He laughed, knowing that he was getting to me.
The mind games that he played oh so well were no competition to my throbbing need, and he knew it.
Drew ate my spaghetti without complaining. He didn’t brag about it or go after seconds, but he ate it. I took him down to the beach after supper, and he did complain about that.
“Why didn’t you buy a house by a real beach?” he asked as we made our way down the rocky cliff.
“I like this one, and besides, I had to make sure that you couldn’t find me. Stop being a *,” I added with a smile that he couldn’t see from behind.
“Did you just call me a *?’
“Yeah, I did. Stop being so domesticated.”
I heard Drew laugh behind me, but he didn’t comment. We walked along the beach not really talking about anything. I found a piece of sea glass which I wished I wouldn’t have. We spent forever walking around so that Drew could find one. I didn’t want him stooped over looking for beach glass. I wanted him holding my hand and paying attention to me and my needy body.
“Drew, it’s going to get dark on us, and we have to climb back up. I’ve done it in the dark. It’s not fun.”
“But I want to find a piece of that stuff too,” he whined. I thought it was cute. I knew how he was with his jewels, and that was exactly what he had seen in my light green sea glass find.
“You can have mine,” I offered, handing it over.
He took it and kissed me. “Thanks, but I still want to find my own. Can we come back tomorrow?”
“How long are you staying?” I asked, leading him back to the path.
“You trying to get rid of me?”
“No. I was just curious, and I have things to do tomorrow.”
“I have to be in New York Monday afternoon.
What do you have to do tomorrow?”
“I need to change the oil in my car and mow the yard.”
“You’re joking?” he asked, stepping around me and taking my hand to help me up a steep part of the bank.
“I’m not,” I replied, kissing him quickly before stepping around him again.
“Why don’t you pay someone to do that for you?”
“I’m not as rich as you. I made ten dollars an hour here. I can mow my own yard and change my own oil.”
“Morgan, you are richer than me. I don’t have a pot to piss in without you. How do you even know how to change your oil?”
“Dawson taught me.”
Drew didn’t reply, and I could tell that he didn’t like the thought of Dawson and me changing the oil in anything.
We removed our muddy shoes on the deck before going in. I looked out the living room window to see if Lauren’s car was home yet. It was not. I knew if she was home she would have barged in by now.
“Do you want a shower?” I said, turning to Drew, staring at me.
“Yeah, that would be nice.”
“You can go first. I want to take a bath.”
“How about you just shower with me?” he asked, taking my hand and spinning me in a dance.
I smiled at him. “I want to shave,” I admitted, and he smiled next.
I warmed up a couple of strawberry and cream pastries from the shop after our showers and fixed us both a cup of Star’s famous mocha coffee. We sat on the sofa and ate.
“Did you have sex with Dawson?” Drew asked.
I chewed the food in my mouth before answering.
“I had sex with Dawson lots of times.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
“You mean, have I had sex with him since you decided that you loved me?”
“Yes.”
“No. I haven’t. I was going tonight,” I told him honestly, “and there were a couple of times that I almost did, but you seemed to always call at the perfect time.”
“He hasn’t spent the night here?”
“Not since I came back. He did before I was forced under a bus by Derik. We practically lived together.”
“Do you love him, Morgan?”
I sat my Danish on the table. “Yes, Drew. I do love him, and he doesn’t deserve any of this. I feel horrible for putting him through all of this.”
Drew took the last bite of his pastry and sat his plate beside mine. “I don’t want you to love him,” he spoke softly and took my hand.
I touched the side of his face and smiled at him. I didn’t particularly want to love him right then either, but the truth is, I did. “I love you too, Drew, and I have no clue what I am supposed to do.”
“Come home with me,” he begged.
“I can’t. I need to decide this on my own. I forgive you for everything, but I can’t forget it, Drew. You have to understand that.”
“I do understand that, and I know that I don’t deserve you, but I love you so much, it hurts. I hate myself for wasting six years of trying to be…” He stopped, trying to think of a word.
“A prick, a bully, my master,” I replied, helping him out. I didn’t care if it stung a little. I wanted it to.