As soon as they were seated and ordered, Dylan found himself once again watching Sarah intently. He didn’t want to reflect on everything he was feeling as he sat at this table with this woman, but it was hard not to. The depth of what he’d already started to feel for her scared him. He wasn’t completely comfortable with it, not sure he ever would be. But he wasn’t interested in fighting a losing battle, either. They were here to have fun, to enjoy one another, and that was what he fully intended to do.
“So, tell me more about this club Trent wants to open,” Sarah urged, rearranging her silverware.
“It’s along the lines of Devotion, but he’s looking to cater more to the BDSM community.”
Her eyebrows dipped low. “Is that something you’re interested in?”
“Me, personally? No.”
“But you would be working there?”
“He’s looking for someone to manage the club.”
“So you’ll be busy with the mundane tasks most of the time.” Her smile was impish.
“That’s the plan. Doesn’t mean I won’t have time to play.” He winked at her. “You would come to visit the club, wouldn’t you?”
The huge smile that lit up her face warmed something deep in Dylan’s gut.
“If you invited me, I might.” Sarah folded and unfolded her napkin. “So what all does managing a club of that caliber entail?”
“Like anything else. It’s a club, but it’s still a business. There are licenses and permits to maintain, rules to implement. There’re employees, vendors, customers.”
“Only they’re spanking each other,” she said, her tone teasing.
“Probably.”
Sarah giggled and Dylan felt more warmth course through him.
He wasn’t sure what had happened over the course of the past week, but whatever it was, he hoped like hell it was just the beginning.
SARAH HAD NO IDEA WHY she was so nervous. Ever since they stepped off the plane, she’d been fidgeting. Once they had made it to the hotel room, it had gotten worse, hence the reason she suggested food. Right now, eating was the last thing on her mind although her stomach was rumbling.
And that had nothing to do with where they were, either. Sure, she wanted to check out the sights, explore the underbelly of Las Vegas, but her anxiety came from something else. Something deeper. Something better left alone.
As much as Sarah wanted to enjoy this moment, this man, her thoughts were plagued by her past. Dylan’s past. Namely Paul and Meghan. Then again, Paul was never far from her mind. She thought about him constantly. It never seemed to matter how many hours she logged with a counselor, Sarah never felt completely whole. With Dylan, it was easy to pretend, to forget for a little while. Sometimes she could almost believe that love might be in her future.
But would it really?
Was it possible for her to find love twice in her lifetime?
She honestly didn’t know.
Once the food came out, they both ate in silence for a few minutes, a million questions bouncing around on Sarah’s tongue. She tried to swallow them down, but she found she couldn’t.
“Dylan?”
He paused with his fork in the air, his dark brown eyes coming to rest on her face, backlit with curiosity.
Sarah knew she should let this go, but she couldn’t. She had a deep-seated need to know.
“Where do you see this thing between us going?” God, she hated herself for asking that. More so that she sounded so insecure. She had promised Elaine she would take this one day at a time, but it seemed her heart was too curious to do so.
His eyebrows furrowed.
She sighed. “I’m not asking for your undying love or even a marriage proposal,” she blurted. “But I’d like to know if this is going to fizzle out at the end of the weekend.”
Dylan set his fork on his plate, then wiped his mouth with his napkin. Sarah’s stomach churned as she waited for an answer.
“I’m hoping we can have fun,” he answered, his voice low. “I wish I could promise you more than that…”
Yeah. Just what she’d expected.
It bothered her that she cared. But the truth was, she did care. As much as she wanted to pretend she could handle casual sex, Sarah knew it wasn’t in her. Since Paul… Well, since her husband died, Sarah hadn’t been with anyone but Dylan. Before him she hadn’t been with anyone, either. Yes, she had dated before she and Paul met, but nothing had ever progressed to the point that she trusted anyone enough to sleep with them. Then Paul came along and swept her off her feet.
Taking a deep breath, Sarah forced a smile. “I could use some fun in my life.” It wasn’t a complete lie.
Dylan watched her intently and Sarah had to look away. She could tell he was trying to read her expression and she didn’t want him to.
“You finished?”
His question took her off guard, but she glanced down at her plate and realized she’d eaten more than she thought. Sarah nodded, then placed her napkin on her plate while Dylan signaled for the check.
A few minutes later, they were stepping out into the sunshine. It was chilly, but the sun warmed her face. She started to walk, unsure where they were going, but Dylan stopped her suddenly, pulling her in close to him. There were people everywhere, some going away from the casino, others coming toward it. No one seemed to notice that they were standing there.
Sarah stared up into Dylan’s face, her eyes locking with his as she tried to read his mind.
“Nothing has changed,” he said softly, his fingertips pressing gently into her back as though he wanted to ensure she didn’t get away.
Placing her hands on his chest, she nodded. She wasn’t even going to pretend to know what he meant by that.
“Look at me.”
Realizing she had glanced down at his chest, she forced her eyes upward.
“I want the next few days to be about enjoying one another. What do you say we wait until we’re back in Texas before we try to figure this out? We both deserve this. A chance to get away, to forget about the present and the past for the time being.”
Sarah knew that she could never forget her past. There had been plenty of tear-filled nights when she wished she could, but if she was completely honest with herself, she wouldn’t trade her life with anyone else. It hadn’t always been easy, but she had loved fully and been loved in return. This thing with Dylan… It scared her for the simple fact that she knew she could easily fall in love with him. Did that make her a bad person? That she could move on from Paul? She never thought it would be possible to love someone else. Not until Dylan reappeared in her world.
“Let’s take a walk,” he whispered. “Then we’ll head up to the room, take a nap, and I’ll take you out to dinner. Baby steps.”
Sarah smiled. “Baby steps.”
She could do this.
Didn’t mean her heart wouldn’t be broken in the process.
chapter NINETEEN
DYLAN AWOKE ON SATURDAY MORNING with a familiar warmth pressed up against him. It took his brain no time at all to realize Sarah was next to him, soft and sleepy. She was completely naked, at his request. They had spent all of Friday wandering around, and then last night, they had taken in a show—the Jabbawockeez, at Sarah’s request—before going downtown to see the Freemont Street Experience. Needless to say, when they’d returned to the hotel, it had been well after two in the morning. At that point, they’d stopped and grabbed a bite to eat. After that, when only the hard-core gamblers were still awake, they had wandered through the casino. Sarah had put some money into a few slot machines and actually made a few bucks back, but they hadn’t stayed for long.
Although they had agreed to wait until they were back in Texas to figure this thing out, the tension had still been there, despite Dylan’s attempt to put Sarah at ease. It seemed neither of them could fully ignore what was going on between them. As much as he wanted to assure her that they were moving forward, Dylan wasn’t ready to get ahead of himself. He want
ed to enjoy the weekend, to explore this thing between them.
And in the same instance, he was ready to stake a claim on Sarah. To keep her close and never let her go. He was torn as to how to play this out, but he knew from experience that he needed to think this through, to take his time. The last thing in the world he wanted was for Sarah to get hurt.
“You’re awake,” Sarah mumbled, rolling closer, her lips gliding over his chest.
“I am.” Dylan allowed his hand to slide down her back, easing lower until he was cupping her ass. Damn, the woman had a perfect ass.
But more than he liked the feel of her softness against his hardness, Dylan found he liked waking up to her beside him. It was a foreign feeling, something he hadn’t experienced in so long he’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have someone so close, body against body, skin to skin. He could get used to this. Used to her.
“What are we gonna do today?” Sarah asked, her voice raspy from sleep.
“Well…” He dipped his face lower until he could press his lips to her neck. “I thought we’d start with an orgasm.”
“For you or me?” Sarah sighed, tilting her head and offering him better access.
“For both of us.”
“Hmm. An equal opportunity lover. I like that about you.”
“I certainly aim to please.” He trailed his tongue over her ear, then gently nipped her earlobe. “I want you to ride my dick, Sarah. Take whatever you need from me.”
A tremor ran through her, but Sarah didn’t move away. Dylan took that as a positive response.
He reached over and snagged a condom from the nightstand, then quickly rolled it on while Sarah shifted. When he relaxed back on the bed, he watched as she straddled him, her cool fingers sliding over his chest, her fingertips tormenting his nipples.
“I love when you do that,” he growled.
“How about when I do this?” Sarah positioned herself over him, taking his cock inside her, slow and easy.
“Fuck…” He inhaled sharply, watching the point where his dick disappeared inside her sweet pussy. “I really fucking love that.”
Sarah began a slow roll of her hips while Dylan admired the sexy sway of her tits. Back, forth, back, forth. The silky strands of her hair slipped over her shoulder, obstructing his view. He gently eased her hair back, wanting to admire all of her.
“Oh, yeah… God, Sarah…” He trailed his hands down her arms, her hips, over her thighs, urging her closer, thrusting his hips upward until he was lodged balls deep. “Fuck, yes, baby,” he hissed.
For several minutes, Sarah blew his mind as she impaled herself on his dick, her eyes locked with his, her soft moans of pleasure echoing in the room.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. “So fucking beautiful.”
Sitting up, Dylan wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her still momentarily, loving the way her pussy clenched around him, the way her breasts crushed to his chest, her arms wreathing his neck.
“Put your hands on my shoulders,” he urged, his hands gripping the soft, rounded globes of her ass.
When Sarah did as instructed, Dylan began lifting and lowering her, keeping her close as he enjoyed the friction of her body against his. He pulled her down harder and she moaned loudly.
“Like that?”
“Mmm-hmm.” Her breath fanned his ear as she held on to him, her nails digging into his skin.
He continued like that until his arms tired, and only then did he shift her onto her back, allowing him more traction to fuck her ruthlessly. Dylan drove deep, retreated slowly, all while watching her face. Her golden hair fanned out over the pillow making her look like an angel.
“Dylan … I’m close … so close…”
Giving her everything he had, Dylan fucked her harder, deeper, faster until finally, they both went over together.
Two hours later, after showering and grabbing coffee at the coffee shop in their hotel, they were once again out on the street, moving from one casino to another. Sarah seemed fascinated by the various themes, and Dylan found he was fascinated by her and her reaction to it all. They walked for what felt like days, until finally they stopped in another hotel to have lunch. At that point, they sat for a while, watching as people walked by, laughing, smiling, some still stumbling from a rough night before. Dylan damn sure didn’t miss those days, preferring to have complete control of his faculties. It took him a long damn time to get to this point, but now that he was here, he couldn’t fathom going back there to that dark, lonely place.
“What’re you thinkin’ about?” Sarah questioned when the waitress returned with their check.
Dylan shifted his gaze to Sarah and smiled. “I’m having a great time.”
Her smile lit up her face. “Yeah?”
He reached for her hand. “Thanks for coming with me.”
Her smile was shy as she nodded.
It was true, this woman made him feel things he hadn’t expected to ever feel again. He couldn’t imagine being here with anyone else. Hell, he couldn’t imagine feeling this way for anyone else. Maybe he’d known somewhere deep in his heart that Sarah Davis was a part of his soul. She’d been placed in his path at a time when his world had been the darkest. She was the reason he chose to dig himself out of the hole he’d buried himself in and now, here they were.
“I was thinking maybe we could grab a nap before we head to the club,” she told him when the waiter returned to clear away their dishes and give him the check to sign.
“I think that’s a brilliant idea.”
As he got to his feet, Dylan knew that tonight was going to be a true test for them. Either she would like the club or she wouldn’t, they would stay or they wouldn’t, they would enjoy themselves or they wouldn’t.
But no matter what, Dylan knew that the club did not define who he was. No, he didn’t want to hide that part of himself any longer, but if it meant making Sarah happy, he had the overwhelming feeling that he would do whatever it took.
He only hoped he didn’t have to make that choice.
AFTER A THREE-HOUR NAP, SARAH was up and getting ready while Dylan lounged on the bed, flipping through channels on the television. He was ready, except for getting dressed. She figured it had to be nice being a guy in that regard. A little effort toward showering and they were good to go. Little did the man know but she was slowly losing her mind because for her to get ready meant makeup, lotion, perfume, hair dryer, flat iron, curling iron, a nail file, a lint brush … and a whole lot more. Plus, a hell of a lot of deep breathing.
They were going to a sex club.
On purpose.
Holy crap.
What in the world did one wear to a sex club?
She remembered the night at Devotion. From her fuzzy memories of that evening, most of the people around her hadn’t been wearing much of anything at all, so she couldn’t very well get ideas from that experience.
“Not helping,” she muttered to her reflection in the mirror.
“Are you talking to yourself?”
Sarah spun around to see Dylan standing in the bathroom doorway, his arms crossed over his bare chest, his jean-clad legs crossed at the ankles. It should be a crime to look that damn sexy without even trying.
“Yes, I am,” she confirmed.
“Are you at least getting a response?”
Sarah grinned, then turned and faced the mirror. “Not a helpful one, no.”
“What seems to be the problem?”
She shrugged, leaning forward and applying gloss to her lips. “I don’t know what to wear.”
“What are you wearing beneath that robe?”
“Nothing,” she admitted.
“That works for me.”
Sarah chuckled. “You’re about as helpful as talking to myself.”
Dylan laughed. “Wear the black dress that’s hanging in the closet.”
She met his gaze in the mirror. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
She took a deep breath and nodde
d. If only it was that easy.
An hour later, Sarah was wearing the black dress and her favorite black, strappy heels. She wasn’t teetering quite as badly as she had the last time she’d gone to a sex club, which she considered a plus. Then again, she knew she didn’t look quite as cool and collected as the sexy cowboy standing at her side, either.
Dylan was wearing a pair of starched Wranglers, black boots, a black jacket over a crisp, white shirt, and his black Stetson. The man made her mouth water when he dressed like that.
When they stepped out of the elevator into the hotel lobby, Dylan took her hand in his, and Sarah willed the damn thing not to tremble. She did not want Dylan knowing how freaking nervous she was. This was something he was comfortable with, apparently. She wanted to be able to give him this, although she had no idea what it entailed. Sure, she was a willing participant, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t scared out of her mind.
Okay, maybe scared wasn’t the right word. More like edgy. Nervous.
The man had mentioned sharing her with another man. Would he do that with a stranger? Would she even be okay with that?
Dylan suddenly stopped, then turned Sarah to face him. His dark eyes locked with hers and she fought the tears that were threatening. She did that when she was nervous.
“We’re gonna visit this club tonight, Sarah,” he whispered softly, his thumb brushing her chin. “There are no expectations.”
“Are you sure?”
His dark eyebrows darted down.
“I mean, you did mention you wanted to share me,” she blurted, hating the tremble in her voice.
His smile altered his face in ways that affected her insides. “Not here, baby. Definitely not here.”
Was that relief that filled her?
“When and if that day comes, we’ll be in a place I know, a place where I know you’ll be safe. And it damn sure won’t be a stranger touching you.”
Sarah exhaled sharply. That made her feel remarkably better.
Distraction (Club Destiny Book 8) Page 20
