Broken Pieces (13 page)

I catch his smoldering eyes fixed on mine, and I feel a thousand feelings that I have never felt before run through me. I feel drawn to him, just like a moth to a flame. In a daze, I start walking towards him. He sits up to pull the covers back for me, but when he moves so do those muscles. I catch my eyes wandering and hope he didn’t notice.

I climb into bed and we instantly snuggle up against each other, our bodies fitting perfectly like they belong together. Everything would have been perfect, except now I remember why I do not sleep in a bra. It is poking and prodding me whichever way it possibly can.

Drew notices my discomfort and slightly pulls back. “What’s the matter?”

Feeling my face flush bright red while I try to figure out how to get out of this one, I decide the truth won’t hurt. “Um … I don’t normally sleep in a bra and it’s … uh … bugging me … sorry,” I say, abashed.

“Oh, well, I want you to be comfortable. Here …,” he says, as he reaches around me.

“Wait … I … uh … I can do it. I will do it.” How much more humiliating can this be?

I reach behind me and try to undo the three little hooks, but it is much harder lying down than standing. I get one hook undone but the other two suckers will not budge. He takes my arms and pulls them back around to the front, clasping my hands in his and brings them up to his face. He kisses my fingers. The streetlight is reflecting through the windows, illuminating half of his perfectly sculpted face.

Seriously, he says, “Trust me.”

I slowly nod my head. I lean into him, laying my head down on his shoulder, as he moves his hands around to my back. He takes his time pulling my shirt up, as if show me exactly what he is doing as he is doing it. Once he makes it to the hooks, he undoes them with ease. It makes a dreadful thought pop into my mind but, as fast as it was there, I push it away. I’m not going to let my foolish thoughts ruin the moment.

He begins to move further up my shirt, and I tense. I don’t want him to stop because his hands feel so good on me, but I know we shouldn’t. It is too soon.

His hot breath gives me chills, as he whispers in my ear, “Trust me, baby. I’m just going to help you take it off.”

“Okay,” I say, breathless.

I settle back onto his chest, as he effortlessly maneuvers to pull my arms out of the straps of my bra without taking my shirt off or touching me. He pulls my bra out from beneath my shirt and nonchalantly leans over me to put it on the floor beside me. Having him that close to me makes me sense everything … the weight of the shirt on my bare breast, his defined abdomen leaning close to me, his musky cologne mixed with a hint of his own personal scent. That mix can be intoxicating, and I think I’m getting drunk on Drew right now. I need to pull myself together. We talked about this. We’re taking things slow.

The way his breath hitches as he leans over tells me I am not the only one feeling this attraction. As he goes to lie back down, he slides he masculine hand to my neck and pulls me to him. He takes my mouth like it is the first time tasting me, or as if it’s his last. I slide my tongue along his lips and he opens his mouth on contact, massaging my tongue with his. He pulls on my bottom lip and I, in turn, start to suck on his tongue. He hastily pulls away, shaking his head and mumbling, “You are going to kill me, baby.” He kisses my forehead while he puts an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against him. That’s when I feel
how
I’m going to kill him.

I have the dumbest grin on my face. The fact that I can do that to him is enough to put me on cloud nine. For the longest time, I didn’t think anyone could be attracted to me after HE ruined me. However, Drew is attracted to me and that is all that matters. He nuzzles my hair, pulling me tightly to him and I fall into a comfortable sleep.

In the morning, I got up when he did and enjoyed watching him stroll through his loft getting ready. He was in his own little world, though every now and then he would turn his head and smirk at me. He knew that I was up to no good but, since I didn’t have class that morning and my internship didn’t start until one, I was in no rush.

He had insisted on me staying in bed and getting more sleep, telling me that he would take an early lunch and take me back home so that I could get ready. I told him there was no sense in that. I could just get up when he did and he could take me home when he left. It was more like I did not feel completely comfortable alone in his apartment.

Lauren, my roommate and friend, has been telling me that she can’t believe the change she has seen in me the past couple weeks. I agree with her. I am a little different, but I think it’s better. I feel like I am finally coming out of the slump I have been stuck in for the past four years. I have someone that truly cares for me now.

Things have been pretty perfect these past two weeks, even after our rough start. Once we got it out there how we both felt and what we both wanted, everything else seemed to just fall into place. We try to see each other every night, although that does not always happen. We both understand our busy schedules and promised not to let it come between us.

I have stayed the night with him a few times. It’s normally the same every time; we have our little routines now. It’s sweet. Even though we both agree that we should take things slow, it doesn’t mean that it is easy to keep our hands to ourselves. There have been times that, if he would not have stopped us, we would have gone all the way. It feels different with him and I want it, but I’m scared that pushing the relationship further than it is ready to go will backfire.

Geez, I’m at work daydreaming again. I need to get my head in the game. So far it has been everything I’d expected, and my boss has been a huge help in getting me to understand what will be expected of me when I graduate and actually get a real job. Everyone has been extremely welcoming here, which is good considering I was so nervous that I would screw this opportunity up.

The only drawback of the whole situation is the son of the guy that owns our office building. This afternoon, as I was making my way into work, I ran into one of the people I wish I would have never seen again. I mean “ran into” literally. I was looking down at the stack of papers, making sure I had all of them in order to file, when I ran right into the shoulder of Collin.

He had to have seen me coming so I think there was a little participation on his part to make it happen. He helped me gather the papers off of the floor, like the gentleman he was … yeah, right. Of course, he insisted on making sure I made it to my office without any other mishaps. All I could think of was that if he wouldn’t have stepped to his left that “mishap” would have never happened.

Thank goodness he left after walking me to my office, but he insured that I would be seeing him around. All I could think was great, and I really do not want to tell Drew that the jackass that he saved me from that night practically owns the building that I am interning at. I decided that nothing really happened so, to keep things okay, I would keep it to myself. Maybe, he’s only an asshole when he is drunk.

Just as I make my way to my car to head back to my dorm, my phone dings. There is only one person that it could be from. Before I even pull out my phone, I am smiling ear-to-ear. Just the thought of him does that to me. He makes me believe that maybe someone that has had nothing but bad in their life will get some good. I am done dwelling on the past; I am now looking towards the future. Whatever that might hold for me, I am up for it. I grab my phone and look at his text:

You, me, Chinese, a movie. Get your butt here! ;)

That is what I like about him. He cuts right to the point, which is probably why I feel like I can trust him. Whatever the reason, I find myself at his loft forty-five minutes later. First, I went by my dorm to grab some extra clothes, just in case I end up staying. I never count on staying the night, but I never count it out, either. Maybe I look a little too hopeful by bringing clothes, but I decide not to think too much about it.

I make my way inside the gym to find a few guys still working out, and two in the ring throwing a few punches back and forth. I wince as the smaller guy takes one to the gut. I do not understand how or why they would put themselves out there for destruction. I normally take the side door up to his loft if I think there are still guys here because one, I do not want to disturb them, and two, I don’t want to have to walk through a gym with only guys because you feel like you are a show.

As soon as I thought they could eat me alive with their hungry eyes, Kenny appears from the other side of the ring and gives all the guys a stern look. He is the guy that took Drew in when he was just a kid and helped him straighten out his life. He has been a godsend for Drew, and I will always be thankful to him for helping him through the rough times in his life.

Kenny could easily put the fright in you with his 6’2”, 240-pound frame. He is not one to be messed with. His dark black buzz haircut has specks of gray poking through, which gives it that salt-and-pepper look. It works for him, though. However, don’t let his age fool you. I have seen him scrap with a few guys within the couple weeks that I’ve been around, and I would not want to piss him off. I am glad that he and I hit it off from the start, and I can see why Drew looks up to him so much.

“Hey, Kara! How’re you today?” he says politely, as he gives me a half-hug.

“Oh, I’m better now that I’m off work. How are things going here? I’m sorry. If I knew there were still guys here, I would have gone in the side door.”

He dismisses that with a wave of his hand. “Oh, don’t worry about these guys. They need to work on concentrating when there is a pretty lady around, or else they’re going to get their asses whipped. Things are going great. That’s why I am here so late. I have more appointments than time.” he says with a hearty laugh.

“Well, that is good for business, but not for a personal life.” I have been hinting to Drew that we need to find Kenny a lady friend.

He shakes his head, laughing. “I better get back to work, and I bet Drew is waiting on you.”

As if on cue, Drew is already making his way down the stairs and striding towards us. How such a masculine man can walk so gracefully is beyond me. “Kenny, are you keeping my girl held up down here?” he asks, jokingly.

Kenny throws his hands up in defense, laughing, “Don’t worry, dude. I know she is all yours.” With that, he goes back to his training.

Drew grabs my hand and leads me upstairs. As soon as we make it inside and the door closes, he pushes me against it and kisses me ferociously. His hands roam freely over my body, on my neck, down to my hip and squeezing, before making his way to the small of my back, molding me to him. I drop my belongings to the floor so that I can run my hands down his sculpted back. We fit perfectly into each other and, one of these times, we are not going to be able to stop despite our wishes of taking things slowly.

Drew always has more willpower than I do. He stops kissing me to wrap his arms around me and mummers in my ear, “I missed you.”

I giggle, “I think I can tell.”

He gives me a wide smile. “I think you missed me, as well, Miss Brooks.”

I shiver at his tone, then playfully shove his chest, laughing. “Hmm … I don’t know, maybe.” I give him a sly smile.

“Ha ha. You hungry? I got Chinese,” he says, as he turns to gesture me further into the apartment.

“Yes, I’m starving,” I say, smiling.

We make our way into the kitchen where we get plates, forks, and drinks. It’s as if we have done this for years. We take our seats at the island and start dishing out the food, but not without a few playful nudges.

Life could not feel more normal at this very second. I stop eating to relish what I have sitting beside me. He is more than I could have ever wished for. I am beyond happy that I never gave up on my dream to get out of that shit hole of a town because if I let all the bad define me, I would not be where I am today. I wouldn’t be staring at the most amazing man God could have created for me, either.

He cocks his head and raises an eyebrow. I know he is trying to read my mind. This makes me smile and wink, as I turn to finish my food. Figure that one out, Mr. Evans. With a smirk on his face, he turns to demolish his dinner.

When are done, we practically fall on the couch, laughing because we ate too much. He puts in a new movie he has been dying to see. It’s an action one, but I don’t mind as long as I get to sit here and ogle him the entire time, which is exactly what I do the whole movie. He kept giving me shy looks throughout the movie, letting me know that he knew exactly what I was doing.

When the movie is over, I stand up and stretch. “Well, I better get back; it’s getting late.”

He grabs my hips and slowly pulls me to him. My eyes fix on his, as he whispers, “Stay.” There is so much meaning behind just one word.

I feel like putty in his arms. All I can manage is a measly, “Okay.”

I get one of his megawatt smiles, which gives me the best feeling inside. “Do you want to go get your clothes?” he asks.