Stay With Me Tonight: A Drake Brothers Series (PART 1) (2 page)

Chapter Two

              Rachel and I finished our dinner at Bishop's at 8:30 and then we shared a cab up town to Incognito.  Incognito was a trendy up scale bar with a light appetizer-only menu.  The dark wood bar ran the entire length of the right side of the building.  There was a stage opposite the bar that had a live cover band most nights.  It was good food, great drinks, and had a band that played songs that every one knew.  Lately, I had steered clear of this place in fear I was going to run into... I can't even remember his name.  It was this guy I randomly hooked up with months ago that sounded like a hyena when he was coming.  The sounds he made were horrendous... mortifying really.  Once he was done coming, all I could think about was planning an escape route out of there as fast as possible without the awkward '
can I have your number
' because the answer to that would've definitely been no.  I couldn't face that guy again.  That night, I had one too many cocktails and we ended up back at his place.  I should've ran when I noticed his bookshelf had an entire section devoted to self help books.

              Rachel and I scoped out the place and ended up taking two stools near the far left of the bar.  The band was on the stage and playing cover songs.  We had a few drinks and sang along to Tom Petty and Jimmy Buffet.  The night was young and so were we.  It felt great to cut loose and not worry so much about my life plans and the lack of income I had.  We had a great time people watching.  It was one of our favorite past times.  The girl next to Rachel was making out with some guy and they only came up for air to take another sip from their glasses.  Rachel gave me the '
check out these two'
eyes.  I chuckled and rolled my eyes knowing that I had been that girl a few months ago and it didn't end well.  I wondered how this girl's night was going to end.  Rachel was turned to her right in her chair facing me and I was turned to my left facing her.

              Rachel and I were lip syncing the words to Brown Eyed Girl that the band was playing when I felt heat hot against my back.  I stiffened.  '
Ok creep, get off of me
!' I thought as a I turned to tell this asshole to beat it, but when I made eye contact with this gorgeous man, I couldn't even remember my own name.  I just stared.  I am sure my mouth fell open and I may have actually drooled.  He was the hottest guy I had ever seen.  He was tall.  He had to be at least 6'3”.  I was 5'8” and he towered way over me.  His face had a slight stubble, his skin was kissed by the sun, and his dusty brown hair was wavy and tousled.   He wore a navy blue suit and the tie around his neck was loosened just a bit.

              “Fosters,” he nodded to the bartender. A minute or so later, the bartender returned with his drink.

              “Excuse me,” he said looking at me as he handed the bartender a $20 and grabbed his beer that had been poured straight from the tap.

              He waited for his change.  Still, I stared.  At this point he probably thought I was a mute.  I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. 
Hello brain are you there? SPEAK!
  He took a long sip from the pilsner glass.  As he lowered the glass from his lips, he looked at me from the corner of his eye and he winked at me. 
HE WINKED AT ME!
  This guy was way too good looking for me. 
Wait, was he winking at me or did I just imagine that? 
He nodded curtly at me and walked back to a small table near the stage.  I craned my neck to see who he was sitting with or was he alone?  I couldn’t quite see from where I sat.

              “HOLY SHIT KATIE!  Did you see that guy?” Rachel interrupted my thoughts.

              “What?  Oh, ummm....” I played it off like he didn’t affect me.

              “Are you kidding?  You didn’t see that guy?  He sure eyed you up and down!  You should go talk to him!”

              “Yeah right, that guy is totally out of my league.  Way too good looking for me,” I rolled my eyes at her.

              “Kate, don't do that.  Do not cut yourself short.  You're hot and you know it.  Stop trying to be so modest.”

              “You know what?  You are right, I am hot, but I am still not talking to him.”  I laughed and winked at her.

              “Ok whatever!  Let’s go dance!”  She grabbed my hand and tore me from the bar.

              At this point those four glasses of wine were starting to effect me.  The band was on break and all of the music playing was coming from the jukebox.  I felt on top of the world as we danced together and belted out lyrics to some Top 40 song.

              I was shaking my hips and gyrating my arms in a smooth motion above my head when I felt it.  I could feel him staring before I even saw him.  The hair on my arms and neck stood on end.  I glanced around casually trying to not make it seem like I was looking for anything in particular.  It was at that moment that I saw
him
.  It was the hot guy in the suit from earlier at the bar.  His piercing dark eyes shot right into me.  He was sitting back in his chair, his legs were spread just a bit.  A finger on his right hand circled the rim of his glass slowly over and over again .  His other arm lay draped across the back of his chair.  The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up half way revealing toned muscular forearms  The look on his face was ravenous like he was eyeing his prey.  I flushed and looked away quickly.

              I continued to shimmy my butt to the song as it was coming to an end.  A few moments later I looked again.  He was still staring.  I swallowed and then looked around again slowly.  Surely he could not be looking at me.  Once more I looked back to where he sat, but he was gone.  I stopped dancing. 
Where did he go
?  I stood on my toes to peer over the sea of people dancing.  I still didn't see him.

              “I need a breather.  I’m gonna grab a water at the bar,” I shouted over the music at Rachel.  She nodded, but kept dancing.

              I made my way back to the bar glancing around as I walked, trying not to be too obvious that I was looking for
him
.

              “A glass of water please,” I asked the bartender.  I turned by back to the bar to make one more quick sweep of the place to see if I saw him.  When the bartender placed my water down in front of me, I turned around to thank him.

              “Looking for someone?”  My heart raced.  I panicked.  I didn’t turn around.  I knew it was him behind me. 
What do I say?  Yes?... You.
  We were complete strangers that shared glances at the bar for mere seconds.  This was a bit awkward.

              He placed his hand gently… barely touching me on the small of my back.  Electricity shot through my veins at his touch. 
Did he feel that too?
  He leaned in slowly, his lips were centimeters from my ear.  He was so close I could feel the warmth from his breath and his smell was intoxicating.  I closed my eyes.  My head fell back just a bit.  I fantasized about him while I was standing right there in the bar.  He was running one hand up my inner thigh nearing where I so desperately wanted him to touch me.  His other hand slid slowly up under my top, his fingers caressing my skin.  He slowly pulled down my bra on one side.  My nipple peaked into a tight bud as he rolled it roughly between his fingers.  He kissed my neck and whispered how hard I had made his cock and how badly he wanted to fuck me.  Just as his fingers dipped between my legs....

              “Mmmmmm,” I moaned.

              “I'm glad to see I have that affect on you.  Perhaps, next time you moan it will be while my cock is buried deep inside of you and you're begging me to fuck you harder.”

              My eyes shot open.  Oh my God.  I moaned while I was imagining him touching me.  My face blushed immediately when I realized his hand was still on the small of my back and he hadn't actually done any of those things to me..
yet
.  I was mortified.  I tried to play it off,  but I couldn't.  I was completely embarrassed that I just did that in public and in presence of this gorgeous guy who I didn't even know by name.

              “I uhh ehh ah,” the words were not coming out.

              “I have to go,” I bolted for the door.  I felt like Cinderella running out of there except I didn't leave a glass slipper behind... instead it was my clutch that was planted on the grimy bar stool.  I was standing on the curb about to hail a cab when I realized I didn't have it.  I turned just then and there he was, my bag in his hand.

              “You left this inside.”

              “Thank you,” I smiled as I took the clutch from his grasp.

              “You didn't have to leave. I was enjoying watching you dance and listening to you moan,” he looked at me out of the corner of his eye as he gave me a little wink that told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

              Liquid heat oozed between my legs.  My legs shook a bit and I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down.

              “Listen, you're very handsome and charming, but I am not the girl you're looking for.”

              “Is that so?  And why do you think you're not the girl I'm looking for?”

              “Because I’m not going to sleep with you.  I don't even know your name.  Sorry to shatter your dreams honey, but I am going home alone tonight.  I’m not
that
girl.”

              Okay there, I said it.  I got the words out, finally.  They weren't really what I wanted to say.  In fact, I wanted to tell him to take me home and fuck me anyway he wanted to all night long, but I couldn't do it.  I wanted more than just one night with some random guy I'd never see again.

              He stood in front of me and his glance was searing as he took a quick look over my entire body.

“Well that’s funny because I am pretty sure you are exactly the girl I am looking for.  Witty, smart, funny, beautiful, intriguing... sound familiar?”

              He took a step closer to me and I stepped back.  He stepped again and I stepped back again.  Once more and he had my back against the cool brick wall.  He put one hand on the wall on the right side of my head and he looked down at the concrete.  As he slowly looked up, his stunning green eyes pierced right into mine.  He grabbed my hand and I gasped at the sudden movement. 
Was he going to kiss me?

He placed my hand in the center of his chest and his rested delicately on top of mine.  He took a deep breath and smiled a little then he said, “My name is Bellamy and just so you know, I don't think you're
that
girl.”

              Bellamy?
  Even his name was its own special flavor of sexual.  Why couldn’t he have a name like Ralph… something a little less sexy sounding?  It would’ve made it a lot easier for me to do what I was about to do…

Chapter Three

              “I’m sorry, I really have to go now,” I quickly yanked my hand from his grasp and walked away.  He didn’t try to stop me even though I kind of hoped he was going to.  I walked a few blocks and then hailed a cab.  I told the cabbie my address and then picked up my phone to call Rachel to let her know I had left.

              “Hello?”

              “Rach, it’s me.  I just left Incognito.  You haven’t been looking for me have you?”

              “No… I haven’t.  Should I have been?  Wait, where are you?” she asked suspiciously with a smile in her voice.

              “Well you know that guy from the bar earlier…”

              She interrupted me, “Oh my god Kate!  Are you with him right now?”

              “NO!” I shouted.

              “I'm not with him.  We did speak though.  It was interesting.  He. Was. Interesting.”

              “Interesting good or interesting bad?”

              “Well I am not exactly sure really.  He was charming and a bit crude.”
              “Crude?  What did he say?”

              “I can’t really talk about it right now,” I eyed the cab driver thinking about how weird it would be for me to tell Rachel the dirty things he said to me.

“I’m in a cab right now,” I told her with a tone that meant 'let’s just drop it for right now'.

“Can we meet tomorrow for coffee and I’ll tell you everything then?  When are you going back to Wilmington?”

              “Sure, tomorrow is great.  We’ll be around for another few days.  We need to set up utilities and such for the new place before we head back.”

              “Okay, so can you meet me then tomorrow around 10:00 at the little diner on Third Street?”

              “Perfect!  Damien has to go into Human Resources at his new job to sign some papers anyway.”

              “Listen Rach, I'm sorry I left you there tonight.  I hope you aren’t upset.”

              “No way, I know how to find my way home, silly.  Don’t worry… I'm leaving right now anyway.  See you tomorrow!”

              I rested my head against the window of the cab as I thought about Bellamy.  I suppose it didn't matter because I was never going to see him again.  Although, I was a little mad at myself for the way I reacted to him.  I had never had a guy speak to me like that.  I wasn't sure that it was okay that I liked it and I hated that I didn't know what to say back to him.  He was so forward and it caught me completely off guard.  I could've at least offered him my phone number.  My reaction to him was completely terrible.

              The next morning I got up early and went for a run.  Bellamy had filled my dreams the night before and this morning he was in my thoughts once again as I pounded the pavement in my cheetah print Nike's.  I tried to push him out of my thoughts.  I ran six miles, two more that I usually did.  The morning air was cool and crisp and it smelled like fall.  The trees looked like they were on fire as the leaves were changing to various shades of yellow, red, and orange.  This was my favorite time of year and Halloween just so happened to be my favorite holiday.  Rachel and I used to throw some amazing Halloween parties together back when we went to Carolina.

              I met Rachel at the diner at 10:00 that morning.  She was sitting at a booth sipping her coffee when I walked in.  As soon as I sat down, the interrogation began.

              “So spill, what happened with that guy last night?”

              She cocked an eyebrow at me.

              “Well his name is Bellamy and basically that's all I know about him.”

              “That's all?  So he walked up to you told you his name was Bellamy and said nothing else?   Come on girl, spill.. he had to have said something more than just that.”

              I debated over whether I should tell her
everything
that happened.  In the end, I did.  I told her
everything
.

              “Wow Kate!  He sure is a confident little hottie isn't he?  It's too bad you won't ever see him again.  You should've soooo let him take you home, bend you over, and do all sorts of naughty things to you.  If I were in your shoes, I sure would have.  That guy was smokin'!” she wiggled her eye brows at me jokingly.

              “Stop Rach... I don't know.  He was
really
hot, but I am still not sure if I should take offense to the dirty things he said.  I think that's why I bolted.  He said he knew I wasn't a one night stand kind-of girl, but I felt like that was what he was after because of  how he came on so strong.  I can't handle another one-nighter that I'd regret later.  I want more than that.”

              “He may have said some naughty things to you, but I was getting turned on just hearing about it from you.  It was fucking hot!” she laughed.

              “And just by the way you're talking about him, I know you regret it.  You wish you would've let him take you home and bang you.  Admit it!”

              I rolled my eyes at her.  Rachel's phone rang as our food was being delivered.

             
'Hey babe!  Yes, I'm still at breakfast with Kate.  How much longer will you be?  Oh okay, that's great I will tell her.  Love you.  Bye.'
  She hung up.

              “Hey Damien said there is a job at Drake Dynamics he thinks you should apply for.”

              I hadn't told Rachel I was moving back home, but she did know I had quit my summer job and was actively looking for a permanent job.

              “What's the job?”

              “Chief Financial Officer.”

              “CFO?”

              She had to be kidding.  No way was I qualified for a job like that.  That kind of job was near the top of the chain of command at any business.  Either you worked your way up for years or you were simply there because of your good name or who you knew.  None of which I had.

              “Ehhh, I'll think about it.  I don't really think I am qualified for a job like that.”

              “Well it's worth a shot.  What have you got to lose?”

              She was right.  And I was desperate.  I really did not want to move back in with my parents and I would love to stay in Charleston, especially now that Rachel was going to be moving back here.

              We finished our breakfast and said goodbye.  Rachel said her and Damien were heading back to Wilmington later in the day because his new job asked if he could start a few days early.  We hugged, but it was nice to know it wouldn't be six months before we saw each other again.

              It rained that afternoon and I decided to try to lay down for a nap because I hadn't slept well the night before.  I dozed off quickly.

             
'Next time you moan it will be while my cock is buried deep inside of you and you're begging me to fuck you harder.' 
Bellamy's wicked words flooded my dreams once again.

             
I awoke suddenly.  It was almost dark outside and my phone was ringing on the nightstand.  I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the screen. 

              “Hello?”

              “Kate!  It's Ashley.  Hey, a bunch of us ADPi's are going out for cocktails tonight.  Wanna join us?  You missed the last two times we went out.  Come on Kate, you have to come!”

              She was right.  I should go, I missed my sisters.

              “Sure, what time... where?”

              “We're going to meet at The Bull at 9:00.  We'll see how the crowd is and then may or may not do a crawl around to some of the other bars.”

              “Okay, see you then.”

              I showered and started getting ready.  I pulled on a green sundress and wore my brown cowboy boots.  I curled my long blonde hair in big barrel curls and left it down.  I wore just a little makeup... some mascara, a little blush, and a light pink gloss.  I left at 8:45 to head to The Bull, but tonight I decided to drive instead of taking a cab because I had no intentions of drinking.  I would probably just have a soda, hang out with the girls for a little bit, and with luck I would make it home before midnight.

              I parked my car on the street and walked down the block to The Bull.  When I walked in, I looked around and spotted Ashley and the girls at a high top table near the bull.  Yes, there was a mechanical bull right in the middle of the bar.  I got on it once about five years ago during my senior year at Carolina after one too many beers.  The next day I had the worst hang over of my life, along with a very bruised tailbone, and an even bigger bruised ego.  I thought I knew what I was doing, but actually I got thrown off the bull pretty violently and ended up landing really hard on my butt.  I had trouble sitting comfortably for weeks after that night.

              It was nice catching up with my sisters.  Sarah had just gotten married a month ago.  I was invited to her wedding, but ended up not going because I had the stomach flu.  She looked so happy.  She talked about their honeymoon in St. Lucia and the brand new house they had just bought.

              Kimi had been with Kyle forever, but they were still just dating.  She had said in the past that she was fine with how long they'd been dating, but I could tell by her words tonight that she was wanting to get him to settle down finally.

              Ashley had just landed a job at a major publishing company in New York City and she said she would be moving there before the end of the year.  Her boyfriend, Kevin had been living in the city for the last year so she was desperate to find a job and move there so they could be together again.  She complained about how bad having a long distance relationship was.

              Brooke was the only single one there besides me.  She had been engaged to this guy Jay, but ended up breaking it off with him in the spring because she had caught him cheating on her.  One day she came home work early to surprise him and she walked in on some bimbo sucking him off in their perfectly decorated living room.  Everyone was shocked when we heard the news.  None of the things we said made her feel any better about what had happened, but we all told her that she was better off without him.  From the way she was talking about him tonight, we could tell she was still pretty bitter about it and hadn't moved on yet.

              I glanced at my watch.  It was 11:00 and the girls didn't look like they were going any where any time soon.  I think I had downed two glasses of water and a soda since I had been there and I had to pee.  I excused myself and walked towards the back where the bathrooms were located down a dimly-lit narrow hallway.  I freshened up my gloss a little bit and then walked back down the hallway and joined the girls at our table.  I glanced at my watch again.  I really should get going.

              I looked up to start saying goodbye to everyone, and when I did, I saw Bellamy.  He was across the room sitting at a table with a few friends.  He was turned away slightly from my direction.  The more I thought about Bellamy and the night before, the more I had regretted not saying more.  I stared for a few moments contemplating what I should do.  He had been laughing at something one of his friends said when we finally made eye contact.  When he smiled it reached his eyes.  He tipped his bear bottle towards me.  I smiled back.  He stood and slowly started towards my direction. 
'Oh god, here goes nothing,'
I thought.  My heart began to race and butterflies took up residence in the pit of my stomach. 
What would he say?

              When he finally made it to me, the room blurred.  We were completely alone in that moment.  We never broke eye contact.  Instead, he took my hand in his and brought my knuckles to his lips.  He placed a tiny kiss on the back of my hand, then said, “Hello beautiful.”  He paused, then continued, “I would call you by your name, but you have yet to give it to me.”  I blushed slightly, then I took a deep breath and said, “Kate Conrad.”  What I didn't say was that there was a lot more I wanted to give to him than just my name.