~Dylan Richardson
When we got outside, his car was waiting for us.
“I called ahead and they are going to hold the revolving restaurant open for us. You can’t come to Seattle and not go up in the Space Needle.”
We arrived hours after the restaurant had closed, but we were escorted into dine privately. Dylan intertwined his fingers with mine as we entered. Windows circled the restaurant. It was dark, but the candles and the bright lights of the city seemed to sparkle for just the two of us.
I wondered if he had a friend that allowed this special treat or if he had paid for it. I didn’t want to ask, so I just enjoyed the night.
The waiter led us to our table. The view was breathtaking. Overtaken by the beauty, I walked to the window, staring out into the miles of glistening lights.
“It’s almost magical!” I sighed. Dylan walked up behind me, wrapping his body behind mine as we took in the view.
“You should paint it.”
Paint it? How did he know? I never told him I used to love art.
“Nicole, I have never seen anyone who looks at the world the way you do. I bet if you tried, you could capture things most of us have forgotten to see.”
I stood silent. I had lost that side of me a long time ago. He gently kissed my cheek and walked away, coming back with a package that had been waiting at the table.
“When I was in town earlier today, I saw this little art store. I love the way your eyes light up when you look at the world. I’d love to see what you see. I didn’t know if you would like it, but for some reason, I got this overwhelming desire to buy this for you. I don’t know anything about paints. The lady helped me. Maybe I’m crazy, but it seemed to have your name on it. I wish you would at least try.”
He handed me a large professionally-wrapped package. I gently unfolded the corners so as not to destroy the paper.
“You can rip it.” Dylan smiled. I took the invitation and ripped the paper in my hands. A tear slowly invaded the corner of my eye. I ran my hands across the white canvas. How did he know? I stood silently, studying the blank canvas staring back at me. It was beautiful. A few more tears caressed my check. I couldn’t talk. My fingers traced the surface as if there was a secret message in Braille inscribed only for me.
“You okay?” His finger gently wiped away the tears staining my cheeks. I continued to stare at the blank whiteness and nodded.
“I got you these too. I didn’t know if you would like oils or acrylics or watercolors, so I bought them all.”
I opened the boxes and let my fingers run over the tubes of paint. I picked up a brush and dusted it against my hand. Soon tears began to pour down my cheeks.
“Nicole, you okay?” He wrapped himself behind me so he didn’t distract me from my fascination, “You okay, baby?” He swept the hair off my neck and gently kissed it. I still could not speak. I finally rested the boxes on the table and turned into his arms. There is no way he could know what this meant to me. I flashed back for a moment to my broken paintings littering the apartment. This virgin canvas became a sign of a new beginning, a chance to start again. I focused on the man standing before me still in silence. A chance to love again. I passionately enjoyed his lips. My stomach interrupted the moment with a growl. I touched it as if to quiet it, but it didn’t work.
He just smiled. “I saw you didn’t eat at the reception.”
Dylan led me to our table and motioned to the waiter. “Can I have a bottle of your finest wine to begin?”
As we dined, the restaurant slowly rotated to reveal every angle of the beautiful city. No matter where you sat, you would see it all. The city lights gleamed like diamonds below.
“That is the Puget Sound, and over there in the distance is Mt. Rainier.”
He put his hand on top of mine. The gentle sound of a viola filled the dining hall as the breathtaking views revealed themselves to us—each decorating the windows they appeared through. The Cascade Mountains garnished the east and the Olympics graced us to the west.
He hesitated for a moment, and then began. “Nicole, I need to talk to you about something. I’m just going to ask. There is really no easy way to say this. Tonight you flinched when I got upset. You should have seen the look in your eyes. It was like you were afraid of me. What happened to you Nicole? What happened that would cause you to react that way? It’s not the first time I’ve seen you do that.” He was silent for a moment to allow me to respond.
“Jess’s dad, he . . . whenever he got mad, he . . .” I fidgeted for words and then froze. A tear trickled out the corner of my eye. Dylan stood, coming over to me, and wiped the tear from my face. He pulled me in close, hugging me. He could tell it was hard for me. I couldn’t speak; I held him tighter.
Dylan kissed my forehead and assured me, “I will never hurt you, no matter how mad I get. I know I’m hotheaded sometimes, but I will never hit you, Nicole. Never. I promise.” He lifted my chin again. “Nicole, I’d die for you. I’ve never felt like this about anyone.” He twisted a strand of hair that had fallen out of my bun around his finger. “I will never lay a hand on you, Angel.” His arms felt safe, strong. I laid my head on his chest as he held me. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Nicole.” He kissed my forehead again.
We stood there in the candlelight with a sea of stars shining upon us. All was silent as we embraced. He then stared into my eyes.
“I wanted tonight to be perfect. I know I have been a jerk tonight, but . . . ” He paused for a moment. “I really want to be the only guy in your life. I know you get asked out almost every night, and I’m going to be gone for awhile, but I’ll go crazy if I find out another guy touches you.” He traced my lips with his fingers.“I will go crazy if another man kisses your lips. I need to know that you are only mine.” He brushed the hair from my face, gazing into my eyes.
“Dylan, I have been only yours since the moment you first kissed me.”
Dylan extended his hand. “May I have this dance?” He held me tightly in his arms. We gently swayed back and forth. When the staff noticed we were dancing, they raised the music. The sky of stars and the city lights cast a glow of light upon on our embrace.
Music played as we entered the enormous suite in the hotel—lights off, candles flickering throughout. Only the glow of the flames illuminated the room. A bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries welcomed our arrival, elegantly displayed on the coffee table.
Dylan took my hand, leading me over to the bottle of champagne by the fireplace. The sound of the fire crackled as the gentle blue flame warmed our bodies. He poured a glass of champagne and handed it to me.
“To Nicole, a woman who has placed her fingerprints on my soul and has changed me forever—your kiss, your laughter, and your love. A part of you will forever be a part of me.”
A gentle warmth covered my body and I smiled.
“It’s true, Nicole. You are my everything. I don’t know how you were sent to me. I only know my life will never be the same because of you.”
“Dylan, I have never felt like this about anyone. I don’t want you to go,” I sighed.
He picked up a chocolate-covered strawberry, bringing it to my lips. My tongue could taste the sweetness of the chocolate as he taunted me with it. Playing with it like a carrot, he dangled it in front of me and then pulled it away, until we were both laughing at my failed attempts to capture it with my mouth. I could feel the heat from the fireplace. He ran the back of his hand softly down my face, looking into my eyes, tasting the chocolate from my lips.
I reached out to him, a little timid. He watched me as I unbuttoned his shirt, letting it fall to the floor—his muscular frame lit by the fire’s glow. My stomach tickled as he took my hand in his. His thumbs fondled my palm as he led me to the bedroom. The sheer fabric of the canopy shimmered with the dance of the flames. A tingle pulsed through me as he lifted me up, laying me on the soft bed.
“This is our last night together,” he whispered, laying down bes
ide me.
I needed him.
“You are so beautiful.” His hands glided over my skin.
The candlelight caressed his muscular body. I let my fingers trace his biceps, exploring his chest. He pulled my body close to his and rolled over on top of me to kiss my lips once more. He pushed himself up, hovering above me, consuming my lips. The muscles in his body flexed as he lowered himself on me. His lips slowly left mine and began savoring my neck and drifted downward toward my dress. Gently nibbling on the buttons, he released my body from its restraints.
The silk, black-lace lingerie was soon unveiled as the dress got thrown aside.
“Mmm. You look delicious.”
Slowly he slid down my body, savoring every inch with his tongue. My body arched, stimulated by his mouth. He made his way off the bottom of the bed. One by one, he removed my high heels and, gently tickling me, removed my silk, thigh-high stockings, letting them fall to the floor.
As he kissed my calves. His hands proceeded up my legs slowly tantalizing my calves and then my thighs. My body became fully aroused, craving his. He slid back on top of me, his tongue savoring my skin as he returned to my lips. I could feel his desire as he pressed his body onto mine. Every fragment of my body wanted him—every ounce of my being begged me to surrender. Our heartbeats harmonized, my body overwhelmed by desire.
Every place he touched me, my body quivered. He slowly rolled me over him, lifting me up so I was sitting on top of him. I could feel his longing underneath me. I wanted to feel him inside me as he teased me with gentle pulsations.
He pulled my body close to his and rolled over on top of me to kiss my lips once more.
I needed to feel him inside me. My fingers dug into his back. I moaned, my passion growing out of control. My yearning, my craving, my longing, accentuated.
Take me, my body exclaimed.
His hands started to enter my panties, slowly lowering them.
I wanted to abandon my inhibitions, but my hand stopped him. I could barely breathe.
He rolled over next to me still gazing into my eyes, running his hand through my hair, his breath hard and irregular. He looked into my eyes, allowing the back of his other hand to caress my cheek. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Dylan, I . . . I’m not ready.” He gently kissed me, breathing heavily. He brushed the hair from my face, taking another deep breath as he kissed me again.
My heart was racing; our bodies were glistening from the intensity. I laid my head on his chest and heard it pounding with vigor; I traced it with my fingertips. He put his hand on top of mine and kissed it.
“I need to just hold you for a while. If I don’t stop now, I know I won’t be able to. I know I promised. It’s just so hard. I want you so bad, Nicole.”
But I couldn’t handle the pain if I gave myself to him tonight and never heard from him again. He wrapped his arms around me, and I sighed, “Why do you have to leave me?” I whispered. He made me feel so safe. He made me feel so loved. I never wanted to leave his arms.
“Is that what is bothering you, baby?” He pulled away so he could look into my eyes. “Nicole, I will be back. I promise.”
Chapter Twenty-five
I slowly awoke to the gentle rhythm of Dylan stroking my hair. Taking my face in his hands, he gently kissed my forehead. He started to get out of bed.
“Don’t go.” I pulled him toward me.
“I could stay here all day.”
“Why don’t we?” I bit my lip.
“Because I don’t know how much torture I can withstand.” He smiled. “You proud of me? I survived another night bound in my pants.”
“Thank you, Dylan. To be honest, it was really hard for me to stop. I wanted you so badly.”
He kissed me. “But then you would be upset with yourself today when I had to leave. I want our first time to be perfect, and I don’t want you to have any uncertainty.” He gently kissed me. “I hate that I’m leaving, I wish I met you before I took this job. I’ll be welding on the oil pipeline. It’s really remote up there, you won’t be able to contact me. I’ll have to call you.”
“Wait, I can’t call you?”
“I will have to share a phone. It sucks, my cell won’t work up there. I wanted to get you a cell so it would be easy to contact you, but I know they don’t work in a lot of areas of Wasilla, so it depends where you live. I figure you could check into it and I’ll give you the money for it.”
“I already told you I don’t need you to get me a phone, besides; there is no cell service at Steve’s house. Katie was complaining about it yesterday. She can’t call Alan when he’s there.”
“So, did you like it? How did everything go with the basement apartment?”
“Oh, Dylan!” I sat up on the bed and crossed my legs. “It’s perfect. There’s even a playhouse in the back that has running water and electricity. And the nanny, from what I hear, seems amazing.”
“And you are sure you’ll be safe?”
“I’m positive. He comes in with Officer Statton all the time.”
“So, when will you be bringing Jessica up?”
“As soon as I make enough money.”
“You should have enough with what I gave you.”
“I gave it to Trevor at the wedding and told him to give it back to you.”
“Why did you do that? It’s yours. I’ll make sure he gets it back to you. You need that money.”
“You are so sweet, but I really need to do this on my own. I don’t want you to think money has anything to do with the way I feel about you. I had a crush on you when I thought you were a poor struggling musician.”
“You had a crush on me? And when exactly was this?” He started tickling me.
“I don’t know.” He kept tickling me.
“When?”
“Stop.” Laughter consumed me.
“I don’t know, maybe when you tripped me at Brad’s.”
“Oh my god, that was almost month before you went out with me. You looked so delicious when you landed in my lap. I wanted to kiss you so bad.”
“I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t believe it. I felt so stupid.”
“You’ve liked me since then?”
“It was just a little crush. I loved the way you stared at me. And your smile—you have a sexy smile.”
“Sexy, you thought I was sexy?”
“Stop.” I was blushing.
“Wow. A month. You sure do play hard to get.”
“I’m not into musicians, and I could see you were a player.”
“You could, could you?”
“Yep.” My smile grew really big.
“Maybe I was, but then you ruined me. How am I going to survive a month without you?”
“You could always sneak me in your suitcase.” I lifted my eyebrows, widening my eyes.
“Trust me; you don’t want to go to the North Slope. It’s pretty barren—nothing like Anchorage.”
“I’d love to be anywhere you are.” I could feel it already happening to me. He was a drug I couldn’t get enough of. How was I going to survive this month without him?
“I want to warn you. It’s really hard to get in touch with me there; I share a line with all the guys on my floor. I will have to call you. I’ll call you in the next few days so you can give me your new number.”
“I wish you didn’t have to go,” I sighed.
“This job is the only way I can break free from my family’s control of me. I don’t need their money. I don’t need their rules.”
I wondered if his mom gave him a hard time for seeing me at the wedding.
He changed the subject. “We should get going so I can get you that money before I leave.”
“I’m serious. You have done enough for me. I can’t take your money.”
“Chris is gonna be out of town, and be gone. I need you to take it for emergencies. And you need it to bring Jessica here. I won’t take no for an answer. I don’t want you moving into this strange guy’s house. But
if you do, I want you to have a little money in case you need it. It will give me peace of mind. Once you know you’re safe there, and once you and your daughter are settled in, maybe I won’t insist anymore.”
“Dylan, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” I thought about his mother’s accusations.
“I am insisting. I won’t take no for an answer. I’m pretty stubborn when I want to be. If you don’t take it, I will just give it to Emily or Brad and pretend it’s from some anonymous tipper or something.” He began tickling me again.
“You are such a brat.”
“I wanted to kiss you that night,” he admitted. “You were there in my arms, so beautiful, so sweet, so delicious-looking. I should have kissed you that night.” He leaned forward, savoring my lips. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
Chapter Twenty-six
Coming back from Seattle, I felt a little empty. Since Dylan and I had been dating, we had seen each other almost every day. Now it was going to be a month before I saw him again.
Chris had to leave early Monday morning. Emily said she had a wonderful time in Seattle with Chris, but he had to leave for another three weeks. She hated that he traveled all the time—especially since he was so evasive about what it was he did.
By Thursday morning, Emily and I were sitting on our beds before work, cursing ourselves for caring so much. We missed the guys terribly. We were interrupted by a call.
I turned to Emily, hanging up the phone. “The car is ready. We can move into Steve’s house this weekend.”
“That is awesome.” Smiling, Emily jumped up and gave me a high five. We would soon be free of our little one-room kitchenette.
“He also told me the nanny is finally coming. She will be here in two weeks.” I could finally fly back to Maryland to get my Jessica.
“I guess we can call the airline today to see when we can get the cheapest fare back. I can only stay for a little over a week, but it will be so good to see everyone.”
“That is what I’m thinking. We can visit for about a week-and-a-half. Since Dylan let me borrow money for the ticket, I have enough so I can take off work for a bit when I get back. I wanted to get Jessica situated and make her feel comfortable with the nanny. I can’t believe I’m gonna see my angel! I can’t wait.”
The Impostor, A Love Story Page 18
