They slept until a little after eleven. Because Drew hadn’t been all that busy during his shift, he’d been able to get a decent amount of sleep. That didn’t mean that he was going to pass up the chance to spend a few more hours in Beth’s bed with her softness pressed against him.
That afternoon, in need of some clean clothes, Drew took Beth with him to his apartment. He was surprised to find Shawn there. The last time he’d spoken to him, it sounded as if he’d found an apartment.
“You’re home.” Shawn glanced up from the television. When he realized Drew wasn’t alone, he clicked it off and stood. “Hello. You must be Beth.”
She smiled. “And you must be Shawn. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Only good things, I hope.”
Beth pressed her lips together, brought her thumb and index finger in front of her mouth, and then acted as if she was locking her lips closed and throwing away the key.
“Ah. So it’s like that, is it?” Shawn glanced over at Drew. “I like her.”
Drew rolled his eyes. “Glad you approve.”
There was a lull in the conversation and a lightbulb seemed to go off in his friend’s head. “Did you guys need me to make myself scarce for a while? I can go catch a movie or something. Give you some privacy.”
“That’s all right. We aren’t staying. I just came by to get some clean clothes.” Drew leaned in and gave Beth a kiss. “I’ll hurry. Make yourself at home.”
Leaving Beth in the living room with Shawn, Drew scurried into his bedroom and gathered up enough clothing to get him through the next three days. He was eventually going to run out of clean clothes, but he wasn’t willing to sacrifice time with Beth in order to do laundry.
He was zipping his bag when there was a knock behind him. Drew looked over his shoulder to find Beth framing the doorway.
“Do you have a bag or something you could put your dirty laundry in? I have a washer and dryer at my place. You’re more than welcome to use them.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Beth strolled across the room and he was mesmerized by the sway of her hips as she walked toward him. When she came to a stop in front him, Drew had to remind himself that they weren’t really alone and that he needed to keep his hands to himself. She traced a line down the outside of his jaw with the tip of her nail, reminding him of Saturday night. Almost instantly, there was a lot less space in his pants.
“I’m sure.” The words barely left her mouth before her lips brushed against his.
“Okay.” He tried to breathe through the temptation. “Beth?”
“Yes?”
“Shawn’s still in the next room.” As the moments ticked by, that fact was becoming less important. His friend was an adult and it was Drew’s apartment. If he wanted to make love to his girlfriend in his bed, then he would.
To his disappointment, Beth put some distance between them. “I’ll wait for you in the other room. Don’t be long.”
It might not have been a command—they weren’t playing—but Drew still flew around his bedroom gathering dirty clothing wherever he could find it. In less than two minutes, he had his duffel bag in one hand and his laundry bag full of dirty clothes in the other. The only thing left to do was get Beth home as fast as humanly possible. If he was lucky, they could spend the rest of the day in her bed.
Over the next few days, the two of them spent what some might call an unhealthy amount of time together. If they weren’t working then they could usually be found together. Beth had help at the café so she didn’t need his assistance anymore. When Shawn had called to see if Drew could give him a hand moving into his new apartment on Wednesday morning, he’d jumped at the chance. It would be something to keep him occupied while Beth was at work.
Drew had never been in love before. The reality of it—the feeling as if he couldn’t get enough of her—wasn’t something he was prepared for. He’d experienced lust in the past. The physical attraction to Beth wasn’t what bowled him over. It was the wanting to see her roll over and smile at him first thing in the morning or having her give him that look when he was acting a little too playful.
He pulled up to his apartment at noon. Shawn was inside, packing up the few things he’d brought with him. The rest was in a storage unit a few miles away.
The two didn’t say much as they loaded everything into Shawn’s pickup truck. Drew hopped in the passenger side while his friend got behind the wheel. “Thanks for letting me stay at your place. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime. You know that,” Drew said. “Not like I’ve been at my apartment much lately anyway.”
Shawn pulled out onto the road and headed in the direction of the storage facility. “Can’t get enough of each other, huh? I remember those days.”
Drew didn’t comment.
The rest of his afternoon was spent hauling the few pieces of furniture Jill hadn’t wanted, and helping Shawn get his apartment ready for living. Drew didn’t mind doing domestic chores. Housekeeping was part of being a firefighter. That being said, his friend’s new place left a lot to be desired. It was a one bedroom like his, but everything in it appeared to have been transported from the seventies.
“I hope you got a good deal on this place,” Drew said.
“What? You not digging the shag carpet?” Shawn chuckled and shrugged. “It’s the middle of the month. Beggars can’t be choosers. Besides, it’s just me. I’m not out to impress anyone.”
“Yet.”
Shawn shook his head. “Not for a while. I think I need to take a break from women for a bit. Jill and I were together for ten years. It’s going to take a while to get my mind wrapped around someone else in my life like that. “
At four o’clock, Shawn dropped Drew back at his apartment. Maybe he should have gone inside and stayed put for a while—give Beth some space. He didn’t want her to feel smothered.
His good intentions lasted about as long as it took his friend’s truck to disappear. Digging his keys out of his pocket, Drew opened his car door and got behind the wheel. With any luck, Beth would already be home.
She was.
Drew hurried up the walkway and knocked. A few moments later Beth opened the door. “Hey.”
Without waiting for more of an invitation, he stepped over the threshold, and scooped her up in his arms. “Hey.”
Beth laughed until he pressed his lips to hers. It was a slow, deep kiss that said more than words ever could.
She licked her lips and met his gaze. “Why didn’t you let yourself in?”
He kissed her again. “I didn’t want to assume. You might have been busy or something.”
“I was starting dinner.” She hadn’t made any move to pull away. Hopefully, she didn’t have anything on the stove or in the oven that would burn.
“Want some help?” he asked.
Only then did she back out of his arms. “Always.”
Drew followed her into the kitchen and they spent the next hour working side by side cooking dinner. He wondered what his mom would think if she knew.
That night as they feel asleep, Drew let the excitement of the upcoming weekend take hold. He was bringing his girlfriend home to meet his family. Drew was almost positive his dad would like Beth, but Dad was easy to please. His mom and Seth would be the real test—Seth especially. His brother was naturally suspicious. Drew always figured it was a lawyer thing.
As Beth’s breathing evened out, Drew let himself wonder for the first time what it would be like to be married to her. She was everything he wanted in a woman. He could see himself coming home to her every day for the rest of his life.
The only thing he had to do now was convince her. She’d come a long way, but there were still times when he thought she was second-guessing herself. The only time that didn’t seem to happen was when they were in bed. Beth knew her role there the same as he did. It was everything else, the traditional boyfriend-girlfriend stuff that brought that look into her eyes every so often.
He’d noticed it a lot that first week, but as the days passed, it was less and less. Either Beth was beginning to relax and trust their relationship, or she was getting better at hiding it from him. He really hoped it was the former.
***
On Sunday morning, Beth woke up with a huge smile on her face. Drew was in the middle of another four days off and they’d spent last night having some fun with bondage. She’d had a long day at work and needed a release.
The smile lasted as long as it took her to remember that they would be going to see Drew’s parents in a few short hours. It felt like a big moment for her—for them. She wasn’t sure why every step forward in their relationship filled her with anxiety, but it did. Maybe it was because, deep down, she knew the significance.
Drew was important to her. Technically, they’d been together only two weeks, but in some ways she felt closer to him than she ever had to Ben. How was that possible? She’d been with Ben for three years. He knew her. Drew . . .
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Drew did know her. Maybe it wasn’t in the same way, but considering how things turned out with Ben that was probably a good thing. Drew was honest. It was the only way to describe him. He held nothing back. It didn’t matter if they were in bed or out of it, he gave her all of himself and it was hard to combat that.
His eyes flittered open, and when he saw her looking at him, he grinned. “Good morning.”
Unable to resist, she drew closer to him.
The feel of his arms around her brought Beth comfort. He’d spent every night he hadn’t been working in her bed. She knew some in the lifestyle would feel that there needed to be some separation. Maybe they were right, but she couldn’t bring herself to make him sleep in the other room or even go home. Not having him beside her when he was at the fire station was bad enough.
“Are you ready for today?” he asked.
“Not really.”
His chest vibrated with amusement. “It’ll be fine. You have nothing to worry about.”
Beth snorted. “I’ll remember you said that when it’s time to meet my parents.”
“Bring it on.”
They lay there for several minutes just enjoying each other. Eventually, though, they had to get up and begin getting ready. There was no use putting it off anymore as tempting as that might be.
Drew’s parents lived roughly an hour east of St. Louis. As they drove farther into Illinois, civilization fell away and they were surrounded by nothing but fields. He’d said he grew up on a farm, but Beth was envisioning more along the lines of what she was used to in Ohio. There was nothing except fields for as far as the eye could see. She didn’t even think they’d passed a house in the last ten minutes.
“You okay over there?” he asked.
“Yeah. I just thought there’d be more . . . houses.”
He smiled. “That’s southern Illinois for ya. Fields as far as the eye can see.”
“Is it like this where your parents live?”
“Pretty much. There’s a small town about ten miles down the road, so there are a few more houses if you head in that direction.”
He said it as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Of course, to him it probably was. Beth couldn’t imagine living so far out of touch from everything. She’d grown up in the suburbs and that’s what she was used to. This felt as if one could get lost.
Fifteen minutes later, they turned onto a road that looked only marginally better than a gravel driveway. They seemed to keep going farther and farther out in the middle of nowhere.
Then she noticed a mailbox up ahead. Drew put on his turn signal even though there was no one behind them. She guessed it was showtime.
Beth reached for his hand as they drove up the long driveway toward the house. That, at least, was how she’d pictured it—an old two-story farmhouse with a wraparound porch. She wondered if Drew’s parents ever sat outside on a hot day sipping iced tea.
He pulled up to the house and parked the car alongside a fence. “You ready?”
“No,” she said.
Drew squeezed her hand and shot her that teasing grin of his. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
She rolled her eyes. “So I need a big strong man to protect me from your family?”
“You never know. Mom might have some secret truth serum or something lurking in her cupboards. She’ll make you tell her all your secrets.”
Beth shook her head and laughed.
“Don’t worry. We’ll be alone tonight. Camping, remember?” Drew’s eyes were sparkling. He loved teasing her as much as she loved teasing him.
Taking a quick look around, Beth confirmed that they were still alone before leaning across the console and whispering in his ear. “I’m going to make you beg for it tonight.”
She saw the muscles in his throat move as he swallowed, making her grin. Drew could tease her all he wanted as long as he remembered that she would always get the last word. The only thing that kept her from pushing things right then and there was the fact that any member of his family could come out to greet them at any given minute. Beth didn’t think finding her sitting in Drew’s car with her hand wrapped around his cock would be a great first impression.
Reluctantly, she pulled back enough to meet his gaze. His pupils had dilated, and Beth wondered if she looked down at his lap whether she’d find him aroused. Her train of thought did nothing to help her current state one bit. “We should go inside. Your mom’s probably wondering what we’re doing out here.”
He looked toward the house. “She’s probably at the window watching.”
“Oh, goody.”
Drew chuckled. “Come on. We should go inside before I start tenting my shorts.”
“We wouldn’t want that now, would we?” Yet again, Drew had managed to dispel her fears.
Beth met him at the front of the vehicle. He laced their fingers together before making his way toward the house. As they drew closer, she saw the outline of a woman in one of the upstairs windows. Drew had been right. She had been spying on them.
He opened the door and let Beth go inside first. Moments later, they heard someone coming down the stairs. They didn’t have to wait long before a woman descended into view. She had brown hair the same shade as Drew’s, but it was mixed with a fair amount of gray. Beth knew that this had to be Drew’s mother.
The woman greeted them with a warm smile, then walked over to Drew and wrapped her arms around him.
Drew hugged her back.
Beth stood anxiously waiting for the introduction she knew was to come. From the conversations they’d had about his family, she knew this meeting was important. Whether Drew admitted it or not, Beth doubted a relationship between them would last if his family didn’t approve. As they pulled apart, his mother’s gaze settled on her.
“You must be Beth.” Instead of the nod or handshake Beth was expecting, Drew’s mother embraced her as well.
Startled, it took a moment for her to return the gesture. Beth looked to Drew for guidance but he wasn’t any help as his attention had turned toward the door.
Things happened fast after that. Beth was quickly introduced to Drew’s father, Bill, before being hustled over to the kitchen table. Nancy, Drew’s mother, placed a towel-covered bowl on the table. “Help yourself. I’m sure you’re hungry after the drive. Lunch will be ready soon.”
Drew sat down beside Beth while Bill disappeared up the stairs. At home in his surroundings, Drew opened the towel and motioned for her to help herself to a roll. Since neither one of them had been eager to get out of bed, they’d been running late this morning. Because of that, breakfast had been nothing more than a bowl of cereal.
“Thanks,” she said, picking up one of the warm rolls.
He smiled. “Mom makes the best rolls. I’ve tried to duplicate them, but they never come out the same.”
Beth pinched off a section of her roll and popped it in her mouth. The moment the taste and texture hit her tongue, she thought she might have died and gone to heaven. The rolls were a perfect balance of sweet and savory. No wonder Drew loved them.
“Good, huh?”
All she could do was nod. Beth’s mind was already working to dissect what was in the rolls.
Drew placed his hand on top of her leg as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I’ll give you the recipe when we get home. Maybe you’ll have better luck making them.”
She wasn’t sure if she was experiencing some sort of high from the carbohydrates or if it was merely the fact that she could feel his breath caressing the side of her face, but Beth felt her temperature begin to rise. Placing a hand over his, she removed it from her leg.
He chuckled.
Unfortunately, anything Beth might have said was silenced when Bill joined them at the table. He reached for one of the rolls, took a huge bite, and asked, “My boy here tells us you’re a pretty fine baker. You make anything as good as my Nancy’s rolls here?”
Before she could answer, Drew chimed in. “Her muffins are the things dreams are made of.”
Nancy appeared beside Beth with what looked to be a large pot of stew. “Yes, dear, we’re all aware of how much you like muffins, but I do believe your father was referring to food.”
Beth thought her eyes would pop out of her head as she stared up in shock at Drew’s mother. Nancy only winked at her and turned to get the salad.
Fingers tangled with hers under the table. She knew it was Drew, but she was too stunned to speak.
He squeezed her hand, and she finally turned her head in his direction.
“They like you,” he mouthed.
She swallowed and nodded. They liked her. Okay. That was good. Beth only hoped she could get used to their teasing and not die of embarrassment before they headed home on Monday night.