A Date to Remember (6 page)

“Good morning, I think,” he grumbled, his voice deeper with sleep.

“You would be right. What time do you have to go to work today?”

“I’m the boss. I go in when I want to. I told you I wanted to get some shopping done for you this morning before I could get to work.”

“I think I’m too tired to go shopping. I’ll probably sleep for a while. After that, I’ll go through that kitchen and find something to make for dinner.”

“A woman that doesn’t want to go shopping? They make those?”

She laughed and swatted at his chest playfully. “I’m one in a million. You didn’t know? I’ll cook us some dinner tonight. Just let me know about the time you get off, okay?”

“You really don’t want to go shopping?”

“I’m just too tired, Joel. I haven’t been to sleep yet.”

“You stayed up all this time?” he asked, and she could see the surprise on his face.

“I really like your collection,” she mumbled, dropping her head in embarrassment.

His fingers under her chin and forced her gaze back to his. He lifted slightly, and she met him in the middle, their lips touching for a gentle kiss. The desire was there, but the kiss was different. It didn’t overwhelm her. It warmed her. His lips glided softly against hers, and she opened her mouth on a sigh. His tongue slid in smoothly and dueled with hers. He pulled her tighter to him and deepened the kiss. When she gripped his shoulders, he nipped at her bottom lip and broke the kiss.

“I’ll send a designer here then. Just stay up long enough for her to get your measurements, and then you can go to bed. I’ll have her deliver the clothing to you later this afternoon so you won’t be disturbed. The doorman can bring the things in. I get off about six. There is nothing too pressing to do today.”

He sat up, cradling her in his lap. She watched the muscles of his chest and abs work as he moved. Her mouth went dry. The man had to spend time in a gym. Someone didn’t get that build naturally. She stroked her hands over his chest, relishing the freedom to touch him. He sat back and let her, his cock hardening under her bottom. She turned on his lap, straddling so she could get closer. She didn’t rush as she touched him. He watched her with a heavy-lidded gaze, and her heart twisted in her chest. Thirty days. All she had with him was thirty days. She had to remember that. But for now, right now, she just wanted him.

So she let him push his pajama bottoms down, lift her and angle his cock to slide into her pussy. When she sank down on him, she bit her lip, determined that this time she would keep her cool. This time she would ride the wave, but wouldn’t get lost in it. This time she would guard her heart.

Chapter Eleven

The designer came and left in record time. The thin, wiry woman with her graying hair pinned back in a neat bun had asked her what her likes were, what style she wanted. In going with her change of heart to dress better, Sam showed her clothes from the night before, and told her about the conservative day wear she needed for her job, and the nighttime wear she wanted. The woman listened intently, but ignored some of the color suggestions. Sam learned that her idea of what colors looked good on her didn’t completely coincide with the designer’s. Knowing she didn’t know everything about fashion, she bowed to the woman’s knowledge and was promised her things would be delivered later that afternoon. When she told the woman not to make the things too expensive, she was told that Mr. Anderson had directed her to dress her in the finest, and that was exactly what she was going to get. So chastised, Sam let the woman leave and went looking for something to make for dinner.

She took out a pork roast, then looked for a Crock-Pot and ingredients. After finding them all easily, she set the roast to slow cook for eight hours after seasoning it well and pouring some broth into the pot. That done, she went toward the bedroom. She’d make the sides for dinner when Joel was closer to coming home. If everything was right, it would be ready not too long after he got there. He’d have enough time to get changed and settled before she served the food. For now she’d get some rest so she’d be ready to see her man for the night.

Wait, my man?

“You’re losing it, Sam. He’s not yours. He’s just a man paying for your company. Don’t get lost in what’s going on around you,” she scolded herself. He wasn’t hers. She wasn’t some girlfriend waiting at home for her live-in lover to return. She was only here temporarily. The quicker she realized that she was, at best, a temporary mistress, the better. All she had to do was convince her heart not to fall for the man who hadn’t promised her a thing.

When she awoke to a knock at the door, it was nearly five o’clock in the evening. She jumped up and rushed to the door. The doorman stood there with mounds of boxes and bags around him. She directed him to their room, where he proceeded to unpack her belongings and put them up for her. When he was done, he left quickly. She picked out a nice pair of black slacks, low black pumps, a silk shirt that was silver, and a string of pearls for her neck. The personal chef that Joel employed had been happy enough when she told him he could have the day off. She showered, dressed, forwent makeup because of the time, and started on her sides for dinner. She had potatoes boiling for homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls set out in record time. By the time she heard the key in the door a little after six, she was pulling the rolls out of the oven.

“It smells good in here,” Joel commented as he walked into the kitchen. He kissed her lightly.

“Everything is done. While you get showered and changed, I’ll let this cool down. I set the table for dinner, so it’s ready when you are.”

“I’ll be back in a flash,” he answered, and kissed her again before disappearing.

Sam got dinner served while he cleaned up, and by the time he came back, wearing soft tweed slacks, a white sweater, and nothing else, she was ready. She kicked off her pumps and tucked them in the corner of the room to be picked up later. She sat down with Joel.

“This looks good…Natalie,” he said, his hesitation barely noticeable, but she caught it all the same. Was there another woman? Was she just replacing that woman for a short time? She tried to ignore the feeling of hurt creeping up inside her chest. She wasn’t his. Here was her proof. She plastered on a smile and nodded her head in thanks.

“I try. I like to cook when I can.”

“I see that. This must have taken forever. The roast is fork tender.”

“Crock-Pots help, trust me,” she said, laughing, but to her ears, the sound was strained, false.

He looked over at her, but she didn’t say anything. She ate in silence, wanting to kick herself for getting lost in some fantasy world. What the hell was wrong with her? Falling for some guy in a handful of days? No. Not her. She’d make it out of this by the skin of her teeth, she swore to herself. They ate in companionable silence until Joel sat back with a hearty sigh.

“I couldn’t eat another bite, my compliments to the chef.”

“Thank you,” she said as she got up to clear the table.

“You don’t have to do that. Leave it, and my maid will get to it.”

“Habit. I never leave anything undone,” she said. He followed her to the sink.

“You clean and I dry then,” he offered, and she nodded her acceptance. They worked quickly, and the dishes were done in minutes. That out of the way, Sam wasn’t sure what to do next. She played for a minute with her pearls.

“What’s wrong?” he asked suddenly, leaning back against the counter behind him.

“Nothing. Just wasn’t sure what you wanted to do next.”

“Don’t open up much, do you?” he asked, and something in his eyes, again, caught her.

“When it’s warranted, you can’t pay me to shut my mouth,” she said then, trying to lighten the mood.

“Hmm,” he said and turned to leave the kitchen. She followed him.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing. I just know something is bothering you. If you don’t want to talk, I can’t make you,” he said then and sat on his couch. He stretched out, sighing.

“I thought you were going to call me another woman’s name,” she said finally, coming up behind the couch.

“That’s rich.” He looked up at her.

“Why?”

“Does it matter? I wasn’t, mind you. But whether I have someone else or not is irrelevant. This is something completely separate.”

“You are right,” Sam said, something inside of her breaking. “I just don’t want you to bring someone else within this. I think that’s fair.” He stared at her for a moment, but she didn’t fidget under his gaze.

Finally he nodded. “That’s fair. Tonight I have some work to do, so you have the TV, but I’ll see you in bed.”

He stood up and left the room. Sam fought to keep the tears from falling. She needed this to happen. Needed to be put in her place. It had been a little too easy to fall into a fantasy.

Sam went back to their room and changed into soft yoga pants and a T-shirt, happy the designer had at least allowed her that. A girl’s got to relax sometimes. So armed, she returned to the living room and turned on a forensic show. It was another guilty pleasure of hers. Engrossed for a couple hours, she didn’t think of Joel, but when the show went off, she didn’t want to wait up for something else. She turned off the TV, went to their room, and got into bed. She didn’t even get undressed. If his ass wanted some, he’d have to work for it.

Chapter Twelve

Joel waited until she had turned off the TV and gone to bed before he stopped tapping on his computer. He hadn’t done much work since coming in the room. He shouldn’t have been bothered by the hurt in Sam’s eyes, but he was. She’d shut down. He’d seen it like she’d pulled shutters over her eyes. But he’d been so angered by her argument. She didn’t want him to call her another woman’s name, but he knew her as another woman’s name. He wasn’t going to call her by some other flame’s name. He didn’t even have a woman in his life at the moment but her. He had been about to call her by her name, Sam. He supposed that was the danger of calling her by her name in his head.

He’d thought about her all day. He’d done his job, but wondered if the designer had made it, what she had chosen for Sam. He wondered if she liked the selections and what she was doing. He’d nearly been tempted to come visit her on his lunch hour and take her. He also knew, though, that his want for her could be dangerous. No other woman occupied his mind throughout the day like she did. It shouldn’t have been possible. She shouldn’t have taken up so much of his time. He sat back at his home office desk with a sigh. She was tying him up in knots. This was nothing like it was supposed to be. It was like the minute he’d brought her to his home, they’d passed some barrier that he hadn’t realized was that close. But they had, and now he was in danger—in danger of losing his heart to a smart, beautiful, fresh woman who didn’t even realize he knew her name.

How can you fall for someone who’s not real?

He felt that the woman she showed him was the real her deep inside. He figured she was showing herself, but he couldn’t completely trust it if she wouldn’t open up to him. That was what he wanted, for some reason. He should have been comfortable just letting things go as it was. He should have been fine with having her and being able to walk away. But he wasn’t. He wasn’t. He got up from his desk and stalked to their room. He would tell her. And he would tell her tonight. He found her asleep in the bed, and fully clothed. Anger pulsed through him. Did she think clothes would stop him? Did she think that she could hide from him?

The answer to that was a resounding hell no.

“Natalie,” he called, shaking her foot at the same time. He was tempted to call her by her name to wake her, to show her that he knew she was lying to him. She would answer to it in her sleep, but he chose not to. He wanted so much more. She came awake with a stretch. He watched her as he stripped off his clothing, already hard from his thoughts of what he would do to her. When she saw him, her eyes widened a bit.

“Get up and remove your clothes.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

He saw fire leak into her eyes. She was going to argue. He stroked his cock for her, knowing she liked that, and her gaze shifted to the sight. She watched him, the anger turning to desire.

“Get up and remove your clothes,” he said again.

She did as he said, slowly pushing the yoga pants and underwear over the swell of her hips and down to her feet. She stood as she kicked the material away. Her hands went to the hem of her shirt to lift the T-shirt over her head. She hadn’t worn a bra underneath. She was standing there, for the first time completely naked to his eyes. He looked at the heavy swell of her breasts, her narrow waist, her navel a slight outie, which was endearing, oddly enough. Her hips flared, and he knew that behind her was a plump ass that he wanted to feel in his hands again. He slid his gaze down her thick thighs and to her toes. She was magnificent. And his. He didn’t care what his mind was screaming. Right now, right this second, she was his, and he would get what he wanted.

“On the bed. Lie on your back, and grasp your knees. Pull those legs high and wide for me.”

She slowly did as he instructed, and he fisted himself faster, loving the view as the petals of her pussy opened to his view.

“So pretty,” he whispered, moving toward the bed. He knelt between her legs. “Play with your pussy. Let me see.”

With hesitant fingers, she reached down and dipped the tips of her fingers into her pussy. She used that moisture to circle over her clit. The flesh was shiny with her juices. She swirled, and her eyes slid close.

“No, watch me. Don’t look away,” he commanded.

Her eyes slid open again as she moved her hand. She pinched her clit between her fingers, and her back arched, toes pointing in the air. The leg she had left in the air lowered slightly.

“Keep that leg up. Don’t stop.”

Her leg lifted back into place, and he had the mercy in him enough to move her ankle to his shoulder to assist her. She moaned as she played with herself. Her gaze stayed on him as he watched her. A warm flush kissed her skin, and he finally got the answer to his question of if her blushes went all the way down. The ruddy color went down nearly to her thighs.
Pretty
, he thought. He leaned forward, kissing the thigh closest to him and nipping at the flesh there. Her hips left the bed, her leg angling to pull him closer. He resisted the pull and continued to kiss her thigh. Her breath came in short pants as she worked herself.