Four Reasons to Come

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “You made it,” the redhead said as she opened the door and hugged Merrick.

  All his uptight attitude melted away pretty quickly, and a smile flashed across his face. There was something going on with him too, not just me; I could tell by the permanent smile that crossed his face the second we stepping into the dance studio.

  “Emma, this is my friend Wyatt. Wyatt, this is Emma and her friend …” Merrick pointed toward the blonde for her to speak up and say her name.

  “I’m Dakota,” she said, looking at me suspiciously.

  “Like Dakota from the Date tonight App?” I asked in total confusion.

  “Are you Wyatt from the Date tonight app? she asked with a similar look of puzzlement on her face.

  What the hell was going on? I felt like two worlds had collided, and I couldn’t make sense of it all. I stood there looking at this woman and trying to resolve my internal distress over the idea that she wasn’t just the woman from the club, she was the woman from the dating app as well.

  “Yes,” I barely muttered as I stood there in my shock. “And you’re Dakota?”

  “Yes.”

  I realized I was actually shaking my head back and forth as I looked at her. How had this all happened? How had she become the Dating App girl? It was too much to figure out all at one time while we were standing in the entryway to the dance studio, so I just followed everyone else as we went down the stairs and on our way for our date.

  Dakota and I didn’t talk. I assumed she was going through a similar state of denial and trying to figure out what the heck was going on. But maybe she knew? Maybe the app had told her who I was and all of our running into each other had been part of what the app was telling her to do?

  Did the app tell her to come grab my arm on that late night outside the bar? Did the app tell her to come up to me at the dance club and flirt with me? Was it the app that told her not to call me when I gave her my card? And what about the boy she had with her at FAO Schwartz. She didn’t say she had a son at all in her profile, had she lied about that?

  My brain was naturally a skeptical part of me. The skeptical side of me was what got me through my day to day work life. By analyzing stocks and companies, I made better decisions than my peers when it came to new investments. On the other hand, I wasn’t always skeptical of women; this was a new feeling for me.

  It seemed beyond absurd that the woman I had met in the club was the same one from the Dating App. My mind was spinning with how on earth this had been possible. Was it just a set of extremely random coincidences? I had no idea.

  “Are you freaking out as much as I am?” Dakota asked as we climbed into the back of a cab.

  “Confused more than freaking out.”

  “I know. I’m just playing everything over and over in my head. Either that app is really, really good, or this was some sort of dating once in a lifetime thing.” She laughed.

  “Or maybe you were stalking me the whole time,” I said with a smirk.

  It was the wrong thing to say. I could tell almost instantly after the words left my mouth that I shouldn’t have said them. Her expression went from fun and light-hearted to totally serious, and it made my heart sink into my stomach.

  . Dakota had on a stunning red dress with red hi-heels. Her legs were demurely crossed and leaning toward me up until I uttered those words. Then she turned toward the window, and although she laughed the comment off, I could tell I had changed the mood for the night.

  When our taxi pulled up to the restaurant, it was clear that Merrick and Emma were getting along just fine. He already had his arm wrapped around her waist as they walked into the entrance of the high-priced joint. I, on the other hand, simply held the door open and watched as Dakota’s beautifully round ass walked right past me and into the restaurant. She didn’t wait for me, and she didn’t look back at me; she had become uninterested in me.

  “Can I take your jacket?” I offered as we waited for our table.

  “Sure, unless you’re afraid my surveillance equipment might fall out.”

  I helped her with her jacket and stood in silence as I replayed the last few weeks of activities. When had I first seen her? I thought back to that night at Elite when Merrick went to flirt with Emma, and she yelled at him. Dakota had been there. I didn’t know her at all, and she didn’t know me, but I remember her seductive curves as she stood next to Emma.

  There was no way she was a stalker. Merrick had randomly come up to Emma and that hadn’t even gone very well at all. I didn’t even talk to Dakota that night, and she certainly hadn’t tried to talk to me. I concluded that she could not have been stalking me all along, at least not at that point.

  “Should we just start from this moment and not worry about how we got here?” I whispered into her ear as I pulled her chair out to sit down.

  “I guess,” she said sternly.

  “Because to be honest, I don’t care how we got here. I’m just damn happy I’ve got the chance to take you on a date.”

  My lips didn’t touch her next, but they were close enough that I felt her energy. Her body paused at my words, and I watched her open her neck to give me a better view of the delicate skin in that area. I would have kissed her had we known each other better.

  “I guess we can try,” she said with a little less edge.

  I took my seat next to her, and everything else in the restaurant went blank. All I cared about was her and getting to know her. All I wanted to do was sit there and talk to her. Touch her. Kiss her. My desire to be near her was more overpowering than my skepticism, and that turned out to be just fine.

  “You two look so serious,” Merrick said as he leaned in and kissed Emma.

  She was laughing, and it was clear the two of them had natural connections, despite their initial arguing. I had felt like Dakota and I had a similar connection when we first met, but that stupid game and the stories Ren had told me had utterly confused my perspective of the situation.

  Ren, that was it; I needed to talk with him. He would be able to calm my concerns about this whole thing. Only he would know if this had been some sort of dating hack by a woman who was trying to get to my money or a glitched out dating game.

  “I’ll be right back,” I said as I excused myself to make my quick phone call.

  My head was confused with all the information I was trying to analyze. I just needed some clarity. A sign, something that could help me focus and actually enjoy my date.

  “Ren, I’m on a date with the girl from the app,” I said as soon as his phone picked up.

  “Okay.”

  “No, you don’t get it. The game was still playing. I didn’t meet her because it connected us. I met her on a date with Merrick.”

  Ren started to laugh, and I wasn’t sure he had actually heard what I said. It didn’t seem all that funny to me at the moment.

  “The Date Tonight app connected you. It doesn’t overtly tell you to call her up and set up a date. It connects you like you would normally connect with a woman.”

  “But, I ran into her at a club before I even joined the app.”

  “Okay, so you were even more destined to meet.”

  “So you’re sure she didn’t hack the game and set this all up. You know I’ve had women try to pretend they were pregnant to get to my money. Anything is possible.”

  Ren continued to laugh at my paranoia.

  “No, I don’t think that’s what happened. What does she say about it?”

  “I haven’t really talked to her yet.”

  “For Christ Sake, maybe actually talk to the woman of your dreams if you have her sitting there and stop worrying about how it happened.”

  “Okay.” I laughed.” I guess this was what I wanted.

  “Wyatt, the app isn’t evil. I’m sorry if I made it sound like that. It’s flawed for sure, and I’m working to fix it. But if the app connected you two with one hundred percent certainty, I’d go with it. This girl might be the one. You know, the one woman who you’ll matc
h up with perfectly. If I found that, I damn well wouldn’t be on the phone with you talking about it. I’d be talking to the girl.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’m going back in there right now.”

  Ren was right. I had to just spend time with Dakota, and that would help me figure out what the truth was. I had always been good at reading people, and this situation was no different. I’d just treat her like I did any new woman in my life and see how things unfolded.

  “Did you get clearance to talk to me from the secret service or something?” Dakota joked as I came back to the table.

  “I’m cleared to proceed.” I laughed.

  It was a relief that she had a sense of humor about the whole thing. I cringed at how I had treated her when we first met.

  “Good, because I have people clearing your house out of all your belongings right now as we sit here,” she said with a playful smile.

  “You’re a feisty one. I like that.”

  “Oh, I’m serious.”

  “It’s okay; we can just go back to your place after dinner then,” I joked.

  Chapter 14

  Dakota

  He was acting exactly how I wanted to act. I was just as suspicious of him as he was clearly of me. But I certainly wasn’t going to act like that now that he had started it all. My philosophy was that we would just figure it out. The whole dating app had been a disaster, but to learn that he was the guy from the app was really hard for me to wrap my brain around.

  When he whispered in my ear, my body tingled with desire for him, and that level of desire hadn’t been felt in a very long time. I didn’t want to waste the opportunity to have a real match with a guy, and I was much more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt than he was for me.

  Whomever he called seemed to have put his concerns at ease, for the time being, though, and I did my best to lighten the mood. It was uncomfortable how close Emma and Merrick were, and it would have been much more uncomfortable to argue with Wyatt than it would have been just to enjoy ourselves.

  “Let’s get some drinks,” I said in desperate need of some alcohol.

  His hand gently touched mine, and I felt that electricity between us again. Whatever this was between us, however we had gotten there, I wasn’t going to give it up very easily. There was electricity between us, and I deserved the opportunity to see if it was real or not.

  “Mmm, yes, perfect idea.”

  We talked about work and how we got to New York City. I talked about my business and my goals to build it; he talked about working with people’s money and his goals to work with his own money more. It was one of the most delightful dates I could ever remember. Conversation was easy, and the sexual chemistry between us made it hard to concentrate on anything else.

  “So you like living here?” he asked.

  “Oh, I like it a lot more now,” I teased him. “Why did you join the dating app?” I asked. He paused as he contemplated what to say to me. I could tell he was worried about saying the wrong thing, and it was absolutely adorable. I liked Wyatt and not just because he was extremely handsome; I liked that he took the time to contemplate an answer and not just throw something out there or say he didn’t know.

  “I want love. Don’t we all.”

  His answer. God, that answer was everything, and I knew I was going to bring him home that night. No matter what my rules had been, no matter what that stupid app had done to get us there, I wanted love. I felt the desire, the spark of love between us, and I wanted so much more. I wanted him.

  “Yep, I think that we do.”

  “Can I walk you to your house?” he asked with a perfect sly little smile.

  Behind his smile was a boyish charm that I couldn’t look away from. Just being near him made me feel like I was literally on a cloud, and I wanted that feeling to continue as long as possible. Even though I lived a long ways away for walking, I was totally alright with spending an hour next to him while we roamed the streets of New York.

  “It’s two miles away,” I said with a laugh.”

  “Perfect, because I’d like those two miles to get to know you more away from these two petting teenagers.” He laughed as Merrick and Emma came up for a breath.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said as I kissed Emma on the cheek.

  “Everything good?” she asked as she seemed to notice that we hadn’t actually talked to each other most of the night.

  Emma was having a great time with Merrick, and I could tell. She wasn’t acting like herself at all and instead seemed more like a schoolgirl who was out with her crush. I was so happy for her; Emma needed love in her life. She needed a man that was tougher and stronger than her and wouldn’t put up with her shit when she tried to push him away. Merrick seemed like just the right guy for that job.

  “Yes, enjoy your night,” I teased as I looked down and saw Merrick’s hand playing with her under her skirt.

  Emma had always been much bolder than I was. She didn’t worry about what others thought, instead always going after exactly what she wanted. I admired that about her. It was one of her finest qualities.

  As we walked out of the restaurant, I felt Wyatt’s hand on the small of my back. His gentle touch guided me toward the street and sent goose bumps throughout my body. For the last two hours, we had talked, laughed, and gotten to know each other like any normal date. But I felt like I knew him before. It was hard to describe the comfort level I had with him, but suddenly I pulled him toward me, and we leaned against the wall of an old grocery store.

  His body was amazing, I felt the muscles hard against me and couldn’t wait to feel my hands on his bare skin. This was the kind of man I had dreamed of. The way he looked at me, the way he talked to me, the way he touched me, the tensions was tightening and I could hardly maintain my composure.There were no words. No expressions of desire other than our eyes locked onto one another with an understanding of the passion we both felt. It didn’t take long before he moved his lips toward mine, and I felt the delight of his skin as it gently pressed against my wet lips.

  More, I wanted more and more of his touch. It was like a drug rushing through me, and I couldn’t stop myself. When he pulled away slightly, I pulled him back. I was the aggressor. I was the one who was going to bring him home. My desire for Wyatt had peaked, and there was no stopping it. I just needed to feel his body and mine together. I needed the explosion of desire more than I needed to pretend like I was a demure woman who didn’t want those things. Wyatt braced his body against the wall but held onto me with one hand. As he pulled away from me again, I heard a low grunt as if it was torture to be away from my lips. His desire for me was as strong as mine was for him, his pelvis thrust toward me while his body pulled away. We were as perfectly matched as any man I could imagine for a date. Who knew if our match would continue to last, but I knew I wanted him that night. I wanted to take full advantage of the electricity that was between us, and I wasn’t going to regret anything that happened.

  “We should get you home,” he said and grabbed my hand to pull me down the street.

  His fingers intertwined with mine, and I couldn’t think. The energy of our touch was more than my body was used to, and I wanted it. I needed more of it. He talked, and I laughed. I did my best to hold a conversation as we walked toward my apartment, but all I could think about was ripping off his shirt and letting my hands run over his naked chest.

  “This is me,” I finally said as we arrived in front of my building. “Do you want to walk me up?”

  “I better not,” he replied with another low groan.

  “I think you should.”

  “If I walk you to your door, I’m going to want to come in, and then I’m going to have to spend the night.”

  My hand reached for his as I opened the security door to the building and pulled him in with me. I wanted him. I wasn’t over thinking things. I wasn’t thinking about happily ever after or what he would think of me tomorrow. I just wanted him, and that was all there was to
it.

  “Come up,” I whispered as I pulled him into the tiny elevator.

  “Are you sure?” he asked as he kept his distance from me on the ride up. “I can wait. I want to take you out on another date. This can wait. I’m fine with waiting.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince himself or me, but it didn’t matter because I wasn’t planning on waiting for anything. I was planning on feeling his fine naked body pressed up against mine that night.

  “Yes.”

  I unlocked my apartment door and pulled him in. Suddenly, it was like I had taken his chains off; I had given him permission to devour me. Any uncertainty he had about coming up to my apartment was gone as the door shut behind us.

  He held onto my wrists and pressed them above my head as his lips moved down the front of my dress. The desire in his breath fueled my own desires, and I felt my body warming to his touch. This man wasn’t faking an attraction to me in order to get me into bed; this man was clearly enamored with me, and I loved it. The sincerity in his desire was all I needed to totally give up control to him. This was going to be one hell of a night; I could tell from the way my body had goose bumps all over.

  My back arched against the wall as he used his lips to press my dress down and pull my nipple into his mouth. The pleasure shot through me, and I felt my knees become weak, but his other hand grabbed me and held onto my waist to prevent me from crumbling to the ground.

  His lips moved feverishly to my other breast, and I let out a moan of total desire as I felt his mouth suck me in. This was exactly what I had dreamed about from the night we had talked in the club. My desire to have this man was beyond my reasoning, and I no longer cared at all. I just had to have him.

  My hands moved to his belt as I started to unbuckle him, but he wouldn’t allow me to. Instead, he pressed my hands away and gently pulled my red dress down to the ground exposing my lace panties and exposing me to the heat of his desire.