"I'm sorry," she forced from her tight throat.
"There's nothing you need to be sorry for, Andi."
Finally, she was able to release the vice grip she had on his shirt and slid her arms around him. With just a slight tug, she pulled him toward her so they rolled together and he pressed her into the bed with his weight. It felt good to be cocooned between him and the mattress, and she released a shuddered sigh He shifted to brace himself on one elbow to hover over her, his gray-blue eyes studying her face. The smile was gone, not quite a frown but his expression had turned serious.
"Did your ex talk to you when he brought Jake home?"
Andi blinked. The tears had stopped, but the remaining moisture still blurred her eyes. David raised his free hand and tugged off her glasses, now hopelessly spotted by her tears. He leaned so close, she didn't need them to see the details of his face.
"Did he?" he asked again.
"He came inside." Her voice sounded small and unconvincing, even to her.
He touched her temple and ran his fingertips below her eye, down her cheek to the corner of her lips. She felt the slick of his touch left behind by her tears. His eyes hardened and he pressed his lips together before speaking.
"What did he say?"
Andi shook her head.
"Andi, what did he say?" he asked more sternly. "I want to know what he could say to make you weep when I touch you."
She swallowed and closed her eyes briefly before looking at him again. "Please, David. Don't make me repeat it."
"I want to know--"
"I know you do," she cut him off gently. "But I don't think I could stand it."
David wrapped her in his arms again, his cheek against hers. "I'm really beginning to develop a deep hatred for that guy."
Andi managed a chuckle. "Talk to Maggie. She's the president of the Lawrence Bonherre is a Butthead club, but she might let you be vice president."
With a groan, David shifted off the bed and pulled her with him until they stood. With a gentle touch that made her heart ache, he smoothed his hands over her clothes to right them and brushed her hair back from her face. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and tilted her head back so she looked at him. The angry sternness was gone from his face, but the smile was also gone.
"If you won't tell me what he said, tell me what you need to hear to make you forget. I will say it all day every day -- forever if I have to."
Andi stared up at him, trying to find an answer. What could he say that he hadn't already that could void out Lawrence's words. He told her she was beautiful, that she was sexy, that he thought she was amazing... but those were platitudes saved for lovers -- or would-be lovers. What could a man like David Bishop say? She'd stopped seeing him -- somewhere along the way -- as the almost ethereal, worshiped sex-god celebrity who somehow existed above everyone else. Perhaps it was when she watched him assemble a toy for her son, or when he grumbled the day before about spilling marinara sauce on his favorite Aerosmith tee shirt.
He wasn't the untouchable movie star anymore, but he was still so near perfect it made her break into gooseflesh when she thought about him, or looked at him. His thumb stroked her cheek near the corner of her lips, just as he'd done after kissing her that first time on set, while he waited for her to answer. Andi drew in a slow breath, her body trembling as she released it.
"Tell me I'm not perfect, but I'm good enough for you."
He leaned in to kiss her, just pressing his lips against hers in a restrained touch. Then touched his forehead to hers before pulling back only enough to look her straight in the eyes. "I'm not perfect, but I hope I'm good enough for you."
"I meant--"
He laid his thumb on her lips. "I know what you meant."
*****
David scraped his fork across his plate, picking up the final remains of his dinner. He had to remind himself it was bad manners to lick a plate and fork clean as he took the last bite. "This is great," he declared, finally setting down his utensil. "What's it called?"
"Mom's amazing cheesy chicken," Jake said with a wide smile, looking at his mom. "She made it up."
"Mom's amazing cheesy chicken," David repeated. "I don't suppose it'd work to tell my mom I want 'Mom's amazing cheesy chicken' the next time I'm home."
Jake shook his head. "Secret family recipe. Only Mom can make it this good."
David looked across the table, and let the now-familiar feeling of warmth settle in his chest when he saw the smile on Andi's face as she looked at her son. A tint of pink stained her cheeks, making David wonder if even her son's compliments were enough to make her blush. She caught him watching her, and paused to glance back, her smile ticking up just a little more.
"Did you save room for dessert, boyo?" Maggie asked, pushing her plate away.
"Dessert? No one said there was dessert!" David declared, throwing up his hands. "I'm about to bust now."
"That's okay," Jake said quickly. "We have a rule. We have to wait half an hour after dinner before we eat dessert."
David leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach. "Good. What's for dessert?"
"Home made chocolate cream pie," Jake answered, his eyes practically sparking. "Mom makes that, too. Real chocolate pudding she makes on the stove, not from a box. And Maggie makes fresh whipped cream."
David arched his eyebrows and looked at Andi. "Real chocolate pudding, huh?"
"Just wait until you try it, David. It's awesome."
He smiled at Jake and set his hands on the boy's shoulder. "Let's say I beat you at Mario in the meantime."
"Not gonna happen."
"Oh, brother... the boys are ready to play," Maggie grumbled with a playful grin as she stood. "Time for the womenfolk to do the dishes."
David stood quickly, taking the plate from Maggie as he picked up his own and stacked it on Jake's. "Let me help. Jake and I can play after."
"Nope." Andi walked around the table and added her plate to his stake, taking them all from him. "You two have fun. This is why we have a dishwasher."
David followed her into the kitchen anyway, grabbing the empty casserole pan and rice dish as he walked. The table sat near the front of the house, tucked into a dining area off the open living room and kitchen. Much of the main floor was open, one space leading into the next. Maggie and Jake stayed at the table, gathering the last of the dishes as Andi set the ones she carried in the sink, turning on the water to rinse them.
He stepped behind her, bracketing her body with his arms as he braced his hands on the counter edge. He shifted to rest his chin on her shoulder, kissing her quickly on the side of her throat.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say this is Jake's favorite meal."
Andi laughed. "What gave him away? The way he devoured it, or the way he wouldn't stop saying 'this is my favorite'?"
"Tough call. He's very subtle." He caught her glancing toward Maggie and Jake, then quickly at him before picking up a plate to rinse off. "Is this okay?"
"Is what okay?" she asked.
"PDA." She glanced at him again, but didn't say anything. "My public shows of affection," he clarified with a grin.
"I know what it means..."
"Every time I've touched you or kissed you since Jake came downstairs, you've looked to him to see what his reaction would be. Just now, you looked over there to see if he's watching. I don't think it bothers him, Andi."
"I don't think it does, either. But, I think it has a lot to do with you."
"Me?"
She nodded, smiling at him over her shoulder before running a handful of utensils under the water. "I think he likes you a lot. He asked if you'd be here tonight."
David felt the smile grow on his face, finding a deep satisfaction in the idea that Andi's son accepted him and might even like him. Memories of his stepfather barreling his way into the family skirted on the edge of David's thoughts, but he ignored them.
"Dating isn't new to just me," she said with a shrug and a small smile. "My dating i
s new to Jake, too." She tilted her head and looked out the window over the sink. "Okay... that's not completely true. I've gone out, but..."
"But, you've never had someone here for dinner. Someone who can't keep their hands off you more than ten minutes." He smiled when he saw the bloom of color in her cheeks again. "Someone who wants to take you and your son somewhere on my next day off."
She looked sideways at him. "Where?"
David shrugged, straightening so he could wrap his arms round her and stand close while she rinsed the dishes. "Tell me what he'd like."
She hummed, setting aside the plate she'd rinsed. "He loves Disneyland, but I can only imagine what kind of chaos that would create."
David didn't agree aloud, but did agree.
"He's been talking a lot about wanting to go to an aquarium..."
"Great! We'll go to the Aquarium of the Pacific. If you're going to go to an aquarium, go to an aquarium." David stepped to the side and opened the dishwasher, loading in the dishes she'd rinsed.
"Oh, don't do that. I can."
He ignored her and kept stacking. "So, should we go?" How about Monday?"
Andi stopped, her hands still dripping with water, and looked at him. She smiled and nodded her head. "I'd like that. And I think he'd like it, too."
"How about Maggie?"
"How about Maggie what," Maggie said as she set the last dishes on the counter by the sink.
"I want to take everyone to the Aquarium of the Pacific on Monday."
Jake lit up. "Cool!"
"As cool as that sounds, some of us do have regular day jobs," Maggie answered. "We can't all be famous movie stars or bestselling novelists."
David let the snark go with a shake of his head. "How about Sunday, then?"
"Are they open on Sunday?" Andi asked.
"I don't know, but I'll find out."
"This is awesome!" Jake declared again. He leaped to Andi and threw his long, lanky arms around her, hugging her so tight Andi groaned, but smiled all the while. "Thanks, Mom."
"Don't thank me. It was David's idea."
Jake let Andi go and stepped toward David, his arms open like he meant to hug him, too. Then he hesitated, and David caught the waver in his expression. Before he could take a step back and renege on the hug, David pulled the boy to him. It was all the encouragement Jake needed. After the speech Jake had given him on Sunday, he had to remind himself that Jake still was just a kid. And at eleven, David would have liked a few more hugs from his mom... and especially his dad. He ruffled Jake's hair, and caught a tremble in Andi's lip as she turned away on the pretense of loading the dishwasher.
With his arm still around Jake's shoulder, David looked to Maggie. "Aw, come on, Mags," he teased, using the nickname he'd heard Andi use with her friend. "It wouldn't be the same without you."
Maggie squinted her eyes and pursed her lips, looking between him and Andi. Then her eyes settled on Jake and she smiled.
"Yeah, Maggie. Come on. We always do stuff together," Jake pleaded.
She huffed, but David knew by now most of Maggie's attitude was all show. "Fine. I only had one appointment on Monday anyway."
Jake cheered again.
"Why don't you go get that game," David told the boy, squeezing his shoulder. "I've got just enough time to beat you before dessert."
"You wish, old man," Jake yelled over his shoulder as he bolted from the room.
David laughed, but caught Maggie watching him. When he met her gaze, she just smiled and nodded and turned to go.
"I'll be back in a few minutes to make the whipped cream," she said as she walked away. "I'm sure you two can keep yourselves occupied."
Andi closed the dishwasher door and pushed start, the beep of the machine almost covering up her soft sniffle. David gripped her elbow and turned her to face him. No tears marred her cheeks, but her eyes glistened with them.
"You've been crying way too much for my liking," he said softly.
She smiled and chuckled. "Yeah, but these are good tears." Andi stepped to him and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist. He never missed an opportunity to hold her. She kissed his chin, then his cheek, and finally whispered a kiss to his lips before laying her forehead against his jaw. "I could fall in love with you, David."
He drew in a slow breath and closed his eyes, pulling her closer. David smiled, letting the liquid warmth she inspired spread through him.
"I could fall in love with you, too, sweetheart."
Chapter Fourteen
"Can we go see the Monsters of the Abyss show next?" Jake asked around the mouthful of hot dog in his cheek. He practically bounced in his seat, his eyes still wide and bright from three hours of walking the aquarium.
Andi set down her sandwich to hand her son a napkin, but before she had a chance, David held one out to Jake. "You've got mustard on your chin, buddy."
Jake scrubbed at his face, swallowing his bite so he could talk without mumbling. "Can we?"
"It's fine with me. How about you, Mom? Can you handle the monsters?" David asked, winking at her with a grin.
"Oh, I think I can handle it. As long as I have a hand to hold on each side."
"I'll hold your hand, Mom."
David slid his arm across the table, his palm up, and Andi laid her hand over his. "I have no problem holding your hand, Mom."
Maggie returned to the table after taking a phone call, and picked up her bag. "Sorry to leave the fun, kids, but I've got to step away for a bit."
"Is something wrong?" Andi asked.
"Nothing that a new contract negotiation and a bottle of Prozac won't fix." Maggie looped her arm through the strap of her purse and dropped her phone inside. "Brian Cavanaugh is having a hissy fit over some clause in his contract. I've got to talk him down before his head explodes or something." She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Authors."
Andi arched her eyebrows and chuckled. "I was never that bad, was I?"
"Honey, do you think I'd live in the same house with you if you were?" Maggie ruffled Jake's hair. "Save a seat for me in the show, okay, Jake?"
He shook his head, his cheek already full with hot dog again. He mumbled something about being fine and having fun, but most of it was lost around the food.
"Dude, don't talk with your mouth full," David chided.
Jake swallowed and took a sip of his soda. "Sorry."
Maggie sighed and waved, heading out of the café. An entire day without Maggie receiving some kind of frantic phone call had been too much to wish for, but they'd given it a try. They'd spent the morning wandering through the galleries and petting the stingrays, and Andi couldn't remember a day she'd had so much fun. Jake talked animatedly about what it'd felt like to touch the stingrays, and how he wanted to go back to the shark lagoon again before they left. David managed to occasionally throw in a comment, but for the most part, Jake talked non-stop. The conversation was really the two of them, and Andi leaned back in her chair to observe.
Watching the two most important men in her life laugh and talk together made her heart grow in her chest until she thought it would burst right through her ribs.
Jake slurped at the remains of his coke, poking at the ice with his straw. "Can I go to the bathroom, Mom?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Do you want me to go with you?" David asked.
Jake rolled his eyes. "I'm eleven," he said, as if that was all the answer required.
"Oh," David said with a chuckle, winking at Andi. "Sorry."
Jake bolted from the chair and headed for the restrooms at the back of the café, easily staying within Andi's line of vision. Being the mom of a growing young man who could no longer sneak into the ladies' room with her, Andi always chose seats that allowed her to see the bathroom. As soon as Jake disappeared through the door, David turned to her and reached for her hand again. He leaned forward, smiling.
"I'm very proud of you."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"You haven't tried to hide onc
e from the photographers."
Andi immediately sat up straighter and scanned the restaurant. "I didn't even see them."
David smiled, and raised her hand to press her knuckles to his lips. "I thought as much. And no, I'm not going to point them out to you."
Andi slanted her eyes at him. "Then why tell me?"
"Like I said... I'm proud of you."
She tilted her head, taking him in not for the first time that day. For all intents and purposes, he looked like any other man at the aquarium that day in his faded jeans, sneakers and a white button-down shirt rolled to his elbows. Andi loved that look on him. She wanted to run her hands over his forearms and feel the strength of his muscles, feel the bristle of the short hair on his arms, and study the contrast between his tan skin and her fairer tone.
It had only been a couple weeks since the kiss on set that had catapulted her into this relationship with David. They'd gone from on-set acquaintances -- with him being the untouchable, infamous 'David Bishop' -- to boyfriend and girlfriend, as much as the words still made her cringe -- at a speed that made her absolutely dizzy. But, it was the best kind of dizzy.
"What?" he asked after several moments of her silent study.
Andi shook her head. "Nothing."
David stood, pushing his chair back with his legs, to pull her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, his hands pressed to her back, to bring her against him. Andi smiled up at him, resting her hands on his arms above his elbows. He kissed her, but kept it simple and restrained, even though he hummed with satisfaction against her lips.
"Was that for the benefit of the paparazzi?" she asked when he pulled away.
He kissed the end of her nose. "Sweetheart, I don't do anything for the benefit of the paparazzi."
He let her go and they gathered the trays of garbage as Jake ran across the restaurant toward them. He pitched in, gathering up his own garbage, and after cleaning up they left the café. The show Jake wanted to see was downstairs, and they had a good thirty minutes until the next show, so they walked through the Baja Gallery again. Just as excited as their first trip through, Jake stared into the massive aquariums with fascination.
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