Draw Me Close (24 page)

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Lindsey got out of her vehicle and waved at Vanessa who was waiting on the porch of the farmhouse. It was a beautiful mid-March day. The kind that teased at spring just around the corner.

“Thank you so much for coming out on such short notice, and on a Friday evening,” Vanessa said, walking down the steps toward Lindsey.

“No problem. Hope I look okay,” she said, glancing down at her outfit. She'd chosen a bright red shirtdress that tied around her waist, strappy nude heels, and her hair was long and wavy. The best part was that she'd finally been able to remove her brace. She felt normal again.

Vanessa had called her this morning and asked if she could meet at the renovation site that evening for a quick photo shoot for the following week's house article. Lindsey had been thrilled. She hoped it would give the entire thing a personal touch, boosting interest in her business.

“Please, you look gorgeous. That red is amazing on you.” Vanessa smiled before glancing down the road. “Everyone else should be here in just a minute. My photographer was about twenty minutes behind me.”

“No problem. Where would you like to do it?”

“Matt's the photographer so he'll know where the best light is, but I was sort of hoping to stand you two out in the yard with the house in the background. Then maybe a few in the garden with the patio behind you. So pretty since the flowers are starting to bud.”

Lindsey swallowed before speaking, her stomach turning. “You two?”

Right at that moment a large black pickup pulled into the drive, gravel crunching under its wheels. Lindsey's eyes squeezed shut.
What is he doing here?

“There he is,” Vanessa said in a singsongy voice. Lindsey looked at the ground as she heard the engine turn off and then the door close. “Oh and look at him all dressed up. Girl, you are so lucky.”

“Aren't I?” Lindsey faked a smile and turned to see Derek walking up the drive toward them. And of course Vanessa was right. He looked gorgeous in crisp dark jeans and navy suit jacket. The purposely messy hair, hint of facial stubble, and white dress shirt casually unbuttoned at the top made him look like the ultimate playboy. His hands were casually tucked into his pants pockets, but his eyes stared right at Lindsey, anything but relaxed.

“In this next article I'm highlighting the two creative minds behind the project. A little about you and your business and Derek and his. How you're both connected to the couple. I'm assuming you two knew each other before this project?” Vanessa asked as they watched Derek walk toward them.

“Uh, sort of,” Lindsey said. She suddenly had a feeling anything she said could be held against her. “We met in college but hadn't seen each other in years.”

“Interesting. Okay. Well, I just thought a fun photo of the two of you would look great with the article. Something playful to show off your personalities.”

“Sounds good,” Lindsey lied.

“Hi, Derek,” Vanessa called. If she sensed any tension between her subjects she didn't let on.

“Hello,” he said with an easy smile, his gaze turning to the journalist. “Nice to see you again, Vanessa.”

Lindsey folded her hands together, suddenly nervous. They hadn't spoken since that day, and she wasn't sure what kind of mood he'd be in.

“Lindsey, you look amazing.” Derek's words were quiet and sincere. She wasn't expecting that.

“Thank you.”

The crunching of gravel pulled all of their attention to the junky car driving up toward the house.

“Oh good, there's Matt. I'll just go chat with him quickly.”

“I'll go with you,” Lindsey said, beginning to follow Vanessa.

Her path was suddenly blocked by a massive wall of delicious-smelling man. “No you don't.”

Lindsey looked up into Derek's eyes. “Excuse me, please.”

“Lindsey. It's been ten days. The only reason I agreed to this photo shoot is because I wanted to see you.”

“So, what? So we could be angry at one another again?”

He visibly swallowed, his throat working between the sharply ironed collars of his dress shirt. The skin there looked so warm. So close. Why could he not leave her and her heart be?

“Okay, Matt agrees with me on this spot,” Vanessa said over Derek's shoulder.

Lindsey stepped back from him, suddenly feeling the slight chill still lingering in the air.

“Where shall we stand?” Lindsey asked. They needed to get this over with.

Matt and Vanessa took over, moving Derek and Lindsey where they wanted them, moving them. Moving them again. Matt did some test shots, checking the light on his camera, adjusting settings.

“Okay,” Matt said. Finally. “Why don't you two stand a little closer?”

Vanessa was standing off to the side holding a massive round reflector. “Looks great, you two. Smile.”

Lindsey smiled, feeling way too close to Derek for comfort. Matt took a few shots and then bent over to look at the back of his camera.

“I've missed you,” Derek whispered from beside her.

She didn't turn toward him. What she wanted to do was close her eyes and take several deep breaths so she didn't pass out. Had she eaten lunch today? Because she suddenly felt very weak.

Matt stood up. “Looking good, you two,” he called from his spot near the road. “Derek, let's try standing a little closer to her.”

The photographer took a few more and then stared at them, obviously thinking. “Looks good, there's just … I don't know. Something's off. I want you two to look like a team. A little more comradery.”

Lindsey turned to face Derek a little more. “This help?” she called out.

“That's a little better.” Matt touched his chin. “Derek, how about you put an arm around her?”

“Why would he do that?” Lindsey said. She glanced at Vanessa, desperate for an explanation. “That's not necessary, is it?”

“It'll be cute. We take a lot, see what looks good. Let's just try it.”

Derek slid his arm around Lindsey's back and gripped her shoulder. She blew out a hard breath and pasted on a smile.

“Oh, that's cute,” Vanessa said. “Lindsey, give it a little more attitude. Put your hand on your hip.”

Lindsey sighed but did as Vanessa requested, plastering her smile back on as Matt took another round of photos.

“Love it,” he yelled across the yard.

“I'm sorry about what happened,” Derek said quietly.

“You have no reason to apologize,” she said, her smile still tightly in place.

“I disagree. I shouldn't have stormed out like that.”

She didn't say anything for a moment, just listened to Matt's directions for another pose.

“I'm sorry, too,” Lindsey said quietly. “For freaking out. I might have overreacted.”

Lindsey let out a deep breath and then smiled at the camera once again. It felt good to apologize to him. She regretted how she'd acted that day and had played the entire scene over and over again in her mind. Her feelings and reactions had been genuine, but they'd both lost their temper. Having sex with Derek had started out feeling so right and things had just become too intense too fast. She hadn't known how to process it.

“All right, let's get a few in the backyard,” Matt called, walking toward them. Lindsey quickly extricated herself from Derek's hold.

“Sounds good,” she said, heading for the backyard. Walking through the yard in her heels was far from graceful and she really wished she'd pulled up the rear. As it was she was walking like a moron and having to listen to Vanessa laugh at whatever the hell Derek had just said to her.

Rounding the side of the house, Lindsey forced herself not to glance across the yard at the old tree. She really never wanted to look at it again. Or think about that day. Even though it was pretty much the only thing she'd been thinking about for the past ten days. And now she knew she hadn't been alone in her misery. Or regret. She wasn't quite sure if that made her feel better or worse.

“Dad, my 3DS died. Can I have the car keys?” A small voice came from the opposite side of the house just as they stepped onto the garden patio. Lindsey looked over to see Tanner stepping through one of the overgrown trails in the garden. He had obviously been in the truck.

“Sure, bud.” Derek removed the keys from his pocket and tossed them to his son. “But remember, turn it—”

“Just until the radio comes on. I know, Dad.”

“Hi, Tanner,” Lindsey found herself saying.

“Hey.” He smiled in response, almost as if he were surprised she'd said it. He nodded to a row of tulips that had just begun to bloom. “Your dress matches those flowers.”

Lindsey smiled. “You're right. It does.”

Apparently finished with their conversation, he headed back to the front of the house. Lindsey turned to find Derek watching. She gave him a small smile and he returned it.

“Where should we stand this time?” Lindsey asked, wanting to keep the ball rolling.

“How about sitting on those steps?” Matt motioned to an old stone staircase on one side of the garden. It looked ancient but was surrounded by some beautiful white jonquils. “Derek, you sit first, lean forward resting your arms on your knees.”

Derek did as instructed, looking too damn handsome in the process. Matt turned to Lindsey. “Okay, you face this way and lean up against the side of him.”

Lindsey nearly rolled her eyes but did walk over to where Derek was seated.

“This is killing you, isn't it?” he teased quietly.

Lindsey didn't respond as she found the least jagged part of the rock to sit on and then carefully leaned back until she rested against Derek's side.

“Let's try one shoe on one step, the other on the lower. Show off those power heels,” Vanessa said, peeking over Matt's shoulder. “Lindsey, how about you look over your shoulder at him.”

Lindsey glanced over her shoulder at Derek, unsure of what to do with her face.

“Oh no, that won't work,” Vanessa yelled. “Derek, make her laugh.”

Derek turned to Lindsey, glancing over his own shoulder. “You want me to drop-kick Vanessa?” he whispered so only Lindsey could hear.

At his words she couldn't help herself. She laughed, her shoulder shaking against his. His sexy laugh always lit her body up inside. Just as quickly she got control of herself and smiled at the camera. Damn, maybe that Vanessa knew what she was doing.

They could put on a good show if that was what the job required. But the truth was, being this close to him reminded her of why she'd begun to thaw toward him in the first place. He made it so easy to do.

There had been ten whole days to play it over again and again and Lindsey knew she'd pulled a fast one on Derek. It was something she needed to own up to. It was silly to keep being frustrated with him for everything wrong between them when she was just as responsible for the push and pull between them. She'd initiated things. Touched him. Wanted him.

He hadn't done anything wrong, either. In fact, he was only guilty of making her feel too much. Too good. Too wanted. How could she hold that against him? The question was just … what was she going to do now? She'd apologized, but what was next after they'd taken things that far? It wasn't as if they could pretend they hadn't had sex, or certain words hadn't been said.

Ten minutes later they were done and waving good-bye to Vanessa as she backed out of the driveway. Lindsey knew they weren't really alone since she could hear Tanner's video game coming from the window of Derek's truck.

“Can we sit down a minute?” Derek held a hand out toward the front porch steps.

Lindsey nodded and walked over. She sat down and Derek joined her. Not too close, but not too far.

“Before you say anything else there's something you need to explain to me. Why did you pay my hospital bill?” The next day she'd called the hospital, and sure enough, her total had been paid in full. Without insurance it had been nearly a thousand dollars.

He leaned over into the same pose he'd used on the garden stairs, forearms resting on his knees. Turning his head to the side he looked into her eyes. “I wanted to help you.”

“Why? What made you think I needed help?”

“Because I overhead you. From the hallway. You said you didn't have any insurance. You sounded worried. I didn't want that stress on your shoulders. Especially when I felt responsible for you getting hurt that day.”

Lindsey squeezed her eyes shut. How humiliating. A grown woman, closing in on thirty in a few years, and no insurance. Living with her family. Good Lord. “I plan to pay you back,” she said.

“Oh no.” He rounded on her, his eyes intense. “I won't take your money so don't ever bring it up again. Got it?”

Lindsey shook her head. “You don't get to decide that. I refuse to be your charity case, Derek. And you can't hide things like that. And as nice as it was, that's part of the problem. You keep being too good to me. I don't know how to handle it or how to interpret it.”

“Interpret it?”

“What does it mean? That you feel bad for me?”

Derek laughed. “Good gracious, woman.” He squatted down in front of her. “I feel bad for a lot of people in this world. But I'm not paying their hospital bills.”

“That still doesn't tell me what it means.”

“It means … that I care about you. Is that so hard to understand? So maybe I can be a little heavy-handed. I'm a guy and we try to fix things. So tell me to ease up. Hell, pay me back if that will make you feel better. But just don't pull away from me completely.”

She didn't know how to respond to that. When Derek realized she wasn't going to speak, he continued. “Lindsey, I don't know if this is a good idea. I don't know what will come of it. And maybe it's a stupid idea. But I want to see if we can try this again.”