Soon Natalie was going to look like the bride of Frankenstein. Her curls were beginning to stand from the static Garrett was generating.
“Garrett.” He glanced at her, but continued to pace around his office. “I know you’re nervous, but please stop pacing.”
“I am not nervous.”
“Of course not. You’re just trying to create alternative energy with your feet.” He scowled, but she just grinned from her perch on his desk. “Oh, look. It worked. I see smoke coming from your shoes.”
He strode menacingly toward her, arms outstretched to catch her. Laughing at him, she let herself be caught and pressed up against him.
With a forlorn sigh, Garrett buried his head in her neck. “Okay. Fine. I’m feeling some nervous excitement. But mostly excitement. Hardly any nervousness.”
“Of course you are. Well, there’s no need for any nervousness because Vivotex is here to sign that contract. It’s going to happen.”
“Damn right, it’s going to happen.”
Garrett straightened up. Natalie wanted to pull him back to her and hang on for dear life. The grains of sand were falling in the hourglass. She cherished every moment she got to spend with him, but her heart bled knowing every second that passed meant she was that much closer to losing him.
But she couldn’t think about that now. Natalie glanced at the wall clock and hurried toward his chair to retrieve his suit jacket. “Settle down, cowboy. You only have five minutes until the meeting.”
She held the jacket open for him and he put it on. After running her hands over the nonexistent wrinkles on the suit, she straightened his tie and smoothed back his hair. With everything in place, she stared at her beautiful husband, taking in every inch of him, memorizing him.
All hints of his nervousness were gone, and he stood before her strong and confident. He was ready and she had to be, too.
“Are you satisfied with what you see, ma’am?” Garrett’s lips tilted into an arrogant grin. Without fail, Natalie’s heart sped up and desire sparked to life.
“There’s no time for flirting, Mr. Song.”
She made an effort to be stern, but she probably sounded breathless and flustered. With a low, husky laugh, Garrett pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
“You’re right. That’ll have to wait until tonight.”
She walked with him to the door but stopped uncertainly.
“Garrett.”
I love you. I love you. I love you.
The words burned her throat, but she held her silence, knowing he wouldn’t want to hear them. So she forced a cheeky grin and gave him two thumbs up.
“Go get ’em, tiger.”
The Song family home rang with laughter and celebration, but the endless pop of champagne corks sounded hollow to Natalie’s ears. She was so proud of Garrett, but emotion still choked her as she scanned the scene of the party celebrating the Hansol-Vivotex partnership. Garrett’s eyes sought hers often, so she did her best to smile for him. But amid the strains of piano music and laughter, she was feeling overwhelmed.
“Ah-ga.” Natalie spun at the sound of Grace Song’s voice.
“Grandmother. I’m so happy you decided to join the celebration.” During their weekly visits, Natalie had begged her to attend. “You must be so proud.”
“I expected nothing less from my grandson.” The older woman’s voice sounded wistful. “His mother should be standing by James’s side tonight. I wish she could’ve seen the man Garrett has become, and the family he’s built for himself.”
Natalie’s chest tightened and hot tears stung her eyes. In her own reserved manner, Grandmother was telling Natalie that Garrett had chosen a good wife...that she accepted her. Thank you, Grandmother. And I’m sorry for lying to you about our marriage.
“Well, Grandmother. You should be doubly proud on his mom’s behalf then.”
A gentle smile lit Grace Song’s face and she placed a warm hand on Natalie’s cheek. “I am, and you should be, too.”
When Grandmother made her way back to her guests, Natalie stared at her husband to memorize every detail about him. With their days numbered, she couldn’t hold back. Her hunger and longing saturated her soul and she longed to reach out to him. As though heeding her silent call, Garrett turned to her from across the room, an answering fire flaring in his eyes. She didn’t know if it was her nerves playing tricks on her, but he seemed more restless and edgy than he’d been before the contract was signed. She watched him rush through his rounds, tilting back the flutes of champagne offered to him. Despite her insistence that he should go and celebrate, she was desperate to have him by her side and all to herself.
After spending the shortest acceptable time with his guests, Garrett abandoned them and strode toward her with long, impatient strides. “Miss me?” He raised a hand to cup her face.
“Desperately.” She placed a lingering kiss on his palm and a tremor ran through him. Good, because I’m trembling, too.
“We’re leaving,” he rasped in her ear, his hot breath caressing her skin.
A thrill of anticipation slid down her spine and gathered mass at its base, where Garrett rested his hand. They stepped out into the night, but instead of heading to his car, he led them toward the garden at the far end of the property.
“Garrett, where are we going?”
“Somewhere private.” His voice was low and dangerous.
She quickened her steps to keep up with him, frantic to touch him. To possess him. To mark him as hers.
Soon they were sprinting through a topiary maze with sharp turns and narrow passageways. The maze stood at least two stories tall and the half moon hardly pierced its depth. She’d never be able to find her way out, but Garrett seemed to know it even in near darkness. He stopped at what had to be the heart of the maze, where there was a beautiful but aging pagoda.
“What is this place?” Natalie whispered, not wanting to disturb its eerie peace.
“It used to be my sanctuary.” Garrett’s voice sounded far away. “No one knew how to find it but me.”
“What would you do out here?” She leaned her cheek against his chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
“Nothing exciting. I would just read a book or stare at the clouds.” His hand made idle circles on her back. “It’s not what I did that made this place special.”
“Then what was it?”
“As a kid, you don’t have much that you could truly call your own, but this place was mine. It existed only for me.”
“I didn’t know you could be so possessive,” she teased.
“Oh, yes. When I have something rare and special, I want it all to myself.” His hands became bolder, dropping to her backside.
“And now? What do you want all to yourself?” She wanted to hear him say it. Even if it wasn’t love, she wanted him to claim her as something rare and special, and only his.
“You.” His answer didn’t sound like a word but a primitive growl. “You’re mine and I want you.”
Right then, Natalie became a flame, burning wildly for him. She kissed him wherever her lips landed, tearing ineffectively at his clothes. With a suddenness that shocked her into momentary stillness, he picked her up and carried her up the stairs of the pagoda. When he set her on the ground, she slid down his powerful body and felt his unmistakable hardness.
“I need you,” he said before crushing her mouth with his. His kiss was erratic and wild; there wasn’t a hint of his damn control in sight. He groaned, pushing her against a wooden pillar. “Natalie.”
His hand moved under the hem of her dress to her panties. Reaching her center, he growled in satisfaction. “You want this. You want me.”
“Yes, Garrett. I want you.”
He spun her around to face the pillar and pulled her hips back, bending her at the waist. Her arousal was blinding and she didn’t know how long she could wait. She heard Garrett unzip his trousers and tear open a condom packet.
Natalie was frantic when he pushed inside her with a moan. His fingers bit into her hips as he withdrew from her and plunged back in, deeper than before. She knew he was trying to slow things down for her but his maddening pace was going to kill her, so she tipped up her rear and pushed against him, setting a pace more to her liking. She felt his control break and she laughed in triumph.
“Natalie.”
Too far gone for finesse, he worked frantically to bring them to their climax, his shout coarse and wild in the night.
Garrett made a conscious effort not to grip Natalie’s arm too tight as he led her out of the maze. She darted uncertain glances his way, but he didn’t trust himself to look back at her. He’d ravished her like a madman in his childhood hideout, but the thought encroaching on his triumph had rattled him to the core. He had no excuses left to hold on to Natalie. She’d held up her part of the bargain, and Sophie’s fall had rattled the Davises enough to withdraw their opposition to the adoption. Once the adoption papers were approved by the court, there would be nothing left to prevent Natalie and Sophie from walking out of his life.
But she loves me.
“Garrett—”
“Home.” He cut her off more brusquely than he’d intended, and he turned to give her a stiff smile. “We’ll talk at home.”
He had to eradicate the notion of a temporary marriage from Natalie’s mind. He’d put it there in the first place, but things had changed—he had changed. Garrett admired and respected her. Burned for her. Couldn’t that be enough? There were relationships based on far less.
And she said she loved him. Something warm and aching tore through his heart at the thought. He was afraid his past wouldn’t allow him to love her like she deserved, but he could offer her and Sophie everything they could ever need. They would never have to worry about money again. He would move to New York with them, and work out of the office there. He would show his girls the world, promise them a future they never dreamed of.
Would that be enough for Natalie? Would she give up her chance to find someone who truly loved her?
But that was just it. Their relationship was more than sex and companionship. They were incredible together. He had never experienced anything even remotely close to the connection and pleasure he felt making love to Natalie. Their passion. That was rare and special. Not only that, but they could also talk to each other and truly understand what the other person meant...as if they had a distinct wavelength that existed exclusively for them.
What they had might not be the stuff of fairy tales, but they were good together. He might not deserve her, but he would fight to keep her.