The Heart of Tomorrow (Book Two) (The Tomorrow Series 2) (7 page)

“Hmm,” I said, giving him my best clueless expression. “I must’ve forgotten.”

“I’m a little insulted, Miss Vasser,” he said, walking slowly as the gap between us closed until he was just inches from me, so close I could smell his fresh aftershave. He cupped my cheek with his palm and he began massaging my lower lip with his thumb.  “I’ve been told by many, yourself included, that I’m fairly unforgettable.”

“You must not be as important as you think you are then, Mr. Saben.”

“Oh, I know I’m important.  You’re the one who needs to be reminded.”

I expected him to kiss me, to swoop in and seduce me right there, but he didn’t.  Instead, with one steady motion, he’d picked me up, my legs dangling from where they draped under his hold.  A second later, we were in the bathroom and then he’d set me down on the counter…the same counter that my eyes always drifted to whenever I stepped inside.

“As I recall and you may too, Miss Vasser,” he said, matter-of-factly, peeling his t-shirt off and tossing it to the floor. “We’ve been here before.  Do you remember that or has that slipped your mind as well?” He raised a playful eyebrow at me, but his face remained chiseled in seriousness.

“I remember that night quite vividly,” I answered and he suddenly reached under my skirt, rolling the tights off until they were next to his shirt. 

He grinned, reaching around and undoing my bra, tossing it aside without a second thought.

“I’m glad you remember something.”

His voice was low as he traced my breasts with his fingertip until he suddenly stopped. I heard the sound of his zipper and I felt myself burning, knowing what was coming next.  He pulled me to him, kissing me hard and deep as he pushed my skirt up and then he grabbed my legs, wrapping them around his waist.  Our mouths separated and he stared at me, his green eyes never leaving mine because neither of us could look away.  I remembered that night when we had to be quiet, when we had to hide what we were doing, the way I’d bit my lip to silence myself, even though I hadn’t been able to remain completely mute. Tonight we were alone though and we didn’t have to try and hide anything.

When it was over, I clung to him, his body slick with sweat and he was breathing heavy.  There wasn’t anything spoken for a long time, but then he pulled away, helping me off the counter, my skirt falling back to my knees.

“I’m pretty sure you won’t forget that,” he smirked playfully.

“I’m pretty sure I won’t forget that either,” I said as I continued to try and catch my breath.  He reached for his t-shirt, sliding it back on and then took my hand, leading me back into the bedroom.  He walked over to my side of the dresser, pulling out a pair of pajama bottoms and a shirt, setting them on the bed as I shimmied out of my skirt.

“I’ll go pop that popcorn you requested now.  We’ll watch a movie before I find another way to make you never forget me,” he said with a wink as he left the room. Round two would only be for fun because Andrew Saben had been unforgettable from the first moment we met. 

Eight

There was no way I could turn down the apartment when Drew and I went to check it out. It was a nice place and I instantly felt at ease with Ava’s sister, Monica. She definitely had style and it was warm and homey. I’d have my own room, which was surprisingly big, and there was enough space to stay out of each other’s way. I couldn’t reach for my checkbook fast enough, handing Monica the amount for the first month’s rent before Drew and I left to head back to his place so I could start packing.

He’d been quiet on the ride home, holding my hand the whole time and when the cab pulled up to his building, he only let go of it to open the door and help me out before taking it again. The elevator ride up was just as quiet and the apartment seemed to echo once we stepped inside. He helped me slide off my coat and hung it up before turning to me.

“I have a few errands to run. Mind if I step out while you start packing?” he asked, not bothering to remove his jacket.

“I don’t mind,” I said and I wanted to press him for more information, but when I saw the despondent look on his face, I decided to leave him alone.

“I won’t be long.”

He kissed me on the forehead and then he was gone, leaving me in the hollow apartment. I stood there for a few moments, looking around. I’d been living here for three months, but there was no trace of me. It was all him. Nothing had changed. It was the same monochromatic color scheme, screaming of masculinity. Unless you looked in the bathroom at my array of hair and skin products, there was no hint that a woman lived in this place. It was his home and now I was getting ready to leave it.

I found the suitcase I’d brought with me from Iowa in the closet of the guest room and moved it into the bedroom Drew and I shared. I’d told Monica I’d move in the next day. It wouldn’t take me long seeing as I had no real possessions aside from my clothes and I wanted to get settled before the work week began. There was no point in putting it off. I’d been planning this from the night I moved in. I’d told myself this was only temporary, but as I walked into the large closet I shared with Drew and began taking out the clothes and placing them in the suitcase, my eyes drifted to his clothes. There were the sleek, serious suits that transformed him into the sexy businessman hanging next to the designer jeans and sweaters he wore on more casual days. And then there were the hoodies he wore when we were hanging out, when he seemed like a regular guy and I was able to forget for a few moments that he was far from regular.

I’d miss seeing his clothes every day and watching him change. I always looked forward to seeing what he’d come out in. No matter what, he never looked anything short of incredible.

I worked methodically, not allowing myself to think about the hole the absence of my clothes was leaving in the closet and soon I’d filled two suitcases. It was hard to believe how many clothes I’d acquired since moving to New York when I was struggling to find outfits to wear to work when I first moved in. It was just more proof how much my life had changed since I’d met Drew.

“It’s looking pretty bare in here.”

His deep voice startled me and I turned to see him in the doorway to the closet, his coat off, standing in the jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt he’d put on in the morning, arms folded across his chest as he looked around.

“I didn’t realize I had so many clothes,” I said, reaching for another sweater. I started to fold it, but Drew stepped towards me, taking it from my hands and tossing it into the open suitcase on the floor.

“Come with me.” He took me gently by the elbow, leading me into the living room, sitting down on the couch and encouraging me to sit beside him.

“Where’d you go?” I asked him, looking for any signs of the errands he’d excused himself to run, but saw no evidence of anything.

“I’m calling your bluff, Natalie,” he said suddenly, ignoring my question.

“Excuse me?”

“Your need to prove to me and everyone else that you’re a strong independent woman. I get it, but I already knew that.
You
already know that.” His index finger was resting on my sternum, pointing to my heart and my eyes were drawn to his, the tense expression on his face surprising me. “I know you can take care of yourself. I have no doubts about that, Natalie, but I want to take care of you too. Call me selfish, but I do.” He took a breath, pausing for a moment before continuing. “I left because I needed to think. I needed to try and clear my head from the fact that tomorrow night you won’t be here. I tried rationalizing with myself because it’s what you want, but I can’t sit here and just let you leave. You’ve proven you’ll do it. You’ve already paid Monica for Christ’s sake. I get it. I really do, but if I’m being honest with you and myself, I have to tell you I don’t want you to go. I’m being selfish and asking you to stay here…with me.”

He was talking quickly, so unlike his usual collected self. Drew Saben never seemed frazzled, but he appeared to be now and he took my hand in his, kissing the back of it gently.

“My sister was right,” he said suddenly and those four words immediately piqued my interest. “I’m not as strong as I let on. I don’t trust easily because I’ve been burned before. You’re the first person I’ve let into my life in a very long time and I can’t have you leave now, just when things are falling into place.” He paused again, grazing his fingertips over my cheek, his green eyes locking onto mine. “Are you not happy here?” His voice was low and worried and I had to take a moment to think because I couldn’t understand how he could think I wasn’t happy.

“Of course I’m happy here,” I finally answered.

“Then why are you leaving?”

“Because…” I said, my voice trailing off because I really couldn’t think of a reason.

“Why are you trying to fix something that isn’t broken?”

“Because,” I tried again, attempting to formulate my words so maybe he’d understand. “I want you to know that I love you…for you.”

“And you think I don’t know that?” His hand had left my cheek and was now tangled in my hair, pulling me closer to him. “I tried telling myself to shut up…to not say anything to you. I told myself I needed to be supportive of your decision, but you’re finally going through with it and I can’t keep quiet anymore. I love you, Natalie. I love having you at my side every night. I love knowing that no matter how bad my day is, I’m coming home to you and it doesn’t matter what happened at work because you’ll be here.”

“Drew…” I said softly, the need heavy in his eyes as he stared at me. “I’ve already given the money to Monica. She’s counting on me. I can’t leave her in a lurch like this.”

“Forget the money. You say the word and that money’s back in your account tomorrow. Monica can keep it for her trouble. I just want you here.”

I didn’t know what to say. This had always been part of the plan. I wasn’t going to stay. I was going to get my own place and make it on my own for once. He didn’t want me to go though and if I was being honest, I didn’t want to go either.

“It’s been a very long time since I’ve been happy,” he began. “And I’m not about to sit back and watch it slip away from me.”

The determination in his eyes was unlike anything I’d seen before and when he reached out, wrapping his arms around my waist, I didn’t resist. I didn’t want to pull away. I didn’t want to ever leave his embrace.

“Okay.” My voice was soft, but the satisfied expression on his face showed me he’d heard me.

“Okay? You’re not going to argue or fight me on this?”

“No.”

He looked surprised and his grip around my waist got stronger, pulling me even closer to him if that was possible.

“You make me so happy, Natalie, and all I want is for you to be happy too. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” His lips were only inches from mine and I wanted nothing more than to press my mouth to his, tasting everything about this man.

“I know and all I want is you,” I whispered.

He didn’t wait. His lips were on mine, moving slowly, methodically, until he pulled back, cupping my face in his hands as he stared into my eyes.

“And you can have me forever.”

Nine

I was afraid Ava would be upset when I told her I was reneging on moving in with her sister, but when I called her and told her I’d decided to stay, she understood and when I saw her at work on Monday, she grinned slyly at me telling me she wouldn’t leave either if she had a man like Drew to share a home with.

Drew was more relaxed after he knew I was staying. I hadn’t realized how tense he was with my impending exit until I’d changed my mind. We resumed the routine we’d established and life returned to normal, only with a permanency that hadn’t been there before.

“So,” Drew began after a long week. We were stretched out on the couch, both of us lounging in our most comfortable sweatpants, sipping a glass of wine while a OneRepublic song quietly flowed through the room. “I was thinking this place could use a makeover.”

“Are you serious?”

“I am. It’s your home too. I want it to feel that way to you.”

I hadn’t mentioned I’d been thinking about that exact notion so when he brought it up, I reached over and took his hand. He always had a way of knowing exactly what I needed, just when I needed it.

“I think it’s a great idea. Thank you.” I leaned over, kissing him on the cheek and snuggling in closer to him as he draped his arm around me.

“I’ll call my designer on Monday,” he said and I sat up quickly.

“A designer?”

“Yes. She’ll come over and give us thoughts.”

“You have an actual designer, like on retainer or something?”

“I don’t have a designer, per se, but the woman who decorated when I first moved in was very talented.”

“I agree she’s got great taste if you’re into chrome and black,” I laughed and he folded his arms, glaring playfully at me.

“I’m a man, Natalie. Black and gray are men’s colors and this is a man’s apartment,” he said, but then raised an eyebrow at me. “I should say it used to be a man’s apartment.”

“It could be fun,” I said, taking his hand. “Decorating ourselves.”

“One of the perks of success is not having to do certain things, such as painting and shopping for my own furniture.”

“But it’s a right of passage for couples and if we’re really a couple…” I said and he interrupted, the left side of his mouth curling up into a grin.

“Are you doubting our legitimacy as a couple?”

“Perhaps I am,” I said, stretching out on the couch, laying my head on the arm rest and propping my feet in his lap. He started rubbing them and then he looked over to me.

“All right. Tomorrow we’re going shopping.”

“Excellent. I’m looking forward to it.”

He squeezed my feet again with his strong hands and then he moved them aside before he began the slow crawl over my body, the weight of him resting on me a moment later.

“I’m looking forward to it too,” he whispered as he began nibbling on my ear, eventually pulling and sucking on it in a way that had me squirming beneath him within seconds. “You are so easy to turn on, Miss Vasser.” His voice was breathy in my ear as he continued to tug on it with his teeth. “I think I could get you to do just about anything I wanted to.”

I started giggling because I knew he was probably right, but then he suddenly stopped, pushing himself up so he was hovering over me.

“I need to take that back,” he said, his eyebrows creasing seriously. “
I
would do anything
you
wanted me to do. So tell me, beautiful, what do you want me to do?”

“You know what I want,” I whispered, rocking my hips towards his.

“Then you shall have it.”

He kissed the tip of my nose sweetly before he thrust his mouth on mine, kissing me slow and deep, his hips rubbing against mine as our tongues danced until he pulled away.  He sat back on his knees, his hand reaching up and resting at the base of my throat before slowly trailing between my breasts and across my stomach, stopping at the waistband of my sweats. His fingers curled inside, sliding them off slowly and I watched his eyes tracing every inch of my legs until they were gone and he tossed them onto the floor.

“These are cute,” he said, snapping the waistband of the black thong I was wearing. “But I’m afraid they have to go.” He was true to his word and they were gone a moment later. “Much better,” he grinned, leaning over and kissing my inner thigh, trailing his tongue up to my belly button, tickling it for a moment before sitting up again. “Now for this pesky top.” He took my hands, pulling them up and seductively sliding my shirt off so I was completely exposed before him. There was a content smile on his face as his eyes wandered over my body as he pulled his own shirt off quickly and then stood up, stepping out of his pants before crawling back on top of me. The feeling of his skin on mine, the warmth of his body consuming me and then he was nestled between my legs and the anticipation was almost more than I could take. “You are the most exquisite woman I have ever seen.” I was shaking beneath him, aching to feel him and then he came closer, his mouth right next to my ear. “And you’re mine.” I couldn’t respond because in that instant I was his and he was mine and we were one.

~~~

I don’t know why I was amused by the Home Depot in the middle of Manhattan. Perhaps it was because the moment you stepped inside, it was as if the hustle and bustle of the busiest city in the world disappeared and I realized New York City was full of do-it-yourselfers just like any city in America. It looked like every Home Depot I’d ever been in, complete with orange accents, except for one thing: the multiple levels. It shouldn’t surprise me. There was no room in Manhattan to build a sprawling box store. The only way to go was up and that was where Drew and I found ourselves the next morning, staring at paint swatches. We’d already spent the first half of the morning picking out new furniture, a simple white standalone couch with a matching oversized chair and loveseat. The black and teal accents of the throw pillows had given me an idea for the color scheme of the walls, but as I stared at the different options, I was stuck.

“What do you think?” I asked, holding out two swatches to Drew. One was a teal that matched the pillow and the other was a light gray.

“They’re both nice,” he said, but I knew he was just saying it to get me to make up my mind. This was not his idea of fun. He would’ve called a designer and a painter if I’d let him, but I had to give him credit for humoring me.

“You have to have another opinion other than nice.”

“I have no clue when it comes to this stuff, hence the reason I hired a professional. It’ll look great no matter what you decide on.”

“But, I want you to like it too.”

“I will love whatever you come up with. I promise.” He took my hand, kissing the back of it before I focused on the colors again.

“How about we do the wall where the TV is this color,” I said, holding out the teal swatch. “And the other walls in the gray? That way we get a pop of color without overdoing it.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said, grabbing the two swatches and marching over to the paint counter.

We stocked up on supplies as the worker mixed the paint and we soon had a cart full of paint rollers, tape, floor covers and every other thing I could think we would need. We grabbed the paint when it was ready, made our way to the checkout and then lugged it all to Drew’s Range Rover. He rarely brought it out into the city, but neither of us felt like loading everything into a taxi.

It was a surprisingly painless drive home, the traffic flowing through Manhattan at a decent pace, even though we had to dodge the constant droves of pedestrians and soon we were settled back into the apartment. I could tell Drew was less than thrilled about spending his Saturday painting, but he moved cooperatively around the room helping me to cover the floor and tape off the baseboards and windowsills.

“You find this relaxing?” he asked as he slathered paint on the walls while I did the cutting in.

“A little,” I answered, turning to face him from where I stood on the step stool, only to laugh when I saw the grimace on his face. “Especially because I’m spending time with you.”

The grimace vanished and he smiled at me, setting down the paint roller he was using and sauntering over to me.

“You bring up an extremely valid point, Miss Vasser.”

His hands were on my waist then, my stomach nearly level with his mouth. He started rolling my shirt up until my bare stomach was exposed to him. He took the brush I was holding and then he painted a teal circle around my bellybutton.

“Bullseye,” he said, handing the brush back to me and then planting a slow, wet kiss in my navel. I could feel my stomach muscles spasm under his touch and before he could distract me anymore, I took the brush, swiping a teal stripe onto his forehead.

“What the hell, Natalie?” he exclaimed, jerking back and for a second I thought he was genuinely mad, but then his eyes met mine and he was grinning before he dunked his finger in the paint can and drew a swirly line down my arm.

“Are we really gonna do this, Drew?” I asked and he shrugged his shoulders. I took the brush and wiped a thick line across his mouth so he looked like he’d eaten a smurf. He shook his head, but then took my hand, pulling hard enough so I’d come off the step stool, but gently enough that I wouldn’t fall. When both feet were on the ground, he pulled me to him, kissing me forcefully with his teal mouth so the paint spread across my face. My bullseye belly button pressed against his white t-shirt and I knew that paint would be there forever.

The loud ringing of his cell phone interrupted our silliness and he moaned, reluctantly breaking our kiss.

“Sorry about this,” he groaned, reaching for a paper towel and wiping his mouth off. “I’ll be right back. Hold that thought.”

He squeezed my hand before walking away and part of me was grateful the phone rang. The way things were bound to progress after what we’d started, we’d end up on the floor doing anything but painting.

I cleaned my face as best I could before climbing back onto the step stool and getting back to work. I could hear Drew’s voice, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. From the tone though, it sounded work related.

I expected him to come right back, but he was gone for a while and when he returned, holding the phone at his side, I could tell something was on his mind.

“Everything okay?” I asked and he inhaled deeply before letting it out.

“The acquisition went through.”

“Acquisition?” I asked and I could feel my face curl up in confusion. I had no clue what he was talking about.

“It’s been in the works since before you even moved to New York and it finally happened.”

“What are you talking about? I never heard anything about this when I worked for you.” I got off the step stool and set the paint down.

“It was kept very quiet.”

“Did Court and Anna Beth know?” I asked and he shook his head.

“Only a few people in the office knew.”

“What kind of acquisition are you talking about?”

“Clark got it in his head that the office should expand,” he began and I could only assume he was talking about Clark Taylor, the other partner at Drew’s architecture firm. Even when I worked at Taylor and Saben, I rarely saw Mr. Taylor as he was referred to. He spent a lot of time out of the office on projects and when he was there, he stayed to himself. Since I hadn’t worked there in months, I was obviously even more out of the loop since I had no idea about any of this.

“What do you mean by expand?”

“Take over another firm so we could have offices on both coasts.”

“As in the Pacific Coast?”

“Yes. Los Angeles.”

“L.A.? You’re starting a firm in L.A.?”

“Not really starting one…taking over an existing one under our name.”

“What does this mean?”

As he walked towards me, I could sense his anxiety. It was confirmed when he took my hand.

“It means I have to go to L.A.”

“For how long?” I asked, assuming he meant for a week or two.

“I’m not sure,” he answered and I froze as I tried to understand the implication of his words.

“Why am I just now hearing about this, Drew?” I asked and I could hear the anger in my voice.

“I didn’t think it would happen and I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. If you knew there was even a possibility of something like this happening, you should’ve told me. You don’t just blindside me like this. If there was a chance your job was going to change, I should’ve been warned.”

“I’m sorry, Natalie. I should’ve told you, but it’s my job and this is an opportunity I cannot pass up. I didn’t get to where I am by asking permission.”

His words stung and I didn’t know how to respond.

“You didn’t need my permission, but some warning would’ve been nice,” I spat at him. “I don’t understand. You’re the king of order. You control every aspect of your life and you didn’t think this kind of thing deserved a conversation?”

I could see the regret on his face and he brushed his fingertips over my cheek, locking his eyes on mine.