You're All I Need (8 page)

“Okay. That's the last I'm going to say about it.” Mrs. Edwards pointed at a cupboard. “Hand me that tray. I'm going to put the dessert on it.”

Tia entered the executive wing of Gautier International Motors and headed for her workstation. Seconds after she locked her purse in her bottom drawer, Chris peeked out of his office. He spied Tia and hurried across the floor to her desk. Suppressed excitement oozed from him.

“I found it,” he announced.

“Found what?” Tia asked, finding his excitement contagious.

They'd grown closer since the night Chris had followed her to her parents'. Chris had become a great friend as well as a colleague. Constantly at her side and tuned in to her every mood, he had been the kindest, most caring person Tia could want to help her through the first painful days of her breakup with Darnell. When she felt down, Chris found ways to make her laugh and keep her entertained. He never let her focus on the poor state of her love life for very long.

Maybe my mother is right. Is Chris interested in getting involved with me? If I don't watch out, I'll fall for him,
Tia thought.
No. You need to quit that line of thought. Our lives are heading down two very different and unique paths.

“I found a house.”

“House?” She frowned, gazing into his intense blue eyes. “I thought you wanted to find an apartment.”

“No,” he answered with an expressive shake of his head. “An apartment is no better than the hotel. The rooms are too close together. I can hear my neighbors making love.”

That comment brought heat to Tia's cheeks. She sat quietly as Chris continued.

“I want privacy.” Chris perched on the edge of the desk and folded his arms. “After we looked at those apartments, I thought about how they treated you, like you didn't exist.” His handsome face turned to stone, and his voice resonated with fierce determination. “No one tells me who I can have as friends. I didn't like the way those people wanted to control our lives, so I decided on a house. As long as I pay the rent and keep things legal, I can do what I want.”

“Makes sense. Where is this perfect place?”

A broad, happy smile quickly spread across Chris's face. His tone turned light. “Grosse Pointe Farms…the same community where we looked at that first apartment. I like it because it's not too far from here, yet it puts enough distance between Gautier and me. Believe me, there are days when I need it.”

Smiling softly, Tia added, “I understand that. Grosse Pointe Farms is a really nice community. I think you'll enjoy it.”

Chris grinned. “It looks it. Since I found the house, I've driven through the neighborhood a couple of times. It seems calm and stable. There's a lot of families with children. I think I'm going to like the area.”

“I'm glad. Living in the Marriott seems to have gotten old pretty quick.” She sat for a moment and then asked, “What happens if you get reassigned back to France or someplace else? What do you do about your lease?”

“Ah! Good question. We negotiated a month-to-month lease.”

“Did you?”

He nodded.

“I'm surprised the owner agreed to that.”

“Me too. Reynolds suggested I use Gautier's name to help, and it did.” He stood and cleared his throat. His full, sensual lips shifted into a somber line. “I know you have a busy schedule, but can I ask for your help one more time?”

Leaning closer, Tia answered promptly, “Certainly.” Chris had been entirely too sweet to ignore his pleas for help. “What can I do for you?”

“Come see the house.”

“What? Really?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why?”

“I value your opinion. And I think you'll see things that I missed.”

“Are you sure? Isn't there someone you respect that you'd like to take with you?”

“Yes.” He jerked a finger in Tia's direction. “You.”

Oh, man,
she thought,
Chris knows what to say to make a woman feel cherished and important.
“I'm honored.”

“I'd like you to come and take a look at the place before I sign my lease and hand over cash. You live in Detroit and know things about the surrounding areas. I don't want to make a huge mistake and find myself locked into something that doesn't work for me.”

“When?”

“Today.”

“Oh, I don't know.” Tia glanced at her inbox, which was stuffed with work that Adam expected her to complete. She shook her head. “I've got lots to do.” Adam wouldn't go for it. “Maybe after work.”

Chris grabbed her hand and held it between both of his. That simple touch sent her blood pulsing in her veins. “I've already spoken with Adam. He suggested we do this at the end of the day. That way we're not leaving for hours and returning later. This way you won't have to return to Gautier.”

Tia glared at him suspiciously. She leaned back in her chair, shook her hand free of his, and folded her arms across her chest.

Laughing, Chris added, “Really.”

“I don't know.”

“If you don't believe me, go ask Adam.” Chris reached into his pocket and removed a single silver key, jiggling it in front of Tia's face. “Come on. Help me out.”

“This is sounding better and better.” She unfolded her arms and hit the switch to turn on her computer. “Okay.”

Chris gave her a quick hug and then added, “Thank you. I'm glad that I convinced you.”

Stunned, Tia stiffened. Blood pumped wildly through her veins. Every time he touched her, no matter how innocently, she found herself enjoying those gentle caresses while fighting the urge to respond.

What was Chris thinking? Was this part of his habit of always entering her personal space? Fighting back the desire to stay in his arms, she kicked the chair away and answered with a calm, reasonable tone, “What time do you want to leave?” She reached for the mouse and clicked on the Internet Explorer icon.

“I've got meetings until about three.” Chris picked up a sticky-note pad and a pen from Tia's desk and scribbled a number on it. “I'll meet you at the house around four. Will that work for you?”

“Yes,” Tia answered. Her nostrils were filled with Chris's scent. Her ears rang with the sound of his accented, sexy drawl.
Stop! Get yourself under control.

He dropped the pad and pen on the desk. “Four o'clock.”

 

Tia drove down Jefferson Avenue toward Grosse Pointe Farms. She glanced at the black street signs with white letters. Chris had chosen a wonderful area. He was right. Grosse Pointe Farms gave him the distance he needed from Gautier and the Detroit Marriott, yet allowed him the proximity he needed to avoid long commutes.

She turned onto a tree-lined street, moving slowly to check the addresses. Chris's Harley sat in the driveway. The ranch-style house was laid out on a half acre of land. Red and white striped awnings accented the redbrick structure. A large bay window covered one side of the front of the house.

Children played up and down the street. The distinct aroma of burning charcoal filled the air. This was a perfect place to live and raise a family.

Tia stepped onto the porch and rang the doorbell. Seconds later, the door opened and Chris grinned at her. He studied his watch for a second and then said, “It's fifteen after four. What happened? Did you get lost?”

She laughed. “No. I took my time. I wanted to check out your new neighborhood. After all, you said you wanted my opinion.”

“Come on in,” he said, holding the door open for her.

Tia stepped into the foyer. Windowed doors were located on both sides of the small space. Pale gray walls led into a hallway that branched into different rooms. Chris took her hand and hurried her down the hallway to the kitchen. “Let's start at the heart of the house, and then we'll move through the other rooms.”

“You're my host.” Tia moved around the kitchen, admiring the room. It was spacious. The walls were painted in a soft cream with a multicolored floral border. A granite-topped island sat in the center of the room with a built-in range and sink on one end. A black chair sat at the opposite end. In contrast, the appliances were stainless steel and black. The floor was covered in cream ceramic tile with charcoal-gray-colored geometric etchings.

Instantly, Tia fell in love with this room. Although she didn't make a habit of cooking, she preferred to prepare a meal in a room that had all of the accoutrements she needed. She turned to Chris and nodded approvingly. “I love your kitchen.”

“Good. I'm glad you've given it a good report.” He took her arm and led her out of the room. “Let's move on.”

Chris steered her to the front of the house, and they passed through the cream and pale green living room. He stopped inside the empty dining room before leading her through the four bedrooms. The master bedroom included a skylight and a fireplace. All of the rooms were empty.

“Oh, Chris. This house is perfect, although I don't know what you're going to do with four bedrooms.”

“One will be my office. And, of course, the large one will be my bedroom. The rest will be sorted out at a later date.” He moved closer, into her personal space. The heat from his body reached out, drawing her closer as his unique scent swirled around her, intoxicating her like a love potion.
This is far too intimate. I need to get out of here,
she thought, taking a step away from his alluring presence.

Tia took a step toward the door. “What about a basement? Is there room for a washer and dryer? And, while I'm at it, are you going to hire a housekeeper?”

Chris nodded. “There's a finished basement with a laundry room. Yes, I believe I'll need a person to help me keep this place in order. What do you think?”

“You're the attorney. If you've reviewed the lease and it's fine, then I say go for it.” She glanced at her watch and then started for the door. “I think it's time for me to get on my way.”

He caught up with her in the hallway. “What's your hurry?”

“No hurry.”

“Then let me show you the family room. We went by it on our way to the kitchen.”

“Okay,” Tia muttered, wondering why he just now decided to show her this particular room.

Waving a hand toward the rear of the house, Chris asked, “Are you hungry? Have you had anything since lunch?”

“No. I didn't have lunch. I wanted to make sure I had all of my work done before I left to come here.”

“That was nice of you.”

He led her into a room with dark wood paneling and cream carpeting. Three thick, lilac-colored candles on tall, narrow metal candleholders were lit, putting off a lavender bouquet fragrance. A brown blanket covered a section of the carpeting with a wicker picnic basket at its edge. White plates, wineglasses and cutlery were already set.

“Oh!” she moaned, impulsively turning to Chris and kissing his cheek. “How sweet. Thank you.”

“You're welcome. Do you have time for a light meal and fine wine?” Chris cupped her elbow and urged her across the floor to the blanket. “I wanted to thank you for all of your help and support.”

Giggling, she asked, “How fine is the wine?”

“Store-bought.” He pointed toward the end of the block.

Tia decided to toss caution to the wind and enjoy some free and easy time with Chris. Besides, he'd gone to a lot of trouble to make this happen. She sank into the deep carpet on the edge of the blanket. He followed, scooting beside her.

“Here, you need to get comfortable.” He reached for her foot, pulled off her pump, and then repeated the act on the other foot. Chris's hand caressed her feet and ankles and massaged her calves.

Tia's heart pounded erratically in her chest. His gentle caress touched off a spark that began in her toes and surged into a five-alarm fire in her belly. Sensing danger, she pulled her leg from his light grasp, tucked her legs under her, and pointed to the picnic basket. “What's for dinner?”

“We're having turkey and Swiss croissants, strawberry and poppy seed salad, with pinot noir.” Chris removed the items as he announced them, handing them to her.

Tia placed the sandwiches on the plates and split the salad between them. She held the glasses steady while Chris filled them with the wine. She leaned against the wall and crossed her bare feet at the ankle.

Chris settled in beside her and said, “Let's have a toast.”

“To what?”

He waved his hand around the room and raised his glass. “Everything. You. The house. My job. Life. I want to salute you for being a good friend. Whenever I need you, you are there. I know Adam asked you to help me, but I think you've gone beyond the call of duty. And that makes you special to me. Here's to a wonderful friend who I've come to appreciate.” Chris touched his glass to hers and then took a sip. Tia did the same. He leaned close and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. The meeting of lips felt as light and gentle as the touch of an infant's hand stroking her cheek.

Drawing back, he smiled at her. Unsure what to do next, she returned the smile and nervously placed her glass on the floor and reached for her plate.

Chris turned those beautiful blue eyes on her and asked, “So you are pleased with my new home?”

“Very pleased.”

“Excellent!” Chris rested his hand on top of hers, stroking his thumb across the back of her hand. “I want you to feel as if this is your second home. Visit anytime.”

Acutely aware of his touch, Tia's pulse quickened. Touched by his kindness, she patted his hand. “Chris, with time, you'll want to invite other friends to your new home. Don't feel obligated to have me with you every time you have company.”

He smiled at her as if she'd said something really silly. “You'll always be welcome here whenever you like. Now, enough talk. Time to eat.”

“That works.” Tia reached for her sandwich and bit into it. Swiss cheese oozed from the sides. She licked the creamy cheese from her hands. It was heavenly. “Oh! This is wonderful.”