by Jodie Larson
Our lips brush together once more before he takes a step back.
“Afraid that I’ll leave you standing alone in the lobby?” I smirk.
He shakes his head. “Or maybe I’m hoping to catch you in just your towel again.”
I laugh and put the keycard in the slot. “Don’t bet on it. That may have been a one-time deal.”
I open the door and lean into the jamb. “I will see you at nine.”
“Goodnight, sweet Tessa,” he says, closing the gap and giving me a final kiss goodbye.
I can never get enough of his mouth and am thankful that he’s more than eager to give it to me. I can’t think of a time where I’ve ever kissed someone as much as him.
And I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Dream of me,” he whispers before he retreats with a wink.
And just like that he disappears around the corner, leaving me with my wits scattered about all over the hallway of the hotel.
Dream of him? If only I could. But with the promises that he’s made tonight and the hope for a future, maybe I can finally let go of my dream man and focus on Andrew instead.
THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT PEEKS THROUGH the curtains, causing me to squint awake. A pounding ache spreads across my face as I open my eyes to discover what I already know to be true. The base of the bedside table is becoming a constant fixture of my morning vision and frankly I’m getting quite sick of it.
Why couldn’t I dream of Andrew like he wanted me to? Is it truly that hard to dream of a man who is perfect in every way? Obviously he must have had a head injury at some point in his life.
Dragging myself into the bathroom, I reach for my giant bottle of Advil, shaking several little orange pills into my hand. Is it wrong that I never leave home without my five hundred count bottle? At this point in the game, they’re more like Tic Tacs than ibuprofen.
My eyes fall onto my reflection in the mirror and I cringe at what I see. Dark circles ring my dull hazel eyes once more from a fitful night of sleep. My neck aches as I twist it from side to side, trying to get a good angle to examine the now darkening bruise on my cheek. Somehow in my extremely good luck I managed to hit the exact same spot as yesterday.
With a shaking hand, I reach up and lightly brush my fingertip across it, causing me to wince in pain. There is absolutely no way I’m going to be able to hide this from Andrew. It’s already turning a nasty shade of purple and red. I close my eyes and sink to the floor, curling up into a ball against the shower door. Just once, I’d like to wake up and not have to hide some hideous bruise on my body. People will begin to think that someone is beating me. At least they would if there were someone in my life.
In desperate need of a distraction and to not lock myself in my head, I decide to sing my mood away as I pull myself off the cold hard floor. Plugging in my phone to the iPod docking station, I crank up my playlist to a level where I shouldn’t disturb anyone else but can still be heard in the shower and sing my heart out. Just so I can block out every negative thought regarding the dream man and nature’s cruel joke of keeping me single.
I’m just finishing my morning routine when I hear Kara’s telltale knock at my door. With a laugh, I open the door and she comes barreling inside with a dreamy expression on her face.
“Oh my God, that man is insatiable! So much phone sex last night. We’re on two different continents and he can still bring me to multiple orgasms. I think I may have carpal tunnel syndrome.”
I can’t help but laugh as she flops her perfect body onto my bed. One of the things I love about Kara is her ability to say exactly what’s on her mind. “Ew, gross. There’s a visual that I do not need Kara. So how is Christopher?”
“Amazing, as always. He was still at the office when I surprise Skyped him wearing nothing but my panties. It would have been better if he were in a meeting, but then he wouldn’t have answered if he were. Oh, how that man rocks my world.”
“Always the drama queen. Isn’t it slightly dangerous sleeping with the boss? I mean what happens if you two break up?”
“Are you kidding me? You know that I’ve been fucking around with Chris for years. I think we’re finally getting ready to make it public rather than hide it. You know, try the whole dating in plain sight and whatnot.”
She pulls herself up onto her elbows and smiles at me. She always looks so happy when she’s talking about her relationship with Christopher. I think I would be a nervous wreck if I had to hide my relationship with someone, forced to keep it a secret. But it doesn’t seem to bother her too much, or at least she doesn’t let on that it does. All I want is for her to be happy.
“I’m so happy for you, Kara. You and Christopher always looked good together I thought. Not that it’s that big of a secret around the office that you two are together. I mean, the way gossip is around there I’m surprised you’re not having a shotgun wedding due to some unplanned pregnancy. You know how it is when you work in an office full of women.”
“Jealous bitches. They’ve been trying to get their claws into Chris for as long as I can remember.” She moves her eyes across my outfit and gives me a reassuring smile, knowing that I’m nervous about how I look. “You look nice today. I love the outfit.”
I look down at the tan corduroy pants and blue tunic sweater and compare it to her gray twill pants, white button up blouse and multicolored scarf. “I feel underdressed compared to you though.”
Kara scoffs and waves her hand at me. “Whatever. It’s just another tour. Besides, it complements you perfectly. Oh, and speaking of work, Chris has requested that we have a meeting afterward with him so no dates for you tonight. Duty calls,” she says, lifting her body from my bed.
She moves closer to me and I try to back away before she gets a good look at my face. Unfortunately, I’m too late.
“What in the hell happened to you?”
My hand covers the spot as I look down while I walk away. “It’s nothing. I fell out of bed again and I think I hit the same spot as yesterday.”
“What the fuck? It looks like you went a few rounds with a boxer and lost.” She follows me to the bathroom where I try to cover it up again.
“It’s not a big deal. Just help me try to hide it. I don’t want Andrew to see it.”
“You know, you should seriously talk to a psychiatrist about those dreams of yours. They could help you get rid of them. You can’t go on day after day hurting yourself like this. It’s not good for you.”
Kara places her hand on my shoulder and I fight back the tears that threaten to fall. See a psychiatrist? That’s all I need is for a professional to tell me how sad and pathetic I am. Or worse, they’ll say that I’m just like my mother.
My eyes go wide and Kara’s arm instantly wrap around me from behind. “Oh, I’m sorry Tess. I didn’t mean to insinuate anything. It’s just . . . oh, fuck me and my lack of a filter.”
I turn and wrap my own arms around her, pulling her close. “It’s okay, Kara. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. But I’m not going to therapy. I just can’t.”
She pulls back and I can tell that she’s forcing her smile. “Well, then maybe I’ll buy you those bed rails that toddler’s use. That way you can’t fall out and hurt yourself.”
We both laugh and all the tension that was in the room has now vanished as if it was never there. Leave it to Kara to always find a way to lighten the mood.
“But in all seriousness, I think you should talk to someone about them. It can’t be good for you to continually have the same dream to the point of throwing yourself over the edge of the bed.”
“Kara, it’s just a dream. A silly idea of me being with a guy, whom I never get to see and is supposedly the one. Trust me, if I could dream about anything else I would. I mean, I’ve been begging myself to dream about Andrew for the past few nights and I can’t even do that.”
The cogs in Kara’s brain are working overtime as I watch her face twist from side to side, deep in thought. “Tell me again what your drea
m man looks like.”
With a huge sigh, I plant myself on the edge of the tub and close my eyes, recalling what I can of his features. “He’s tall. Muscular but not bulky, even though I don’t get to see much of his body, but somehow my fingers know what it looks like. His face is still in the shadows most of the time, but more and more pieces are starting to show. He has the bluest eyes with beautifully sculpted cheekbones and stubble across his jaw. I think he has dark hair, but I can’t tell because of the shadows. And he’s been calling my name more and more in the dream. His voice is low and seductive, but I can’t tell where he’s from. He doesn’t sound like he’s from back home.”
My eyes open and I watch as her face lights up. “Hmm, okay then.”
I narrow my eyes at her, as much as I possibly can without major pain setting in. “What is going on in that brain of yours, Kara?”
“Hmm? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Bullshit. I know you well enough to know when you’ve got your mind set on something. Spill it,” I say, giving her my feeble attempt at a menacing glare. It’s pathetic at best because let’s face it, not even a mouse would run away from me.
She shakes her head as she exits the bathroom. “Nope, not going to tell.”
I let out a frustrated groan and she laughs in response. She makes her way over to my desk and looks over the files before shoving them back into my bag.
“Everything still look okay with them?” I ask.
She nods. “Yep, everything is perfect. After we meet with Chris tonight, hashing out the final details, we’ll be completely set for tomorrow’s meeting. And Chris and I both agree that you do not need to attend, so you get to have the day off. Think of it as your reward for your hardass boss making you work late tonight.”
My eyes brighten and dance as I clap my hands together. “Really? A full day to myself in London? Are you sure you won’t need me?”
“Don’t worry about it. Chris is flying in tonight. He said he wanted to be there for the meeting tomorrow so I’ve got my backup.”
“When you said meet with Chris I assumed that we were doing this over the phone or Skype.”
She shakes her head. The smile on her face brightens even more. “Nope. He’s coming here.”
I have the sneaking suspicion that he’s coming here for more than just the contract signing and Kara is probably thinking along those same lines.
“A full day without work in London. I wonder what I’ll do with myself.”
Kara sticks her finger right in my face and her mouth turns down in a teasing scowl. “So help me God if you stay in this room and read I will kick your ass from here to Timbuktu.”
“Oh you know me so well,” I joke.
We both burst into a fit of laughter as I hear someone knocking on my door. I wipe a tear away from the corner of my eye but then another one threatens to form for an entirely different reason as Andrew stands in my doorway, looking as handsome as ever.
“Well, that is one way to answer the door love. Although yesterday was definitely better for a visual,” he says, bending down to lay a kiss at the corner of my mouth. “But I do love to see you smile.”
My cheeks flush as I move to the side, allowing him to step in. He pauses in front of me and I take the opportunity to stand on my tiptoes and brush my lips properly against his.
“Good morning, handsome.”
He lovingly sweeps his fingertips across my cheek before we walk further into the room. Kara is leaning against the desk, bracing herself on her arms and an amused expression still across her face. The scent of his cologne swirls around me, a scent that I’m starting to recognize and love. Somehow he always smells good first thing in the morning. Well, okay, not the first thing because obviously he’s had time to prepare and I have zero idea as to what he looks like when he first wakes up. Then that pleasant thought has my mind focusing on something entirely different as I move my eyes slowly up and down his body, wondering what it would be like to wake up to him every morning.
Andrew notices my stare and smirks. “See something you like, love?”
I flush a million shades of red and sit on the edge of my bed, gnawing on my bottom lip. He laughs and sits next to me, slinging an arm over my shoulders to draw me into his side.
“I’m just teasing. I love it when your eyes are on me,” he whispers so only I can hear.
Kara looks between the two of us. The same stupid smile is gracing her lips. “So how was the date last night?”
“It was perfect. Andrew took me to the London Eye and then we had a small dinner at this cute little café nearby,” I say, resting my hand lightly on his knee. I hope he doesn’t mind the intimate gesture but with his arm around my shoulder my mobility is limited. My options are his knee or further up the inside of his leg and I don’t think that would be appropriate.
“Oh! And we rode the Tube to get there,” I excitedly say.
Kara rolls her eyes. “Only you would get excited about something like that. But I’m glad you had a good time.”
Andrew’s thumb traces little circles on my shoulder, causing my body to relax and melt into him. My bones feel weak and I lean my head on his shoulder. The rumbling of his chest indicates he’s either silently laughing or making that low sexy noise of possession that I’ve noticed coming from him more and more. There’s just something about that deep rumbling noise that’s insanely hot. I’m all for women being independent and holding one’s own but when a guy feels protective of you, it makes you feel as if you’re the only person in the world that matters.
“So, Andrew, do you think you can show my girl another good time tomorrow since I gave her the day off?”
My eyes widen at Kara. Damn her and her meddling ways. I should have known there would have been a hidden agenda behind giving me the day off.
Andrew’s arm tightens around my shoulder, pulling me almost onto his lap. “I’m sure I can think of some way to keep her occupied. Charles informed me during our meeting yesterday that I will not be needed tomorrow. So it appears that I am at your disposal to do with as you please.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat, unsure if it’s from nerves or something else on a more primitive level. But the thought of spending an entire day with Andrew has my insides dancing. No interruptions, no work, nothing. Just the two of us, playing the happy couple as we spend time together. Well, as happy as a couple who only has one day to spend with each other can be. I shake off the negative thought, determined to be happy with the remaining time I have left here with Andrew. I’ll worry about what happens next when we reach that point. His cheek rests upon the top of my head and I sigh. This is going to be hard and I’m not as convinced as he is that I’ll come out of this unscathed.
Kara stands upright and claps her hands. “Okay, enough of this lovey-dovey shit. I’m hungry. Let’s blow this pop stand and get something to eat.”
The three of us make our way down to the restaurant. On the way down, Andrew’s hand never once leaves the small of my back. The heat of his hand permeates my sweater, igniting my skin once again in the way that only he’s able to do. I’ve never had a reaction to anyone as I have with him. It’s scary but comforting at the same time. It’s a feeling that I’ve become accustomed to in this short period of time and I know that I’ll miss it when I leave.
We’re seated near the bay of windows and Andrew takes the seat to my right. I suspect it’s because he wants to be as close to me as possible. Another thing that I’ve noticed is that he never sits across from me, always next to me, touching me in some way, shape or form. Not that I would ever complain about that. I’m like a starving person at a buffet. I crave his touch more than I should, but I can’t help myself.
We chat idly about nothing and everything all at once. Kara is, of course, being her usual self, reciting story after story that leaves us in stitches. I hardly notice the waiter when he brings us our food. Heck, I didn’t even remember ordering. But judging by the amount of food on my plate it must
have been Andrew that ordered for me. Apparently he doesn’t want to listen to my stomach growl today.
It is the most enjoyable breakfast that I’ve had in a long time, even more enjoyable than yesterday when it was just Andrew and me. But Andrew’s hand has taken a permanent residence on my knee while I eat. He must know that I’m incapable of doing anything with my left hand though I’m not sure how he would know that unless he’s been watching me that closely.
I turn my head to Andrew, placing a hand over my stomach. “I’m so full. Why on Earth did you order so much food for me?”
He looks down at my plate, noticing that I’ve only finished about half of it. He pins me with his blue eyes and a smile that doesn’t quite meet them. “Because you don’t eat enough as it is. Your stomach is always growling, telling me that you’re constantly hungry. So I decided to fix that problem the best way I know how. By ordering your food for you.”
Kara laughs and wipes her mouth with her napkin. “Finally! I’ve been telling her that for years and she never listens to me. Maybe now she’ll actually take the advice.”
I look down at my lumpy body and cringe. How can they not see what I see? “You both are crazy. I’m fairly positive that I need to lose a few pounds and gorging myself on food is not the way to do that.”
Andrew’s hand lifts from my knee and traces the contours of my cheek. “You are beautiful just the way you are. I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
“Aww, you are just too good to be true, Andrew,” Kara says. Then I see it, the familiar gleam in her eye as she looks at me. “So tell me, Andrew, do you enjoy elevators?”
I spit my water across the table, leaving a fine mist among the plate and centerpiece in front of me. Once again, Kara has me embarrassing myself in front of him. He pats my back while handing me a napkin to wipe the water dripping down my chin.
“It just so happens that I love elevators but only if I’m in the company of this beautiful woman to my left,” he says.
I give him an incredulous look, unable to believe that he’d like to be stuck in an elevator with me, especially since I almost drowned while on dry land in front of him. Twice.