by Ava Harrison
It’s about an hour later when I finally make my way back into Drew’s office. When I sit across the table from him, I slide over the papers I printed for him to look at.
“What’s this?”
“These are all the properties we are going to see today.”
“Today?”
“Yep. So take one last moment to sulk, and then get up and come with me.”
He looks down at the sheets, and one by one, he nods his head in approval.
“Good job.”
“That’s why you pay me the big bucks.” I wink.
He laughs, and the sound warms my heart. “Thank you for doing this for me. I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”
“It’s okay. We all have bad days. I’m here for you, Drew.”
Before I can say anything else, he stands from his chair and holds his hand out for me to take. I place my hand in his, allowing him to pull me toward him. He places a kiss on my lips, and I melt into it.
“Thank you,” he says again, this time against my mouth. His breath tickling my skin. “You’re . . .”
“I’m what?”
I pull back and look into his eyes.
“I was just going to say you’re special, Bailey.”
My heart starts to beat frantically at his words.
“When I first saw you . . .” He stops and shakes his head. “I felt drawn to you . . .” He smiles. But this smile is different; it’s soft and sincere. “You’re so much more than I even imagined.”
Tingles race up and down my arms at the reverence of his words and the look of wonder in his expression. The heartfelt way he talks about our first meeting, makes me wish for things I haven’t dared. Drew is cementing himself into my heart, and it’s scary as hell.
Not knowing what to say, and out of fear I’ll botch the moment, I lean forward and place my lips on his one more time, then turn to walk toward the door.
“You ready?”
“I am.”
Whatever Drew’s going through, I’ll help him. I won’t allow anyone or anything to ruin this day. I’ll do what it takes to keep that smile on his face. As much as he’s helped me, I can do the same for him. I’ll be his lifeline when he needs it. And today appears to be one of those days.
33
Bailey
The weeks pass quickly. Drew and I have spent a lot of time together. During the day, we work side by side, and at night, we explore each other. We’ve still yet to make anything official, which is what’s best. I don’t want anyone at Silver to know about us. The thought of people thinking I slept my way to this position makes me cringe. I’ve worked my ass off, and nothing was happening between us when he offered it to me. We’re focusing on getting to know each other. Slow is a good thing. Slow is something I’ve never done before. We’re building a true relationship.
“What are you smiling about?” Drew asks, his lip quirking in a knowing grin.
I tap his shoulder with mine. “You. This. Us.” I shrug, and he chuckles, squeezing my hand.
With every day that goes by, I learn more and feel more for him. He’s pretty spectacular. Aside from the glitz and glamor that comes with being with Drew, he’s funny. He’s intelligent. He’s absolutely amazing with what he can do to my body.
“What about us?”
It’s my turn to chuckle. “Oh, you know . . . just how we’ve been secretly spending time together for over a month, and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it.”
He looks down at me, eyebrow raised. “You can’t wrap your head around what?” There’s a hint of apprehension in his tone that I don’t want to examine right now. Not when everything is going so perfect.
“Only because it feels like yesterday. As cliché as it sounds, time truly does fly when you’re having fun.” I smile, and he grins back at me.
And I truly mean it. Every day with Drew is just that . . . fun.
Today, we’re going on yet another date. Every Monday night during the summer, Bryant Park comes alive. In the center of the lawn, a large screen is erected, and a classic movie is played. It’s equal parts romantic and entertaining. Tonight, it’s a romantic comedy.
“My favorite,” I say out loud, not meaning to.
“What’s your favorite?” Drew asks, steering us toward the street.
“Romantic comedies. I can’t wait to watch this one.”
“Women,” he remarks, a smile in his voice.
As we walk across the street, I can’t help but smile. This date is pretty perfect, and it hasn’t even started yet. Once we find a clear spot on the grass, Drew spreads out a blanket he packed in the bag he put together. He pulls out a bottle of lemonade with two plastic cups next. Sneaky man. Then he opens a to-go bag and takes out the sushi, and I just about melt. Another favorite of mine. He’s always so thoughtful, and that never ceases to amaze me. I’ve never had someone put so much care into pleasing me, but Drew goes above and beyond.
Once we’re settled, we begin telling stories from our childhood. I share memories of my father with him, and with a mouth full of food, he tells me stories of his youth. I can’t help but fall even more for this man.
“So, Bailey, be honest. How did you like working at Silver?” He flashes me a wicked smile.
“Honestly?”
“Yes, of course. Just because I own it doesn’t mean you have to lie to me.”
I sigh.
“When I worked VIP . . . Well, I kind of hated it. All the people who go to your club kind of suck, Drew.” He bursts out laughing, and I follow suit. “I’m ready to move into the project management side of things.”
He smiles at me, his gaze lifting to the left in thought. “It’s funny how we’ve spent so much time together these past few weeks, yet we’ve never actually talked about the dumb stuff normal people talk about on dates.”
“We’ve talked about other things, though,” I say defensively.
“Yeah, of course, but I want to know more.” His brow raises.
“What are you getting at?” I probe.
“For instance, I know you hate working VIP, but I still don’t know what your favorite color is or where you went to college.”
I drop my gaze to my plastic cup filled with lemonade. “I dropped out,” I mumble, not lifting my eyes to meet his. I’m too embarrassed to see the judgment in his eyes.
“Bailey, look at me.”
I tilt my head up until our eyes meet again, and I see no judgment at all.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I just . . . I couldn’t hack it. It was too expensive, and I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. It was a big waste of time and money.”
“Do you want to go back to school?”
I ponder his question. “Yes. When it’s the right time.”
“Well, things are good now, right?” I nod. “So why not consider going? I’ll adjust your schedule if I have to.”
“It’s not that, Drew. I had to take this job just to avoid being homeless. What I’m making now is only keeping me afloat. I can’t afford school yet.” His lip turns up into the most beautiful smile I have ever seen.
“I guess you need that raise effective immediately.”
I shake my head. “You’re not giving me the raise early. Not until I start. I haven’t done anything to warrant it.”
“You’re going to more than earn it.”
“Even with the raise, I have so much to get caught up on. I’m not sure it’s a great idea.”
“There are other options, Bailey. You could apply for loans. You could even take out enough to pay your bills if needed. I wouldn’t suggest that, though. You’ll be paying loans back forever that way.”
“Really? You think I could get loans for school?” I ask excitedly.
“Yeah, really. I can help you if you need it.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. I just don’t understand why your family hasn’t helped you with this.”
&nb
sp; My face reddens in embarrassment. “My mom could afford to pay for school. She just won’t.”
“We all make mistakes, Bailey. At least you are a big enough person to recognize yours. Your mom, however, she sounds like a bitch.”
“She is,” I whisper. “The worst.”
He doesn’t say anything more, and I’m thankful. I don’t want to talk about my mom.
As scary as it is to start the process of going back to school, I know it’s time to move forward and start planning my future. If Drew can help me find ways to do it without putting myself in a bad situation financially, then I’m ready to do it.
“Okay.” I take a gulp of my drink and turn my head toward the large projector screen.
The movie begins to play, and Drew moves closer to me, laying his hand gently on my thigh and tracing circles on me. I smile up at him, and he leans forward, placing a gentle kiss on my lips. My eyes flutter closed, and I bask in his warmth. Our bodies are so close that I can feel his heat radiating off him and through me.
Opening my eyes, I peer up into his. “This was a great idea, Drew. Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he says as he drops another kiss to my lips.
34
Drew
The past month with Bailey has been amazing. Scratch that. It’s been sublime. Every time I'm with her, she tears down one more wall I've built. She chases away the demons, allowing me to be happy for the first time in years.
She has helped me more than she’ll ever know.
Without her, the restaurant would have died with Cal and Reese’s betrayal. But not with Bailey on my side. She jumped in, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work. Her tenacity floors me. I’ve never met a woman like her. Ever.
She’s picked up all the broken pieces of the past and helped me put it back together for a much brighter future.
Now it’s my turn to help her the way she’s helped me.
Taking her to the park last week and helping her realize she had to do something more with her life was a start. It meant everything to me that she opened up the way she did.
I would be lying if I didn’t admit that a small part of me is still holding back because of the fact that she’s a recovering addict. I swore I would never go there again.
But it’s different with her.
Bailey’s strong, and I’ll be right here to help her.
This is our second chance.
My redemption.
Now I just need her to open up to me more. I need her to help me understand the best ways I can help.
As much time as we have spent together this past month, it’s almost always when we are working. On the rare occurrence we don’t have to be at the club, we get lost in each other. I want to spend some uninterrupted time with her.
No work.
No interference.
Just us.
A plan springs forth in my mind. I pull out my phone and start to work on it.
We are pulling into the luxury hotel I booked a few hours later. A very excited Bailey has her leg bouncing up and down as we turn into the circle drive.
“I’ve never been to Boston before.” Her soft voice echoes through the car as I put it in park. I turn to face her.
She looks beautiful. That’s not to say she doesn’t always look beautiful. But today, she looks like a kid in a candy store.
Without the real-world looming overhead, she’s different.
Full of life.
Here, with the hotel in front of us, it’s like all her worries have faded away.
The only thing looking back at me is happiness.
“Come on. There’s so much to see, and we only have a few days.”
I fling open the door, and she does so too.
As soon as I step out, a valet steps forward to take the car, and the porter unloads the luggage we have.
Reaching out, I take Bailey’s hand in mine and start to walk toward the doors that will lead us to the lobby.
Together, we walk to the front desk where a young woman about the same age as Bailey greets us with a warm smile.
“Good afternoon. Welcome to The Berkley Hotel.”
“Hello. How are you today?” I say in response, realizing immediately how ridiculously happy I sound. I don’t consider myself an asshole, but this is next-level excitement. To have Bailey all to myself overwhelms me in the best way.
“Very well. Thank you for asking. How can I be of service?”
“We have a reservation under the name Lawson.”
The young woman looks down at the computer and starts to type. “Yes, I have you right here, Mr. Lawson. Two nights. Presidential suite, is that correct?”
“Yes.” I nod.
I don’t need to look at Bailey to know she is staring at me. Her sharp intake of breath gave away her surprise.
“I will have a bellman escort you to your suite. If you need anything, a reservation or help planning an activity, please do not hesitate to contact me. It would be my pleasure to assist you.” She walks around the desk and speaks to the bellman.
Together, we follow him through the hotel until he’s opening the door to the suite on the top floor.
I finally peer over at Bailey to see her eyes are opened wide. As much as she knows about me, I don’t think she understands just how much money I come from.
Billions if you include family money.
It’s refreshing to see that she doesn’t. It validates what I’ve known all along. She likes me for me and not my money.
I know she’s here with me for the right reasons.
As soon as the bellman puts our suitcases down and leaves, Bailey turns to me.
“Holy crap, Drew. This place is insane.”
My lips spread into a broad smile.
“Thought you would like it.”
“Like it? I love it. But this is too much.”
I step up to her, slide my thumb along her jaw and bring her face up so she looks at me. “Nothing is too much.” And before she can say another word, I silence her with my mouth.
With our lips still touching, I lift her into my arms and walk us out of the foyer, through the living room, and into the bedroom. Once inside, we make our way to the bed, never separating.
Holding her tight, I lean forward and place her down in front of it, and only then do I stop kissing her.
“Undress,” I rasp out, making quick work of removing my own clothes.
Once naked, I crawl up between her spread legs until I’m hovering above her. A shudder runs through her body as I settle on top of her.
I take the second to meet her gaze, and the look in her eyes makes me want to thrust inside her. Her chest heaves, and her eyes are glassy with desire. I watch her with hungry eyes, like a predator stalking his prey and waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
Time stands still as I align myself with her core.
She lifts her pelvis in invitation, an invitation I’m not going to turn down, so I thrust.
A soft sigh escapes her mouth once I’m fully seated. Holding still, I reach my hand around to cup her face, and then with our eyes locked, I start to thrust.
I move inside her.
In and out.
Never breaking eye contact.
In and out.
Never once looking away.
It feels different right now. Watching her watch me is different, and for some reason, it makes me push harder, move deeper. Claim her in a way I’ve never claimed her before.
She doesn’t break the stare. Not when she clenches around me. Not when she shudders with bliss. Not when she comes undone.
Never.
And when I follow her over the edge, I’m still looking into her eyes.
Owning her.
Body. Mind.
Soul.
Only then do I stop. Only then do I burrow in the crook of her neck, panting as we catch our breaths.
A few minutes pass as we both come down from our high. I lean up and kiss her on the lips before separating
us.
I leave her sated in the bed and walk over to the bathroom. Turning the faucet on, I wet a washcloth and return to clean up the mess we made.
“Ready to get out of here and see the city?” I ask.
She laughs—a perfect laugh with a wide, happy smile.
After we get up from the bed, we head into the shower. Once we are done, we both grab clothes from our suitcases before we unpack. Neither of us brought much. I’m actually pleasantly surprised by how low maintenance Bailey is.
Once she’s dressed, I walk up to her and lean down and kiss the top of her head. Normally, Bailey wears heels, so I never really noticed how much shorter she is than me. It’s cute. I pull back and kiss her hard on the lips.
“What was that for?” She giggles.
“Just wanted to.”
“Um . . .” She turns around to face me. “Okay. What’s the plan?”
“Like I’m going to tell you.” I laugh.
There are no big plans. I just want to hold her hand and walk around a different city with her. Somewhere we can just be us. Without work. Without hiding from the staff at Silver.
I’m okay with everyone knowing we are dating. It’s been over a month. It’s time. But Bailey, on the other hand, I don’t think she’s ready for that. I understand. She doesn’t want the rumors to spoil what we have. Nobody needs to believe she got the job because she’s sleeping with the boss. Especially as it’s simply not the case. I don’t want anyone to demean the hard work she’s done to earn her position.
However, being here in Boston and having the ability to freely kiss her in public is a change of pace I could get used to.
We walk the streets hand in hand, taking in the sights and just enjoying ourselves. When we finally arrive at our destination, a restaurant well-known for not only its fantastic food but also the vibe, we head inside and head to the reception desk. We don’t make it before I see someone I know.
“Cavendish. What are you doing here?” I say to my old friend. I haven’t seen him since college. He’s a good guy and trustworthy, which is hard to come by in the circles I’ve run. Money muddies the water but not with Charles.