Cruel & Beautiful Read online

  “I took the liberty of having dinner ready when you arrived. But there’s a catch.”

  “A catch?”

  “We eat naked.”

  “Naked?”

  “Naked, as in no clothing.”

  “Oh. My. Goodness.”

  The left corner of his mouth curves as he unbuttons my jeans. The zipper follows and when he jerks them off my hips and puts his fingers inside the elastic of my thong, he grins. “This is going to be fun.”

  “Er, yeah,” I swallow, as I watch him strip. I will never tire of seeing his muscles ripple when he moves. It’s a damned movie to me.

  “Cate? Cate?” He snaps his fingers in front of my eyes.

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “Sit. I want you to taste something.”

  “Your cock?”

  “What?” He barks out a laugh that shakes the bed I just sat on. “Not yet. I want you to taste this.”

  I’ve been so busy watching his abs and arms, I didn’t even notice that he’s taken the covers off our plates and put a bite of food on a fork for me to taste. “Open up.” He slides the fork in my mouth and buttered lobster melts on my tongue.

  “Oh, hell, that’s … that’s so good,” I say.

  “Good. Let’s get comfortable and eat.”

  Jesus, how can I eat with him in the bed, naked? He’s such a distraction. He shimmies up to the headboard and leans back against it, and all I want to do is stare at the lean curves and dips of his firm body.

  I follow his actions and find myself against the headboard, next to him, with a plate in my naked lap. The lobster is grilled and so tender, I can’t believe he did all this.

  “Did you cook this?”

  His brows shoot up to the heavens. “No. I ordered it, because I knew if I tried, I’d ruin it.”

  “It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

  “I can’t say the same.”

  By now, the food has captured my attention, so I miss his innuendo. “No? Then why did you order it?”

  “Because I love it and I remember you saying one time that you did too.”

  “But if it’s not the best thing …”

  “No, you are, Cate.”

  “Me?” I say, around my mouthful of lobster.

  “Oh, yeah. You, by a landslide.”

  Swallowing my bite is so difficult, I’m afraid I’m going to choke. Grabbing my champagne, I take a huge gulp, hoping to help my issue, but I only end up making it worse. When my coughing subsides, I chide him. “Don’t ever say things like that to me again when I have my mouth full.”

  “What if it’s me your mouth is full with?”

  “Well, that’s okay I suppose.” I notice his plate is nearly empty, so I move it aside, along with mine, and I climb onto his lap. “Thank you for all of this. It’s truly beautiful. And very unexpected. I’ve never had such a wonderful dinner, and in bed no less.”

  “I would hope not!”

  “You know what I mean, and you should know I haven’t.”

  “I do and I was teasing.”

  “The flowers are gorgeous, too.”

  He brushes my hair off my neck and presses a kiss to it. “They all have meaning. But I’ll let you look that up later. Right now, I have something else in mind.”

  I touch his bottom lip with my index finger. “Oh, and what might that be?”

  “This.” He flips me over and kisses me.

  Later that night, we use the entire can of whipped cream doing all sorts of things. Drew says he planned it out for dessert. I think he just likes whipped cream and wants to see what it looks like on Louise. I have to confess. I like the way it tastes on his cock, especially with the strawberry on the end. I think I scared Drew when he thought I was going to bite the tip of him by accident. In the end, a shower was necessary because after the whipped cream, we ventured into Drew’s freezer and got into the ice cream, too. I can only say that ice cream is fun, particularly on the nipples.

  In the morning, I Googled all the flowers Drew had selected for the arrangement, which was so heavy I had to use both hands to carry it.

  The red thornless roses mean love; white lilies mean virginity and it’s heavenly to be with you; calla lilies signify beauty; white carnations indicate pure love; orchids represent love and beauty; and the meaning behind the tulips nearly brings me to tears. There are red ones which symbolize a declaration of love; the variegated ones mean beautiful eyes; and the yellow ones suggest there is sunshine in my eyes. Tulips in general also represent the perfect lover. The fact that he went through all this trouble to select these flowers tells me more than the flowers themselves.

  “Drew. I … this is so beautiful. I never knew any of this.”

  “I only wanted you to have something that showed my true feelings for you.”

  “They’re perfect.”

  “Flowers are perfection and should be enjoyed. I’m glad you appreciate them because I intend for you to enjoy them often, Cate.”

  Just one more reason to love Drew McKnight.

  Our six blissful days together pass like light speed and I find myself seated next to him for the flight home to Charleston. A rush of happiness steals over me. The angst I had over spending time with him was all for nothing. We were great together, like peas and carrots, as Forrest Gump would say. Now I’m dreading the stay at my parents’ house for a week until I can get back to Drew’s.

  “Oh gawd,” I moan.

  “What?”

  “The idea of staying at my parents’ house just plowed into me.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “You know how nutty they are. I love ’em to pieces, but …”

  Drew chuckles. “There’s always that but.”

  “Just wait. You didn’t get the full impact at Thanksgiving. But you will. Trust me.”

  “Never lose sight of the fact that they love you, Cate.” His face is all kinds of serious.

  “You never have a bad thing to say about anyone. You are the kindest person in the world. Probably the universe.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “No, I’m serious. I’ve never heard you say a bad word about anyone. I don’t think you have it in your nature. How do you do it?”

  “I’m not sure I know what you mean.” His eyes are sincere when he says it.

  “Let me give you an example then. Take my family for instance. My parents, bless their hearts, mean well and I love them. But my dad is the world’s biggest hypochondriac and drives me nuts with all his incurable ailments that are a figment of his imagination. You would sit there and listen to him patiently and ease his mind, while I, on the other hand, would brush him off and tell him nothing’s wrong with him. That’s what I mean. You have that way about you. And you don’t think ill of others. There’s only kindness is in your heart.”

  “Oh, Cate, I don’t know. I think you see something that’s not there.”

  “Nope. I disagree. I’ve seen it with you many times. You don’t have a mean bone in your body, Drew McKnight. You are too good for this world. And that’s the truth. I think you were sent here to make this world a better place.”

  He slants his head and those intense blues of his pin me, right before his lips meet mine. “I think you were sent to make my world a better place, Cate Forbes.” His fingers weave with mine and we huddle together in our seats as our plane takes off. “I think this is going to be my best Christmas ever,” he says.

  “Mine, too.”

  Our parents are at the baggage claim waiting for us when we land. Drew’s parents know all about his feelings toward me. I haven’t exactly been wide open with mine. It’s not because I don’t want to. It’s just that my family isn’t like that. We’re not all huggy kissy like some families are. So I’ve decided to tell my mom over the holidays. But when it’s time to part ways in the parking lot, Drew grabs me and lays a major kiss on me, in front of everyone. And since it’s Drew, I do what I always do—turn into a boneless heap right there in his arms. I become oblivio
us to the fact that two sets of parents are witnessing this. When he finally, finally ends the kiss, and mind you I really don’t want him to, he tells me in front of everyone, “See you tomorrow, sweet thing. And I love you more than hockey.”

  Without blinking an eye, I respond, “More than hockey?”

  “More than anything.” And he lays another monstrous kiss on me!

  “I love you, too.”

  Then I turn around and see The Parents! Oh shit! His are grinning from ear to ear and mine have their mouths hanging open, jaws on the asphalt. So what do I do? What any girl in my shoes would do. I grab my parents by their arms and say, “Come on Mom and Dad, let’s go home. See you tomorrow Letty and Ray.” I give them all a little wave and we walk to my parents’ car.

  “You’re in love?” my mom asks.

  “That boy loves you?” my dad asks.

  “Yes, now come on.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?” Mom asks.

  “I was going to tell you when I got home, but Drew beat me to the punch.”

  Then I’m met with silence. Neither of them utters a word until we pull into the driveway and the garage door is going up. It’s my mom who speaks first, laughing, “Well, you could’ve done a lot worse.” And then my dad says, “And a doctor. Hmph. Just what I need. Did you pick him for me?”

  “Yeah, Dad, just for you.”

  “What kind of a doctor is he?” Dad asks.

  “He’s going to be an oncologist. You know, a cancer specialist.”

  “A cancer specialist! Why would he want to do that?” Mom asks, horrified.

  “Because it’s his calling, Mom. That’s what drives him.”

  “But they all die!”

  “They do not all die. What century are you living in? They’ve made amazing strides in cancer therapies and Drew loves helping patients. Besides, it’s his career, not yours.”

  “Well, I don’t see why he can’t be a doctor that does happy things.”

  “Mom, he is a doctor that does happy things. How do you think the families of his patients feel when he cures them? I don’t think they feel sad, do you?”

  “No, but that doesn’t happen all the time.”

  “All doctors have to treat life threatening illnesses, not just oncologists. And I think we need to drop this subject because it’s not our choice anyway.” I need to shut her down or this will go on and on for hours. She’ll beat a dead horse into the ground it you let her.

  My dad finally sticks his two cents in and says, “Well, I’m just glad to have a doctor in the house.” And I’m sure he is. Poor Drew.

  By Christmas Eve, I’m ready to dive head first into the bottle of vodka and swim my way to oblivion. Drew only laughs at my complaints because when he visits, my parents, other than my dad and his unusual medical questions, are on their best behavior. I did have to pull my dad aside yesterday and warn him about getting into a discussion with Drew about his hemorrhoids. He kept bringing them up at breakfast, the perfect time to talk about them. So I told him if he even dared mention them, I would leave and never return home. He clamped his mouth shut and that was that. Thank god, he hasn’t mentioned them to Drew yet. Or at least I don’t think he has.

  “So has Dad hit you up on all his ailments?”

  A rumble of laughter shakes Drew. “Only a few.”

  “What? What has he asked you? I warned him.” My scowl is fierce.

  “Calm down there, oh feisty one. It’s okay. I don’t mind and I’m not sharing what we discussed.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s private, that’s why. Now let’s talk about you.” He traps me against his chest and soon I’m lost in one of his kisses. But then I remember we’re at my parents’ house, and I start to push him away. “What’s wrong?”

  “We can’t do this here,” I hiss.

  “I’m only kissing you.”

  “I know, but we don’t do public displays of affection in the Forbes family.”

  “Is that a fact? Well, guess what?”

  “What?”

  He runs a finger under my chin and whispers against my lips, “That’s about to change, sweet Cate.” Then he captures my mouth in another kiss and I give up the fight. I really don’t care anymore. I’m in love with this man so why should I? He’s respectable and has nothing but good intentions toward me and we’re both adults. To hell with it. I feel him chuckling.

  Pulling back, I look at him with narrowed eyes. “What’s so funny?”

  “Not a thing. I’m just happy you see things my way.” As I get ready to plant another kiss on him, Shannon busts in the room, all giddy because Drew is here. She’s a different person around him.

  “Hi Drew. Are you staying for dinner?”

  “No, actually Cate is coming to my place for dinner with my family.”

  “Ugh. Why can’t you eat with us?” she pouts.

  “Shannon, Drew’s family has their big Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. So I’m going there with him to celebrate.”

  She has the nerve to flash me a nasty look, like I’m a piece of dirt not worthy of her time. Drew catches it and is not happy. What happens next is a shining moment for me.

  “Hey kiddo. Do you have a problem with me or with your sister coming over to my house?”

  She shakes her head.

  “Then maybe you should apologize to her.”

  Shannon wilts like a flower in the middle of the August heat. She looks at Drew with her big puppy eyes and says, “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize to me. It’s Cate who deserves the apology.”

  Then to my absolute shock, Shannon turns to me and says, “I’m sorry, Cate. I didn’t really mean it.”

  I want to say, “Yes you did, you little brat.” But I don’t. I nod and smile instead. Shannon flashes me her perfect little grin that she uses on Mom and Dad all the time and turns it on Drew.

  In a voice dipped in sugar, she asks, “So, Drew, will we get to see you tomorrow then?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be here for dinner.”

  “You will? Can I sit next to you?”

  Oh, god. Not only do I have to worry about my hypochondriac dad, I now have my sister crushing after him, too.

  “I think you need to check with your mom on that.”

  “Yeah, okay, I’ll do that right now,” she says, as she skips out of the room.

  Shaking my head, I say, “And the drama never ends in the Forbes household.”

  “She is a bit much, isn’t she?”

  “Uh, yeah. And my parents do nothing to contain that mess. It’s ridiculous the disrespect she shows them, too. Eric is fine. At least for now. All he knows and cares about are sports. My worry is that one day, he’ll wake up and it’ll be other things, and Mom and Dad will be oblivious to it. But Shannon sure responded to you.”

  “It’s only because she thinks I’m cool. One day I’ll be a pain in her ass and I’ll have no effect at all.”

  “Hey, I’ll take what I can get when I can get it.”

  “Does that include another kiss?” He laughs.

  Pressing my hand against his chest to stop him, I ask, “What time to we need to be at your house? I don’t want to be late.”

  “We’re fine.” He skims his lips over mine right as my mom walks into the room.

  “Oh, Drew, before you leave, I wanted to let you know that dinner tomorrow will be at three.” She’s told him twice already.

  “Thanks, Mom, I think he’s got it.”

  “I’ll be here before then, Mrs. Forbes. I can’t stand to be away from my girl that long.”

  My mother actually blushes. For the love of god, will someone just help me here? Then she gushes, “Ah, that’s so sweet, Drew.”

  Now it’s my turn to blush, because I’m embarrassed for my mother.

  “Okay, Mom, we’ve got to go now. I’ll be back later.” Clamping my fingers around Drew’s bicep, I literally drag him out of the house.

  As we’re leaving, I hear Drew call
ing out, “See you tomorrow Mrs. Forbes.”

  Flying into his car, I slam the door closed before he has the chance. He gets in and says, “I think this is becoming a habit here.”

  “Oh gawd! My mother, acting like an adolescent … no. Just no.”

  “She wasn’t that bad.”

  “Yes, she was. She batted her eyelashes at you. Do you have this effect on all women?”

  Drew is backing the car up but at my question, he puts the car back in park, turns to me and says, “Cate, I don’t care about the effect I have on all women. I only care about the effect I have on you.”

  My heart seriously falls to pieces and liquefies into one big giant puddle of goo. I unbuckle my seat belt and fly across the console straight into his arms. “This is only one of the many reasons why I love you, Drew McKnight.”

  “Well, hell, if I’d have known that was all it took to get you to fall for me, I would’ve told you that a long time ago.” His blue eyes twinkle and we both end up laughing. “Now are you gonna get back over to your seat and buckle up so we can go to my parents’, or are we gonna sit in your driveway and make out like a couple of teenagers and entertain your family again?”

  I climb back into my seat and say, “I’d like nothing better than to make out, but there’s no way I’m letting my family in for that show.”

  “Maybe I’ll have to sneak you up to my room later tonight, and pretend I’m showing you something, like I used to in high school.”

  “Oh, is that how you worked it?”

  “Yeah, but my parents monitored my time, so I’d have to be quick.”

  “Hmm. I’m sure you were.” Then I start thinking about it. “I bet you had a ton of girlfriends in high school,” I tease. “I bet they were all over you, like ants on honey.”

  He shrugs and says, “I had my share of them. Except for a few, they were actually more bothersome than anything else.”

  Knowing Drew, he was probably too kind to tell them to get lost. “So, did you have a special one?”