Savanna nodded and remained quiet.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters? I don’t remember you saying.”
“Um, yeah. One of each,” she said. She was obviously reluctant to talk about them.
“Where do they live?” Dustin asked.
“Nathan lives in San Antonio, and my sister is in Atlanta, Georgia.”
“Are they married? Do you have any nieces or nephews?”
“Hey, what is all this talk about our families?” She fidgeted under his stare.
“Just trying to get to know you a little better. We’ve been dating for a little over a month now, and I realized we really don’t know anything about each other.”
Savanna opened her mouth then closed it. She jumped out of bed, still holding on to the sheet. “Do we have to know all about each other’s lives to go out?”
“I guess not, but I really would like to get to know you better. Learn more about you and your life. Aren’t you even the least bit curious about me or my life?”
Dustin stood up and walked around the end of the bed to stand in front of her. He was totally nude, but it didn’t bother him. Hell, they’d just made love not an hour ago.
“I’m going to take a shower.” She turned and walked toward the bathroom, dragging the sheet after her.
He grabbed her arm to stop her. “Hey, wait up. What’s wrong? You’re acting like something is really bothering you.”
“Nothing. I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be out in a few minutes.” She swallowed but didn’t look up.
He realized she was close to tears. He let go of her arm, and she nearly ran into the other room. It took two tries to get the entire sheet into the bathroom so she could close the door. He heard the lock click. He stared at the closed door. What in the hell had brought that on? It had to be something about her family. That was when she got upset. He’d kept pushing her, and she had balked and ran. Obviously, there was something wrong in her family, and he hadn’t let it go. What an asshole.
He sighed, grabbed up his jeans, and pulled them on. He didn’t bother with shoes or socks. She kept her apartment clean. He kept his that way, too, but he had someone who came and cleaned for him twice a week.
Hopefully she would calm down in the shower, and they could talk about something else. Eventually, she would talk about her family with him if they worked everything else out. Maybe he should go ahead and broach the subject of their relationship. Women usually loved to talk about relationships. Since he wanted to discuss making theirs an exclusive one, it would be a good time to bring it up.
He wasn’t sure how far he was willing to go as far as where they were headed. I mean, I don’t want to talk about marriage. It was too soon. They still had the getting to know each other issue to resolve.
Thinking back, he realized they never talked about much of anything other than general, safe topics. It was all about sex with her. Oddly enough, Dustin wanted more than just sex in their relationship. Normally, he was all about the sex. He didn’t get serious about anyone. He dated for the sex, and for someone to escort to the parties and charity events he went to. The idea that things weren’t going to go well settled on him like a heavy cloak. There was definitely something wrong, and before they could go any further, he needed to know what it was. If she were seeing another man, he would handle it. As long as she agreed to stop seeing him now that they were together, he was okay with that. After all, they hadn’t had that sort of relationship spelled out before. But Dustin had the sneaky suspicion it was something much worse than another man.
Chapter Ten
Savanna barely made it into the bathroom before the first tear fell. She closed the door, locked it, and leaned against it, trying to stifle the sobs. Ah, hell. What was she going to do now? He was talking about family. That meant he was getting serious. Men didn’t talk about family unless they planned to meet them. Just how serious was yet to be seen, but definitely more serious than she planned on getting. She needed to be honest with him about their relationship or lack of, which was how she wanted to keep it. Right?
Suddenly, the idea of losing him bothered her a lot more than it should. She wanted things to remain like they were. What if he didn’t want to leave things as they were? Men didn’t usually want a serious relationship. Why did Dustin have to be different? Maybe she could be a little more open about her life and still keep her distance. She couldn’t afford to fall in love with him. He wasn’t her idea of a good husband candidate. Face it, Savanna, you’re looking for a husband, and he doesn’t fit the bill, no matter how good he is in bed.
He didn’t fit into her ideal. Yes, he had sex down to a fine art, but he didn’t have a steady job. She wanted, no, needed stability in her life. Her childhood had been full of men who were only looking for the next get-rich-quick scheme. She wasn’t living like that again, and she sure wasn’t going to have a child grow up in that environment. What was she going to do?
Savanna finished rinsing off and got out of the tub. She dried off, thinking desperately of what she was going to do. She opened the bathroom door and was relieved to see he wasn’t in the bedroom. She knew a moment of panic that he had left, but she saw his shoes and shirt on the bedroom floor. He hadn’t left. She pulled on a pair of shorts and an overlarge T-shirt. She didn’t bother with house shoes.
She found Dustin drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen. He looked so good standing there in nothing but a pair of jeans and nothing else. The jeans were unbuttoned at the waist, and his sexy muscular chest and abdomen were bare for her to see. He looked too damn good. Her heart sped up. Their eyes met. She licked her lips and smiled. He grinned in return. Maybe they would be okay after all.
“How about some coffee?” he asked.
“Sounds good.” Savanna stood on the other side of the island.
He pulled another mug from the cabinet and poured coffee into it before handing it to her. He pushed the sugar bowl across the bar to her. He knew she liked a teaspoon full of sugar in her coffee. He paid attention to the little things, she realized. Why, oh, why couldn’t he have a steady job? She would be happy even if it was as a garbage man as long as it was steady. She needed roots in her life. That was why she owned the day spa. It meant stability and a steady income.
They sipped their coffee for a few minutes in silence. Then Dustin put his cup down. He leaned on the bar and looked into her eyes.
“I think we need to talk.”
“About what?” She dropped her gaze and studied her coffee. She so didn’t want to have this conversation.
“About us.”
“What about us?” She held her coffee with both hands.
“Is there an us? I mean, do you want to keep seeing each other, Savanna?”
She jerked her head up. “Well, yeah. I mean, have you changed your mind?”
“No, but I need to know how you feel. You don’t talk about your feelings. Are you happy with us? Is the sex good for you?” Dustin leaned his elbows on the bar.
“You’re asking me about feelings? I thought I was the girl here.”
He shook his head. “See what I mean? You changed the subject. Anytime something personal comes up, you back away from it.” He stood up straight again. “Is there something you don’t want me to know about?”
“No, I just don’t talk about stuff all that much. I do with Karen, but you’re…” She hesitated, not sure what to say. Finally, she settled on, “a man.”
“If we were married, you would talk to me about anything and everything.”
Her head jerked up when he said married. There wasn’t anything on his face to indicate he was serious. She let out a breath and swallowed around the knot in her throat.
“Savanna, you and Karen went out the other night. You said you had a good time. I’m okay with that, but I want us to have a closer relationship. I don’t want you seeing anyone else while we are together.”
Savanna licked her lips. She could handle that. She didn’t want him messing around wit
h anyone while they were seeing each other either. That was doable.
“I agree with that. I don’t want you seeing anyone either. It goes both ways.”
He grinned at her. “I expected that.” He stretched over the bar and kissed her.
Good, maybe everything was okay now.
“My sister is coming to Dallas next week for a seminar. I thought if you aren’t busy, we could have dinner with her Friday night.”
Maybe not. She bit her lip and racked her brain for something to say. He looked expectantly at her.
“Yeah, sure. That would be nice.” She groaned inwardly.
Meeting family meant deeper feelings. It wasn’t a good sign. Face it, girl. You are already fighting your feelings for him. Suck it up. You’ve got to talk to him.
“Great! I’ll tell her. She wants to meet you,” he said.
“You’ve already told her about me?” It came out in a squeak.
“Well, yeah. She and I talk about twice a week. We’ve been close all our lives.”
“Oh, that’s great. It will be nice to meet her. Where is she staying?” she asked.
“With me. I’ve got plenty of room for her. She’s used to my place anyway.”
Savanna wondered what kind of place he lived in. He hadn’t taken her there yet. She mentally slapped herself. Stop! You don’t want to go to his place. That makes things more serious than you want to get.
“You know, you’ve never been to my place. I don’t know why I haven’t taken you there. You’d like my shower.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
It was so funny she couldn’t help but laugh. “You mean it’s nicer than mine? I have a really nice shower.”
“Yeah, right,” he said.
She frowned at him and slapped his arm. “What’s so great about yours?”
“It’s a walk-in, and,” he said, “it has multiple showerheads.”
She frowned. That was interesting. He didn’t have a steady job, but he had a super nice shower. Well, men had strange priorities. Trucks, toys, and, she guessed, showers.
He leaned over the bar again and kissed her. “Mmm, my favorite combination. You, toothpaste, and coffee.”
“When you put it that way, gross.” Savanna made a face at him.
He laughed. “So we agree? We are seeing each other exclusively? I mean, if you were seeing someone else, well, I guess I can’t say anything, but not anymore. Okay?”
“Why would I see anyone but you? You are the absolute best in bed.” She laughed and took her mug around to the sink to rinse it out. When he didn’t say anything, she turned around to find him looking at her oddly.
“What?”
“Is the only reason you’re seeing me is for the sex? Is that why you haven’t talked about your family or your job or, hell, anything?”
Savanna stuttered. “Well, uh, no. I mean, the sex is really, really good, but I like hanging out with you, too.”
He didn’t look convinced. Savanna realized she needed to be honest with him. It wasn’t fair. He was obviously looking for more from their relationship than she was. Hell, she knew it when he started talking about family. She couldn’t lead him on.
“Look, I’m not looking for a forever kind of relationship right now.”
“What are you looking for?” His face showed nothing of what he might be feeling.
“Someone to have fun with. Spend time with, you know, do things with.”
“Of which sex is a big part.”
“Well, yeah, I guess.” She wasn’t doing well here.
“And if you were looking for a more serious relationship, what would you be looking for?” he asked.
“Stability. A good solid man who would make a good father.” She knew the moment she said it that he wasn’t fooled.
“So, in other words, you are looking for someone with a full-time job. Which you think knocks me out of the running.”
“I didn’t say that. I said I’m not looking right now.”
“But if you were, I wouldn’t be your first choice. Probably not even your second or third choice. Do I have that right?” he asked in a very quiet voice.
“Dustin, why are you getting so upset? I thought we were friends. We weren’t talking about marriage anyway, just about being monogamous while we are seeing each other.”
“Yeah, but you see a definite end to our seeing each other. I was looking down the road and seeing all the possible turnoffs along the way. I obviously don’t fit in with your long-range plans.” He shook his head.
He took his coffee cup over to the sink and rinsed it out. He sat it on the counter and headed for the bedroom. Savanna followed him. He picked up his shirt and pulled it on, not bothering to button it. He sat on the edge of the bed and began putting on his socks and shoes. He didn’t look at her.
“You’re leaving? Just like that?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m good enough to fuck but not good enough to be a part of your life. Sorry, but that isn’t enough for me.”
“Since when has a man cared about more than a roll in the sack? I want it, so now it’s not okay?”
“Yeah, I guess it isn’t.”
“Dustin, don’t go like this. Let’s talk about it.”
“Oh, now you care. Now that I’m leaving and there isn’t the possibility of sex anymore, you’re suddenly worried about my feelings. I don’t think so.”
She watched him walk out of the bedroom, out the front door, and out of her life. Savanna sat down on the floor and cried.
* * * *
Dustin managed to make it home without having a wreck. He was so angry he could spit nails. He wasn’t so much angry at Savanna as he was hurt by her. He was angry with himself. One, he could have made everything all right by telling her about his business, but he wanted her to want him and not want him for his stability. Two, he should have taken what she was giving and not worry about it. She was right. Usually, all he wanted out of a relationship with a woman was the proverbial roll in the hay. No strings attached, but this time, it was different. She was different. So now he was paying for it.
He unlocked his condo and threw his keys on the table by the door. He headed straight for the bar and poured a generous amount of whiskey in a tumbler. The first drink went down a little rough. The second one went down smooth. He wasn’t normally much of a drinker, but he needed it tonight. Hell, this morning. He looked at his watch. It was four o’clock in the morning. A little early for whiskey. He wasn’t going to go to bed. The best thing for him to do was go work out. They gym he belonged to was an all-night gym that used pass keys to get in. A good workout was exactly what he needed, even more so than the alcohol. He sat the half-empty glass on the bar and went to his bedroom for his gym bag and to change clothes.
All the way to the gym, Dustin went back over their conversation. No, he guessed it qualified as a fight. Funny, not too long ago he had wondered what they would fight about. He had been looking forward to the make-up sex. Wouldn’t be any this time.
The gym was empty. He had the entire place to himself. He liked it this way. He wasn’t in the mood to talk with anyone right now. He started out on the treadmill and jogged for fifteen minutes. It wasn’t the type of exertion he was looking for. He changed over to the free weights for awhile. From there, he moved to the machines, and then progressed to the punching bag. This is where he really wanted to be. He pounded out his frustrations on the bag. It felt good, but it would only be temporary. Once he was finished, and out of the shower, it would all come back to sit on him like one of the fifty-pound weights.
He grabbed the punching bag and held it still for a moment as he contemplated his options. He could go back and tell her everything. He could forget about her, which was easier said than done, or he could go back as her fuck buddy. That was all he was, or had been anyway. He wasn’t one to settle for less than everything, though. He wouldn’t settle for that now. She needed time to think, and he needed time to calm down. Then maybe he would call her—and say what?
/> Damn! He threw the towel across the room and huffed out a breath. It was a lost cause. He wasn’t going to settle, and he didn’t see her as changing her mind. Dustin headed for the locker room and a hot shower. He had managed to pound out a lot of his anger, but he was still frustrated. Just thinking about her had him all hot and bothered.
Early Monday morning, Dustin called to speak with Martin Sherman concerning the account he was working on. The man had assured him he would personally look over the information before releasing it to him this time. Still, Dustin didn’t trust the man. It had nothing to do with the faulty prospectus from last time and everything to do with the man himself. He didn’t feel right to him.
The other thing that bothered him about using Martin’s firm again was that the last two businesses he had researched using them, he ended up with competition. No one had been looking at the same businesses as he had been until he began to research them. That spelled a leak in the firm as far as he was concerned, and Martin was at the top of his list. He didn’t believe for one minute that some assistant had screwed up the files.
“Mr. Liguori, what can I do for you this morning?”
“I wanted to check in to see if you have those numbers for me yet.”
“Let me get that file in front of me. Hold on just a minute.” Music came on the line.
Dustin waited for about a minute, and Martin came back on.
“Okay, I have the appraisal of the business and gross worth, but I still don’t have the entire picture. I’m waiting on a final list of creditors.”
“When do you expect to have it by?” he asked.
He could hear Martin breathing over the phone as he thought about it. Dustin would lay odds he had all the numbers he needed in front of him. Why would he hold out on him? That was what Dustin wanted to know.
“I hope to have everything ready for you by the end of next week.”
“Okay, I’ll call back then to set up a meeting.” Dustin hung up.
Next week, he thought. That meant that if there was going to be another offer put on the table, it would happen this week. He needed to make up his mind and either make an offer or forget about this venture altogether. He didn’t want to admit defeat on this one. He picked up a folder on his desk and began reading through it. With everything he had about the business now, he could make an educated decision on a fair price that would assure him of success. Still, he hesitated. If the same company came in and tried to buy the place out from under him, he would know it wasn’t a coincidence. Decisions, decisions.
Monroe, Marla - Hot and Bothered (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 13
