You Are My Air: Breathless Book 1 (24 page)

"I love that dress," I said when I could manage speech again. "You look gorgeous, Natalie." I left the forgotten bow-tie hanging undone around my neck and approached her. I ran my hands down her soft hair, slid them down her bare arms, and stopped when they rested on her waist. I pulled her close and breathed in her subtle perfume, fighting the urge to kiss her and ruin her makeup.

Natalie ran her hands up my torso, sliding them over the white shirt I was wearing, and began tying my bow-tie without me even having to ask. "If you're this hot now, I can't wait until you put on your jacket." She smiled as her fingers moved effortlessly at my neck. I was very aware of her body's proximity to mine, and desire uncoiled itself inside me as I thought about ripping her dress off right now. My hands tightened at her waist unconsciously. She paused and met my eyes. "Don't get any ideas, mister," she said with a glare. "All this took over an hour, and you can't mess it up until after the dinner."

"Get out of my head, woman," I growled at her, a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

"I'd better," she said with a sly look in her eyes as she returned her attention to my tie. "I don't know if your nerdiness is contagious. Best not take the chance."

"But you said I was hot," I reminded her.

"Just because I'm attracted to nerds, doesn't mean I want to be one."

"I see." I brushed her hair off one of her slender shoulders. "We're good enough to sleep with but not enough for you to be one of us."

"Exactly," she said with a wicked smile. "I'll need you to keep this on the down-low though. I can't have word getting out that I'm fraternizing with known nerds."

"Your secret is safe with me," I told her. "We wouldn't want a word of your nerd fetish getting out." I took one of her hands and brought her palm to my lips. I pressed a soft kiss to the center of it, and she sighed with pleasure. "Though I am glad I'm the focus of it."

She didn't stop me as I ran my lips along her bare arm, loving the feel of her smooth skin. I slowly kissed my way up her arm to her shoulder, pausing next to the collar of her dress to nip gently at the soft skin there. A low moan escaped her lips, filling me with satisfaction. I straightened and met her eyes again, seeing her desire, and I swear something more that made my chest tight. A flutter of fear traveled through my body, and I pushed it away with an effort of will. I wanted this woman, and I wasn't going to let my insecurities stand in my way anymore.

"Did I tell you that I have a fetish too?" I asked her softly.

"You mean besides biting?" she asked facetiously.

A corner of my lip curled up at her comment as I continued. "I have a Natalie fetish. Everything you do turns me on." Her answering smile was radiant and lit up her beautiful face. I ran my knuckles against her cheek.

"Are you trying to seduce me right now?" she asked with narrowed eyes. "Because it's working and you're killing me."

"I'd apologize, but I wouldn't mean it. I will stop torturing you though." I dropped my hand reluctantly, and Natalie finished fixing my bow-tie. It took all my effort not to pick her up and throw her on the bed.

"There." She stepped back to admire her work. "That's perfect." She picked my jacket up from where I had draped it on the bed and helped me slip it on. Her eyes darkened as they traveled up and down my body. "You have got to be the hottest nerd whom I have ever laid eyes on."

"I'm not anywhere near as hot as you, sweetheart." My voice came out low and seductive as I stepped toward her.

"Stop right there, David," she warned me with a raised hand. "No messing around, we need to go. If we're late, my mom will freak out."

"Alright," I conceded. "Let's go."

Natalie grabbed her silk wrap and her small clutch. I offered her an elbow and escorted her out of my room then out to my car.

A little over a half-hour later, we were entering the convention center downtown after letting the valet take my car when we arrived. Natalie suddenly seemed really nervous as the arm she had hooked around mine tightened. I pulled her closer to comfort her. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked her quietly as we walked along with the throng of impeccably dressed rich people. I was happy that Mom had insisted on buying me a black Armani tux for her wedding. No one looked twice at me like I didn't belong here.

"I want you to like my family," she said in an uneasy tone.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because we're dysfunctional and my mother is crazy."

"I work with dysfunctional and crazy every day, Natalie," I told her with a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze of her arm. "I can handle it." She nodded, but still seemed nervous, and I concentrated on staying relaxed and calm for her.

She seemed a little better, by the time we entered the massive ballroom. It must have been the largest room in the building. The room was decorated in red, black, and silver, giving it a very formal appearance. There were dozens of round tables covered in white table clothes and set perfectly with fine China and black napkins. There was a large stage set up on the other end of the room where I assumed the awards and charity auction would take place.

"Where to, Natalie?" I asked as we paused just inside the room.

"Our table will be up by the stage."

I nodded and led her through the crowd to the far end of the room. Several people came up to us to talk to Natalie. She was polite and introduced me to all of them, but I could tell she had very little interest in any of them. I was happy that even though she grew up around these kinds of people, she wasn't like them at all.

We stopped when we reached a table just to the right of the stage. I noticed a tall slender woman that bore a striking resemblance to Natalie. Her curly auburn hair was shoulder length and perfectly styled, as was her makeup. She wore a floor-length shimmering silver dress with cap sleeves and a subtle lace pattern. She was almost too perfectly put together, but I supposed that reflected what Natalie had told me about how important appearances were to her. I was even happier about my Armani tux now, not because I cared what her mother thought of me, but because I wanted Natalie to be proud of having me on her arm.

"Mom?" Natalie said, getting her mother's attention.

"Natalie, honey," her mother said with affection as she turned toward her daughter with a genuine smile. "I'm so glad you came." She pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. Then she stepped back and looked at me, her face lighting up as she eyed me up and down.

"Mom, this is David Mazur." Natalie introduced me with a smile. "David this is my mother, Victoria Spencer."

"Hello, Mrs. Spencer." I gave her my best smile and reached a hand out to her. She lifted her hand with her palm down, and I took it gently, lifting it up to place a kiss on the back of it. "Now I see where Natalie gets her beauty." I knew I was laying it on kind of thick, but Natalie's mother ate it up. Her smile widened as she released my hand.

"Please, David, call me Victoria," she said as her cheeks blushed a little from my compliment. I noticed the slight wry twist of Natalie's lips out of the corner of my eye and had to fight the smirk that tried to play across my own lips.

"Hi, Daddy," Natalie said in a happy voice. I turned to see an attractive older man in a black tuxedo approaching us. He had perfectly-styled graying blond hair and sharp dark-blue eyes. I had a feeling this was where Natalie had gotten her keen intelligence and wit.

"Hi, Natie," he said, his eyes softening as they focused on his daughter. I was relieved that as dysfunctional as Natalie said her family was; they still obviously cared about each other.

Natalie introduced me to her father, John Spencer. He was polite, yet reserved, which I chalked up to him being a protective father. I was respectful and polite. This was a man I had to earn respect from, and I couldn't get that through compliments and flattery.

We all made small talk for a few minutes, and I answered all their questions about myself honestly. They actually seemed impressed by my job as a psych nurse, which relieved me. Some people were pretty judgmental of male nurses, and I was glad not to deal with that tonight. The conversation was fairly easy, and I noticed Natalie had finally relaxed and her nerves were gone.

"Oh, good," Victoria said as her eyes focused behind me. "There's Ford."

I turned and saw a tall broad-shouldered man approaching us on crutches with one foot in a gray walking boot. He was wearing a charcoal suit with no tie, the top button undone. His blond hair was chin length, and his short beard was scruffy and thick. The suit didn't do anything to hide how imposing he was, and that he didn't really fit in here at all, nor did he want to. I took a closer look at his face as he approached us and was hit with a sudden jolt of recognition. My body stiffened. Ford Spencer. The name finally clicked in my head. I had never made the connection until now. An old resentful anger welled up inside me. This man was the bane of my existence my freshman and sophomore years in high school. He bullied Ben and I mercilessly, mentally and physically. It had been a relief when he had finally graduated before my Junior year. What were the
fucking
chances I'd end up dating his sister?

Ford stopped in front of us and eyed me suspiciously, but I didn't see any hint of recognition at all. It pissed me off that this person, who had affected my life so much, didn't even remember me. Natalie glanced at me with concern, and I realized I needed to calm down. She didn't know I had a past with her brother, and I didn't want to cause her any problems right now. I could tell her about it later, and hope she was okay with it. For now, I put on my game face and smiled politely at her brother.

"Ford, this is my date, David Mazur," she introduced me. "David, meet my big brother, Ford Spencer."

Hello," I said evenly as I reached out to shake Ford's hand. His grip was firm and confident. I had half expected him to squeeze my hand until it hurt, or acknowledge our past in some way, but he still didn't remember me as far as I could tell. I ground my teeth together, trying to rein in my growing temper again.

"It's nice to meet you, man." His voice was deep and just as intimidating as I remembered, which infuriated me to no end. Fortunately, I was saved before saying something snide that I'd regret by an announcement that dinner was about to be served. It was even better when Ford sat on the opposite end of his family from me. I didn't think that I would be able to stomach being seated next to him.

Dinner was uneventful as I chatted with Natalie and her mother; her father joined in occasionally. Ford remained relatively quiet, only adding to the conversation when prompted by his mother or Natalie. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here, but he was respectful to his mother and civil with his father. The tension that Natalie had told me about between Ford and his father was there, but neither of them acknowledged it tonight.

We sat through the awards and charity auction. It was kind of boring, but I was here to make Natalie happy, and I was content with that, even if Ford was sitting at the table making me angry every time I looked at him. A few times he eyed me sharply, and I realized I wasn't hiding my animosity as well as I thought.

Close to the end of the night, Natalie and her mother excused themselves from the table to use the restroom and John rose to go speak with an acquaintance of his. To my horror, I was left sitting at the table with Ford, and no buffer between us. To make matters worse, Ford started scooting himself from one chair to the other until he was sitting next me and eyed me intently.

He leaned in close before he spoke. "Just so you know; I love my sister, and I'd do anything for her." His voice was low and menacing as he stared me down. "Including kicking the ass of any piece of shit that thinks he can fuck her over or break her heart. Understand?"

My control snapped as rage surged up inside me. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I hissed out quietly in a low tone as I glared back at him, holding our eye contact. "This is how it's going to be? Fifteen years later and you're still bullying people? Don't you think it's time you fucking grew up Ford, or wasn't fucking with me for two goddamn years in high school enough?" It took all my effort to keep my voice from rising as each word came out clipped and filled with animosity, my teeth tightly clenched together.

Ford's head flew back in surprise, his eyes widening as he looked at me. "Shit," he breathed out as he finally recognized me.

"Yeah,
shit
is right," I growled out. "If you think that you can bully me into staying away from Natalie, then you're in for a fucking fight because I care about her, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm not the same teenage boy you can push around anymore so you might as well back the
fuck
off."

"Whoa, whoa." Ford leaned back into his chair, his hands up in a placating gesture. "Calm down, David. That's not what I'm trying to do here at all." His voice was apologetic, which shocked me into silence. "I'm not that asshole anymore, man. I was so fucked up back then. I'm sorry for what I did to you and your friend. My parents were going through a really nasty divorce, and I didn't cope with it at all. I know that's not an excuse, but I was in a really bad place, and I took it out on everyone around me, including you. I was a real dick, man. I am so sorry."

I sat there staring at him in stunned silence for several long moments. His face was distraught and filled with sincere regret. It skewed every opinion about this man I had been carrying around for fifteen years; the anger, the resentment, and the hurt. I didn't realize how much I was still clinging to it, until I saw him again tonight. Maybe this was my opportunity to let all of it go and really move on.

"I don't blame you, if you can't forgive me," Ford said with a shake of his head. "I did some horrible things to you, but I want you to know that I'm truly sorry. I wasn't trying to chase you away from Natalie. It's just that the last guy she dated was a real doormat, and she deserves better than that."

"You mean Lucas?" I asked as I finally found my voice again.