Falling Into Drew (12 page)

Although Kate was physically strong, there was no way that she could move a semi-conscious and likely uncooperative man from the bar to the car. “Since you men helped him to get this way, I need you to help me put him into our car.”

Two of the most sober among Drew’s new friends grasped him on each side. His eyes slammed shut when the door of the pub opened to the bright sunlight and the men half-walked, half-dragged him to the car with his eyes closed. 

Kate dug the keys out of his jeans’ pocket and opened the passenger door so that he could be lowered into the seat. Before that happened, his eyes opened wide, filled with terror. He howled, “nooooo,” like a wounded animal and placed his palms on the roof of the low car, then stiffened his arms. Unable to move him, the men looked to Kate for guidance. “I think I can handle it from here. Thanks for helping.”

“You’re certain? He’s strong and drink makes some men violent,” warned one, a look of concern on his face.

“He’s not like that. I’m sure of it.” She had no idea what she based that on other than his tendency to be protective. He would never hurt her, at least not physically.

She smiled reassuringly when the men turned their heads to glance at her before they disappeared into the pub, then she put her mouth near Drew’s ear. His hands were pressed so hard against the car that his fingertips had turned white, so she covered his hands with hers. “Drew, it’s me, Kate. Are you okay?”

“Don’t let me drive,” he mumbled, his bloodshot eyes pleading with her. “Not this side of the car. The other.” He directed his gaze to what would be the passenger side in the U.S.

“Listen to me. We’re in Ireland. The passenger sits on the side of the car where you are. I’ll drive. I’d never let you get behind the wheel with so much alcohol in your body.” He’d just revealed another puzzle piece.

He replied with a grunt, but he released his grip on the Mini’s roof and fell into the seat with his legs outside. Kate bent to lift them into the car and, although he should be feeling no pain, he grimaced. “My knee. Careful.”

“Sorry, I forgot you have bad knees.”

With Drew buckled into his seat, she moved around the car to her side and leaned her forehead on the steering wheel. What now? They weren’t far from Galway, but she didn’t want to navigate the busy streets of a strange city in this car. She’d just have to find a nearby hotel for tonight and delay their arrival at wherever the hell they were going for another day. Drew was snoring softly when she left him to ask the barman about nearby hotels and he was still asleep when she returned. She’d worry about getting him from the car to their room once they were there. She smiled when she visualized tossing him onto one of those wheeled luggage carriers that bellmen use.

“My head is killing me,” he groaned when he woke the next morning.

“You deserve it,” she said, handing him a glass of water and two pain relievers. “There’s coffee when you’re ready for it, although you might want to shower first. You stink.”

He opened one eye and raised a brow. “I stink?”

“You do. You vomited on your clothes and some of it must have gotten on your skin.”

He groaned again and Kate watched his bicep flex when he rested his hand on his bruised forehead. “How did I get here and…” he looked around the room frowning, “…where the hell are we? I remember drinking in a pub and that you couldn’t get away from me fast enough. The rest is a blank. Did I pass out?”

“Not quite. Two of your drinking buddies helped me get you to the car until you freaked out and refused to get in.”

“Yeah, that. I have a thing about drunk driving. My father…well, let’s say that was one more way he’d scare the shit out of me and my mother.” He piled the pillows behind his head and sat up. “If I beg, would you pour me some coffee?”

“God, you’re pathetic,” she said as she handed him a cup.

“I never drink like that, to get sick drunk I mean.”

“Why not?”

He replied with a question of his own. “Are we off the record?” He finished the coffee and whispered, “Please,” as he held the cup toward her for a refill.

“We’re off the record for the rest of this trip. Forget about the book since it’s obvious you don’t want to do it. I’ll tell New York that it’s dead when we get back, but for now…we’re on vacation, that is if you still want me to be here just as Kate, not your co-author.” She turned away to protect herself from what he might say.

He moved quickly for someone with a brutal hangover, wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. She resisted for a moment and then relaxed into his embrace, his bare chest warm against her back. “I want you here. Of course I do. I acted like an ass yesterday because…” he planted tiny kisses from her neck to her shoulder.

“Because why?” She tilted her head to give him better access.

“I was afraid. Afraid of what I’m starting to feel for you, afraid of things that should stay private becoming public, afraid of remembering things I prefer to forget, and afraid that you wouldn’t want me if it weren’t for the book.”

This confident, private man had just revealed that he was vulnerable. She’d thought that she was the only one who could be hurt, but evidently she had the power to hurt him, too. Kate turned to him, needing to see his eyes, his face. She ran her fingers over the bruise on his forehead and he winced, but didn’t pull away.

“You thought that the only reason that I’m here with you was a lousy book? Drew, you idiot. I’m falling for you.” She didn’t want to read anything into the stunned look on his face, so she pulled away before he could react. Her burning eyes signaled approaching tears, so she forced herself to lighten the mood. 

“You still need to shower and brush your teeth, mister. We skipped dinner again last night and I’m starving, so hurry and we’ll go down to breakfast.”

Drew reached for her hand and yanked her against him. “I can’t trust my brain this morning. Did you say what I think you said?”

“What do you think I said?” Maybe he hadn’t heard her. Maybe she could un-say it.

He ran his hands up and down her back, then cupped her head so she couldn’t avoid his gaze. “You said you’re falling in love with me.”

“I said I’m falling for you. That’s a little different.” She tried to pull away, but he continued to hold her tightly enough for her to notice that another part of his body was working fine.

“Kate,” he groaned, leading her toward the bathroom. “I know I should clean up first, but I need you.” He didn’t wait for her answer and grasped the hem of her t-shirt. She willingly raised her arms to help him pull it off. Jeans, underwear and bra quickly followed along with his boxers. One of his hands turned on the shower so the water could warm while the other continued to hold hers. He didn’t let go when he picked up his toothbrush, held it toward her and raised his eyebrows. She understood and squeezed toothpaste onto it. He brought the toothbrush into the shower and used it before tossing it aside to free his hands.

The shower stall was designed for one person and forced their bodies together. “One of us should lather up and then we’ll rub against each other since there’s no room to maneuver in here,” Drew said.

“I’m sorry this is below your standards, Mr. Celebrity, but it was the first bed and breakfast I could find that had a room available.”

He playfully yanked her hair. “I’ve slept in places that make this look like the Ritz.” He ran his soapy hands over her body and grinned. “As long as my skin is against yours you’ll never hear me complain.”

Kate watched, fascinated, when his expression changed in an instant and heat replaced the teasing playfulness. He looked like a man on a mission and she was his target. Her earlier need for food shifted into a throbbing hunger for this man. He brushed his lips over hers and she caught the bottom one between her teeth. “Drew,” she sighed when he pressed his hips against hers. She melted into him and their mouths crashed together.

“Kate,” he moaned, in the same emotion-filled way she’d just murmured his name. “Wrap your legs around my waist.” He angled his powerful thighs, then slid into her and set a pace that created the perfect amount of friction. Surrounded by steam from the shower’s pounding hot water, it was as if they were
i
n a cloud, lost in a world of their own. He shifted position to free one hand and brought it between her thighs, his fingers expertly playing her body to an earth-shattering climax. Drew’s blue eyes burned with passion and something else. “Look at me,” he demanded when her lids fluttered closed. They stared at each other, their eyes communicating silently the same way their bodies were until he grasped her ass and exploded into her.

They sank to the floor of the shower and he pulled her onto his lap. Kate rested her head against his chest until they recovered enough to talk. “I can’t seem to get enough of you,” he said, running his hand down her thigh.

“It’s good to know that I’m not the only one feeling that way. You’ve turned me into a nympho.”

“Not a problem as long as you direct all your nympho-ness at me.” He traced her lips with one finger, gazing at her until his growling stomach snapped him out of the dream-like state. “We should dry off and go down to breakfast before they close the kitchen.”

“Good idea. When I checked in they said food’s available until ten. I have no idea what time it is.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said, helping her to stand. “I want to be lazy today. Maybe we can stay here another night and leave first thing tomorrow.”

“Works for me. This is your trip. Without our project, I’m only along for the ride,” she said, leaning against him. I still have a lot of questions, Kate thought, and knew he’d only answer them if he trusted her.

As they dressed it became obvious that he would only let her into his life so far. “After we get to Galway, I’d like to spend some time in my gran’s town visiting people I haven’t seen in years.”

She tried to hide her disappointment. “I’m sure there’s plenty for me to do in Galway. Don’t worry about me.”

“Kate, I’m not excluding you, but there are things and you’re…” he raised his arms to the side, palms upwards.

“I’m what?”

“Your job is to get as much information from me as possible and make it public.”

“That was my job when this began, but that’s over.  There is no book. Didn’t I just tell you that? Damn it Drew, when will you believe that I’m not going to broadcast your secrets to the world!” She angrily slammed the dresser drawer and caught her fingertip in it. “Ouch! Holy hell, that hurts!” She put the injured finger in her mouth.

“Let me see,” he said.

“No, it’s fine.”

“I said, let me see it,” he growled before adding “please.”

He kept his eyes on hers as he gently tugged her hand until she released it from her mouth. He eased the injured finger this way and that and then nodded, satisfied. “It’s just a bruise. I broke enough fingers and other bones that I’m something of an expert. I’ll get some ice. That’ll help.”

It felt good to be taken care of. Independent, I don’t need anyone Ekaterina Louise Porter didn’t mind that Drew was a take-charge man. His confidence and his very maleness made her feel safe. He obviously liked or needed control, but he didn’t go all alpha and make decisions for her or boss her around. It was subtler than that and it worked.

He returned with a small plastic bag of ice. “Hold this against your finger for five minutes. It’ll minimize bruising, but first…” He lifted her hand and kissed the injured digit then sucked it into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it.

“It feels better already,” she said. “It’s not a big deal, but thank you for taking care of me.”

He shrugged. “As you said, it’s not a big deal.”

“Drew…we need to talk.”

“Oh, shit. I knew this was coming. I promise that I don’t drink like that. Ever. You won’t see me that drunk again.”

“It’s not that. I can’t stand that you don’t trust me.”

He sighed. “I’ll explain after breakfast. I need something in my stomach to sop up any residual alcohol. And you said you were starving.”

They left the small dining area an hour later. Drew took her hand and led her outside. “It’ll be easier to talk without walls around me. That okay with you?”

“Sure. And if this is too hard for you, then we don’t have to do it.”

“Yes, we do. I don’t trust many people, Kate, but despite the way I’ve been acting, I do trust you.”

She lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed it. “Thank you. It’s not easy for anyone — me included — to trust, but you need to know that I would never betray you.”

“My gut tells me that you’re not going to screw me over. That’s one of the reasons that I’m willing to let you in on things that very few people know about me.”

They strolled along a tree-lined path beside a stream, comfortable without talking until he was ready. “My father was a drunk. Not just an alcoholic, but a violent drunk. He beat my mother and he used his fists on me until I was big and strong enough to put a stop to it.”

“I’m sorry, Drew.” She offered no more sympathy than that. This was a proud man who would hate to be pitied. “You said ‘was’ so is he dead?”

“Yeah. He got into a lot of fights and was a habitual drunk driving offender — came close to killing someone with his car —and so he was finally sent away for
a
year in the hope he’d dry out and come to his senses. That didn’t happen. While inside, he picked a fight with the wrong man and died from his injuries.”