Fated to be Yours (22 page)

But as his thumb rhythmically strokes the back of my hand I know that my willpower has lost the battle. I haven’t quite got the semantics of how this is going to work, him living here and me living there, but it can’t just end after tomorrow. My heart won’t be able to take it.

“How did the reading go? The children seemed very excited to have you up there,” Priscilla asks.

“It went well. I had such a fun time reading to them. Thank you so much for allowing me to do that.”

Charles waves his hand in front of his face. “Think nothing of it. Anything to bring them joy is what this is all about.”

Kara turns to smile at me as she reads my face. I know I’m unable to keep it from showing every single emotion running through me, but I’m at the peak of my happiness after my low point from this morning. She gives me a knowing wink and I wish I weren’t so easy to read. She knows what’s going through my head.

“Well I believe we’ve seen enough for one day, don’t you agree? Tessa and I need to get back to the hotel so we can hammer out these contracts for tomorrow’s meeting.”

With a nod, Charles leads the way out of the building toward the waiting cars outside. He smirks as we all shakes hands goodbye.

“I assume you arrived with Andrew?”

“Yes, Andrew was gracious enough to drive us again today. We’re very thankful for his excellent chauffeur skills,” Kara laughs.

Andrew shakes his head but gives a small laugh. “It’s always a pleasure to escort two beautiful women around.”

He releases my hand and pulls me to his side instead. My hand rests on his firm stomach and I refrain from flexing my fingers to feel the taut muscles underneath. My head turns as Charles laughs while helping Priscilla into their car.

“I couldn’t agree with you more, Andrew. Until tomorrow ladies,” he says before climbing into his car and driving away.

My perfect gentleman opens the doors for me and Kara before taking us back to our hotel. Kara is busy clicking away on her phone in the back while I stare out my window, Andrew’s hand resting lightly on my knee.

“I think Chris will be landing later this evening since he left at five this morning. But we’ll already have our heads together and hopefully finished by the time he gets here, just to irritate him.”

“I still find it funny when you call him Chris. He just doesn’t seem like a Chris to me. But that could also be because he’s my boss.”

“I think it’s weird that you call him Christopher. He’s so not a Christopher. The only time I ever use his full name is when he’s in trouble or I want to annoy the shit out of him.”

We laugh and I notice Andrew’s smile out of the corner of my eye. He’s concentrating on the rush hour traffic and hasn’t said much since we left. Then again, he hasn’t said much today to begin with. I wonder if he’s working out a plan in his head just like I am, wondering if there’s a way we can make a transcontinental relationship work. I roll the word
transcontinental
around in my head over and over and each time I do, another weight gets added to my heart, allowing it to sink further into my stomach. I don’t want to leave. My hand reaches out, seeking his, looking for the comfort that his touch brings.

Kara begins cackling in the back and I turn my head, throwing her a quizzical look. She thrusts her phone in my face and I have to tilt it back slightly so I can see what’s on the screen.

“Get this! Okay, so you know how Collins was all pissy when I got this account? Apparently he went and pitched a fit to Chris about it. And you know how much Chris tolerates childishness. As punishment, he gave Collins the animal shelter contract and the new gastrointestinal surgery center account.”

She retracts her phone and clutches her stomach, almost doubled over in her seat. I join in and let out a loud, embarrassing snort in the process. My hands clamp over my mouth at the sound, causing me to snort again. Unable to resist, Andrew begins laughing as well, shaking his head. I look behind at Kara and this time she is fully on her side, lying across the back seat.

I wipe a few happy tears from my eyes as I calm down enough to talk. “That’s too much. Hasn’t Collins learned that he won’t get his way by doing that?”

Kara sits back up and straightens herself out. “Apparently not. Oh, that was the best email I’ve had in a while. I’ll have to thank Chris later for that.”

My eyes roll to the ceiling and I can only imagine what she’ll do to thank him. I’m sure it’ll be completely dirty, knowing those two.

Soon enough, we’re back to the hotel and Andrew escorts us to the lobby again. It still amazes me how perfect his manners are. I wonder if it’s a European thing because the guys back home are never this polite and caring. Or maybe it’s just me and the fact that I’ve never been with a man like that before.

“I’m going straight to my room to relax a little before we get cracking. Give me about a half hour before you come knocking Tess. Better yet, I’ll text you to let you know when I’m ready for you.” Kara turns her attention to Andrew and shakes his hand. “Andrew, thank you again for everything. I’m so glad we got to meet each other. Hopefully, I’ll be seeing more of you in the future, outside of business that is.”

“My pleasure Kara. I’m definitely sure we will see more of each other soon,” he says.

There’s a secret smile that passes between the two of them and my suspicions rise. What are they scheming? She winks at me before turning on her heel toward the elevators.

Andrew turns me to face him, wearing that goofy grin that I adore. He looks like the cat that ate the canary.

“So, tomorrow’s our last day together,” I start. He holds up his finger and places it gently over the tops of my lips, silencing me before I can get my full statement out.

“We will have more than tomorrow, love. My only regret right now is that we both must work tonight. I would give anything to ditch our responsibilities and just spend all my time with you.”

An idea hits me and I chastised myself for not thinking of it yesterday. Of course, this would make life so much easier. The smile brightens my face as I drag him across the lobby floor to the front desk.

I cannot believe I’m even considering this or what he may think it means. But with everything that’s swimming through my brain right now, it makes the most sense. It’s impulsive. It’s uncharacteristic. It’s something that Kara would do, which only furthers my resolve to just do it.

The desk clerk looks up from her computer and smiles at us. “How may I help you, Miss?”

I clear my throat once before I lose my nerve. “I’d like an extra key for my room, please. It’s room 816, should be under the name Martin.”

She clicks a few keys on her computer before looking back up to us, her eyes smiling. “Just one more key for you, Miss Martin?”

She bats her eyelashes at Andrew and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
Yes, he’s gorgeous and yes he’s getting my extra key. Back off chick.

“Yes, just the one.”

She swipes it through her machine and hands the key to me. “Is there anything else I can assist you with this evening?”

I shake my head and slowly smile at Andrew, giving him a glance that I hope he reads as seductive. “No, I have everything I need right here. Thank you.”

“Of course. Have a good evening, Miss Martin,” she says before going back to typing on her computer.

I press the key into the palm of Andrew’s hand, dragging my lower lip through my teeth.

“This is for you. Use it, don’t use it, it’s completely up to you. But I wanted to give you the option to use it since I won’t be able to see you until tomorrow. And that makes me sad.”

My hand caresses his cheek, feeling the prickle of the stubble starting to form underneath. His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me to him.

“What I wouldn’t give to steal you away and just lock ourselves in your room for the rest of the night. This key will be used, I can promise you that. But I’m not going to tell you when I will use it. You’ll just have to be surprised when you see me in your room.”

He hits the call button for the elevator as I struggle with the urge to pull him in with me, letting him take me to my room and do with me as he pleases.

“I had a great time today. I know it wasn’t a date or anything like that but touring the school, playing with those kids, it really meant a lot to me. More than you will ever know.”

A single tear slides down my cheek as I’m unable to fight back the emotions from earlier in the day. I know he’s going to have to learn about my past sooner or later. My fear is that once he learns about how I grew up and the circumstances regarding my inability to surrender to my feelings or accept them from others, he won’t want me anymore. But he cannot go into this blind and I cannot hide this any longer.

He cups my cheek and places a kiss on my nose. “Why are you crying, love? Today was definitely a good day. I loved watching you play with all of the children. When you read those books up in the loft, it took my breath away. Seeing you surrounded by them, speaking gently and effortlessly with them, it seemed like it was the most natural thing in the world for you. It makes me think things that I shouldn’t since we’ve only just met.” He leans in close, bringing our faces mere inches apart. “But know this Tessa. I am making plans for the future. And they involve you.”

The elevator dings behind me and before I know it, he’s shoved me inside, pressing the button for my floor. We’re nothing but a whirlwind of hands and lips and arms and tongues, pulling at anything and everything we can on each other. His tongue dives into the warm heat of my mouth, licking and savoring as I do the same. Our hands wander the contours of each other’s bodies, feeling the steady pulse of lust and desire beneath the surface. His erection presses into my stomach and I moan in response. He wants me. And I want him. The buzzing current surrounding us is almost unbearable, but the spell is soon broken as the elevator doors open up to my floor.

We pull away in a breathless pant, almost as if we’d just run a marathon. He straightens my sweater, pulled askew in the heat of our unbridled passion before escorting me to my door. I smooth my hair with the hand not currently occupied by his then let it flutter to my chest, my heart pounding a punishing beat against it.

“Let’s see if your key works,” I say, still affected by our elevator ride.

He places the key in the lock and as soon as the green light appears we both smile. It works. But just as quickly, he steps back, placing the key back in his pocket.

“If I go in there with you right now I won’t want to leave. And you and I both have a busy work schedule ahead of us tonight so it’s best if we don’t tempt fate right now.”

He drags his finger along the slope of my cheek. My body trembles at his words and at his touch. Oh, how I want this man.

“Okay then. I’ll just wait until I see you next.” I try to hide the disappointment in my voice, unsure if I’ve succeeded or not. He bends down and slowly kisses my swollen and bruised lips.

“Your lips are so soft right now,” he says, pressing his forehead against mine. “I’m going to have a hard time concentrating on work while trying not to think about these.” He trails his finger across them and smiles. “It’s taking every ounce of restraint in me to not lead you into that room and lay you out on the bed.”

“Well if I don’t go in there we’re going to make a scene right here in the hallway and I’m reasonably sure neither of us wants that.”

The low groan of frustration coming from him has my lips quirking up with a hint of satisfaction in knowing he’s suffering the same as me. He runs his lips across the back of my hand before letting it drag through his fingers.

“I will be counting the seconds until I see you again, my sweet Tessa.”

He backs away slowly and I can’t help but bite my lip as I admire the sway of his ass while he walks down the hallway. I blow him a kiss before he rounds the corner and slip into my room, melting into a puddle of need and want as I slide down the wall and sit on the floor.

I need a cold shower.

My phone beeps in my purse, still lying next to the door where I left it when I finally emerge from the bathroom. I run the towel through my damp hair, shaking off as much water as I possibly can. Okay, the cold shower probably wasn’t the greatest idea because now I’m freezing as I wander around in the fluffy bathrobe while adjusting the heat in my room. However, it did do what it was supposed to do and that was to chill down my heated blood after the way Andrew left. If I close my eyes I can still feel him pressed against me, his lips still on mine, his taste still on my tongue.

I’m going to need another shower if I keep that line of thinking up.

I pull my phone from the front pocket of my purse and smile. Two missed messages. The first is from Kara, letting me know that she’s all relaxed and ready to go. I walk over to my bed and sit on the edge while typing my response, letting her know I just need to get dressed then I’ll be over.

The second message shouldn’t surprise me at all. Andrew’s name shines brightly at me and my heart beats just a little faster as I open the message.

I’m sitting in this meeting and all I keep thinking about is you. ~A~