Falling Into Drew (21 page)

CHAPTER 31

The same questions that worried Patrick an ocean away dominated Kate’s thoughts. She couldn’t seem to stop her brain from repeating them over and over. Would Drew stay in Ireland to be near his son? Would he reconcile with Erin to create a family for the boy? Would Patrick split his time between New York and Dublin, or would Drew fly there every month? And if she and Drew had a future together, was she ready to be stepmother to a boy nearing adolescence?

“Damn it,” Kate growled in frustration. So many questions and no answers. Those could only come from Drew. She had no control over all of those
what-ifs,
so she’d direct her mind to focus on work, something she was good at. She flipped through the pile of manuscripts on her desk, hoping one would capture her interest enough that she’d stop obsessing about what was happening in Ireland, only that wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

She told herself it was natural to wonder how this would change Drew. Their romance was still new and lacked the stability of a longer relationship. If it were to come to a choice between her and Patrick, she had no doubt that Drew would choose his son. She laid her head on her desk and was half asleep when the phone startled her.

“Kate,” he said, his deep voice a caress.

“Drew,” she said, on a sigh. “I was thinking about you and here you are.”

“Like magic,” he replied. “Don’t you know by now that we have magic, the kind that lets me hear your thoughts?”

Her face softened, her lips curving into a slight smile. “Then you know my mind is pretty fucked up right now.”

“My fault. I’m sorry. I hope the decisions Erin, Patrick and I have made will help to ease your mind.”

Kate sat up straight, totally alert. “I’m anxious to hear all about it. Don’t forget that I’m a book editor, so I have a really good imagination and its been working overtime coming up with all kinds of scenarios. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Nothing can change how I feel about you, about us. You can’t imagine how much I love you and miss you.”

“All of that and more back from me.” The tension in Kate’s body eased, replaced by a feeling of warmth and desire. “I wish you were here. The sound of your voice turns me on.”

“No kidding. Look at the hard on yours just gave me,” he chuckled and opened the door to her office.

“Drew!” she shrieked. Her chair clattered to the floor and she rushed toward him. “Oh, my God, you’re really here. I’ve never been so happy to see someone.” She cradled his face in her hands, still not believing her eyes.

She shuddered as electricity ran through her when he turned his head to kiss the center of her palm. His hands slid down her arms while they gazed at each other until he tightened his hold and brought her against his body. Kate wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, soothed by the thump-thump of his heart.

“I need you, Katie. I need you so much,” he murmured, suddenly overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil of the past few days. He kicked the door shut with the heel of his shoe then ran his fingers through her hair to bring her mouth against his, quickly deepening the kiss.

Drew’s right hand slid past the waistband of her skirt to palm her ass while the left settled on the small of her back to bring her hips against his arousal. Kate tugged his full lower lip between her teeth before soothing it with her tongue and Drew groaned.

“We can’t do this here,” she panted, and then contradicted herself by pulling his shirt from his jeans to run her hands over his back’s shifting muscles.

“I know,” he said, reluctantly removing his hands from her body. They were both breathing hard when he leaned his forehead against hers. “I shouldn’t have barged into your office, but when my plane landed, I had to see you. I felt lost and you center me. I love you so much.”

“Don’t you dare apologize for coming here. That’s what people in love do, they share the good, bad and in between. What you experienced this week was all of that. From the little you’ve told me, you handled it with strength and maturity. I’m proud of you.” She pressed her lips to his intending a quick, tender kiss, but it shifted into something more.

“Oh, hell,” she said, breaking away. “Wait here.” She opened her office door and met the smile and raised eyebrows of her longtime assistant, Theresa, who looked at her expectantly.

“If anyone needs me, tell them…”

“You’re in a meeting and can’t be disturbed. Got it,” the older woman said. “If that man looked at me the way he looks at you, I’d be in meetings for hours and hours. Don’t worry. I won’t leave my desk and no one gets past me.”

Kate bent to hug her. “Thank you. Remind me to give you a raise.” They exchanged grins.

Kate locked the office’s door and leaned against it, watching Drew. He was seated behind her desk, his smoldering gaze focused on her. “Come here.”

She slowly walked to him and trembled as he slowly ran his palms up her thighs until her narrow skirt bunched around her waist. His fingers teased her through the silk of her panties, and she had to rest her palms on his shoulders to steady herself when he found his target. “Drew, oh, God, Drew,” she panted, the orgasm hitting fast and hard. Before she recovered, he’d tugged his jeans down and lifted her onto his lap to straddle him.

“Kate,” he whispered as he entered her, then stilled, savoring the feeling of completeness that came with their joining. Lips met, tongues tasted, hands stroked, and hips moved slowly before shifting to an out of control rhythm until he threw his head back and exploded inside her with one final thrust.

They kept their arms around each other as if they would never let go. “Every time, every single time,” Drew began, “it gets better and better and I feel more. Who knew making love and fucking were so different? It still amazes me.” He planted tiny kisses along her jaw and neck then lifted her chin so that their eyes met. “I love you so damn much.”

“That’s a very good thing, Drew O’Connor, because I’m not in the habit of screwing guys in my office. Only the man I love, only you.”

“I better be the only one,” he growled. “You’re mine, Kate Porter.”

“I am.” She grinned at him. “I love it when you get all possessive.”

“I don’t need to remind you that I don’t share.”

“Neither do I, so we’re good,” she replied. “As much as I’d like to keep you inside me the rest of the day, I have work to do.”

They disentangled themselves and straightened their clothing. “Come to my apartment after you’re finished here and I’ll fill you in about Patrick.”

“All right. I guess there’s a lot to say.”

“Tons,” he warned, and gave her one final kiss before he unlocked her office door, waved to Theresa who winked at him, and headed home.

That evening, after making love again, Drew leaned against the kitchen counter while Kate dished out the Thai food they’d ordered. The domestic scene seemed so right to him. She made everything better, brighter, more fun, and he felt like the best version of himself with her. It didn’t hurt that their sexual chemistry was off the charts. They didn’t need to live together for years like some couples to test their compatibility, they knew. He wanted to marry this woman, but not only did he come with the complications of the fame thing, he came with a son. They’d have to see how that new reality impacted them when Patrick came to visit.

“Drew, Drew!” Her voice broke through his reverie. “Where did you go? Are you okay?”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. “More than okay. Let’s eat and, if I can keep my hands off you, I’ll fill you in about Patrick.”

She lifted a delicate brow. “I wondered if you were avoiding the subject.”

“No, not at all, but when I saw you again the last thing I wanted to do was talk.” His eyes twinkled with humor. After eating, he drained the last of his beer and leaned his elbows on the table.

“I’ll give you the basics and if you want to know more, just ask. First off, Patrick is a great kid. I have to give Erin credit for that. He’s handled a mind-blowing situation really well so far. This could easily have shattered him. He has a poster of me at the Olympics in his room because we have the same last name, and he used to dream that I was his long lost big brother. Can you imagine? Then he said that he knows a lot about me because I’m famous, but he doesn’t know
me,
the man who’s his dad
.”
He grasped her hand and played with her fingers. “I almost died when he said that. I told him that we have a lot to learn about each other and that we’ll do that by spending time together.

“So is he going to live with you half the year?”

“No. We’ve agreed not to make any formal custody arrangements until he becomes more comfortable with me.”

“It’s smart not to upset his routine too much. What about school?”

“He’ll continue school in Dublin and live with his mother. His life has been turned on its ass and as much as I’d like him with me, he needs time to adjust to having a father. A father, Kate, I’m a goddamn father. It’s still like a dream.”

“A good one.”

“Yeah, the best.”

“I’m happy for you. It sounds like Erin has grown up and is way more reasonable.”

“She is. Patrick mentioned that there’s a man in her life, one he likes, and it seems serious. She probably wants to move on as much as I do…unless you’ve changed your mind.”

Kate covered his hand with hers. “Drew, if you’re worried that I’m going to love you less because you have a son, you’re wrong. If anything, the way you’re dealing with this has made me love you more. You’ll be a great father.”

“You think?”

“I know it.”

“So if we have a baby some day, you wouldn’t wonder if I’d turn into a monster like my father?”

Kate was stunned that he’d imagined them with a baby, but she ignored how that made her feel and, instead, soothed his doubts. “God, no. You’re a wonderful, considerate, kind-hearted man.” She moved to his lap and held his face between her hands. “I can’t imagine any man that I’d rather have as the father of my children.”

Overwhelmed by her belief in him, he was tempted to drop to his knees and beg her to marry him. He pictured her pregnant with their child, cradling a baby, watching him or her toddle around, starting school, all that he’d missed with Patrick. The fast, party-loving crowd he’d been part of for so many years would be shocked, but he wanted those things, and he wanted them with Kate.

“When are you going back there?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts.

“What? Oh, I’m not. Patrick’s coming here next week. I thought he might fly back with me, but Erin wanted to watch him for a few days to be sure he’s really all right. His school is on a two week break, so I agreed.”

“Wow. She’s okay with him traveling alone?”

“Kate, the kid is ten, not an infant. He’ll be fine. I’ve booked a first class ticket so he’ll be treated like a king and I’ll meet him as soon as he gets through customs. He’s very excited, although I wonder if it’s about his first trip to the U.S. or about me.”

“Probably both.”

“It’s good that he’s a boy. Can you imagine me with a daughter? I can guess what he might be into, but I’d be lost with a girl his age.”

CHAPTER 32

“Are you sure you’re ready to do this? Your emotions have been all over the place since you became a father.” Charles grabbed Drew’s arm to get his friend’s attention as they walked up Fifth Avenue toward the luxury jeweler, Cartier. “Maybe you need to step back and wait until you see how it goes with Kate and Patrick. Give it some time.”

Drew’s jaw clenched as he glared at Charles, making the
back off
message impossible to miss. “Don’t you think I know what the fuck what I’m doing? I want to spend my life with her, have babies with her, and die in her arms when my time comes. I’m in love with her. Is that sure enough for you?”

“Look, buddy, I’m not questioning your desire to marry Kate or your feelings for her. She’s terrific and she brings out the best in you. I only wonder why the rush?”

Drew slowed his pace and moved aside so they wouldn’t become an obstacle to people rushing along the sidewalk. He was oblivious to the admiring looks directed at him and Charles by several females — and a few males — who passed by.

He lowered his head and stuck his hands in his jeans’ pockets. “The moment Erin’s lawyer said
Mrs. O’Connor would like Mr. O’Connor to meet his son
, my life spun out of control. Aside from you, Kate’s the person who gets me, the real me. She’s who I can count on, who I know for sure wants nothing from me except my love. She makes me happy and has my back — always. The whole time I was gone, she was afraid that I’d go back to Erin to create a family for Patrick. And maybe on some level she still wonders if she’ll lose me because of my son. We’ve been through a hell of a lot in a very short time and I want to give her tangible proof that I’m committed to her.”

Charles slung an arm over Drew’s shoulder. “Then let’s go pick out a ring.”

The senior sales associate recognized Drew the moment he and Charles entered Cartier’s dazzling Fifth Avenue store. The impeccably dressed and styled woman leaned toward her male associate and whispered, “I have this one.” Smiling, she stepped from behind the counter. “Welcome to Cartier, gentlemen. How can I be of help?”

“I’d like to see some rings. I don’t know if I want diamonds or emeralds.”

“Of course. I’m sure we have something that will make a beautiful — can I assume this is an engagement ring?

“It is.”

“Lucky woman,” she said, leading them to a private viewing room. “Do you have a particular style or shape in mind?”

“Not really, but I’ll know which one is right for her when I see it.”

“Certainly. I’m Elaine Falk.”

“Drew O’Connor.”

“I recognized you when you walked in, Mr. O’Connor.”

He smiled uncomfortably. “I should be used to it by now, but I’m always surprised when people know who I am.” He gestured toward Charles. “This is my friend and best man, Charles Morrison.”

The saleswoman showed them an impressive assortment of round, square, oval, emerald and even heart-shaped diamonds in various settings, until Drew seized one. It had a round emerald on each side of the center diamond and he declared it perfect. Charles pointed to another.

“What? Do you think Kate won’t like this one?” Drew held the ring he chose between two fingers and examined it carefully.

“No, that one is perfect for her. I want to buy the other one,” Charles said, surprising everyone including himself.

Drew’s jaw dropped open and he gaped at his friend. “Are you and Liz…?”

“Maybe. Sure, I guess. I don’t know,” the usually articulate Charles sputtered, then quickly regained his normal composure. “Looking at these,” his arm swept over the tray of rings, “I kept picturing one on Liz’s finger and when I saw this,” he said, gazing at the ring he held, “I knew it was the one. It has an old-fashioned, estate look that says Liz to me.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Drew pulled his smiling friend in for a hug. “I couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect for you. I’ve said it before, but what were the chances of us falling in love with two best friends? This is epic.”

“I’m very happy for you both,” commented Ms. Falk. “We can have the rings sized and ready for you whenever you like.”

Both men laughed and Charles asked, “Do men usually come in knowing what size ring a woman wears?”

“Well, not always. Sometimes the couple chooses a ring together, or in cases like yours, we can size the ring after you give it to your fiancée.”

“Fiancée. Did you hear that, Drew?” Charles shook his head, still in shock at his decision.

“Yeah. Crazy isn’t it? But wonderful crazy.”

They each handed a credit card to the saleswoman and didn’t even blink when she had them sign for what others might spend on a house.

“This calls for a drink,” Charles said the moment they left the store. “Charles Morrison and Drew O’Connor are getting married!” A passerby looked at them curiously, before cracking them up when he turned to say, “Congratulations. I hope the two of you will be very happy.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Drew said a week later trying to persuade Kate to go to the airport with him to pick up Patrick. “He needs to know that you’re an important part of my life,” he said and wrapped his arms around her. “And to be honest, although I’ve met him, I’m freaking out.”

“It’s natural to be nervous about this, but come on, Drew. He just found out that you’re his father, he’s traveling alone for the first time, and he’s going to be as anxious about this as you. We’ll all do something together when he’s more comfortable with you.” She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Once the two of you see each other, it’ll be fine.”

“You’re right.” Drew rested his cheek on her head. “God, you feel good. When I hold you it seems like nothing else in the world matters.” She raised her face to his and the tender kiss they exchanged communicated love, support and made Drew’s jitters evaporate. “I better go. I’ll call to let you know how it’s going. Have fun with Liz tonight.”

“We’re overdue for a girls’ night, but I’ll miss you.” She pushed him toward the door. “I love you, Drew O’Connor and your son will love you too.”

The arrivals board indicated that Patrick’s plane had just landed when Drew ran into the airport. He was filled with a sense of helplessness while he paced back and forth outside the international arrivals area.
What if Patrick was scared or confused going through customs? What if he lost his passport? What if…oh hell, stop with the what- ifs O’Connor,
he lectured himself. The idea of not being there if his son needed him was something that fathers usually got used to gradually. He felt like a brand new skier standing at the top of a double black diamond trail, terrified about how to get to the bottom of the mountain.

“Drew! Drew!” a high-pitched voice broke through his reverie. Patrick ran towards him pulling his suitcase. Drew bent to catch the boy who threw himself into his father’s arms. “I’m here. I’m really here. The plane ride was brilliant. I had a seat that turned into a bed and the flight attendant made me a sundae and I watched two movies and played video games and…”

“Sounds like you had a good time,” Drew said with relief.

“I can’t wait to do it again!”

“So you’re ready to leave?”

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean that,” he said, grabbing hold of Drew’s hand. “I just want to fly again. I’m happy to be here with you. My mother was nervous about me flying by myself, but I was fine. She treats me like a baby sometimes.”

“I’m sure she does that because she loves you.”

“I guess.”

“Let’s call and let her know you’re here and with me.”

A couple of the airport’s ever-present paparazzi recognized Drew as he and Patrick headed toward a waiting limo and cameras started clicking. “Hey, O’Connor, is that your little brother? Looks a lot like you,” shouted one. Drew ignored the question. He put a possessive arm around his confused son’s shoulders and hurried him into the car.

“Wow!” Patrick’s eyes opened wide as he turned to watch the photographers, then he directed his gaze at his father.“ I thought singers like Justin Bieber were the only people to get mobbed by those guys. I didn’t know that
you
were that kind of famous.”

“I’m not, really. They always hang out at this airport and the one in Los Angeles and when they spot a limo like ours, they wait to see who’s going to get into it.” Drew hoped that the paps stuck with the brother theory and didn’t speculate that the boy who looked so much like him might be his son. “Now let’s call your mother.”

Patrick was more interested in gaping at the city, playing with all the controls for the limo’s various features, and raising and lowering the window that separated the driver from the back seat than talking with his mother. He reluctantly took the phone when it was handed to him and excitedly described all his new experiences. Then he told Drew that his mother wanted to talk to him.

Erin didn’t like that her son had already been subjected to a bunch of photographers and that his picture would likely appear in some magazine or online tabloid. She made it clear that if Drew couldn’t protect Patrick, the boy’s visits to New York would end and Drew would have to visit him in Ireland. 

“I get it, Erin. Like Patrick told you, I’m not Justin Bieber. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine and I’ll have him call you every day.”

It was obvious that she wasn’t happy and he really couldn’t blame her for wondering if he knew anything about being a parent. But, hey, it wasn’t his fault that he’d missed out of the first ten years of his son’s life. Still, he felt he had to prove that he could be a good father, if not to her, then to himself.

“Look at all the people rushing about and all the tall buildings,” Patrick exclaimed when the big car made its way through Manhattan’s taxi-clogged streets. “Granddad said you’re very rich. Do you live in a mansion or a penthouse? Will we go to the top of the Empire State Building? Is that a Ferrari? A real one?” Drew answered his son’s questions and laughed with delight at his exuberance until the limo pulled to the curb. Drew’s uniformed doorman quickly opened the car’s door and took the boy’s small suitcase from the driver. He smiled at Patrick. “And who do we have here?”

“I’m Patrick. I flew all the way from Ireland by myself!”

“Well, Patrick, welcome to New York. I hope you have a wonderful time here.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Drew watched the exchange with pride. He wanted to shout, “That’s my son!” He was relieved that Patrick hadn’t added O’Connor to the introduction since neither of them were ready for the attention that revelation would bring. Erin had left the decision about when to go public up to him since New York was his turf, but she warned that the news of Drew’s fatherhood was bound to come out. He needed a plan that would cause the least harm to their son.

Drew gave Patrick a choice between the apartment’s two guest bedrooms and was pleased when he selected the one closest to his. After the boy explored every square inch of the spacious apartment and marveled at the view and the size of his father’s television, Drew asked if he wanted to rest, unpack or get something to eat.

“Food, please. I’m starving.”

“Me too. Do you like pizza?”

“Of course,” Patrick said and gave Drew a look that said,
duh, what a crazy question
.

They walked through the narrow, winding streets of Greenwich Village until reaching John’s on Bleeker Street, Drew’s favorite pizza joint. “What do you like on your pizza?”

“Just cheese and sauce. I don’t want sausage or vegetables, that is unless you do.”

“Nope. This pizza is so good that it doesn’t have to be buried under all kinds of stuff. Cheese it is.”

After they devoured the entire pie, Patrick leaned toward his father, a worried expression on his face. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, anything.”

“Is this the only time I’ll be visiting you here? If you don’t like me, then maybe you’ll decide not to be my father after all.”

With tears in his eyes, Drew reached for the boy’s hand. “Now that we’ve found each other, I will always be your dad, no matter what. It won’t be easy, but if it’s okay with your mom, you’ll come here on school holidays and I’ll come to see you in Ireland. And there’s Skype, too, if there’s something you want to show me or talk about. I’m new at being a father, so I’ll probably make mistakes, but I promise to try very hard to be a good dad.”

Patrick turned his head away to blow his nose in a paper napkin and to hide his own tears. “All I’ve ever wished for was a dad and now it’s come true.” The words were barely above a whisper, but touched Drew’s heart. He was quickly learning how a child could grab hold of that particular organ, crawl inside, and fill it with love.

That night, Drew tucked his exhausted son into bed. When he bent to give the boy a good night kiss, he was stunned when skinny arms came around his neck and Patrick muttered a sleepy, “’Night, dad.”

That was all it took for Drew to realize that he would do anything to protect this child, to ensure his happiness, and to make him feel secure in his love. But maybe
anything
had one exception. He wouldn’t give up Kate and had to hope that Patrick would accept her as part of his new family.