by Nana Malone
Chapter 14
A night out with her sister was long overdue. Being with Tristan made her realize that she’d spent a lot of time being a mom and she needed to throttle back and have some fun.
“Honestly you look happy, Syn.”
Syn took a sip of her martini and smiled at her sister. “I feel happy. It had been a while since everything was going this great.”
“And you’re not worried at all about this week?”
“Nope. Tristan and I went over the presentations. They complement each other. Instead of trying to one-up each other, for once. I think it’ll go well.”
Xia grinned. “I like him. Or rather I like you with him.”
“Was that before or after he gave you all the men advice?” Tristan had come over the other night for dinner and met Xia, who had peppered him with questions about dating.
“Okay, well, both. I mean, he’s pretty to look at. And I mean smoking hot. But he’s thoughtful and nice. I hope I didn’t ruin your groove thing the other night when I told him stories about us growing up.”
Syn barked out a laugh. “Even I’m not saying groove thing anymore.”
Xia put up one finger. “I’m bringing it back. And it was nice being the big sister to you for once and checking out your new man. I was ready to give him the hairy eyeball at a moment’s notice.”
Syn took another sip of her drink. “Look at you, all grown up.”
Xia preened. “I know, right. Can you believe it?” She leaned forward. “So, what’s the word on tall, dark and ridiculously rich?”
“Xia!”
“What, it’s true, right? I mean, he is a Dawson.”
“He’s not like the other Dawsons. For starters, he doesn’t work for the family business.”
Xia raised her eyebrow. “A hard worker, huh? Looks like he knows the way to my sister’s heart.”
“Yeah, okay,” Syn laughed. “I’m a sucker for someone driven. And it turns out I was wrong about him.”
Xai’s lips formed a perfect O as she lifted her eyebrows in a mock shocked face. “You don’t say.”
“I can admit when I’m wrong.”
“Not the, quote, ‘womanizing idiotic playboy’ you thought he was?”
Okay, so maybe she’d been a little harsh, but in her defense that was before she’d actually known him properly. But when he was with her, she certainly had all his attention.
“It sounds like love to me.”
Syn coughed on her drink, and alcohol burned her nasal cavity. “Who said anything about love?”
“Oh my God, are you still on your antilove kick? You better not screw this up, Syn. I haven’t seen you this happy in like ever and you’re certainly more chilled out than you usually are.”
“I’m not screwing it up.” But fear slipped in past her defenses before she could shore up the line. “We’re taking it slow. Not jumping into anything too quickly, getting to know each other.”
“I don’t know what for. I mean, you’re spending every spare minute you can with him and I went to your place two nights in a row last week and you weren’t there. I only assume you stayed at his.”
A flush crept up Syn’s neck as she remembered just what they’d been getting up to at his place. He really did have a very talented tongue. But just how did he come by it? She slammed the thought to the back corner of the dark part of her mind. She was going to ignore it and have fun. She liked fun. She could do fun. Right?
Xia didn’t seem to notice her distress. “Just as long as you’re following the same rules he gave me the other night. Granted, by the way he treats you, you have a good one. I’m happy for you.”
Syn couldn’t help going through all the advice Tristan had given Xia. He’d told her to find a guy who put her first and treated her with respect.
He hadn’t told a soul at work about them. They’d even gone back to normal at work. Well, if normal meant he was nice to her and professional without the awkwardness. Of course, the moment they were alone, he was all kinds of inappropriate.
“I’m happy for me too. And we’ll see where it goes.” Liar, you love him. A tight band squeezed around her chest. That scared the hell out of her. She’d started to fall for him before Vegas. That was their dance. She’d always appreciated some aspects of his personality, but she’d never considered the whole person before Vegas.
Oh God, she was in love, with Tristan Dawson...
Xia watched her carefully. “You look like you swallowed a bug. Did you just realize you love him?”
Synthia swallowed hard. “Is it that obvious?”
Xia nodded. “I knew it the second you were sulking around when you got back from Vegas. It looked like a breakup mope. No woman acts like that unless she loves a guy.”
“Well, now what?”
Xia laughed. “Well, now you tell him.”
Syn frowned. “What if he doesn’t love me back?”
Xia reached over and squeezed her hand. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s the lucky one. And he knows it.”
Syn had never been in love before. Was this how it felt? She wasn’t entirely sure she liked the feeling.
Xia jumped up. “I’m going to get us another drink.”
Syn shook her head. “No. You sit. I’m buying. My way of saying we should do this more often.” And clearing her head.
“I’m not turning down free drinks.”
“Of course you aren’t. Your sister didn’t raise no fool.”
* * *
“Tris, where the hell you been, man? I haven’t seen your sorry ass since before you left for Vegas. It’s been nearly a month. I was worried that you’d gotten married without a prenup and some grifter had you chained up in a basement in her house.”
Tristan laughed and nudged his brother’s shoulder. “Sorry I missed the big dinner, man. I’ve just been busy with work.”
Taylor eyed him. “I’m calling you out. Work doesn’t keep you that busy.”
He shrugged. “Well, maybe I have something worthwhile to work toward.”
Taylor clamped a hand over his heart. “Say it ain’t so.” Then he frowned. “Actually I did mention to the old man about how hard you’ve been working and your new project.”
Tristan scowled at his brother. “Why would you do that?”
“Sorry. You know how he can be. I thought it was all curiosity, and then he started grilling me about your big presentation.”
This was the last thing Tristan needed. “Taylor, you know how manipulative he is.”
His shoulders drew up. “Look, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you. I just thought, finally, he gave a damn for something other than his own purposes. It’s possible.”
“Don’t count on it.” Tristan cracked his neck, then drew in a deep breath. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not mad at you. Just touchy. Before I left for Vegas, he called with the same old song and dance. It made me a little edgy where he’s concerned. As if I can’t see his ploy for what it is. I come fully into my trust fund next year when I turn twenty-seven. Which means I also inherit Grandpa’s voting shares. He just wants me where he can control me.”
“Cynical much?” Then he added, “How was Vegas anyway? Usually you’re back from a trip like that regaling me with tales of debauchery. This time, nothing.”
Tristan sipped his scotch. “You know it was a work trip, right?”
“And you know you’re a Dawson, right? You don’t have to work if you don’t want to. Life is meant to be enjoyed, especially if you’re in Vegas.”
Tristan shook his head. How could they be so different but so close? “Actually I’m seeing someone. I’ve known her for a while.”
Taylor’s eyebrows rose. “What? Who? Is it that blonde girl from the club?”
“What? No way!�
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Taylor smiled. “That was quick. So, what’s she like, your girl? And when do I get to meet her and show her some of the Dawson charm?”
Note to self, Taylor was never meeting Syn. Not because he didn’t trust his brother. More like that he didn’t trust his brother not to embarrass him. “Uh, not for a while if you keep talking like that.”
Taylor nodded, suddenly solemn. “So you actually like her, then?”
“I do. She’s smart. A hell of a lot smarter than me. But don’t tell her I said that. Because she’ll never let me live it down.”
“I like the sounds of her already.”
“And she’s funny. Snarky sense of humor. Careful not to piss her off because the verbal smackdown will scar you. But she can also be very sweet. She’s tough, you know.”
Taylor gave him a knowing smile. “Sounds like love, little brother.”
Love? Something squeezed around his heart. The feeling wasn’t altogether unpleasant. But it felt a little like fear, but not the blinding terror that immobilized you, more like the fear of losing something.
“I don’t know. But she’s pretty special.”
“And where did you meet this paragon of virtue and beauty, and does she have a sister?”
Oh no, Tristan was not doing that to Xia. Though Xia would take his brother well in hand. Especially now that she was armed with his guy-dating tactics and maneuvers. “She does have a sister, but she’s too young for you. And I met Syn at work.”
Taylor’s eyebrows snapped down. “Sin? Are you sure you don’t work at a strip club?”
Tristan rolled his eyes. “Synthia, S-Y-N.”
“Wait, is this that woman who was giving you such a hard time? The mouthy one?”
Tristan laughed. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“And you somehow managed to convince her to go out with you? I thought that girl hated you?”
“She just didn’t know how awesome I was yet.”
“And how pray tell did you make her see the light?”
“Vegas changed everything.”
Taylor gave him a knowing smile. “I’ll bet it did. You know—”
“Tristan, is that you?”
Tristan whirled around, hearing the familiar voice. “Bella?” He barely recognized the Bliss Hotel magnate. She wore a short black dress that displayed all her assets. As if she was begging the world to notice her. But she missed the mark. Too short, too tight and too revealing. It all amounted to trying too hard.
“Bella? What are you doing here?”
Her grin was wide. “I was meeting a friend for dinner, but he’s otherwise engaged for a moment.” She swayed into him and he picked up on the alcohol on her breath.
Taylor wasted no time at all. “Don’t mind my brother, he’s very rude. Would you like to join us for a drink?”
She smiled up at both of them with her unfocused eyes. “Sure.” She smiled cheekily at Taylor. “What are you buying me to drink, handsome?”
“What would you like to drink? And it’s Taylor.”
“Ketel One, neat. Taylor and Tristan.” She eyed them both up and down. “They sure do make you Dawson boys easy on the eyes.”
She slurred her words, and Tristan made a mental note to cut off her drinks after this one. He didn’t know how much she’d had to drink, but slurring meant it had probably already been one drink too many.
When her drink arrived, Taylor handed it to her with a smile. “So, where has my brother been keeping you?”
She patted a hand on Taylor’s chest before taking a sip. She pouted a little. “Tristan, I’m disappointed you didn’t tell your brother about me. Seeing as we could be working together soon.”
He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. “Bella is a client, Tay.”
Taylor straightened immediately. “Oh, what kind of client?”
Bella’s smile was lazy. “My family owns Bliss Hotels. I’m the vice president of Marketing and Operations.” She turned to Tristan, reaching up to cup his face. “And your brother here hasn’t taken the bait and asked me out yet.”
Oh, shit. How the hell did he wiggle out of this gracefully and leave her pride intact? “As beautiful as you are, Bella, I don’t date clients.”
She leaned in to whisper in his ear, “That’s really too bad. I was looking forward to seeing what else you could do for me besides market analysis.”
“Bella—”
Bella pursed her lips and held up a hand to stop him. “So I take it this isn’t going to happen?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m sorry.”
“You have a thing for Synthia Michaels.”
How the hell had she known that? “Yeah. We sort of have a thing.”
“I had a feeling. That first day at Stellar Reach, I could see the tension between you. I wondered if sending you to Vegas together was a good idea. I figured you’d either learn to get along or destroy each other. I guess you learned to get along.”
Tristan ground his teeth. He didn’t want this impacting Syn’s chances of getting the job. “Syn is really good at what she does. In a lot of ways better than me. You should really consider her fairly for the job.”
Bella’s eyes narrowed. “As pretty as you are, let me promise you that I will always look at the bottom line and do the best for my company.”
Tristan nodded. “As long as we understand each other. I just want it to be a fair playing field for the both of us.”
Bella nodded. “It’ll be fair.” She shrugged. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed, though.” One of the other bar patrons jostled Bella and she lost her balance, throwing herself onto Tristan for support. He steadied her quickly, but she still wobbled. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She lifted her head. “I guess I’m not the only one who’s unsteady on their feet.”
Prickly heat made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The sudden sense of awareness had him looking around for who might be watching him.
The moment his gaze met Syn’s from across the crowded lounge, he froze. Her gaze dipped from his eyes to Bella pressed up against him, then back to his eyes.
Then her beautiful, lively dark eyes went flat and cold, just before she turned and stalked away.
“Damn.”
Chapter 15
Synthia didn’t even stop to think. All she knew was the cloying darkness and pain that wrapped around her heart. So much for him caring about her. He was still the same old Tristan.
She ran right past her sister, whose attention had been taken by a guy in a suit, and into the fresh air of the night. Outside the lounge, the traffic sounds were nearly as loud as the music inside, but at least she could breathe easier.
She braced herself when she heard the slapping shoes on concrete. He was following her. Fight or flight, fight or flight. Syn turned on her heels and met his gaze.
Tristan stopped short. “Syn, let me explain. It’s not what you think.”
She forced a calm into her voice she didn’t feel. She would not be the crazy, out-of-control woman. She would use her grown-up words. She would not kick him in the nuts. Well, she couldn’t be certain about that last part. “I can’t do this right now,” she muttered.
“Syn, just talk to me. Don’t crawl up into your shell and shut me out. I know you saw me with Bella, but you have to know I wouldn’t do that.”
“I know what I saw. But you know what, even if it wasn’t what I thought, this still boils down to me. I can’t be in a relationship with someone like you. I’ll always be waiting for the other shoe to drop. I never should have said yes.
He dug his hands into his hair as he paced. “This is crazy. You’re using a total misunderstanding as a reason to run.” He glared at her, then squared his shoulders. When he shoved his hands in his pockets
his jaw twitched.
Tears picked her eyes and she blinked them back. “I have to protect myself. You have the power to hurt me and I can’t let you. This has gotten way out of control.”
“Syn, come on. I’ve shown you the real me. You’re the only person who actually knows me. Don’t give up.”
“I don’t have a choice, Tristan. If I keep doing this with you, I’m going to get burned.”
“Jealously and fear are clouding your brain. You’re smarter than this.”
“I have to go.”
Before she could turn away, he reached for her. He planted both hands on her face, his caress warm and gentle. Tristan sucked in a deep breath, then stepped forward into her space. She automatically took a step back and glared at him.
“Synthia, I’m in love with you.”
Her breath caught in her throat as she blinked up at him.
“I know every single smile you have. I would never use you. I’m not that guy. And I don’t know how else to prove that to you. And honestly I don’t think I can ever prove that to you. You need to be open to this, to us. I love you. I’ve been dancing around finding a way to your heart for two years. And you feel something for me too. Or else you wouldn’t be running scared. But until you trust me, this can’t work.”
Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them away rapidly as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
He sniffed and rubbed his nose with a knuckle. “You know where to find me if you want to start believing in somebody.”
Chapter 16
Tristan turned off the water in the shower in time to hear his phone ringing in his bedroom. Maybe it was Syn. After their argument, he’d called a few times to talk to her, but no luck. How had things gotten so screwed up? Because you should have told her how you felt sooner.
Well, he had told her. If he’d told her how he felt at the beginning, would she even have gone to Vegas with him? Would that night in the elevator have happened? Maybe she would have given him a shot. Maybe not.
But instead of Syn, it was his father.
