Intimate Secrets: 10 (Touched By You)

Natalie finished her designs by the deadline, and they were showcased at GR Fashions as planned. She hadn’t stressed over it after the initial meeting; Brandon had taken care of all the details. Looking at the glossy photos on the magazine pages, she felt honored. Standing in his showroom, dressed in light gray slacks and sweater, Gianni
Rinaldi was the bachelor heartthrob of the industry, if not the city.

His lightly gelled, sandy-colored hair and grayish blue eyes lent him endless charm. The article mentioned all the contemporary designs he offered for the fall, including some stunning items from Natalie Baker Designs. Gianni’s expression exuded confidence, combined with casual friendliness, making him all the more desirable.

Although glad she didn’t have to deal with him directly, Natalie was honored to be mentioned in the high-profile article. Tanner’s reaction after the one and only business meeting she’d had with Gianni didn’t encourage her to nurture the relationship.

It was good there was never anything to indicate he had any intentions other than establishing the business relationship. Natalie didn’t need to test Tanner. He hadn’t gone crazy with jealously in recent weeks. Nor had she hadn’t given him any reason to. It seemed he was beginning to trust the sanctity of marriage; the last thing she wanted to do was upset that.

That morning she’d been to visit her mother, and it made her feel good to know Emma was doing well. Doctor Gene had called, letting her know to schedule an appointment with a hepatologist, a specialist in treating liver disease; he’d provided a referral. Remarkably, Emma had avoided many of the complications of cirrhosis of the liver. Natalie partly attributed this to the quality of care she was receiving.

However, the illness would progress as time went on. Emma would never regain her energy, and she had lost some weight due to poor appetite. What concerned the doctor was an
elevated ammonia level. He recommended more tests and wanted her to be seen by a specialist associated with a transplant center, just to be prepared.

The thought of Emma declining and needing a transplant worried Natalie. Since her mother was already frail, major surgery would be difficult for her, if a transplant could be arranged and the procedure done without complications of its own. Recently seeing Nicolas stirred resentment in Natalie. Her mother began drinking when he’d abandoned her, and not because she couldn’t manage to support her family. Emma drank from heartache, and for that, Natalie wasn’t sure she could ever forgive her father.

Emily Suzanne Baker, called Emma by all those who loved her, wasn’t even fifty yet. The beauty of her youth was still reflected in her soft brown eyes and hair, though her pale skin and frail form made her look much older than she was. Loving and generous, in some ways her mother never aged, still enjoying life and sharing the future with her family.

Sitting on the brown leather, comfortable sofa, looking at Natalie’s wedding photos had been good for her. Emma had some color in her cheeks after chatting and remembering the wedding: the kiss with Manhattan in the background, all the beloved guests dancing, the walk down the aisle, and vows spoken under an arch of flowers. The wedding had been lovely, and Natalie and Emma had filled the album her mother made as a wedding gift with all the best photographs.

“I’m so happy for you,” she said, “and Jazzy too. Both of you mean everything to me, and now you have wonderful husbands to share your life with. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

Natalie could imagine, though she had no children of her own yet. It was nice to see her mother happy, and she hoped the new doctor could help with any new physical issues. Fortunately, Emma wasn’t one to sit and feel sorry for
herself. Always a seamstress, she continued to create clothing for a variety of purposes though she no longer needed to financially.

As a show of gratitude for everything Tanner and Natalie had done for her, she’d sewn some children’s outfits to donate to some of the facilities connected with Clarke Foundation
For Young Orphans. What began as a one-time gift turned into an ongoing charitable activity. Every month, boxes of handmade shirts, pants, and dresses were delivered to various organizations, compliments of Emma. It gave her purpose in life, and the garments were in great demand.

Hugging her mother before leaving, Natalie thanked her again for her support of the orphans. “I’m glad to be able to help. Be sure to have a list of requests sent over, so I know the sizes most needed.”

“I will, Mom. I love you.” It was good to know Martha, her mom’s live-in, was there to take care of meals and other chores. Emma was in good hands. “I’ll call you soon.”

On the way home in the limo, Natalie got a text from Cheryl, who was in Russia with
Dani. The message was short, mentioning that Tanner would receive a call. Some business issues he needed to discuss. It must be important or Cheryl wouldn’t have brought it up. Wondering what it could be Natalie leaned her head back, trying to remember if she knew anything about Dani’s business that provided a clue. Nothing came to mind.

By the time Natalie got home, the call had already come through from Dani. For dinner Sara served them almond-crusted salmon with asparagus, and as they savored the delicious fare, Tanner relayed the details of the call.

“
Dani has a business proposition for me. It involves a mutual investment with two other businessmen he has connections with,” he said.

“What kind of proposition?”

“Let me give you a little background first, so it will make sense. Not surprisingly, the fall of communism in Russia shifted the assets in the country considerably. I keep an eye on the world market, and had been aware of this even before Dani brought it up.

“Prized resources were sold off to a small circle of businessmen in the country called oligarchs. Their financial gain was allowed in exchange for political support. Thirty-five percent of household wealth in Russia is currently possessed by about a hundred men. Most are in metals, or are banking tycoons.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

“
Dani loves his country and would like to do something about the wealth inequity. What I didn’t know is that my father, William, had done business with Dani’s family years ago. Vladamir Stopkina Karpin, a wealthy man in his own right and Dani’s father, wanted to help the Russian people. I never knew about any of their mutual projects; William never mentioned them.

“But
Dani would like to carry his work forward. The economic climate has changed and a different strategy is called for. Currently, there is a large social media company for sale. Dani has put together an offer with the others I mentioned, so the purchase would be made by a group of Russian billionaires.”

“And what do they want from you?”

“The intent in buying the company is to utilize social media to initiate change. It’s complicated, so I won’t bore you with the details. But by owning such a company, they instantly have connections to many business entities that not only need their social media, but can invest in projects that would benefit the common people.

“Since I have key business connections already, I would be a strong ally for them. Plus, it would be a profitable endeavor. But I’d be doing it mostly to follow in my father’s footsteps, and invest in activities that are good for the economy; not just in Russia but in the US, and other major countries as well.”

“Through social media?”

“Put simply, yes. It can have far-reaching effects, and the strategies
Dani wants to put in place could be very beneficial. Because it’s outside my normal scope of business, I’ll want to go over it thoroughly with my legal and business advisors. But I’m inclined to go forward. It’s very important to Dani; he’s a friend and now I know our families have history together as well.”

“I guess it can be a small world.”

“Yes, it tends to be, especially in the area of wealth and investments.”

Natalie was relieved the call had been good news. The way Cheryl texted, it could have been anything. A lot of the details were beyond her, but it did sound like a worthy investment. And supporting
Dani in his humanitarian goals made sense.

Hearing from Cheryl only made Natalie miss her, and she hoped to see her back in New York soon. Looking across the table, she saw Tanner rubbing his temples. “You okay?”

“Sure, just a headache. I’ll take something for it. No big deal.”

She wondered. Tanner used to have headaches but hadn’t for a while. She hoped this wasn’t the start of a pattern. In the past he only got them as a result of internal stress. What that could be now, Natalie didn’t know. Possibly it was “just a headache,” but somehow she doubted it. He’d seemed preoccupied about something lately. Maybe she’d ask him—at the right time.

“You’ve been talking in your sleep, baby,” Tanner said.

His comment startled her.
“Really? When?”

“The last couple of nights.”

“What do I say?”

“I couldn’t tell. Your voice is low, some name or something. You haven’t talked in your sleep for a long time.”

Tanner took a bite of his salmon, showing no further interest in the subject. Yet it bothered Natalie. She used to talk in her sleep a lot, and had to pry the details from Tanner. Uncomfortable about what she might say, she hoped it didn’t continue.

Restless sleep, and talking while dreaming, meant she was disturbed about something. It had always been that way. Natalie wasn’t sure what was bothering her. Was it the recent meeting with her father, concern for Emma’s health, or some other worry?

A feeling of vulnerability came over her. Unable to form a clear idea of what the problem might be, she feared words spoken in her sleep would reveal her inner feelings before she was prepared to deal with them.

“What, baby? You look lost in thought over there.”

She saw Tanner frown, but didn’t want him prying just then. “Nothing. Just hope I don’t say anything embarrassing in my sleep.” She tried to make it a joke, but it didn’t come out that way.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. There’s nothing you wouldn’t tell me anyway, right?”

Tanner said it so casually, and she’d like to think that was true. Could it be that even as well as they knew each other, they didn’t know everything? Was there something she couldn’t easily admit, and hadn’t told him? Natalie knew it was true, though she’d hardly faced it herself, much less offered her secret thoughts to Tanner.

Natalie avoided revealing her thoughts to Tanner. He didn’t press for details, unaware there was anything to know. The next morning, still blanketed in the darkness of the bedroom, he’d pulled her against him, his touch waking her up.

Sweet and loving in the warmth of their bed, Tanner gently stroked her shoulder and down her back. He kissed her neck and buried his face in her hair. With her back pressed against his chest, she nuzzled into him, feeling his arousal against her skin.

The feel of his hand massaging her ass turned her on, and Natalie reached back to touch his cheek. He kissed her arm and reached under her short nightgown to fondle her breasts. Still half asleep, she purred with pleasure. Tanner’s fingers moved between her legs from behind, slipping through her wetness.

Lightly tapping her clit, Tanner stimulated her. His fingers dipped into her wet opening, and the position of him behind her, reaching between her legs, made it very erotic. Natalie moaned softly and pushed into him to feel the heat of his erection.

Tanner breathed heavily against her temple, and she whimpered when he stroked her with his fingers. Pleasure flowed through her, centered in her sex. Withdrawing his fingers, Tanner slipped his cock into her from behind. Lifting one leg slightly to accommodate him, Natalie leaned forward just enough to allow him to fill her with his cock.

Gently rocking together, their panting piercing the quiet of the bedroom, they made love. Feeling Tanner’s hard cock swell inside her, Natalie fell into a delicious orgasm. The heavy pulses of her inner muscles gripped Tanner’s cock, and he came with her, his moans matching her own. The tenderness of the moment stayed with her.

With Tanner, she never knew what to expect. Always virile, and often volatile, he could be so sweet and romantic. Natalie loved him for all of it, and welcomed every touch, every advance. She couldn’t get enough of him, and marriage had done little to satisfy her desire. It had fanned the flames of her deepest need and brought feelings to the surface that she was reluctant to address.

Later that morning, Natalie went to the administration building for Clarke Foundation
For Orphans. Most things Tanner could handle by email or phone, but he made it a point to stop by every few weeks to check on things. He liked being in touch with daily operations; the philanthropy of his foundation was important to him.

Tanner wanted to meet, and go to lunch afterwards. As long as Natalie was there, she’d pick up the new clothing request list for Emma. When she arrived, Andrew Hirsch, the foundation administrator, was showing some photos to Tanner. They stood looking down at the prints strewn across the desk. “Hi,” he said, looking up. “Good to see you, Natalie.”