Forgive Me (Callaway Book 2) (16 page)

"You look pretty handsome yourself." The sound of her voice in the air, the way the breeze made her hair flow, made this moment one he would never be able to forget. She took a few steps closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, dropping her face near his neck. He held her as close as he could, not wanting this moment to end. There was something different about her, something that reflected his own longing, but also something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He didn't know how long they stayed like that before she pulled away and pressed her lips on his, molding her body to his.

"What was that for?" he managed to get out through the ball of emotions stuck in his throat.

She pressed another soft kiss on his lips. "I just missed you, that's all."

"I missed you, too." Hearing her say she had missed him softened something inside of him. His feelings for her were so deep that they bordered insanity, and knowing she felt the same way he did about the two of them not being together made his heart smile.

She leaned against his truck and he caged her in with his body, his hands on her waist as he listened to her. "I love being able to cater the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, but honestly, I can't wait until it's done. I feel like I haven't seen you in days."

"I feel the same, which is why tonight, it's just you and me." He leaned in and kissed her softly, fighting for control when her hands grabbed his ass.

"I like the sound of that," she whispered between kisses. He was pleased with how relaxed she was, and he knew this had been exactly what they both needed.

God, at the rate they were going, they would never make it to dinner. He had plans and he needed to make this perfect for her. "Me, too. Are you ready to go?"

"I just need to grab my purse." He smiled when she put a little extra sway in her hips walking to the house. Yeah, she was definitely trying to kill him, but what a way to go!

Half an hour into the drive, he knew Amanda was growing restless, curious to know where he was taking her. After talking with Abby, he'd made reservations at a French restaurant Amanda had been meaning to try, thankful he had a direct line to the owner, because apparently getting a reservation was harder than he had expected. The night was all about spoiling her, showing her they could have the best of both worlds. They could live on the ranch and live their small-town lives, yet still manage to do things in the city with a two-hour drive, a drive he would make any time for the woman glued to his side in the middle seat of his truck.

"So, where are you taking me?" she asked for the tenth time, making him smile.

When she kissed his neck, he knew what she was doing, and it worked. He would tell her whatever she wanted to know. "I made reservations at the new French bistro."

She sat up straight and looked at him like he was kidding. "You mean Frederique?" Excitement shone in her eyes. Yeah, the money he would spend on their food was worth it just to see her so happy.

"Yes." He silently thanked Abby for the suggestion.

She clapped her hands together then stopped suddenly, her hand on his thigh. "Drew, how did you manage to get reservations there? The wait list is crazy."

"The owner's son was Cole's patient, so I asked him for a favor when Abby suggested this place." He made a mental note to thank his brother for making the call later.

"Oh, my God, I can't believe you're taking me there."

"So, I did good?" he asked, smirking because he already knew the answer just by how happy she was.

"You did more than good. I'm so excited." Excited was an understatement; she looked like a child in a candy store. Fuck, he loved making her happy.

"You'll have to tell me what to order." He was a steak and potato kind of man but for her, he would try anything.

"Are you sure you want to go there? That place is really expensive, Drew."

He wanted to laugh at the nervousness in her voice, but instead, he squeezed the hand she had on his thigh and smiled at her. "I can afford it, Amanda. The ranch does more than okay."

She sighed and leaned in to his body. "That's not what I meant. I would be just as pleased to go somewhere less fancy."

As much as she loved the city life, she didn't need it to be happy. She would have been just as happy if he had taken her to a dive bar, but he wanted to treat his woman. "I know, but I want to do this for you. We've both been working our asses off, and I want us to have a good time."

"You take such good care of me."

He pulled up to the valet station in front of the restaurant, unbuckled his seat belt and turned his body sideways so they faced each other. "I'll give you the moon if it makes you smile."

Her eyes went soft and she surprised him when she leaned forward to hug him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Talking like that just might get you lucky tonight."

"I'm counting on it." He kissed her forehead just as the valet opened the door on his side, making him let go of Amanda.

Looking inside the elegant restaurant, Drew had to admit that as fancy as this place was, there was also a down-to-earth aspect to it that made him like it. Glancing at Amanda and seeing the way her eyes were taking in every corner, he knew she felt the same thing. He followed her eyes and that was when he realized everything he had planned for the night could go up in flames.

He grabbed Amanda's face between his hands. "Please, don't let this ruin our night. I love you, and I'm sorry."

Before she could say anything, he heard his name being called. He watched as Amanda followed the sound, which led to a woman he would do anything to make disappear.

"Drew that
is
you. It's been a long time." He felt Amanda's whole body tense beside his and her fingernails dug into his hand.
Shit, this wasn't supposed to happen.

"Caroline." He kept his tone calm even though he wanted to tell the woman to fuck off, especially when she eyed Amanda from head to toe.

"I see you went for the lower end of the barrel, Drew." At that, it was his body's turn to tense. He wouldn't stand for anyone talking about Amanda like she was nothing when she was everything. He was about to tell Caroline to back off when he felt Amanda squeeze his hand, and that shocked the living daylights out of him.

"Drew, let it go. Our table is ready, and I don't want her to ruin this night. It was nice meeting you, Caroline." She was so calm and collected as she spoke that he couldn't believe she wasn't losing it. Caroline's jaw dropped and he smiled like a five-year-old, following Amanda's lead to where the hostess was waiting for them.

As they were seated, Drew thanked the hostess before pulling out Amanda's chair, not knowing what to say. She didn't seem offended or upset by what had just happened, and that was throwing him off. He sat down in front of her and linked their hands together on the table, then said the only thing he could. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Drew. I would be stupid to think you remained a monk." Again, she shocked him with how undisturbed she was.

He knew if the situations had been reversed and it had been one of
her
exes, he would not be handling it as gracefully. Hell, they probably would have been thrown out of the restaurant, right after he punched the guy. "You're taking this way better than I would."

The tenderness on her face made him want to haul her over the table and cradle her in his arms, but that would probably get them thrown out. She clutched his hand a little harder as she spoke. "That's because I know you love me, and I love you. No matter how bitter that woman was, I'm not going to let it ruin the amazing night you worked hard to plan."

He had to kiss her. He didn't care that they were in the middle of a restaurant; he needed to feel her lips against his. Pushing his chair back as silently as possible, he walked over to the side of the table. He kissed her briefly before going back to his chair. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Well, you do give me great orgasms." Leave it to Amanda to break even the slightest amount of tension and make him laugh loud enough to gather stares from neighboring tables and a warning glance from the hostess.

He knew this was the right time to bring up his plans for the rest of the night. "Speaking of orgasms, I rented us a room for tonight. Now, we don't have to use it. I want this to be your choice. I don't want to push you."

She smiled at him and with her next words, she made the rest of the world disappear. "I want to spend the night with you."

If someone asked Amanda what the perfect night looked like for her, she would describe that one. When Drew told her he was taking her out on a secret date, she'd been more than a little nervous as to what that meant. She wasn't one for surprises, but she trusted him and God, he had outdone himself. If she could rewind the evening, she would change only one thing: running into one of Drew's one-night stands. He had been completely honest with her about his past, and she had no problem with it. Running into one of the many women who knew what it was like to sleep with the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with? Well, that was a different story, but she was determined not to let it ruin their night.

The conversation flowed so easily between the two of them, a reminder that although years had passed, they were still on the same page. They talked about everything and anything, and Amanda couldn't remember a time when she had enjoyed sharing a meal with someone as much. As reluctant as she had been about Drew bringing her to this restaurant, he surprised her by trying everything she ordered, and that was all she could ask for. She knew this was out of his element, but the fact that he was doing it for her was all she cared about.

Sitting in his truck as they drove to the hotel, she was shocked she wasn't more nervous about what was going to happen. Having always pictured the moment leading up to losing her virginity filled with nerves and anxiety, she wasn't feeling any of that. She had complete confidence that Drew would make this part of the evening even more memorable than the rest. She felt like the past months had solidified their relationship, and she was ready to bring their relationship to the next level. After waiting so long for this night, it was hard to believe it was finally going to happen.

She turned her body to the side to get a better look at him as he drove. He clutched the steering wheel like he was battling with himself for control. She loved seeing that look on him; the knowledge that she could make him lose himself was empowering. After a few minutes of her just staring at him, he took her hand in his and dropped it to his thigh, making her gasp at the electricity of the contact from a simple touch.

"Are you okay?" His raw voice resonated in the cab of the truck, sending shivers up and down her body. She was sure his voice was lower, raspier than usual; she could almost hear his need for her in the way he spoke.

She leaned forward and kissed his neck. "I'm more than okay." Pulling back from his warm body, she had to put distance between the two of them or they would end up on the side of the road, fogging up the windows.

"If you're not ready, we don't have to do anything." She knew how much control and respect lay in those words and if she had doubts, they were gone after that.

"If I get any more ready than I am right now, I'll combust, Drew. We've waited long enough." He looked at her as she spoke and when she took her bottom lip between her teeth, he actually growled, making her desperate for him.

The sexual tension built between the two of them as they closed in on the hotel. When they pulled up to the main entrance, she barely had time to register Drew handing his keys to the valet. He all but dragged her out of the truck toward the check-in desk in record speed. His hand pressed firmly on her lower back, sending little shocks down to her toes. He leaned closer and whispered, "I'm going to make you scream my name tonight." She missed a step and Drew tightened his hold on her, smirking at how his words affected her. Even in high school, she loved listening to him talk dirty—well, as dirty as a teenage boy could. But the man had a gift for driving her so close to the edge with words alone.

He pulled her closer to him as he talked to the clerk and handed him his credit card, and if she were asked to repeat what was said, she wouldn't be able to. The feel of his body against hers when her senses were already heightened, her body tuned into his, was making it hard for her to even stand without leaning on him. When he pressed his thigh between her legs over her dress, she muffled a soft cry in his shoulder. They were in the middle of a hotel lobby with a clerk in front of them, and he was making her want to hump his leg. When their eyes met, the need and lust in his matched hers.

After the clerk handed them their room key, Drew walked them to the elevator. When the doors opened, whatever restraint he was holding onto was gone. He pushed her back against the elevator wall and as the doors closed, the rest of the world was shut out. He pushed down the fabric covering her breasts, and his mouth was on her like he would die if he didn't get a taste of her skin.