Dylan
I glanced at the clock, again. This meeting had been dragging on far too long, and we were due to be at the gala in an hour and a half.
“Ultimately, if you’re not on board with this, then I’ll find someone who is,” I interrupted the guy telling me again why my integration plan wasn’t going to work. “We’re due to take ownership of Redux in less than two weeks so if you want out, let me know now.”
“It’s not that. I just want—”
“Let’s reconvene next week. Email me over the weekend with your decision. I don’t want to spend any more time debating this.”
I stood and strode out of the meeting room, and didn’t stop even for Marie. She’d expected me to catch up on my phone messages and emails, but that shit would have to wait. I’d not seen Beth properly all day, and I wanted to squeeze out every last drop of time together.
I took the elevator to my waiting town car and hit dial as I got in.
“I’ve just got into the car; I should be with you shortly,” I said as soon as she answered.
“I told you I’d be happy to meet you there. I know how busy you are.”
“Well, I need to change into my tux—”
“Which Marie could have had Don collect.”
I’d brought my things to the hotel yesterday so I wouldn’t have to go home. I still wasn’t quite sure why Beth wouldn’t stay with me, particularly when I was effectively staying with her. It wasn’t as if we were getting any space from each other. We’d slipped into coupledom—working during the day, racing home to get naked in the evening. We’d not even made it out for dinner yet. But tonight was different.
“And anyway, I want to take you to this gala. This is our first date, and I’m not meeting you there. I just pulled up to the hotel. I’ll see you in a few.”
I raced up to the twelfth floor and used the key Beth had given me. As the door sprang open, my breath caught in my throat as I came face-to-face with the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She stood looking out of the window, her back bare and red velvet flaring out from her tiny waist. I’d never seen her hair up—it felt so good trailing against my skin that I couldn’t ever have imagined wanting to see it up—but now, it gave me a better view of her perfect skin and that delicious neck. “You’re a goddess.”
She smiled at me over her shoulder. “And you have perfect timing. Can you help me with this necklace?”
I wasn’t sure if, once I started, I’d be able to stop touching her.
I let the door slam closed as I strode toward her, my cock tightening with every step. Sliding my hands around her waist and dipping my head into her neck, I took a deep breath. “You smell like cinnamon.”
She laughed. “That’s your imagination.”
I took her necklace and fastened the clasp, my hands smoothing down her neck to her waist, then pulled her back against me.
“We don’t need to be there by six thirty. In fact, we don’t need to go at all.”
She tilted her head so it rested against my chest. “We do need to be there by six thirty, but we don’t have stay too late. How about that?” She pushed her perfect ass against my now rock-hard cock and I groaned.
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to ditch the whole thing?”
“I’m sure. I think a man as successful as you can control his penis for a couple of hours. I Googled you today. Apparently, you’re quite the eligible bachelor about town.”
I chuckled. “You Googled me? You didn’t think about doing that before we had sex the first time?”
She slid her hands over mine. “Apparently I liked your tight ass too much to be bothered by what Google had to say.”
“My tight ass likes you back.” I kissed her neck. “Right, if you insist on going to this dumb gala, I’m going to grab a shower.”
She swiveled around in my arms. “Do me a favor?”
“Anything.” I traced the swell of her breasts with my thumb, desperate to taste her. I wasn’t going to be able to keep my hands to myself this evening.
“Keep this,” she said, scratching her nails over my five o’clock shadow. “I like it against my skin.”
I groaned. “You’re killing me.”
“But it’s such delicious torture.” She grinned.
Less than an hour later, we were pulling up outside the Drake Hotel. I ignored the flashes of the cameras as I stepped out of the car and rounded the trunk to open the door for Beth.
She looked confused at the attention, but I held out a hand. “Why are there photographers here?”
“Publicity for the charity,” I explained.
I put an arm around her waist and pulled her toward me.
“Mr. James, who’s your date tonight?” one of the photographers yelled. Beth looked up at me and I grinned at her, leaning toward her and placing a small kiss on her pouting mouth. The flashes of the cameras intensified.
“This is Beth Harrison. Baking goddess and my girlfriend,” I replied to the photographer.
“Can we get inside?” she whispered through her smile.
I chuckled.
“As in Baking with Beth on A Chicago Saturday?” another photographer asked. “The trailers have just started to air.”
“Apparently, it should be me Googling you.” I squeezed her again and led her inside.
“My show hasn’t even gone out and frankly, given the disastrous day yesterday, it probably never will.”
“My sweet, it wasn’t disastrous. It was television.” Now was a perfect moment to confess that Raf and I owned Raine Media and WCIL TV, but I didn’t want to complicate anything. Our ownership didn’t and wouldn’t impact her in any way. We didn’t get involved with commissioning the programming in any detail. We just approved policy and strategy decisions. I didn’t have time or the inclination to explain that all to her. I’d do it before she left to go back to London.
As we entered the hotel, we were immediately offered champagne. Out of habit, I reached to accept a glass on Beth’s behalf before realizing what I was doing, and I set the glass back down.
“You can drink, Dylan. It doesn’t bother me.”
“No, sorry, I never drink on occasions like this. I was getting a glass for you but then—”
“If you don’t drink at events like this then there’s something wrong with you. I imagine it would be much more fun.” She scanned the lobby, her head tilted toward the candelabra. “I wonder if I could make a cake that pretty.”
“I think you could do whatever you set your mind to.” I dipped my head and kissed her on the cheek.
I spotted Raf coming toward us. He glanced to my left and his eyes widened. I saw the word fuck form on his lips. I grinned. Yeah, she had that effect on me, too.
“How did you get so lucky?” He shook my hand and slapped me on the back before taking a step back and raising Beth’s hand to his lips.
He kissed her knuckles. “It’s a complete pleasure to meet you,” he said.
“Really?” I interrupted. “Are you kidding me? Do women fall for that—the kissing the hand stuff?” I looked at Beth and she just smiled. She wasn’t falling for it.
“Well, given you’re still a virgin, I’m guessing it works better than whatever it is that you do.”
“I’m guessing you’re Raf,” Beth said before I could punch him.
“And you’re the mystery woman I’ve heard nothing about until this week. How did you two kids meet?”
“We were sitting next to each other on the plane on the way to London a few weeks ago,” Beth replied. “All the cabin crew were excited about him; I couldn’t see what the fuss was about. He was so serious and moody.” She looked up and grinned at me.
I shook my head. I was confident she’d been interested since we’d locked eyes that first time.
“He is desperately moody, that’s for sure, though less so the last few weeks. We should put you on the payroll. I like him better since he met you. Do you live in Chicago?”
“I grew up here and my father’s here but I live in London now. I might be spending a bit more time back here though.”
“Do you know what table we’re at?” I asked, interrupting the natural course of their exchange. Beth was a sentence away from saying she was here to film for WCIL TV and neither Raf nor Beth knew about the connection. I needed to be the one that filled them in.
Raf peeled his eyes away from Beth. “Table one, I hope. We’re paying for this thing.”
“Come on, let’s go.” I walked us in the direction of the entrance to the Gold Coast Room.
“Does he irritate you?” she asked.
“Of course.” I opened the door and gestured for Beth to go in. “He’s irritating.”
We were the first ones into the room, as dinner was yet to be called.
“I like him. He knows how to handle you.”
I laughed and stopped, pulling her toward me. “You think? I think you know how to handle me.”
“How so?” She looked at me, sweeping her fingers across my jaw.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m more me when I’m with you.” My heart tripped under my shirt. I felt so comfortable around her. There weren’t many people in my life with whom I could just kick back and relax. Most new people I met liked my money or my connections a little too much. In her own words, Beth had been attracted to my tight ass. The fact that we’d started with the physical somehow meant we had started out equals in our relationship. She hadn’t expected more from me, and that gave me room to relax and be myself.
“That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. I really like the you that you are when you’re with me.”
Could she feel the thud of my heart as I held her? It was as if my love for her were knocking, trying to get out.
I loved her.
I wanted her to know. No one had ever made me feel as good as she did.
“Beth . . .” I needed her to understand what she did to me, how different she was to any other woman I’d ever met.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, glancing up at the ceiling.
“You’re beautiful.”
She looked back at me and smiled. “This being out in public thing is overrated.”
“Now you agree.” I sighed.
“When’s your speech?”
“After the entree. We can leave then, right?”
Before she got a chance to agree, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I was irritated at the interruption and would have ignored it had Beth not nodded in the direction of the intruder.
Without loosening my grip, I turned to see who was ruining this moment I was having with Beth, and came face-to-face with the last woman who’d had any kind of hold over me.
Alicia.
Beth
“What are you doing here?” Dylan snapped at the woman who had just approached us.
I was used to him being surly and gruff but never angry.
“Well, that’s not the way to greet the love of your life,” the redhead replied.
“God forbid.” Dylan’s arms pulled me closer. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to catch up with old friends,” she said, turning to me. “And make new ones. I’m Alicia Munroe, and once upon a time I was engaged to the man you’re clinging to.” She smiled at me as if she’d complimented me.
“You poor girl, you must feel so silly to have let him go,” I replied, my smile equally big. I turned back to Dylan. “I won’t be making the same mistake.” I should have taken the high road, but something about her trying to claim him created a red mist in me. Dylan was a good man who hadn’t deserved to be traded in for a richer model.
His grin was wicked as his hands rounded my ass.
“I wanted to follow up on our lunch date,” Alicia said, her focus on Dylan now. He didn’t look at her. Instead he tried to kiss me but I leaned away. What the fuck was this about a lunch date? My stomach twisted.
“There is no lunch date. I hung up on you, if you remember. Can you leave us please? I’ve got a hard-on and you’re ruining it.”
She rolled her eyes at Dylan, and I wondered how they could have ever been together. They both seemed so different. “I’ll call you.” She headed out through a flurry of guests.
I slid my arms around his neck. “So that was Alicia, huh?”
He grinned. “You’re quite the force to be reckoned with.”
“Don’t you forget it.” I tapped his nose with my finger. “Talk to me about her inviting you to lunch. Does that happen a lot?”
He frowned. “Never. It was just that time I told you about. No, wait, she’d emailed me just a week or so before that. I’d forgotten about it until she called me. Before that I hadn’t heard from her since she called off the wedding.”
I pulled out of his arms and tried to steer us to our seats as the room filled with people and noise. But he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into him, keeping our bodies tight against each other as we headed to our table. “Did you give any thought to what I said? Maybe she wants to apologize. Meeting her might give you closure.”
“I don’t know what closure is, but I’m sure I don’t need anything from her.”
Louis had always been in constant contact with various ex-girlfriends, which he’d used as a tool to make me jealous. When I turned up at his hotel to tell him I was pregnant, the girlfriend he’d had before me was just leaving. I tried to tell myself that they were just friends, but he’d clearly still been fucking her. Looking back, I didn’t understand how I allowed myself not to see it. I suppose the thought of losing him completely after the death of my mother had been too much to bear.
But I was a different person now. Dylan had given me no reason to doubt him, and the fact was that he obviously still had so much resentment toward Alicia; maybe he should meet her so he could put the past in the past and move on—with me.
“Hey.” He squeezed my knee under our table. “I’m not lying to you. We’re not in contact, and I’m not interested in anything that she has to say. I got over her a long time ago.”
“I think you should consider hearing her out. Maybe you’re not as over her as you think you are.” I didn’t want our relationship to be in any way a reaction to what Alicia had done to him.
“Look at me,” he growled and I turned to face him. “I’m with you. She had her chance.”
“All I’m saying is think about it. Just promise to tell me if she gets in contact, or you decide to see her.”
He needed to know that transparency was important to me. It was at the core of my sobriety. I demanded honesty from myself and I needed it from the people in my life.
“I’m not going to see her again, and I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Okay, but I want to be clear about my expectations. I need openness from you. Don’t hide stuff. If you decide you want to meet her, that’s fine. Just tell me.”
I watched his chest rise as he took in a breath. “Okay, but I don’t want to meet her.”
“Just think about it.” I smiled tightly at him.
“Are we okay?” he asked. I clearly wasn’t good at faking my smile.
“We’re more than okay. I’m crazy about you, and I don’t want either of us fucking this up.”
He grinned. “I’m crazy about you, and I really want to make you happy.”
He looked sincere, vulnerable and so damn sexy. I smoothed his hair away from his face.
I was falling for Mr. 8A.
Our table filled up and Dylan introduced me to various people. Raf and Dylan’s business was quite the supporter of the charity at the center of the evening’s gala. I hadn’t realized that they would be such a focal point of the evening. When the speeches started, it became clear that the charity was a mental health organisation. It wasn’t the most obvious cause and that Dylan had chosen to support them added a depth to my understanding of him.
“I just need to thank some people.” Dylan dipped his head and kissed me on the cheek as he stood up and made his way to the stage.
He looked so handsome in his black tie, his hair swept back from his beautiful face. I couldn’t quite believe he was mine.
I was so focused on the fit of his tux and the sparkle in his eye that I wasn’t focused on what he was saying until I heard the words “my experience with depression.”
“I couldn’t remember a point in my childhood that wasn’t marred by the debilitating disease that is depression. My mother's illness began when I was born. As a result, I remember her being only a peripheral character while I was growing up.” Dylan stared out into the crowd as he spoke, his eyes searching for something. I wanted to rush up on stage just to hold his hand, to let him know that I was here for him. “It was my dad who took my brother and I to school, cooked us dinner, taught us how to ride a bike and checked our homework. I have no memories of my mother doing normal, motherly things. I don’t remember her smile, her laugh. All I remember is her being in bed and being told she was sick. I spent nights worried that she would die, that my dad, my brother and I would catch whatever she had and get sick too.”
Tears formed at the corners of my eyes. How had I not known just how incredible this person in front of me was? The idea that this man, who was so in control, so considerate and confident, was once a vulnerable boy who just wanted a normal life was almost too much to bear. It was easy to assume that Dylan’s life had always been as charmed as it was now, but it clearly had been anything but. I wanted to take away his pain and make him happy. I had an urge to comfort and soothe him. How could I have not known this?
His voice was calm and steady, but I could tell by the way his hands fisted by his sides that what he was telling the room wasn’t an easy confession.
“When I left home for college I found this incredible charity, which we are here tonight to support. They educated first me, and then my father, on my mother’s condition, and they paid for my mother’s medication and her therapy. Eventually I got the mother I should have had twenty years earlier, and my father got back the wife he married. Tonight, with your generous donations, we’ve made it possible to give countless people back their families. Thank you.”
My forehead was tight with sorrow; as he returned to the table I tried to hold back my tears for him.
He’d never mentioned his parents before. My stomach dipped, and I felt as if I hadn’t had enough time with him. I wanted to know everything about him. In some ways, it felt as if we’d known each other forever. I didn’t think I’d experienced real intimacy before Dylan, and his speech was evidence that there was so much more to know.
As he sat down, I grabbed his hand under the table and ran my thumb across his wrist. “I think you’re very special,” I whispered into his ear.
He smiled tightly, keeping his eyes facing forward.
“I meant what I said to Alicia. I’m not going to let you go. I was actually thinking of extending my trip.”
He turned toward me and raised his eyebrows. “Because of my speech?”
“For of a lot of reasons. You’re probably busy, but while you’re at work perhaps you’d lend me your kitchen for an afternoon?”
“Will you promise to greet me at the door in nothing but an apron and high heels?”
I laughed, pleased he could still make me happy as well as sad. “How long have you held that image in your head?”
His grin spread wide across his face. “A while.”
“Well, you’ll have to tell me every one of your fantasies and we’ll see which ones we can make come true.” I winked at him.
“You’re all I need,” he whispered. My heart expanded in my chest as I reached up to kiss his cheek. He had other ideas and explored my mouth urgently, as if we were at home without an entire ballroom watching us.
The next evening, I woke in Dylan’s arms as he carried me up the steps to his brownstone. I’d agreed to spend Saturday night at his place, and Don had picked me up from the studio. I’d been up since four, and we hadn’t slept much after the gala. With the run-in with Alicia and getting to know about Dylan’s mother, I hadn’t wanted to a miss a moment with him. I was clearly paying for it now.
“You can sleep, my sweet.”
“I want to talk to you.”
He kissed the top of my head, setting me down on a softer-than-air sofa.
“This is comfy.”
He chuckled. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Some water would be good.”
I combed my fingers through my hair and sat up, taking in my surroundings. The room had a bright, almost beachy feel. A dark wood table sat in front of the squishy sofa and another, higher table was placed over by one of the long, shuttered windows. A collection of photographs adorned the surface, and as much as I wanted to go and investigate, my legs didn’t share my enthusiasm. The walls were decorated with black and white photographs of scenes of what looked like Cuba.
“I like your place,” I said as Dylan came in carrying a tray.
“I’ll show you around later,” he said, setting down the tray. “Are you sure you don’t want to go straight to sleep? You’ve had a long day.”
I shook my head. “Oh my. You are the perfect man, aren’t you?” Along with my drink, he’d brought in a slice of chocolate cake.
He pecked me on the lips, but before he could pull away, I grabbed his collar and pulled him over me. He groaned and kissed me properly, pushing his tongue against mine, as if he were looking for a deeper connection.
He pulled back, leaving me panting, and handed me a glass.
“Thank you. And cake? You’re spoiling me.”
Dylan grinned as he rearranged himself and pulled me into him. “I watched your slot and your interview. You were amazing.”
My face heated. “I wasn’t amazing, but it was fun. I enjoyed myself.”
“You were amazing. I imagine most of the male population of Illinois had their right hand down their pants while they were watching, so I’m not sure how many of your viewers you’ll convert to baking.”
I slapped him on the arm. “It was only a teeny segment.”
“Yeah, but they were running trailers all morning, and they interviewed you live. You were the focus of the whole show. I recorded it; we can watch it if you like.” He reached for the remote control but I grabbed his hand.
“No. Please. I’ll die of embarrassment.” I curled up against him.
“Later then.”
“Maybe never,” I mumbled.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. “You can’t pretend it didn’t happen. It’s exciting—like the stuff you do on YouTube, just bigger and with more people watching.”
“I guess. But I don’t want to think about any of that now. I just want to be here, with you.”
My phone rang and Dylan went to collect my purse, though I didn’t ask him to. It was such a small thing, but it made me feel like we were a team—he was looking after me, and I wanted to look after him. This was what it should be about, shouldn’t it?
“It’s Jake. Do you mind if I answer it?” I asked.
“Of course not. Shall I leave you to it?” He went to stand, but I pulled him back. His question was a reminder that we were still feeling out the edges of what our relationship looked like. Did I like privacy when I spoke to my brother? Did he like to shower in the mornings?
“Don’t go.”
He smiled and leaned back again.
“Hey,” I answered my phone.
“How did it go? I’ve checked YouTube, but I couldn’t find a clip,” Jake said.
“It was good. I can send you the digital file. They said they’ll send it through. Are you at work?”
“Yeah, are you back at the hotel?”
“Um, no. I’m staying with Dylan tonight.” I stroked my hand over his thigh. I’d mentioned to Jake that I was seeing someone just before I’d left for Chicago.
“You are? If it’s serious, I’m going to need to meet this guy. I hope he’s looking after you.”
I looked up at Dylan. “Yeah, it is for me, at least. He just brought me lemonade and cake.”
Dylan slid his hand under mine and wound our fingers together. There was heat between us, as always, but this felt . . . more.
“Sounds like he knows how to get on your good side. Look, I’ll leave you to it, but I’m serious. I want to meet him.”
I laughed. “We’ll see. You need to trust me. It’s different now. I make better life choices.”
“I know. I just worry.” Jake had earned his right to worry about me. And Dylan had said that he wanted to meet him.
“Don’t. I’m good. Send my love to everyone.”
I ended the call and slung my phone on the table.
“He’s worried about you?” Dylan asked.
“Always. I think there’s lots of change in my life at the moment, and that makes me vulnerable.”
He smoothed his hands up my arms. “Is it too much between us?”
I turned and traced his stubbly jaw with my fingers. “No. Is it for you? Are we going too fast?”
“Maybe on paper.”
My stomach churned at his admission. I hadn’t wanted that to be his answer.
“But it feels right,” he continued. “In my heart, even in my head, it all makes sense. But I can understand why your brother might be concerned. What did he say?”
“He said that you clearly knew how to get on my good side.” Should I tell him that Jake wanted to meet him? I didn’t want unnecessary pressure on either of us.
“And?”
“And, you know, all the normal stuff?”
“No, I don’t know. My brother’s in the Navy. He has been married since he was twenty-two. I don’t have sisters. So I don’t know what brothers with sisters are like.”
“Shit, your brother’s in the Navy?”
He chuckled. “Are you wondering if you got the wrong James?”
I tutted. “Of course not. It’s just that when you say stuff like that, I realize how much I need to know about you. I can hardly introduce you to my brother when I don’t even know that your brother is in the Navy.”
“I’m meeting your brother?”
I covered my face with my hands. “No. I didn’t mean—”
“In your phone call, he said he wanted to meet me?”
I stayed silent, hoping I might disappear if I didn’t respond.
“Beth, you know I can see you even if you’re covering your face so you can’t see me, right?”
I burst out laughing and dropped my hands into my lap. “Okay, you win. Yes, he said he wanted to meet you.”
“Okay, good. I’ll come over when we take ownership of Redux in two weeks. We can do it then.”
“Just like that? You don’t think it’s too much too soon? I don’t want us to burn out.”
“Yeah, I said I wanted to. Why is it such a big deal? I’m not telling him you’re knocked up.”
I stretched to kiss his jaw. “Okay then.”
How had Dylan gone from incredible sex and a tight ass to the guy who was flying to London to meet my family?
My stomach fluttered. Everything was just too perfect.