Liz gently touched her friend’s hand. “I like Drew a lot and I believe that he loves you, but is he worth all of this angst?” Liz could guess what the answer would be, but she had to ask anyway.
“Being with him is like riding a wave, isn’t it? You never know when you’re going to go under. But I believe he wants to fix this and, if he does, we’ll get through it somehow. If he can’t…well, I don’t want to think about that yet. I’ve never pictured myself as a married man’s mistress.”
Kate slowly stirred her drink with one finger then put it in her mouth to suck the liquid off it. She didn’t notice the man whose eyes widened with interest when she repeated the motion until she was startled by a deep voice behind her.
“That’s an interesting way to make a drink last a long time. I hope there’s nothing wrong with it.”
Kate and Liz both turned toward him and scowled.
He raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, ladies. It was just an observation.”
“We were in the middle of a private discussion,” Liz said. “You weren’t invited.”
“Ouch!” He grinned and covered his heart with both hands. “I’ll go, but I can’t exactly leave since this is my restaurant.”
“Oh!” Liz said, instantly reverting to her usual charming self. “I should have recognized you. You’re Mike Fielding, right? Charles keeps promising to bring me here, but he never has. I’m Elizabeth Bradford and this is Kate Porter.”
“Wait a minute…” He narrowed his eyes, trying to remember why those names were so familiar. “I’ve got it. You’re Charlie and Drew’s women.” He shifted his gaze to Kate. “The paparazzi have splashed your picture all over the place, so that’s why I thought that we’d met before. The guys stopped by on opening night, but they were alone. I’d remember if you two were with them.”
Kate returned his smile. “So you, Drew and Charles are friends?”
“Drew and I used to be on the circuit together.”
“The circuit?”
“Yeah, World Cup, Olympics, you know, the international ski racing circuit. He’s a phenomenal skier and Charles has managed his career brilliantly.”
Liz scanned the crowded restaurant. “It doesn’t look like you’ve done badly either. When did this place open?”
Mike mentioned a date, then his eyes crinkled as he smiled broadly. “I never thought I’d see Drew O’Connor reject every woman who came on to him like he did that night, but now I understand why.”
His words made Kate smile, but then she frowned as she considered the timing. “Drew and I weren’t seeing each other yet. We’d met briefly, but we definitely weren’t together.”
“I guess you made enough of an impression that he lost interest in other women. Quite a compliment, I’d say.” He looked around and motioned to the hostess. “I have to get back to work. Are you here for drinks or waiting to be seated?”
“We don’t have a reservation…” Kate began.
“I’ll take care of it. I wish people didn’t have to wait so long for a table. Success is great, believe me, but we’re at the point where we have to refuse people, and I feel bad about that.” He turned to the hostess who’d stood patiently at his side. “These ladies are my guests. Please show them to my table.”
“We couldn’t.” Kate began. “Other people have been waiting longer than us. It wouldn’t be fair.”
“Ah, but you’re the woman who’s captured the heart of one of my best friends, so you’ve always got a table here. Drew showing up on opening night created a lot of buzz that helped to make my place a success. I owe him big time.”
Curious eyes followed them as they were led to a table near the back. Regulars knew that Fielding held that table for himself or for VIPs who dropped by unexpectedly to see and be seen while enjoying a great meal. So who were these two women?
Kate was about to place a forkful of risotto into her mouth when Liz hissed, “Don’t look now, but the blonde who’s been staring at us is on her way over.” Kate shifted her eyes to confirm Liz’s warning and returned the fork to her plate, unwilling to deal with whatever it was with a mouth full of food, no matter how delicious.
“Please excuse me for interrupting your dinner, but I can’t help feeling that we’ve met somewhere,” the woman said in a voice so overly sweet that it was nauseating. She directed her comment to Kate and completely ignored Liz, who, as an actress, was the more famous of the two.
Kate raised her eyes. The unwelcome visitor was beautiful, model slim, tan, with the kind of shiny, artfully tousled hair that was probably professionally blown out by one of New York’s celebrity hairdressers. The woman’s green eyes never left Kate’s.
“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” Kate said politely and picked up her fork again, dismissing the woman.
“Maybe, but I know most of Mike’s regulars and you’re at his table,” she persisted.
“He’s a friend of a friend,” Liz said, refusing to reveal anything else. Under her breath she added, “Go away.”
“Who’s his friend? Maybe that’s how I know you.”
Kate glanced at Liz, silently asking if she should just tell the woman what she wanted to know so she’d leave them alone. Liz shrugged and rolled her eyes, then gave a slight nod.
“Drew O’Connor,” Kate said.
“Oh! Now I recognize you,” she said, and rested her hand on Kate’s shoulder. “You’re Drew’s latest, that editor, right?” She didn’t wait for a reply before leaning closer. “That man’s dynamite in bed. We had some wild nights when we were together. Just keep in mind that it won’t last.”
Kate wasn’t going to let the woman get to her. “Thanks for the warning. Now that you’ve satisfied your curiosity, can my friend and I get back to our dinner? The food’s wonderful and it’s getting cold.” She turned away and shoved risotto in her mouth, then drained her glass of wine as tears threatened.
“What a bitch,” Liz said, shaking her head from side to side.
“That’s always going to happen because I’m involved with a public person instead of some ordinary guy who no one would recognize. Other women Drew’s slept with will be anxious to tell me what a great lover he is and remind me that he doesn’t stick around for long.”
“They obviously didn’t mean much to him or he’d be with one of them,” Liz said.
“I guess,” Kate reluctantly conceded. “He told me that he never connected emotion with sex until he met me. Can I believe that or was it a line?”
“Not a line. Men instantly know when fucking turns to making love, since the realization freaks them out.” She reached across the table and covered Kate’s hand with hers. “Katie. You guys are going through a rough patch, so it’s natural to have doubts, but I’ve seen him with you. He loves you. Charles told me he thought Drew’s heart was permanently closed after Erin screwed him over, but he fell for you fast and hard. Our guys have known each other for ages and if Charles trusts Drew’s feelings for you, then I do too.” She glared at the blonde who’d returned to her table and was now whispering to her friends. “A woman like that would like nothing better than to cause trouble for you and Drew because of things she says. Trust your heart and not some bitch who’s jealous that Drew loves you.”
Kate lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”
They skipped dessert and went to find Mike to thank him for dinner.
“Any time, ladies,” he said. “Kate, I saw Lara come over to your table. I almost stepped in, but it looked like you handled it fine. She did the same thing to Drew when he and Charles were here for the opening. He told her to get lost and she was pissed off. Don’t let the grown up mean girls get to you.”
She impulsively kissed his cheek. “I’ll try. Thanks for telling me that.”
“Nice guy, and so handsome too,” Liz said as they left the restaurant. “He seemed to like you, so if things don’t work out with Drew…”
“No. If Drew and I are ov
er, the last thing I’d want is another man, especially one of his friends. What I need now is a gooey hot fudge sundae since we didn’t have dessert. That bitch put me in the mood for chocolate.”
“You’re on,” Liz said and they walked off to find ice cream, arm in arm.
CHAPTER 25
“She doesn’t want to talk to me until this is settled,” Drew said. He carefully folded a slice of pizza in half so that the runny mozzarella wouldn’t slide off and took a big bite. “Hot!” he exclaimed when molten sauce hit his tongue. He quickly chugged half of his beer to soothe the burn. “Damn, I can never wait until it cools before taking a bite.” He put the slice on his plate and leaned back.
“You’ve been burned by more than pizza, my man,” said Charles.
“Very funny,” Drew replied, without even the hint of a smile on his face.
“You should at least let her know that you’ve met with your legal team here, lined up a top attorney in Ireland, and are leaving tonight.”
“She wants nothing to do with me until I’m free. She doesn’t want to be with a married man and I respect that, despite how unmarried I feel. It’s a good rule,” he mumbled, then nodded almost as if he were trying to convince himself.
“I guess it was easy for you to forget that you are married. You and Erin only lived together for a couple of weeks and that was ages ago. When was the last time you contacted her about a divorce?”
“After I split, she said she never wanted to see me again and I went along with that for two years. Considering the life I was leading, no one guessed that I was married. Newspapers had begun to run pictures of me with this model or that actress and I was sure she’d want to be rid of me. After a World Cup event in Switzerland, I stopped in Ireland to ask her for a divorce in person. She refused, and I never went to see her again. I’ve called a few times and the answer never changed. Divorce isn’t part of her vocabulary. Nullifying the marriage is my best bet according to the lawyer and the priest I met with here. Evidently, Irish divorce law changed and the Church recently eased the way for quicker annulments so that will help. Plus, she was only seventeen when we married and that’s underage. The lawyer may be able to argue that the marriage wasn’t legal to start with. If she wants to accuse me of adultery or demand a big settlement, I don’t give a shit. I just want my freedom.”
Charles leaned closer to Drew. “It sounds like Erin may have no choice but to go along with it this time.”
Drew’s jaw tensed as he gritted his teeth. “This whole situation is screwing with my head. I’m in love with Kate and fuck if I know what to do with these feelings if we can’t be together.” He drained his beer and slammed the bottle onto the table. “What if she decides I’m not worth the garbage that comes with being with me? I can’t go back to the way I was living before I met her.”
Each man became lost in his own thoughts as they finished the last slices of pizza until Drew shook his head to bring himself back to the present. “I’m a selfish prick,” he said looking at Charles. “Here I am whining about my problems and I haven’t even asked about you and Liz. Are you guys good?”
“Better than good.” Charles couldn’t hide his happiness. “Although it’ll be nice when she can stop worrying about your girlfriend. Those ladies are as close as sisters and have each other’s backs, so when the shit hits the fan with you two, I lose Liz for a while.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well, that loyalty, that caring, is one of the things I love about her.”
“And since you can’t keep your hands off each other, I guess there are other things you love about her too. I get that,” Drew said, grinning. “I’m so damn happy for you. After all these years, who would have guessed that we would end up with women who are best friends? It would suck if our wives hated each other.”
Charles paled. “Wait a minute, O’Connor. Who said anything about marriage? You’re making my stomach churn and that’s not the best thing when it’s full of pizza.”
“The thought of losing her is what should make your insides ache, not the word marriage. If that makes you nauseous then maybe she’s not the one.”
“I didn’t say that. Why does it always come down to putting a ring on it? Why can’t we just be together?”
“If that’s what both of you want and it makes you happy, fine. Me? I want the whole enchilada. Wife, babies, house, forever. Maybe it’s to compensate for my messed up childhood, but I want — no, I need — what I never had. It surprises the shit out of me, but with Kate…I can’t imagine my life with anyone else.”
“Then do what you need to do to make it happen and do it quickly. When there’s a wedding, I expect to be your best man.” Charles pounded Drew on the back, then pulled him in for a hug. “I love you, man. You’re my brother.”
“Back at you,” Drew said, his voice cracking with emotion he quickly shook off. “Even if we don’t have a big wedding and elope to Vegas, I expect you to stand up with me.”
“Of course, but first get the divorce, then buy a ring, and then find out if the woman will even have you.” Charles was grinning like a loon. “You’re not the easiest man to be with.”
“Tell me about it. I can always count on you to bring me back to earth,” Drew said, shaking his head as he patted his pocket to be sure he had his passport and boarding pass. “If this is gong to happen, I need to get my ass to the airport.”
CHAPTER 26
Drew missed Kate as he began the drive north from Shannon’s airport, the seat beside him empty. She’d been so excited about every small village and sheep-dotted hillside they’d passed when they’d traveled this same road together.
He yawned, exhausted from the emotion of the past few days and the overnight flight that landed before dawn. Despite the comfort of his first class seat, he hadn’t slept for even a minute. His mind refused to shut down, keenly aware that the next few days would determine the course of the rest of his life. It wasn’t like him to worry and, as a competitive athlete, he’d learned to banish negative thoughts, but every technique he tried now failed. This was bigger and meant more to him than any race ever had.
He reached Galway quickly and checked into the hotel where he and Kate had stayed. He hoped the flirtatious redhead who’d caused him so much grief on his last visit wasn’t a local and had gone back to wherever she came from. The last thing he needed was to have his picture splashed all over the tabloids again and then have to deal with the resultant fallout.
Once in his suite, he lowered the blackout shades, set the alarm on his phone, stripped to his underwear, and crawled under the bed’s fluffy duvet. He had a late morning appointment with his Irish lawyer, so he needed to sleep for a few hours if he expected his mind to focus. This was too important to screw up.
Restless, he flipped from his back to his stomach, wrapped his arms around the pillow, closed his eyes, and focused on breathing slowly. In and out. In and out. In and out, he repeated like a mantra, but instead of relaxing him, the words conjured up images of his cock sliding in and out of Kate’s moist heat. Shit. He’d never desired a woman the way he constantly craved her, even when she wasn’t there. He finally drifted off and when his alarm sounded, he wished that he could stay in bed. Instead, he took a quick shower and, somewhat revived, dressed and set out on foot for the lawyer’s office. An extra large coffee he bought at a café along the way helped to further sharpen his mind.
He easily found the lawyer’s office in the city’s lively historic district, but when he opened the door his eyes widened and the words he was about to say became stuck between his brain and his mouth.
Instinct told him to run. He was about to reverse direction when the receptionist spoke. “Please come in, Mr. O’Connor, or perhaps I should call you Drew since we’re already acquainted,” she said sweetly, seeming to enjoy his obvious discomfort.
Holy shit, Drew thought. Although she was dressed in a conservative skirt and sweater with her hair pulled into a neat pony tail, there was no mis
taking the redhead who’d flirted with him, the one whose actions almost made him lose Kate.
She turned to face him and crossed her long legs, then used one hand to slowly slide her skirt up her thigh. A self-satisfied smile flickered briefly when Drew’s eyes followed her movement. “I didn’t think we’d see each other again,” she said breathlessly.
“We haven’t,” he said curtly. “I’m here to see Mr. Morgan. I’m expected.”
“Margaret, is that Mr. O’Connor I hear out there? What are you waiting for, girl? Show the man in,” a deep voice blustered.
Drew rushed toward the open door as if to escape attack by a serpent since that’s what being in that woman’s presence was like. It sucked that now he’d have to find another lawyer since this one had a reputation as the best to handle his problem. Regardless, he wasn’t willing to put himself within a mile of that bitch again and risk losing Kate.
Brian Morgan’s cluttered office, rumpled suit, and day old beard might give the impression of an unsophisticated country lawyer, but the diploma on his wall was from Harvard. Drew’s American lawyer had said that the Irishman was a character, but a brilliant one, who maintained the image because it was great fun to have his opponents underestimate him.
The lawyer stood to greet Drew. He grasped the athlete’s hand in his meaty one. “Although I shouldn’t have to, I’ll apologize for my niece. She’s just out of university and lends a hand from time to time. Brilliant girl, but boy crazy, and not the best receptionist. She should have sent you in immediately instead of goggling at you.”
“Not a problem,” Drew said. He’d need a guarantee that niece or not, she would have nothing to do with him or the paperwork for his case. He wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to fuck it up somehow.
Falling Into Drew Page 17