I Know You Love Me (18 page)

"I'll come with you."

Lust washed over him, causing him to groan in pain at the intensity of the rush. Good Lord, he wanted this woman more than he'd ever desired anyone in the past, including Samantha.

"Allison, this could be dangerous, you stay here. I'll be right back."

Leaning over he kissed her lips gently, evading her questing hands as she reached out for him.

"When I get back, we will be having a serious discussion regarding our relationship status young lady."

"We will?"

Was that sadness in her voice? He knew he'd told her he'd wait but a man can only take so much. If only he could pleasure her...orally would do; he needed to taste her, and soon. He couldn't resist stealing one last kiss, a deep groan leaving his lips when her hand came up to caress his face.

"We most definitely will. Now cover up to stay warm. Be a good girl, stay put, and I'll be right back."

A hot red blush crept up over her cheeks as she self-consciously reached down to pull the blanket up to cover herself. Damn, he loved her, and he could be an intense idiot at times. He'd embarrassed her. He left the room before he could stick his foot any further down his throat.

Quietly making his way down the stairs, he made a decision he knew Allison wouldn't approve of. Step one; call the judge first thing in the morning and make Sam an offer of a one-time payment of ten thousand dollars, payable once the divorce is legal, binding and finalized. He could take out a second mortgage on the house to pay her off. Step two; procure a wedding license and marry that angel upstairs. The sooner step two happened, the happier he'd be.

Step three; make her so deliriously happy she'd never even dream of leaving him.

Stopping just outside the kitchen door, he listened again. The sound was definitely coming from that room. Stealing into the room, Drew positioned himself against the counter and watched Stephan go about his business like the little thief he seemed to be. “Hey, Runt, whatcha doing?” Drew grinned at the panicked expression that crossed the boy's face.
Serves him right for disobeying Allison.

"Christ, don't do that; you nearly scared me to death. And keep your voice down!"

"Good! I'm glad I scared you. You're not supposed to be here, remember?"

"Yeah, well, screw you. I live here, not you, and when Ali leaves, this place is gonna be mine to do with as I please."

Not if Drew had anything to do about it. “Why? Are you planning on offering to buy the place from your sister?” Drew already knew the answer. He just wanted Stephan to admit the truth out loud.

"Not a chance; she's gonna give it to me."

"Wrong."

"Whatever."

Drew narrowed his eyes at the boy. “I think it's time you left, Runt, before your sister wakes up."

"What are you gonna do if I refuse? Throw me out?"

"Nope, I don't have the authority to do that—"

"Exactly."

"Yet."

The look of panic on Stephan's face hinted that maybe Allison was finally at her breaking point with the kid. He did want him to keep his voice down so she wouldn't find out he was there after all.

"Hey Steph, what's...oooo...who's the babe?"

Stephan grimaced and threw Drew a glare. “He isn't a babe."

"Suit yourself, but I think he's scrumptious, all those muscles..."

"He's straight, Alec."

Drew grinned. Poor kid looked more annoyed now than when he'd ordered him to fetch his bags.

"Oh. Too bad; what a waste of perfectly good male."

"Sorry, kid, but a little lady already stole my heart,” Drew announced with a laugh.

"You have to admit, Stephan, he's pretty cute for a straight guy, and he hasn't freaked out yet about getting hit on. You have to like that in a guy."

Stephan turned petulant eyes on Drew. “Great. Now you made an admirer out of my boyfriend. Who are you gonna corrupt next? My parents?"

"I'll try my damndest; I am marrying your sister after all...which brings us to the point of this little get-together. You aren't supposed to be here, Runt, and Allison doesn't allow strangers in her house when she's in residence. That I know for a fact. Sorry, kid, but you have to go."

"Drew? Drew, are you still out there? Is everything okay?"

The worry in her voice convinced him to overlook the fact that she'd disobeyed him; he expected no less from her. “Come here, baby."

The minute she stepped into the kitchen, he took her hand and pulled her back against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he leaned his chin on the top of her head. “You were told to stay upstairs,” he reminded, kissing the crown of her head in affection.

"You were supposed to come right back. I got lonely."

He grinned at her counter remark. “You win this round. By the way, you look quite fetching in this outfit."

"Thank you, Sheriff, I found it just lying around on the floor..."

"Can we leave now?” Stephan blurted out rudely.

The angry look Allison turned on her brother actually made him feel for the kid. That feeling lasted a whole ten seconds.

"Stephan, what are you doing here?"

"I live here, remember?"

Drew winced at the snotty tone.
Geez, Runt. That is so the wrong way to get yourself out of trouble.

"Really? Where's my rent? You haven't paid me a dime in the four years I've let you stay here, and who is that?"

"A friend."

"You know my rules Stephan. How could you break them? And with Drew here? Are you trying to make me look stupid?"

"I don't give a damn about your rules. I invite who I want, when I want, to my house."

"Your house?” Allison's whole body shivered in anger at his words. “Fine. You win, Stephan. I've had it with you. Starting tomorrow, you need to find a new place to live. I want you out by the time I leave. I'm selling the house when I move."

"You can't do that. Where am I supposed to go?"

Allison shrugged, her body held rigidly still so her brother wouldn't see how angry he'd made her.

"I don't care anymore. With all the money you've been saving on rent in the past four years, you should have enough to afford a nice little house."

"What money? I don't have any money,” Stephan whined.

Allison looked at him, appalled. “What about the monthly allowance I've been giving you?"

"I spent it. That's what allowances are for."

Allison closed her eyes and counted to ten. “On what? I buy all the food, the drinks, the necessities."

"Stuff. Clothes, and...just stuff. What do you care? It's my money to do with as I please."

"As of this moment, you'd better find yourself a job. I'm through supporting you. I thought, ‘he's young, he'll grow out of the selfish phase.’ Boy, was I wrong. Damn it, Stephan, how could you be so irresponsible? You're twenty five years old. Didn't you save anything?"

Stephan pushed past her, hoping to get out of the kitchen before the axe truly fell. “Why should I? You were supporting me."

"Not anymore! You have two weeks to find a new place to live, and then your things find a new home on the front lawn."

"You wouldn't dare."

Allison laughed and returned to Drew's side, taking his arms and putting them around her waist. She needed to feel his arms around her in support, to know that at least one person here was on her side. It hadn't escaped her attention that Stephan's friend was staying very quiet in his corner.

"Try me. Hell, I should have a yard sale to collect some of the money I've wasted on you over the years. This has gone on a lot longer than I should have let it. You're an adult now. Start acting like it."

Turning toward Drew, Stephan growled in anger. “This is all your fault. You put her up to this."

Drew held up his hands in surrender. Pulling a disapproving growl from Allison.

"Hey, who said you could let go?” Allison grumbled with a pout.

Laughing, he slipped his arms back around her waist. “I haven't said a word one way or the other. You, on the other hand, have single-handedly pissed your sister off beyond anything I've ever seen or accomplished myself. Bravo!"

"That reminds me, what Drew says goes from this point on. He has the authority to enforce the rules we agreed to, and I will give him a copy of them in the morning—A signed copy."

Drew leaned his chin on her head. “Baby, are you telling me that he signed an agreement, and now's he's blatantly breaking it?"

"Sad, isn't it? We'd agreed that I would support him for five years while he got himself back on his feet after his last breakup. I never noticed how spoiled rotten he'd become over the years."

"I'm spoiled...hell, open your eyes, Sis. The only reason that guy is with you is because you're Allison McKay."

Fighting off the doubts and fears that what Stephan said could be true, Allison left the comfort of Drew's arms and approached her little brother. “It's possible, even probable, but in my heart, I know that given time, he'll learn to love me for who I am now and not who I used to be."

"Baby, until I spoke with the judge or heard you sing—hell, even then—I had no idea who you were, beyond the ball-buster auditor who drove me to annoying distraction. That's who I fell in love with—the woman who took over my office and ordered me to sit my gorgeous tush down in the visitor's chair until she was ready for me, the woman who looked at me with tears in her eyes because all her plans were ruined by something she couldn't control. You know that, right?"

She knew. Jimmy had told her to be patient with Drew because he had no idea what he was getting into, how Drew had been more into the heavy metal bands like AC/DC than Ten Deep. She knew and she loved him for it. Stephan was only trying to cause trouble and cause her pain. Stephan was only trying to make her doubt her own heart.

"That's pathetic,” Stephan sneered laughingly. “Are you that desperate for someone between your legs, that you're willing to demean yourself with someone so far beneath you?"

"Get out, Runt, before I physically remove you from these premises, and don't come back till I'm gone, or the next time I hear a noise, I'll shoot first and ask questions later."

Alec spoke up, quietly. “I know that I'm the stranger here, and that I should probably just keep my mouth shut, but... I think what you said, Mr. Drew, was very sweet. Ms. Allison is very lucky to have a guy like you. Not many straight men are sensitive enough to a woman's feelings to notice when she's in pain. He's a keeper, honey. I'd cuff him to my bed if I were you."

"You're as pathetic as he is, Alec. Why don't you just leave? I'm not in the mood to be with someone who would take their side over mine."

"Get used to it; you were cruel to that poor woman. After everything even you admit she's done for you, you went out of your way to be downright mean to her.” Standing straight, Alec shrugged his shoulders and turned to go. “I don't know what I ever saw in you."

Watching her brother implode his life and hit rock bottom was not Allison's idea of fun. She'd always felt guilty that he couldn't seem to find his place in life. He couldn't sing, had been musically disinclined, and hated to read or write as proven by his poor grades.

He had some artistic talent, and she'd asked him to create some illustrations for her young adult novel, but he'd handed her sketches of lewd sexual positions involving two or more men. She couldn't put that in her books; she'd get sued by the parents of the children who read her works. That had been when he'd accused her of not caring and she'd given in to the five year plan he'd suggested. Allison now realized she should have stopped supporting his weaknesses over three years ago.

Slipping out of the room, she hoped Drew understood that she just couldn't stand there and listen to the hurtful words anymore.

"You can go with him. After everything that woman has done for you, to choose the most harmful thing you could think of to say to her is unforgivable. You are nothing but a spoiled, selfish brat, and unless she wants to see you, I won't allow you anywhere near her ever again. Get out of this house Stephan, and don't bother coming back."

"What about my stuff?"

Drew laughed harshly. “You mean the stuff you bought with your sister's money? That stuff?"

"It's mine; I bought with the money she gave me,” Stephan whined, grating on Drew's last nerve.

"We'll send it to you when you find a new place, or we'll give it to the Salvation Army. Allison will decide when she feels up to it."

"This isn't over. We are so far from done here."

Drew was furious with Stephan. If the boy had any brains at all in his head, he'd leave now. With one cruel sentence, the kid had nearly ruined his future with Allison. He'd at the very least succeeded in alienating Allison from him, and for that, Drew would never forgive him.

"If you've caused Allison any pain over this, I'll make you suffer."

"Afraid my words of wisdom will make her come to her senses?” Stephan taunted.

Yes, God help me, yes.
Drew had no doubt that Allison was way too good for him, but he loved her unconditionally. He could only hope that was enough.

"If you're asking if I'm worried she'll decide she no longer loves me, then no. Feelings can't be turned off that easily."

"Too bad for you. Seems to me like she has."

The little sadistic prick knew just how to choose the right words to cause the maximum amount of emotional pain.

"She's gone, big guy, and we both know what that means."

"Get out of this house and don't come back!"