Love Love (27 page)

He lets out a knowing
smile. “Dahling. Say no more. You think I don’t know what happens
with these hot, rich types. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve
heard it. If I had a dollar…well, anyway…I’ll put Valerie on the
account. I’m sure she’d
love
to get on board with that.” He leans back in his
chair and lets out a rich laugh.

“
Really?” I ask with both
surprise and relief.

“
Listen, sweetheart. If
that’s the most difficult issue I’ll come across today, I’m in
heaven. You’re now officially off the hook.”

Wow, that was easy. I love
Robby.

The day is flying by and my mind is
wandering to thoughts of tonight. I can barely contain the
excitement bubbling up inside. Brad told me he’d pick me up at
seven and to make sure I’d eaten beforehand. His wish is my
command.

I’m sitting in the last of our client
meetings with John Roche, picking at my fingernails and staring at
the clock. It’s 5:45 and I need to get home. Paying attention
should be my first priority, and John’s lips are moving, but I
don’t hear anything. The only thing I do hear are the freaking
seconds ticking by loudly in my ears. Come on, people. After
fifteen more minutes and practically wearing the point down on my
pencil, thankfully the meeting ends. I run back to my desk, grab my
purse, slam my drawer closed, and head out the door. Running for
the elevator, I hear my phone buzz and smile. It must be Brad. My
face falls instantly; it’s a text from Dane.

Dane: I have to see you.
We need to talk

Me: We’ve been through
this. I don’t have anything to say to you

Dane: Please give me a
chance to explain

Me: No. I told you. We’re
done Dane

I turn my phone off. He’s the last
person I want to be thinking about right now.

I’m tearing through my
closet, pulling clothes off hangers. I don’t like anything I see.
Before I know it, my bed is covered in a heap of fabrics and I’m
still standing there in my matching blue lace bra and panties. I
let out a burst of air, and throw myself on top of my bed. Now I
know what the princess felt like in
The
Princess and the Pea
. I’m on top of sixteen
outfits and I swear, there’s an earring digging into my ass. After
five more minutes of sheer frustration, I finally decide on black
jeans and a green silk blouse. I put on a little pink blush to make
my cheeks look rosy, a drop more lip gloss, and a bit of mascara. I
dab perfume behind my ears, on the back of my neck, and in between
my breasts. Heading to the bathroom, I brush my hair for the fourth
time, and my teeth for the second, then go out to the living room
and sit on the couch. Crap! I forgot to floss. Running back in the
bathroom, I pull the floss from the cabinet and have at it as
particles of food fly around the bathroom. Good thing I remembered.
When I come back out, I notice a
People
magazine on the coffee table,
so I sit down to read it, but it doesn’t hold my attention. I turn
the television on and flip the channels, but can’t focus on that
either. The pillow cushions look like they need fluffing, so I snag
one…and hear a knock.

Finally! I feel like I’ve been waiting
forever. I glance at my watch. Forty minutes is an eternity when
you’re anxious. Taking a deep breath, I straighten my blouse, fluff
my hair, and open the door. The minute the door opens, I do what
I’ve been wanting to do all day. I grab Brad, tangle my hands in
his hair, and pull his mouth to mine. Parting his lips with my
tongue, I slip inside and am welcomed by his sweet warmth. I
explore him, softly at first, then with more intensity. Pulling
back with a breathy voice, I whisper, “I missed you like crazy
today.”

“
Me too, baby,” he says
breathlessly, trailing wet kisses from the corner of my lips to the
nape of my neck.

My skin tingles all over. We may not
make it out of my apartment. But we have to, so I pull away. “So,
where are going?” I ask with a smile larger than life.

“
I can’t tell you that.” He
shakes his head and taps his finger against his temple.

I put my hand on my hip, my hair
bouncing off my shoulders. “I have ways of finding these things
out, you know.”

“
Tell me more,” he
encourages, winking. “I might be persuaded.”

Brad has a habit of keeping me in the
dark, and I kind of like it. I’ve loved surprises since I was a
kid. But surprises with Brad far surpass any of those childhood
memories.

We take the subway to our destination.
Typically, I’m grossed out being on here. Dirt-filled seats, the
smell of urine and booze wafting through the air, and endless
stares from strangers when all you want to do is look away. Tonight
though, nothing bothers me. Brad pulls me close beside him, and I
lay my head in the crook of his neck, relishing his warmth and
breathing in his scent.

We make it to street level, strolling
hand in hand. Brad swings my arm as we walk and I feel very much
like a teenager on a first date; excited and just a little
terrified. We don’t go far before I see a gleam in his eye, and
realize we must be getting closer. I feel the excitement rippling
off of him in waves and rolling straight on to me. Our fingers toy
with each other’s and Brad gives me little squeezes periodically. I
marvel at the soft, gentle quality of his hands. I love when he
touches me.

The horse-drawn carriage sitting near
the path to Central Park comes into view. I immediately let out a
squeal and jump into his arms. “This is on my list, too!” I
shout.

“
I remember,” he says as he
kisses my earlobe, sending little shocks to my toes. There’s a glow
in his eyes. “Do you have any idea how adorable you are when you’re
excited?”

I can barely contain myself. “I can’t
believe we’re doing this!”

Brad raises my chin to meet his gaze.
“I love seeing you happy.”

All I can do is sigh. He’s so freaking
thoughtful and sweet, and funny, and let’s not forget, cuter than a
beagle. Fortunately for him, I’m a sucker for a puppy.

He helps me up into the carriage,
climbs in, and snuggles close. The driver takes off almost as soon
as he’s seated. The clip-clop of the horses’ hooves, mixed with the
night’s quiet bathes us in a sweet tranquility. I lean against
Brad’s shoulder and he softly kisses my hair. Bringing my hand to
his chest, I feel the rapid beat of his heart.

He inches closer and whispers, “Do you
feel that? That’s what you do to me.” His hand moves to the back of
my neck before he brings my lips to meet his. He gently strokes my
tongue with his and we taste each other’s sweetness with each
tender flick. His breath heats my skin while his scent hovers in
the night air, intoxicating me.

This moment with Brad in this
carriage, surrounded by the stars dancing in the sky and the
brilliance of the moon, is just perfect. I’m discovering that every
moment I spend with him is nothing less than perfect. It’s almost
too good to be true. I just hope it’s not.

We talk quietly amidst the steady
clip-clop. “So, how’s your brother doing?”

“
He’s great. I spoke with
him the other day and he’s coming in for a visit in a couple of
months. I want you to meet him.”

I’m excited to meet Matt. I know he’s
the only family Brad has, aside from his dad, of course, who
doesn’t speak to him. That tears at my heart, but he never seems
sad; maybe he hides it well.

He’s grinning widely. “I’ve mentioned
you to Matt a couple of times.”

I stick my bottom lip out in a pout.
“Just a couple of times?”

“
Yup,” he says.

My excessive curiosity gets the best
of me. “So what kind of honorable mentions did I get?”

“
Who said they were
honorable?”

I bump him with my hip and give him my
most intimidating glare.

“
Hmmm…let’s see. Well, I
told him how witty you are, and adorable, and I couldn’t leave out
feisty.”

I smack him on his
shoulder.

“
See, I told
you…feisty.”

“
Oh, I’ll show you feisty.”
I grab him and kiss him furiously, something he didn’t see coming.
I have a few surprises up my sleeve, too. I pull away. “How’s that
for feisty?” I whisper.

He smiles and holds his hands out in
front of him, palms up. “I’d like more of that, please.”

And then I punch him again.

He continues the conversation,
unruffled. “Oh, by the way, I passed by Parsons The New School of
Design today and it made me think of you. I’m not sure if you’ve
ever considered it, but they have a really great Master of Fine
Arts program. Matt got his master’s there in architecture and it’s
a really good school.”

“
I’ve heard about the
school, but never thought about it before.”

He kisses me on the nose. “Well, it
might be worth checking out. I know you’re hoping to stay in
interior design.”

I lay my head back onto his shoulder
and smile at our linked fingers. It’s quiet again, except for the
clip-clop of the horses. I lean up and his lips meet mine. This
carriage ride with Brad doesn’t begin to compare to my dreams. It’s
a million times better.

When we hop off the carriage, I take
his hand and kiss it softly. “Thank you for adding something
magical to my list.”

Brad’s shy smile is back again; the
one that makes my insides melt. I just sigh; it’s all I can
do.

We walk for a while until Brad stops
short. “Are you hungry? I’m kind of in the mood for some Double
Chocolate Brownie ice cream.”

“
Oh no,” I say
incredulously. “You’re more of a Monkey Ripple kind of a
guy.”

“
I’ve decided I like
your
flavor better,” he
declares with a cocky grin.

We walk for a while until we hit
Liana’s Ice Cream Shop and make our way inside. There aren’t too
many people tonight, so we don’t have to wait. We both order Double
Chocolate Brownie except I get whipped cream and he orders hot
fudge. I’m in heaven, because besides coffee and candy, chocolate
is my other secret addition. I crave it and can’t go a day without
it. Hmmm…there’s something else I’m starting to crave
daily.

Brad sees me smirk. “What’s going on
inside that pretty little head of yours?”

My eyelashes flutter. “Wouldn’t you
like to know?”

He leans over and licks some chocolate
from the corner of my mouth. “You know, I wanted to do that when we
came here last time.”

“
Do what?” I ask
innocently.

“
Lick chocolate off of
those pouty lips of yours,” he replies with a sexy smile, and I
want to freaking jump his bones right here.

That dimple is driving me crazy. I
divert my attention elsewhere. “So I was thinking maybe next
weekend we could spend some time with Fran and Kyle. Fran wants to
get to know you better.”

“
She does, does
she?”

“
Yeah. I gave you a couple
of honorable mentions too.”

“
Well, if she’s important
to you, then I definitely want to get to know her,” he says
sweetly.

As we’re finishing our ice cream, I
stifle a yawn and Brad notices. “You’re tired; do you want me to
take you home?”

“
I don’t think
so.”

“
Then what do you want to
do now?” he asks.

“
I don’t know. What would
you like to do?” I ask coyly.

Brad seems to be deep in thought
before he decides to speak. “Well…we would go back to my apartment?
I could give you the grand tour and you could give me your unbiased
professional opinion on the overall design scheme.”

With a little too much eagerness, I
agree. “I’m interested to see how a superhero lives.”

We’re both carrying around these
ridiculous smiles as we head back to Brad’s apartment. I can’t deny
I’m a bit nervous. I’m not sure what to expect, but I know my heart
is finally open.

Brad lives in a one bedroom apartment
in Central Park North. It’s a nice location. Certainly a bit
different from mine, as his place lacks the delightful view of the
back alley. He ushers me through the door and I’m instantly taken
aback by what I see. It’s not the typical bachelor pad I expected.
It’s incredibly neat and he has real furniture. Tasteful artwork
fills the walls accompanied by framed landscape
photographs.