Dahlia looks over at Vi and raises an eyebrow. “Everything alright?” she asks in a low voice.
Vi nods and smiles brightly when she sees Alejandro with a guest. “Rodrigo, what a lovely surprise.”
Chapter 57
Dahlia busies herself with preparing the table, trying anything to avoid being in the same room as Rodrigo.
“Everything alright in here?” Vi asks, holding a vodka gimlet. “You know, D, that napkin looks about as swan-like as it’s going to get. I think you need to find something else to do.” She bends down and whispers into Dahlia’s ear. “Like making out with the hot man who’s obviously here to see you.”
“How could Lily not tell me he would be here? I swear she’s taking a page out of your book.”
Vi laughs. “More like your book, D. Come now, isn’t it nice to see him?”
Dahlia blushes, her body warming at the thought of him. “Perhaps, but he made it abundantly clear the last time I saw him that we’re over. Didn’t I throw myself at him when we were in Miami?” She shudders at the memory.
Vi sets down her glass and walks over to where Dahlia is rearranging a cornucopia for the tenth time. “Let it be, D. It’s just a centerpiece.” Looking Dahlia squarely in the eyes she says, “Leave the past where it belongs. There’s no reason to drag it into the present. All you have is right now. It’s for you to decide what you want.”
Dahlia runs her fingers along the stitching on the silk runner over the ebony table. “Fine, whatever you say. By the way, where’s Thomas?” she asks, getting off the subject of Rodrigo.
“Back in London, I think. Why?”
“Just wondering,” Dahlia replies, absently sipping Vi’s drink. “Do you think you and Thomas could ever one day . . . .”
“Oh please, D. You’re beginning to sound like a hen mother.”
“But the rest of the stuff he was helping you with, that all get resolved?”
“For the time being,” she says, taking the glass out of Dahlia’s hand and finishing the drink. “Must almost be time for dinner.”
Chapter 58
Dahlia sits across from Rodrigo throughout much of the meal, feeling too nervous to eat. She pushes the food around her plate, only half-listening as Lily and Alejandro discuss their honeymoon plans.
“We thought it would be an ideal time to go skiing,” Alejandro says. “Maybe drive to a few ski towns in Switzerland, starting with Zermatt.”
“That sounds very cold,” Vi comments. “You sure you don’t want to go somewhere where clothing is optional?”
Lily laughs, nearly spitting out her wine. “No one said we had to ski everyday.” She leans over and kisses Alejandro. “Besides, we have fond memories of skiing together. Remember Aspen?”
Dahlia looks up at her ex. “Of course,” she mutters. Aspen was where it all seemed so promising for her and Rodrigo. It was there that Rodrigo asked her to move to Miami to be with him. What if . . .?
“Time for dessert,” Dahlia announces, picking up her plate, along with the bowl of untouched cranberry sauce.
Lily picks up a few dishes hurriedly and follows Dahlia into the kitchen. “Um, D, I don’t think everyone was finished eating.”
Dahlia drops her dish into the sink and turns on the water. “Sorry, Lil. Tell you what, you go back and I’ll do the dishes.”
Lily shuts off the water. “You will do no such thing. Jesus, D, you’re a mess. Get your act together, pick up that pie and take it out there. I’ll bring out the dessert plates.”
“You’ve become incredibly bossy, Lil.”
“I just couldn’t let you boss me around forever, D. Besides, I get that being around Rodrigo makes you nervous, but you’ve got to deal with it somehow. You’re not one to back down from anything.” Lily grabs a stack of small plates and heads out of the kitchen, leaving Dahlia alone. “And don’t forget the whipped cream,” she calls out behind her.
“Am I really making you nervous?” Rodrigo asks, walking into the kitchen.
“Were you eavesdropping?” Dahlia asks. “It seems to have become a habit of yours.”
He shakes his head. “I was merely clearing the table and didn’t want to interrupt. I’m sorry. Perhaps my coming here was a bad idea.”
Dahlia turns around and begins opening the drawers around the island in search of a pie cutter. “No, not at all. It’s nice to see you.”
“Really? Do you mean that?” Rodrigo asks, setting the dishes down on the cluttered island. He leans back on the table. Dahlia swallows, her mouth suddenly feeling dry. He looks irresistible in black wool trousers and a fitted gray sweater with black trim around the neck. That same neck that she loved to kiss, she recalls.
She nods. “Of course. We left things as friends, right?” Dahlia hears her voice go up an octave. She reaches around him to open a drawer, and he catches her wrist.
“You can look at me you know. I don’t think you’ll melt or freeze,” Rodrigo chuckles.
Dahlia stops and gazes up at him. Her heart pounding, palms moist, breath shortening. This is what he does to her, what happened when she was with him before. Her body is now remembering it all.
“Everything alright in here?” Vi asks, coming into the kitchen.
Rodrigo drops Dahlia’s hand. “Yeah, fine,” they mumble.
She eyes them suspiciously as she picks up the pie and fishes the cutter out of the drawer at the other end of the island. Vi winks at them as she walks out. “Carry on then.”
Chapter 59
“Why did you come to New York?” Dahlia asks as they exit Lily’s apartment building. She couldn’t stand another minute under Lily’s and Vi’s watchful eyes.
“With Rosa in Florence, I didn’t think we should all be apart for Thanksgiving,” he says, matching her quick strides. “As much as my mom enjoys hosting, she didn’t seem to mind the idea of taking time off.” Dahlia turns right onto Madison Avenue, the street already alight with holiday decorations.
“Are you training for some walking marathon, D?”
She slows a bit and smiles. “Are you out of shape?”
“I just can’t exert myself after eating so much.” Rodrigo leans against the window of a clothing store.
Dahlia draws her cashmere coat tightly around her. “It’s nice to see you.”
“You already said that, and it doesn’t sound very endearing.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just,” Dahlia hesitates, “I don’t know how long it will take until seeing you doesn’t hurt anymore.” She looks away, watching an old couple stroll past them. There, I said it.
Rodrigo shoves his hands into his coat pockets. “I tell myself that each time it will be easier, you know. Like the more time that passes until we see each other, the more distance it will create between us.”
“But it doesn’t does it?” Dahlia turns and begins to walk again, this time more slowly.
“No, it doesn’t. Why do you think that is?”
Dahlia shakes her head and fingers her black and white wool scarf, pulling at some unseen thread. “I don’t know,” she replies in a hushed tone.
“Are you sure? Because I have a theory.”
“Oh yeah,” she smiles, enjoying his sense of humor, one of the qualities about him she’s missed so much. “Do tell.”
Rodrigo stops, forcing Dahlia to do the same so she can hear him.
“I’m still in love with you, D.”
Chapter 60
Dahlia is speechless. Her heart is about to leap out of her chest. All she can do in the moment is stand before him, her mouth open, unable to utter a sound.
“Don’t worry. Take your time. I don’t mind putting my feelings out there,” Rodrigo smiles apprehensively.
She opens and closes her mouth a couple of times, trying to find the words to respond. I’m sorry, I wish, I regret, If I could do it all over again, Does this mean you forgive me? They all fail Dahlia in the moment. She glances up and notices a small snowflake falling from the sky. “First snow,” she whis
pers.
Rodrigo remains fixed on Dahlia. Finally she lowers her gaze. “Why, Rodrigo? What do you want me to say?”
The hopeful look on his face becomes earnest. “I was hoping you’d say that you still loved me too.”
Dahlia gulps back the words she’s wanted to say since she saw him last. Of course she loves him, but things are different now. Her life isn’t what it was nine months ago. “Why are we cursed with bad timing, Rodrigo?” A tear slides down her cheek, reflecting the snow falling around them.
“What do you mean?” He asks. “Don’t tell me there’s someone else. Shit, D. That’s it, isn’t it?”
Dahlia traces lines in the thin layer of snow with her boot. “Well, sort of. It’s complicated, and I don’t want to make life difficult for you.” She turns to walk back to Lily’s apartment.
“Wait, Dahlia. You can’t just say that to me and walk away. I let you go once, I don’t want to do it again.”
“But you should,” she replies, picking up pace. “So much has happened. How can we bridge that?”
He pulls on her arm to stop her. “I won’t let your secrets come between us again. Just tell me.”
“I have a child, Rodrigo.”
“You told me, D. Wait,” he pauses to process. “Did you just say that you ‘have’ a child? As in present tense?”
Dahlia nods. “Yes. Marissa’s alive, and she lives here in New York. Well, in Westchester anyway. So don’t you see, I can’t move to Miami to be with you. I want to be close to her so I can be a part of her life, and I don’t want to be the one to make you choose me over your life with your family. It’s not fair to you, and I won’t bear that burden.”
“But what if I want to make the choice?” Rodrigo takes a step forward to close the space between them, the snow beginning to fall more steadily.
Dahlia shakes her head. She can feel her doubts and fears clamping down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. “You can’t, Rodrigo.”
He takes hold of the back of her neck gently and runs his fingers along her cheek. “Yes, I can.”
Before she could argue further, Rodrigo’s lips meet hers, taking Dahlia into a kiss so deep and passionate that she knows in that moment, he’s choosing forever with her.
Chapter 61
Dahlia and Rodrigo crash into her apartment, stumbling over the umbrella stand and knocking down the black and white bronze metal screen that separates the sleeping area in her loft. She falls back onto her bed, laughing, loving every minute with his warm mouth on hers. Dahlia can hardly believe this is truly happening.
He stretches out next to her, his erection pressing up against Dahlia through his pants. “I think I’m missing out on the joke.”
She trails kisses down his cheek, lightly moving her fingers along his stubble. “I’m just really happy.”
Rodrigo smiles and captures her finger in his mouth, suckling on it hard. Dahlia’s breath hitches as it sends a shockwave to her core, desire pooling and warming her throbbing sex. What she wouldn’t give for that mouth to be on her now.
The sly smile that crosses his face tells her she won’t have to wait much longer. His lips find hers once again, this time filling her with even greater want and need. They are all mouths and tongues as their hands work furiously to remove their clothes, Rodrigo quietly cursing the multitude of layers the cold demands. Dahlia can hardly remember wanting him more than she does in this moment as he moves his hand slowly over her hard nipples to cup her wet pussy.
“You feel amazing, D. God I’ve missed you,” he murmurs as he moves his warm lips over her neck. He pulls her up onto knees and gently pulls back her head by her hair, arching her back ever so slightly.
The position exposes her entirely to him, which turns Dahlia on even more. She wants him to have her completely, to know that she can finally be with him the way they’d always wanted. Nothing from her past can separate them anymore.
Rodrigo is on her, his lips moving over her breasts, sucking each one then squeezing her diamond hard nipples. She knows she’ll feel sore and bruised, but she doesn’t care. It will make it all the more real to her, more so than any other time she’s been with him, more than all the times she had been with other men. Now is all that matters to her, as long as it’s with him.
He picks up the pace, moving his warm lips over every inch of her as his fingers play and tease her cunt. Dahlia can feel her need slide down her thigh. She moves her hips to his rhythm, quick then slow and intense. It’s how he wants her—stoking and quenching their mutual desire. His erection presses against her stomach, making her restless. Dahlia craves him, wanting the feel of his hard velvet cock in her mouth. She bends down and takes him completely, swallowing so he’s inside her as deep as possible.
Rodrigo hisses. “Fuck, D. I don’t know how long I’m going to last.”
Dahlia looks up at him, loving the way he’s watching her. She licks his desire off the tip and presses her tongue into the slit, drawing another groan from him. He digs his fingers into her scalp, pushing himself back into her mouth, demanding more of her as she moves up and down his shaft, licking and sucking as she goes.
“I don’t want to come this way,” he says, pulling out of her mouth. “I want to feel you come around my cock.” Rodrigo runs his hands over her ass as he positions her in front of him.
He teases her opening with his cock, pushing himself in and out just far enough. “You are so wet for me, baby,” he leans over and murmurs into her ear before biting down gently. “I’m going to take you hard and fast.” Rodrigo buries his large, swollen cock into her soaking pussy. “I’ve run out of self-control with you.”
He reaches around and plays with her clit, drawing a deep moan from Dahlia. He continues to move his hand over her slick sex while he thrusts in and out of her, increasing his pace with each stroke. Dahlia can feel sweat drip onto her back as he bends down to cup one breast in his hand, holding and steadying her hips with the other. His pace is brutal. She doesn’t know how much longer she can stand keeping her orgasm at bay. But she’s loving every wonderful second of this time with him, her sex stretching and opening for him while he brings her a pleasure she had only recently been fantasizing about.
Rodrigo tugs on her nipples and caresses her tits as he pistons his hips back and forth. He trails kisses down her spine then pulls her up by her hair so she’s sitting back on him, her arms pinned behind her back. “That’s right, baby,” he moans lifting her hips up and down over his cock. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Dahlia opens her mouth, a low groan escaping. No, she can’t hold back anymore. “I’m going to come, Rodrigo,” she says, bucking her hips over him, feeling her release climbing higher than she could’ve imagined.
“I’m going to come with you,” he groans. A few more pumps and Dahlia feels it, that shattering that sends her body and pussy quivering from her orgasm. Rodrigo stills, emptying himself into her.
They collapse onto the bed, Rodrigo still inside her—his warm cum trickling out of Dahlia. He wraps his arms around her, his breathing still jagged and says, “I don’t ever want to be apart from you again.”
Chapter 62
“Are you sure you can live here in New York?” Dahlia asks as she lowers herself into the bathtub across from Rodrigo.
“Of course, D. If it’s where you are, then I don’t want to be anywhere else.” He lifts up one of her feet and kisses her toe lightly before massaging it. She leans back and enjoys the sensation of his touch.
Dahlia catches him staring at her when she opens her eyes. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” he answers, lowering her foot into the water.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why me? Why now?”
Rodrigo’s expression goes from contemplative to serious. “Why not you?”
She splashes him with water. “I’m serious, Rodrigo. The last time I saw you, I thought that was it, that there was no chance for us. I felt so embarrasse
d for throwing myself at you. I was so desperate for you to want me again.” Dahlia shakes her head. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Dahlia, don’t be embarrassed. I felt bad about what happened in the wine cellar. You deserved better from me. I was angry and hurt, and I shouldn’t have punished you that way. It wasn’t fair.”
Dahlia shrugs. “No, I deserved it for what I’d done. I can’t blame you for being angry at me for the way I handled things.”
Rodrigo sits up, sending water over the edge of the large egg-shaped bathtub. “Don’t ever say that. You’d been through a lot. What you did, well, it forced me to take a good, long look at myself and my mistakes.”
“You mean with Claudia.”
Rodrigo nods. “Rosa kept hounding me after I saw you, reminding me that it was no different than what I had done to Claudia. Actually, your reasons were complicated, mine less so.”
“Why did you cheat on her?”
Dahlia notices Rodrigo’s neck tense. “I didn’t love her, at least not as much as she loved me. I wanted to, or rather I convinced myself that I should love her and commit myself to a serious relationship. But I wasn’t ready, and I wasn’t mature enough to say it, so I did what I did.”
Dahlia laces her hand with his.
He kisses her fingers and says, “I was still so angry after I saw you in Miami. I tried to forget about you, going out all the time and dating.”
Dahlia winces at the image of him with other women.
Rodrigo draws himself closer to her and kisses her cheek. “But it wasn’t the answer. So I paid a visit to Claudia. She’s married to some Puerto Rican doctor now. I’m sure that made her parents happy,” he chuckles.
“What did she say?” Dahlia asks.
Rodrigo shrugs. “At first she said I was an asshole. Told me that I was an immature bastard for treating her the way I did.”
“She sounds totally over it.”
“I think, she is,” he insists. “After she got that out of her system, we could finally talk. We never spoke after I cheated on her. Well, she would yell and I would ignore her until she finally gave up. It was easier than facing the truth about what I did.”
The Dahlia Trilogy (The Gilded Flower Series) Page 23
