She adjusted the hem of her tiny red skirt. “Well…with a wedding, finding a new house in the country, and setting up a nursery, Tyler wants me to be at home where he feels he can keep me safe from the city.”
“True.” I opened my desk drawer to retrieve watercolor pens when her nursery comment finally registered. “Wait, you’re pregnant?” I whispered.
She touched her stomach softly. “Fourteen weeks. No one knows, except you and Marcus. I thought I owed it to him. After all, he’s how Tyler and I met. He’s happy for us, but totally pissed he has to find a new employee.”
I patted her back during our embrace, but I was really giving Tate the thumbs up to head upstairs. “I’m happy for you both.”
Tate said his goodbyes, secretly giving me the one-hour signal as he departed, while I finished returning a stack of calls, and gathered my boards from the front desk.
Sneaking around was fun, and to be completely honest, the situation helped me let my hair down a bit…allowing me to be more relaxed and just enjoy life a little. On the outside, I tried to remain calm and all professional, but on the inside—I was giddy as a schoolgirl. I couldn’t wait to spend more time with him and find out what the private side of Tate Conway was all about.
Just as I had the last two days, I took the elevator down to the first floor amidst the departing crowd of coworkers as usual, then wasted time hiding in the ladies’ room off the main lobby hall.
After sitting quietly in a stall for a few minutes, I exited from the other door that led to the back hall for the private elevators, which were protected by key code. Of course, Tate didn’t have to go through all that. The staff in our office knew he was in the penthouse as a corporate guest. I was the one insisting on all the extra steps to avoid the office rumors.
The thump of heavy rock greeted me when the elevator door opened. Not only did it give me a sense that Tate was in a good mood, it also told me we were alone.
He was out on the balcony with his phone in his hand and wearing earbuds, and from the way he was laughing and moving his body around, he must have been having a lively conversation with someone. Not wanting to disturb him, I waited in the kitchen until he came back inside.
“Hey there,” he said behind me while I was searching the fridge for something to throw together for dinner.
“Hey back.”
His lips on mine were a sweet hello.
Sure hope this isn’t a wrong turn in my life right now.
“That was Jeff, a friend of mine from school that lives here in town. He has tickets to the NYC Wine and Food Festival tonight that he isn’t using. Want to go pig out with me?” His eyes lit up like a kid at an amusement park.
The dude definitely loves food. Little did he know, the festival was one of my advertising campaigns. Still in his arms, I moved in close to his ear and whispered, “We don’t need his tickets.”
He leaned back and lifted his brows like he was getting lucky instead. “We don’t?”
I giggled. “Nope. It was my campaign. I’m credentialed, and we can go for free, including behind the scene celeb meet and greets.”
“You’ve been holding out on me, girl. Go find some shoes you can walk the event in and let’s go. I already called down for the car service since getting a cab will be a beating during rush hour traffic.” He let me go and swatted my rear.
Since I would be representing my agency and could potentially run into Marcus, I decided to dress in jeans, a black jacket, and wedges. At least I would be warm, comfortable, and not in tennis shoes.
When I walked into the living room, Tate was standing there in jeans, a black jacket, and dress loafers. His eyes trailed up and down my body before he gave me a sexy smile. “Seems I got the memo.”
We both laughed.
In the car, he held my hand, kissed me on several occasions, and nudged me with his nose. “When I left you at the office today, I could still smell you, even though you weren’t around. I liked that,” he whispered in my ear.
“What a sweet thing to say.”
Please don’t hurt me…
We walked the streets, ate the food, drank the wine, and met celebrity chefs, including some from the Food Network’s show, Chopped. At first, I wasn’t sure how to introduce Tate, but he easily took care of that and called himself my boyfriend. I didn’t know if that was just for easiness in public or if he truly felt that way.
Is it too soon to use that label? I liked it, but it made me nervous.
“I think street tacos are my favorite,” he said, finishing off a brisket taco.
I was so stuffed I couldn’t eat anything else. “You’re sure?” I teased him.
“No, but I’m saving room for dessert,” he said with a wink.
I was certain he saw my eyes get big. “Where are you gonna put it?”
He winked, “Let’s get it to go.”
Oh, shit. Boy’s got plans for later.
“Make mine cheesecake,” I said as he walked toward the dessert display while summoning the car on his phone.
In the car, we were all over each other, and I was grateful for the privacy glass. When he slid his hands under my shirt, my nipples begged for his touch. The taste of wine lingered on his lips, his tongue taking control and owning mine.
When he nipped at my lower lip, I felt the need for friction between my legs. My sex was alive for the first time in so long. The thought of him burying himself between my thighs was more delicious than any dessert on the menu.
The car came to a final stop in front of our building, and Tate made sure I was presentable before the driver opened the door. We casually walked to the elevator, but as soon as the door shut, he was stealing my breath with his own.
Once inside the penthouse, he kissed me seductively as he walked me backwards to the sofa. The music was still playing in the background, although quieter, and it was no longer rock but rather soft ballads.
The scene was set. Too perfect. Was I being played?
My mind racing, I pulled away from him and let the weight of my body fall against the sofa. While I studied his face, his expression, I was aware of his lips—even more red from his assault on mine. I pushed my hair from my face and stalled to gather my thoughts.
“My body is not lying to you. I want you. I want this—us, but what we’re doing scares me. For so many reasons. It’s been a long time for me, this is all happening so quickly, and then there’s your campaign and my job…”
He put his finger over my mouth and shushed me. “Take a breath. We’ll take this slow, and when it happens, it will be beautiful.”
Just breathe…
With that said, he pulled me close to his side and put his arm around me like a teenager. We talked, listened to music, and argued over lyrics when one of us was wrong. We had a good deal in common.
“What did you major in at TCU?” I asked him, taking a bite of his apple pie that was sitting on the coffee table. “By the way, this will be so good in the morning with coffee if I don’t eat it all.”
“Business and…get this…a minor in marketing.”
“Dude, you’ve so been holdin’ out on me.” I elbowed him.
He sat up on the sofa. “Uh huh, I’ve been helping you for days, so don’t go there.” He shook his finger in a tease. He was right; he had.
He kissed me hard on the lips, then stretched out on the sofa. I lay beside him and didn’t recall the exact moment I drifted off to sleep, but sometime in the wee hours of the morning, I woke up. He had me wrapped tightly in his arms, and I knew he had to be uncomfortable on the sofa because I was.
Standing up, I woke him and sent him to bed, while I went to my own room. I had no nightmares —and I didn’t sleepwalk as far as I knew—just simple dreams and hopes of future happiness somewhere along the way.
The next morning, I accidentally turned off the alarm and had to rush to get ready for work. When I walked into the kitchen, Tate had already eaten and was in the living room on a webinar, talking fast cars with so
me guy with a heavy British accent.
I motioned that I was leaving, and he stopped the conversation for a moment and walked over to me while I finished pouring coffee.
He kissed me sweetly. “Good morning, sweet pea.”
“Mornin’. I overslept, gotta go.”
“I’ve got a full day of this craziness, but I’ll check in with you later. Care to join me for dinner?”
“Love to. Have a great day.” Rushing out, I couldn’t help but take a last glance of him sitting there all intense in his racing stuff, sexy as hell.
And making me happy…
“Naomi made dinner,” Tate called out as the elevator ping announced my arrival in the penthouse.
“Sweet. I could so get used to this.” Placing my purse strap over the back of a kitchen chair, I picked up the glass of wine Tate had waiting for me on the bar.
I noticed he was drinking liquor. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he lied.
“You’ve hit the whiskey already. Whatever it is, out with it.”
He took a deep breath, and I prepared for the worst while he leaned against the kitchen counter. “My car…my number one racing car has some issues, and I have to leave early for France.”
Dude, that’s all you got? Just say you don’t want to be with me, and we’ll move on.
“We moved up the video shoot a week to accommodate the Le Mans race,” I reminded him.
“I’ll make the shoot, I promise. Dave makes a big deal out of anything less than perfection with the car. Can’t complain, he’s head of my team and keeps me safe. I’ll fly in, check things out to appease him, then get to Dallas next week on time.”
“Okay, if you need to go, then it’s business all the way.” He needs to think I’m tough, but inside, being alone scares the hell out of me. And the thought of being dumped is off the charts…
“But…after your rough week, I’m not comfortable leaving you like this. That crazy monster who beat up Mariah is still on the loose and—”
I interrupted him. “I’m safe here. I won’t leave the building, and no one will get to me. We don’t even know that someone’s after me. Could be all for nothing, you know? I’m fine. I’ll meet you in Dallas next week like we planned.”
He wrapped me tightly in a bear hug. “You’re strong. If it were me, I would’ve hit the road for Texas days ago and let these eastern nuts have it.”
I laughed as he leaned back to look at me. “We have southern nuts too.”
“Well—there is definitely you.” He smiled big with a twinkle in his eyes. The dimple in his chin was more pronounced without as much scruff covering it up. I’d yet to see him clean shaven, but he was certainly handsome in a rugged way.
His full lips were soft on mine. With our tongues tangling slowly, I tasted the remnants of warm scotch. He deepened the kiss and used his hand to hold the side of my neck while his thumb rested possessively on my jaw. Long and passionate breaths escaped, my desire unleashed along with my invisible walls.
Wanting more, afraid of going further, fear of being hurt and rushing right back into the painful life I left behind…all these feelings clashed together.
Then my blouse was off, my heels were tossed, and he was drawing out my desires against the wall.
“I want you for however long you can stay,” I whispered against his neck between kisses.
He took my hand and started leading me to the master suite.
Errrk—scratch the scratchpad. “My room, okay?” I asked.
He turned toward my bedroom, pulling me with him. Once the door was closed, he pushed me against the wall and held my hands above my head.
Slowly, with serious seduction, he traced the outer lines of my lips before dragging his tongue down my neck. Nibbling at my collarbone, he used his teeth to drag my bra strap over my shoulder.
God, he’s lighting a fire inside me. I hope he’s prepared to put it out.
He used one hand to grasp both of mine high up on the wall, and my thighs lit up with tingles when he slid his free hand up my leg under my skirt. When he slipped his fingers inside me, I cried out a moan for more. “Please don’t stop,” I begged.
He bit at my nipples through my bra, and as he continued to stroke my sex, I came apart on his hand. All the tension of the past week escaped me as I let my body fall into the safety of his.
The fire in his eyes…lit me in passion.
Limp and completely sated, I let him guide me to the bed while his lips teased mine. Lying in his arms was way more comfortable than I wanted it to be. He was a tender lover, and with each touch, every caress, I felt a deeper connection to him; one I knew I wanted to wake up and feel every day.
So dangerous on many levels… “When is your flight?” I asked.
“It was at nine.” He mumbled into the back of my hair.
“Was?” I leaned over him to see the clock. Ten-thirty.
“You missed your flight.” I shoved on his arm and rolled over to face him.
“Well, I wasn’t planning on this happening, but I’m not about to make love to you then disappear. You might begin to think all the rumors are true.” He kissed my lips tenderly before kissing my forehead.
“So, you disappear in the morning then.” I tried to smile, but the haunting idea of it being nothing more than a booty call did cross my mind.
Pretend to be the savior, get what you want, then scoot on your merry way?
“I need to see when the next flight out will be. Dave is gonna have my ass slung up for the first day, bitchin’ about everything anyway. I won’t hit the track before Sunday, more than likely.”
When he rolled out of bed, it wasn’t the first time I got a close view of his sexy backside, and I felt a twinge of sadness, knowing I would be without him just as we were making a connection. There, I admitted it. I’d miss him.
Our lives were worlds apart, but in a sense, we were exactly the same—lonely souls needing someone.
When he returned with his laptop, he sat on the edge of the bed, checking flights. “I’ve only got a few hours before I head out. I’m gonna grab a shower.”
“Have room for two?” I teased.
His raised brows and lips turned up—the suggestive look over his shoulder was to die for.
10
After Tate left for the airport, I couldn’t go back to sleep. Partly because the picture of him completely sated beside me kept going through my brain, but the bigger issue was reality. After all, what kind of life could we have? Him racing, me avoiding racing, he lived in Texas, me in New York, him traveling—yada, yada, yada.
The lack of sleep meant a definite need for coffee. Good coffee that I couldn’t make myself. Since it wasn’t even seven yet, I had plenty of time to run to Starbucks before my meeting with Marcus at eight.
Imagine my embarrassed thoughts when I noticed Judith taking orders.
“What can I get started for you?” she asked.
“Venti Pumpkin Spice latté, extra shot, please.” After I handed the cash to her, she processed my order and moved on to the next customer without so much as blinking an eye.
Funny how our own embarrassments are just that. We get humiliated, but other people fail to remember.
The sun was bright for a fall day, but the air was crisp. I was just one amongst the hundreds of people sharing the sidewalk on a busy Friday morning, and I enjoyed starting my slow walk back to the office.
“’Bout time you showed up, bitch.” A man growled as he gripped my leather jacket and shoved me into an alley.
Les!
The coffee burned as it poured down my bare leg. I tried to scuffle with him, but he held on tightly. “Let go, asshole—”
He covered my mouth with his hand. “When I let go, you’re gonna tell me where my stuff is, and we’ll go get it.”
What was he talking about? Stuff? I’m sure my facial expressions gave away my confusion.
“Don’t try to play dumb. Mariah said she hid it in your closet. Sinc
e you took everything, that means you have it. Stupid bitch, it should’ve been you that Bones butchered. Lucky for you, he got the wrong bitch. If you fuck with me, you’ll die, and it’s gonna be more painful than what Mariah got.”
His hand left my mouth and slid down to my throat. I could barely breathe.
“Storage,” I whispered.
He loosened his grip slightly.
“My boss had everything put in storage for me. I haven’t been there and have no idea where things are. I’m meeting him in a minute, and I’ll get the pass code.”
When he moved away from me, I thought I’d bought myself some time. His right hook across my left cheek sent me to the pavement.
Son of a bitch.
Fight for yourself. Tate’s words rang out in my head as I crawled to get on all fours.
If Les thought I was a meek, scared little woman, he had another think coming.
My hair had come loose from the clippie holding it and covered my face, but I could see through it enough to visualize him typing into his phone. As the pain raged in my cheek, I garnered my strength and charged him. His phone went flying as he fell to his back, me on top of him. Punching him with everything I had inside me, I kept thinking it was him or me. My life depended on it.
“Police! Freeze!”
The short barrel of the 9 mm was aimed right at my chest, as my fist hung in the air. “Sir, he —”
“I know. Witnesses told us you were in need. It’s okay, ma’am. We got this.”
I crawled off Les, and the officers helped me to my feet. A crowd had gathered around the opening to the alley, and once Les was handcuffed, there were cheers amongst them. Sitting on the bottom of the fire escape ladder, I gave the police my statement and brought them up to speed with the other case involving Mariah and the name of the detective who had visited me.
Oddly, the officer made a questioning face when I said Detective Dempsey.
“Ms. Alders, we will be in touch. I’m certain the other task force will want to find the objects this man here is looking for since it’s part of a bigger operation, but for now, you’re free to go.” The officer helped me to my feet, and as I looked past him, the visual of Les handcuffed and face down on the hood of the NYPD cruiser would forever be burned in my mind, along with his terrifying confession that it should’ve been me instead of Mariah lying in that hospital bed.
Tracks To Love: An Enemies To Lovers Alpha Hero Romance Page 6