Falling Into Drew by Harriet Schultz

it, telling herself she just had to get through the evening. She heard a sound behind her, but before she could turn around, large hands rested on her shoulders.
    “Kate,” Drew whispered near her ear. “It isn’t enough to say I’m sorry, but I am. I should have called to explain. I wanted to, but…I don’t know. I’ve told you that the way I feel around you confuses the hell out of me. The only thing I’m sure of is that I need to be with you and I hope I haven’t totally fucked this up.”
    She whirled around to face him. “Do you think I’m stupid, that all you have to do is say you’re sorry and everything you did will be erased? Damn you, Drew. You jumped into another woman’s bed less than twenty-four hours after fucking me!”
    “I didn’t…”
    “I saw the pictures! People at work saw the pictures! They showed them to me and said it was great publicity for the book!” She turned away and whispered, “I won’t repeat what else they said.”
    He pressed his body against her back and circled her waist to pull her closer, needing the contact, but her body stiffened and she pulled away. If she tried to speak, the tears she’d been fighting would start.
    “Kate, I knew that woman years ago. She saw me in a bar with Charles and came on to me, but I told her I wasn’t interested. I left, went back to the house, drank cocoa and went to sleep — alone — so that I could get up early to ski the next day. Ask Charles. Problem is, she arranged for someone to sneak a picture of us and post it. I can’t control things like that. That’s why I took you to that dive bar. I didn’t want to involve you in the crazy, public part of my life. I want to keep what we have for myself.”
    He tried to hold her again and this time she let him. Her body’s reaction told her that this thing between them wasn’t over. His lips nuzzled her neck. “Give us a chance. Forgive me…please,” he said softly.
    She didn’t know why she believed him, but she did, at least about this. She turned in his arms and sighed his name before their mouths eagerly met in a greedy kiss. When she pulled away, her gaze wandered over his face, searching his blue eyes as if the answer were there. “You hurt me. After the night we had, I thought…well, it doesn’t matter what I thought, but I never imagined a week of silence while you were in Europe. And then when I saw you with her… it hit me that sex is a much more casual thing for you than it is for me. I was just one more woman you’d fucked. Nothing more.”
    He opened his mouth to speak, but she put her fingers over his lips. “Wait, I’m not finished. I’m not a clinging, needy person. It’s not as if we’re in a relationship or you owe me anything, but that night I told you that I don’t do one night stands, that I’m not a slut, and I don’t like being treated like one.”
    “Hey are we ever going to eat?” Liz shouted. She turned toward Charles, “We’ve given them enough time to either kill each other or make up. Why don’t we finish cooking dinner and let them sit out here for a while?” She didn’t wait for an answer, but took his hand. They exchanged a look of surprise when their skin touched and although she’d made the first move, he tightened his hold and led the way to the kitchen.
    “Take it outside, you two,” Charles said. “Elizabeth and I will do the rest and bring the food out when it’s ready.”
    “Are you ganging up on us?” Kate asked.
    “Damn right,” Liz said as she shoved her friend toward the living room while Charles did the same with Drew. They slid the kitchen’s pocket door closed and exchanged satisfied grins. “We make a pretty good team,” she said.
    “Happy to be your co-star anytime, shh….” Charles stopped himself before he called her sugar again.
    He flinched when she reached her hand toward his face, expecting a slap, but instead she gently stroked his cheek. “You have my permission to call me sugar anytime,