Single, Available, and Completely Attached (17 page)

She didn’t notice that they had stopped moving until after she’d finished speaking, and she was once again grateful for the dim lighting as he held her eyes.
 
Anna could feel the blush rising, coloring her chest and cheeks.
 

She wasn’t able to read his expression, and before he had the chance to say anything, she felt a tug on her wrist and she turned to find Michael’s little brother staring up at her.

“Miss Anna, could you come draw a spaceship with me?”
 
Anna knelt down so that she was eye-level with the boy.

“A spaceship?
 
That sounds a lot better than dancing with this guy!”
 
She pointed at Drew over her shoulder, then reached out and tapped Eddie on the nose.
 
“Come on,
Eddie,
let’s draw the best spaceship this place has ever seen!”
 
She stood, taking the little boy by the hand.

“Can we put it on the wall?”
 
he
asked.
 

“I’ll put it front and center.”
 
Anna turned, mouthing an apology to Drew as she walked away.
 
He waved her on, his eyes matching the smile on his lips.
 
She turned back to Eddie, racing him out into the hallway.

There was an art station with an easel that was much too tall for the five year old boy, so she tore a piece of paper from it and laid it out on the floor, sitting down beside the boy.
 
“Now, what kind of drawing were we thinking here?”

“I like those sparkly crayons.”
 
He pointed to a box of crayons on the table against the wall, so she stood up and grabbed them, along with a few other boxes.

“Oh, these are my favorite crayons.
 
What if we use them for the sky, so it sparkles with stars?”
 
She told him as she settled down beside him again.

“Yeah!
 
And the gray part of the spaceship, because it’ll be shiny!”
 
Eddie’s voice was full of such enthusiasm, her heart melted.
 

“That sounds like a pretty good idea.
 
Is the spaceship floating in the air?”
 
She opened up the boxes and dumped them out on the floor so that he could easily pick out what colors he wanted.

“No, it’s on the ground.
 
And I’m going to be friends with the alien, because he’s just a kid too.”

 
“Let’s draw the ship first.”
 
Anna handed him the sparkly gray crayon he pointed at.
 
“Did he fly here all alone?”
 

“Yeah, but the rules are different on his planet, so he was allowed to.”
 
She couldn’t help but smile as she watched him, her chest swelling with joy as she visualized what he could do with an entire studio at his disposal.
 
His imagination was so vivid—he always had a story behind every one of his choices.

When he finished with the drawing, Anna stood up, holding it out so that they could both look at it.
 
“You know what, Eddie?
 
I’m going to go get a frame and hang this up as soon as the dance is over.
 
It’s that good.”

“You think so?”

“Oh yeah.
 
I told you it was going to be the best spaceship we’ve ever seen, and I’m telling you right now—it’s even better.
 
This
is art, Mister.”
 
Eddie wrapped his arms around her legs and Anna smiled, patting him on the shoulder.
 
“Now, why don’t you go on over there and see if you can get in on that game of Go Fish with Mr. Chris?”
 
She pointed down the hallway a bit, where one of the other chaperones was beginning a card game with a group of smaller kids.

“Okay, thanks Miss Anna!”
 
After he’d taken off down the hallway, Anna walked in the opposite direction, heading toward one of the storage rooms.
 
She pulled an empty frame from the stack and opened it up, sliding the paper inside it and setting it on top of a box.
 
She would come back to it at the end of the night—but first, she had to get back to Drew.
 
She felt bad for leaving him alone for so long.

She flipped the light and headed back through the door, surprised when she felt someone grasp her by the wrist.

The next thing she knew, her back was flush with the door she’d just closed, and Drew was in front of her.
 
He said nothing as he smiled at her.
 
Her heart pounded beneath her breast as he tucked her hair behind her ear and let his finger trail along her jaw, tilting her face upward with the gentlest of nudges.

And then his lips claimed hers.
 

She felt the room sway as she lost herself in him, pulling herself closer, aching to close some invisible gap between them.
 
She felt his hand on her thigh and she moaned softly, urging him on.

Until she realized where they were.

She pulled away from him, breathless, and rested her head against the wall.
 
“We’re not supposed to be doing that kind of thing.”

“Well, what did you expect, after all that sexy talk?”
 
His voice was as smooth as the finger he was now using to trace patterns along the skin of her thigh.
 

“We’re the chaperones, Mr. Whitman.
 
We’re here to set an example.”
 
He leaned in, sending her heart racing erratically within her chest once more.
 

“I think I’m setting a fine example, Annabelle.
 
Don’t you?”
 

It took quite of a bit of resolve to place her hand on his chest and push him away.
 
She said nothing as she walked down the hall, but instead, looked back at him with a grin just as mischievous as any he’d ever mustered.

At that point, the evening was winding down, anyway.
 
She, along with the rest of the volunteers and employees, brought the evening to a close and waited for parents to pick up their children.
 
Drew waited for her as she hung up the drawing, just as she’d promised.
 

“I have to admit, that’s probably better than any spaceship I’ve ever drawn.”
 
Anna smiled proudly as she stepped back to admire it one more time.
 

“It’s all Eddie.
 
I just watched.”
 
She looked over at him, and for just the briefest moment, she thought she saw something akin to sadness in his eyes.
 
It had been quite some time since she’d seen it, she realized—and it was gone a moment later when he stepped forward, linking his arm through hers.

“I came up with another fundraiser.”
 
He announced.

“You did?”

“A prom.”
 
She laughed as she stopped to lock up the doors.
 
“You laugh?”

“I hated my prom.”
 
She told him, making a face.

“As did I, which is why we should have a redo.”
 
They turned and continued walking toward his SUV.
 
“I was thinking we could maybe just do it here, in the gym—”

“Very classy.”
 
She commented, not missing the way he used the word “we”.

“It saves you from spending money to rent a place.
 
The kids can participate too—maybe they could be waiters or something, I don’t know.
 
There might be child labor laws against that.
 
But you could think of something for them to do.
 
And
it gives you the opportunity to show off the artwork.”
 
Drew continued on, and she realized that he’d actually given this some thought.

“That’s actually not a terrible idea.”
 
Anna admitted.
 
He held the passenger door open for her and she climbed in, thinking over his proposal as he walked to his side of the car.
 
“The kids could make the decorations.
 
And we could sell the tickets—
”
 
She
added, getting a little excited at the prospect of actually raising money.

“And have a donations box.
 
Maybe charge for dinner.
 
Invite some of the local socialites, and it’ll be a hit.”
 
They were on the road already, Drew heading toward her house.
 
She sat in silence for a few minutes, the wheels turning.

“I kind of love it.”
 
She declared as he pulled up in front of her house, parking in the street.
 
“You were busy while I was drawing a spaceship.”
 
She unbuckled herself, turning so that she was facing him.

“I had to distract myself somehow.”

She smiled at him for a long moment, and before she could change her mind, she slid across the seat and straddled herself on his lap, touching her lips to his.
 
He responded immediately, and it felt as if no time had passed since he’d found her in the hallway.

“And are you distracted now?”
 
Anna asked as she pulled away, holding his face in her hands as she held his eyes.

“I’m pretty focused, I’d say.”

“Good.”
 
She opened his door and slid from the car, glad she didn’t fall as she did so.
 
She was playing things so smoothly—she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
 
“Would you like to come in, Drew?”
 
She asked him over her shoulder.

“Is that a good idea?”

“I can’t think of anything that sounds better to me.”

“And I can’t really think, so I think the answer to that question is a definite yes.”

He didn’t even wait until they were inside the house.
 
As she stood at the door, she felt him sweep her hair aside, his lips seeking the sensitive skin of her neck.
 
She sighed, nearly dropping her keys, and Drew reached forward, placing his hand on hers and inserting the key into the door, his hand much more stable than her own.

The second they were inside, he tugged the jacket from her arms and lifted her from the ground.
 
Anna responded by wrapping her legs around his waist, the warmth of her crying out for the hardness of him as he held her against the door, focusing his attention on her ear, her neck, trailing lower.

When she felt him slip the strap of her dress from her shoulder, she knew what was coming next, and she gasped as she felt his mouth close over the supple skin of her breast.

She fumbled with the zipper of his jeans, the need within her much too strong now.
 
As soon as her hand grazed the smooth skin, he shuddered—and now he was meeting her urgency, bracing her against the door so that he could use his hands to slip her panties away.

And then he was there, pushing inside her.
 
She moaned as she felt him slide deeper and deeper within her, each time sending waves of pure bliss throughout her entire body—the tension mounting with each wave.

And then she grasped at him, her body trembling violently as she cried out—and Drew joined with her, the two of them collapsing against one another.
 
A moment later, he turned them around and slid down the wall, his breathing labored.

“Well, it’s a good thing Alice isn’t home,
”
 
Anna
said after a few moments of silence, when she’d finally caught her breath enough to speak.
 
Drew laughed, and Anna squirmed, rolling off of him so that she could rest her head against his chest for a moment, still not quite ready to trust her legs enough to stand.
 

“I’m not sure it would have mattered if she was,”
 

He may have been right, Anna had to admit.
 
Whatever was going on between them—it was a force to be reckoned with.

“I think we broke the rules again.”
 
Drew said after several long moments.

“Then maybe we should make new rules.”
 
She touched her lips to his neck, tasting the salt on his skin as she traced her tongue higher, toward his earlobe.
 
He sighed, and she knew he was giving in.

“I never would have guessed you were such a temptress.”

And then his lips were on hers again, and Anna couldn’t deny it—

She was happy.

Drew woke to the feeling of a very soft finger trailing over his chest.
 
He kept his eyes closed just long enough for Anna to replace her finger with her lips, and for just a moment, he thought:
This must be what heaven feels like
.

“Good morning,
”
 
she
whispered as he opened his eyes.
 
Sunlight crept in through a crack in the curtains and it bounced off her hair, creating this glowing effect.

“Good morning,
”
 
he
replied.

And then reality swept over him.

He’d slept with Anna.
 
Again.

Okay, multiple times.

He wasn’t just stupid, now.
 

No, now he was just asking for it.
 

“Should we just go ahead and have that talk now?”
 
She asked him, and he wondered if she’d seen the panic on his face.
 

“Uh—now?”
 
He watched as she rose to a sitting position, taking the sheet with her.
 
As soon as he realized that she was topless behind that sheet, he knew she was going to have a serious advantage in this conversation.

He reached over and grabbed the first piece of clothing that his hand touched—which just so happened to be the shirt he’d worn last night.

“I won’t be able to concentrate until you’ve got something on.”
 
Drew told her as he tossed the shirt her way and Anna giggled, turning her back so that he could only catch the briefest of glimpses of those soft, supple curves he’d been sure to worship last night.

When she turned back, he almost wished she’d just go back to nothing at all—because, for some reason, seeing her sitting there in his shirt, and nothing but—it did something to him.

“There, is that better?”

“I don’t know,
”
 
he
replied, unable to stop himself.
 
Anna laughed again, tilting her head at him.
 
Her hair cascaded over her shoulder, and she smiled at him in a way she never really had before.

It was a lover’s smile, he realized.
 

They’d had sex before—but this time, something was different.

“So…it’s pretty apparent that this whole platonic thing—well, it’s kind of out the window, I think.”
 
She started.

“It is?”
 
Drew wasn’t playing dumb—he actually felt as if he’d lost all sensibilities.
 
He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“Well…isn’t it?”
 
She gestured toward the bed, and then the clothes on the floor, and finally, between the two of them.

Right.
 
How could he have missed all that?

“I mean, for whatever reason, we—”

“Can’t keep our hands off each other?”
 
He interrupted.

“I was going to say we’re obviously attracted to one another, but that works too.”
 

He wasn’t sure about her, but his reason was pretty clear.
 
His eyes roamed over her, drinking it all in.
 

Was there more than that?

“I meant what I said before, though.
 
I’m not looking for anything serious right now.
 
I just spent seven years in a relationship—I want to breathe for awhile.”
 
She said, biting her lip.

“Anna…”
 
Wasn’t that relationship reason enough for whatever was going on between them to just…stop?

The idea of stopping though—he didn’t like the sound of that, either.

“Just hear me out, okay?”
 
Anna stood up, pacing around the room.
 
It took Drew a moment to recover again—but for whatever reason, he just couldn’t take his eyes off of her in that stupid shirt.
 

He didn’t even like that shirt.

But on her…

“I’m listening.”
 
He told her, even though everything inside him was telling him not to.
 
He knew he shouldn’t be here.
 
He shouldn’t have stayed last night, he shouldn’t have gone to that dance—hell, he should never have even taken her to that stupid football game.
 

He shouldn’t be here.

But he couldn’t walk away.

“I like you, Drew.”
 
She must have seen the panic on his face.
 
“No, I mean—I like hanging out with you.
 
I like talking about everything and going out and
doing
things with you and, as surprising as it may be…I like our friendship.”

“I do, too.
 
Which is why I really—”

“Just listen.”
 
She paced around again, biting her lip nervously.
 
“Because in addition to our friendship, I also very much enjoy our…”
 
When her cheeks flushed, Drew had to quench the urge to chuckle.
 
It was adorable, how incredibly modest and tempting she could be—all at the same time.
 

“Extra curricular activities?”
 
He suggested.
 
Anna laughed then, nodding her head.
 
She held his eyes for a moment before hopping back onto the bed, resting on her knees.

“So why don’t we just…have the best of both worlds?”

“Because that’s pretty much impossible.”
 
He knew exactly where she was going with this—and he knew
exactly
what would happen.
 

“I don’t think it is.
 
This
is what I was looking for.”
 
She gestured between them again.
 
“I want someone to have fun with.
 
I want someone who I can go out and have a good time with—and then go
home
and have a good time.”

“So you want a boyfriend.”
 

“No…”
 
Anna sighed.
 
“I want this.
 
I want something fun and simple.
 
You and I both know that you’re not looking for anything serious.
 
Think of how much easier it would be for you—no pick up lines, no ridiculous tabs at the bar.
 
Just a simple text message…and that’s all it’d take.”

She wasn’t wrong.
 
He was sure it would be the ideal situation for
himself—
but the key word was
ideal
.
 
He knew what she was proposing had an incredibly high risk of failure.

“Anna, I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I know exactly what I’m getting into.
 
I tried the one night stand thing—and it didn’t work.
 
I’m not capable.
 
But this…this I could do.”

“And this is…what, exactly?”
 
He asked, almost dreading her response.

“Friends with benefits.”
 
Drew hung his head, shaking it slowly.
 
It was what he’d expected.
 

“And by benefits, you mean…?”

“Sex.”
 
She was so matter-of-fact.
 

“I just wanted to make sure we were clear here.”
 
Drew told her, imagining the possibilities.
 
It wasn’t that he didn’t want this—no, quite the opposite.
 
The notion that Anna was presenting him with the opportunity to not only keep her in his life—which he seemed incredibly keen to do—but to allow him to
be
with her…

He thought of the way her beautiful olive eyes looked up at him, of the feel of her mouth on his skin, of the taste of her…

And it was all he could do not to agree right then.
 

However, as pleasant of a thought as it was…

He knew it wouldn’t end well.

“Annabelle…”
 
He sighed, shaking his head.
 
“It’s a bad idea.”

“Why?”
 

“Should I list the reasons?”
 
Anna nodded.
 
“Okay, first—Jeff.”

This time, she sighed.
 
“I know that he’s your friend, and so I understand that it might be a little awkward for you.
 
But Jeff and I—we’re over.
 
And besides, it’s not like it’s going to
mean
anything.”

He wasn’t sure why, but that one actually stung just a little.

“So you would be okay with it if he and Alice started sleeping together?”
 

“It’s not the same.”
 
She replied quickly.

“It’s as close as it can get.”
 
Anna ducked her head, her hair falling over her shoulder again.
 
He fought the urge to reach forward and push it back, longing to see her face.
 
He wanted to see her expression as she contemplated his question.
 
But after a long moment, she finally looked up, finding his eyes and holding them.

“What Jeff does with his life no longer
concerns
me.”
 

She was being honest, that much was true.

He felt his will weaken just a bit.
 

“It’s just asking for trouble.”
 
He tried pleading with her again.
 

“I’ve always been a sucker for the bad boy, Drew.”
 
She dropped her head to the side, and his eyes trailed over the length of her neck, then lower, toward the few buttons she’d left undone.
 
“We’ll have rules.”

“What kind of rules?”
 
He was certain rules wouldn’t help—if anything, they were only made to be broken.

“Well—for starters, we’re allowed to see other people.”
 

That one surprised him.
 

“You would be okay with that?”

“Would you?”
 
Anna leaned forward ever-so-slightly.
 

He was surprised that his first instinct was to say no.
 

Which was yet another reason why this was a terrible, terrible idea—and, at the same time—a genius one.
 
What was it she had said about Jeff before?
 
The fastest way to chase Drew away was to sleep with him.
 

If that was true, then maybe the best way to get Anna
Maloy
out of his system was to just have it out.
 
Maybe it was nothing more than years of pent up desire, and it was going to take a few goes before he could get over it all.

That sounded logical enough, didn’t it?

“What would the other rules be?”
 
He asked her, finally bending to her will in just the slightest.

“No PDA.
 
We’re not dating.”

“No PDA.”
 
He repeated, watching as she leaned forward just a little more.
 
That was doable.

“And no kissing.”

“No kissing?”
 
She had begun to crawl across the bed now, and was just inches in front of him.

“Unless intended solely for the purpose of arousal.”
 

The moment her lips met his, he knew he was a lost cause.
 

And then she pulled away, slipping off the bed and heading toward the door.
 
“I thought you said kissing was only allowed for the purpose of arousal.”

“Oh, it is.”
 
She grinned mischievously.
 
“I just wanted to remind you what you were getting yourself into, so that you could mull it over while I’m gone.”

“And where are you going?”

“
I
need a shower.
 
I would invite you, but I’m afraid we’d run out of hot water long before either one of us came clean.”
 

He tried very hard not to imagine Anna in the shower, water cascading down…

“That’s just plain mean.”
 
He told her, narrowing his eyes.

“What are friends for?”
 
She giggled, disappearing from the room.

Drew threw himself back into the pillows, the scent of her surrounding him.

There were three very good reasons why this was a bad idea.
 
First and foremost, as he’d mentioned to Anna, was his best friend.
 
There had always been an unspoken rule between them that Drew would never sleep with a woman Jeff was interested in.

He remembered coming back to the apartment, all those years ago, and finding Jeff and Anna mid-make out on the couch.
 
And he remembered how it had felt to have Anna swept out from beneath him.

And for just the briefest moment, his guilt alleviated.
 

He reminded himself that there were still two very good reasons why this wasn’t going to work.

The second:
 
Anna.
 
She had no idea what
she
was getting herself into.
 
Her first attempts at casual sex had failed miserably.
 
And as much as he didn’t mind being her guinea pig…

He didn’t want to see her hurt again.

More than anything, though, he didn’t want to be the one to cause her even a single iota of heartache.
 
Knowing her history, he had a feeling she’d had more than her share.
 
What if she got a little too involved?

Drew had to laugh a little at that.
 
Like Anna would ever fall for Drew.

Which brought him to his third and final reason:
 
Himself.
 

Drew knew himself pretty well.
 
He knew what he was capable of.
 
At the end of all of this, he could walk away.