. “I have no reason to worry.”

“Why not?”

He popped the trunk to get our bags out. “What are the odds of me being in two plane crashes in one lifetime, let alone within a few years? Actually, if you think about it, the likelihood is so low, you’re safer flying with me than you would be with anyone else.”

I thought about that for a second
as I took my small bag from him. “Yeah, but I’ve never been in a plane crash, so my odds aren’t any lower. Maybe you’re not safe flying with me.”

He laughed.
“Good point. I guess it all depends on how you look at it. Plus, I’d take my chances with you any day.” He closed the trunk and we were on our way.

.  .  .  .  .

There was no way for him to keep the destination a surprise. When we checked in at the gate with the electronic tickets Drew had purchased for us, I knew we were going to Las Vegas.

We got settled into our seats, and as I tried to get used to the smell of cleaning products and
recirculated cabin air, I had to keep reminding myself that all of this was real.

When we were
buckled into our seats I said, “This is crazy.”

“What is?”

“This. All of this. Just jumping on a plane with you and going across the country.” I was speaking softly, not loudly or nervously.

Drew responded with the same
volume and tone. “There’s nothing wrong with a little crazy. Crazy’s good for you.”

Once we were airborne
, just after eight p.m., I said, “Okay, so if I guess what you do, will you tell me?”

“Sure, take your best shot.”

“Gambler.”

“No.”

“Dealer.”

“No.”

“A performer of some kind. Maybe you’re a singer?”

He laughed. “No.”

“No to the singer or no to all kinds of performances?”

He thought about it for a moment. “If I told you, that would take some of the fun out of this.”

“This isn’t exactly what I’d call fun.”

He
reached over and locked his fingers through mine, lifted it to his face and kissed the back of my hand. “Be honest. This is the most fun you’ve had in a while.”

I stared into his eyes, not wanting to admit that he was right, but he was.
“Okay, so you’re not a singer. Let’s see… You’re a… Oh, my God.”

A huge grin
spread across his face. “Did you figure it out?”

“You’re a male stripper.”

The smile fell from his face. “Why did you include ‘male’ in the description? Isn’t a stripper just a stripper? And is it really necessary to point out that I’m male? Anyone can look at me and tell. I find your label rather sexist. Sort of like the people who say ‘male nurse’ as if a guy who’s a nurse is somehow a different kind of nurse than a woman who’s a nurse.”

I looked him dead in the eye. “You’re a stripper.”

He stared back at me, his expression blank. “No. I’m not a stripper, male or otherwise. Sorry to disappoint.”

I pulled my hand away from his. “Not cool. Why did you go on that
tirade about the ‘male’ thing when that’s not what you do anyway?”

“That wasn’t a tirade.”

I straightened up in my seat, facing forward, staring at the back of the seat in front of me. “You’re a difficult person to deal with.”

“Face it, you like me.”

I slowly turned my head toward him, only to be met with his gorgeous smile and that look in his eyes, the same one he had in the Laundromat when he came up with the idea for this trip. It was as though he was trying to read my thoughts through my eyes.

“I’d have to like you at least a little to be sitting here, wouldn’t I?”

“At least a little?” He faced forward. “I’ll take it. Any more guesses about what you’re going to find out about me when we get to Vegas?”

I tried a few more times and was wrong on all of them.

.  .  .  .  .

We landed at three
a.m. east coast time, but with the time difference it was only midnight in Las Vegas. I should have been tired, but I was too pumped up to feel even a slight lack of energy or alertness.

We took a shuttle from the airport to th
e Mandalay Bay hotel and casino, where Drew said we’d be staying and had already booked a room for us.

“Don’t worry,” he said as the shuttle pulled up to the hotel, “I got a suite. You can have the bedroom and I’ll stay on the couch. But we’re not going to be sleeping for a while.”

I felt my face flush and hoped he didn’t see it. I initially took his comment as one laced with sexual suggestion, but quickly realized he couldn’t have meant that. Clearly he was referring to me finding out what he did for a living.

We checked in and a bellhop in a red jacket and black slacks took our bags up to the room while Drew and I made our way to the casino.

Before going out on the floor, he pulled me aside down a short, dimly lit hallway. He held me lightly by my arm and when we were halfway down the hall, he turned me so my back was up against the wall. He moved in close, putting his hands on the wall on either side of my head, caging me in. “What do you know about card games?”

“
I’ve never been much of a card player. Go Fish is kind of my speed. And…” I thought about it for a moment, trying to remember that other card game I played as a kid. “What’s the one where you divide up the deck and you put cards down really fast and whoever has the highest card gets to keep the cards?”

“War.”

“Yes, that’s it. I played War.”

He rubbed his forehead. “Okay, anything about blackjack?”

“No. But I’m not stupid. I’ve heard of it.”

He shook his head and grinned. “I didn’t say you were stupid, Leah, I was just trying to figure out the quickest way to explain this.”

He quickly went over the rules of blackjack, explaining the basics. “The object is to get twenty-one or as close to it without going over. You’re playing against the dealer, not the other people at the table, so whoever gets the highest number without going over wins. If you go over, you lose. If the dealer goes over, they lose.”

“That doesn’t sound too complicated.”

“Actually, it is. You’ll see if you watch the other players. Now, two things.” He placed a soft kiss on my lips. “First, I’m so glad you’re here.” He kissed me again, this time a little longer, before pulling away just an inch from my face. “Second, just watch me. Don’t ask me anything about what I’m doing until later. I’ll explain it all.” Another quick kiss. “Ready?”

“Wait. On the plane I asked if you were a gambler and you said no.
”

Drew’s face remained serious as he responded.
“It’s not gambling if you don’t lose. And I don’t lose.”

.  .  .  .  .