“Oh, I think we’ve got everything covered—”
“Well, I was just—” He broke off, and Anna could tell he was a little embarrassed about whatever it was he was about to say. “I know this might be a little forward, but I just thought—maybe you could use…I don’t know how to say this. But I know what a draw a firefighter can be for a lot of women—and I was just thinking, if you wanted, I wouldn’t mind putting myself up there.”
“You want to be auctioned off?” His cheeks flushed and he quickly averted his eyes. Anna had to admit, it was kind of endearing to see someone else blush for once.
“I don’t mean anything kinky by it or anything, but Karen was just talking about it, and I heard about it on the radio this morning, and I thought—why not? I mean, it’s for a good cause, isn’t it?”
“Well, if you’re sure—then I would be more than happy to add you to the list. Would you mind if I took a quick picture?” She shook her head, realizing she should explain herself. “I mean, for the site—so that we can put it up. Where people can see what we’re auctioning off.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. Now?” Anna laughed, feeling her cheeks redden just the same as his. “If you think—I mean—”
“Would you mind taking your jacket off? So that I can get the CFD in there.” He obliged, however modestly, and Anna wiped her hands aggressively on her jeans before she pulled her phone from her pocket and snapped a quick picture. “There we go. Perfect.”
“Should I give you my number too? Just in case anything comes up.”
“Oh, right, that’s probably a good idea.” He rattled off his cell phone number and Anna quickly added it into her contacts. “Well, thank you, Jonathan. It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”
“You’ll be at the auction, won’t you?” Anna nodded. “Well, I look forward to seeing you there. Maybe, if you see someone shady bidding on me, you might do me the favor of throwing your hat into the ring?”
“I’ll keep my eye out,” she told him with a soft smile. “Karen’s inside cleaning up, which is where I’m about to head. Again, thank you.”
As she turned to enter the building, the man waved. She returned the gesture, still smiling, and hurried inside.
She heard Alice’s voice in her head, telling her that she should be dating other people in order to preserve the nature of her relationship with Drew—and, for just a moment, she considered turning around and asking Jonathan out.
But as soon as the idea was in her head, she’d talked herself out of it. Getting involved with a parent was a bad idea.
No matter how cute he was.
She stopped at the bathroom and washed up as best she could before stopping back at her office and grabbing everything she’d brought with her this morning—including her dress, heels, and whatever makeup she’d need for the evening. Drew had suggested she forgo preparing for the evening at her own house—mostly to avoid having to pick her up, because it “reminded him of eighth grade”.
“I’ll see you Monday, Crystal!” The girl waved from the desk before returning to whatever book she was studying from today. Finals were fast approaching, Anna knew.
Traffic was worse heading toward Drew’s apartment, so it took her longer than she’d have liked—especially considering the amount of time she was going to require to get the dirt from under her nails alone.
Drew was waiting for her at his door, and she didn’t miss the quizzical look that passed through his eyes as he looked her over. “It appears that you’ve had an interesting day.”
“Oh, I have.” He reached out and rubbed her cheek—probably trying to brush away a spot of dirt she’d missed. “But I don’t have time to even begin telling you about it. I’ve got mountains of preparation—”
“It’s just a work thing—”
“Oh, Drew. I know you better than that.” She reached up and patted him on the cheek a couple times. “I’m taking over your bedroom, and your bathroom. See you in an hour or so.”
Before he could stop her, she breezed through his bedroom door, closing it behind her.
~*~
It had taken her well over an hour, but mostly because she’d given up on trying to clean all of the dirt from her cuticles and had decided to paint her nails instead. She wore a deep red dress that would have made Alice proud with a pair of matching heels, and her hair was held up by several strategically placed bobby pins.
Drew knocked on the door for the third time. “Aren’t you ready yet?”
Anna sighed, glancing in the mirror one more time before heading out into the bedroom. She grabbed her earrings from his nightstand and began putting them in, just as Drew pushed the door open. “That’s it, I’m—”
He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes trailing over her very slowly. She finished with her last earring and walked over to him, touching his chin with her finger. “You’re staring, Drew.”
“Am I not supposed to?” His eyes roamed over her again. “Because if not, I think you’ve done something very, very wrong.”
“So it’s okay, then?” She did a 360 for him, but as soon as she’d found his eyes again, she knew she had his approval. “I figured you probably take pretty girls to these things all the time, so I should do my best to look the part.”
“Oh, you’ve succeeded.” Drew took her hand and pulled her closer to him. “Now I’m going to be even more anxious to get this thing done and over with.”
“So you can bring me back here and have your way with me?” She asked him, a coy smile on her lips.
“And the more you say things like that, the harder it’s going to be.” Anna couldn’t resist trailing her fingers up his thigh, and Drew groaned. “Okay, if we don’t leave now, we’re never going to make it.” Her laughter filled the room and he gave her a stern look before leading the way from the bedroom, stopping only to grab his blazer and her shawl.
He was wearing a charcoal colored suit, with no tie—and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t having a hard time taking her eyes off him, too.
When he took her hand again, he didn’t let go, even as they crossed the parking lot. She headed toward his SUV, but he stopped her, tugging her in another direction. “But you’re parked—”
“Come on,” he encouraged, nodding his head.
And then she saw it.
A classic car, just across the way. She could only assume it was a 1968 Mustang. Hadn’t that been the car Drew said he’d restored?
It was beautiful, even to her—and she wasn’t much for the whole car thing. But the silver of the body almost sparkled. It was smooth and sleek, with black stripes on the hood, and Anna imagined it was very, very fast.
“Is this—?” She walked around the car, taking care to observe every inch of it.
“This is my baby.” Drew caressed the hood. “I spent every cent I could scrape together on this girl. Took me about five years to finish, but I did it.”
“It’s gorgeous.” Anna told him, meaning the compliment.
“Oh, I know.” She looked up to find his eyes on her, resting her hand on the body of the car. He held open the passenger door for her. “Want to hear her purr?”
“Should I be concerned that you refer to your car as if it were alive?” Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Once we start driving, you’re going to think she is too.” Anna couldn’t help but giggle, smoothing down her dress before sliding into the car. She buckled in, waiting for Drew to join her. “Ready?”
“Go on and introduce us.” She told him.
As soon as he started the car, she felt the engine purring—there really was no other word for it—all around them. Anna couldn’t help but watch Drew as he drove the car, and she knew that this was something he was proud of. This car, the fact that he worked for it, that he used his own hands—it meant something to him.
And she couldn’t be happier that he was sharing it with her.
They didn’t speak as he drove to the station. When the arrived, he handed the keys over to the valet
attendant, taking Anna by the hand. As they started walking toward the building, he pulled her closer to him, slipping his arm around her. “What’d you think?” he asked.
“Oh, she purred.”
“If I have my way, she won’t be the only thing purring.”
Anna laughed then—a real laugh, shaking her head at his cheesiness as they entered the building. Drew ginned happily at her as he directed her toward a large room in the back of the building.
“The building used to be a hotel or something, way back when, and they decided to keep this space available.” He informed her. Several tables filled the room, with a stage at the head. “I apologize in advance for the incredible amount of ego you’ll encounter tonight.”
“Oh, I think I’ve spent enough time with you that I can handle it.” His only response was another grin as he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her around, introducing her to various people—and without fail, he was certain to mention the community center to every single person they spoke to.
Whether it was a reminder about the auction, or the prom, or even simply to introduce her as the head of the center, Drew made sure every conversation was a sales pitch.
Anna watched him, soaking it all in. With every new introduction, she felt an extreme sense of affection toward him.
Drew, the man she had never thought capable of thinking of anyone but himself—and here he was, doing everything in his power to help out a random group of kids with whom he had literally no connection.
She knew she was going to have to think of some way to repay him—she wasn’t sure how, but she knew that it had to be something special. After everything he’d done for her, she at least owed him that.
“So this is the platonic friend you’ve been talking about all the time.” Anna looked up to find Drew’s partner, Dave, standing in front of them. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Anna, this is Dave. Dave, meet Anna.”
“I hear you play a mean game of Call of Duty.”
“I handle my own well enough, thank you.” Anna smiled at him, reaching out to grab a glass of champagne from a passing waitress. “I hear you’re pretty awful.”
And Dave laughed, nodding his head. “I like this one, Drew. She seems like she’s got a good head on her shoulders.” Dave told him, patting him on the back. Anna took a drink from her glass. “So what are you doing with this guy?”
“Oh, you know. Mostly, I just use my feminine wiles to convince him to do my bidding.” She slipped her arm through Drew’s, smiling. “Speaking of which—it appears that there’s a dance floor in need of some serious attention just over yonder.”
“How could I say no to such a pretty face?” He threw his hand up as Anna pulled him away from Dave, leaving her glass on a table and leading him toward the empty space in the corner of the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they swayed slowly.
“So, what is it we’re celebrating?” she asked.
“Oh, well, the station has done pretty well.”
“No, what are you celebrating? You don’t have a modest bone in your body, Drew. It’s okay to brag.”
“Well, I—or, I should say we—were number one in the ratings, for the third year in a row.” Anna pulled back, her eyebrows raised. She knew they were popular—but number one?
“That’s something worth bragging about.” She told him.
“Something else worth bragging about?” Drew leaned in, his mouth very near to her ear. “I’ve clearly got the hottest girl in the room in my arms.”
“Oh, you and your charms, Mr. Whitman. However is a girl to refuse?” She laughed, pulling away from him—only to have him pull her in again and lean her backward.
There was that grin again—the one with the dimple, that made everything disappear.
“So—this is your building then?” Anna asked and Drew nodded. “Could I see your office?”
“You want to see my office?” he clarified.
“You’ve seen mine a million times. It’s only fair. Besides, I bet the number one morning show has an office worth showing off.”
“Oh, fine, if you insist.” Drew took her hand and led her back into the main entryway, where he stabbed at a button. The elevator arrived immediately, taking them up several floors. “This is where we all convalesce,” he pointed toward a larger conference room just across from the elevator. “Over here are our offices.”
“Lead the way, Mr. Whitman.” He stopped here and there to point out the copy room, the office shared by the show’s interns, and the communal bathroom. All of the walls were glass—aside from the bathroom, of course—and some were covered by blinds while others were wide open
“But, as one of the headliners, I get my own bathroom. Well, technically, I share with Dave—but still.” Drew was telling her.
“I don’t have my own bathroom.”
“Exactly.” She nudged him with her hip as they came to a stop in front of a door with his name on it. “And here we are.”
“Aren’t you going to let me in?” she asked.
“Of course.”
As soon as Drew opened the door, Anna crossed the threshold, taking in her surroundings. Plaques announcing his achievements lined the wall, and around those, posters for the show. She stopped in front of them, examining each one, before she crossed to the floor to ceiling wall of windows across from the door.
“Now that’s a beautiful view,” she whispered, staring out at the city before her. It seemed to glitter and sparkle, rain having fallen after they’d entered the building.
“I’ve seen better.” He was standing behind her, and Anna turned to face him, understanding what he was trying to suggest. She was certain it was just a line, but still, she couldn’t ignore the way her heart fluttered in her chest at the compliment.
“Have you, now?” She asked, closing the distance between them.
“I can say that with one hundred percent certainty, yes.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
She kissed him then, surprising them both. Her hands slid upward, gliding over the smooth fabric of his shirt until she reached his shoulders, where she quickly removed his jacket. He broke away from her, touching his lips to her neck while his hands cupped the back of her thighs—and a moment later, he’d hoisted her up onto his desk.
She opened her legs, pulling him closer to her as she fiddled with the buttons of his shirt, longing for the sight of what was hidden behind it. As soon as she tugged the shirt free of his waist band, she leaned forward and kissed his chest, darting her tongue out at him here and there.
The moment his hand touched the bare skin of her thigh, she gasped, pulling him in, her body aching for the feel of him.
But he wasn’t going to give in so easy, and as she felt his fingers touch her, she cried out, dropping her head back. She knew he was watching her as he teased her, bringing her closer and closer—
And soon, she could stand it no longer. She tugged forcefully on his pants, undoing the belt and the button and the zipper—running her fingers over the length of him through the thin fabric before pulling him free.
The moment she felt him inside her, she arched into him, the need overwhelming her—and Drew matched her urgency, pushing her onward until she cried out, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.
They remained silent for several moments, the only sound that of their breathing as they laid back on his desk.
“Annabelle Maloy, you might very well be the death of me.” Drew finally spoke, still breathless, and Anna only chuckled, her own heart still pounding away inside her chest.
“Do you think anyone heard us?”
“They probably heard us in Moscow.” She lost it then, burying her head in Drew’s chest.
“So much for the platonic show, huh?”
“I don’t think anyone believed it for a second.” Drew wrapped his arm around her. “Want to get out of here?”
“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the
way, shouldn’t you be more inclined to enjoy your party?”
“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m already thinking about the next round.” She laughed again, pulling herself up into a sitting position.
“You’re insatiable, aren’t you?”
“It’s been said before.” She rolled her eyes as she hopped off the desk, crossing the room to the bathroom, where she took a few moments to clean herself up.
It was definitely best that they leave, she thought as she saw the faint markings of a hickey forming on her neck.
Drew was waiting for her at the door, and rather than put his jacket back on, he held it out so that she could slip into it. “It’s going to be much cooler out there, since it rained.”
“Thanks,” she told him, sidling up alongside him as they made their exit. The valet who returned Drew’s Mustang complimented Drew on the car, but Anna had the feeling he was giving him credit for something else, too, and she felt her cheeks redden.
“So—what made you decide to dedicate yourself to restoring this fine piece of automobile?” Anna asked, breaking the silence. She angled herself toward him, resting her head against the window.
“Will you take ‘chick magnet’ as an acceptable answer?” Anna shook her head. There was more to it than that. “I didn’t think you would.” He sighed, turning on his blinker, waiting for the light to turn. “My dad had one.”
“And rather than borrow his, you thought, hey, I’ll make one of my own?” Drew’s smile was a sad one.
“He caught me looking at it once. In the garage. And he said, “This is the closest you’ll ever get to one of those.” So I decided to prove him wrong.”
Anna was taken back to the drive home from Nana’s, when he’d told her about his mother’s death—how warmly he’d spoken of the woman, and how obvious it was that it still hurt him to this day.
She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to go from the warm, loving arms of his mother to the life that Drew’s father had provided him. Yes, he’d been privileged, but not in any way that counted.
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