“I didn’t know that. What did you like about him?” I was curious, not jealous. Roxie wasn’t the kind to try to steal a man from a friend.
“Oh, you know how he comes across all cocky and arrogant? That cold, hard gaze of his, and the way he kind of barks at people? Well, I saw right through that, to the man who just needed some loving in his life. I’m afraid we’re too alike, Dylan and I, so we’d have probably broken each other anyway. It’s better he got you instead. You’re the better woman.” She patted my hand and leaned back, satisfied.
“I doubt that, Roxie, my parents just happened to be rich. I’m no different, otherwise.”
“You are, Emily, and it’s not just that money you were born into. You’re good, from the bottom up. I’ve not always been the best person in the world. I’m happy with who I am now, though. It took me a while, but I got there.”
“I like you just how you are, Roxie. My adventurous, no-nonsense, no-bullshit friend.”
“Good, ‘cause I ain’t a-changin’ for nobody.” She put the accent on thick this time, but it came with a grin, so I knew she was teasing me.
“Lord, you’re going to be the death of me, woman.” I laughed and put my own accent on.
The waiter came over, and I saw how he checked Roxie out. She had on a pair of slouchy black pants, and a loose black silk tank top, with a pair of black sandals on her feet. She looked casual, but still had that something that oozed sexiness. Men often looked at her like that, but she never seemed to notice.
I guessed when people always looked at you like that you stopped taking notice of it after a while. She smiled at me, her makeup perfect and not too much, just perfect for her complexion and looks. She really was a beautiful woman, and I hated that her last companion had dumped her. She didn’t seem to mind being alone, though.
“How are things at work?” The waiter had brought our salads and left, a pink tinge in his cheeks when she thanked him with a tap on the hand.
He must be in his twenties, but he’d blushed like a teenaged boy when she touched him. I smothered a laugh and tipped my salad dressing over the pile of lettuce, chicken, and parmesan cheese in my bowl.
“It’s alright. I’m going down to Jacksonville tomorrow. I have a competition down there, then I’ll be back up the next day.” She knew I liked to hear about her dancing competitions. She was one of the best exotic dancers around, and she had the titles to prove it.
“I wish I could go and watch you.” I stuck a bite of chicken in my mouth and wondered if it was possible. I had work to do, though, and I needed to take the job seriously if I expected the staff to treat me with respect.
“I’ll have another one at some point, don’t worry. I’m glad to hear you have a job with Dylan. That’s important. How do you like it?”
“I like it so far. I’m doing a little bit of everything until he gets all of the staff hired. After that, I’ll have less to do. Or more, I guess. The resort will be open then.”
“I hope it stays enjoyable, at least.” She tucked into her own salad, and then our main courses came soon after.
Before I knew it, I was in my car and driving back to the resort. I went up to the penthouse to change and saw that Dylan had left me a note.
“Hope your lunch was fun, I’ll see you this evening.” He’d scrawled his name underneath, and I grinned as I held the note to my heart.
He was always doing this, leaving me notes around the place. It was sweet and he didn’t know it, but I tucked them all into my underwear drawer, as if they were love notes. Sometimes he wrote the notes on a receipt, sometimes a bit of torn paper, but to me they might as well have been written on vellum with gold ink, because I treasured each one.
I changed quickly and put on a pair of black pants, a black silk t-shirt, and a pair of black heels. They were my favorite Louboutin’s, a pair of black patent leather stilettos. I stared down at them, and not for the first time that day, thought about how much being pregnant would change my life.
I wasn’t always the most balanced woman in the world, and a fall could be dangerous. The words in my condition played through my mind, and I smiled, such old-fashioned words. The shoes were impractical, however, and I put them back and reached for a pair of black Versace ballerina slippers. Also, black patent leather with a gold embellishment across the toe. Much more sensible and safer.
Which made me think. I might not carry the baby to term. It was an odd though that came out of nowhere, but it made me sit up. What if I told Dylan I was pregnant, he broke up with me, and then I lost the baby? A cold thought, but logical. I’d have wrecked our relationship over a child that didn’t happen.
Maybe I should wait to tell him, until I knew I was past the three-month mark, at least? Then, I could tell him, and we’d go from there. I could wait the entire nine months, just disappear and come back with a baby in my arms, if I wanted to get carried away with it, but that would just be stupid. No, I’d wait until the three-month mark, then I’d tell him.
With my decision made, I stood up, shook out the loose tank top, and headed for the door. I had work to get done. I made my way down to the elevator, happy now that I’d made a decision. Come what may, I’d tell him about the baby.
I met with some of the new staff, the chef Dylan had hired, and the general manager of the restaurant. Then, I met the new housekeeping brigade and made sure they had what they needed to get ready the grand opening. I went over some order forms that the staff at the pool had sent in by email and sent that on to Dylan. They all knew I was Dylan’s live-in girlfriend, and I was worried it would be hard to get them to take me seriously, but everybody had so far, and I hadn’t had any problems.
It was nice to be taken seriously and to have some say in things. I’d done a lot for my family and had often filled empty roles for the family’s resorts all over the world, but I’d always been my father’s daughter. To be obeyed, but never taken seriously. No major decisions had ever been left up to me, and if I ever received calls about them it was to find out where my father or Trent was.
Now, people actually valued my opinion, and that was something else I had to thank Dylan for. I was part of a team and important. I guessed to most people it would be silly to think like that, but to me, well, it was really nice.
“Are you free, madam?” I heard Dylan sing out as he came into my office.
“I’m free, Dylan.” It was a line from a very old British television show that we’d found one night, during a binge of British shows on YouTube we’d come across. We both loved the show, and the line, and we found ourselves saying it at times.
“I’ve ordered dinner from the chef, kind of his first test.” Dylan wiggled his eyebrows at me in a comic manner, and I snorted at him. “I’ve got a selection of very bad horror films chosen for your perusal, and then a rather good fucking planned, if you should so desire, madam.”
“Oh, that sounds like my kind of night.” I giggled as he kicked the door closed and came over to lean over me for a kiss. “That sounds like a rather magical night, in fact.”
“I thought so. I wouldn’t want to disappoint, madam.” His lips nuzzled up my neck to behind my ear, and I tilted my head as he did so. “I know how you love really bad horror films, after all.”
“Ah, I thought it was the rather good fucking that you thought wouldn’t disappoint me.” I pulled back to look in his glittering eyes and twisted my lips in mock disapproval. “You aren’t teasing me now, are you?”
“As if I’d tease about such a thing.” He knelt in front of me and let his hands skim up my parted thighs. “In fact, it’s a shame you put pants on, Emily.”
“The door does lock, Dylan,” I offered, hopeful.
“I know,” he rocked back onto his heels and tapped at his chin. “I was hoping to push it up around your waist while I buried my face in you.”
“Oh my.” My eyes were round, and I had to shift around in my seat. “I can go change, if you’d like?”
“No,”—he tapped at h
is chin again, his eyes scrunched up—“that might ruin the mood. Better to just strip these off of you, I guess.”
He wasted no time in getting the pants off of me, or his face between my thighs. I propped my feet on my desk and used it as leverage to push my hips against him. His tongue teased me, hot and knowing, as I gave myself up to his attention. There weren’t many people who would come into my office, and I hoped if someone came to my door, they’d knock first.
The thrill that we could be caught heightened the moment, and I kept glancing at the door. I didn’t want it to open, but knowing it could made this all the more clandestine. Dylan owned the place, it wasn’t like we’d be fired if we were caught, but knowing the danger was there was nice.
“Dylan,” I sighed as my fingers tangled in his hair. “You do that so well.”
“Mmm.” The vibration of the sound against me was sensational.
In a matter of seconds my back arched, and I was trying not to scream his name. He was an expert in making me come and knew how to get me off quickly by now. Sometimes, he’d make me wait, make me beg for release, but now wasn’t one of those times. I was glad about that, because a knock came at the door just as I put my pants on and sat down.
I was disappointed because I’d wanted to return the favor.
“I’m sorry, Dylan.” I looked up at him, regret in my eyes.
“Don’t worry, darling, you can make it up to me later. On your knees.” He kissed me and walked out of the office and left the door open.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” It was the head of groundskeeping. He looked nervous but soon calmed down.
“What can I do for you?” I asked and settled into my seat.
“Well, we need a few more temporary staff to finish getting the new plants in on time, and the front desk sent me to you.”
“Ah, no problem, we’ll get it sorted out.” I made a phone call and sent him down to the right person for that.
It was nice, even if all I could do was make a phone call.
I knew that wasn’t the reason for my smile, though. That was all Dylan’s doing. He seemed to have this sixth sense about when I needed reminded that I had something to smile about. There was one thing for sure, Dylan James was an expert at leaving me with a smile.
Dylan
“I’m not so sure this is a good idea, Dylan.” Her voice was quiet, almost imperceptible, but I heard her.
“You know I can turn this car around and take you home; just say the words, Emily.” I meant it too, whatever she wanted was what I would do.
She’d decided to meet up with her entire family, to give them a chance, after she’d thought about it for a few more days. She had initially just wanted to meet up with her sister-in-law, but then she’d decided it was a Band-Aid situation. Rip it off and get it over with, which was how she usually faced things.
She was brave, my woman, and it made me proud of her. If she wanted to turn around and leave, that was just as brave to me. Either way, it was Emily’s decision, and she would make up her mind. That was what was important. I’d also make sure her family stuck to that decision and didn’t bother her.
They’d really hurt her over the years, and I didn’t think they knew exactly how they’d abused their relationship with her. From what she’d said she was just a token member, and I wasn’t certain if that was because she was female, because she’d been born last, or if it was something about her that they just didn’t appreciate. I thought she was the goddess I’d spent a long time looking for, without knowing I was, I thought with a smirk.
“What do you want to do?” I slowed the car on a quiet residential street and pulled over. I looked at her and saw nervousness mixed with doubt.
“I should do this, right?” Her lips trembled, and she all but vibrated with indecision.
“Emily, try it, my dear. See what happens. If they piss you off or say something that upsets you, we’ll leave, and that will be the end of it.” I put my hand over hers, and I could actually feel calm go through her.
I felt a swell in my chest at her reaction, and a sense of pride I didn’t know it was possible to feel. I’d given her comfort, and that made me happy.
“Alright. We can do this. Slay the dragon, right?” Her eyes were shining with confidence now, instead of fear, and I shook my head.
“I wouldn’t call Trent a dragon, a dick maybe, but not a dragon. Aren’t dragons supposed to be sexy in all those romance novels women leave in the rooms of the resorts now?”
“I guess. I’ve seen a few of those. They look … interesting.” I saw a smirk cross her face this time and grinned outright. I’d taught the woman to smirk, fuck yeah.
I loved it when she got that dirty look on her face, in whatever situation, a cross between elven and cocky; it was a knockout look.
“Mmhmm. I bet.” I put the car in drive and followed her directions to her brother’s house.
She’d told them I was coming and refused to come if I wasn’t welcomed. She’d made that clear, both of us or neither of us, that was the deal. I was really creating a monster, it would seem, but I didn’t care. She was my monster.
I pulled into the driveway, clasped her hand one more time, looked into her eyes and waited for her to nod. She did, so I got out of the car, and she joined me as I made it to the front. “Let’s do this, Emily.”
“Yes, sir.” She winked at me, and I knew it would be okay. For the next minute or so anyway.
The door opened before we’d even made it to the steps, and children flew out of the empty space. Two twin little girls, no more than five-years-old, wrapped their arms around Emily’s hips and screamed with joy.
“Aunt Emily! Where have you been?” one asked, her eyes tilted up to Emily’s.
“I’ve been a little busy, my love, how are you, Breanna?” I wasn’t sure how she could tell them apart.
They looked exactly alike and were dressed in the same outfits. I stared at them, totally stumped about which one was which and how I’d ever tell them apart.
“I’ve missed you terribly, Aunt Emily. I cried! Where were you?” the other one asked, and Emily knelt down on the concrete path that led to the steps.
“I’m so sorry, Rhiannon. I didn’t want you to cry.” She wrapped her arms around both girls, and I saw how she struggled to swallow down tears. This was what she’d missed, and it hit me hard.
She’d been denied even this little bit of love, which right now, looked like more love than one person could ever ask for. Trent’s hatefulness had done this. Emily hadn’t denied these girls anything, her brother had. I swallowed down my emotions, pushed the anger down, so that I could get through this with Emily without punching anyone.
“Come on, girls, let’s go see the rest of the family,” Emily said, and we all looked up to the house.
A woman stood there, rather pretty, with a nervous smile on her slim face. She had dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and was around Emily’s height. Her smile wobbled for a second, and then she held her arms out to Emily. She pulled Emily tight to her, and I heard quiet sobs from both.
I looked around, useless at that moment, and tried not to make myself conspicuous. I felt a tug on the jacket of my suit and looked down at a face so much like Emily’s only smaller. The little girl even had Emily’s gray eyes.
“Who are you, mister?” she asked, and her sister immediately piped up.
“He’s her boyfrien’, silly.” The little voice that dropped the ‘d’ in boyfriend, dripped sarcasm in a quiet whisper at her sister, and I could see that although Emily might not be their mother, but she had influenced them. I couldn’t help but smile at it all.
“Your sister’s right. I’m Emily’s boyfriend.” I didn’t want to say a name because I had no clue which was which.
I took a deep breath and realized that was the first time I’d said that to anyone. I was someone’s boyfriend, or boyfrien’ as the little girl had called me. It was all weird, but I was surprised to find I didn’t mind. I�
��d never had a family, but already it was living up to my expectations of what having a large family would mean.
Before I knew it, I’d been introduced to seven children, two of which were babies, three wives, Emily’s mother and father, and to Trent. The one who had kicked her out of this group full of so much love. Each wife and brother, niece and nephew had a moment alone with Emily, and even her parents took her aside.
Her eyes were red, and her nose looked raw from all of the crying, but she was happy. Very happy. I could see it in the way her shoulders relaxed and how much she laughed. Emily didn’t laugh just to appease someone or fill quiet. She laughed only when she meant it.
Then I met the group of people spread around the house. Her brothers Kevin and Mason sized me up in the kitchen when I went in to find Emily some juice. They stared at me, silent, and I stared back. Then Kevin had grinned, and both held out their hands to me.
“Great to meet you, I’m Kevin.”
“I’m Mason, the better-looking one. How are ya?”
Two sets of hands were shook, and I introduced myself, although it had nonchalantly been done already.
“I’m good. Big family, huh?” I raised my eyebrows and stuck my hands in my pockets.
“Yeah, it gets noisy sometimes, but it’s nice.” Kevin grinned and stuck a baby bottle in a bottle warmer. “Babies are great too, by the way. Never thought I’d say it, but there ya go.”
“You’re Bridget’s dad?” I asked, not totally sure which child belonged to which parent yet.
“Yeah, and soon to be uncle to this one’s upcoming addition. Which is why he’s on bottle duty for Jessi.” He laughed as he mentioned his sister-in-law’s name.
“Get some practice in, huh?” It was an odd conversation, but it was conversation.
“That’s the idea.” Mason grinned, and Kevin laughed.
“Who knew we’d end up like this?” Mason looked up at me and shook his head. “The word daddy was not in my vocabulary, and now we’re expecting our first child. It’s a miracle after Laura’s battle with cancer.”
Dark Truth Page 6
