I Know You Love Me (21 page)

"You need to be here when MacKenzie gets to town, Drew. It also wouldn't hurt to have Allison with you."

No, not yet, he needed more time alone with her. “We were going to go see a realtor tomorrow. Can't this be done without me?"

"Of course the choice is yours, but my legal advice would be to come home and bring Allison with you. Show Judge MacKenzie that you're serious about wanting your divorce."

Allison entered the living room and plopped down beside him laying her head on his lap with a sigh. “Who's on the phone?"

Looking down at her, he realized that he had no choice. Eric was right, he had to be there. “We'll be there.” Hanging up, he looked down at his beautiful woman. She was breathtaking, smart, kind, and sensitive. He really didn't want to expose her to Sam any more than he needed to, but Eric said she should be there.

"Drew?"

"Sorry. That was the judge. He says the hearing is tomorrow and I need to be back there for it. He also says I should bring you along, that the new judge he called in would then see how much I want to marry you and that will work in our favor."

"So who's the judge Eric called in?"

It didn't surprise him that she blushed when he mentioned his desire to marry her, or that she ignored that he wanted her there. That was just Allison.

"Some judge named MacKenzie."

"Mac...oh, no. Drew, that's not good. Maybe I should stay here, because I will definitely not help you there."

Drew frowned at her. “Why ever not? The judge said to bring you."

"Well, for starters, I highly doubt he's forgiven me yet."

"For what? I know you can be annoying, and argumentative, and bossy, and...” Allison slapped his knee, pulling a deep chuckle from his lips. He really couldn't imagine anyone being annoyed with her unless they were in love with her. He also recognized the signs when she didn't want to discuss it any further.

"Allison?"

"I once told him that I wouldn't date him, sleep with him or marry him even if he were the last man on earth."

"Ouch, that is awfully harsh, Sweetheart. Why would you say that to a judge?” The look of disgust that crossed her face amused him.

"He wasn't a judge at the time. He was a pimply faced college kid with too much testosterone and grabby hands. He had it coming."

Leaning over to steal a kiss, he dropped a second one on the tip of her nose. “Whether he likes it or not, I want you there. Now, go pack. We leave in the morning."

"But..."

"I need you there with me, Allison."

"Fine, but it's on your head if it all backfires on you."

He chuckled as he watched her leave, and then called to make their flight reservations and rescheduled the realtor.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Allison never even looked up when Jimmy's voice echoed down the hall. “In here, Jimmy."

Leaning back on the bed, Drew watched her put her clothes away in the drawer of his dresser. A month ago, she would never have been so bold as to take over half his room. He liked the change.

"Now, how in the world did you peg our Drew so accurately after only a month?” Jimmy teased.

Drew grinned. “Ha ha, very funny, Jim. Don't you like your job?"

Jimmy held his stomach and laughed. “Good one, Boss. Nice to see you have your sense of humor back.” Turning to look at Allison, he opened his arms. “Come here, beautiful. I've missed you while you were gone."

"You may have.” She replied with a grin, walking into his arms for a hug. “But I can think of one person who'll be extremely bummed I'm back."

"Don't count on it. Jeremy offered to never drive again if you'd just come home."

Drew laughed. “See? I'm not the only one who thinks of this as your home."

She threw Drew a dirty look and stuck her tongue out at him. “That's so sweet; some men know how to treat a lady."

Getting up off the bed, Drew walked over toward them. “Okay you've held my woman long enough, Buddy. Give her back, now."

"He's awfully possessive. Are you sure you made the right choice?"

Allison looked from one man to the other, repressing the grin Drew knew was dying to break free.

"You mean I had a choice?"

"Funny lady,” he replied reaching out to pull her out of Jimmy's arms and into his own.

"I try. So, Jimmy, how is Jeremy doing?” she asked, scooting back against Drew's chest before pulling his arms around her waist.

"He's the object of attention from all girls his age, and the object of envy for all the boys."

"My car?"

"Yes, your car. I don't know how to deal with it all."

Drew laughed, kissed the top of her head, and went to unpack his suitcase while they talked. Allison followed to hang up a few dresses he'd slipped into her suitcase, because he was dying to see her in them.

Hanging the dresses, Allison turned back toward Jimmy. “The same way you dealt with it when you went through it in high school. Give him
the talk
, buy him some condoms, and let him ride it out. As long as he knows you're there for him, he'll be fine. He's a really good kid."

"No way. Have you lost your mind? You've been hanging out with Drew too long. There isn't a chance in the world that I'm buying Jeremy some condoms."

Allison threw him a look of disdain, one Drew had gotten to know very well before he'd won her over. “Would you rather he knocked-up some poor girl?"

"Hell, no; I'd rather he abstained!"

Allison snorted. “Get real."

"Allison!"

Drew snickered but kept his mouth shut. It was fun to see Jimmy in trouble with Allison instead of him, for a change.

"Fine. Either you tell him about safe sex and give him the protection he needs to stay safe..."

"Or?"

"Or I will!"

That was the last straw for Drew. He sat down in the blue chair and burst out laughing. “Hell, I can picture it now. The object of his pre-pubescent affections telling him how to not get a girl pregnant, then handing him a pack of magnums and telling him to be careful, but still have fun. Christ, the poor kid will either be so embarrassed he'll want to crawl under a rock, or proposition her on the spot."

Jimmy glared at him, and then turned a worried look on Allison. “You wouldn't dare."

"Accept his proposition? Of course not. I like the kid. I wouldn't want him getting killed."

"You don't play fair, Allison."

"Would it be fair to the girl who ended up pregnant? One of the two needs to know and be prepared. It may as well be the one we can control. Wouldn't you agree?"

Jimmy sat on the bed and wiped a hand across his face. “I really hate that you're making sense right now."

"I'm just glad I got you to stop and think. Just make sure that whatever condoms you get him are the right size."

"Size? How the hell does she know about condom sizes, Drew?"

Drew shrugged and bit back the all-out laugh fest he felt coming on. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed this hard, but Lord, it felt good. Allison was not letting this topic go, either. He almost felt sorry for Jimmy right now. Almost.

"Yes, size. He's still a kid not finished growing from what I understand. I highly doubt he'll be able to carry off wearing one of yours...or maybe he would. Think of how popular he'd get once word of that got out."

Drew sat up and frowned at her, jealousy warring with common sense. “I don't want to know where you got that information, baby."

Rolling her eyes at him, she grinned. “Strip poker. And stop pouting at me like that. I wouldn't trade you in for anything or anyone. You have nothing to worry about where Jimmy is concerned."

Drew grinned at his best friend. “That's her polite way of saying I'm bigger."

Allison frowned at him, her expression completely serious. “Don't start to brag ,or I'll point out a large fault you have."

"Not funny!"

"Not meant to be. So Jimmy, why are you really here?"

"Besides saying hello and being immensely grateful that my best friends are back in town?"

Allison narrowed her eyes at him. “Yes, besides that."

"Well, I thought Drew should know that Sam is living with..."

Drew laughed. “Wilson, yeah I heard."

"Did you also hear that he knocked her up?"

Allison snorted on her way out of the room. “And the man wonders why I want him to talk to his brother. Men can be such morons!"

Drew was torn between laughter and shock. “It's only been three weeks since she got to town."

"What can I say, the boy is quick. Unfortunately, she hasn't taken into account the fact that he gets bored easily."

Allison stopped with her hand on the door jamb. “Doe this mean she'll sign the papers?"

Seeing the hope shining in her eyes, Drew didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. He knew Sam, and she'd find a way to use this to her advantage. He also knew that Allison would never forgive a lie. “I hope so, Sweetheart. I truly hope so, but knowing Sam, I wouldn't count on it. Anything else, Jim?"

"Nope, and on that note, I need to get back to the station. Are you back for good this time, Allison?"

"Not yet; I still need to sell my house, move the rest of my furniture here, and finish off some contractual obligations in Europe—all in all, another six months before I'm here for good. Jeremy will love knowing he has my car on and off during that time, don't you think?"

That was all news to Drew. He'd thought for sure she was back for good, and those probably weren't the only things he wasn't aware of. Then again, they hadn't done much talking once she'd seduced him into bed.

"Well, as long as you're here for my birthday next month, I'll be a happy man. Later, guys. I'll leave word for Jeremy that you're back."

Drew waited until he heard the main door close before taking Allison into his arms and pulling her over to the bed.

"Something we need to discuss, Sweetheart?"

"A few things, actually."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took her hand and pulled her down into his lap. “Okay, start."

"First, there's the sex thing."

That amused him; the sex was beyond spectacular. He couldn't wait to hear about this. “Sex thing? Do we have a problem with the sex thing?"

"Yes."

That can't be good.
Looking deep into her beautiful blue eyes he ran a soothing hand down her back. “Didn't you like it?"

"Oh Drew, of course I did. I do. Very much, but...” Biting her lower lip she sighed softly.

"But?"

"Drew, we didn't use any precautions, either...any point in time. In the past week that we've been having...fun, uhm...we have yet to make sure either of us were protected against exactly what I was warning Jimmy about."

"Aren't you...of course you aren't. What was I thinking. You've never needed it before, have you?"

"I'm a hypocrite and you were thinking that it was the best sex of your life and that when I did this...” she said teasing and running her hand down his chest, up his shirt and tweaked his nipple the way she knew he like it. “You can't think straight."

Drew had stopped thinking and listening the moment her hand had crept up under his shirt. That first move always meant sex, specifically sex with his very sexy woman and more experimentation on both their parts.

"Your mind has only one thought going through it, and that was...oh...oh...yup that's the one.” She finished with a sexy giggle.

"Baby, stop talking and kiss me.” Her smile told him she had no doubt left that he adored and wanted her. That was a goal he planned on celebrating very soon. “I think we should go to bed now. We need to be up very early for the judge tomorrow."

"Sheriff, you read my mind. But no more sex without protection. Okay?"

Reaching over to the nightstand, he pulled open the top drawer. “Hmmm, we need to stop at the drug store on the way to the courthouse, or I'm going to be seriously sad until the wedding."

"Poor baby, are you out of condoms?” She asked him, pushing him back against the bed and straddling his waist before giving him a kiss.

Flipping her under him, he chuckled throatily. “Not out, just down to my last three, and we both know that won't last us past the morning, Love."

Pushing him off of her, Allison giggled and sat up before picking her tee up off the floor and slipping it on over her head. “Then, Mr. Perry, I think we should behave ourselves and get some sleep. It wouldn't do to antagonize the judge or Sam by showing up late."

Pulling her back into his arms, he sank into the soft mattress. “I hate it when you make sense."

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The trip to the courthouse had been a waste of time. The new judge had gotten held up out of town and wouldn't be able to make it for a few days. Drew wasn't too upset about it. He was disappointed that things weren't settled yet, but Eric promised it wouldn't be more than another week, and that meant more time spent with his girl, even if he did have to work on occasion.

The moment they walked through the front door, Allison pushed him into the first chair they saw and started kissing him. He loved when she took control, and her confidence was growing. He liked that. Kissing his way down her neck, he ran his free hand up under her skirt, only to find his path blocked by her hand.