Текст книги "Cruel and Beautiful"

Автор книги: A. M. Hargrove

Соавторы: Terri E. Laine
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Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 28 страниц)

“It never is.” I let out a heavy sigh. “Look, I like you, Jeff. But your warnings were for naught. Ted was a perfect gentleman the entire time we were out. He didn’t do or try anything. You have nothing to worry about. We’re just friends.”

“He’s never just friends,” and he wiggles his fingers, “with a woman,” he mutters before heading to his desk.

I don’t want to fight, so I don’t argue. I sit and get to work. Ted drops by.

“Cate, have you thought about France?”

I glance around worried about the thin walls.

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

He takes it well. “Fair enough. I’ll leave you to it.”

The calm way he walks away is unnerving, but I let it go.

By Wednesday, a case of the anxieties hits. I work out of my office and slip out early, only taking half a lunch break. I head home to freshen up and change into a snug scoop neck red sweater, slim black pants, and date heels, or what Jenna refers to as fuck-me heels. I take a cab the few blocks to the restaurant because there is no way I could have walked and survived. The weather is still gloomy and ice patches still litter the sidewalks. The shoes I wear aren’t exactly made for walking.

A valet opens my cab door and helps me out. That’s what you get when dinner will run in the low hundreds if not more. Andy has already arrived and the hostess escorts me to our table. He’s up and helping me out of my coat. His hands are warm and they burn through the fabric of my sweater with his accidental touches. I shiver and miss his touch when it’s gone.

“Beautiful as always,” he says with my back to him.

I turn to face him because I hope our connection is still there. Only he’s turned to hang my coat on the hook outside our booth. I slide in and wait for him to sit.

By the time he does, the waiter is there rattling off the daily specials before excusing himself to give us time to make our selections.

Andy hides behind his menu. I pick mine up and decide what to order.

“What are you having?” he asks, still masked by the menu.

“I think I’m going to go with the Chef’s Choice of salmon.” It’s stuffed and served over vegetables and sounds absolutely yummy. “You?”

However, I already know what he’ll decide. He’s going for the steak, which is why I chose this restaurant. They specialize in fish and steak.

“I think I’ll have the bone-in ribeye.”

I smile to myself because I probably could have ordered for him. At least that much of him hasn’t changed.

“You’re smiling.”

“It’s nothing. I just knew what you’d order.”

His mouth curls slightly and the knot in my stomach eases. “Am I that predictable?”

“Actually, no.” I would have never predicted that he’d take me on the balcony of a masquerade ball.

The waiter arrives and we order. When he leaves, the uncomfortable silence presses between us. Figuring the mood can’t get worse, I decide to get one question answered.

“I came by the hospital the other day.” I pause. “The day after the ball,” I clarify.

His piercing blue eyes finally focus on me and I get the feeling he’s been avoiding the contact.

“You did? You didn’t stop and say hi?”

His voice is guarded and the distance that’s grown between us becomes palpable.

“Actually, you were pretty busy. Some might say you were even a bit tongue tied.”

His eyes narrow. “You saw me.”

I nod and finally just blurt it out. “You had some blonde wrapped all around you. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

His eyes widened. “The noise,” he says more to himself. “That was you. I heard someone walking away. I assumed someone on staff caught us.”

“Guilty,” I say a little wanly raising a hand like a child in preschool. “Imagine my surprise especially after you… we um… on the balcony.”

“Cate.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I should have known after you walked away and said nothing that night, you were just acting in the spirit of the party and it didn’t mean anything to you.”

“That’s not it,” he growls. I watch his jaw set. He’s a little fierce when he’s determined about something. “I was angry that night, seeing you there. Dancing with guys, their hands all over you.” That is an exaggeration but I keep quiet. “When I hoped you felt what’s between us, you ran out to the balcony. When I followed you out there, I had no idea what I planned to do or say. Then you let me touch you—”

“Your wine,” a red faced waiter says, holding a bottle of merlot.

Andy glances up as the flushed waiter pours him some and lets him taste before he leaves the bottle with us.

Andy continues as if the interruption hasn’t happened. “I took what we both wanted. What you eagerly let me have and I won’t apologize for it.”

I can’t blame him. “I don’t expect you to.”

“But what you saw at the hospital wasn’t what you thought. Nurses have hit on me since day one, but that’s probably because I’m new and single. The one you saw is a little more aggressive than most. She won’t take no for an answer.”

“Sexual harassment,” I say, but it’s more of a joke.

“Exactly. I had to report her because this isn’t the first time she wouldn’t back off.”

I sit back because you don’t often hear men taking a stand on a willing woman throwing themselves at them.

“Is she pretty?”

He pauses mid-sip. “Does it matter? I’m not interested. Is that the reason you went out with Ted Caine?”

I could have lied. Instead I opt for the truth. “It wasn’t to spite you. He asked and I assumed you’d moved on.”

He’s quick with a retort. “And you know what they say. To assume is to make an ass out of you and me.”

“Fine,” I say, defeated. “I could have talked to you about it.” I hate how our conversation is taking a turn for the worse. “But that doesn’t explain why you went with Désirée to the White House Press Dinner.”

“And that’s what you think?”

“That’s what she said when she saw me out with Ted and took the picture to share with the world, but especially you.”

“Again, you assume the worst. When in actuality, she was there, but not with me. I went with my college buddy. You remember the two guys that were with me that night I took you home? I know them from undergrad. When I moved in the area, I called them up knowing they lived here. Well, one of them is a Congressman. His date bailed on him at the last minute and he talked me into going with him.”

Insert foot. I have gotten everything wrong. “How did it go? Or is that scowl for me?” I ask tentatively.

He sighs. “Both actually. I feel like all this misunderstanding could have easily been explained if you just trusted me.”

“I do.”

He shakes his head. “You don’t. And maybe that’s partly my fault for how I left things on the balcony.” He at least looks a bit shamefaced.

We were silent for a moment. “And the other reason for your scowl?”

Dinner arrives in grand fashion. The orchestrated way the waiters show up with the meal and place it before us interrupts his answer. Steam billows from the plates as I smile at the waiter before he leaves.

Andy doesn’t immediately dig into his food. We are warned it’s piping hot.

“The other reason for my scowl is my buddy is an equal opportunist when it comes to dating and he doesn’t hide it, especially now. So I spent the night getting congratulations regarding the upholding of the 14th amendment that passed several months ago.” He pauses and gauges my reaction. I smile and don’t show the skip of my heartbeat. He continues. “There were reporters and I spent the whole night dodging flashing cameras. And not because I don’t agree with the ruling, but because I don’t want to have to explain my sexual orientation to my colleagues.”

I manage a laugh and finally he laughs too. We eat and our conversation lightens. He tells me stories of his friend’s antics. Dinner turns out okay. I pass on desert because I’m stuffed. I have to swat his hand away when the check arrives, but he finally lets me pay. After all, I am the one who invited him on the date.

“I know you have to work tomorrow. But can I take you somewhere?”

I don’t expect it. Despite the tension loosening, we haven’t exactly patched things up. We’ve avoided all talk of our relationship during the rest of the meal.

“Sure. Can you tell me where?”

When the valet pulls his car up to the curb, he just grins while walking to the driver’s side. He does like his surprises. When he pulls up on Constitution Avenue where the lights are strung up between lamps, it doesn’t dawn on me where he’s taking me until we walk to the ticket booth. A lone figure waits and Andy checks his watch.

“I have a reservation.”

“Yes. Drew?”

Andy nods.

“Follow me.”

We walk through the gate and I can’t believe my eyes. They begin to mist, overcome with emotions.

He stops at a bench and takes my gloved hands. “I know this is hard for you.” He glances up to the sky before meeting my gaze. I wipe at the corners of my eyes. “I want this to work and ignoring the past isn’t working. We have to confront it.”

“I’m not sure I can.” My voice breaks, but he’s right. We can’t ignore it. “There’s no one here,” I say.

“Just because we need this, doesn’t mean you have to do it with an audience. I’ve booked this time only for us. You and me.”

In every other circumstance this would be a swoon worthy moment, a romantic gesture that can be told to future grandchildren. Instead, I try my best to keep the tears at bay. We put on our shoes that wait for us because he’s thought of everything. I realize he preplanned this as he holds out his hand to me.

“It’s time to take the first step. Will you take it with me?”

I stare at the rink and all it represents. And I know if I can’t trust him and walk onto the ice, it will never work between us. I gaze into his willing eyes and at his open hand.

CHRISTMAS BREAK. DREW. IT’S MORE than difficult to keep my mind on studying, but I have to. I’m almost done with finals and I need to pull this off. I’m counting on a 4.0 this semester so my head needs to be in the game. Drew acts like my coach, texting me encouraging messages every few hours. I wish he’d send me naked pictures instead. Not really. I’d never get anything accomplished if he did.

My last exam is this Friday afternoon and then I’m headed to Indy to stay with him for six days until we fly home. We’re on the same flight, which will be nice. He can only stay in Charleston three days, but I’ll be there for a week. I’ll return to Indy and spend another week with him before I have to go back to Purdue. This will be the most time we’ve ever spent with each other and even though the excitement is killing me, it also has me biting my nails. This could be one of those make it or break it things. All of our weekends together have always been like vacations, but this will be more of the real thing.

Shoving those thoughts away, I refocus on my accounting. This exam is supposed to be a ball buster so I pour another cup of coffee and hit the books. Jenna is in the library so the apartment is as quiet as a church on Monday. I stay at it until two a.m., when I hear the lock turn.

“You still up?”

“Yeah,” I say, stretching and rubbing my eyes. “I’m just about to call it a night.”

“I had to do the same when my lids started slamming shut. My 5 Hour Energy wore off long ago,” Jenna claims. “I’m beat. Thank god my exam isn’t until ten-thirty.”

“Yeah. Mine’s not until noon. That’ll give me a couple of review hours. And then Finance on Friday and voila! I can’t wait to be done.”

“You can’t wait to get into Drew’s bed.”

“Well, there is that. But I’m so over studying. I want a break.”

“There is truth in that,” she says.

“You’re driving home, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Didn’t want to be that long without a car. I’m staying the entire three weeks, unlike someone I know,” she clears her throat.

“I wanted to talk to you about that. I’m a little freaked, if you want the truth. This will be the first time we’ve been together like this.”

“You’ll be fine. Drew is Drew, you know? He’s easy. He’s not a diva man. And you’re not a diva either. You two were made for each other.”

“God, Jenna, I hope so.”

“I’ve never seen you like this before, Cate. How long have we known each other? Since kindergarten? Trust me. I know so. But just remember. I don’t care that you have a sister, I’m going to be your maid of honor in your wedding.”

I pick up a pillow from the couch and toss it at her. “You’re a nut.”

“No. I’m about to fall asleep on my feet so I’m off to bed. G’night.”

“Night.”

It doesn’t surprise me to see Drew waiting on the porch of his apartment as I pull in and park. His ear-to-ear smile only heightens my excitement at being here. He’s wearing my favorite faded jeans and the top to one of his scrubs. He must have only gotten home a little while ago.

“Hey you,” I call out as I climb out of my car.

“Hey back. One more semester down, huh?”

“Thank you, Jesus.”

“I’ll second that, because you’re here and I can finally get some Cate time.” I’m on the porch by now and he wastes no time in reaching for me. “I have missed the hell out of you, sweet thing.”

“Sweet thing?”

“Sweeter than honey and that’s for damn sure. Now shut up and kiss me.”

You sure can’t hide the southern boy in him. When I wrap my arms around him, he stands up and lifts me off the ground. I love it when he does this, so I giggle, but he inhales it with his mouth. He walks backward through his door and takes me straight into his kitchen. His hands wrap around my thighs and I find myself sitting on the countertop. Then I spy what’s next to me chilling in an ice bucket, and I let out a muffled whoop against his lips that are still nibbling on mine. He reaches behind him and pulls open the refrigerator, our lips still locked, and grabs a bowl of ruby red strawberries.

“Mmmm,” I mumble.

“Not done yet.”

When he sets the can of whipped cream on the counter, I know we’re going to have some serious fun tonight. He unbuttons my sweater and I shrug it off. Next comes my bra. I’m sitting on his counter, naked to the waist, as he pops the champagne cork and pours.

Then he hands me a glass with a heated gaze and says, “Congratulations on one more down.” We clink our glasses and sip. He takes his and pours a bit down my chest, stopping to lick it up as it makes a trail from my neck to my navel. I shiver as goosebumps poke out all over me. The points of my nipples practically scream to be licked or sucked, but he does neither. Instead, he takes the can of whipped cream and coats them with it. It’s cold and gives me chills. But when he sucks and licks it off, I whimper with need.

After the whipped cream is gone, he steps back and offers me a strawberry to go with my champagne. Then he tilts my head back and feeds me one of the luscious berries, covered in the sweet, white cream. I close my eyes as I chew because it’s that tasty. “They complement each other, you know.” I’m not sure if he’s referring to his mouth, the whipped cream, and my nipples, or the champagne and strawberries.

My hand trembles as I raise my glass to sip the champagne. “They sure do.”

His blue eyes sparkle and I can tell he knows he’s a tease. So I decide to run with it.

“Is this our dinner?” I ask.

“This?” He sweeps his hand over the strawberries and champagne.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, no. This is just our appetizer. The next course is in there.” And he points to his bedroom. How exciting. I cross my legs. He sees it and uncrosses them and moves in between them. “What’s the matter, Cate? Something bothering you?” His voice is deep and gruff.

“Um, no. Not at all,” I squeak.

His knuckles brush the seam of my jeans and I squirm against them. “Is this what you want, Cate?”

“Yes.” This time, my voice is rough with urgency.

“But, I thought you were hungry.”

My fingers latch onto the collar of his scrubs and I jerk him closer to me. “I am. Starving. For you.”

“Hmm. Well, I’m starving for you, too. What a coincidence. But first, I have a surprise.”

Surprise? What kind of surprise? I want sex, not a surprise. Louise is dying here, not to mention the state of my panties is getting to the point where they’ll have to be wrung out soon. He slides me off the counter and I practically dry hump him.

“Uh, Cate, is there something you want from me?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

He only offers me one of his through-the-roof, deep, sexy chuckles, which only adds to my sexual frustration. Louise quivers.

“Give me your hand.”

Oh, no. Please to god, don’t tell me he wants a hand job! I’m all for that on some occasions, but right now, I just want a good, old-fashioned fuck!

“Cate?”

I place my hand in his and he escorts me to his room, where to my utter surprise, I find it lit in at least a dozen candles. On the nightstand is a vase holding an unbelievable flower arrangement containing roses, lilies, calla lilies, white carnations, orchids, and tulips. There are also two trays on his bed with covered dishes on them.

“I took the liberty of having dinner ready when you arrived. But there’s a catch.”

“A catch?”

“We eat naked.”

“Naked?”

“Naked, as in no clothing.”

“Oh. My. Goodness.”

The left corner of his mouth curves as he unbuttons my jeans. The zipper follows and when he jerks them off my hips and puts his fingers inside the elastic of my thong, he grins. “This is going to be fun.”

“Er, yeah,” I swallow, as I watch him strip. I will never tire of seeing his muscles ripple when he moves. It’s a damned movie to me.

“Cate? Cate?” He snaps his fingers in front of my eyes.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Sit. I want you to taste something.”

“Your cock?”

“What?” He barks out a laugh that shakes the bed I just sat on. “Not yet. I want you to taste this.”

I’ve been so busy watching his abs and arms, I didn’t even notice that he’s taken the covers off our plates and put a bite of food on a fork for me to taste. “Open up.” He slides the fork in my mouth and buttered lobster melts on my tongue.

“Oh, hell, that’s … that’s so good,” I say.

“Good. Let’s get comfortable and eat.”

Jesus, how can I eat with him in the bed, naked? He’s such a distraction. He shimmies up to the headboard and leans back against it, and all I want to do is stare at the lean curves and dips of his firm body.

I follow his actions and find myself against the headboard, next to him, with a plate in my naked lap. The lobster is grilled and so tender, I can’t believe he did all this.

“Did you cook this?”

His brows shoot up to the heavens. “No. I ordered it, because I knew if I tried, I’d ruin it.”

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“I can’t say the same.”

By now, the food has captured my attention, so I miss his innuendo. “No? Then why did you order it?”

“Because I love it and I remember you saying one time that you did too.”

“But if it’s not the best thing …”

“No, you are, Cate.”

“Me?” I say, around my mouthful of lobster.

“Oh, yeah. You, by a landslide.”

Swallowing my bite is so difficult, I’m afraid I’m going to choke. Grabbing my champagne, I take a huge gulp, hoping to help my issue, but I only end up making it worse. When my coughing subsides, I chide him. “Don’t ever say things like that to me again when I have my mouth full.”

“What if it’s me your mouth is full with?”

“Well, that’s okay I suppose.” I notice his plate is nearly empty, so I move it aside, along with mine, and I climb onto his lap. “Thank you for all of this. It’s truly beautiful. And very unexpected. I’ve never had such a wonderful dinner, and in bed no less.”

“I would hope not!”

“You know what I mean, and you should know I haven’t.”

“I do and I was teasing.”

“The flowers are gorgeous, too.”

He brushes my hair off my neck and presses a kiss to it. “They all have meaning. But I’ll let you look that up later. Right now, I have something else in mind.”

I touch his bottom lip with my index finger. “Oh, and what might that be?”

“This.” He flips me over and kisses me.

Later that night, we use the entire can of whipped cream doing all sorts of things. Drew says he planned it out for dessert. I think he just likes whipped cream and wants to see what it looks like on Louise. I have to confess. I like the way it tastes on his cock, especially with the strawberry on the end. I think I scared Drew when he thought I was going to bite the tip of him by accident. In the end, a shower was necessary because after the whipped cream, we ventured into Drew’s freezer and got into the ice cream, too. I can only say that ice cream is fun, particularly on the nipples.

In the morning, I Googled all the flowers Drew had selected for the arrangement, which was so heavy I had to use both hands to carry it.

The red thornless roses mean love; white lilies mean virginity and it’s heavenly to be with you; calla lilies signify beauty; white carnations indicate pure love; orchids represent love and beauty; and the meaning behind the tulips nearly brings me to tears. There are red ones which symbolize a declaration of love; the variegated ones mean beautiful eyes; and the yellow ones suggest there is sunshine in my eyes. Tulips in general also represent the perfect lover. The fact that he went through all this trouble to select these flowers tells me more than the flowers themselves.

“Drew. I … this is so beautiful. I never knew any of this.”

“I only wanted you to have something that showed my true feelings for you.”

“They’re perfect.”

“Flowers are perfection and should be enjoyed. I’m glad you appreciate them because I intend for you to enjoy them often, Cate.”

Just one more reason to love Drew McKnight.

Our six blissful days together pass like light speed and I find myself seated next to him for the flight home to Charleston. A rush of happiness steals over me. The angst I had over spending time with him was all for nothing. We were great together, like peas and carrots, as Forrest Gump would say. Now I’m dreading the stay at my parents’ house for a week until I can get back to Drew’s.

“Oh gawd,” I moan.

“What?”

“The idea of staying at my parents’ house just plowed into me.”

“That bad, huh?”

“You know how nutty they are. I love ’em to pieces, but …”

Drew chuckles. “There’s always that but.”

“Just wait. You didn’t get the full impact at Thanksgiving. But you will. Trust me.”

“Never lose sight of the fact that they love you, Cate.” His face is all kinds of serious.

“You never have a bad thing to say about anyone. You are the kindest person in the world. Probably the universe.”

“I doubt that.”

“No, I’m serious. I’ve never heard you say a bad word about anyone. I don’t think you have it in your nature. How do you do it?”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” His eyes are sincere when he says it.

“Let me give you an example then. Take my family for instance. My parents, bless their hearts, mean well and I love them. But my dad is the world’s biggest hypochondriac and drives me nuts with all his incurable ailments that are a figment of his imagination. You would sit there and listen to him patiently and ease his mind, while I, on the other hand, would brush him off and tell him nothing’s wrong with him. That’s what I mean. You have that way about you. And you don’t think ill of others. There’s only kindness is in your heart.”

“Oh, Cate, I don’t know. I think you see something that’s not there.”

“Nope. I disagree. I’ve seen it with you many times. You don’t have a mean bone in your body, Drew McKnight. You are too good for this world. And that’s the truth. I think you were sent here to make this world a better place.”

He slants his head and those intense blues of his pin me, right before his lips meet mine. “I think you were sent to make my world a better place, Cate Forbes.” His fingers weave with mine and we huddle together in our seats as our plane takes off. “I think this is going to be my best Christmas ever,” he says.

“Mine, too.”

Our parents are at the baggage claim waiting for us when we land. Drew’s parents know all about his feelings toward me. I haven’t exactly been wide open with mine. It’s not because I don’t want to. It’s just that my family isn’t like that. We’re not all huggy kissy like some families are. So I’ve decided to tell my mom over the holidays. But when it’s time to part ways in the parking lot, Drew grabs me and lays a major kiss on me, in front of everyone. And since it’s Drew, I do what I always do—turn into a boneless heap right there in his arms. I become oblivious to the fact that two sets of parents are witnessing this. When he finally, finally ends the kiss, and mind you I really don’t want him to, he tells me in front of everyone, “See you tomorrow, sweet thing. And I love you more than hockey.”

Without blinking an eye, I respond, “More than hockey?”

“More than anything.” And he lays another monstrous kiss on me!

“I love you, too.”

Then I turn around and see The Parents! Oh shit! His are grinning from ear to ear and mine have their mouths hanging open, jaws on the asphalt. So what do I do? What any girl in my shoes would do. I grab my parents by their arms and say, “Come on Mom and Dad, let’s go home. See you tomorrow Letty and Ray.” I give them all a little wave and we walk to my parents’ car.

“You’re in love?” my mom asks.

“That boy loves you?” my dad asks.

“Yes, now come on.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Mom asks.

“I was going to tell you when I got home, but Drew beat me to the punch.”

Then I’m met with silence. Neither of them utters a word until we pull into the driveway and the garage door is going up. It’s my mom who speaks first, laughing, “Well, you could’ve done a lot worse.” And then my dad says, “And a doctor. Hmph. Just what I need. Did you pick him for me?”

“Yeah, Dad, just for you.”

“What kind of a doctor is he?” Dad asks.

“He’s going to be an oncologist. You know, a cancer specialist.”

“A cancer specialist! Why would he want to do that?” Mom asks, horrified.

“Because it’s his calling, Mom. That’s what drives him.”

“But they all die!”

“They do not all die. What century are you living in? They’ve made amazing strides in cancer therapies and Drew loves helping patients. Besides, it’s his career, not yours.”

“Well, I don’t see why he can’t be a doctor that does happy things.”

“Mom, he is a doctor that does happy things. How do you think the families of his patients feel when he cures them? I don’t think they feel sad, do you?”

“No, but that doesn’t happen all the time.”

“All doctors have to treat life threatening illnesses, not just oncologists. And I think we need to drop this subject because it’s not our choice anyway.” I need to shut her down or this will go on and on for hours. She’ll beat a dead horse into the ground it you let her.

My dad finally sticks his two cents in and says, “Well, I’m just glad to have a doctor in the house.” And I’m sure he is. Poor Drew.

By Christmas Eve, I’m ready to dive head first into the bottle of vodka and swim my way to oblivion. Drew only laughs at my complaints because when he visits, my parents, other than my dad and his unusual medical questions, are on their best behavior. I did have to pull my dad aside yesterday and warn him about getting into a discussion with Drew about his hemorrhoids. He kept bringing them up at breakfast, the perfect time to talk about them. So I told him if he even dared mention them, I would leave and never return home. He clamped his mouth shut and that was that. Thank god, he hasn’t mentioned them to Drew yet. Or at least I don’t think he has.

“So has Dad hit you up on all his ailments?”

A rumble of laughter shakes Drew. “Only a few.”

“What? What has he asked you? I warned him.” My scowl is fierce.

“Calm down there, oh feisty one. It’s okay. I don’t mind and I’m not sharing what we discussed.”

“Why not?”

“It’s private, that’s why. Now let’s talk about you.” He traps me against his chest and soon I’m lost in one of his kisses. But then I remember we’re at my parents’ house, and I start to push him away. “What’s wrong?”

“We can’t do this here,” I hiss.

“I’m only kissing you.”

“I know, but we don’t do public displays of affection in the Forbes family.”

“Is that a fact? Well, guess what?”

“What?”

He runs a finger under my chin and whispers against my lips, “That’s about to change, sweet Cate.” Then he captures my mouth in another kiss and I give up the fight. I really don’t care anymore. I’m in love with this man so why should I? He’s respectable and has nothing but good intentions toward me and we’re both adults. To hell with it. I feel him chuckling.

Pulling back, I look at him with narrowed eyes. “What’s so funny?”

“Not a thing. I’m just happy you see things my way.” As I get ready to plant another kiss on him, Shannon busts in the room, all giddy because Drew is here. She’s a different person around him.

“Hi Drew. Are you staying for dinner?”

“No, actually Cate is coming to my place for dinner with my family.”

“Ugh. Why can’t you eat with us?” she pouts.

“Shannon, Drew’s family has their big Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. So I’m going there with him to celebrate.”

She has the nerve to flash me a nasty look, like I’m a piece of dirt not worthy of her time. Drew catches it and is not happy. What happens next is a shining moment for me.

“Hey kiddo. Do you have a problem with me or with your sister coming over to my house?”

She shakes her head.

“Then maybe you should apologize to her.”

Shannon wilts like a flower in the middle of the August heat. She looks at Drew with her big puppy eyes and says, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me. It’s Cate who deserves the apology.”

Then to my absolute shock, Shannon turns to me and says, “I’m sorry, Cate. I didn’t really mean it.”

I want to say, “Yes you did, you little brat.” But I don’t. I nod and smile instead. Shannon flashes me her perfect little grin that she uses on Mom and Dad all the time and turns it on Drew.

In a voice dipped in sugar, she asks, “So, Drew, will we get to see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah, I’ll be here for dinner.”

“You will? Can I sit next to you?”

Oh, god. Not only do I have to worry about my hypochondriac dad, I now have my sister crushing after him, too.

“I think you need to check with your mom on that.”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll do that right now,” she says, as she skips out of the room.

Shaking my head, I say, “And the drama never ends in the Forbes household.”

“She is a bit much, isn’t she?”

“Uh, yeah. And my parents do nothing to contain that mess. It’s ridiculous the disrespect she shows them, too. Eric is fine. At least for now. All he knows and cares about are sports. My worry is that one day, he’ll wake up and it’ll be other things, and Mom and Dad will be oblivious to it. But Shannon sure responded to you.”