Fated to be Yours (10 page)

“I guess so.”

He gives my knee one last squeeze before removing his hand, causing that area to grow cold from the lack of contact. My body sags slightly in my chair, fighting with itself at the need to touch him and the need to keep a modicum of professionalism between us. If we’re going to be working together, I shouldn’t get into some sort of romantic relationship with him. That just screams bad idea.

I reach for my glass of water to take a quick sip. Then Kara decides to open her mouth again, looking straight at Andrew.

“So Tessa’s single, by the way.”

I choke on the water in my mouth, causing me to spray it on the tablecloth in front of me. My face turns red as Andrew pats my back. Kara flashes her trouble-maker smile before returning to her conversation. Charles and Priscilla are looking at me, concern etched on their faces.

“Are you all right, dear?” Priscilla asks, passing me an unused cloth napkin.

I hastily take the napkin, covering my mouth while coughing into it. My eyes start to water and burn from embarrassment and mortification, not to mention the fact I almost drowned from my drink. My eyes fly up to Kara, who just shrugs her shoulders. I kick her shin under the table and she reaches down to rub the abused spot.

“I’m fine, thank you,” I choke out.

Andrew is still rubbing my back as I clear my throat one last time.

“I apologize. I guess it went down the wrong pipe.”

Smiles flank each side of me as I look at each person around the table. Charles takes this opportunity to check his watch now that I’ve completely destroyed the mood of the table.

“Well ladies and gentleman, I hate to leave but if I don’t get home soon, the wife will start to worry.”

The chairs scrape across the floor as we all stand in unison.

“Yes, it is getting a tad late. Tessa and I should get back as well.”

The five of us walk to the entrance, falling back into small talk about the tentative plans for the week. Andrew walks beside me, his arm brushing against mine as he holds the door open for me.

“It was a pleasure to meet you both. How about a tour of one of the facilities tomorrow?” Priscilla says.

“A tour would be great. I’d love to be able to see what your Foundation does first hand. It will give us a better idea of what we’re working towards,” Kara says, shaking both their hands.

“Wonderful. I’ll be in touch with the address. Shall we say around eleven o’clock tomorrow morning?” Charles asks.

“Eleven sounds perfect.”

A car pulls up to the curb and a man stands to open the door for Charles and Priscilla.

“Until then. Goodnight, Kara. Tessa.”

We watch as the two of them disappear into the back seat, leaving just the three of us standing on the sidewalk. My fingers pull at the lace of my camisole as Kara and Andrew flank each side of me.

Our town car pulls up and the driver opens the door for us.

“Andrew, it was a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance. I know Tessa is looking forward to spending more time with you.” She laughs at her own joke before quickly adding, “And I am too, of course.”

“Yes, I’m excited to be able to spend more time with the both of you as well.”

With a nod of her head, she slips into the back seat, leaving me alone with Andrew. His hands are shoved into his pants pocket as I focus on a pebble next to my shoe.

“Tessa.”

The way my name rolls off his tongue has the muscles in my stomach clenching with delight. I close my eyes and take a slow steadying breath. A slight breeze sends his cologne wafting through the air, invading my senses and drawing me closer to him. My eyes travel slowly up his body, relishing each inch they pass over until our eyes lock onto each other. The smile that appears on his face has my heart beating faster again and I know at that moment that I’m a goner.

I think I like him.

There, I’ve admitted it. I think I like him. I find him fascinating. His handsome features have danced through my brain the past twenty-four hours and I can’t help but want to get to know him better. I’ve never wanted to get to know another guy before. Not after the last time. But Andrew is different. He makes me want to be different, to break out of my shell and be normal. I don’t know why though and it confuses me. How can someone that I’ve known less than a day make me want to be stronger?

“I look forward to spending the day with you tomorrow.” He reaches down to gently clasp my hand in his. The thrumming in my veins causes my fingers to tingle with the contact of our skin. He steps closer to me, never once breaking eye contact. “I think the fates are conspiring to bring us together.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat because at this point I have to agree with him. I mean, he shows up in New York, we’re seated next to each other on the plane over here and now I get to spend the week with him. Things like this don’t happen to me.

Fate you better not screw me over on this one. I think I deserve a break for once.

“Me too.”

He smiles, giving me a genuine megawatt grin. “Until tomorrow. Goodnight, sweet Tessa.”

He leans forward and places a kiss on my cheek. Blood rushes to that spot, heating it instantly and fueling my desire for him. A slight moan escapes my lips as he pulls back. I can still feel him there even though we’re not touching. I feel off-balance and place my hand on his chest, feeling it rise and fall as I steady myself.

Then I decide to do something completely out of character for myself. I swallow hard, gearing up for what I’m about to do. My eyes fall on his full lips. Lips I want to taste for myself and to have them touch my skin again, in any way, shape or form.

Now’s my chance.

I lean forward, closing the distance between us and press my lips to his. It’s impulsive. It’s not something I would do, but there is no denying I want to do it, I need to do it.

I’m kissing a stranger. And I like it.

His lips are soft and sweet, the residual wine still faintly present on them. Slowly my lips move against his, careful not to push it further than I’m prepared for at the moment. Instinct takes over and I move closer to him, seeking his warmth and comfort, knowing it’s him my body craves. The blood rushes through my ears as the world drifts off into nothingness around us. It’s hands down the most perfect goodbye kiss I’ve ever experienced in my life.

Reluctantly I pull back, missing the contact instantly. He reaches up and cups my cheek, pressing his forehead against mine. Our noses touch. His breath is warm against my lips. I feel something pass between us, something pulling me further into him, telling me that I need to be with him. I know he feels it too because his free hand rests on my lower back, pulling me closer to him. I grab the lapels of his coat as I close my eyes and regain my composure.

“You feel it, don’t you,” he says, breaking the silence. It isn’t a question, so much, as it is a statement of fact.

The world restarts around us, the noise coming back into my senses, reminding me we’re standing on the street in a very public display of affection. Embarrassment sets in as I risk the glance into his eyes, knowing full well that I’m helpless to resist him.

I nod my head and pull away slowly, needing to put some space between us so I can regain my thoughts.

“Goodnight, Andrew.”

His fingers drag slowly across my lower back as I turn toward my car. Risking a glance over my shoulder, I can’t help the smile that appears when I see him place his hands in his pockets. A satisfied smile beams back at me as I disappear into the back of the car, sliding next to Kara. The door shuts and we pull away into the late evening traffic, leaving the beautiful man who has captivated me standing there alone.

Not more than two seconds pass before Kara grabs my shoulders and shakes me. “Oh my God, Tessa! He is so fucking hot. Tell me his lips are as kissable as they appear.”

She’s bouncing up and down on the seat next to me. My eyes roll at her childish behavior.

“I’m not telling you that. That’s a personal matter.”

She pouts, sticking her bottom lip out in an over exaggerated gesture.

“Oh come on. Throw me a bone here. I am so jealous of you right now.”

Again, my eyes roll up to the ceiling. “Whatever. You have a guy. There are zero reasons for you to be jealous.”

“Yeah but he’s back in the States and Andrew is here with you. And you, you lucky bitch, get to spend the entire week with him. Score!”

“Please don’t make a big deal out of this. And I’m still pissed at you for that stunt you pulled at the table.”

She feigns ignorance, but she knows she can’t fool me. “Let’s face it. You needed a push. And it got his hands on you so you can thank me anytime you’re ready.”

“Don’t hold your breath. That was mortifying to say the least. And completely out of nowhere, mind you.”

“Oh well. What’s done is done. Now you just need to focus on having fun with the hot COO.”

Truth be told, I haven’t been able to
not
focus on him since I first saw him. But I’m not about to add fuel to the fire. She has enough ammunition that I don’t need to give her more.

“How about we focus on the reason we’re actually here in this beautiful city and not on my sad and pathetic love life, or lack of.”

We pull up to the entrance of our hotel and the driver lets us out. Kara links her arm through mine as we make our way to the elevator.

“Well, that could very well change. He’s completely smitten with you. I can see it in his eyes when he’s looking at you.”

“He doesn’t look at me like that.”

She turns to face me in the confines of the elevator, thankful that we’re alone. “He does. You didn’t see it, but he was looking at you every chance he could all throughout dinner. I swear I saw something in his eyes as I watched you two.”

I shake her off as we exit into the hallway. “You’re delusional. He couldn’t possibly want me like that. I mean I’m an assistant and he’s one of the heads of a company. What could I possibly bring into a relationship with him?”

We stop in front of our doors and she lets out an exasperated sigh. “You are more than what you give yourself credit for Tess. Believe me. You’re not some unwanted waif drifting through life. You have a lot to offer and anyone who sees it should consider himself lucky to have you.”

I shrug my shoulders, unsure of how to respond to her kind words. But she doesn’t see me like I do. Even though she’s my boss, Kara’s still my best friend and the one who’s always looking out for me. She knows more about my past than most people, but she wasn’t there to live it.

She wraps her arms around my shoulders, pulling me in close for a hug. “I love you, Chickie. You know that right?” She pulls back again and slides her key card into the slot. “Get some sleep. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Okay. Night, Kara.”

“Oh, and Tess?”

I glance over at her, my key card suspended in the air above the slot. I raise an eyebrow to her, waiting for her to speak.

“I liked seeing you like that tonight when you let go and followed your heart. Promise me you’ll keep doing that while we’re here.”

My teeth clamp down on my lower lip as my eyes divert to the floor. “I’ll try,” I whisper.

“That’s all I ask. Goodnight, Tess.”

“Goodnight, Kara.”

I walk into the darkened space of my temporary home, realizing I’m alone once again. My phone beeps in my purse and I pull it out to see who it could be. I laugh as Kara’s name flashes across the screen.

Breakfast is at nine. Be ready.

Securing the lock on my door, I type my one-word reply and flop unceremoniously onto my bed. I stare blankly at the ceiling, recounting the events of tonight. And all my scattered mind can focus on is that goodbye kiss. I can’t believe I kissed him. My hand reaches up and touches the spot where his lips last were. I smile against my fingertips as his eyes and smile come into focus behind my closed lids.

My phone beeps again next to me. With a heavy sigh, I look at the screen and am surprised to find an unknown number there instead of Kara’s name. My brows furrow as I open the message from the mystery caller.

Every time I close my eyes I see your face. I can’t stop thinking about you or that kiss you left me with. ~A~

Holy shit. How did he get my number? My brain rushes into overdrive as I think of ways that he could have found it before realizing, duh, he’s the COO of the Foundation. He has all of my contact information at his disposal.

My fingers hover over the screen of my phone, unsure if I want to type a response or if I should just let it go. Deciding to stay on my impulsive streak I type my reply.

Me too. I know that I will be having pleasant dreams tonight because of it. Goodnight, Andrew. ~T~

Surprise hits me as I smile at the screen. He’s reaching out to me. He says he’s thinking about me.

Holy shit he’s thinking about me.

This is too much for me to process. How did I go from being alone to having someone admit that they’re thinking about me? This is something that I’m not used to. Affection. Want. Lust.

Okay, so the last part is completely on my end but still. It’s foreign but most definitely welcome at this point. I stifle a yawn while getting ready to call it a night. It’s been a busy, tiresome day for sure.

I click off the light next to me and pull back the covers before crawling into the insanely soft bed. The dim light of my phone on the nightstand draws my attention, casting a soft glow on the side of my face along with a little glimmer of hope and anticipation. The incoming beep has my hands itching to see if it’s Andrew.

As will I. Until I can see your beautiful face tomorrow, the dreams will have to do. Goodnight, sweet Tessa. ~A~

My heart skips a beat as I read and reread the words on the screen. Maybe Kara’s right. Maybe he does like me. I quickly save his contact information and set the alarm before placing it back down on the nightstand. With my brain trying to process the events of the last day, the need for distraction is there and I seek out my Kindle to get lost in my fantasy world of perfect men and relationships. But my heart isn’t in it. All I can think about is a bright pair of sapphire eyes, soft, kissable lips, and the gorgeous man that’s attached to them.