The Heart of Tomorrow (Book Two) (The Tomorrow Series 2) (5 page)

“Don’t do that again.” His voice was low and serious and he didn’t smile.

“Why not?” I locked my eyes on his, dipping my finger in the frosting again and pulling it out of my mouth even slower this time.

“You know why.” His voice was low, but then he was leaning into me, stopping just inches from my lips and then I felt his tongue on the side of my mouth, licking slowly at the corner.  I felt my breathing start to quicken as his mouth lingered on mine. “You had a little frosting right there I had to take care of.  It’s pretty good actually,” he said softly and then he pulled away leaving me breathless. “Now,” he said, touching the tip of my nose with his finger. “I’m going to go help my dad pass out cake.”

I couldn’t say anything as he grinned at me and then was gone.  My thoughts were still occupied with his tongue on my mouth and I wished we weren’t at the party, but instead back in New York at the apartment.

“How’s everything going, Natalie?”

My head jerked around at the voice and I was startled to find Christina beside me.  She still had the cake in hand that Drew had just given her.  She took a bite and smirked at me as she pulled the fork out of her mouth.

“I’m fine, thank you,” I answered, taking a bite of my cake. 

“And how’s Ethan? That was his name, wasn’t it?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

“To be honest, you are.”

“Not my intention, truthfully.”

“What is your intention, Christina?” I turned abruptly, staring at her with surprising confidence.

“Believe it or not, Natalie, I just want to help you.”

“Help me?  Forgive my frankness, but you’ve been anything but helpful since I met you.” 

“You don’t know my brother the way I do.”

“I happen to know your brother very well actually.”

“You know what he wants you to know.”

“What are you getting at?”

“You’re not in his league, Natalie.  Not even close.  He’s only looking out for himself. You should get out before you end up hurt.”

I took in a deep breath as my mind tried to formulate what I would say to her.  I couldn’t blow up.  I couldn’t be catty.  That would just prove her point…that I wasn’t in his league.  Drew was always in control.  Even when he was angry, he never lost control.

“I just want you to know one thing, Christina,” I said, making sure my voice was calm.

“What’s that?”

“That I love your brother and he loves me.  He’s shown me over and over how he feels about me…”

“Like when you were fucking in the bathroom on Thanksgiving?” she interrupted and I felt my jaw fall, a sick feeling brewing in my stomach. “Yeah…you thought you two were being discreet…you weren’t.  Try and have a little class.  This is exactly what I’m talking about.  You give it up like that, in a bathroom no less.  That just goes to prove my point.  He’ll crush you if you let him.”

“You…you don’t know anything about me or him,” I stuttered, trying my best to hold it together, to not let the tears form so she couldn’t see how her words had gutted me. 

“I know all I need to.  Enjoy the rest of the evening.”

With that, she was gone and I couldn’t get Christina’s words out of my mind. 

Five

“You’ve been so quiet, Natalie,” Drew said as we drove back to his parents’ house.  He took my hand across the console and I thought back to the rest of the evening.  I’d stood by his side while his mom opened her gifts and I wasn’t surprised when I learned he’d given her a trip to Bermuda.  It was a very Drew thing to do and he seemed so happy when he saw her face.  I hadn’t been able to shake my conversation with Christina though and I hadn’t said much as Drew went around mingling with the guests.  I was grateful when we finally left and I didn’t want him to know I was bothered by what happened. 

“I’m just tired,” I said, giving him a little smile as he turned his eyes briefly from the road to look at me.

“Is that it?  Nothing more?”

“That’s it.” I smiled again, squeezing his hand so he wouldn’t keep asking me about it.

We pulled into the driveway followed shortly by his parents and Kayla, who decided to come back to the house for a while to spend time with Drew before we left in the morning.  I was grateful Christina hadn’t followed suit. 

We grabbed the gifts and leftover food and made our way inside.  His mom was still grinning and it was obvious she’d had a great time.

“Thank you for that lovely evening,” Janice said, leaning over and hugging Kayla and then Drew. “I’m so glad you all could be here with me and Andrew,” she said, looking up at him, “that present was completely unnecessary.”

“I wanted to do something nice for you.”

“It was very nice and your father and I will have a great time. Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek and he hugged her again.

We put things away and I glanced at the clock. It was nine-thirty and I was tired as I’d told Drew, but if I was being honest with myself, I really just wanted to be alone for a little while.

“How about a game of poker?” his mom asked when we’d finished.

“Sounds good,” Drew said as his sister nodded in agreement.

“Perfect way to end the night.  I’ll get the chips and cards,” Janice said, walking over to a cupboard in the kitchen and pulling them out. 

“We used to play poker all the time,” Kayla said, turning to me. “Drew’s actually very good.”

“I didn’t know that,” I said and I couldn’t help but think about when Christina implied I didn’t know Drew.

“I’ll have show you my skills sometime,” he said, walking over and putting his arm around  me.

“He kicks our butts whenever we play,” his dad added. 

“And I intend to do it again tonight,” Drew laughed. “You up for it, Natalie?”

“Actually,” I said, hoping he didn’t hear the hesitation in my voice. “I want you guys to have some time together.  I think I’ll head to bed.”

“Are you sure, Natalie?” Janice asked, turning to me and I was surprised to see she looked disappointed.

“I’m tired and I really want to give you some family time.”

“That’s very sweet, but it’s not necessary,” Janice assured me.

“I know, but I’ll just do a little reading and get some sleep.  You guys have fun.” I saw Drew was looking at me curiously, but he didn’t say anything. “Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the celebration today.”

“We’re so glad you could come,” Janice said, hugging me. “Get some rest and we’ll see you in the morning.”

“I will.  Good night,” I said to everyone, turning to head upstairs. 

I wasn’t surprised to hear Drew behind me and when we got to the second floor, he took my hand, pulling me into the bedroom, closing the door behind us.

“Natalie,” he said the moment we were alone. “What’s wrong? You’re not acting like yourself. You haven’t been.”

“I told you that I’m tired,” I said, reaching up and resting my palm against his cheek for a moment before turning to my bag to get my pajamas.  I felt him behind me, his hand sliding around my waist. “And you don’t get to see your family very often.  I want you to have time with them before we go back tomorrow.”

He spun me around slowly, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear.

“I want them to spend time with you too.  That’s why I brought you here…so my family could get to know you.”

“I know that and you have no idea what that means to me…that you want them to know me, but I also know that sometimes it’s just nice to have time with your family.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, but then he looked at me and sighed.

“I can see there’s no talking you out of this, so I’ll stop trying.” He smiled at me, taking my face in his hands and kissing me gently. “If you change your mind, we’ll be downstairs.”

“I know.  Go have fun,” I told him.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said and then kissed me once more.

He was gone a moment later and I changed into my pajamas before going across the hall to brush my teeth.  When I was finished and I walked across the hall to the bedroom, I could hear Drew and his family downstairs.  It sounded like they were already having a good time and despite his protests, I was glad to give them the chance to be together. I shut the door behind me and crawled into bed, trying not to notice the emptiness beside me.

~~~

A touch on my shoulder woke me up.  When I opened my eyes, it took me a moment to focus in the darkness and fingertips began stroking across my skin.  I laid there for a moment, not moving because his touch felt so good, but when I turned around, there was just enough light that I could see him looking at me, his brow creased the way it did when he was concerned.

“I’m sorry to wake you.” His voice was low, so quiet I almost couldn’t hear him. “Why didn’t you tell me Christina talked to you?” I turned to him and he moved his fingertips from my shoulders to my cheek, brushing lightly over my skin as his eyes searched my face.

I didn’t know what to say to him.  I hadn’t wanted to address this.  I hadn’t wanted to seem petty, but I couldn’t avoid his question. 

“There was no need to.”

“Yes, there was, especially since that’s why you’ve been so somber.”

“I’m fine, Drew.”

“Don’t lie to me, Natalie.”  His voice was low and stern and I knew he was in no mood for me to try and downplay the conversation.

“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.  How’d you even know?”

“Kayla saw the two of you talking and when she told me, I knew that’s why you’ve been so distant tonight.  I don’t know what she said to you, Natalie, but I know my sister and I hope whatever she said didn’t trouble you too much.”

I paused again for a moment, wondering what I should say to him.  I didn’t want him to know what  Christina had said to me, mostly because it scared me to even think that maybe I didn’t know Drew as well as I thought I did.

“You’re her brother,” I decided on, keeping my voice soft. “She only wants to look out for you.  She doesn’t trust me and there’s really nothing I can do about that.”

“What else did she say to you, Natalie?”

“It doesn’t matter what she said,” I told him, and I watched as his eyes darted around my face and he sighed, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to him.

“It does matter to me because I can’t fix whatever it is she broke unless you tell me.”

I didn’t want to tell him because I didn’t want to give any credence to what she’d said to me.  I didn’t want him to think I was bothered by what she’d said. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d accomplished her goal of coming between us. 

“Let’s just say she doesn’t see a future for us.”

Drew sighed again, his chest heaving deeply and then he pulled away.

“Please don’t listen to Christina. I’m sorry for how she’s treated you, but please don’t listen to her,” he said, grazing his fingertips over my cheek. “All I know is that I see a future for us, Natalie.” He paused, smiling at me as he gently brushed his lips against mine. “I’m sure you heard my slip of the tongue earlier…about our children.” He grinned shyly at me and I smiled back.

“I did.”

“I think about that a lot…about our future…about having children with you.”

“Why haven’t you ever told me that?”

“I didn’t want to scare you,” he chuckled lightly. “You’re only twenty-three.  You probably don’t think about that, but I do…and I think about that with you.”

I didn’t quite know what to say.  I loved Drew.  Our relationship had been fun and passionate and exciting.  He encompassed all of those things.  I didn’t think about him ever settling down and I hadn’t given it much thought either. My life was just beginning, but as I looked at him now, the way he smiled at me and the way he touched me, I could see doing this forever with him. 

“Drew…I don’t…” I began, but then I felt his finger on my lips, silencing me.

“You don’t need to say anything, but I wanted to tell you because I want you to forget about everything Christina said.  I love you, Natalie.  I hope you know that because when I think about my future, I don’t see it without you and all I can say about my sister is that I’m sorry.”

He leaned in, his lips brushing over mine before pulling me to him so my head was resting on his chest.

“Stay with me tonight,” I whispered.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he replied as he pulled me closer, kissing the top of my head and I knew no matter what Christina’s motives were tonight, Drew loved me.  There was no doubt in my mind about that.

Six

Drew snuck out shortly before dawn and I woke up a few hours later.  He wanted to get an early start back to New York.  I was anxious to get back too.  The weekend had been an interesting one, but I was ready to get back to our bubble in the city.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, I went downstairs where Drew and his father were standing by the counter, looking as if they were about to start making breakfast.  I stopped on the bottom step and smiled for a moment, watching him.  He must’ve heard me because he turned around, grinning when he saw me.

“We’re about to make waffles?  You want one?” he asked.

“Actually,” a voice interrupted and I turned to see Kayla walking in, followed by Janice. “I was hoping I could steal Natalie away and take her to breakfast.”

She walked up beside me, putting a friendly arm around my shoulder.  Drew’s eyebrow rose curiously as he looked at his sister.

“Am I invited?”

“Actually, you’re not.  I thought Mom and Dad would like to have you to themselves for a bit while I get to know Natalie a little better.”

“Well, that’s up to Natalie.” He turned his gaze to me and I couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.  Kayla had been nothing but sweet since I’d met her, but why she wanted to take me and only me to breakfast piqued my interest, but I had to agree.  I couldn’t offend her. 

“What do you say, Natalie?  Care to join me?” Kayla’s hand left my shoulder and she smiled over to me.

“I’d like that.”

“Don’t be too long though.  We want to get back at a decent hour.”

“Of course, my dear brother.  I won’t keep your darling Natalie away from you for too long and then you can escape back to New York until another family obligation drags you back home.”

“Your sarcasm is noted.  Now, go and have fun.” Drew walked over, kissing me on the cheek before Kayla led me outside.

It was cold out, but we didn’t have to go far.  It was only a few minutes before Kayla was pulling her sporty Mercedes into the parking lot of a little café.

“I hope you don’t mind that we skipped out on breakfast, but I’ve had my dad’s waffles and they’re actually pretty terrible,” Kayla laughed as we settled into a booth.

“No, it’s fine.  I’m glad Drew can spend time with your parents.”

“And we can have some time before you guys disappear into the city again.”

The way she smiled at me was warm and sincere.  The difference between her and Christina was startling. I didn’t have the chance to say anything before the waitress appeared.  Kayla ordered a coffee, while I settled for a cup of hot tea with lemon.

“You’re not a coffee drinker?” she asked as we browsed through the menu.

“I’ve tried.  I never could force myself to like it.”

“You’re smart.  You never have to worry about coffee breath,” she said and I had to laugh.  Kayla was so laid back, it was easy to relax around her.  She was nothing like I’d imagined her to be and it was a pleasant surprise.

It was quiet then as we continued browsing the menus.  When the waitress returned with our coffee and tea, I ordered a ham and cheese omelet and Kayla settled on the French toast.  I stirred some honey into my tea and then took a sip as I eyed Drew’s sister across from me.  Even though she was easy to be around, I was still nervous, especially since she swooped in and pulled me away to breakfast so unexpectedly. She poured some creamer into her coffee and after a sip of it, she set her cup down and smiled over to me.

“You’re probably wondering why I dragged you away this morning.”

“I have to admit I am curious.”

“I had a long talk with my brother last night.  Long after you’d gone to bed and after he’d kicked all of our asses in poker.”

“I’m glad you and Drew had some time to catch up.”

“Natalie,” she said, taking another drink and then setting it down. “I can’t recall a time I’ve seen my brother so happy and I know that happiness comes from you.”  I felt a smile, both timid and proud, creeping up on my face. “He pretty much thinks the sun and moon revolve around you.”

I laughed out loud at this point, and while she was still smiling, there was a seriousness about her expression.

“I don’t think I’d go that far,” I said, taking another sip of tea.

“I’ve seen the way Drew has struggled over the years,” she said and the smile faded.  I watched as her eyes drifted over my shoulder, as if she was lost in a memory for a moment before looking over to me again. “He probably hasn’t shown that side of himself to you and I wouldn’t expect him to.  He doesn’t like to seem fallible.  Drew has worked to create this hard exterior. He does a good job of only showing people what he wants to show them.  It’s how he copes.  Hell, it’s how he’s gotten to where he is today.  He’s so guarded.  I don’t know why really, but he is.  He’s letting down his barriers with you though and I wanted to have a moment alone to tell you I appreciate that.  I only want my brother to be happy.”

Our eyes locked and I was surprised by the love I felt for this women I’d only met a day before.  I was struggling to recall a time I’d ever felt so comfortable with a practical stranger. 

“Thank you, Kayla.”

“I also want to apologize for Christina,” she continued and I tried to fight the scowl attempting to form on my face at the mention of her name. “I don’t know what was said exactly, but I know whatever it was, you need to let it go.  In one ear and out the other.” There was a snicker on her face and she looked away again briefly, before returning her gaze to me. “I love my sister, I do, but…” Kayla stopped for a moment as if she was pondering how to proceed. “I don’t know what Drew has told you about her.”

“He’s only said she’s had some problems. He doesn’t seem to want to talk about it though.”

“That’s typical Drew. Focus on the future. Forget about the past,” she sighed and I thought I heard frustration in her voice. “She fell apart in high school. I don’t know why. I was away at college, but my mom said she fell in with the wrong kids. Either staying out all hours or locking herself in her room…being totally over dramatic, not unlike the way she is now. It’s amazing she actually graduated and then she started drinking during college. She was a mess. She even ended up in rehab,” she sighed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. “When she met Greg and they got married, I thought that was the end of it. She finally seemed okay, but then they got divorced and now she’s so unhappy with her own life that she doesn’t want anyone else to be happy. She takes her issues out on the wrong people and I’m sorry you were a target last night.”

The waitress appeared then, setting our food in front of us and I started picking at it, thinking what I should say to her.  For whatever reason, she felt the need to pull me aside and make me feel welcome, while her sister had done her best to show me how much she detested me.

“I appreciate everything you’re telling me.  Both times I’ve spoken with Christina,” I said, pausing for a moment. “They’ve made me question everything about Drew and me.  I don’t want to let it bother me, but if I’m being honest, it’s hard not to.”

“I know, but don’t take it personally though.  I promise…it’s not just you,” she said, pausing for a moment and then giving me a nervous smile. “You’re good for him.  He loves you.  Just love him back.”

She didn’t need to tell me to love him, I already did and I couldn’t imagine anything that would make me stop.

~~~

When Drew opened the apartment door and we stepped inside, I didn’t realize how much I’d missed our home.  We’d only been in Connecticut a couple of days, but I’d missed our sanctuary and I was glad to be back.

“Home sweet home,” Drew sighed, tossing his duffle bag on the couch before taking my bag from me, throwing it next to his and then turning swiftly, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me to him.  His mouth was on mine a moment later and then I was against the wall, his lips moving from my mouth to my neck as his hands made their way under my shirt.  They were warm against my skin and I closed my eyes as he moved over my body, loving the freedom we’d lacked while at his parents’ house. 

“I’ve missed touching you like this whenever I wanted,” he moaned. “We’re never leaving the city again.  We’re never leaving this apartment again.”

I started laughing as his lips continued to possess me and then he pulled back abruptly, eyeing me hungrily.

“You think this is funny?” A taunting smirk spread over his face and then his eyebrow cocked. “You think I’m kidding, Miss Vasser?”

“You plan to keep me here against my will?”

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

He scooped me up suddenly, one hand under my arm and the other under my knees and we were then moving swiftly across the apartment until we were in the bedroom. I was sprawled on the bed as he stood above me, quickly undoing his belt, his pants dropping to the floor before he reached for my jeans, extracting me from them expertly.  Both of us were too eager for foreplay.  There was a time for that.  Now was not that time. 

His weight was nearly crushing as he climbed on top of me and I was lost in him instantly.  I loved how he could take me out of my body to places I didn’t know existed and when I opened my eyes, I could tell he was just as lost as I was.  It didn’t take long before we’d both reached that place we’d been searching for and he collapsed onto me.  For some reason, I found it incredibly arousing that we both still had our shirts on.  He obviously didn’t because he reached up, pulling his off and then doing the same to mine.

“I want to feel you,” he whispered as he pulled the covers back, encouraging me to climb in.  I rested my head on his chest and he tickled my arms with his fingertips as our breathing started to calm as he kissed the top of my head, breathing in deeply. “You always smell so damn good.  It drives me crazy, Natalie.”

“That’s my goal, Drew.”

“Mission accomplished then, baby,” he said and I laughed. It was quiet again as I focused on the beating of his heart and I was glad he’d finally been able to follow through on his threat the night of his mother’s birthday party when we’d been making out in the hallway like a couple of horny teenagers.

“What are your final thoughts on Connecticut?” he asked as we laid there.

“I liked getting to know your family.”

“I’m glad they didn’t scare you away.”

He chuckled and I laughed too.

“Kayla saved you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I like her.”

“Breakfast went well then?”

“Yes, it did,” I said and then propped myself up, turning so I was facing him.  I stroked the smooth skin of his chest.  I could tell he liked the way I touched him by the way his muscles twitched beneath my fingers. “Kayla’s sweet.  She loves you, Drew.” I paused, drawing my gaze from his chest to his green eyes. “
I
love you, Drew.” I felt my face soften as I looked at his.  He had the most beautiful face I’d ever seen.  Strong.  Powerful.  Perfect.  And yet, as I looked at him now, thinking back to what Kayla had said, I saw vulnerability in his eyes.  He had perfected the ability to mask it, to seem untouchable, but as I’d grown closer to him, truly gotten to know Andrew Saben, I could see it was there.

“What is it, babe?” He reached up, pushing a piece of my auburn hair behind my ear. “You look troubled.”

“Not troubled.”

“Why are you looking at me like that then?”

“I guess I’m still trying to figure you out.”

“I’m not a complicated man, Natalie.  I thought you knew that by now.” His face curled into a lighthearted smile, but I didn’t return it.

“You’re actually the most complicated man I’ve ever met.”

“I am?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You are.”

“Go on then, Miss Vasser,” he said, tracing his fingers over the tops of my breasts. “I’d love to hear this theory.”

“You’re strong.”

“I am,” he grinned, his fingers crawling up my neck and then pulling me to him for a quick kiss.

“You can be ruthless when you want to be.”

“Only with you,” he grinned, pulling me to him and slapping me teasingly on the ass. I couldn’t help but laugh and he held me tightly until I finally pulled away, glaring playfully at him.

“I’m attempting to have a serious conversation with you, Drew.”

“Sorry.” He moved back and folded his hands behind his head, a sexy grin on his face. “Proceed.”

I tried not to stare at him, but the way he was looking at me and the exposed view of his flawless chest made that nearly impossible.  All I could think about was throwing myself at him and having him take me again.  I resisted though and inched further away from him.  I foolishly thought more space between us would make me want him less.  It didn’t, but I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to compose myself and when I opened them again, I started talking.

“Kayla alluded to something,” I began. I’d gotten his attention, but I was surprised by the concern on his face.

“What allusion did she create?”

“That perhaps you’re not as strong as you appear.  That you have struggles you haven’t shared with me.” My voice was quiet and I was hesitant when I saw the sudden change of his expression.  His brow furrowed and he crossed his arms guardedly across his chest.