by Krista Lakes
"I was thinking I would take you out on a real date. Not just Chinese food in the back of a limo." I could hear the smile in his voice as he remembered exactly what we did in the back of that limo.
"I don't know, I kind of liked Chinese food in the back of the limo." I stopped myself as I started twirling my hair between my fingers. I couldn't help the giddy happiness that bubbled up inside of me at the thought of seeing him again.
"Don't plan anything on Friday, then. I'm taking you out. I want to spoil you."
***
The idea that I would see him tonight, that it would be for a real date night, brought a smile to my face. I was planning on taking a hot shower to shave my legs and everything. Maybe I'll even go shopping for a new dress, I thought. I stretched out under the pile of blankets on my bed, debating whether I really even wanted to get out of my very comfy bed at all. Maybe Owen could just join me here.
The buzzer to my apartment building decided that staying in bed was not an option. With a groan, I rolled out of my warm bed, fuzzy socks gliding across the wood floors as I went to the intercom by the door.
"Who is it?" I was expecting that the voice on the other end would be a delivery guy or the neighbor that continuously locked herself out of the building.
"Mr. Owen Parker sent me to come get you, ma'am. I have the car ready for you," answered a light masculine voice. I glanced down at my pajamas, and hit the talk button.
"Mr. Parker sent you? I'm not really ready." I was pretty sure my hair looked like a tornado had whipped across my pillow, and I hadn't even had my coffee yet.
"I can wait, ma'am. I was told to tell you to just wear something comfortable and to come as you are." The intercom crackled and I chewed my lip.
"I'll be down in a minute," I said into the speaker, and then hurried to find a pair of jeans. If Owen was going to have someone come get me first thing in the morning, then there was no way I was going to look my best. I did run a brush through my hair and swish some mouthwash before grabbing my purse and heading down.
Parked in front of my apartment building was a dark blue town-car with some sort of leaping creature as the hood ornament. I didn't know what kind of car it was, but I knew it was probably very expensive. As I opened the main entrance security door, I noticed the man standing in the entryway. He was a young and handsome in a crisp blue uniform.
"Ms. LaRue? If you'll follow me," he said courteously, leading me to the town-car. He opened the door and I slid across the heated leather seats. The car had that new car smell, and it was far nicer than any car I had ever been in. The man hopped in the driver's seat, and pulled out onto the road heading downtown.
"Where are you taking me? Is Owen here already?"
"Mr. Parker will be here this evening. Until then, he has arranged the day for you. Everything has been taken care of, and he would like you to enjoy yourself." The driver grinned at me as he turned on one of the side streets of downtown Des Moines and parked in front of a cute little brick building that housed the best spa in town. He ran around and opened my door, lending me a hand to step onto the street.
"Here we are, ma'am. Have a wonderful time."
"Thank you," I said, and he smiled as he jumped back in the car. It seemed a waste to have such a nice car hired for the five minute drive, but then again, Owen could afford it. The engine purred as the driver pulled away and I hurried out of the cold and into the warm building.
The door chimed softly as I stepped inside, my cheeks rosy. Soft classical music played overhead over the sound of the waterfall fountain in the corner. I had looked through the brochure for this place before, but I had never stepped inside. I had thought many a time of getting a massage here, but I could never seem to justify spending the money on myself.
"Kaylee! We thought you were going to sleep all day," Marissa shouted at me from across the room. Typical, boisterous Marissa. She sounded so loud in contrast with the quiet tranquility of the spa. I turned to see her and Allie sitting in white terrycloth robes sipping tea in comfortable looking chairs.
"What are you two doing here?" I asked, slightly confused as to why my two best friends would be sitting in a spa at eight in the morning waiting for me.
"Your new beau said you were getting pampered today and that we were invited to keep you company." Marissa grinned.
"Yup. He called and made sure we would come keep you entertained for the day until he got here. Is this the guy I saw give you flowers in the ambulance bay the other night? He's hot," Allie chimed in.
"And apparently loaded," Marissa added, gesturing to the room. She pushed a tendril of fiery red hair behind her ear and gave me a wicked grin. "He got a brother? I mean, I'd go for this Owen guy directly, but he seems pretty smitten with you. Plus, I like you too much to do that."
"Sorry, just a sister." I stood there looking at my friends, wondering just how Owen had known to invite these two women. Emma must have helped. "How long have you two been here?"
"Just long enough to put on these awesome robes. It's so soft, go gets yours quick. The massage lady is just getting the stones and the mud bath heated." Marissa leaned back and put her feet up on a stool. Allie pointed to a cute little door off to the side where I could put my things and change.
"He rented out the whole place just for the three of us, so don't worry about taking up too much room. Marissa here used four cubbies," Allie said. She and Marissa had a cubbie battle going on at work, so it was no surprise that she would pick up on Marissa's tendency of using multiple cubbies.
Marissa rolled her eyes. "And why not?"
I left the two of them to banter back and forth about how many cubbies a person should reasonably use to store their things and stepped into the room to change. I could see Marissa had used the cubbies to organize her shoes, clothes, and purse, while Allie had neatly stowed all her things in a single spot. I shook my head, wondering how the three of us ever stayed friends, considering how different we all were. But perhaps it was because we were so different that we got along so well.
When I stepped out of the changing room, the massage therapist was waiting for me with a smile. She took the three of us back to a quiet room with three tables set up and instructed us each to lie down and relax. Allie giggled and hopped up on a table, Marissa and I right behind her. As the three of us slipped under warmed sheets, I grinned. This was going to be a fabulous day.
Chapter 12
"There you go, honey, all done."
I turned my head from side to side in the mirror, barely recognizing myself. Marissa wolf-whistled and Allie clapped.
The hairdresser had piled my hair up on my head in such a way that it looked as though cascades of dark curls would fall endlessly down my back. I didn't even know how she made it look like my hair was that full and thick, but it was beautiful. My makeup was perfect, and it all accented the little black dress Owen had left at the spa for me to wear. Marissa had drooled as she looked at the designer label and threatened to steal it when I wasn't looking.
I felt like Cinderella.
"If you're Cinderella, what does that make us? The ugly stepsisters?" Allie asked, sipping on a cup of tea. I hadn't realized I had said anything out loud.
"Yeah, and we don't even get to go the ball tonight!" Marissa added with a laugh. I blushed slightly, flustered.
"Oh, hey, speaking of which, here comes Prince Charming now," Allie announced, looking out the window to the street.
I looked in the mirror just in time to see Owen sauntering up to the glass door. He was wearing a casual gray suit and looked hot enough to start a fire. He looked so hot, I was surprised that there wasn't smoke drifting off of his footsteps.
He opened the door and glanced around until he saw me. His jaw dropped a little, and even in the reflection of the mirror, I could see his pupils dilate as I stood up to greet him. I hadn't gotten a reaction quite like that in a while. It made me feel all tingly and special.
"You look spectacular," he whispered, leaning forward to
kiss my cheek gently, careful not to mess up my makeup. "Not that you don't usually look amazing, but...wow."
I laughed, glad to see him a little flustered. "Thank you."
"Well, ladies, thank you for keeping my date company today. I think it's time I stole her away, though," he said, managing to regain his composure as he turned toward Allie and Marissa.
"Thank you for the invite! We had a great time," Allie answered quickly. She grinned up at him.
"You sure you don't have a brother? Maybe a cousin, even?" Marissa asked. Owen laughed. I was glad he was able to take her in stride. I loved Marissa, but she could be a bit much at first.
"You two have a great time. And remember to tell us all the good parts at work on Sunday," Marissa said with a wink. I could feel myself blush, but Owen just took my arm in his and grinned at her.
"I don't know if she'll have time to tell you all the good parts. Your shift is only twelve hours long after all." He winked at her and she lit up in a smile.
"I think you've got a keeper, Kaylee. Though, Owen, if it doesn't work out..." Marissa gave him a naughty smirk.
"Then I'll give Allie a call," he replied with a straight face. Allie snorted. He turned to me, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. "You ready?"
I nodded, and my friends waved goodbye as we stepped out the door. A limo pulled up to the curb as we stepped onto the sidewalk, and the driver hopped out to open the door. Owen let me slide in first, following closely behind me. The interior was warm and had romantic lighting.
"So where are we going?" I asked, excitement thrumming in my voice. This close to him, I could smell the soft scent of his cologne and his leg was warm against mine.
"You'll see. I want it to be a surprise. It's not far," he murmured as he leaned forward and kissed my cheek again.
The limo began to move. It went about three blocks before it stopped again and the driver appeared at the door. I wondered just how many miles I was going to end up going in fancy cars today. I was guessing around three.
I stepped into the darkening evening, the cold air rushing up against my bare shoulders. We were in front of the Des Moines Botanical Gardens, the big glass dome glowing slightly from an inner light. Owen stepped out of the car and immediately shrugged out of his jacket and draped it across my shoulders without even waiting for me to get cold. It was warm and smelled like his cologne. I took a deep breath, my insides going tingly at being wrapped in his scent. He grabbed my hand, his body heat seeping into my palm, and pulled me toward the entrance.
He led me into the big dome housing all the tropical plants. I loved to come here during the winter to take a break from the gray Iowa cold and to be surrounded by heat and tropical flowers. It was usually busy as everyone else in Iowa typically had the same idea, but tonight, we had the place to ourselves.
By the waterfall in the center of the garden, a thick blanket was spread out along the floor with a full picnic dinner. Soft lighting gave the entire area a moonlit glow, the gurgling sounds of the waterfall filling the humid air. A small arrangement of plumeria flowers sat in the center of the blanket.
"This is amazing... how did you do this?" I asked. I had never heard of anyone renting the space for a private picnic.
He shrugged and smiled. "It wasn't hard. Here, come and have some dinner."
The blanket felt soft as I knelt down on the ground, settling my skirt modestly. Owen sat down smoothly next to me, our hands close enough to touch if we wanted them to.
Owen pulled four large mugs from the basket, followed by a big red thermos and then handed me a plate wrapped in tinfoil to open. He unscrewed the thermos and poured a steaming delicious red tomato soup into two of the cups, while I unwrapped the tinfoil. Inside were perfect grilled cheese triangles. As I looked at them, I realized that they weren't just plain grilled cheese, but stuffed with bacon, avocado, and at least two different kinds of cheese.
"Emma told you grilled cheese and tomato soup is my favorite, didn't she?" I asked with a grin. He stole a sheepish grin in my direction, as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"I really wanted you to like it. What do you think?"
"I love it." I loved that he was trying so hard to make me happy. It was incredibly endearing.
Owen grinned and pulled out a second thermos, this one in blue. He opened it and carefully poured a dark liquid into the remaining empty cups. The smell of rich hot chocolate made me smile, especially when he pulled out a can of Pringles potato chips.
"This I remembered on my own," he said with a small smile as he handed me the can. I smiled widely and popped the top, dunking a chip into my hot chocolate. Owen laughed at my enthusiasm and grabbed a chip for himself. He dipped it carefully, and stuck it in his mouth. A strange look came over his face. "This is seriously your favorite food?" he said around pieces of the chip still in his mouth.
I nodded and dipped another. He swallowed and looked at me as though I might be a little crazy. "You don't like it, do you?" I asked. He shook his head from side to side.
"It's, well," he paused. "It's disgusting."
"You just have no taste in good food," I teased him. He relaxed as he realized I wasn't going to hold his dislike against him. I knew that not everyone liked the sweet and salty combo.
"Right. I'll go tell that to the French chef that cooks for me," he teased back.
"You have a French chef?"
He nodded like it was the most common thing in the world. He reached for a sandwich and bit into it carefully. When I was just talking with him, it was easy to forget that he was worth almost a billion dollars. "You'd like him. I don't know if he would appreciate the fine dining of potato chips and chocolate though."
"I saw chocolate covered Pringles in a store once. They were sold as a delicacy, so I'm pretty sure you just have wacky taste buds." I reached for a sandwich and dipped it in the tomato soup. It was a little slice of heaven, the cheese blending perfectly with the soup and accented by bacon. "I think I will never eat a plain grilled cheese again. This is amazing."
Owen grinned and reached for a second sandwich. "I thought you might like it. I had it this way in college, and I never looked back."
"I definitely like this version. Thank you. This whole day has been fantastic."
"You are most welcome. You look amazing, by the way." He set his hand on mine, sending a thrill through me. I blushed, but I didn't pull my hand away. In fact, I tipped my chin up and leaned forward, pressing my lips against his.
He tasted like grilled cheese, but I didn't care. He was delicious. Owen's hand went to the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my perfect curls as he pulled me closer. His tongue searched for mine, our mouths opening to find one another. He lowered his lips, his teeth grazing the tender skin of my jaw, sending heat surging through my belly.
"Do you have to catch a flight tonight?" I whispered, remembering the limo. I was giving serious contemplation to just taking him there on the blanket in the middle of the lush tropical garden, but having a bed would be better. He chuckled, the sound throaty and deep.
"No, no flight this time."
I looked up at him, biting my bottom lip with desire and just a touch of nerves. "You want to come back to my place?"
He kissed me again, taking my breath away. It was okay though, because when I was with him, I didn't need to breathe.
"We could do that. Or, I got us a hotel room."
"So you thought you were going to get lucky tonight, huh?" I asked with a giggle, giving him a playful punch on the arm. He traced a finger down the curve of my cheek, the touch light but seductive.
"I suppose I should say I got myself a hotel room, but I made sure it would be big enough for two if you wanted to come visit." His eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Well, a hotel room would be nicer than my apartment. I didn't really clean this morning, so there would be dirty laundry all over the floor."
"Then perhaps we should put laundry all over the floor of the ho
tel room to make you feel more more at home," he whispered, leaning forward and kissing the curve where my jaw met my neck. I shivered with anticipation.
Owen stood up in one fluid motion, holding out his hand to help me up. Once I was on my feet, he pulled me into him, stealing a kiss. It was full of want, need, and pure desire. I couldn't have said no if I wanted to, though I really just wanted to scream yes.
We were back out to the limo in less than a minute, the driver waiting patiently at the door with the car. It was only a three minute drive to the downtown hotel, but I found myself unable to keep my fingers from unbuttoning his shirt. As he pushed my hands away, I looked up at him. "Sorry, they have a mind of their own, tonight."
When finally my fingers came to rest, they were on his tie. I contented myself with using it to pull him into me, kissing him with all my might until we got to the hotel room.
We bounded through the ornate lobby to a series of bronzed elevators that sent us whirring to the top floor. Owen was, of course, staying in the penthouse suite, but I barely looked at it as we stumbled into the bedroom.
Owen growled something, but I was too busy stripping to understand his words. I understood his meaning though. He was already hard, the bulge in his pants displaying exactly how much he wanted me. He kissed me, pushing me onto the bed.
"I want you so bad, Kaylee. You're the only thing I could think about all week." His voice was low and full of power. He was a man who could have anything he wanted, and he wanted me.
I shivered with anticipation, biting his lower lip as he tasted me. I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head as he began our night of pleasure, the bedsheets tangling around us as we writhed in ecstasy.
Chapter 13
Three weeks later, after three more amazing dates, I was pretty sure I was in love. Owen Parker had successfully stolen my heart. We hadn't said anything yet, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. I looked forward to his phone calls, texts, and emails more than I looked forward to my days off.
We both wished we could have more time together, but with our crazy schedules and workloads, we were lucky to manage that many. I knew he had worked magic in order to make it out to Iowa as many times as he had. He took me to the symphony with a stop to a seafood restaurant for our first date, and the second was for ice cream and a movie, in which he rented the entire theater. The third date had been my favorite so far after the botanical gardens; he arranged a special backstage tour of the Des Moines Zoo. Watching him feed the penguins had kept me laughing for hours. Every one of the dates ended back in the penthouse suite, the two of us tangled up in the sheets.