New York Engagement

  New York Engagement

  Carpe Diem Chronicles 1.5

  Maida Malby

  COPYRIGHT

  Copyright 2018 by Maida Malby

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without permission in writing from the author except for a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This contemporary romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you wish to share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9995432-4-5

  Edited by: Penlight Editing

  Cover design by: Render Compose

  Distributed by: Smashwords

  DEDICATION

  To my OSRBC friends, here’s to Reading More Romance.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One - Empire State

  Chapter Two - The Plaza

  Chapter Three - Central Park

  Chapter Four - Midtown

  Chapter Five - Upper West Side

  Chapter Six - Times Square

  Chapter Seven - Broadway

  Chapter Eight - The Big Apple

  Chapter Nine - Hell’s Kitchen

  Chapter Ten - Eighth Avenue

  Chapter Eleven - Hudson River

  Chapter Twelve - St. Patrick’s Cathedral

  Chapter Thirteen - Manhattan

  Chapter Fourteen - Lady Liberty

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Note

  Excerpt - Boracay Vows

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE - Empire State

  Deborah Kerr is right, Krista thought. The Empire State Building is the nearest thing to heaven in New York City. The bright lights of The City That Never Sleeps twinkled before her from the 86th-floor open-air observation deck of what was once the tallest building in the world. Snow blanketed the floor beneath her and the rooftops nearby, creating a winter wonderland of enchantment. Despite the bracing air, inside she felt warm, joyful.

  Krista stepped away from the railing to rest her head on the hard chest of the man who was the primary reason for her contentment. Blake stood behind her, patiently allowing her to take in her fill of his birthplace. Her pulse skittered when he wrapped his arms around her and clasped both of her gloved hands in his.

  “Cold?” he asked, his hold on her tightening when she shivered.

  Krista shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I’m warm and toasty.” Between the protection of her coat and the heat from his big body, she spoke the truth. His nearness made her tingle, not the wind of the frosty night, four days before Christmas.

  They’d been together for nearly two months, but she still marveled at her body’s reaction to him. At their office in Makati, she never had to turn around or look to check whether he was in the same room. She had developed a sixth sense when it came to Blake Ryan.

  Before they found themselves falling in love in Boracay, she had avoided being close to him, had made it a point to keep her distance. He was her boss, a foreigner, an American: someone Krista knew her mother wouldn’t approve of. Marissa Lopez’s own experience with an American, who she’d only known by the name “John,” had left her alone, pregnant, and full of shame. She didn’t want the same for her eldest daughter. But Krista’s heart wanted Blake. His wanted her.

  They had arrived only a few hours ago, exhausted by the long trip from the Philippines. Still, knowing jet lag would hit them hard later, they had opted to acclimatize to the time zone and weather. Krista and Blake decided to stay awake after checking in at their hotel and taking a quick shower. They’d descended to the lobby of The Plaza Hotel in search of food. Luckily, the Food Hall one level below still had some open shops.

  Blake nudged her hood aside to whisper in her ear. “I can hear the wheels turning around in your head. What are you thinking of?”

  “Food.” She turned and grinned when she caught her boyfriend’s surprised look.

  “You want to eat again?” His eyes roamed all over her face, as if looking for signs of hunger.

  She gave his chest a light tap. The supple leather covering her hand made the action totally harmless. “No, silly. I can still taste that absolutely yummy dinner from Luke’s. I wasn’t hungry before we ate, but I swear, I could have devoured two of those lobster rolls. They were so buttery, so mouth-wateringly sweet, juicy and oh ... so ... luscious.” She closed her eyes, licked her lips, and moaned at the remembered satisfaction. When she opened her eyes, Blake was staring at her mouth, his own eyes blazing with blue fire.

  He abruptly let go of her and started buttoning his coat. His fingers, clumsy in their haste, misaligned the top button. Then he reached for her hand and pulled her behind him, his strides long and hurried.

  “Where are we going?” She tugged to slow him down.

  “Hotel.” Brusque and short.

  Oh! She noted the flush in his cheeks and the glow in his eyes. Her lips tilted up in a knowing smile. She darted past him.

  When they stepped into the elevator, Blake went to the corner and positioned her in front of him, her back plastered to his front. Through the thickness of her coat, the rigid column of his erection nestled against her bottom.

  “Bed,” he growled in her ear.

  Krista trembled as answering desire flowed through her. The sensuality he’d always evoked in her won over the fatigue of travel.

  The trip back to the hotel was a blur. No words passed their lips; they were fused in a frenzied kiss that lasted the duration of the ride. Only the abrupt breaking of the taxi and the curt announcement, “The Plaza,” forced them apart. Blake handed a twenty to the smirking driver and hustled Krista out without waiting for change.

  As intent on getting to their room as she was, she still shook her head over Blake’s excessive generosity. She didn’t begrudge the driver the huge tip: it hadn’t been that long since her family was considered poor—only two years. She understood the need for every bit of bonus she could earn by working overtime. If they got married, she’d have to get used to Blake’s casual extravagance.

  Not if, but when. In Boracay, Krista had doubted Blake’s love for her. She’d thought his declaration had come too fast, too soon. But he had shown her during the past eight weeks, in both words and deeds, that his feelings for her were true and steadfast.

  As the chief executive officer of the company they both worked for, he hadn’t allowed any censure of their relationship. With her agreement, he had pronounced them a couple at the general assembly and followed the announcement with a warning that gossip and malicious rumors would be dealt with in an appropriate manner.

  The ping of the elevator door opening to their floor brought her to the present.

  “About damned time,” Blake grumbled as they stepped out and dashed to their room. He smiled at her sheepishly when she laughed out loud.

  Krista reached up to
plant a kiss on his chin as he fumbled with the key card. Tall for a Filipina and wearing high-heeled boots, she didn’t have to stretch far. “Patience is a virtue you do not have, Mr. Blake Ryan.”

  She stepped back to remove her coat while he opened the door. Blake’s own jacket and scarf were already hanging over his arm. She let out a yelp when he grabbed her by the waist and backed her into their room.

  “You’re calling me impatient?” He dropped his armload of clothes on the floor and lifted her. Four quick steps took them to the middle of the room. “I’ll show you impatience,” he declared, throwing her onto the massive king-sized bed and diving over her. His ardent kiss silenced Krista’s squeal.

  His mouth ravaged hers, his tongue relentless. She matched his urgency stroke for stroke. Her hands were busy with his belt as his occupied themselves with her bra. When he lifted his head to catch his breath, she shifted to the side to remove her top and unfasten her belt. Blake hastily undressed, kicking off his shoes and socks, unzipping his pants, and stepping out of them in a handful of rapid moves. Seeing her struggle with her over-the-knee boots, he took over their removal while she wiggled out of her jeans and panties.

  “Aah, love, you are so beautiful.” Blake’s gaze worshiped her as she held out her arms to urge him back to her. She wanted him close, craved his weight on top of her. Her nipples were pebbled to hard points and between her legs, arousal dampened her nether lips. She parted her thighs in blatant invitation.

  “So are you, honey.” Her breath caught when he mounted the bed and held his cock in one hand. His thumb spread the moisture on the fleshy tip. The bed had been turned down and the lamps lit; their soft glow illuminated her lover’s magnificent body. Krista lifted her hands in clear appeal. “Blake, please make love with me.”

  He spread her legs wider to make space for himself. When he knelt in front of her, she wrapped her legs around him and crossed her ankles at the small of his back. Clutching his shoulders, Krista lifted her upper body, needing to feel him skin to skin.

  “Easy, baby.” Blake calmed her even as he raised her hips to receive him. He drove into her, his thrust made easy by her liquid heat. They had long-past eschewed the use of condoms. Both wanted the increased closeness of going flesh to flesh. They were both healthy, and she’d been on the pill even before they became intimately involved.

  “So good. Blake, more. Hurry.” She rocked against him, each instinctive move bringing carnal delight to them both. Her breathing rasped; it hitched as his thrust reached deep. His retreat brought forth a plaintive moan from her; it quickly turned into a purr with his return.

  “Come for me, sweetheart.” Blake crooned the order near her ear before he nibbled at her lower lip. In sharp contrast to his gentle tone, his shaft slid in and out of her drenched channel with frantic speed.

  Krista couldn’t help but comply. Her climb to the peak of pleasure was aided, urged by his magical hands. With her nails digging into his muscled back she reached the crest, gasping for breath at its intensity. He soon followed, his essence flowing into her in a hot, pulsating stream.

  CHAPTER TWO - The Plaza

  Blake sat up in bed, uncertain what woke him. He glanced at the window to gauge the time. No help there. Beyond the drawn white curtains, he only saw gray; the glass facade of the opposite building reflected hardly any light. As much as he wished their room overlooked Central Park, their late booking had defeated that choice.

  His gaze moved to Krista, and his face bloomed in a wide smile. She’d woken him, the bed hog. Krista lay on her right side diagonally across the king-sized bed, facing him. Her long hair formed a black cloud on the white pillow, and the blanket covered her to her neck. Only her left fist, clutching the cotton bedcover, was visible. She must have kicked out when she turned.

  Blake reached out to touch her hand. She didn’t wear much jewelry. Either a pair of small gold stud earrings or the crimson pearls he’d given her in Boracay. He’d lucked out when the ring in the matched set of pearls had fit her finger. He knew what size to get for her at Tiffany’s.

  He had no idea when he’d have the chance to slip into the famous Fifth Avenue store to buy her engagement ring, or when and where he’d propose. Their schedule had them doing everything together twenty-four seven for the next two weeks.

  This kind of uncertainty unnerved him. In the Philippines he had a reputation for being decisive and in control. Apparently, those qualities didn’t hold true in New York. He decided more sleep might help.

  As Blake lay back down, his cell phone vibrated on the bedside table. He reached for it before it woke Krista.

  Blake’s heart slammed against his ribcage when he saw his older brother’s name on the screen, along with five missed calls. He swung his feet onto the floor as he said into the receiver, “Is it Ma?”

  “Uncle Jack was stabbed outside the pub. Medics rushed him to the ER,” Aidan barked with no preamble.

  Shit! Though relieved that it wasn’t either of his parents, he worried equally for his Da’s best friend and business partner.

  “Where is everybody?” Blake turned the phone to face the room, to light his way to the bathroom.

  “I’m riding along with Ronan. The suspect’s still at large. Ma and Da are at the hospital now with Tita Belen. Craig is still in the air. ETA three hours. Darcy won’t arrive until twelve hundred hours. Patrick has gone AWOL.”

  Blake made a note of which hospital to go to and promised to be there in fifteen minutes. If neither Ronan nor Patrick could be there to support Uncle Jack and Tita Belen, Blake would take their place in the meantime.

  He got dressed, grabbing whatever he could reach and deciding by feel rather than style. Once done, he returned to the bed.

  Krista remained undisturbed by all the noise and the light he’d turned on in the closet. Despite the gravity of the situation, Blake smiled at his girlfriend. She had always slept like the dead. Fatigue from the flight and their lovemaking had depleted her energy; she needed this time to recharge. With regret, he leaned down to wake her.

  “Krista, sweetheart.” He cupped a hand over her shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. Groaning, she rolled all the way over to the other side. “Baby, I have to go.” He pulled the blanket off, knowing the loss of warmth would get her attention. She flopped onto her back and squinted at him.

  “What time is it?” she croaked. Tugging the blanket up to cover her nudity, she sat up and reached for the bottled water on the bedside table. “Why are you dressed?”

  He waited until she’d taken a sip before replying. “It’s past three a.m. I have to go to the hospital.” At her gasp, he explained quickly. “Uncle Jack is in the ER. I don’t know what his condition is, but Aidan was worried enough to call.”

  She scrambled off the bed and grabbed the hotel robe from the floor. “I’m going with you. Give me five minutes.” Without waiting for his response, Krista headed for the bathroom.

  He followed as soon as he heard the toilet flush. “Are you sure, sweetheart?” He raised his voice to be heard over the sound of her brushing her teeth. “We could be sitting there waiting for hours. You can stay here and catch up on sleep.” No response, just the sound of running water and splashing.

  She came out with her face gleaming, moisture still clinging to the baby-fine strands of hair on her forehead. Smudges darkened the skin beneath her eyes, but she looked alert and wide awake.

  “I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep anyway. I’ll only worry while you’re gone. If I go with you, you won’t have to check in with me every few hours.” She walked briskly to the closet.

  True to her word, she came out in five minutes wearing a pair of jeans and a red cashmere sweater.

  Even though the employees christened their office “The Siberia of Bonifacio Global City” for the air-conditioner setting of seventeen degrees Celsius, it still hadn’t prepared Krista for the arctic frigidity of The Big Apple during wintertime.

  Since none of the department stores in the Phi
lippines carried winter clothes, they’d used every minute of their two-hour layover in Hong Kong to outfit Krista with basic attire for the winter weather in New York. Her coat and the sweater she wore now were among those purchases.

  They’d had a brief battle over who’d pay for the mini shopping spree. His stubbornly independent girlfriend had insisted on paying for all the clothes and only allowed him to give her the footwear. Blake declared himself the winner in the skirmish because the black stretch suede Jimmy Choo boots with embellished heels that now encased her long legs had cost him nearly two thousand dollars.

  Reaching into his pocket, he rubbed a one-peso coin between his fingers. She’d handed it to him to counter the superstition regarding his gift of footwear. His lips lifted in amusement at the incongruity of that action.

  “What are you smiling about?” Krista poked his chin in inquiry. She had donned her gloves and coat, slung a purse over her shoulder, and looked ready to go on his signal.

  Pulling her close, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “You. Have I told you how amazing you are?” Her eyes flashed with pleasure at his compliment.

  “Every day. And so are you. I don’t tell you often enough.” Leaning in for a kiss, she breathed against his mouth, “You’re magnificent, Blake. I love you.”

  Incredibly happy with her words, he met her sweet lips with his own. He’d been the first one to say, “I love you,” but she was fast making up for lost time.

  ***

  Krista watched the multitude of glittering lights on the facades of the towering buildings as the taxi traveled westward along 59th Street. The holiday season’s demand for gaudier displays likely multiplied the expected luminescence a hundredfold. Even the numerous groves of trees in Central Park were festooned with star-like pinpoints of illumination.