by Layla Frost
“I think it’s time we go,” Julie said, climbing out of the hot tub and turning it off, muttering about Tina as she moved.
As I stood, the wicked heat replaced the amusement in Theo’s expression. His eyes travelled my body slowly as he huskily said, “I agree.”
···
A couple hours later, the menu music on the DVD started for the second or twentieth time. I wasn’t sure which.
We’d made it about fifteen minutes into the movie before Theo’s teasing touches had led to the occasional light kiss. Fifteen minutes after that, the movie was totally forgotten, and I was straddling him.
After his family left, I’d used the bathroom right off the kitchen to get changed out of my wet suit as Theo ran upstairs to do the same. When I’d come out of the bathroom, he’d been waiting to bring me farther down the hallway to his entertainment room.
Theo’s setup made his parents’ look like an old black and white TV in a wood paneled and shag carpeted basement. The chairs, including two love seats, were plush and comfortable, all of them reclining. There was a fridge that was bigger than mine at home, a popcorn maker, and a line of four draft beers, and that was just what I’d been able to see before he’d pulled me to sit next to him on one of the loveseats.
It’d been going so well. Then not as well. And then just plain frustrating.
And it was all Theo’s fault.
I was sitting on his knees, one leg on each side of his muscular thighs. One of his hands cupped the back of my head, but it was his other hand that was the problem.
Every time I tried to move closer, his hand would go to my hip. He’d tighten his grip, moving me back before trailing up my ribs, down to my thighs, and back again.
It was driving me crazy.
Clutching his t-shirt at his shoulders, I leaned into the kiss. When Theo groaned, the kiss becoming less controlled, I took my opening and tried again to get closer. I’d barely shifted when both of his hands went to my hips, holding me in place.
Breaking our connection, his voice was a rough pant. “Dahlia.”
“Hmm?” I murmured.
“It’s getting late, gattina.”
“What time—” was all I could get out before his mouth dropped to my oversensitive neck.
“Almost eleven,” he said, the words slightly muffled.
Saturday morning meant I didn’t have to get up early for Java Brew, but I would have a long and hectic shift at Weggies.
I was used to operating on little sleep, though.
“Not that late.” I ended on a gasp as Theo bit down lightly.
“You off tomorrow?”
“No, but I don’t go in until ten.”
Theo leaned back, slouching a little to rest his head against the back of the seat. His dark eyes were hooded as he looked at me. Up and down, his large hands stroked from just under my breasts to my thighs, then back again. When he reached the section of exposed skin between my shorts and my top, he skimmed his thumbs along my waistband for a moment before returning to his set path, staying above my shirt. “The drive back is going to take a while.”
In the month we’d been seeing each other, we’d gone on five dates. Five and a half, if I counted the interrupted one. Still, we’d barely done more than kiss.
Forcing a smile as doubt took over, I nodded and pushed off him to stand. “I’m going to grab my bag.”
Walking outside, I gathered my things, and my thoughts, letting the cool air clear my head. I heard the door open and close, the lock clicking in place seeming to echo in the quiet.
“Ready?” Theo asked from behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Yeah,” I said softly.
Liar.
Theo
In my line of work, I’d gotten good at reading silences. The heavy one that had settled in the car as I drove Dahlia home wasn’t a comfortable one. It wasn’t a strategic one, or an awkward post-date one, either.
It was the kind of silence someone forced when they had a secret they were worried about spilling.
And based on the fact she’d positioned herself as far from me as she could, meaning she was so close to the door she was almost running outside, it didn’t take a genius to tell it wasn’t good.
“Want me to put on the radio?” I asked, making her jump.
Wide eyes turned to me as she shook her head. “No.” She paused, softening her voice. “No, thank you. My, uhh, head hurts a little. Too much sun and water,” she rambled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Or maybe it was the drinks. Not that they weren’t good. Please tell Tina and Julie they were delicious.”
I jerked my chin up, clenching my jaw as I rubbed across it. I had no clue what the hell had happened in less than an hour, but I was going to find out.
“Dahlia—”
“There’s my building,” she pointed out, too much relief in her voice.
Coming to a stop, I turned to her, but she was already halfway out the door.
I threw my door open and stood. “Whoa, slow down, Dahlia. What’s going on?”
She stopped, but didn’t turn to face me fully. “Nothing. I’m just tired. Goodbye, Theo.”
Making it around the car in record time, I grabbed her wrist and stopped her as she neared the door. “What is it?”
“Nothing, it’s just late.”
My brows lowered when she lied to my face. “If you’re going to try to end things, at least be honest instead of running away.”
“That’s not what I’m—”
“So you’re not ending things?” I asked pointedly.
“No, I… Well—’
“Which is it, Dahlia?”
Her eyes went to the side, avoiding mine. “It’s late and—”
“Are you ending it or not?”
“Yes! Okay, yes, I am.” Inhaling deeply, Dahlia looked up at me, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t think things are working out.”
“Why?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Why don’t you think things are working out?”
“Women don’t owe men an explanation.”
“You’re right, but I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about you.”
Putting her hand on her waist, she stepped back as much as she could with me still holding her other wrist. “I’m a woman.”
“Trust me, Dahlia, I know that.”
“Do you?” Her tone wasn’t filled with the snappy attitude I’d expect with the question, only a hint of sadness.
Using my hold, I tugged her a little closer. “What is this about?”
“Nothing, I just think sometimes people aren’t compatible.”
I arched my brow. “And you reached this decision two minutes after my tongue was in your mouth? I know I’ve been out of the game for a while, gattina, but is my technique that bad?”
“A while?” Dahlia whispered before shaking her head and straightening her spine. “No, I just think—”
“You keep saying that. You think.”
“Because I do. It’s just not working.”
“Why?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“Normally, I’d agree. But, since this is you, I’m asking anyway. Why?”
“There is no why, it’s—”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t want to have sex with me! Okay?” Pale green eyes widened as a bright red flush took over her creamy skin.
Stunned silent, I slow blinked as I waited for her to tell me she was kidding. When she didn’t say anything, instead trying again to tug her hand from my grasp, I almost laughed at the absurdity. “Are you out of your mind?” I asked, my voice echoing through the nearly empty street.
“Yes,” she muttered, looking up at the sky before back at me. “And please keep it down. Mrs. Giovanni has ultrasonic hearing and multiple police chiefs on speed dial.”
“Who the hell is Mrs. Giovanni?”
“She lives on the first floor, and hasn’t
heard a noise she didn’t want to complain about. Which is why I should get inside.”
“No.”
My cell started ringing, making her jump. “You better get that. I’ll see you around.”
“It can wait.” Using my hold on her wrist, I pulled her hand to cover the bulge my semi-hard cock was making. At the feel of her hand on me, it hardened fully, thickening as it jerked against her palm.
Dahlia gasped, the sound sending a painful ache to my dick. Even though I loosened my hold on her wrist, she made no effort to remove her hand.
“Does that feel like I don’t want you?” I whispered, my voice coming out hoarse and strained. “I’m never not hard when I’m around you. Cazzo, Dahlia, all I have to do is think of you.”
When my phone started ringing again, she yanked her hand away. I was tempted to put it back, preferably without the clothing in the way.
“You should get that,” she said, her voice breathy.
I shook my head. “It’s just Luc. Why the hell would you think I don’t want you?”
“We’ve been out a bunch. You haven’t tried to… I just assumed…”
“You know what they say about that? When you assume, you leap to asinine conclusions like it’s your super power.”
Dahlia’s lips tipped up, though she tried to hide it. “I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.”
“I’m paraphrasing.” Keeping hold of her waist, I stepped into her space. I knew she could feel my cock jerk against her belly as she looked up at me guardedly.
She’s still hiding something.
“What else is this about?” I asked as my phone started up again.
“Nothing.”
My voice lowered, my tone matter of fact. “That’s the second time in ten minutes you’ve lied straight to my face, Dahlia.”
“I’m not.”
“Third.” I bit out a curse as my phone stopped and started. “Sorry, I’ve got to get this.”
“It’s okay, go ahead.” Taking two small steps away, heading in the opposite direction of the building, she looked at the sparse flowers that grew in the city’s dilapidated planter.
“Luca,” I growled as the call connected.
“I know, boss, I know. But this is an emergency. No, I take that back. This is a clusterfuck of epically fucked up proportions.”
Turning away, I kept my voice low. “What’s happening?”
Luc’s own voice changed, his tone forced and upbeat. “You know how it is, some guys just get cold feet and lash out.”
I glanced at Dahlia as she picked some weeds. “I take it someone is there.”
“No, no, don’t cry. Come pick me up, and we’ll go talk to him.”
“Text me the address.”
“No problem, that’s what family is for.”
Ending the call, I turned just in time to see Dahlia press the last number in the building passcode and open the door, pulling it closed behind her.
As much as I wanted to go after her, it was clear she needed space. And I needed to figure out what was going on with Luc.
After getting the address, I drove in silence, my mind switching between Dahlia and work. My frustration with both situations grew the longer I thought about them. By the time I made the quick drive, I was white knuckling the steering wheel, trying to remind myself that snapping it would lower the value of the car.
I pulled in front of the bar where Luc was already waiting. “Hey,” he greeted, getting in and pulling out his cell. “Niall is waiting for us at Amaric, and…” His words trailed off when he looked at me. “What happened?”
“Nothing with this,” I evaded. He continued looking at me until I added, “Dahlia tried to end things.”
“‘Tried’?”
“Tried.” Stopping at a red light, I ran my palm down my face. “She said it was because I don’t want to have sex with her.”
“She actually said that?” Luc asked through his chuckle.
Nodding, I almost wanted to laugh, too. She’d looked mortified. “Anyway, I don’t think that’s all there is. She’s hiding something.” At Luc’s heavy silence, similar to Dahlia’s, I surmised, “And you know what it is.”
“Yes.”
“Luca—”
He held his hands up. “Hey, I told you I wasn’t sharing all I learned. And I’m still not.” I opened my mouth, but he talked over me. “For now. If things don’t change in a week or two, I’ll tell you. But I stand by what I said. Sometimes it really is better to go in not knowing every detail.” As if sensing my argument, he added, “Plus, think about how much better it’ll be when she tells you because she trusts you.”
Knowing he was right, I nodded. “One week.”
“Everything’s a negotiation with you,” he muttered.
“Since you know whatever is holding her back, do you have any suggestions?”
He hesitated. “You’re really into her?”
“When’s the last time… No, wait,” I corrected, thinking better of it. “When have you ever seen me like this?”
“In our line of work—”
“I’ve been making time for her, Luca. A lot of it. More than I’ve ever done, but especially lately. With the rest of it, I’m being fucking selfish.”
It might have been her gorgeous looks that drew me to her initially, but that wasn’t what kept me interested. After spending the last month with her, I knew Dahlia didn’t have the personality of a gelatinous fish. There were probably a million and one reasons I shouldn’t pursue her, top of the list being my work. But I was an asshole and was doing it anyway.
Luc nodded. “Don’t give her space. But don’t overwhelm her.”
“What the hell does that even mean?”
He shrugged. “It’s the best I can do. She needs to know you’re not going anywhere.”
Filing away the info, I refocused on the night. “Can we get off the subject of my love life now?”
“Hey, you started it. And why are we driving in silence?” Reaching forward, Luc pressed the button to turn on the radio.
We both jumped as obnoxious prepubescent singing filled the car at max volume, the word ‘Baby’ being repeated over and over.
Luc turned horrified eyes to me. “Is this… Bieber?!”
Pressing eject, I grabbed the burned copy and saw the word ‘For’ in feminine writing.
There was a lull until the next CD in the four-disc changer started up.
Luc choked on his laughter. “Is it? Is it too late now to say sorry?”
Ejecting that one, I saw ‘your’ written in the same handwriting.
Another song started, the upbeat tune filling the car before I pressed eject again. Smiling at the word ‘listening’, I found myself wishing the disc capacity was much larger.
The last CD whirred into place, a basic guitar chord strumming. I reached to stop it, but Luc blocked me. “This your favorite song, Luc?”
“No, it’s just not Bieber. Who is this?”
I shrugged and touched the button, looking at the disc for a clue.
“‘For your listening dimpled pleasure’,” Luc said as he read all four discs, confusion in his voice. “Why dimpled?”
“It’s One Direction.” My smile grew to a grin. “Harry and I have the same dimples.”
Luc switched to my usual satellite radio station. “Is there a specific reason Dahlia tried to blast your eardrums with teen pop heartthrobs?”
“The real question,” I said, plans already forming, “is why she’d go through the work to do that if she was really ending things?”
Feeling better than I had ten minutes before, I tucked the CDs away carefully and finished the drive to Amaric.
Chapter Seven
Alone
Dahlia
Why is this happening?
Frowning, tears pricked the back of my eyes as I walked through the mall.
After a busy and emotionally draining… life, really, but specifically the past few months, I’d needed to treat mysel
f. Taking the T outside the city, I’d gone to a smaller mall, hoping for less of a crowd.
My hope had been for nothing because it’d been packed.
I’d picked a movie at random, and the only empty seat had been next to me. The rest of the theater had been full, groups laughing and chatting during the movie. No one but me seemed to be paying attention to the post-apocalyptic tale of a woman dealing with being alone as she tried to find other survivors. Every time she’d found someone, they’d been ripped out of her life. Or worse, they’d betrayed her. There’d been nothing funny about it.
‘It’s like her,’ the people behind me had loudly whispered, pointing to where I sat.
‘Lonely and lost,’ others had agreed.
I’d wanted to leave, but I needed to see the movie. See how it ended.
Making my way through the mall, I didn’t bother to window shop, even though I normally loved to. Every time I stopped, I’d hear the whispers, see the stares and pointing.
As if on cue, a group of girls my age walked by. Their style looked like they were inspired by the movie Clueless, and they were carrying so many bags I was surprised they didn’t trip.
“What kind of loser comes to the mall by herself?” one of them asked.
The rest laughed, the group growing larger as more people joined them.
I wanted to leave, but I had hours until my train was due, and I was hungry.
Finding a cheap restaurant, I approached the hostess area and forced some fake confidence in my tone. “Table for one.”
Judgement and a sneer twisted the hostess’ face. “Follow me.”
I walked behind her as she led me to the largest table in the room. “How many people are supposed to sit here?”
“Thirty,” she said, her tone bored as she waited for me to sit there alone.
“Can I have another table, please?” I pleaded.
She shook her head and walked away.
I continued standing, unsure if I wanted to stay. More people pointed and stared, some laughing and whispering.
I’d always been alone, and it’d never bothered me. I was good at being independent and self-reliant. I didn’t need a big group of friends to know my self-worth.
“You’re all alone,” a crackling voice said from beside me.
