Chapter 34
Dane
For the first time in my life, I felt completely helpless. This was not a job I could fix. It wasn’t made up of logic or numbers that I could crunch. What I was feeling was entirely out of my control. This was what rejection felt like and I had no other choice but to step away from Sydney. I wasn’t about to force her into anything. She obviously had her reasons and I didn’t want to challenge her.
“Dane…” she said my name softly, after some minutes of us just standing silently outside the door of her house.
“Yeah, I’ll go,” I said and to my surprise, Sydney stepped towards me.
“I’m glad I met you,” she said it in a near whisper and I stared at her, like she had slapped me across my face.
“Yeah, me too, Sydney,” I said and as an act of self defense, I pushed my hands into the pockets of my pants. Sydney had her hands clasped together as she stood in front of me.
“I wish we had the chance of getting to know each other, and I wish I had the courage to do it…to spend some more time with you,” she said and hung her head. I could see that what she was saying was difficult for her.
“But you’re afraid because you don’t trust me,” I said it flatly and she jerked her head up to look at me. Her eyes were large and she looked like she might burst into tears. I was battling the urge to pull her into my arms and stroke her head. I wanted to feel her cheeks pressed against my chest. I wanted to comfort her, to talk to her…but we were past that now. She had made her decision.
“I’m sorry, Dane. James really messed me up and I can’t go through it again,” she said and I nodded my head.
“I understand. All I want you to know is that I’m not him,” I said and she licked her lips.
“I can’t take the chance. I know I’ll fall hard for you, and I have…I have responsibilities now,” she said.
What responsibilities? I looked up at the B&B behind her and I nodded my head. Of course, the family business. She had no time for a heartbreak.
“I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to do, Sydney. I just want you to believe that I’ve never felt this way for anyone before,” I said and suddenly she smiled.
“That’s what he said,” she told me softly and I knew there was no going back now. I nodded and hung my head. We stood like that in silence some more, before she stepped towards me. When I was least expecting it, Sydney placed a gentle hand on my arm which made me turn to look at her.
“Goodbye, Dane. Take care,” she said and she lifted herself up on her toes and reached for me. I kissed her, tenderly at first till my hands found her waist. I held her close to myself, and she kissed me passionately. Our tongues collided, our breathing grew heavy. My fingers weaved through her hair, and her nails dug into my shoulder blades. It was going to happen again. We were not going to be able to resist each other.
Sydney pulled away from me, stumbling backwards a little. Her breasts were heaving and her cheeks were flushed. She was glaring at me, while I looked back at her with my mouth open.
“You were right, Sydney. I’m not here on vacation. I came here for you,” I said and then turned around and walked away.
I pressed my eyes close, hoping that she would call out to me, but she didn’t. I heard her open and close the front door of her house and I kept walking. Eyes front, hands in my pockets and with a steady gaze. This wasn’t going to break me. I wanted to give it a shot and I did. Time to move on. I had a job to get back to in New York, pacify Matthew if Piper had ratted on me, and a career to look forward to. Sydney was just a drop in the ocean, and I would forget about her in a few months. Maybe a few years.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a woman waving at me once I’d reached the promenade. I looked at her and waved back. She was walking her dog, seemed to be in her late twenties and had the longest legs I’d seen for a while. She was in a skimpy bikini top and very short shorts. She was walking towards me now.
“Aren’t you staying at my hotel? The Keystone?” she said with a laugh and I raised my eyebrows.
“You run The Keystone?” I asked her, surprised at the coincidence of another female hotel proprietor.
“No, silly. I’m here on vacation too. Isn’t this place just gorgeous?” she said and looked out at the beach. I gave her a quick once over. Sandy blond hair, well tanned, long legs and blue eyes. No ring on her finger. She was the one to wave to me.
All the boxes I needed to check.
“It’s lovely. Care to accompany me on my walk?” I said and the woman bit down on her lower lip.
“Of course, especially since we’re heading back to the same place,” she said with a knowing look on her face.
“Also, I thought I recognized you and now I’m sure. You’re Dane Forsyth,” she said, just as we started walking together. Her small dog was pulling on the leash.
“I am indeed. Are you from New York?” I asked her and she nodded her head with a wide smile on her face.
“I’m Jane Lebowski. Who would have thought I’d run into New York’s most eligible bachelor in Tramore Beach!” Jane said with a laugh, and I had no choice but to fake a laugh as well.