Читать книгу My Stallion Heart - Deborah Mello Fletcher - Страница 12
ОглавлениеNatalie had never known a man who slept with his eyes half open but Tinjin did, the dark lids at half-mast as he slumbered. If it were not for the soft lull of his breathing, with the wispy whistle at the end of each breath, she would have sworn he was staring at her. But he snored softly, lost in a deep sleep.
The length of his body was stretched across the cushioned seats. His arms were crossed over his chest, his hands tucked beneath his armpits. His head rested on a pillow beside her leg. He was so close to her that she could feel the heat from his body warming her own. She resisted the desire to draw her finger across his forehead, to tease the slight arch to his brow with her manicured nail. She didn’t know him like that, yet she had the strongest urge to trail her hand across his profile.
There was something about him that she liked and it had as much to do with his deft sense of humor as it did with his good looks. He made her laugh and feel as though she didn’t have a care in the world, even if it was a false sense of comfort in the moment. Because truth be told, Natalie had a lot on her mind and she couldn’t imagine anything about the next few days being carefree or easy. But something about being with Tinjin had her feeling as if things might settle upright when it was all done and finished. She blew a deep sigh, a shiver running up her spine.
Tinjin suddenly shifted, his body jumping slightly as he was startled from a sound sleep. He sat upright, wiping at his face with the palm of his large hand. He swiped the sleep from his eyes, then moved his gaze in her direction.
“I guess I fell asleep,” he said, murmuring softly.
“You think?” Natalie responded. “You snored and you drooled. It wasn’t pretty, player.”
He met her gaze. “I see waking up to your warm personality is quite the thrill.”
“Enjoy it while you can,” Natalie said smugly.
Tinjin’s full lips lifted in a slight smile. He shook his head then stretched his arms up and out as he shook the last remnants of sleep from his system. He moved onto his feet and reached for his carry-on bag.
Natalie shifted forward in her seat. “Where are you going?”
Looking down at her he couldn’t help but smile. Her nervous expression belied her efforts to appear tough and distant. Her eyes were wide and curiosity shimmered in the pale orbs. Her lips were parted ever so slightly and he suddenly wondered what they might taste like against his own. He took a deep breath.
“Restroom,” he finally answered. “I need to wash my face and rinse my mouth out.”
Natalie blew out the breath she’d been holding. She nodded. “When you get back we can go find something to eat. I’m hungry.”
Tinjin laughed. “Is that an invitation?”
Natalie shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t make anything out of it. I just didn’t see any reason why you should eat alone.”
Tinjin laughed a second time. “I don’t remember saying I was hungry.”
“You look hungry. I was helping you out.”
“Just say you enjoy my company, woman! You’re not fooling anyone! I can see right through you.”
Natalie laughed with him. “You are just so full of yourself!”
Tinjin nodded. “I don’t eat fast food so figure out where we’re headed,” he directed. “I shouldn’t be long.”
As he moved in the direction of the restrooms, Natalie mumbled under her breath. “God, I like a man who takes command!”
* * *
Neither spoke as they made their way to terminal four and the Palm Bar and Grille. They maneuvered through a maze of stranded travelers, warm bodies resting wherever anyone could find to lay their head. When they reached their destination there were only a handful of people inside and an enthusiastic waitress waved them into the space.
The chatty young woman was eager to have someone new to talk to. “Welcome to the Palm!” she greeted them excitedly. “Are you both from the city? Were you headed on vacation?”
Natalie eased into a seat as Tinjin answered. “No. We flew in from London and our connecting flight was canceled.”
“It’s something! This storm is crazy!” the girl exclaimed. “My name’s Hannah and I’ll be serving you. We’re a little shorthanded and I need to apologize now because we’re out of lobster. The trucks couldn’t get here this afternoon.”
“I’m allergic to seafood so I won’t be interested in the lobster,” Natalie said.
“That’s good to know,” Tinjin said, lifting his gaze from the menu to her face. “I was just about to order the calamari appetizer for us to share.”
Natalie shook her head. “I’d look like a bruised tomato if I ate that and I’d be scratching hives for days. It’s not pretty.”
“I guess it’ll be the beef tenderloin carpaccio then,” Tinjin said.
“Good choice,” Hannah said as she jotted a quick note down on the lined pad in her hand.
“Would you ask the chef to put extra shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on that, please? I like good cheese,” Natalie said.
“No problem, miss.”
Tinjin’s eyes shifted back and forth across the menu. “Do you want to share the New York strip?
Natalie hesitated before answering. “Yeah, we can do that,” she said, nodding.
“We’ll have the thirty-six ounce prime double-cut New York strip,” Tinjin ordered.
“And two of your house salads. Plus the green beans, the wild mushrooms and the asparagus fritti for our sides.”
“I have to have potatoes,” Tinjin said, meeting her gaze. “I need something to offset all those vegetables.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. I’m a meat and potatoes man.”
“The three-cheese potatoes au gratin are really good,” Hannah interjected, her eyes moving from one to the other. “They’re my favorite.”
“We’ll have a side order of those, too!” Tinjin said with an air of finality.
Natalie shook her head. “Unnecessary carbohydrates. Calories neither of us needs.”
“This coming from the woman who asked for extra cheese on the appetizer.”
Natalie laughed. “Yes, I did. That little bit of cheese won’t hurt me. Those potatoes, however, will put twenty pounds on my hips and I make a living with this body.”
“Are you an actress or something?” Hannah queried, her eyes wide as she stared at Natalie.
“Or something,” Tinjin said with a wry smirk. “She’s an adult film star. She does porn. Hardcore, dirty porn.” He winked an eye at Natalie.
“Oh,” Hannah said, suddenly blinking, her cheeks warming with color.
Natalie laughed. “Good one,” she said as Tinjin gave her a bright smile.
He winked again. “And Hannah, we’ll take a bottle of your best red wine. If you’ll ask your resident wine steward to make the selection for us, please.”
“Yes, sir,” Hannah said. “I’ll be right back with your salads.”
When the young woman was out of sight, Natalie gave him a light kick under the table. “A porn star? Really?”
“Hannah believed it.”
“I’m sure she did. But for the record I’ve never done porn before.”
“Not even a homemade movie with you and your boyfriend? A little something for your personal stash?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“One of your exes then. You’ve never taken a nude picture for one of your exes?”
“Never. No pictures, no movies. I don’t do that.”
“Interesting,” Tinjin muttered. “Very interesting.”
“Why is that interesting?”
“Gives us something to aspire to,” he said matter-of-factly.
Natalie pondered his comment, her mouth lifting to a full grin. “Not on your best day ever,” she said. “But have fun dreaming.”
“I can be very persuasive,” Tinjin said, his voice dropping an octave.
Natalie laughed. “You might be good, but you’ll never be that good.”
Tinjin’s bright smile warmed his face. He leaned back in his seat, shifting his legs out in front of him. He crossed them at the ankles as he folded his arms over his broad chest.
“So, Gnat, tell me something else I don’t know about you,” he said.
Natalie leaned forward, resting her elbows atop the table. She dropped her chin against the backs of her hands. She eyed him intently as he stared at her. A moment of silence swelled full and thick between them before she finally answered.
“Have you heard of the blog site, Pretty, Pretty?”
“I actually follow it. I’ve been following it since it started. It’s grown nicely and it has a great reputation for setting some of the newest fashion trends.”
“Thank you.”
A slow smile pulled at Tinjin’s mouth. “That’s you? You’re the creative genius behind Pretty, Pretty?”
“Creative genius! I like that!” Natalie exclaimed.
“I don’t believe you.”
Natalie shrugged, her narrow shoulders jutting toward the ceiling. “Believe it. I am the creative genius behind Pretty, Pretty.”
“I’m actually impressed.”
“You should be.”
Tinjin chuckled warmly. “So what was the inspiration?”
There was a moment’s pause as Hannah returned to the table with their wine and salads.
Natalie swallowed her first bite of iceberg lettuce, bacon and blue cheese before she spoke. “When I was a little girl I always had to wear hand-me-downs from my older sister. She rarely got new clothes, so by the time they got to me you can just imagine how well-worn they were. But I loved clothes and I loved fashion. We’d go to the supermarket and I’d stand in the magazine aisle and pore through Vogue while I waited for my mother. My sister use to tease me, pointing at a picture and saying, ‘Oh, how pretty, pretty! Too bad you can’t have it.’ So one day I set off to prove her wrong. I was tall and skinny as a teenager and someone said I should model. The first chance I had I went to New York and signed with a modeling agency. They sent me to Europe and the rest is history. But a few years ago it dawned on me that I couldn’t model forever. I needed to do something else but I knew I wanted to stay in the industry. And Pretty, Pretty came into being.”
“So what’s next?” Tinjin questioned. He swiped at his lips with his cloth napkin.
“I’m all about the editorial. I’d like to give Anna Wintour a run for her money and take Pretty, Pretty into mainstream media.”
“So you want it to be a full-fledged magazine like Vogue?”
“With technology today, I’d like Pretty, Pretty to be the premiere digital fashion magazine and even better than Vogue.”
Tinjin sat staring at her for a moment.
“What?” she questioned, a wave of nervous anxiety washing over her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I’m really impressed. And surprised. Beauty and brains.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I meant it as one.”
A pregnant pause swelled full and thick as they sat studying each other until Hannah and a second waiter slipped in to bring them their food.
Natalie’s smile was bright. “So what about you? Tell me more about your shoe company.”
“Tinjin Designs is my dream come true. I’ve been designing since my first art class at Savannah College of Art and Design.”
“You went to SCAD?”
He nodded. “I did. I took a fashion design course to get close to a girl I liked. She dropped out of the class and I stayed.”
“And shoes became your specialty?”
“I had a very successful menswear line while I was in college and then I moved on to shoes for the experience.”
“What was your men’s line?”
“The Tin-men Collection carried exclusively by Nordstrom’s.”
“That was your line?”
“You know it?”
Natalie shrugged. “No,” she said, a grin filling her face as she shook her head.
Tinjin laughed. “Cute.”
“Actually, I do know it. Your designs walked the runway with the Diane Von Furstenberg collection one year, if I recall.”
Tinjin’s eyes narrowed a bit. “How’d you know that?”
“That was one of the first runway shows I ever walked. I remember everything about it. So what happened?”
“I needed to grow. I put the Tin-men Collection on the back burner and moved to Europe. After being there a month I happened into an internship at Jimmy Choo. I worked my way up learning everything I could about women’s shoe designs. Now I’m ready to branch off, build both lines and expand.”
“So Tinjin Designs is born.”
He nodded. “It is.”
“Why not men’s shoes?” Natalie questioned. “Since your menswear line was so successful, why not transition into men’s shoes instead?”
“Because I love women and their feet more.”
“So you have a foot fetish?”
Tinjin laughed. “I like the line of a woman’s leg when she’s wearing a beautiful heel. I’m not limiting myself, though. I’ll eventually have a collection for your body and your home. Maybe even a fragrance. There’s no telling what I might do next!”
Natalie nodded. “I think that’s great but your business name sucks.”
“Excuse me?”
“The name, Tinjin Designs. It stinks. You know a brand name can make or break you.”
Tinjin chuckled. “So, do you have a better idea?”
“Spin off your original business name. The Tin-men Collection for Women...Tin-men for Her...Tin-men Footwear...Tin-men for the Home. You’ve already had success with the Tin-men brand so you should capitalize on that.”
Tinjin dropped his fork to his plate as he pondered her comments.
“You can thank me later,” Natalie said as she savored the last bite of her steak. “Meanwhile, I’m ready to order dessert. They have a mean chocolate bread pudding with bourbon sauce.”
* * *
The crowds were still thick as people moved from terminal to terminal, looking for someplace warm and comfortable to rest themselves. Heading back to terminal eight and the American Airlines lounge, Tinjin and Natalie boarded the train, pushing their way to the middle of the aisle. Natalie looped her arm around the metal pole that ran from floor to ceiling and planted her high heels firmly, her feet spread slightly apart. Tinjin moved in behind her, wrapping his own hand on the same pole right above hers.
The ride was unsteady and with the train’s first lurch and shudder, Natalie’s body fell into his. Instinctively, Tinjin wrapped his free arm around her thin waist to steady her. His fingers pressed against the waistband of her slacks, his palm heating the flesh beneath her clothes. He pulled her against his body, allowing her to brace her weight against his own. She fit against him nicely, he thought, the curve of her buttocks settling easily into the well of his crotch. A quiver of electricity tightened the muscle between his legs. Tinjin closed his eyes, biting down against his bottom lip to stall the sensation.
Natalie inhaled swiftly, the unexpected touch causing a wave of heat to shoot through her midsection. If she had not been standing on those six-inch stilettos she might have shifted her body from his but the unsteadiness of the ride combined with her precarious footing was a recipe for disaster. It felt good to be able to lean on him for support. She felt herself relax.
She turned her head to stare back at him. Tinjin smiled, an easy bend to his full lips. When she didn’t speak, moving her gaze back to the view in front of them, he let his fingers gently tease her flesh, tapping lightly atop her clothes. Three stops later Natalie stepped out of his arms, rushing out of the train to put some distance between them. She took a deep breath and blew it out heavily. By the time Tinjin reached her side, she’d heaved another deep sigh.
“Do you need help with your bag?” Tinjin asked. His eyes danced over her face, resting on the look she was giving him.
She shook her head. The carryall felt good in her hands, almost like a security blanket for her to hide behind. She continued shaking her head as she turned an about-face and headed for the lounge area.
Once inside both were surprised to find their original seats still vacant. Tinjin and Natalie would have both bet those front-row seats would have been grabbed while they’d been gone. Settling themselves back down, both sat staring to the outside.
Hours later they were still talking, discovering the six degrees of separation between them. In London they often frequented the same spots, had attended the same parties, were acquainted with mutual friends and despite running in the same circles had never before crossed paths. The more they talked the more they were both amazed at how their small worlds had never once collided and how much they had in common. Both were fans of English football, favoring the Manchester United team. Well-traveled, they both had mutual interests in Japan and Spain, disliked fast food, reveled in decadent desserts and preferred sandy beaches over winter weather. Tinjin stole a quick glance back out the window as Natalie shook her head.
Snow was still falling. It looked like large flecks of soft cotton as it dropped down against everything outside. A line of trees bowed heavily from the weight of the ice and snow that had accumulated against its branches and there was no distinguishing grass from pavement, everything blanketed in layers of white. You could feel the aura of calm and quiet that echoed gently in the distance.
Tinjin suddenly had a host of questions for the beautiful woman beside him but he held his tongue. Something about the moment made him feel that they would have all the time in the world to learn more about each other. As if it were the most natural thing to do, he eased his arm around her back and shoulders and hugged her to him.
Despite thinking that she should know better, Natalie liked the feel of his arms around her. Where she should have been hesitant, having known him for only a brief period, she wasn’t. And although that surprised her, it also felt very right to her. She leaned into his side, falling into the warmth of his body heat. She dropped her head down against the curve of his shoulder and lifted her legs to the cushioned seat, folding them back against her buttocks. Minutes passed before either spoke, both enjoying the quiet moment.
“Don’t get comfortable,” Natalie suddenly said. “This doesn’t mean anything. We don’t know each other that well.”
Tinjin chuckled softly. “Oh, it means something,” he said, as he tightened the grip he had on her shoulder and pulled her closer.
She cut an eye at the man. “Don’t push your luck with me, TJ.”
He shook his head. “I would never do that, Gnat.”
Natalie marveled at the level of comfort between them. She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him back, looking out the window at the snow.
“Do you think it’ll ever stop?” she asked.
Tinjin nodded. “I’m sure it’ll start to blow over soon.”
“It’s so pretty!” Natalie gushed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful.”
Tinjin shifted his gaze to her face, watching her as she stared outside. He resisted the urge to lean and press a damp kiss to her mouth. “Me, neither,” he whispered. “Me, neither.”
* * *
Flight number 490 was boarding in thirty minutes, nonstop to Salt Lake City. Both Tinjin and Natalie sighed in relief. It had been a long sixteen hours, despite the ease and comfort they’d found in each other’s company.
“Finally!” Natalie exclaimed as the two maneuvered their way to the other terminal and the boarding gate.
Tinjin nodded. “I will be glad to get to the hotel for a shower and a bed. I’ll probably sleep for the next two days. What about you?”
A look of distress washed over her expression. “I don’t know that I’ll be getting much sleep,” she said as she turned away from him. “I’m already wishing I could just go back to London.”
Tinjin wasn’t sure he believed her. Something about her demeanor told him that she was anxious to get to whatever was waiting for her in Utah. And he was still in the dark about her reasons for going there. Despite hours of conversation that had solidified their friendship, she was still a mystery to him. He suddenly found himself wondering if it would always be that way.
They had promised to stay in touch, a tentative coffee date planned for when they both found themselves back in London. But Tinjin couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever see her again once they landed and headed in their separate directions. He was about to ask when Natalie beat him to the question.
“You’re not going to forget about me once you get back to your life, are you? It’s not every day that I like a guy who feels me up in an airport, so you better call me. You are going to call me, right?”
Tinjin laughed. “I don’t remember feeling you up.”
“You did,” she said matter-of-factly. “I would have slapped you if I’d known it was going to slip your mind that quick.”
He shook his head. “And you’re violent, too. You’re just a banquet of surprises.”
Natalie laughed with him. “I’ll take that to mean that you are definitely going to call.”
He wrapped her in a warm hug. “I wouldn’t miss the opportunity.”
* * *
The flight from New York to Salt Lake City took in excess of seven hours. Two of those hours were spent at the Jetway while a maintenance crew fought to deice the plane and make it flight ready. By the time they made it to the runway for takeoff, everyone on board was irritated and tense.
Natalie had been able to retain her first-class seat, but Tinjin had agreed to be downgraded to coach rather than wait another half day for another flight. As he pretended to sleep, wishing away the senior citizen who’d been whining her complaints since boarding, he couldn’t get the exquisite Natalie off his mind. He’d enjoyed every moment of their time together. There was something special about Natalie and her presence excited him. Her desire to hear from him again was promising, going above and beyond any expectations he might have had.
Natalie shifted against the leather seat, twisting her body to stare out the window. She wrapped her arms around her torso as she watched the ground crew flit back and forth below. She found herself wishing that Tinjin was still by her side, still making her smile and laugh. There was something about the man and she found herself actually missing him.
* * *
Natalie was waiting for him when he finally made his way off the airplane. The elderly lady who’d been seated next to him clutched his arm tightly, bemoaning her travel woes as he escorted her down the jet bridge. Natalie stood by the guardrail, shifting from side to side anxiously. Her smile widened when she saw him and there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes when she spied his companion.
“Just don’t make no sense,” the older woman was muttering. “Took me three days to get here. Three days! Don’t make no sense at all.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Tinjin said softly.
An airline attendant stood behind a wheelchair, welcoming them both to Salt Lake City International Airport. When the woman was safely ensconced in her seat, Tinjin wished her well on the rest of her journey.
“I’m home now. My son should be here to get me and then I’m going home. Don’t have to worry about me traveling no more,” she said. “Don’t make no sense to be stranded like that for three days. Don’t make no sense at all!”
Natalie giggled as the stewardess pushed the old woman down the length of hallway, her annoyance vibrating through the air. Natalie moved to his side.
“Don’t laugh,” Tinjin said, his eyes rolling skyward. “That was painful.”
“And here I thought you were having a good time with your new girlfriend.”
“I guess it’s a good thing we both don’t get paid to think, then,” Tinjin countered with a smug smile.
Natalie met his bright look with one of her own. “So where are you off to now?” Natalie questioned.
“The Grand American Hotel. My sister reserved a room for me there.”
