Riding into Love (6 page)

Chapter 10

W
hen Drew saw Alana's number, he picked up right away, reaching for the phone with his good arm.

“What happened?” Panic increased the pitch of Alana's voice.

“Oh, now you want to call me back, huh?” Drew teased as he made his way through the hotel suite into the living room in search of a soda. He favored his left leg as he walked. It was still tender from his fall earlier. Her groan made him laugh.

“I'll assume you're fine. Why did you have to go to the hospital? Did you fall off one of those bikes?”

“Wow! That news went viral. I just called Hunter and Blake when I got back to the room.” Drew limped to the sofa, carefully sat and then popped the top on the soda can. “Nothing major. I took a little spill and dislocated my shoulder.”

“That sounds major enough to me. How's that going to affect your season?”

“It won't.”

“What do you mean, it won't?”

“It has happened before. I have a few weeks before the season starts. I'll be fine by then.”

“Are you in any pain?”

“It's just a little sore,” he lied. Truthfully, his shoulder ached, thumping like it had its own pulse. He dealt with it, refusing to take any more of the huge pain pills the emergency-room doctor had given him. He needed to be coherent because he still had a race to focus on.

“I'm sure it's not your first fall, but I assume this will keep you off your feet for a while.”

“I've dealt with much worse in the past. Broken legs, arms and enough road rashes to cover my body five times over.”

“And you still get back on the bike?”

“That's my life,
ma belle
!”

Silence settled across the line for a moment until Alana dismissed herself. “I have to go. I'm glad you're okay though. Be safe.”

“Thanks for calling.” Drew didn't want her to go. He continued to hold the phone to his ear as she ended the call. A series of beeps indicated that the call was over. Still, he held the phone.

Drew appreciated Alana's concern. Hearing her voice made him want to be near her.

A few days later, Drew booked an early flight that allowed him to make it to midtown by lunchtime. The flimsy sling they gave him at the hospital didn't do much to keep his muscular arm from weighing his sore shoulder down. Adding pain to his injury, the erratic North American climate made his cross-country flight one of the rockiest he could remember. Turbulence shook the plane so violently at one point that Drew had to hold his shoulder to keep it from banging against the chair. By the time he reached Manhattan, he felt like he'd gone a few rounds in the boxing ring.

Drew showed up at Alana and Cadence's building on the west side of Thirty-fourth Street, searched the board for their suite and headed to the fourth floor. As he stepped off the elevator, he nodded approvingly at the modern office space designed for the business world's new class of entrepreneurs. The communal lounge reminded him of a cozy coffeehouse with fully stocked counters where professionals could fill up on caffeine all day. A few people lounged on the sofas tapping away on laptops. Beyond the lounge, there was a large conference room behind glass walls. He walked down the hall toward Alana and Cadence's suite. His limp wasn't as pronounced as it had been the day before. Drew thought it gave his walk a little swagger. He laughed at himself for the thought.

Drew stopped before the large wooden door that bore the name of their law firm, knocked once and twisted the knob.

“Good afternoon, can—”

Drew spread his lips in a sated smile at Alana's apparent surprise. “What happened to my greeting?”

“What are you doing here?” Cadence walked up and hugged him. He winced, hugging her back with one arm.

“When did you get here?” Alana asked.

“What's wrong?” Drew licked his lips. He almost couldn't help it. Alana looked sexy in that simple gray suit. “You're not happy to see me?” Drew opened his arms as much as he could for a hug.

“You and your surprise visits.” She allowed him a quick embrace and then stepped out of his reach, but it was enough for her scent to tickle his nostrils and awaken an inkling of desire.

“This is a business. I didn't have to call first,” Drew teased. Alana shook her head. “I came to take you two to lunch.”

“How's the shoulder?” Cadence asked, clearing the small reception area of random papers.

Drew waved away her concern. “I'm fine.” He curled his other arm. Muscles bulged under his short-sleeved button-down shirt. “See that? I'm all man. A little dislocated shoulder can't stop me.”

“You're too much.” Cadence chuckled. Alana rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Hey!” Drew pointed his finger at Alana. “If you keep doing that, they're going to get stuck.”

Alana gave him a pointed look. Her feistiness was always a turn-on. “You need to take better care of yourself. Is lunch on you?” she teased.

“What kind of man would I be if it wasn't,
ma belle
? Pick the place.”

Alana left a note for their receptionist, Jennifer, who was on lunch and they all headed to one of her favorite Asian-fusion restaurants in the heart of the theater district. As expected, the place was filled with demanding professionals and fast-moving waiters trained in getting people seated, fed and checked out in record time.

For a few moments, he watched how skillfully the restaurant staff handled the crowd as he, Alana and Cadence stood by the bar enduring the twenty-minute wait.

“I'll be right back.” Drew saw the question in Alana's and Cadence's expressions as he walked away. He left them to wonder.

Drew approached the waif-thin hostess and smiled, cranking his charm up a few notches. She sheepishly smiled back.

“How can I help you, sir?”

He detected her light French accent.

“Vous parlez français.”
It was more of a statement than a question.

“Oui!”
She smiled again and hung her head slightly.

“Une telle langue magnifique pour une belle fille.”

“Merci!”

“No need to thank me for you being beautiful.”

She smiled into her shoulders, turning slightly with crush-like glee.

“I'm in a bit of a rush. Would you mind—”

“I'll take care of you. How many in your party?”

Drew smiled again, holding her in his appreciative gaze until she squirmed a little. “Three. My team of lawyers and me.” He kept his smile and smoldering eyes directly on her.

She grabbed three menus. “Follow me.”

Drew curled his fingers to summon Alana and Cadence, who had been watching his every move.

The hostess placed the menus down and nodded. Drew pulled out chairs for Alana and Cadence before tapping the hostess to get her attention before she walked away. He touched her forearm gently and leaned to her ear. “I'll be sure to share with the management how pleased I am with your service.”

She actually giggled.
“Merci!”

“Vous êtes les bienvenus, Madame.”

She nearly floated away from the table. When Drew sat, Alana's and Cadence's eyes were trained on him. Each pair carried a look of suspicion.

Alana untwisted her lips. “I guess flirting gets you everywhere.”

“What?” Drew held his hands up innocently. “I didn't want you to have to wait too long to eat.”

“I didn't know you spoke French. I'm impressed,” Cadence said over the open menu.

“Thanks,” Drew answered modestly.

“What else don't we know about you, Drew?”

Drew caught on to Alana's sarcasm, but Cadence put down her menu and looked at him with genuine interest.

“Do you speak other languages too?” Cadence asked.

“Spanish, a little Italian and I can understand German better than I can speak it.”

“Wow!” Cadence's eyes grew wide.

“Nice,” Alana added.

Drew had work to do with Alana. Wearing down the protective armor around her heart was his mission. He entertained them with his wit as usual. Alana's smile sent signals to his brain, among other places. Drew kept them laughing just to see her pretty lips spread in happiness. He fancied the curves of her breast against her silk shirt.

Drew wasn't quite sure he was ready to settle down, but he did know that when he was, it should be with Alana. After watching her ex eyeing her at the premiere, he knew a woman of her caliber wouldn't stay single for long. Somehow, he had to gain her trust and convince her that something between them could work. Then he'd have to deal with the issue of distance, which wasn't going to change anytime soon.

They ate sushi until they got their fill. Drew hadn't had enough of their company so he convinced them to join him for a drink at a nearby bar before heading back to the office.

“Drew, this behavior is not acceptable on a workday. You've got us out here slacking!” Alana laughed.

“I know. We're supposed to be working on strategies for attracting clients and researching PR teams who specialize in the legal field,” Cadence added.

“Yeah.”

“Hey! I didn't force either of you into doing anything.”

“The magic words were
your treat
.” Alana laughed. “That's hard to walk away from.”

“Well, it was also my pleasure. What are you doing for dinner?” Drew eyed Alana, watching her demeanor shift from carefree back to guarded. “And I won't take no for an answer.”

Alana groaned. “Sure. Why not?” She'd given in.

Drew smiled. To him that was a signal to move forward.

Chapter 11

A
lana had been looking forward to Friday from the moment she walked into her office on Monday morning. As much as she loved having her own business, it was exhausting at times. When she had worked for other law firms, the only thing she had to worry about was winning cases. Now, she and Cadence put in extensive hours to win the cases, pay the bills and keep the doors of the practice open.

Alana planned to stay in her pajamas, snack, read and watch movies for the entire weekend. She'd get back to exercising and hanging out another time. The fact that five o'clock was almost here gave Alana a bit of vigor.

Alana heard a tap on her office door. Before lifting her head, she began waving goodbye, assuming it was their intern, leaving for the day. But then she looked up into Drew's face.

Alana closed her eyes and sighed even though a smile spread across her lips. He was part of the reason she was so exhausted. Drew had picked her up for dinner after their surprise lunch outing the week before and they'd spent much of their free time together ever since. The past weekend had been a whirlwind of activity from exclusive red-carpet affairs to early-morning runs to pancake breakfasts. It literally took all week for Alana to catch up on her sleep.

Drew never showed up without an adventure.

“I can't!” Alana slowly shook her head.

Drew strolled in and sat on the edge of her desk. “You can't what
,
ma belle
?”

Alana both loved and hated when he called her
ma belle
in the perfectly accented way that he did. It sounded beautiful and she loved the special way it made her feel, yet hated that she was so affected by the deep timbre of his voice. Regardless, she had to admit she enjoyed being his friend again. She'd never deny the obvious tension that hovered in the air when they were close to one another, but she felt that she had the strength to fight that. She still wasn't ready to date.

“I'm tired, Drew. I'm going home and staying there all weekend!” Alana shut down her laptop and closed it.

“That's fine with me.”

Alana stretched her eyes. “Really?” She didn't believe him.

“Of course. I guess I'll have to give these tickets to Delphine Armah's new Broadway show to someone else.”

Alana's eyes popped open wide and her neck stretched forward. “What!” She stood, rounding her desk in an instant. “Are you serious, Drew?”

“Sure am, but if you're tired...” Drew folded his arms across his chest and hummed.

“Don't play with me, dude!”

“I don't play around,
ma belle
.” Drew put his hand on his chin. “Hmm. So that also means I'll have to cancel the plans for dinner with the cast after the show.”

Alana balked. “Dinner with the... Drew, are you for real?”

His smile taunted her in several ways. “But you're tired. I surely don't want to be a bother.”

Alana pursed her lips and squinted at him. “I'll sleep tomorrow. What time is the show?”

“Eight.”

“Darn it! I'll be cutting it close if I go all the way home to Long Island and come back.” Alana looked down at her suit. “I'd hate to go in this.”

“Then let's go get you something to wear.”

“You don't have to do that.”

“Come on.” Drew slid off her desk and grabbed her by the hand.

Alana grabbed her purse and jacket to shield herself from the slight breeze of the unusually warm March day.

“How do you manage to gain access to these things?” Alana wondered aloud.

“What things?”

“Movie premieres, private celebrity parties, shows and dinner with entertainers.”

“Oh. I know a guy.”

Alana twisted her lips. “Really, Drew.”

Drew held out his hand, leading Alana out of the elevator. “Don't worry about it. Just enjoy it all. Let's go get you something to wear.”

Drew hailed a taxi and directed the driver to Fifty-seventh and Fifth Avenue. Alana loved those stores but rarely shopped in them. Those price tags didn't lend themselves to weekly shopping on Alana's budget as a fairly new entrepreneur. She saved those shops for very special occasions.

Drew led the way inside one of those upscale shops. A polished clerk wearing a smart red suit, striking red lips, and a neat bun beamed at Drew. The smile on the sales clerk's face indicated how well she knew him.

“Drew! Darling!” She air-kissed him on both cheeks.

“Karen, it's great to see you.” Drew embraced her and then placed his hand on the small of Alana's back.

“And who's the lovely lady?” Karen assessed Alana the way a mother would if she approved of a nice girl that her son has brought home for the first time.

“This is my good friend Alana. She needs a nice outfit for tonight. She has exquisite style. Can you help me find something that will make those beautiful brown eyes of hers sparkle even more?”

“You know I can.” Karen took Alana by the hand. “Come with me.”

Alana allowed Karen to lead her through the shop while Drew took a seat on a contemporary white leather sofa as if he had all the time in the world.

Alana couldn't help but gush just a little. She was reminded of the scene in the movie
Pretty Woman
when Richard Gere took Julia Roberts to those expensive shops along Rodeo Drive.

Alana thought she knew Drew, but lately he'd surprised her. He seemed to be a different person than the guy she dated a few years back. Their dates didn't extend beyond the normal dinner and movie. She was almost afraid that he'd break down her resolve.

Karen set her up in a dressing room and brought a few ensembles. Alana was surprised at how well Karen was able to pinpoint her style. She fell in love with two of the outfits and couldn't decide.

“Drew,” Karen called out to him. He looked her way, holding up one finger. With the other hand, he pressed the phone to his ear.

A few seconds later, Drew ended his call, put the phone away and joined them at the rear of the store.

“She needs help choosing, darling,” Karen said.

“Give her both,” he replied.

“No, Drew, that won't be necessary. Just help me pick something for tonight.”

Drew assessed the black jumpsuit as Alana twisted in front of him, showing him how well it fit. It was perfect for a night out on the town.

“You like?”

“I like.” Drew nodded.

“Okay, let me show you the other outfit.” Alana retreated to the dressing room and returned with a sweaterdress that hugged her in all the right places. She wasn't a gym buff, but none of that mattered in this well-made dress. “What about this?”

From the wide-eyed expression on Drew's face, she didn't have to ask which one he liked best.

“Karen, she'll take both, but please let her wear that one out of the store.”

“You've got it, darling.”

By the time Alana went back to the dressing room to get her stuff, Drew had already taken care of the bill and Karen had handed him the bag containing the other outfit. Alana put the suit that she'd worn to the store in the bag that Drew insisted on carrying. Luckily, her shoes already went great with the dress. She felt fit to dine with stars.

They headed to the play, which Alana loved. She even cried a few times. Not only was Delphine great, but the entire cast was performed well. When the play ended, Drew escorted her backstage and she had the chance to meet everyone. They rode together in the limo to a Senegalese restaurant owned by a friend of the director.

Alana tried her best not fidget, but it was hard to keep still when all she wanted was to pinch herself to prove she wasn't dreaming. Delphine and the rest of the cast were diligent about including her in the conversation, yet she still felt as if she were standing outside of herself watching them have dinner with an Academy Award–winning actress and friends. She wondered how Drew had made it all happen—again. Regardless of how it all came together, Alana appreciated how Drew went out of his way to make such memorable experiences possible.

Never without a good story, Drew entertained them with his antics as comfortably as he would have if they had been simply hanging with old friends. She wondered how well he'd known Delphine before today.

Alana knew she was uncharacteristically quiet. Yet she didn't miss the way Drew touched her hand or leg as a way to check in with her. Other times, he'd look to her for confirmation, saying “Right, Alana?” here or there to make sure she was included. She enjoyed being a part of the whole scene. She didn't need to talk.

By the time Drew walked Alana to her door later that night she had to fight every morsel of her resolve to keep from inviting him in for a nightcap. She already knew the regrets she'd scuffle with the next morning so she stood there, facing Drew on her doorstep while the most pronounced sexual tension swirled around them, threatening the very air they breathed. They stood close, drinking each other in without words but communicating in sync—a conversation that was unspoken but understood:

I want to let you in, but I can't—I won't.

I want to come in, but only if you really want me to.

Should we...

Maybe...

But I have my rules...

Alana cleared her throat, snapping them out of their trance. “Good night, Drew.”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat too. “Um. Good night, Alana.”

They said their goodbyes, but neither moved. A few moments ticked past. Drew leaned over and planted a soft, lingering kiss on her cheek. He stepped back, stared directly into her eyes, leaned forward and planted another on her lips.

Alana closed her eyes. Drew pulled her to him, holding on as if he'd never let go. Alana wrapped her arms around his neck and lost herself in the deliciousness of their kiss. Drew rested his forehead against hers while they caught their breath. Breathing in time, she smiled and he kissed that smile.

Alana opened her mouth and welcomed him again, leading the charge, their tender caresses morphing into greedy gropes that left them panting. Loins ignited, challenging inhibitions. An erection strained against his pants, pressing into and teasing the fire in her belly. They separated from each other, almost abruptly, in order to avoid being completely consumed by their passion and need for one another.

“I'll call you in the morning,” he said, respiring and then gently touching her swollen lips with his finger.

Alana knew he would, just like he had every morning since the surprise lunch the week before.