Devoted to Her (Dream Date Book 2) Read online

  KINDLE EDITION

  Published by: Ivan Kendrick

  Devoted to Her

  Copyright © 2015 Ivan Kendrick. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical—apart from excerpts in reviews or articles—without express written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, events, or locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual people, whether living or deceased, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Cover photo by electroalice.

  For anyone who believed in me.

  But mainly to yours truly,

  for having enough pride

  to demand better than lemons.

  Settling is so not my style.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  OTHER BOOKS BY IVAN KENDRICK

  “Love does not begin and end

  the way we seem to think it does.

  Love is a battle, love is a war;

  love is a growing up.”

  James A. Baldwin

  As he looked at the Manhattan skyscrapers through a suite window, Nathan felt on top of the world. And that wasn’t just because he had a stunning view of the city below. His high spirits had to do with the gorgeous woman watching TV in the other room.

  Nathan was in the suite that Amanda always used during her stays in New York. He had just stopped by the window on his way from the bathroom. Nathan still felt lucky that he was dating the world’s most beautiful woman.

  She is as far as I’m concerned, since I’m so in love with her, Nathan thought to himself.

  It took Nathan plenty of effort to win her heart. Amanda was way out of his league, but that didn’t stop him from fighting for her. Nathan knew she had to be in his life for it to be worth living.

  Smiling, Nathan walked to the living room. He saw Amanda sitting on the couch. She looked great as always, wearing dark blue pants and a pink long-sleeve sweater. Amanda looked up when she sensed his approach.

  “Morning, beautiful,” Nathan said. He sat next to Amanda, and claimed her lips in a tender kiss.

  “Did you like breakfast?” Amanda asked. She had made ham and egg croissant sandwiches just earlier. As Nathan was the one who usually cooked for them, Amanda had asked him to let her make the food.

  “Definitely,” Nathan said. He caressed the side of Amanda’s face. “I look forward to dessert now.”

  Amanda giggled.

  “That’ll be after noon. For now, what would you suggest we do to spend the time?”

  “I have an idea. Do you know how to skate?”

  “With roller skates? Yes.”

  “Good. I’ll take you somewhere that Marissa told me about,” Nathan said. He was referring to one of his best friends, who attended Parsons School of Design.

  Nathan’s fingers ran through Amanda’s hair. She didn’t have the blue streaks she'd tried on briefly. Amanda preferred not having them.

  Nathan thought about the awesome week he and Amanda had had so far. They attended the New Year’s event at Times Square with their friends. Nathan thought the experience was tiring, but well worth it.

  A TV news report made Nathan turn to watch it. He saw what it was about and frowned.

  “Are you still watching that?” Nathan asked. Amanda looked at the TV to see what was there.

  “No. I didn’t think there would be any more news.”

  Nathan and Amanda watched the reporter. He was talking about Hilbert Melendez, Amanda’s former talent agent. The police caught wind that Hilbert sexually abused some models that his agency represented. Having a senator for a father wasn’t enough to save Hilbert from going to prison. A trial took place during the first week of December. The jury found Hilbert guilty of rape, coercion, and fraud.

  The current news report was talking about Daphne Ross Model Management. That was the agency that represented Amanda. Hilbert used to be an agent and one of the top representatives. After his imprisonment, Daphne Ross had struggled to stay afloat. The agency survived despite its damaged reputation.

  A new agent represented Amanda now. The transition went smoother than expected. Hilbert in prison meant he couldn’t sabotage Amanda’s career.

  Nathan switched off the TV. Amanda looked at him.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yes. You’ll drive,” Amanda replied. She handed him the keys to her white Kia Optima.

  Once the two were ready, they walked down to the lobby. Nathan’s new car was in Ithaca (he’d chosen to buy it rather than fix his old one). Amanda let him drive her car when they arrived at New York for the holidays.

  There was an ice skating place not far from where Marissa lived. Nathan had checked on the Internet to make sure it was open.

  Inside the rink, there weren’t many people. Nathan had counted on that. It was Thursday, the second day of January. There were only a handful of people (most of them couples) on the ice floor. Nathan helped Amanda put her skates on, and then he put on his own. He took her hand and led her to the ice.

  “I admit that I’m sort of nervous,” said Amanda.

  “I’m not going to let you fall.”

  Nathan and Amanda skated in a circle around the floor. They wove around the other skaters. Nathan kept hold of Amanda’s gloved hand, leading her. They continued like that for some amount of time. Neither of them kept track.

  “Have you ever skated on ice?” Nathan asked.

  “A few times. I usually go with Emmy or Judith. Never with a guy I love, though.”

  “Do you know how to twirl on one foot?”

  “I’ve tried it. Do you want me to?”

  “I was just curious. Try it if you want.”

  Amanda thought about it for a second. She then skated to the center of the floor. Amanda twirled ballerina style, spreading her arms out for balance.

  When Amanda was skating back toward Nathan, she noticed his smartphone pointed at her. She gave him a look of mock irritation.

  “How did I do?” Amanda asked as she skated past.

  “You looked gorgeous, as usual.”

  Nathan pocketed his phone and skated in Amanda’s direction. She noticed him, and increased her speed.

  “Oh, so now you’re going to make me chase you. Just like old times.”

  Amanda laughed at the comment. She remembered how she made Nathan work hard to win her heart. One of Amanda’s reasons was that she wasn’t sure she could love like her first time again. She’d also endeavored to protect Nathan from Hilbert. He’d turned out to be more dangerous than anyone could have thought. At least the hesitation made Amanda sure that Nathan didn’t want her just because of her beauty.

  Nathan caught Amanda off guard. He bumped into her and they both stopped against a wall. Nathan gra
bbed Amanda’s arms.

  “I’ll always catch you, love,” Nathan said. He kissed Amanda, caressing her lips with his.

  Moments later, the two were back outside. Nathan walked with Amanda back to her car. This time, he let her drive.

  Amanda revved the engine. In seconds, they were back on the road. As she drove, Amanda thought about the way Nathan kissed her back at the ice skating place. She enjoyed his touch, and the way his lips melded against hers.

  “Where are we headed?” Nathan asked.

  “You’ll see. There’s this place I’ve wanted to show you. Do you remember me telling you that I want to get a room at The Epic when I move here?”

  “No.”

  “Oh. You’ll like it.”

  After visiting The Epic, Nathan and Amanda returned to their hotel room for lunch. Halfway through, Nathan challenged Amanda to a chess match. Amanda accepted. She was glad her father taught her how to play chess. Amanda had become quite skilled at it. She won the first game.

  “You lost on purpose, didn’t you?” she asked.

  “No. I played my best, I pinky-swear.”

  Amanda giggled.

  “Okay. Let’s have another round.”

  “Last game, and then we get to use your Wii, okay? I want to challenge you to a Mario Kart race.”

  Amanda curved her eyebrow.

  “You have no idea what you’re signing up for.”

  “What?”

  “Fair warning: I’m all but prodigious at Mario Kart.”

  “I’d like to see that, sweetheart.”

  “You’re on.”

  After a second round of chess (which Nathan won), he and Amanda played on the Wii. Nathan had asked her to bring the console after seeing it at her apartment. That was the moment Amanda found out that Nathan enjoyed videogames as much as she did.

  The two had fun racing each other for much of the next hour. Amanda won almost all the races, partly because she knew all the shortcuts and maneuvers. She also kept obtaining good power-ups.

  “Imagine if you could do that in real races,” Nathan commented at one point. “Throw turtle shells at the opponents.”

  Amanda burst into laughter. That gave Nathan the chance to blow past her with a golden mushroom. Amanda scrambled to get back on track. Nathan though she was interesting to look at when she was deep in concentration.

  When they finished, Nathan turned off the Wii and the TV. He then moved toward Amanda. She watched as he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

  “You’re lovely,” Nathan told Amanda, looking at her lips. He leaned forward and kissed them. Amanda’s eyes closed, and she put her arms around Nathan. He started unbuttoning the front of her blouse. She was wearing a white T-shirt underneath. Nathan ran his hands under it, touching her skin.

  Amanda removed her undershirt and lay back on the sofa. Nathan tugged down on her pants. She helped him pull them off. He proceeded to caress her thighs. Amanda gasped, enjoying the touch. She took his hand and guided it to where she wanted to be touched.

  “I love having you to myself,” Nathan said. He caressed the bare skin of Amanda’s waist, and then moved up for another kiss.

  The next morning, Amanda’s fitness trainer arrived for a workout session. She answered the door.

  “Hi, Jonathan!” she said, stepping aside to let him in. He was carrying a black gym bag.

  “Good morning, Amanda,” he replied. “Have you rested well?”

  “Yes, thank you. After having been to two New Year celebrations in Times Square, I’m kinda used to it.”

  “I would doubt that. Even for someone with my fitness, standing for over eight hours is tough.”

  Amanda and Jonathan went to the living room. Nathan walked in from the kitchen.

  “Good morning, Mr. Clayton.”

  “Good morning.”

  “I’ll make breakfast so it’s ready after you’re done,” Nathan told Amanda.

  “Thanks. If anyone calls, let me know.”

  “Sure will.”

  Amanda and Jonathan warmed up in the living room. They were going to exercise there, as there wasn’t another empty room to use. They moved the coffee table out of the way.

  After more than a year of working out with Jonathan, Amanda had never felt better. She was fitter than she’d ever been. Amanda was proud of it.

  When their workout was over, Amanda thanked Jonathan. He packed up and left. Amanda took a shower before joining Nathan in the kitchen.

  Nathan was fixing breakfast. The pantry wasn’t fully stocked, but the food there was good. Nathan grabbed a few eggs and some shredded American cheese and set to work.

  At around nine, Amanda emerged from the shower. She wore a pair of chocolate brown yoga pants and a dark green bra. She was able to get away with it because the apartment had the heating turned on.

  Nathan turned to the doorway when Amanda walked in. She was giving him a knowing smile.

  “Morning, beautiful,” Nathan said once he resumed breathing. “I love this habit of yours.”

  Laughing, Amanda walked toward him. Nathan looked her up and down.

  “You sure work out,” Nathan said, touching her abdomen. “These abs are so sexy.”

  Amanda closed her eyes when Nathan laid a kiss on her abdomen.

  “You don’t disappoint, either,” she told him.

  Nathan stood up and walked to the table. He pulled a seat for Amanda. She sat down, and Nathan set a plate in front of her.

  “Thanks. I love that you make me breakfast.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” Nathan said. He made himself a plate and sat down opposite Amanda. They ate.

  “What’s the plan for today?” Amanda asked after they finished their breakfast. Nathan put the plates in the dish sink.

  “We’re going out for some fun. You’ll enjoy it.”

  “Where?”

  “I assume the Empire State Building is open to the public, right?”

  “It should.”

  Nathan smiled.

  “Then that’s where we’re going.”

  “I did a photo shoot there,” Amanda told him. “At the observatory. It was for a local photographer.”

  “Marissa’s friend?”

  “No, someone else.”

  Nathan nodded. He looked out the kitchen window.

  “Let’s get ready,” he told her. “Dress up. I don’t want you to freeze on me.”

  “Funny,” Amanda said, shaking her head. She went to her bedroom to get dressed.

  “Where are you taking me?” Grecia asked. Ashton was driving in their rented car. He had been occupied with something in his laptop over the days following the New Year. It made Grecia wonder if he was catching up on homework. When she asked him what he was doing, Ashton told her that she’d know soon enough.

  “It’s not too far now,” Ashton said. “Just wait. You will love this.”

  Grecia wasn’t familiar with New York, so she didn’t know what neighborhood they were in. Ashton turned right at an intersection and continued forward. He pulled into a parking lot, driving into a space.

  Without a word, Ashton killed the engine and got out of the car. He walked around to Grecia’s side and opened the door for her.

  “What are we doing?” she asked, looking around. Ashton locked the car.

  “Where we’re going, we have to go on foot,” he said, taking her hand. They walked out of the lot and made a turn. Grecia was dying of curiosity.

  Almost two blocks ahead, Ashton turned into an alley. Grecia looked at him, her expression questioning.

  “You’re taking me into an alley?”

  Ashton smiled as they continued walking.

  “Yes.”

  “What for?”

  In response to the question, Ashton moved Grecia so her back was against the wall.

  “To kiss you, of course,” Ashton replied. He leaned forward until their lips met. Grecia put her arms around him, all thoughts erased. It was pretty cold out, but Ashton’s closeness was e
nough warmth.

  Grecia didn’t know how long they kissed. When she pulled apart, she remembered where they were.

  “Someone’s going to see us.”

  “No, they’re not. And so what? Despite my reputation, I don’t feel bold enough to make love to you out here in public.”

  “Why did you bring me here, anyway?”

  “Recognize this alley?”

  Grecia looked around, her eyebrows furrowing.

  “Should I?”

  “This alley looks like the one where Mary Jane first kissed Peter Parker in the movies. You’ve seen the famous upside-down kiss in the rain scene, haven’t you?”

  A look of dawning recognition settled on Grecia’s face. She giggled.

  “You romantic loony,” she said. Ashton stroked some locks of her hair, lowering her jacket’s hood.

  “We have limited time in the city, so I thought I’d make the best use of it.”

  “By taking me to famous places? I like it. Though, what did you mean by ‘this alley looks like the one’ from the movie? Isn’t it?”

  Ashton pursed his lips.

  “Sadly, no. The actual alley is in a movie studio in L.A. I’d fly there for you if you wanted, but we can’t right now.”

  “Oh.”

  “So I have been searching for a look-alike alley that’s actually in this city.”

  “What, have you been driving all around Manhattan these past few days?”

  “Hell no! That’s what online maps are for.”

  Grecia squinted, flashing a smile.

  “So that’s what you’ve been up to on the computer.”

  “Yes. I’d counted on that alley being real.”

  “And what were you going to do? Kiss me upside down, like in the movie?”

  Ashton smiled teasingly.

  “Did you want me to do that?”

  “I don’t know, Ashton. What would you have used for that, a spelunking harness?”

  “Ha! That’s not a bad idea.”

  Grecia bumped him in the shoulder.

  “I’d rather you didn’t break your neck.”

  “Might be worth it,” Ashton said, kissing her again. He cupped Grecia’s face as they kissed. Ashton then began to kiss along her jaw.

  What a sweet gesture, Grecia thought. She lost herself in Ashton’s arms… and lips. She closed her eyes as he trailed kisses down her neck.