Falling Into Drew (8 page)

CHAPTER 12

Kate stood in her apartment’s small kitchen chopping mushrooms to the beat of Lady Gaga and asked herself for the hundredth time what had possessed her to invite Drew’s best friend to her apartment for dinner. She must have been out of her mind, but now she had to deal with it. Good thing Liz agreed to join them so Charles wouldn’t get the wrong idea and make a move on her. As handsome as he was, he wasn’t Drew.

Dinner would be pasta primavera. If Charles was vegetarian the dish was only linguine and vegetables so it would work. Eating a meal had become much more complicated since everyone seemed to be on some sort of restricted diet. She hoped Charles wasn’t avoiding carbs, gluten or dairy. Salad, wine and gelato for dessert completed her menu.

The doorman buzzed to let her know that Liz was in the lobby. “Send her up.” She unlocked the apartment’s door and went back to chopping.

“I brought biscotti since you’re cooking Italian tonight,” Liz said, putting a small package on the counter. She kissed Kate’s cheek and asked what she could do to help.

“I just have to finish slicing the zucchini. The rest of the vegetables are ready to sauté with lots of garlic and I can do that while I wait for the water to boil for the pasta.”

Liz roamed the one-bedroom space. “Everything looks perfect, even your table.” She picked up a plate. “Three dishes that match, plus silverware and glasses. I’m impressed. Did you hit IKEA on the way home?”

“Actually, that was my first stop when I rented this place. It’s ridiculous to wait until you have a bridal registry to own a set of dishes. What if you never get married? Would that mean that you never get to have nice things in your home? I don’t think so. And anyway, didn’t you go with me?” Kate asked as she popped a mushroom in her mouth.

“I did, but you bought so much stuff that day, who can remember it all?” Liz tucked her hair behind one ear and boosted herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. “Tell me about this friend of Drew’s. What do I need to know about him other than the fact that he represents a man whore?”

“Come on, Liz. I slept with Drew once. He’s a free agent and so am I.”

“So you say. I’ll drop it for now, but I don’t promise to keep quiet later.” She poured a glass of wine and took a sip. “You still haven’t filled me in about Charles Morrison. What’s he like?”

“He seems like a really good guy. He’s a little shorter than Drew, maybe six feet, and incredibly handsome. Black longish hair, hazel eyes and both times I met him he wore suits that showed off his body. His clothes look like they’re custom made, not surprising since Charles comes from a very wealthy New York family. He’s got that confidence thing too, not cocky, but the man is not insecure. My guess is he’s also smart and, since he hangs with Drew, he probably has his share of women.”

“Wow, I want to meet this one. Are you sure you don’t want him?” Liz dug a lipstick out of the pocket of her skintight distressed jeans and ran it around her mouth.

Kate considered her friend’s question. “I thought I was interested, but when Drew showed up…well, you know the rest. I’m going to stick with safe and boring from now on, but it would be great if you and Charles have a connection.”

Liz put her arm around her friend. “I’m sorry Drew turned out to be a rat bastard. It sucks big time, especially since you don’t do casual hook ups.”

“I almost wish that Charles had taken the damn book to a different publisher. Then I could have kept Drew as the fantasy guy who bumped into me at St. Patrick’s and then rode away on his Harley never to be seen again.”

Liz pushed Kate toward the bedroom. “I’ll take over the food prep. Go freshen up and put on that sexy black top that shows off your magnificent boobs so Charles will tell his friend that he’s an idiot.”

Kate grinned. “You always have the best ideas. Since you’re wearing stilettos, I’ll put mine on too.”

“Atta girl!”

The doorbell rang while Kate was changing so Liz went to answer it, but first asked who was there since the doorman hadn’t sent this person up.

“Charles Morrison,” said a deep, masculine voice. When Liz opened the door Charles took one look at her and froze in place, unable to move. They stared at each other until she realized she hadn’t invited him in. When she did that, two men walked into the apartment. She immediately recognized Drew O’Connor and glared at him until her Southern manners took over.

She turned to Charles and extended her hand. “I’m Elizabeth Bradford, Kate’s friend. She’ll be out in a minute. Let me take your coats.” Once they were disposed of she asked if she could get them something to drink.

Throughout Liz’s brief speech, Charles said nothing until Drew nudged him. “I’m Charles, but you already know that and this party crasher is Drew.”

“Kate will be surprised to see you and I’m not sure in a good way, but there’s always room and food enough for one more.” She tilted her head and kept her big blue eyes on the handsome agent. “Charles is so formal,” she drawled. “Doesn’t anyone call you Chuck or Chas or even Charlie?”

“I was Charlie to my friends as a kid, but my parents always call me Charles. Once my voice changed, I became Charles to everyone, but you can call me whatever you want, sugar.”

“Sugar is something you put in tea. Kate calls me Liz, but to you I’m…well, this week I’m Elizabeth.”

“So noted. I didn’t mean anything…”

Liz rested her hand on his arm. “It’s fine. Really. Can’t you tell when a woman is teasing you?” She winked at him and was rewarded when Charles reacted with the kind of grin that almost seemed dirty.

Drew cleared his throat, unaccustomed to being treated as invisible by a beautiful woman. “You look familiar. Are you an actress?”

“I am, not a famous one although I think I’m pretty damn good. I’m on a soap, but even Julianne Moore started out on one and look at her now, an Oscar winner.” She wondered if Kate would ever join them and decided not to give her a choice. “Let me see what’s keeping Kate. I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving.”

As soon as she opened the door to the bedroom, Kate tugged her inside. “I am
not
going out there! What the hell is
he
doing here,” she hissed.

“It’s obvious that he wanted to see you and thought you might slam the door in his face so he came as his friend’s plus one. I’ve got to say,” she began and fanned her face with her hand, “I have never been in the presence of two men who look like gods and I’m an actress, surrounded by gorgeous actors all day.”

Kate sat down at the edge of her bed. “I don’t know what to do. He hurt me, Liz. How am I supposed to act?”

“You play the role of someone who doesn’t give a damn. Don’t be mean or ignore him.  Be gracious and act as if Charles has brought some long lost relative with him who he couldn’t leave home alone.” 

“Okay, I can do that,” Kate murmured, nodding. “How hard can it be?”

Liz fluffed Kate’s hair, tugged the low cut top a little further down and nodded her approval. “You’re smart, beautiful, and look like sex on wheels tonight. Now let’s get out there and charm these bozos.” She grabbed Kate’s hand and pulled her to the door. “Showtime,” she whispered.

Both men stood when the women joined them. Drew sucked in a breath and his eyes widened at the sight of Kate’s breasts when she bent to air kiss Charles after he sat again. He had no right to be, but he felt possessive about this woman’s body. It was his and he glared at Charles when he spotted where his best friend’s eyes were aimed.

Liz watched everyone’s body language with interest and almost applauded when Kate politely asked Charles if he’d already met Liz. She didn’t wait for an answer before coolly adding, “I see we both brought a friend. I’ll set another place at the table.” And then she walked away.

Once in the kitchen, she turned up the heat under the simmering pot of water for the pasta, checked on the half-cooked vegetables and took the salad out of the refrigerator. Then she put her palms on the counter and leaned toward it, telling herself she just had to get through the evening. She heard a sound behind her, but before she could turn around, large hands rested on her shoulders.

“Kate,” Drew whispered near her ear. “It isn’t enough to say I’m sorry, but I am. I should have called to explain. I wanted to, but…I don’t know. I’ve told you that the way I feel around you confuses the hell out of me. The only thing I’m sure of is that I need to be with you and I hope I haven’t totally fucked this up.”

She whirled around to face him. “Do you think I’m stupid, that all you have to do is say you’re sorry and everything you did will be erased? Damn you, Drew. You jumped into another woman’s bed less than twenty-four hours after fucking me!”

“I didn’t…”

“I saw the pictures! People at work saw the pictures! They showed them to me and said it was great publicity for the book!” She turned away and whispered, “I won’t repeat what else they said.”

He pressed his body against her back and circled her waist to pull her closer, needing the contact, but her body stiffened and she pulled away. If she tried to speak, the tears she’d been fighting would start.

“Kate, I knew that woman years ago. She saw me in a bar with Charles and came on to me, but I told her I wasn’t interested. I left, went back to the house, drank cocoa and went to sleep — alone — so that I could get up early to ski the next day. Ask Charles. Problem is, she arranged for someone to sneak a picture of us and post it. I can’t control things like that. That’s why I took you to that dive bar. I didn’t want to involve you in the crazy, public part of my life. I want to keep what we have for myself.”

He tried to hold her again and this time she let him. Her body’s reaction told her that this thing between them wasn’t over. His lips nuzzled her neck. “Give us a chance. Forgive me…please,” he said softly.

She didn’t know why she believed him, but she did, at least about this. She turned in his arms and sighed his name before their mouths eagerly met in a greedy kiss. When she pulled away, her gaze wandered over his face, searching his blue eyes as if the answer were there. “You hurt me. After the night we had, I thought…well, it doesn’t matter what I thought, but I never imagined a week of silence while you were in Europe. And then when I saw you with her… it hit me that sex is a much more casual thing for you than it is for me. I was just one more woman you’d fucked. Nothing more.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she put her fingers over his lips. “Wait, I’m not finished. I’m not a clinging, needy person. It’s not as if we’re in a relationship or you owe me anything, but that night I told you that I don’t do one night stands, that I’m not a slut, and I don’t like being treated like one.”

“Hey are we ever going to eat?” Liz shouted. She turned toward Charles, “We’ve given them enough time to either kill each other or make up. Why don’t we finish cooking dinner and let them sit out here for a while?” She didn’t wait for an answer, but took his hand. They exchanged a look of surprise when their skin touched and although she’d made the first move, he tightened his hold and led the way to the kitchen.

“Take it outside, you two,” Charles said. “Elizabeth and I will do the rest and bring the food out when it’s ready.”

“Are you ganging up on us?” Kate asked.

“Damn right,” Liz said as she shoved her friend toward the living room while Charles did the same with Drew. They slid the kitchen’s pocket door closed and exchanged satisfied grins. “We make a pretty good team,” she said.

“Happy to be your co-star anytime, shh….” Charles stopped himself before he called her sugar again.

He flinched when she reached her hand toward his face, expecting a slap, but instead she gently stroked his cheek. “You have my permission to call me sugar anytime, darlin’,” she said in her best Southern accent and laughed. “Now let’s get to work. You can cook, can’t you?”

Kate sat at the dining room table crossing and uncrossing her legs while Drew strode from one end of the apartment to the other until he finally whirled around to face her. “Am I allowed to speak now?”

“Of course.”

“I hurt you. I get that and although I’m sorry doesn’t cut it, I am — very. And I already told you that slut is the last word I’d associate with you, so get that out of your head now.” He stared angrily at her, his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.

Then he took a calming breath, squatted in front of her and wrapped her hands in his. Blue eyes framed by thick lashes looked directly at her and his voice quieted, its earlier frustration gone. “Kate…Kate. This is new for me so if we continue to see each other and I hope we will, I’m going to fuck up and do things like not calling you for a week. When that happens, you need to tell me so we can talk about it before it turns into something bigger.”

After she nodded her understanding, he stood and placed his hands on the arms of her chair, caging her. His face was close enough for her to notice the flecks of green in his eyes. The expression in them had softened, his skin was tanned from the high altitude week outdoors, and she couldn’t look away from his impossibly handsome face.

“I may have overreacted so if you want to yell at me, I’ll understand,” she said softly.

He tipped her face up with one finger. “”I don’t yell. I heard enough of that as a kid,” he said.