Desperately Entwined (Touched By You 8) (2 page)

In an effort to do her part, Natalie had Leona take her shopping to redo her wardrobe with more fashions
Tanner would like to see her wear. She’d given her instructions that she wanted to look beautiful and sexy, of course, but not brazenly so. Her new wardrobe should convey an attractive woman, confident in her sexuality. In telling her that, Natalie realized it was true. She’d never felt more able to express her sexuality, and she liked the feeling.

Her
knowledgeable fashion consultant suggested items for her to try on. A cap-sleeve Ann Taylor dress in a color called Guava Smoothie was adorable. Other items included a variety of pretty tops to go with skinny pants. Leona insisted she buy the Emilio Pucci black silk-crepe dress showing subtle flashes of skin with cutouts at the waist, shoulders and back.

Tanner may try to censor what she wore in public, but he was the opposite in the privacy of their playroom. Natalie and Leona had fun picking out lingerie
. A rosy lace see-through bustier with detachable garters in fuchsia was alluring. And the black baby doll with the tiny straps down the back, and attached with rhinestones to the sheer skirt, was teasingly sexy. The skirt stopped short, letting part of Natalie’s bottom show.

The limo dropped Leona off, and Natalie thanked her for a wonderful shop
ping spree before directing her driver, doubling as bodyguard, to another address. She wasn’t sure what she would find there, and was excited. The tone of Jazzy’s voice when she’d said, “It’s a surprise,” was enough. Natalie liked surprises, and if this one made Jazzy sound that happy, then she couldn’t wait to find out what it was.

The location looked like a restaurant, only it was vacant. There was a long patio in front, covered by a yellow
awning. The front of the structure was paneled in cherrywood, and lined with windows, from waist high to the roof.

Natalie stepped inside, not seeing her sister at first. The interior was longer than it was wide, and she walked toward the back, gazing around.
There was a dark wood bar that was a permanent part of the establishment. The parquet floors went well with the pale sunshine-yellow walls. It was definitely a restaurant; she could see the door to the kitchen off to the left.

“There you are,” Jazzy said
and ran over to hug her. She wore skinny white jeans with a royal blue silk blouse tied casually at her waist. A strand of tiny pearls was the final touch, and Natalie marveled at how her sister could turn a simple outfit into an elegant ensemble.

“Where are we?” Natalie asked.

“This,” she said opening her arms expansively and turning to one side, then the other, to indicate the space, “is our new restaurant.”

“Whose?”

“Ellis… he …well, we… bought it. And we are opening our own restaurant.”

“Y
ou’re kidding. That’s amazing,” Natalie said, looking around and trying to imagine the small restaurant renovated and open for business. “How did you do that?”

Jazzy laughed, “I
knew you’d be impressed. Ellis has been wanting to go in business for himself, and Paul Laroche, the chef at Artisan, has invested with him. Once the restaurant has enough clientele, he’ll move over here too. Isn’t that fantastic?”

“
I am so happy for you,” Natalie said, remembering Paul from the times she’d been to Artisan. “What an adventure. And Ellis is such a good chef. I can’t wait to eat here.” And they laughed together.

“Yes, we want to build a future
for ourselves. I can’t waitress forever, and Ellis wants to provide for his family.”

“Family?”

“Oh, not yet. I just mean we want to have children. We are creating this so we can support our family, when we do have one.”

The mention of wanting to have a family made Natalie squirm. The false alarm about being pregnant was fresh in her mind. It hadn’t been the rig
ht time, but she wanted a baby. She’d grown up close to her mother and sister, but never with a father in the picture.

She
dreamed of having her own family – someday. But she’d never discussed marriage with Tanner, and wasn’t sure how he felt. She never questioned that he wanted her, for now. But felt a tinge of anxiety over not knowing where they were headed.

“W
e have a lot of work to do, before we can open,” Jazzy said. “I’ll manage the servers, and be the hostess. I’ll waitress too, in the beginning. Ellis has such talent with modern French cuisine so we’re sticking with that.”

“What are you going to call it?”

“Jazzy’s Modern French Bistro,” she beamed.

“I love it,” Natalie said and gave her a hug. “Let me know how I can help.”

Something had to give. Natalie was only one person, and as such, she was loaded with more work than one person could handle. She’d been interviewing replacements for Susan as she desperately needed a new assistant. But even with that position filled, th
e tasks to be done exceeded her staff resources, such as they were.

Fitting in as much time as she could sketching and creating, s
till left her behind producing new designs. All the administrative, legal and promotional work had to be done and there were only so many hours in the day. She refused to give up making time for yoga, knowing the health and relaxation attained from the exercise was vital to keep her going.

In addition to her own pile of work
, she went everywhere with Tanner, and there was no way that was going to change. Even when they were at home in New York, there was no denying that he was her top priority. He was her life, and her other passion, fashion design, was relegated to second place.

And that didn’t even
take her family into consideration. She wanted to be near her mother, though Emma had been doing well with Dr. Gene. Natalie had to face the fact that Emma was aging, and treasured the time with her.

And now Jazzy
was talking about a family. It might not be long before Natalie would be an aunt. It was a wonderful time. She dragged her feet at becoming a workaholic, possibly missing out on memories with Jazzy and Ellis. And the children they would bring into the world.

What was life
after all, she had to ask. It was a serious question that needed an answer. Facing her true values only left her disappointed, because she had no solution to her business problems. Thankfully, Natalie Baker Designs was profitable. Yet, she couldn’t afford to hire a team like Tanner’s. The growing pains of her business expansion stretched her thinner, day by day.

Tanner had
insisted she take a break, even though she felt guilty for leaving unfinished designs on her desk. But his attitude brooked no argument, so she’d reluctantly agreed. Though, she’d nearly bit his head off when he demanded she take the whole day to relax.

“Just
do what I tell you,” he’d said cheerfully. “No arguments.”

She sighed. The hours at the spa were doing her a world of good, but she couldn’t turn her mind off. Lists of things to do played through her head like an unwelcome chorus. The massage did feel good, but her muscles fought it. She began to doubt this was a good idea.

Tanner met her for a late lunch. He chose the Vagabond Café because of its quiet, relaxing ambiance. They offered an assortment of coffee drinks, wine or beer, and served house-made Panini, crepes, soups and salads. The décor was eclectic, spanning several decades, from the roaring 20’s to the more recent 80’s era.

The comforting worn-in feel of the place was perfect for
de-stressing, so no wonder it was Tanner’s pick. He was determined to see her take her mind off work, as he so easily seemed to be able to do. She had to admit, between the spa and the tranquility of the quirky restaurant, she did feel calmer. Although she knew it couldn’t last.

Tanner’s personalized itinerary
for her included a walk after lunch, and Shore Boulevard at the border of Astoria fit the bill. Natalie hardly noticed their bodyguard shadowing them. Security had become such a part of her life that it no longer seemed out of place.

The boulevard hugged the east river and offered unparalleled views of Manhattan. The warm summer day warmed Natalie through and through. She had to admit the fresh air and views of the city made her problems seem less, if only for
the duration of the walk.

They held hands
and chatted. Natalie could tell that Tanner was determined to steer the conversation away from pressing issues. As with everything, he got his way. Natalie wasn’t surprised that she benefited under his guidance. She’d come to expect such. His care for her was utterly endearing, and she stifled any complaint she may have had, telling herself that work would wait whether she believed it or not.

The
warm humid weather made them thirsty, and Tanner suggested the Franchia Teahouse for refreshment. In keeping with the theme of the day, it was a tranquil place. They sat upstairs in a traditional mountain-temple tearoom.

They sipped
Tealatta, an icy blended treat topped with soy whipped cream, and cooled down in the welcome air-conditioned room. Natalie shook her filmy floral top so it billowed out from her body and dried in the cold air. She was sticky from the walk, but had enjoyed it all the same.

Tanner had
perspiration on his brow and telltale spots on his peacock blue T-shirt, but he looked sexier than ever in his casual wear. She gazed at him, never able to get enough. If she looked at him for a hundred years, he’d still be just as perfect. His chiseled form was a sight to behold. He slumped in the chair a little for comfort, and rested his feet against hers under the table.

The pampering had done the trick, and for the moment
, Natalie’s anxiety had dissipated. Her gorgeous man had a way of taking care of her, and always had. She still remembered their first date when he’d made a day of it, including the same spa she’d visited earlier. He knew how to treat a woman right, one of his many irresistible qualities.

The iced drink revived them,
and Tanner stirred in his seat as if ready to speak. All day she’d been aware there was more to his insistence that she take this day off than he’d said. She knew him too well, and could see him thinking about what he needed to say. With Tanner, nothing shocked her. He was exciting and unpredictable; she liked him that way.

“I’ve been thinking,” he
started and looked over to be sure he had her attention.

She raised a brow
and he continued, “I’ve been thinking about the expansion of Natalie Baker Designs.”

“That’s all I’ve been thinking about,” she chimed in.

“Yes, I’m sure you have,” he said. “I see how much work there is, and a single assistant is woefully inadequate. That’s one reason most designers don’t make it in the business. Sure, they may be talented but if they can’t handle the business end of it, everything falls apart.”

“What are you getting at?”

“I’ve decided to merge your company with mine,” he stated without preface.

Natalie felt rebellion surge. “
You
decided? Have you ever heard of asking, or is that concept foreign to you?”

“That came out wrong,” he said.

“Yes, it sure did. You better explain.”

“Hear me out. I think you’ll agree that the way your company is expanding you need a team to handle the operations.”

“But I can’t afford a team. I need to hire more staff to expand, but I can’t afford to hire more staff
until
I expand. So, it falls on my shoulders. And to put in any more hours, I’m going to have to give something up. But I’m not willing to. So, where does that leave me? Fashion design is my passion…it’s a big part of my life…of me. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“Exactly,” he said, satisfaction showing on his face.

“But giving my company to you serves no purpose. Sure it would take away the work load, but the company with it. So, how is that a solution?”

“You would still own it. Let me outline how it could work. I’ve put a great deal of thought into this. I won’t have you stressed out, and won’t allow you to work more hours.”

Natalie nearly blurted out her objection to his use of the words
won’t allow
, but she wasn’t in the mood to start a fight. She bit her tongue and let him continue.

“Clarke Luxury Bran
ds will be the umbrella company and take over the operations of Natalie Baker Designs. I’ve done a similar thing many times with new enterprises. The difference is that this time I won’t take ownership. You’ll retain it.

Clarke will cover expenses, and without overhead your design company will grow faster. Any costs covered initially will be paid back on a schedule once expansion reaches a predetermined level.
”

Natalie thought she was following him, but wasn’t as used to business deals as he was. It made sense, but she couldn’t clearly see all the advantage
s and disadvantages so quickly.

“But I’ll still
do the design work, right?”

“Yes, and this is where is gets good,” Tanner continued with more excitement in his voice. “That’s all you’ll do is design. From a business viewpoint, it makes the most sense. I am a businessman,
first and foremost.”

Natalie was still trying to envision how this was going to work in the real world, but couldn’t think of a specific question. She just looked at him, w
aiting for the rest of his idea.

“In business, the smartest thing to do is to utilize staff
efficiently. What that means is, if you assign someone a task that aligns with their talent, you see profitable results. Or, you have the best chance anyway. If you don’t leverage that way, it’s just not smart allocation of resources.”

“So, now I’m an allocation of resources?”

“No, you’re missing the point. Let me say it another way. You are a talented designer. I always thought so. The best thing would be for you to spend your available work time doing what you are best at….designing. And leave the other functions, like the operations, finance and so on, to those that excel there.

Just think how much you could create
, if that’s all you had to do? It’s a travesty to eat up your time, and detract from your talent. Think of the wealth of fashions you could crank out, if you were undistracted.”

The concept hit Natalie like a breath of fresh air. It would shift everything and relieve the burden she’d been under. Tanner saw that she was starting to see the wisdom of his proposal.

“But what would I be giving up?”

“Nothing,” he said. “I can’t see you wearing yourself out like you have been. And I won’t tolerate leaving you behind when I travel. That’s just not an option
.”

Natalie was silent. H
e took that for reluctance, so plunged ahead with the remaining arguments, “I don’t want you to travel without me, and sooner or later, you’d have to. I won’t have you slaving at work. And, I know your family is important to you. How are you going to find time for them if your schedule continues to outpace your ability to handle it?”

The way he talked about family had deeper meaning than just allowing her to have time with them. She could hear it in his voice. Whenever he talked a
bout it, his voice got softer. Or maybe she was imaging that. She couldn’t tell. He’d never had a family, not really. Sure, his father cared for him and before that, his mother had loved him. But, he’d never had a real, functional family. Of course, it would be important.

Natalie had been hashing out her priorities for weeks on end.
It had never been her desire to be a career woman. She was more of an artist than a business woman, and never deluded herself about that. There was no question that Tanner and her family came first. She’d just never been able to figure out how to make that happen. And now, Tanner had done just that. He’d provided a solution. It did make sense.

“I’ll have to see the agreement, so I understand how this will work.”

“I’ve already drawn it up,” Tanner said proudly.

“Of course
you have,” Natalie grinned, despite herself. Darned if he didn’t charm the daylights out of her. He got what he wanted. Always in control. Fortunately, he had her best interests at heart. That was something she never doubted.

“I’ll want you to go over the agreement
, line by line, with your attorney, until you’re satisfied with the terms,” Tanner added.

“I trust you,” she said.

“And I’m glad you do,” he said. “But this is business.”

She had to admire his finesse. He
’d swooped in, merged her company with his, rearranged her life to suit him, and she couldn’t find a flaw in his thinking. Since he’d touched her life, positive changes had taken place, and she was grateful.

Did Tanner
have any imperfections? Well, other than his lack of commitment to her. But, she’d cut him some slack for that. He certainly did everything else to show he loved her. Maybe someday – no, she was digressing. She couldn’t allow herself to think about that.

The smooth, taught skin of his forearms was unbelievably sexy. The auburn highlights in his thick, dark hair had a deep glow under the recessed lights in the upstairs tearoom. She could see the rock hard muscles of his chest, pressing against the thin fabric of his T-shirt. She was lost in his commanding, sexy
image, and willingly let the warmth of his presence seep into her.

She tilted her head, playfully. “All this business talk is making me hot for you.”

Tanner smiled, and rubbed his ankle along her calf, under the table. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ about my company proposal,” he said, grabbing her hand to lead her downstairs. “Let’s get out of here.”

For a relaxing evening
, Tanner chose the Ace Hotel, a hotel in midtown. A refuge in the heart of Manhattan, it had made it to the list of top ten things to do in the city. She argued that she wasn’t dressed for a nightclub, but he assured her it was a casual place. No change of clothes required.

He
guided her to the rock ‘n roll-themed Lobby Bar, leaving his security guard to hover and protect. Although, the friendly environment didn’t indicate it would be needed. Natalie had hardly noticed the burly guard all day, but felt safe with him observing from the dark recesses.

The high-ceilinged space,
wood-paneled walls, and soft lighting spoke of intimacy. The atmosphere was different than any Natalie had ever seen. The low lighting created a sultry darkness, giving the interior sexy warmth. She settled into the comfy red suede couch next to Tanner.

“You really know how to show a girl a good time,”
she shouted in his ear, and he smiled. His thigh pressed against hers, and she leaned against his muscled chest. A sexual thrill ran through her. The darkness, the edgy atmosphere, and Tanner so near, transported her into state of slow-burning arousal.

The e
nergy of the bar radiated around them while Natalie relaxed and chilled, pressed against Tanner. He put his arm around her shoulders, holding her close. They ordered black pepper crisps and caramel corn to go with their Chardonnay, the cool white wine rolling down their throats like honey. Halfway through the bottle, they were starved and ordered juicy hamburgers with fries, feeling like college kids.

Unhurriedly drinking and eating, t
hey had such a great time, watching people and blending with the spirit of the place, they stayed for the live music. In the sensual darkness, they touched and fondled, unable to keep their hands away each other. Natalie felt a warm tingle, and even in the dim light could see the bulge in Tanner’s pants. Her nipples pressed hard against the fabric of her top, and her panties were wet with expectation of what was to come later.

The crowded room boomed
with the rock music of a female duo. The music, drinking and dancing turned into an all night dance party, or so it looked by the time Natalie and Tanner left. She begged to stay longer, but it wasn’t his aim to wear her out, only to relax her. In that, he was successful, and it brought joy to his heart to see the calm, warm smile on her face.

The
ir unreserved touching, feeling, kissing had been like a long tease, and Tanner was impatient to have her alone. Their petting got out of control in the limo on the way back to the penthouse, and once home, all inhibition was cast aside. Mad with desire, raging through them, they attacked each other, kissing and clawing.

Love
making was long, slow, and heated. Natalie remembered finally falling asleep, much after midnight, with Tanner’s arm around her waist, holding her close to his strong chest. Her last memory was of his face buried in her hair, and his palm on her belly. She curled against him, the end to an amazing day.