“Because right now you’re barely hanging on in the looks department,” Lila scoffed. “A broken nose would make you hideous.”
“Exactly. I would end up alone the rest of my miserable days.”
“Drawing a lipstick-covered face on the back of your hand to represent your simulated girlfriend. He even has a name for her. Jackoff Judy.”
“Alex!”
“I’m just repeating what Drew said,” Alex told Dani.
“I planned on leaving that part out.”
“Oops,” Alex grinned. “My mistake.”
“The point is I was laughing so hard I couldn’t work up the ire or the strength to do more than give him a shove.”
“It was a pretty hard shove,” Drew assured Jack, rubbing the side of his shoulder.
“You do realize that I don’t come off very well in this story.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Rose nodded. “According to you, Tyler is so shallow, one little imperfection and she’s out the door. Not very flattering, Drew.”
“Lord, don’t tell me I have something else to apologize for?”
“Cut the dramatics, Meryl Streep,” Tyler laughed. “We’re good.”
The group soon moved on to another subject, then another. The talk was light and entertaining. Overall, a normal evening spent with friends. One Tyler hoped would be repeated many times in the years to come.
As she eased her car to a stop, Tyler slammed the brakes on her thoughts. It was too soon to picture Drew and her together years from now. Baby steps, she reminded herself. Get tonight out of the way. See what tomorrow brings.
Before they left Jack and Rose’s, Drew told her about his underground garage. He said to follow him so her car would be secure for the night. Tyler hadn’t known what to expect. Some version of the Batcave? A silly thought. As it turned out, she wasn’t that far off.
The entrance was off to the side of the house, hidden by a grove of trees. The ground seemed to open up right before her eyes. Two large doors slowly lifted up revealing a gently sloping ramp. As instructed, Tyler drove her car in behind Drew’s.
Tyler had no idea how technically difficult it was to set up a place like this. She didn’t care. She would let Drew worry about stress joints and retaining walls, or whatever was involved. Tyler just let herself marvel.
This was like no underground parking garage she had ever seen. Naturally, cement and beams were the dominant materials. After that, all bets were off.
Tyler parked next to Drew’s Porsche, her Camry looking a little sad in a sea of Rolls Royces and Alpha Romeos. All tucked away in their luxurious, state-of-the-art hidey-hole.
“What do you think?”
“The only word that comes to mind is wow. My bedroom isn’t this nice.” Tyler did a full circle turn. “How many cars do you have?”
“As of yesterday? Two hundred and thirty-four.” He thought a moment. “Make that thirty-three. I sold one to a guy we were trying to do a deal with. The Maserati sealed it.”
“Naturally.”
“Too much?”
“Yes.” Tyler spun around, trying to take them all in. She stopped when she was face-to-face with Drew. “I want to drive every one of them.”
Tyler understood. Of course, she did. Why had he been worried? Someone else would have been surprised by the number of cars in his collection. Maybe even appalled. Tyler didn’t even blink. No one understood him like Tyler did.
“It will take a while. Some are in New York, Los Angeles, and London. I like to have my own car to drive when I travel.”
“Why don’t we start with the ones here in Harper Falls? By the time I’ve worked my way through them, we might be ready for New York, Los Angeles, and London.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“You could kiss me. That’s also a plan.”
“An even better one.”
His lips were soft against hers. Gentle. They held a promise of more to come. Tyler sank into him, her arms banding around his waist.
Lovely, she thought. Passion was wonderful. She was all for it. This, though, this was something else. Exciting in a different way. A kiss that spoke from the heart.
“Ready to see the rest?”
Drew took her hand, leading her to the back of the garage. As they approached what looked like an elevator, Tyler’s stomach did a sudden flip-flop.
“I don’t know, Drew.”
“What’s wrong?”
How to explain? Stepping into the garage was one thing. Once she entered the house, there was no going back. Secrets were about to be revealed, the ugly part of their past dredged up. Five minutes ago, she would have said she was ready. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“I’m scared too.”
“Do you remember the last time you said that to me?”
Drew nodded. “When we were talking about the first time we made love.”
Smiling, Tyler tightened her fingers around his. They survived that just fine; they would get through this.
“Together?” he asked.
Tyler took a deep breath.
“Together.”
The elevator doors opened. Tyler peered around before following Drew inside.
“What?”
“I thought there might be some outerspacey gizmo that could teleport us from room to room.”
“Not yet.” Drew laughed.
Just a plain old elevator. Tyler had to admit she was a bit disappointed.
“Not yet? Does that mean you’re working on one?”
“I have to admit that kind of thing is beyond my capabilities. As soon as one is available, though, I’m on it.”
Tyler had a million questions running through her head. Nonsensical, outrageous questions about toilet seats and biodegradable trash bags. The moment the elevator doors opened, she couldn’t remember even one.
Drew stood back, waiting for Tyler’s reaction. He wanted her to love the house as much as he did. He wanted her to see the details, the little touches. This was her house as much as his. Dreamed of as teenagers. Laughing over silly details, pounding out minor disagreements.
What if her tastes had changed? What if she didn’t want a bank of windows in the front of the house to catch the morning sunlight? What if—
“I can’t believe you remembered the oversized kitchen island.” Tyler ran a hand over the smooth, black granite shot with lines of sparkling bronze.
“What do you think of the cupboards?”
“The color is perfect.”
A warm oak, they went all the way to the ceiling. Tyler hated that open space that would get dirty and greasy. She cleaned the area often enough in her mother’s kitchen to know she didn’t want that in her own.
Perfect. How else could she describe everything from the hardwood floors to the non-window treatments?
“Hidden blinds? Just like at my place.”
“I wondered if you still had an aversion to curtains.”
“They get dirty,” Tyler shrugged.
Tyler loved every inch of the place. It wasn’t exactly as she had pictured her dream house. For some reason when she was seventeen, she thought a purple couch and matching accent wall would be the height of chic. Thank goodness Drew hadn’t agreed. Then or now.
Drew had the time of his life watching Tyler explore. This was how he pictured it when he was alone in this big house. It always felt a little lonely, a little empty. He would buy new things to fill the spaces. He knew what was missing. The one thing his money couldn’t get him. Tyler.
“I can’t believe you did this, Drew.”
Tyler sat down on a big, overstuffed chair that was the perfect shade of sea foam. Actually, she sank in more that sat. Again, perfect.
“Is it too much? Too weird?”
Scooting over, Tyler patted the cushion, inviting him to join her. She snuggled close, breathing in his scent.
“This is how I would picture us. I never dreamed…”
“What?”
“You remembered i
t all.”
He thought about the framed drawing in his office. He hated to move. The perfect place, the perfect moment. The perfect woman.
“I want to show you something.”
Taking her hand, he led Tyler out of the room and down a wide, well-lit hallway.
“Pale lavender,” Tyler whispered when she saw the walls. “I thought you said the color wasn’t manly enough.”
“I guess my definition of manly has changed.”
Of all the things he could have said, for some reason that made her heart go zing.
Drew opened the double doors at the end of the hall, a dim light turning on when they entered.
“Motion sensitive?”
“Mmm, I hate walking into a dark room.”
“Still have that zombie phobia?”
“They eat a person’s brains, Ty. That is nothing to laugh at.”
Tyler was about to disagree when her eyes fell on the wall behind his desk.
“Oh, Drew. You saved it.”
Her hand lifted then fell back to her side. It was the drawing she made of the outside of this very house. Meticulous in detail, and done on a thirty-six inch square of the finest quality paper Tyler could afford at the time. She spent hours with her colored pencils, getting every line just right. Even the landscaping was there. She researched how each plant would look and then she did her own interpretation. It was to be her gift to him on the day he graduated from high school.
Instead, it ended up a crumpled ball thrown at his feet. He broke her heart; she destroyed their dream house. At the time, it seemed so symbolic. She looked closer. Creases, small but definite could still be seen. It was the original.
“How?”
“A lady who worked for my mother ironed it out as well as she could. Then I rolled it up and kept it until I…” Drew sighed. “I didn’t look at it again until I was planning this place. Too painful, I guess.”
Tyler held out her hand, needing the connection.
“You got it just right, Drew.”
They stood for a few moments, in silence looking at a piece of their past.
“Pretty clever for a couple of kids.”
Tyler laughed, putting her head on his shoulder.
“We were always a little ahead of the curve. I sometimes wonder if I wouldn’t have been better off staying a kid a little longer.”
“I know what you mean. I always wanted out; you were the same. You can’t plan your escape and stay a child. Not if you really want out.”
“We never would have met.”
“Do you…” Drew swallowed. It hurt to even think the words he needed to ask.
“No regrets, Drew.”
“Come on.”
Tyler understood the doubt she heard in his voice.
“Don’t get me wrong. I have cursed you so many times. I’m surprised you still have your balls or your dick.”
“Pictured chopping them off?” Drew winced at the thought.
“Mostly they shriveled up, leaving nothing but tiny little, dried nubbins. Useless and pretty hilarious.”
“Normally I’m a big fan of that inventive mind of yours. This time I’ll take a pass.”
“My point is. I wouldn’t change a moment of the time we had. The way it ended? Yes, of course. But not anything before.”
“Thank you, Ty. That means the world to hear you say that.”
“Show me the pool.”
“Ty.” Drew shook his head, a little smile on his lips.
“I know. I pushed you to tell me. I gave you grief because you wouldn’t. Now I’m stopping you.” She sighed. “This feels so good, Drew. I don’t want it to end, not yet.”
Drew understood. If he could, he would wrap them up in cotton, preserving this moment, insulating them from the rest of the world. A lovely thought, one that was utterly unrealistic.
“Ty,” Drew sat on the edge of his desk drawing her between his legs. He touched her cheek tenderly. “Right now, we are standing on silt. Our foundation is shaky. Once everything is out in the open, we can move to bedrock. Like this house — built to last.”
“Or we can watch it all crumble. The break has been healing, Drew. This could shatter it irrevocably.”
“Only if we let it.” Drew’s eyes met hers. “I’ve been living in limbo, Ty. If I tell you why I left, that’s it. End of story. Either you forgive me or you don’t. For too long I’ve been afraid of the answer.”
“Not anymore?”
“A little. The difference is, now I know there’s still something there to fight for. The past few days have shown me that. And I will fight, Ty.”
“No walking away this time?”
Drew shook his head. “Neither of us knows how you’ll react to what I’m going to tell you. You might get up and leave. You might tell me you never want to see me again.”
He stopped her before she could protest.
“You don’t know, Ty.”
Tyler opened her mouth then closed it without speaking. He was right. She couldn’t anticipate her reaction.
“Hey, don’t be sad.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Look where we are, Ty. A month ago, even a week, could you imagine standing here? I dreamed of this a million times, never believing I could have it. Now that I do, I’m not letting go ever again. Be prepared to have me in your life, Tyler Jones. This right here?” He pulled her close, kissing her with everything he had. “This is the new norm.”
A little breathless, Tyler laughed. It was such a happy sound, filling the room. No, Drew swore to himself, he was never going back to a Tyler-less world.
“Tonight, we put the past behind us.”
“Agreed,” Tyler nodded. “One thing first.”
“Ty…”
“I’m not stalling, I promise.”
“Okay, one thing.”
“Take me to your bedroom. Make love with me. Slowly. Like we have all the time in the world.”
Without a word, Drew took Tyler by the hand. He led her out of the office, back down the hall, and up the long curving staircase. She didn’t take the time to notice the details. She already knew them all by heart. Right now, she was focused on the man in front of her. Her world had narrowed to him. Anything else could wait a little while longer.
Drew guided her into the large open room. More glass, another amazing view. The morning sun would wake the occupants. That had been a minor bone of contention. He liked the early morning. Tyler wasn’t a fan. As she recalled, they never settled that dispute.
Hearing Tyler’s chuckle, Drew turned. “What?”
She pointed towards the windows.
Realizing what she meant, Drew laughed. “There are other bedrooms.”
Walking around, Tyler took in the clean lines of the furniture. Not matchy-matchy. Pieces that complimented, not parts of a set. The walls painted the color of rich cream. Neutral yet warm. He had chosen a bed that in a pinch could probably sleep six average adults. You could get lost in a bed like that. Or with the right person, be very, very comfortable.
“How many other bedrooms?”
“You know.”
Four. Room for company. Room to grow.
Tyler ran her hand over the soft hunter green quilt. Dark colors on the bed in the fall and winter. She wondered if he had bedding in spring colors for when the weather turned warm again.
“I like this.” She said. “Maybe I’m a morning person after all.”
“Over the years, I’ve found late nights to have a certain appeal.”
Compromise. A little of this, a little of that. Like designing a house. Or building a future.
“You’re wearing too many clothes.”
“Funny.” Drew pulled his shirt over his head then started to unbutton his jeans. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”
Keeping her eyes on the show, Tyler toed off her shoes. That was as far as she got. Before she could blink, Drew was naked. Tall, muscular. Hard. She couldn’t think, or move.
“You’ve fallen behind.”
Behind? Yes, he had a beautiful one.
“Lift your arms, honey.”
Automatically, she did as he asked.
“There you go. Now step out of your pants. Very nice.” He whistled. “Very nice indeed. I wholeheartedly approve. The color of that lace matches your eyes.”
Tyler sucked in her breath as Drew ran a finger down her chest to the edge of her bra.
“I really like that you don’t go for any of that stupid padding. When I do this,” he cupped her breast, “all I feel is you. A perfect fit.”
Tyler’s head rolled to the side, her mouth parted on a silent moan. No one could touch like Drew. A few brief caresses and heat ran through her veins.
“I need a taste.”
Happy to oblige, she lifted her mouth in anticipation. This time her moan filled her ears. Not her mouth. Drew feasted on the tip of her breast. He pulled on her nipple, biting. It sent a shot of pleasure to her center that had her knees buckling.
“Got ya.”
Drew caught her before she collapsed, easing her back onto the bed. His big, strong body hovered over her for just a moment while he admired how she looked. Finally, he had her in his bed. The long nights fantasizing, convinced this would never become a reality. She wanted it slow? Good. After so long, he was in no mood to rush.
“They are too nice to rip.” Drew lightly caressed the skin above her panties. “Lift your hips, honey. That’s right. Damn. And I thought all that lace was pretty.”
He slid down to the floor spreading her legs. Starting at her ankle, Drew kissed a serpentine trail up her leg. Every inch of skin needed to be explored. His mouth worshiped, his tongue tasted.
“Sweet.”
“Hmm?” Tyler’s question was vague. Somewhere between his journey from her foot to her knee, her brain had turned a lovely, sex-hazed mush.
“You.” His tongue bathed the tender skin behind her knee. “Sweet. I don’t know how but you taste even better than I remember.”
Tyler almost came off the bed when his teeth nibbled the spot. When had that become an erogenous zone?
“I don’t recall you ever doing that before.”
“I’ve had a few years to study.”
“Not the best time to bring up other women.”
If You Only Knew (Harper Falls #3) Page 19