Secret Designs

by Miranda P. Charles

  An awareness, or some kind of electricity—well, something, made her whip her head toward the entrance. Her heart jumped when she saw Dylan striding toward them with a confident gait, his handsome face marred with a frown. Not that he looked less hot frowning—he didn't. He still looked beautiful. And, oh, he'd look so fine in that suit she'd selected.

  She bit her lip in an effort to stop her wayward thoughts. Shut up, Ari. Just shut up.

  "Hi," Dylan said, his intense blue eyes seeming to search for something in hers.

  "Hi," she said with a gulp. Damn! She hated it that he had the ability to totally spin her out. She dragged her gaze away and found Henry staring at them in consternation.

  "Uh, Henry, this is Dylan," she said with faked casualness. "Dylan, this is Henry."

  The two men shook hands, both seeming to evaluate each other. The tension in the air made her palms sweat.

  "Great!" she exclaimed with forced enthusiasm. "Now that we're all here we can start our search."

  "How do we do this?" Dylan asked.

  "Well, I was thinking that you guys can try on some suits I've selected, then take pictures and text them to the bride and groom. If you can get an answer from them today, you can talk to the assistant and schedule a fitting for everyone in your party."

  "You're so organised," Henry said with admiration. "You know I'll take whatever you pick for me, Ari."

  "Wouldn't your brother want to make that decision?"

  "No. He doesn't know what to get either. He's leaving it up to me. That's why you're here," Henry said with a charming grin.

  "Okay, well how about you try those on?" She nodded to the assistant who smiled at Henry and led him to a change room.

  "Now as for you, Summers, I was thinking this one. It will be perfect for you guys." She glanced at Dylan and her heart stuttered. Damn him, he shouldn't be looking at her like that in public.

  "Dylan …"

  "Ari …"

  "Don't," she whispered weakly. But, just like before, she was powerless to look away.

  "Don't what?" he asked huskily.

  "Don't...look at me like that," she said without conviction.

  "I can't help it," he said with a lopsided smile.

  Her lips tugged upwards reluctantly. Her attraction for him hadn't waned one iota. But her foolish heart was giving her problems. It wanted to be part of the action. She couldn't allow that... It was still too battered and bruised to survive the game Dylan wanted to play.

  "That's not going to work this time, Dylan," she said softly.

  "Ari?" the shop assistant called. "Your friend asked if you could go in the change room to check him out in his suit."

  "Sure," she replied readily. "Could you help Dylan with his, please? He'll be trying that one out with this and this," she said to the assistant, pointing to the items in question. "Maybe you could take a picture of him with his phone, so he could show himself to the bride and groom."

  "My pleasure," the assistant purred.

  *******

  Ari glanced at Dylan as they exited the shop, hyper-aware of his cheerless disposition. Henry on the other hand was being an annoying chatterbox, engaging her in topics that Dylan didn't know anything about, so that she was forced to exclude him from the conversation. That must have added to Dylan's gloom—a gloom she felt acutely.

  "How about that coffee now, Ari?" Henry was asking her.

  "Oh, um. . ." She pretended to check her watch to give herself a few precious seconds to decide.

  "Well, I'll see you guys around," Dylan said to her sheer disappointment.

  "Thanks for your help today, Ari. I really appreciate it," he continued in a quiet, dejected tone.

  "No problem," she replied with a smile, hoping he'd return it and lose his downcast expression. But he didn't; he merely raised his hand as a gesture of goodbye and walked off.

  She had an urge to run after him, hating that she cared too much, but Henry was already steering her to the nearest coffee shop with a hand on her back. She walked a few steps with him before she stopped and peered at him contritely.

  "Henry, do you mind if I take a rain check? I still want to finalise a couple of details for Jasmine's wedding dress, and I need to order some materials online ASAP."

  "Oh, okay, no problem," Henry answered with barely contained chagrin. "Some other time then."

  *******

  Ari pulled out a folder from the backseat of her car and stuffed the catalogues she picked up from the men's suit shop.

  "Decided not to have that coffee?" a voice called out.

  Her heartbeat went from normal to racing in no time flat, as Dylan shut the door of his car and sauntered toward her. Goodness, of all the parking spots in the multi-level car parks in Sydney, why did he have to get a space virtually opposite hers?

  "I...I have to order something for the bridesmaid dresses online," she said breathlessly. "I want to do it straight away, in case there are delays with the delivery."

  Why, oh why, did she have to be so affected by his presence?

  "Ari, I don't know what you're thinking right now but it's obvious you're moving away from me. I'm sorry for not calling you back when you rang. I'm sorry you saw me with Rosalie the other night. I'm sorry I stuffed up with you."

  Her eyebrows lifted at his last sentence.

  "But," he continued with a sigh, "for what it's worth, I want you to know I did want to call you back; Rosalie doesn't mean anything to me; and I still want to be with you again."

  She stared at him, his words creating more questions than answers.

  "So why didn't you call me back?"

  He rubbed his face with his hand. "You want the truth?"

  She snickered. "Why would I not want the truth, Dylan?"

  "Okay. I didn't call you back because I didn't want you to think there was something special going on between us beyond the sex."

  She gasped as his candidness hit her solar plexus like a punch.

  "Thanks for letting me know," she squeaked as she hurried to open her car door.

  "Wait!" Dylan stepped closer, not allowing her space to move. "Like I said, Ari, I stuffed up."

  "What do you mean, Dylan?"

  He looked at her imploringly. "I feel something, Ari. It's too new, too complex to put a name to. All I know is that I want to see where it could lead."

  She gazed at him. If he had said something sweet and flirty, she would have pushed him away and drove off. But the raw sincerity in his disclosure, his uncertainty, his vulnerability, struck an answering chord in her.

  "What exactly are you saying?" she asked softly.

  "I want to be with you, Ari. I miss you."

  "I discovered I'm not built for casual relationships, Dylan."

  "If it's monogamous, would you still call it casual?"

  She frowned, trying to get what he meant.

  "I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not ready for a full-on, serious relationship but I definitely want more than a casual, friends-with-benefits thing with you. Way more. Does that make sense?" he asked, looking slightly frustrated.

  She couldn't help the smile that bloomed in her face. "You mean you want us to start dating?"

  He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. I guess that's what I mean."

  Laughter bubbled out of her. She didn't know why, but she just found him too funny. "You guess?"

  "Hey," Dylan said with an affronted look. "I haven't 'dated' this way for years. I just forgot what it's called."

  She sobered. "So you've just been having one-night stands and casual sex for years? For how long?"

  He threaded his fingers through his hair. "Uh, yeah, for about five years. But I've always worn a condom and have regular tests. The last one was three weeks ago. They always come back clean. And it's not as if I trawled at bars every week," he said a tad defensively.

  "You're funny, Dylan," she said with a genuine smile.

  He cocked his head to the side. "So, does that help me in this case?"

 
"I guess."

  His smile was brilliant as he tilted her chin up and fitted his lips with hers.

  Within seconds, their kiss turned hotter. She slid her arms around his neck and pressed closer to him. God, she missed him. She didn't know what she'd just gotten herself into, or where they would end up, but as long as they could cultivate respect in their fledgling relationship, she was in.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Dylan groaned as Ari's soft body pressed against his hardness. Fuck. The way he was feeling, he didn't think he'd make it home.

  "Do you want to go to my place? It's closer," he whispered in her ear before kissing her neck.

  She leaned back to look at him. "I thought we'd be dating."

  "We are, starting from now," he confirmed.

  "Well, I think we should go on dates first, before we end up in bed again," she said warily.

  Great. I even forgot how to date a girl, he thought guiltily. She was right, of course. If this were to work out, he had to learn when to keep his hands off her. Besides, she deserved to be treated well.

  "You're right. Sorry. So, do you want to go out with me tonight?" he asked, lightly running his hand on her arm.

  "Sure," she replied with a smile.

  "I'll pick you up at seven?"

  "Sounds good."

  He gave her a swift kiss and let her go. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

  *

  Dylan drove back to his place with a silly grin on his face. After feeling shattered that Ari might have chosen Henry over him, this turn of events was better than he'd anticipated.

  He had to book a restaurant for dinner. Geez, he hadn't taken a girl out on a proper date for so long that he didn't have any idea where he could take her. Sure, he knew all the bars and clubs in Sydney—the good ones, at least—but that wasn't what he had in mind for Ari tonight.

  Who could he ask for recommendations? Definitely not Trey or Adam. No doubt they'd turn up uninvited and put Ari through the ISAG. Yes, he still wanted them to do it, but not tonight, and not without a plan that would ensure Ari didn't find out what they were doing and why.

  He pressed a button on his steering wheel and activated the voice command on his phone. "Call Kane Summers," he instructed it.

  The sound of a ringing phone filled the car.

  "Hey, bro," Kane said over the car speakers.

  "Hey. So are you happy with your wedding gear?" he asked.

  "Yeah, looks good. Jaz is super excited. She said she can't wait to see me in it. Thanks again for doing that."

  "No worries. Anyway, the reason for my call is to ask you if you could recommend a nice restaurant I could take Ari to tonight."

  "You're taking Ari out tonight?" Kane asked, surprise evident in his voice.

  "Yeah. Don't you think she deserves it?"

  "Oh, right. Sure. Well, what sort of price range do you have in mind?"

  He snorted. "Come on, Kane, do you think I want to look cheap?"

  Kane chuckled. "Okay, what cuisine?"

  "Uh, it doesn't matter."

  "In the city, or somewhere else?"

  "Doesn't matter."

  "What sort of ambiance are you after?"

  Dylan rolled his eyes. All these questions! "Kane, if you were taking Jazzie out tonight, where would you take her?"

  "So tonight is a date?" Kane asked with astonishment.

  "Yes," he answered with an impatient sigh.

  "Oh. A serious one or just a nothing kind of date?"

  "What's a nothing kind of date?"

  "The ones you usually go to," Kane replied.

  "Those weren't dates," he retorted. "They were one-night stands."

  "Ah, so Ari's not a one-night stand anymore, is she?"

  "Are you going to answer my original question or are you just going to grill me?"

  "Hmm. Touchy. Just answer my last question and I'll give you my recommendations."

  He exhaled loudly. "Ari isn't a one-night stand."

  There was silence for a few seconds before Kane responded. "Okay, bro. Good luck with it all," Kane said, his tone low and serious.

  "Thank you. Now which restaurant?"

  "I have three in mind. I'll text them to you."

  "Okay, thanks."

  *******

  "Hi, gorgeous."

  Dylan gazed at Ari appreciatively. She looked stunning in her little black dress. Hell, he'd have a hard time keeping his hands to himself.

  "Hi," she said shyly before stepping closer and giving him a peck on the lips.

  He tried to hold back, but he couldn't help himself. With a low moan, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, as he captured her lips for a thorough, more satisfying kiss.

  Ari clung to him and kissed him back enthusiastically. Unbidden, his hand crept down her sexy bottom and caressed it through her tight, black frock. Ari moaned and pressed closer to him, shooting his temperature up a few degrees higher. If they didn't stop now...

  With a mighty effort, he pulled away from her. "We better go," he said shakily.

  Ari sighed. "Okay, let me grab my purse."

  He grinned as he watched her sashay to the coffee table to grab her clutch. Her disappointment at ending their kiss was evident. He was glad and relieved he wasn't the only one.

  They left her apartment and walked to his car in silence.

  "This is your car?" Ari asked in surprise.

  "Yes. Didn't you notice it at the car park earlier?"

  "No, I didn't."

  He simply smiled, used to the reaction his Mercedes Benz sports car got from women. He opened the door for her and smiled in appreciation when her dress hiked up as she sat on the low seat, showing more of her gorgeous legs. He shut her door and sauntered to the driver side, whistling to himself.

  *

  Dinner was perfect. Kane's suggestion was spot on, and Dylan simply enjoyed chatting with Ari about their families, their favourite food, movies, and all the usual stuff.

  He was quite cautious when it came to the topic of work. It wasn't that he didn't trust her—he still maintained she wasn't some kind of gold digger—it was just that he'd like to get to know her better before divulging exactly what kind of software he had developed with Trey and Adam. Not many people knew that their company had created some of the more popular business and games apps in the market. Mentioning which ones they were was tantamount to disclosing they'd earned millions from their enterprise.

  There were just some things he hardly shared with other people unless they really needed to know.

  Even so, Ari was the first woman he was prepared to trust in a long, long while, albeit somewhat cautiously.

  But speaking of work, there was something he was keen to know.

  "Ari, are you planning on starting your own couture business, now that you have the time and opportunity? I see you already have customers raving about you."

  She gave him a rueful smile. "Not yet. One of these days, hopefully. Don't tell anyone, but those raving fans? They're actually good friends of mine."

  He laughed. "Well, even my mum is impressed. I can tell you that she and my sister are very particular about their clothes, so don't sell yourself short."

  "Thanks. Jasmine's been a great advocate for me."

  "So, if you're not going into it full time, what do you plan to do?"

  "Keep looking for a job. It's a bit tough in the fashion market at the moment, but I'm hoping something will come up sooner rather than later." Ari looked like she was about to say something more but instead she switched the topic back to Kane and Jasmine's wedding.

  He wanted to know how she was coping without a job, but he guessed she probably had some money saved. Someone like her would have been on a good salary when she was working. Plus she must have received some redundancy money. Besides, he'd heard the prices that Ari was charging for her dresses from his mother. They weren't exorbitant, but by his calculations it should be enough to tide her over for a few weeks more, if she wasn't too extrav
agant with her spending.

  At least she'd be fine for a while, and that made him feel slightly more at ease about her financial situation. He couldn't help but worry about her, though.

  *******

  "Thanks for a wonderful dinner."

  "You're welcome," he said, running a knuckle on her cheek.

  "Would you like to come in for coffee?"

  He grinned. "Yes, please. I though you wouldn't ask."

  Ari opened her front door and he followed her inside, eager, yet not wanting to show her just how much. If this was their first date, he wasn't sure if she'd want to sleep with him tonight. In any case, he'd simply follow her lead.

  Ari went to the kitchen to put the kettle on while he sat on her couch. Hmm. They'd had sex here not too long ago.

  The memory heated him up and his pants got tight. That was one hot night.

  What did Ari have in mind for tonight? Was he included in her plans?

  She came out of the kitchen and sat beside him.

  "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

  His lips curled mischievously. "I was just admiring your couch."

  "Uh-huh," she acknowledged, as she lifted her face to his for a kiss.

  He cupped her cheek and kissed her slowly, wanting to savour the taste of her mouth and the feel of her lips against his. Ari clutched his hair, deepening their kiss. He couldn't tell if she dragged him down or if he pushed her down, but before he knew it, she was on her back and he was on top of her on the sofa.

  "Do you want to do this?" he asked as he nibbled along her neck.

  A soft moan.

  "Is that a yes?" he queried as his hand caressed her bare thigh.

  "Dylan, yes," she said, arching her back to press closer to him.

  With a groan, he re-captured her lips and devoured her mouth, their tongues duelling. He pulled her up to a sitting position and reached for her zipper just below the back of her neck. Slowly, he tugged down, raining kisses on her face as he did so.

  Ari stood up. With her eyes on his, she lifted the hem of her dress and took it off. His chest heaved. She was so beautiful and, Lord, he missed her.

  Remembering that the condoms were in her room he got up and pulled her in his arms. "Bedroom, baby," he said, running her hands all over her body as he kissed her throat.