Chapter 11

“Dinner at my place That’s going to be our first date.” He told her tersely.

“I have not decided…”

“You got your seven days and now the interminable wait is over. I am not prepared to wait another day.”

She had spent the days in an agony of indecision with her friends encouraging her to take the leap. In the meantime, she had broken it off with Byron, but he had already anticipated it and he and Teresa were now seeing each other.

“We hooked up at the function. After you let so abruptly, we started talking. My date was a douche bag and Byron, and we had several things in common. I know you were not into him Cat, or I wouldn’t have poached, you know that.”

Cathy did not have the heart to disagree or even take offence, because her friend was right. Ever since she started talking to Earl, there had not been anyone else for her.

So, she spent the most wonderful time of the year, trying to figure out what to do and what she was going to say to him. Justin spent Christmas with her. Teresa told her that it would be too awkward and besides, Byron was taking her out of town for the holidays.

“He is a stud in bed honey. You missed out. But then you have that very hot billionaire after you. I bet you will not be disappointed.”

She had not said anything to Teresa about the emotion packed moments she had spent with him in her living room. If that was a preview of what was to come, she was in for something electrifying.

She cooked the entire meal without any help from Justin. They had a tradition. Ever since they could afford it, she had always done Christmas ‘her way’. It would start with the traditional breakfast of scrambled eggs, hash brown, crispy bacon, fruits, wheat toast, coffee, and her own special eggnog.

Justin had come over from the night before and they had exchanged gifts. She had a few friends she sent gifts to, but her circle was small. She had also done her due diligence by serving in the soup kitchen at the church that catered to the homeless.

She and Justin went to several children’s homes to hand out packages, toys, clothing (brand new ones of course!), and cell phones they had received from various providers and of course the very sumptuous meals that had been provided by several restaurants, including Kelly’s and her husband, Kane’s.

Now it was their time to celebrate the holiday. The only thing missing was snow.

“I am full..” Justin patted his trim waist as he leaned back in his chair and stretched like a large cat. “That fried chicken always gets me. And the potato salad was superb.” He grinned at her fondly. “Darling, you outdid yourself.”

He watched the pensive expression on her exquisite face as she sat curled up on the sofa in front of the enormous tree. The silk top she was wearing flattered her caramel complexion and her dark brown hair was loose and tumbling around her shoulders.

“Penny for them.”

She looked over at him and laughed sheepishly.

“My time is running out.”

She had told him of the ultimatum Earl had issued. Tomorrow was the deadline.

“You are going to say yes.”

“I am scared.”

“Of making the wrong decision. You are attracted to the guy - no, scratch that, you are in love with him. Let’s face it darling. It’s not just mere attraction, but you have been falling in love with this guy from the get-go.

Ever since you started communicating with him and even without knowing who he is, you have been hooked. I suppose that is the point to the app.

The couple get to know each other without the usual hang-ups. I think it is brilliant.” He eyed her. “Don’t overthink things. I have seen the way he looks at you, that hunger that could not be feigned. As soon as you two were introduced, it was as if no one else was in the room.”

“I am consumed by him,” she gulped her wine and made him grimace. He had insisted on providing the liquor and had brought several bottles from his collection.

“Then there is your answer.”

“It doesn’t stop me from being scared. He is Earl Drummond.”

“Billionaire extraordinaire.” Justin murmured. “You said he told you about his lousy childhood. Now that I recall, I think I heard rumors about his parents. His father was a piece of work, and his mother was an icicle, albeit a beautiful one.

You never were one for the whole society deal, but when I was just starting out in my career, I was required to rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Eric and Jessica Drummond were part of that. There was this model- “He creased his brow in recollection.

“Susie was her name, and she was boasting that she was seeing some rich older man. Turns out it was Eric Drummond Snr., and he was not discreet about it. He was also not faithful to his mistresses either. He had more than one at a time.”

“What if Earl is like him?”

“I have no reason to believe he is. I have never heard of him being with more than one woman at a time. He was with that actress, Diana, for months and it was rumored that they were unofficially engaged. Until they broke up.”

“Because he caught her in bed with someone else.”

Justin nodded. “You can’t fault him for being overly cautious.”

“No!” She shook her head. “But I can still be pissed that he grouped me in with others. And I can still remember that I come from nothing.”

“You told him about that and he still wants to see you. That should count for something.”

“Or I might just be a novelty.” She spread her hands wide. “I am big and black and was brought up in the system. I am not what he is accustomed to.”

“Which, to my thinking, is a very good thing. The women he was involved with were shallow and vapid – greedy bitches with their eyes on his money. He is a smart guy and can tell that you are different.”

*****

Now she was here inside his luxuriously furnished loft and sitting around the counter in his pristine kitchen watching him cook.

“When you said dinner, I had no idea you would be the one cooking.”

He glanced over at her briefly before sprinkling cheese over the risotto. “It relaxes me, and I wanted to impress you with my culinary skills.”

A small smile curved his sensuous lips and sent her heart racing. He had greeted her at the door and apart from taking her jacket and telling her she looked beautiful, he had not touched her. And she was dying to feel his hands and mouth on her.

The black sweater he was wearing stretched across his broad shoulders and tapered to his muscular chest perfectly. A lock of errant curl was on his forehead, giving him an appealing look.

“I will let you know how impressed I am after I taste it.”

“Fair enough.”

They had settled into a normal routine. He asked her about her work and told her some aspects of his. He had handed her a glass of wine as soon as she came into the kitchen and was busy preparing the meal, which scented the entire large open space. She had admired the clean lines and sleek décor as soon as she stepped into the wide foyer.

“How was your holiday?” His voice was courteous and polite and left her wondering if this was just going to be dinner and nothing else.

“It was wonderful.” She told him about the soup kitchen and what they did at the group homes. “You should see the look on the children’s faces when they were presented with their gifts. Giving them high tech cell phones was probably not a good idea, but we didn’t care.”

He glanced over at her as he stirred the sauce on the stove top.

“You could relate to what they were going through due to your own experience.”

“Which was crappy.” She shifted on the padded bar stool and brought his avid attention to her bosom encased in wispy black silk. He had caught his first sight of her on his monitor as soon as she approached the front of the building and felt the familiar gut punch desire taking over.

The blouse had been visible because she had not buttoned up her jacket. The black pants sat on her curves as if they were molded on. Black boots completed the ensemble, and her thick dark brown hair was loose and flowing down her back. He wanted to see it spread over his pillows and was fighting to keep his hands off her.

“Tell me about it,” he encouraged her, trying to take her mind off her bosom.

After leaving her that night at her place, he had been in an agony of unfulfilled desire the likes he had never experienced before. And even though he had not given her a choice about seeing him, he had spent an anxious seven days wondering if she would tell him to go to hell.

In the meantime, he had told Diana that he would no longer be going anywhere with her.

“You want to hear about my experience?”

“Yes. More wine?”

“I really shouldn’t, but it’s delicious.”

“Happy you like it. It’s from a vineyard my company has invested in Tuscany.” He retrieved the bottle from the ice box and poured the golden liquid into both glasses.

“Oh.” She took a sip and closed her eyes. The wine made her lips coated in strawberry, shimmered even more and he wanted to sip from her. His loins were aching with desire, and he wondered how long he was going to pretend that he did not want to tear off her clothing. He wanted her naked and panting beneath him.

“It was awful,” she shrugged. “The place was old and moldy, and the heat did not work half the time. It was state operated, so money was tight and the people there were underpaid and overworked, completely dangerous combinations.

The administrator was a royal bitch and took it out on us. I was five when my mother dumped me there and when I turned ten, I realized that she was not coming back, and I was not going to be adopted.” She sipped some more wine to soothe her throat.

“Justin, my best friend, would have been adopted, perhaps, but he was bi-racial and puny. He was also sickly, susceptible to every virus that went through the place. And he was a perfect target for the bullies.

He was also very pretty which made him another target for perverts. The bitches that worked there, had the idea that they could mess with him, I showed all of them different.”

His head lifted as he studied the fierce expression on her exquisite face. He knew Justin Moncrieffe was gay and even if the man had not told him so, he had heard the rumors.

He also knew how close they were and could not stop the jealousy from coursing through him. How close they were… The guy had been very fiercely protective of her, and she appears to be the same about him.

“You were there for him.”

“Yes.”

“The meal is ready. We could eat here or in the dining room.”

“Here is fine. Anything I can do to help?”

“No,” he put the bowl of crispy green salad in the middle of the malachite counter and went to get the pasta and French loaf.

“I am surprised your housekeeper allows you to take over her domain.”

His lips tilted in a smile as he handed her the plate. “Mrs. Greene is possessive yes, and she has appointed herself my surrogate mother, against my wishes. When I told her that she was relieved of her duties for the rest of the day, she was apoplectic.

I had to tell her that if she didn’t leave immediately, then she will not have a job to come back to on Monday. I wanted to give her the holiday off, but she doesn’t have a family to spend it with.”

“She considers you to be her family,” she intuited.

“Yes.” He watched as she scooped up pasta and took a bite.

“Oh hell.”

“Good?”

“More than good.”

He had to tear his eyes from her mouth and pretended absorption in his own meal.

“I am glad. You were talking about the home.”

“It was miserable, and I could not wait to leave. I had to toughen up real fast and had to think of Justin. We stuck together and planned. We were going to get out as soon as possible and we were going to have enough money so we would not have to wear hand me downs and eat awful tasting food ever again.”

She smiled whimsically. “We both got scholarships to go to college. Justin was recruited straight out of high school and in between studies, he would do his modeling. I was determined to study and leave with a degree.”

“And that degree is in clothing design?”

“I majored in that and minored in business. I was also determined that when I started making money, no accountant was going to clean me out.”

“Very smart. I have seen your designs on the internet. I have also seen the billboards with you and your friend.” He gave her a speculative look. “It’s … suggestive.”

She looked at him sharply. “He is gay. And it is supposed to look sexy.”

“He is also in love with you.”

“We love each other.”

“Is that going to be a problem?”

Her tapered brows lifted. “For whom?”

“For us. I would not like to think I am competing with the guy.”

“He is gay.” She repeated and had to ignore the thumping of her heart at his words.

He shrugged and resumed eating his meal. They ate in strained silence for several minutes until their plates were cleared.

“No. Sit.” He shook his head when she made to get up and clear the counter. “I will just pop these in the dishwasher. Coffee?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“Mrs. Greene made dessert. A concoction of fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. It is incredibly good and goes well with coffee.”

“Sounds divine.”

He gave her a quizzical look before getting the dessert out of the fridge.

“We should have it in the living room. It is right across the hallway. Go on in and I will be right there.”

She was happy to escape and was admiring the Jackson Colby paintings above the huge mantle when he came in with the tray.

“This is nice. No tree?”

“Christmas is not a particularly happy occasion for me. I usually spend it in another country.”

He indicated the space on the gold leather sofa next to him as he poured the coffee.

“We make our own happiness. Thanks,” she accepted the cup and settled back against the butter soft leather. “I decided to replace the ugly memories of the holiday and make my own.”

“Scars run deep.” He turned sideways, his knees brushing hers. “My parents made Christmas a living hell for us. We would get all these expensive gifts and be allowed to stay up past bedtime only because they had to entertain.

Evelyn and I would stay in my sitting room with our nanny and open our gifts. We were isolated of course because we were not allowed downstairs at all.

After the obligatory parties, they would both go their separate ways. Mother to her many charitable luncheons and father to his mistresses.” His mouth twisted cynically. “Evelyn and I were left to entertain ourselves.”

“And to think I used to envy rich kids.”

He stared at her for a moment before laughing, the sound echoing around the room.

“I have never met anyone like you before.”

“That’s a good thing.” She was pleased that she had managed to dispel the bitterness from his features.

“What do you think?” He gestured to the dessert she was eating.

“It is scrumptious. Between your excellent cooking and this sinfully richness, I am full. When did you learn to cook?”

“We were not allowed in the kitchen, but the chef was a really nice guy and when I expressed an interest in learning, he would sneak in lessons. I found that I loved it and experimented whenever I had a chance.”

“Which is not often.”

“No.”

They finished the coffee, and he cleared the tray away, taking it into the kitchen. When he came back, she was breathless, waiting for him to start taking off her clothes, but he just sat back down and placed a hand at the back of the sofa, near to her.

“Your designs are…unusual.”

She arched her brows at him, trying to squelch her disappointment.

“By unusual, don’t you mean, scandalous.”

“Some of them are!” His eyes wandered over her face and settled on her lips. “What gave you the inspiration?”

Her breath was backed up inside her throat and it took a few seconds for her to breathe.

“I wanted to be the best, wanted to veer away from the usual. Plus-sized women do not usually get a fair rating in the fashion industry. I wanted to change that. Besides, I also wanted to design things I wanted to wear.”

“For example, that blouse.” He nodded to the almost transparent lace. “One of yours?”

“Yes.” Her breathing was shallow as his eyes settled on her bosom. She was almost certain he could see the imprint of her nipples straining against the fabric.

His eyes lifted to hers and were smoldering with desire.

“Cathy.”

“Yes.”

“I cannot wait,” he rasped. “If I don’t make love to you right now, I am going to die.”

“Then don’t.” She whispered.

He stood there for a few more seconds before rising and extending a hand to her.

“There is a fireplace in my bedroom.”

Her hand trembled as she placed it in his, her heartbeat accelerating as he closed strong fingers around hers. Lacing their fingers together, he led them out of the room and turned left to the staircase that branched off in both directions. He took the right, leading them to a set of carved oak doors that were slightly open.

The master suite was unapologetically masculine in design. Soft blues and splashes of gold made an appealing combination, but the place was also sterile, as if it was not really home. They went through the formal sitting room and his home office to step into a bedroom that was four times the size of hers.

A fire burned in the massive fireplace and instead of carpet, the hardwood floor shone with years of careful polishing. The bed was set on a dais and took up a lot of space. It was enormous. And obviously custom made.

“You sleep in that?”

“We will not be sleeping tonight.” He promised huskily.

Her pulse jumped erratically as she turned to stare at him. There was no other light except the one from the red and orange flames glowing in the hearth, but it was enough to allow her to see the intense desire on his face. He was watching her as if she was a very delectable meal, he could not wait to devour.

It did something to her insides and had her knees going weak.

“Earl.”

“Yes?”

“I…, er, … I am not sure how to undress with you looking.”

A frown creased his brow. “Why?”

She fiddled with the gold buttons on her blouse and felt shyness invading her. “I am not your usual type.”

His brow cleared as he bridged the distance between them. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” He lifted a hand to fiddle with a thick strand of hair. “I saw you enter that ballroom and was transfixed and that was even before I knew you were my Cathy.

The woman who consumed me with her texts and then her voice. You walked into the room, and I could not breathe.

I cannot breathe right now. I want you so much, that I am aching. Do you know how difficult it had been for me to wait for seven days?” Taking her hand, he guided it down his chest and pressed it against his steel-like hardness. He laughed softly when her eyes widened.

“Yes Cathy, this has been a constant state for me since I started talking to you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and I am trying my damnedest not to tear you apart with this insane yearning I have for you. I want you in ways that are unimaginable.”