Love Stung (Shower & Shelter Artist Collective Book 5)

by Brooke St. James

  Isabel nodded and hugged Drake. "Bye, love you, hope you have fun," she said.

  "Bye, love you, hope you have fun," Drake said without skipping a beat.

  They squeezed each other before Isabel took off. "See you tomowwow," she called as she disappeared into my bedroom.

  Drake looked at me like he was about to do something. I desperately wanted it to happen, but I knew Isabel was keeping a sharp eye on us.

  "Can she see us?" he asked.

  "Probably."

  "Do you not want her to see me kiss you?"

  "I don't know. I want you to, but it's kind of weird with her right in there. I'm sure she's looking."

  "Why don't you go get her bath started," he said. "Then you can sneak back out here for a minute and tell me goodbye. I'll stay here till you get her in the bathtub. You better go. She's waiting on you."

  He nudged his chin in the direction of my bedroom and I could see that Isabel was now waiting in the doorway for me.

  "Just give me two minutes," I said.

  Chapter 19

  "Did Dwake have to go?" Isabel asked before I even got the bathroom door closed.

  "Yeah, but we'll see him tomorrow."

  "Why awe you smiling so much?"

  "Shhhhh," I said, still grinning.

  She looked at me with a slightly curious expression as if she wondered why I would shush her, but she didn't ask.

  I started running her bathwater and switched on a little radio that we had hanging on the wall near the sink.

  "Why awe you having music going?" she asked.

  "Because I like it," I said.

  I was already feeling breathless with anticipation. How in the world could I go out there and face him without hyperventilating?

  "I was in the mood for music," I said, testing my voice.

  "You wewe?"

  "Yep."

  "Awe you happy because Dwake's ovew hewe?"

  "Yep. I'm happy."

  She was ready to hop in the bath, so I tied up her hair and made way for her to step around me. "I'm gonna fill up the tub for another minute, and then I'll turn it off and let you play and get washed up while I go check on the dishes."

  "Why awe you bwushing youw teeth?" she asked.

  I put my finger to my mouth, telling her to be quiet, and again she looked at me like she wasn't quite sure why I was doing that. I finished a quick brush and rinse. "I’m just brushing them for a second," I said quietly to her. I wiped my mouth with a towel as I sat on the closed toilet. I reached out and turned off the bath water, but music was still playing in the background. It was on a pop radio station, and leaned over and turned it down a little since it seemed loud now that the water was off.

  "I'm gonna be back in just a few minutes, okay?"

  "Okay."

  "I'll be able to hear you, so yell if you need me."

  "Okay," she said.

  She had bathtub toys, and it wasn't uncommon for me to leave her in there for a few minutes. She knew how to swim, and I always kept an ear out for her. I felt like I was sneaking out of my parents' house. I was nervous and giddy, and it took all of my strength not to wear a face-cracking smile as I left the bathroom.

  "I'll be right back," I said. I walked out, leaving the door cracked. It was fairly dark in the bedroom. There was a lamp on near my bed, but it didn't create a whole lot of light in the room, which was why I walked right past Drake without even noticing he was there.

  He reached out and grabbed my arm. I was taken by surprise and therefore I toppled, forcing him to catch me. I let out a little gasp, and he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. I had been so surprised by the whole maneuver that my arms were still awkwardly blocking our chests from touching. I craned my neck and could see through the crack in the door that Isabel was sitting up and completely preoccupied by her toys. I was so nervous that I took short shallow breaths. It was a bit as though I'd been running and was now captured. I readjusted so that my arms weren't folded between us, but I stayed close to him. I was so relieved to be in his embrace that I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  "I'm nervous," I whispered. "It feels like we're under the bleachers."

  "You better not know what it's like to go under the bleachers," he said.

  "I don't. But I imagine it would be scary like this."

  He stared at me with a grin that was almost predatory. "Are you scared?" he asked.

  "No, but I'm nervous. Not just about getting caught, either. It's nice that I get to blame it on Isabel being right there, but the truth is, I'm just nervous."

  He grinned. "Why are you nervous?" he asked, pulling me closer.

  "Because. I just feel really nervous. I feel like I'm about to step on stage and give a recital."

  "We don't have to do it," he said, slowly. He said the words, but they kind of lost their meaning sense he stared at my mouth the whole time.

  "Drake," I said, staring straight at his mouth. It was perfectly shaped with a natural little smirk just in the way his mouth rested. I ached for him. My jaw ached to draw closer to him.

  "Tabitha," he said.

  I turned to the side and put my ear right in front of his face like I wanted him to speak into my ear.

  "Tabitha."

  My hair was pulled up, and he said the word right into my ear, which caused me to smile.

  "Tabitha, I gotta go."

  I loved the feel of his breath on my ear, but I felt sad at his words. My eyes were closed as I stuck my lip out in protest while nodding to let him know I knew he had to leave.

  "Hey," he said.

  I opened my eyes and looked directly at him, and in the same instant that I turned, he leaned in and kissed me. He kissed me twice—tender kisses right on the lips.

  "I had fun today," I whispered. I put my hands on the sides of his face, rubbing his cheeks with my thumbs. I stared directly into his gorgeous, bottomless eyes.

  "I did too," he said.

  He leaned in to kiss me again, and this time I wrapped my fingers through the hair on the back of his head, and drew him toward me. That was all the encouragement he needed. He kissed me the way I so desperately wanted to be kissed. I surrendered to his embrace, and he held me tightly as we gave in to all the sensations that come along with sharing a kiss so deep.

  I let out a reluctant whimper when he finally broke the kiss.

  "I know," he said, sympathizing with me.

  "We have to," I said.

  "Yep. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

  "Okay." I kissed him again, and it made my stomach flip to do it, so I did it yet again. He smiled, and I did it a third and final tummy-tickling time. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said.

  "Okay."

  He gave my hand a squeeze on his way out, and the next thing I knew, I was heading back into the bathroom to meet Isabel. I was dazed from my encounter with Drake.

  "Hey, Mom," Isabel said.

  "Hey."

  "Awe you happy?" she asked.

  I came to sit on the side of the tub, wearing a curious smile. "Yes, I am, are you?"

  "I'm weally happy," she said.

  "Good," I said. "I'm happy, too."

  "Do you wove Dwake?" Isabel mostly knew how to say her L's but sometimes when she was feeling vulnerable, she slipped into mispronouncing them.

  "I don't know if I love him," I said. "I think I do, kind of, which is really weird."

  "I don't think it's weiwd," she said. "I wove him."

  "You do?"

  "Uh-huh. And he woves me, cause I asked him."

  "You did?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "When?"

  "Tonight when he was at my house when you was in the kitchen."

  "He said he woves me and you," she said.

  "He did not," I said.

  "Yes he did!" she said, giggling.

  "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "I just did!" she said, still giggling.

  I stared absentmindedly at the bubbles on the surface of the water, feeling happ
y right down to my toes.

  ***

  It was roughly two weeks later when I got an unexpected call from J.R. I was in the application process for a job with Urban Outfitters, and he had received an email from the woman who was looking into hiring me. He called me on the phone and told me that if I would meet him one time he would give me a glowing review like Michael said. I asked what would happen if I didn't meet him, and he said he might not be quite so enthusiastic with his recommendation. He was vague enough with his wording that it almost didn't even really seem like a threat.

  Maybe it was the wasp mentality, but I wasn't scared of J.R. or what he could do to me. I told him right there on the phone that he was crazy if he thought calling me up and proposing that kind of thing would actually work. I had just finished my two remaining weeks at Patterson when it happened, and I was so relieved not to have to go to that place again after he called and said such a thing.

  I told Drake about J.R.'s ridiculous phone call, and the next afternoon, I got a message from my friend, Nikki, who had worked with me. She sent me a text, saying that a guy who looked like Drake came up to the store and gave J.R. a black eye. I called her so she could tell me what happened, but she didn't know much. She said she saw the guy come in. He asked one of the other employees where he could find J.R.—said he was a friend of his. Then he left 15 minutes later, and when J.R. came out of the office, he was wearing sunglasses and had a black eye.

  Drake had been working since I heard from Nikki, so I hadn't talked to him about it yet. To be honest, I didn't even have enough of the story to be certain it had truly happened. Nikki wasn't even a hundred percent positive that it was Drake she had seen. I figured I would have the opportunity to ask him about it once I saw him.

  I smiled, knowing that would be any second.

  I knocked on the door of his apartment, and he yelled for us to come in.

  "Go ahead," I said, holding the door for Isabel.

  She ran in and went directly to Drake who scooped her into his arms. They hugged and kissed and said some things to each other that I couldn’t hear, and then he set her down.

  "Dwake said I can let Mack out of his kennel," she said.

  I nodded and let her zoom past me, toward the other side of the living room where Drake kept the kennel for his new puppy.

  Zoe had gotten news from a friend who was a dog breeder in Texas that there was a prestigious bulldog for sale in Washington D.C. She had gotten word of it through some kind of mutual breeders association, and she called Zoe, asking how far D.C. was from her place in New York. The lady asked Zoe if she wanted another dog as a companion for Darlene because if not, she was thinking about having this male shipped to Texas.

  Drake happened to be meeting with Lane about taking some photos for the S&S website when Zoe got that call, and (on impulse) he told Zoe he wanted the dog. It was mostly for Isabel, obviously, but he had always wanted a bulldog, and it made it even better that this one was so coveted.

  Mack was the perfect name for this dog. Drake had only had him for about a week, but he had already taken to calling him Mack Daddy, so that's what Isabel called him, too. She danced toward the kennel, singing a tune about how she loved a doggy named Mack Daddy.

  Drake stood in the kitchen, watching her sing and smiling at both of us. I walked right up to him, and he opened his arms, inviting me in.

  "It smells good in here," I said.

  "It better. I had to get twenty ingredients to make those things."

  "Twenty ingredients!" I said. "This is gonna be gourmet."

  I opened the oven and took in the lovely sight of whatever pasta dish was baking. There was cheese on top, but upon closer inspection, I could tell it was a dish made with those huge pasta shells.

  "Are they stuffed?" I asked.

  "Yes. Hence all the ingredients."

  I closed the oven door and turned around, realizing he was standing right behind me. "This is so gourmet," I said. "I can't wait to eat it."

  "Thank you," he said.

  "Thank you."

  He nudged his chin at me and I stretched up to kiss him.

  "Hi," I said.

  "Hi."

  "Did you give my boss a black eye today?"

  He furrowed his eyebrows. "He's not your boss, and I'm not sure what you're talking about."

  "So, you know nothing about a guy with roughly your description going into the office at Patterson & Ray and giving J.R. a big black eye today?"

  Drake shrugged. "I don't know, but if it happened, I'm sure he deserved it."

  "Yep, I'm sure he did," I said. "I just hope whoever did doesn't get in trouble."

  "He won't," Drake said.

  "And I hope I never have to see that guy again."

  "You won't," he promised.

  Chapter 20

  Six months later

  Macy had this group of friends that she went to college with. They were all artists, and some of them went on to live and work at Shower & Shelter Artist Collective. They were good people, but seeing as how I had just moved to New York, and I only knew them through Macy, I hadn't really established relationships with any of them. Also, I stayed busy with work and Isabel. It's not that they made me feel like I was an outsider; it's just that they were a group of friends, and I was Macy's sister who had just moved to town.

  It wasn't that way anymore, though. Through Drake, I had become one of the group. I wasn't just Macy's sister, now. I was Drake's girlfriend. It had been six months since I started seeing Drake, and we both spent a lot of time at each other's apartments. He helped me with Isabel, and I helped him with Mack. We had fallen into a bit of a routine—one in which we spent a lot of time together.

  After that whole thing went down with J.R. and my pending application with Urban Outfitters, Drake helped me get a job with his friend Natalie who was so in demand as a stylist that she now needed an assistant. I had never considered styling on that level, but I liked fashion, so I took to it naturally. I liked Natalie a lot, and was truly enjoying the work. It wasn't quite as steady as a retail job, but it was fun, and sometimes, I'd get to work a photo shoot at Drake's studio, and my personal life would get to collide with my work. It had happened three times since I took the job with Natalie, and each time, Drake and I snuck in a little PDA in ways that left me breathless.

  He was in the middle of leaving me breathless at that very moment. We weren't working, though. We were at a Christmas party given by Saul and Rhonda Spicer, and there were so many people that they held it in a ballroom.

  Saul was the director of a famous television drama, so many of the actors from his show where there. Two of Saul's children were tied into S&S, which meant there were also quite a few artists present at the party. Drake was asked to take some pictures, but even if he had declined, he would have still been invited to the party just from his association with Sarah and Lu. He agreed to the photos, though, and had taken some earlier in the evening, but he had already put his camera down and now had the rest of the evening off.

  The ballroom that Saul and Rhonda had rented for the evening was beautifully decorated with couches and seating areas all along the walls. Drake had been talking to some of his friends when I left for the ladies room, and he was standing in the same vicinity when I returned. We met eyes as I approached, and he smiled and gestured with the flick of his head for me to look at the couch.

  Lu was sitting there with her new baby on her lap, and next to her was my daughter who had a baby on her lap as well.

  "I'm holding baby Hawpew!" Isabel announced proudly when I walked up.

  Sarah and Collin's little girl was named Harper, and I smiled at the sight of Isabel holding her. Isabel was five now, but she was so petite that the four-month-old, chubby baby seemed as big as her. Sarah sat close by, making sure Harper stayed balanced on Isabel's lap.

  "Yes you awe!" Isabel said, in a cooing baby tone, smiling at the baby. "She's smiling! Yes, you awe!" Isabel looked at the baby in Lu's lap. "Is baby Jude smili
ng, too?"

  "I think baby Jude's sleepy," Lu said.

  She adjusted Jude so that he was resting on her shoulder, and Isabel looked at him before signaling to the rest of us with a finger over her mouth for us to be quiet.

  "It's okay," Lu said. "He's used to the noise." She stood up and began walking around with him, which made him instantly fall fast asleep.

  "Hawpew isn't tiwed. Awe you, wittle giwl?" Isabel asked with an over exaggerated smile.

  That smile must have made Harper smile because Sarah and Isabel both cracked up at whatever they saw.

  Drake pulled me into his arms. There was a jazz band playing live music, and he and I knew Isabel was in good hands, so we let ourselves get distracted for a minute. There were a lot of people in the room. There was dancing and singing and talking all around us, so I was just able to collapse into his arms right there in public, and no one even cared.

  "Guess what?" he asked.

  "Chicken butt," I said, since that was literally what I said every time someone asked me that question.

  Drake had come to expect it by now, but it still made him smile when I said it this time. He pulled me closer, and I smiled as I got close enough to smell his neck.

  "No," he said. "Not chicken butt."

  "What, then?"

  "I was gonna propose to you at this party."

  He said it so casually that I started to laugh it off, but then I realized I didn't want to laugh it off, so I kind of choked and had to clear my throat. "What?" I asked. I swallowed hard. "What did you just say?"

  "I was, I am, I still will. I have the ring in my pocket. I was planning to get everyone's attention in a minute to make an announcement, but part of me just wants to ask you right here in your ear and have you tell me 'yes'."

  "Yes," I said. I didn't mean to whisper the word so quickly, but there was nothing I could do to contain it.