She was puzzled at the look of relief on his face. “You led me to believe that if that was what it took you would be more than willing.”
“Then, my friend, you jumped to conclusions.” A flicker of disappointment nagged the inside of her.
“I guess I owe you an apology,” he stated, though looked less than sincere with a grin tilting the corner of his mouth. “Except with all this talk of sleeping with the guy only to dump him when you get what you want, it sounded plausible.”
She offered a grin in return. “No, that wasn’t what I wanted. I’ll find another job in another dump and another resource to outlet my singing. I’ll never let a man dictate that.”
A smile began to form on Daniel’s lips, until she added, “Hell, no, I just want to have sex with Tristan because I’m horny and he’s willing. A man like that is always willing. He may be acting devoted, but his natural instincts will come around and I’ll be able to reveal him for the louse that he is.”
His features grew taunt as if he was fighting an inner battle. Then glancing into the washroom, he said through a clenched jaw. “That jacuzzi is awfully big.”
Sonya froze. Oh God, she had imagined that very thought earlier. It actually amazed her that so did he. And since they had cleared the air regarding any sexual expectations, a smile began to form on her lips.
Then Daniel continued speaking and wiped that smile from her face so sudden she thought she got whiplash. “Since you find yourself in such a carnal state, I suggest you make use of it for sleeping conditions.”
Her eyes bulged. “You think I would—after I just—” Her eyes narrowed swiftly. “I wouldn’t jump you if you were the last man left on earth, Daniel Keller. I would find more comfort in—”
The door to the bathroom slammed shut before she had a chance to finish her sentence. Snarling, she clenched her fists and spun around toward the bed. Not caring if he came in or not, she whipped off her clothes and dragged her nightgown over her head. She grabbed her discarded clothing and tossed them without order into the suitcase. The back of her mind squawked at the carless act, but she was far too angry to care.
How dare Daniel speak to her that way? Who was he to judge her? What she did with her life wasn’t any of his business. Nor was her sex life. If she cared to be promiscuous, that was for her to decide. Just because he was some stuck up, goody-goody who probably hadn’t had sex in months, was no reason to take out his frustration on her.
She threw back the comforter and soft cotton sheets, then dropped onto the mattress face up. Crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest, she refused to acknowledge the damn question pestering her suddenly.
What did she care how long it had been since Daniel last had sex? Months? Probably years.
The bathroom door opened and without a word he crossed over to the bed and pulled the blankets down on his side, then dropped onto the mattress with a heavy thud. Sonya’s side of the bed swayed with his weight, but she refused to look over at him. However, her peripheral view saw him stare unblinking up at the ceiling before turning with an angry thrust onto his side, throwing his back to her. Then reaching over he flicked off the bedside lamp and threw them into darkness.
He muttered an irate, “Goodnight.” Then fell into silence once more.
She turned her head in the direction of his shadow and thought about apologizing. They seemed to be fighting an awful lot lately. She didn’t know why, but she wanted it to stop. She hated when they fought.
“Good night, Daniel.”
Chapter 9
The following morning, Sonya woke up from one of the best sleeps she had in a long while. Feeling thoroughly content, she burrowed down into the comfort of the warm blankets and purred like a blissful kitten. In no rush to get up, she grunted in annoyance when her pillow began to move.
With reluctance, her eyes fluttered open and took in a groggy image of a face only inches from her own. As conscious began to creep in and her vision to clear, she recognized the face of that belonging to a man. And with that realization she remembered where she was and with whom the identity of the face belonged.
Not wanting to confront reality just yet, she squeezed her lids back shut and coiled her muscles, rolling over to her side of the bed. It was only then that she discovered her legs and arms were slung aimlessly across his solid form as she had apparently slept snuggled up across Daniel.
She was able to unfurl herself from him without his detection and almost thought she got away without being caught.
“Good.” His gruff voice startled her. “I thought you would never move.”
Her head snapped up and found him looking at her beneath half drowsy eyelids. She narrowed her gaze at him and said, “You could have shoved me aside.”
“I see your mood hasn’t improved this morning,” he mumbled, then swung his legs over the bed and paused before getting to his feet.
“Are you going to use the bathroom first?” she asked, ignoring his insult and leaping off the bed. “Because I really need to pee.”
“Such class,” he flippantly muttered, but couldn’t prevent the tiny grin tilting his mouth.
“Yeah, well, sue me,” she said back and didn’t even bother to look his way as she dashed for the bathroom.
It didn’t take Sonya long to shower and wash up, but it did little to help improve her lack of humor. After brushing her teeth vigorously, she returned to the bedroom with nothing on but a towel tied under her armpits having forgot to bring a robe.
Downhearted, she cared less what he thought of her lack of decorum. This weekend meant a lot to her and he wasn’t doing anything in the least to help. She would swear that he was there purely for the vacation. Or worse, trying to sabotage her scheme.
Daniel turned around at the sound of the bathroom door opening and froze. Transfixed, he stared at her near nakedness and swallowed a suddenly dry lump in his throat. What was she trying to do? Kill him with internal pain? She looked so damn arousing in the small bathroom towel that hung just below her cheek bottoms and exposed still glistening wet legs. Her long dark hair hung damp and combed down her back.
If he weren’t the decent sort of guy she claimed he was, he would take her right then and there. Toss her on the bed and rip that pathetic little towel aside. Her gloriously moist body would shimmer up at him while he devoured it with greed.
“You can use the bathroom now, I’m finished.” Her curt tone of voice drew him out of his reverie and had him jerking his head away from the magnificent view she presented. With a little more force than he intended, he marched toward the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him. Angry, he hated to admit it, but Sonya was right. He was too decent. Even for his own good.
Sonya heard the door slam behind her and gave a careless shrug. What did she care whether she had upset Daniel or not? This was her weekend, her conspiracy. She couldn’t let him ruin it for her. If it killed them, they would act like the devoted couple they were pretending to be.
She waited for him to shower and change so that they could show up for breakfast together. It wouldn’t look good if they arrived apart. Thankfully, she didn’t have long to wait. Daniel was not the kind to dawdle and they arrived downstairs in the kitchen just as the other two couple made an appearance.
At their entrance, however, Sonya was taken aback when all four heads turned in their direction and silence fell over the room. She arched a brow in surprise, then leisurely strolled toward the table where a pitcher of orange juice sat.
In the process of pouring herself a glass, Maura broke the silence and said, “That was quite the quarrel last night.”
Sonya nearly dropped her glass. Spinning around, she stared at the others with her mouth drooping open.
Tristan offered, “It’s a small bungalow. Walls are fairly thin.”
Her eyes grew wide and if she were the blushing kind, she’d be downright crimson. She attempted to move her lips but nothing came out. She couldn’t think of a single lie to cover up their fight.
“Don’t worry,” Audrey said. “We couldn’t hear what you were actually fighting about, just the tone of your voices.”
She felt the air whoosh out of her chest and darted a look at Daniel. He didn’t look in the least bit worried.
“You two still look unhinged this morning. I hope you didn’t go to bed angry.” Maura eyed one then the other.
“No, of course not.” She finally found her voice and was surprised at how easy it was to lie.
“Well, just to be safe,” Maura said with a glitter to her eye, “It’s best to kiss and make up. This is after all supposed to be a fun weekend.”
Sonya knew she ought to refuse, especially since a quick glance at Daniel revealed the worry now very evident on his face. She was surprised at the irritation she felt at the sight of his fear. What did he think she would do? Strip him in front of everyone and make mad passionate love right there on the kitchen tiles? A flicker of delight had her feeling slightly reckless and propelled her back across the room to Daniel.
At her approach, his eyes grew in alarm and his mouth clamped shut. This, however, would not thwart Sonya. She had a point to prove and she wouldn’t stop until she achieved it. Halting only when her body pressed up against his, she slipped her arms up and around his neck and said loudly so everyone could hear, “Mustn’t ruin the weekend for everyone.”
Then, closing the small distance between them she moved her mouth until it touched his, whispering a second before, “Relax.”
Her mouth closed over his and felt that same warmth she had when she kissed him that day in his apartment. It traveled from her lips down to the tips of her toes. It dawned on her then that she had wanted to do this ever since that first kiss. Her treacherous mind had played with the idea while her reasonable side was quick to reject the idea. Daniel was not her type. He was the kind you stayed away from. He would become emotionally attached far too easy. His attitude and outlook on life mirrored that of the Ten Commandments. The hard and merciless real world would destroy him.
As she felt his hands coming up and drowning themselves in her hair, she pulled away. Their eyes met for brief seconds, before she stepped back and out of his embrace. He looked stunned and disoriented and Sonya couldn’t help but feel a spurt of pity.
She turned and shot a hard look at Maura as if to deny what she saw. The look of satisfaction on her friend’s face had Sonya knowing she had just scored highly. If she were to keep up this charade all weekend, she would have to continue to flaunt more attention on Daniel.
Recalling the look on his face the second before she kissed him, however, had her insides curling with self-loath.
It was obvious he didn’t want a thing to do with this. She was violating his morals and it made her feel worse than she would have imagined. As she returned to the kitchen table and grabbed a croissant, she pondered her next move.
For in the price of rescuing one friend she was losing another. She knew with renewed certainty that Daniel was very dear to her. No matter how much she had claimed that they were too different to be friends, she now knew she had been wrong. That he was as close to her as any of her nearest friends. If not closer.
The remainder of the day was spent frolicking in the main downtown core. The streets were packed with crowds of people as the long weekend was well under way. It was a beautiful day with the sun bright and hot. The weather was cooperating splendidly. Temperatures reached mid-eighties allowing many young male bodies bare from the waist up and female bodies clothed only in bikini tops. Music boomed from outdoor speakers along the promenade shops, while the smell of French fries and grease drifted from the many burger shacks.
The three couples strolled along the storefronts where merchandise cluttered the sidewalks. Sonya and Maura stopped to admire a rack of bikini wraps while Audrey and Tristan browsed a display of beaded jewelry. Daniel stood to the side deep in conversation with Patrick Hunter.
No doubt discussing the principles of science and mathematics. For some reason, Sonya didn’t seem to mind. Just as long as he was having a good time. He glanced up and caught her eye. Without hesitation she smiled. He smiled in return.
She turned back to the rack as her smile grew even wider. This was what she liked. When she and Daniel got along, they did so well together.
“My, Sonya, you’re simply beaming.” Maura nudged her. “That boyfriend of yours is certainly doing wonders for your disposition.”
Looking at her friend, she frowned on the inside. She hated deceiving her, but truth be told she wasn’t terribly far off the mark. “I’m just enjoying myself, Maura. Like you.”
Her friend grinned and looked past her shoulder. “I am just so happy to have found Patrick.”
She glanced over her shoulder to the two men again and dragged her eyes away from Daniel to look at Maura’s man. He wasn’t anything to brag about, yet Maura saw something in him that Sonya, for the life of her, couldn’t see. That must be true love she thought with a start.
With a start, she realized her eyes had strayed back to Daniel once again. He was giving her a quizzical look and she had to blink several times before thinking fast. She nodded toward the skimpy bikini wrap for him to see and arched a brow as if she were asking for his opinion.
He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. Taken aback, she glanced down at the cloth and wondered if she had grabbed the wrong item. Daniel’s taste ran more on the conservative side. He made no secret he detested the provocative little dresses that she enjoyed wearing on a night out or to work. The multi-colored fabric in shades of pink and yellow had caught her attention immediately as it was cut low but would ride high up one side, providing lots of thigh underneath. It surprised her that Daniel would have agreed.
She slipped the garment off the hanger and entered the store to purchase it. Maura had chosen a similar one in navy blue, while Tristan bought Audrey a beaded bracelet. When she exited the shop she was pleased to see Daniel and Patrick had advanced further down the boardwalk and were almost parallel with the store.
As soon as they came abreast to them, Maura slipped her arm through Patrick’s and the duo took the lead. A bit giddy for no apparent reason, Sonya slid over to Daniel’s side and copied her friend’s action, slipping her arm through his. He glanced down at her in surprise, then seemed to catch himself and looked away quickly as if it was perfectly normal.
Tristan and Audrey drew up the rear and the couples continued browsing the shops until the lunch hour struck and complaints of hunger began to interrupt their conversation. They chose an outdoor diner with large umbrellas shading the tables and were able to find a sitting area large enough to sit all six of them.
It was just after their food arrived and they began to eat that Tristan turned to Daniel and asked, “So what is it you do exactly, Daniel?”
He swallowed a mouthful of taco salad before replying. “I’m a software engineer for a computer consultant firm.”
“Which one?” Tristan looked genuinely intrigued.
“He works down at the University’s Research Institute,” Sonya provided.
Daniel glanced at her, looking oddly impressed. “For now. Until my next assignment.”
“Sounds interesting,” Tristan said. “What services does a consultant software engineer provide?”
Daniel took another bite of his lunch, swallowed, then offered. “I design and develop new software programs to meet the needs of my clients. Generally, I’m available until the company feels I’m no longer required. That can be months or years at a time, depending on the size of the firm or the number of available support staff. In best case scenario, I am given an intern who will follow me like a shadow to learn every crook and cranny there is to know so that when I leave, the transaction will be a comfortable affair. The intern will take over where I leave off.”
“That must require a lot of relocating.” The other man asked.
“Usually,” Daniel confirmed. “But I don’t really mind. I enjoy the work and the new surroundings.
Otherwise, I’m sure, it could get monotonous.”
“Relocate?” Sonya straightened her back. She hadn’t heard anything about Daniel relocating. “You mean your job isn’t permanent?”
He chuckled. “No, it’s quite permanent. However, my company’s services are employed all over the country.”
“Your company?” Audrey asked beside Tristan. “You own the company?”
He nodded and seemed to appear suddenly uncomfortable with the assault of questioning from around the table.
“What do you mean you relocate?” Sonya still couldn’t decipher his meaning. The fact that he owned his own company surprised her, for he never disclosed that piece of information about himself before. Granted, she never encouraged him to discuss his work. If anything, she cut him off quicker than lightning in fear of being bored to death.
At the moment, however, she couldn’t seem to soak up enough information. “How many times have you relocated?”
He appeared to be doing a mental calculation in his head. “About eight or nine times.”
Her eyes grew wide and she literally slumped back in her seat in surprise. Then asking the question most demanding at the forefront of her mind, “When is the next time you relocate?”
Daniel shot her a frown, his features wrinkled in puzzlement. Obviously her sudden interest in his job taking him by surprise. She never cared to hear about the details before, why now was she overwhelmed with an urgent need to know. “When I’m done down at the Institute.”
“Oh, what university is that?” Maura asked.
He opened his mouth to answer, but Sonya interrupted him. “When is that?”
His eyes slid back to her face and studied her before answering, “Hard to say, but probably around November if not sooner.”
Something happened to Sonya that was as foreign to her as sunbathing in the Arctic. Hurt. So sudden and swift it caught her off guard. She attempted to get it under control, but to no avail. Swallowing a sudden lump in her throat, she pushed back her chair with force and excused herself from the table.
Misunderstood: In Love with the Nerd (The Miss Series Book 2) Page 14
