by Alice Ward
“That sounds like the best idea I’ve heard in days.”
***
Piper and I spent a leisurely night at the beach house, slept in the next morning, and then drove back to Manhattan. We dropped off Oliver’s car just as Stacey was putting the final touches on lunch. She insisted that we stay and eat with them, so the four of us settled in at their kitchen table.
“You look so much better than you did on Sunday, sis,” Oliver observed, stabbing a pile of lettuce with his fork.
“I feel better,” I confessed. “And I talked to Drake.”
“I know,” he replied, staring down at his plate. “I’ve talked to him too.”
“How do you feel about his story?” Stacey asked. I appreciated that she asked how I felt before stating her own opinion on the matter.
“I believe him. I’m still furious that he lied to me. And while I don’t agree with his reasoning, I can kind of see where he’s coming from. I want to give him another chance but after talking to Piper, I think it’s best if Drake and I backtrack a little and slow things down.”
Oliver turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
“I think so,” I answered, pushing my salad around my plate. “What do you think I should do?”
Oliver sighed and took a long drink of ice water. “Drake explained to us that Alex and Rebecca trapped him in the marriage. And from an economical, business standpoint, I understand why he put off filing for divorce. But as a man and specifically as your brother, I’m pissed at him for keeping all of this quiet. I believe that Drake loves you, peanut. And I know you love him too. But the pain he caused you… let’s just say I’ll probably hold a grudge for a while.”
“I like the slow things down plan,” Stacey offered. “I agree with Oliver. I’m not going to be quick to forgive Drake for hurting you so badly. But I understand why you’re still not ready to give up on him. If you want to give him another chance to prove himself to you, we’ll all support you.”
“Thanks, guys.” I turned to my brother. “Have you talked to Drake today? Do you know if he’s at the office?”
Oliver shook his head. “He hasn’t been at the office since the day you left for Hong Kong. Aside from his visit with you last night, he hasn’t left his penthouse all week.”
“I have to go talk to him. Pipes, I’ll meet you back at the apartment?”
“I’ll be there. Good luck, Chelsea.”
***
When I stepped into the lobby of Drake’s building, Frank’s face lit up with surprised relief. The doorman moved around the counter and greeted me with a smile.
“Ms. Tyler, how wonderful to see you. Is Mr. Waters expecting you?”
“No, he’s not,” I answered. “Is it okay if I go on up? Or do you need to let him know first?”
Mischief flickered across Frank’s eyes. “I think it will be best for you to surprise him. Mr. Waters will be very happy to see you. Go right on up. And if you need anything at all, just ring down to my desk and I’ll be happy to take care of it.”
“Thank you, Frank.”
He turned his key in the wall and the elevator doors sprung open. As the car carried me to the top floor, I looked down at my wardrobe. I still didn’t have any of my own clothes, and Stacey’s pre-baby sweatpants weren’t the most flattering things I’d ever worn.
Screw it. I’m not here to seduce him. I’m here to tell him I want to slow things down. I hope he understands…
The elevator opened and I stepped into the empty living room.
“Vanessa, are we expecting a delivery?” Drake’s voice echoed down the hall. He stepped through the archway and his eyes fell on me.
“Hi,” I greeted him with a hesitant grin. “I’d like to talk, if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course,” he quickly replied. “Please, sit down.”
I waited for Drake to take a seat on the couch and then sat down right beside him. His shoulders relaxed and his legs parted. He was obviously relieved I wasn’t keeping any distance between us. I took his hand and stared into his hopeful eyes.
“I believe that you were coerced into marrying Alex, and coerced into staying that way. It’s going to take me some time to forgive you for lying to me. But I’m not ready to give up on us. I love you, Drake.”
“Oh, baby, I love you too,” he replied, his voice rough and airy. He leaned into me, cradled my face in his hands, and enveloped my lips with his. Feeling his hands on me again, tasting his sweet, tender lips, and breathing in his musky scent, I almost forgot the rest of my plan… almost. I put my hands on Drake’s shoulders and gently pushed him away.
“I can’t just jump right back in where we were, Drake,” I explained, fighting back nervous tears. “Too much has happened. And it’s all happened so fast.”
“Baby, I’m just so thankful you’re giving me another chance. We can slow down as much as you want to, if it means this isn’t over. Like I said yesterday, tell me what to do to fix this and I’ll do it.” He squeezed my hand, but didn’t move to kiss me again.
“When you left the beach house, I called Piper. She drove out and spent the night with me, and she gave me some really good advice. She pointed out that we’ve never really dated like normal people do.”
Drake opened his mouth to protest and I held up a hand to silence him.
“I know there’s nothing normal about your life. And I know that’s not really your fault. But your lifestyle doesn’t change the fact that our relationship needs a solid foundation, just like everyone else.”
“Moving backwards is going to be hard, Chelsea,” he confessed. “But I’m willing to do whatever it takes. What kind of ‘regular people, foundation building’ type of things do you suggest?”
“Well for starters, I’m going to keep living in New Jersey, for the time being. I think it would be nice if we went on actual dates. You know, we could go to the market, eat a meal you haven’t paid someone to prepare. Maybe we could go to a matinee or watch a movie on the couch instead of a jet that’s flying us across the world.”
Drake considered my ideas for a moment before responding. “How about we rotate these ‘regular people’ dates and my kind of dates? Say one night we cook dinner, the next I take you to the opera?”
I raised an eyebrow. “So, you want to compromise?”
“Isn’t that one of those things that regular couples with solid foundations do?” he asked with a hint of a tease in his voice.
“Yeah, I guess it is,” I agreed with an indulgent smile. “But I want to set some ground rules.”
“By all means,” he replied. He leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs.
“Number one, you can’t keep any more secrets from me. I won’t keep any from you, either. Which is why I have to tell you, I talked to Pete about your plans with The Albergo. He’s planning on doing everything he can to stop the demolition. You need to be prepared for that.”
“Pete can waste his time if he wants to. There’s nothing he can do to stop the build. But I’m not naive, Chelsea. I understand why he has to try.”
Relief flooded my body and I pressed on. “Rule number two is that you’re not allowed to buy me any more extravagant, unnecessary presents.”
“I’m going to have to veto that one,” he broke in. “I will spoil you if I want to and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind.”
“Fine,” I said, knowing a lost cause when I saw one. “But you only get one veto and I’m not finished with the rules. Are you sure you want to use it now?”
“Absolutely,” he said without a second thought.
“Okay… don’t say I didn’t warn you. Rule number three is that I don’t think we should sleep together… not for a while. We moved too fast in that respect as well. I think we need to get to know more about the other aspects of each other before we get physical again.”
“I will agree to that…”
That was a lot easier than I thought it’d be.
“… with one caveat.”
Of course.
Drake wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap. He planted a soft kiss on my neck and then lifted his lips to my ear.
“Spend the night with me tonight, baby. Please,” he whispered.
His hot breath sent shivers through my body as I fought my most basic urge.
“I can’t, Drake,” I said without pulling away from him.
“Chelsea, please,” he pleaded again. He slid his hands to my face and gazed up into my eyes. “All of those hours I spent in Hong Kong, not knowing where you are… so many horrible thoughts went through my head. I was afraid I’d never be able to see you… or touch you… or kiss you again.” With each pause, Drake pressed his lips to my flesh. “I need to feel your skin against mine. I promise after tonight, we can take things slow. I’ll be a perfect gentleman until I’ve earned your trust again. But tonight, I need to ravish you.”
Tomorrow… we can start taking things slow tomorrow.
I wanted Drake as much as he wanted me. I pulled away from him and raised my arms into the air. He grabbed the hem of my t-shirt and pulled it over my head. I fell into his chest, my lips reacquainting themselves with his firm, toned body.
“I want to do this right,” Drake announced. He stood up, lifting me in his arms. He carried me with ease into the bedroom and gently laid me on the mattress. We held eye contact as he stood before me and stripped out of his clothes, climbing on top of me.
“I love you, Chelsea,” he said, dropping his head to my stomach. He teased my navel with his tongue before running it up to my chest. He unhooked the front closure of my jogging bra, exposing my erect, electrified nipples. He pinched them between his lips and I moaned in pleasure.
“I love you too,” I gasped.
“I worship you,” he continued, running his tongue to my neck. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you how much… starting right now.”
Drake lifted his head and I pulled his mouth to mine, my tongue dancing with his. Drake moved beside me on the bed, our lips never parting. He tugged down my sweatpants and stroked the part of me that longed for him the most.
“Oh Drake,” I gasped as his fingers swirled inside me. He moved his thumb to my clit and I gushed with desire.
“Oh, baby,” he moaned as I reached for his aching, neglected rod. I gripped him tightly as he pushed his fingers in deeper. I sped up my strokes and his hand went still as his breath became more labored.
“Oh baby,” he moaned again, his tone a low, instinctive growl. He rocked his hips wildly and then jerked my hand away.
“I don’t want to come yet,” he insisted, taking a few moments to catch his breath. “Not until I’ve tasted every inch of you.”
Drake climbed on top of me again and dropped his lips to my face. He started at my forehead and made his way to my chin. When he reached the bottom of my neck, I expected him to continue on to my chest. Instead, he blazed a trail down my right arm and then up my left. The sensations were amazing, but left me longing for more.
“I feel like you’re teasing me,” I sighed as Drake lapped at my hip bone.
“My apologies,” he replied with a grin, moving his face a few inches to the left. He stuck out his tongue and gave my pussy a single, firm lash.
“Is that better?” he asked, his hot breath teasing my clit.
“Yes,” I said with a pleasure filled sigh. I reached down and wove my fingers through Drake’s hair. “Do it again,” I begged.
Drake licked me over and over again in a slow, passionate rhythm. I bucked against his face, longing for more depth and pressure.
“Slow down,” he whispered, pulling away from me. “Just focus on what you’re feeling in the moment.”
He resumed his pace and I tried not to think about what was next.
All that matters is this moment… what he’s doing right now… oh God that feels good.
With each touch of Drake’s tongue, my body became more tender and aroused. Each time he pulled away, I felt anticipation instead of disappointment because I knew the next touch would feel just a little bit better. My breath quickened and I felt welcome spasms rock through my body. Drake raised his mouth slightly and wrapped his lips around my clit, sucking ever so softly as my orgasm completely overtook me.
“Do you want me?” Drake whispered, his lips still against me.
“Yes,” I gasped.
Drake held himself up with his arms and drove himself deep inside me, pushing me to a higher peak than I’d ever reached before. He remained still, letting me writhe on his cock until the waves subsided. When I finally regained my breath, I reached up and gripped the back of Drake’s neck.
“That was amazing,” I said, staring into his blissful eyes.
“You’re amazing,” he replied with a soft kiss to my forehead. “Do you need to take a break?”
I rocked my hips and tightened my pussy around him. “No,” I whispered. “All I need is this.”
Drake dropped his lips to my neck as I ground into him. “I want to hold you,” he whispered. “I want as much of my skin touching yours as possible while I’m inside you. But I’m afraid I’m going to crush you,” he confessed, slipping out of me. He rolled onto his side and pulled my back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and guided his cock back into place. He rocked in and out of me slowly, one hand exploring my skin and the other holding me tight against him. He ran his fingers up my side and pushed my curls to the side so his tongue could explore my neck.
“I love you, Chelsea,” he whispered again.
“I love you too, Drake,” I moaned, lost in the moment. I wasn’t in a position to do anything more than lay there and enjoy what was happening. As Drake increased the speed of his thrusts, his touch became rougher and he lightly scraped his teeth against my neck.
“You like that?” he whispered after I let out a cry of pleasure.
“Yes,” I replied breathlessly. He ran his hand back up to my hair, grabbed a handful of my hair, and tugged.
“Oh,” I moaned in surprise delight. “Do that again.”
Drake tightened his grip and pulled harder, releasing the tension as quickly as he’d given it. He gave me a gentle push on the shoulder and moved with me as I rolled onto my stomach. He pulled me to my knees and I planted my elbows on the mattress. Drake moved deeper into me, one hand gripping my hip while the other returned to my curls. He grabbed a handful, teasing me with short, sporadic tugs as his cock throbbed within me. I shifted my weight to one arm, reaching down to where our bodies connected. I cradled Drake’s balls and he pushed into me deeper, shortening his thrusts to keep from sliding out of my reach.
“Oh… Chels…” He twitched in my hand and I knew he was close to the edge.
“Give it to me, baby,” I moaned, tightening both my pussy and my hand. He shuddered and exploded inside me. I dropped my hand and he grabbed my hips, thrusting harder and deeper as he filled me. The hot, slick juices of his passion made his every movement more intense and my release began just as his ended. I collapsed onto the bed and Drake fell on top of me, careful to balance his weight on the bed. He kissed the damp skin of my back before sliding his mouth to my ear.
“I love you, Chelsea,” he whispered. “Thank you so much for loving me in return and for giving me another chance to prove myself to you. I promise I won’t let you down.”
CHAPTER 7
e
Nearly a month passed before I spent the night at Drake’s penthouse again. As promised, Drake put his extravagance aside and we spent time together doing the little everyday things that make up a life. He discovered that he loved cooking and became obsessed with becoming a master chef. I was pleasantly surprised when he signed us up for classes at a local community center. The old Drake would have hired a celebrity chef for private lessons.
As Drake became more comfortable with the more basic things in live, I came to appreciate the finer. Drake took me to see Phantom of the Op
era, my very first Broadway show. I had so much fun, he bought us season tickets.
We spent plenty of time apart and Drake sent me sweet, random texts like he’d done when we first met. As the weeks passed, we found a way to meld our worlds and habits together into a reality that was comfortable for both of us. And though I’d never thought it would be possible, I found myself falling more and more in love with him every day. When we finally made love again, it felt like coming home.
The next morning, Drake went to the office early and I ate breakfast alone on the terrace. I read the newspaper from cover to cover, occasionally glancing down at the people moving through the park. A little past nine, the late July sun became too hot to bear and I moved back into the penthouse. As I settled down into an armchair, the elevator opened and a familiar, shrill voice filled the air.
“I thought you’d have come to your senses by now and gotten the hell away from my son.”
“Good morning, Rebecca,” I greeted Drake’s mother as her high heels clicked across the marble. “Drake isn’t here. If you’d like to give me a message for him, I’d be happy to convey it.”
I hadn’t seen Rebecca since I’d found out the full truth about Drake and Alex. It took every ounce of strength I had not to walk across the living room and claw her eyes out. The only thing stronger than my desire to tell her exactly what I thought was my determination not to sink to her level.
“I know Drake’s at work. Drake’s always at work. I came by to pick up the Rockwell print that’s hanging in his office. Where’s Vanessa? I want her to polish the frame before I wrap it.”
“Vanessa doesn’t work here anymore,” I told her. “None of the staff does, in fact. Drake hired a housekeeper to come by twice a week and he helped Vanessa and Chef Luis find new positions.”
Rebecca glared down at me, her hands on her hips. “What the fuck are you doing to my son you little street tramp?”
That’s it, lady. My patience can only stretch so far.