Things got slightly tense after our conversation in the kitchen. I didn't want it that way, so I told him we could take a step back and just go back to enjoying our time together with no more mention of it being a date. Daniel agreed to that, and was only slightly quieter than before.
I had rooftop access with my suite, and the space up there felt like a Spanish courtyard with terra-cotta tiles and a beautiful fountain. We took our food out there and enjoyed the evening view of New Orleans.
We talked about different things we had encountered throughout the day, from musicians, to street performers, to just watching the action on the street from a bench.
We had stopped for a milkshake earlier in the day at a small diner, and we met a waiter by the name of Peanut. He had an electric personality and had been working at the diner for a really long time, so he knew most everyone who came in. Even if he didn't know them, he acted like he did. I was relatively sure Peanut had never met a stranger. At one point, he had the whole place singing If You're Happy and You Know It, and Daniel and I laughed at the memory of the whole restaurant clapping along.
Both of us agreed that our day in New Orleans had been one of the most memorable experiences of our lives.
"The only problem is that I didn't get to dance," I said.
Daniel glanced at me. "What do you mean?"
"That's the only thing our day was missing," I said.
"Dancing?" he asked.
I nodded.
"I can't help you on that one," he said.
"Oh, come on. You dance, don't you?"
He shook his head.
"You can't come to New Orleans and not dance.
He let out a little laugh. "Oh, yes I can."
"That's terrible."
"I thought we just talked about what a good day we had."
"I know, but that's before I remembered we were missing something."
He shook his head, giving me a little smile. "I don't think we're missing anything."
"Well, I want to dance," I said.
He shrugged. "I'll go with you if you want to go somewhere, but I think you should wear that curly hair again. That worked well today. And just so you know, I'm not dancing."
"I don't want to dance with anyone else," I said.
He chuckled again. "Well, I'm sorry, but I don't dance. That's one thing I don't do. I'm pretty sure you have about fifty professional dancers staying in this hotel who would all be willing to come out with us if you need a partner."
"I don't want to go anywhere," I said. "I want to stay here."
I smiled at him before I popped up, leaving him sitting on the couch on the rooftop terrace. I went into the room and turned on the stereo system. I had stayed there before, so I knew right where everything was and how to turn it on. I selected a playlist called 'Slow Jazz,' and made sure that it was being channeled through the rooftop speakers.
By the time I made it back on to the terrace, Daniel could hear the music, and he was smiling at me and shaking his head. "How did you do that?" he asked.
I shrugged and smiled as I made my way toward him. I stopped in front of him holding out my hand as if asking him to dance, and he reluctantly gave me his hand as he stood up.
"When you said you wanted to go dancing, I imagined hip-hop moves like you do in your show," he said.
I laughed. "You thought that I wanted to go out and get busy at a club or something?"
"Yes," he said, situating in front of me and regarding me with a teasing grin.
"Did you think I was asking you to take me out clubbing when I'm already in my comfy clothes?" I glanced down at my sweatshirt and tights, and Daniel scanned me from head to toe.
"You could wear a canvas sack and still look amazing," he said.
I grinned and snuggled up close to him in a 'dancing position' where I put my right arm around his waist and grabbed his hand with my left. I didn't even give him the chance to deny me; I just began swaying slowly to the music while I rested my head on his chest. I breathed in the smell of him, feeling utterly relieved to finally be in his arms. I should've thought of this dancing thing way sooner.
I didn't look at him. I was afraid if I did he would say something or stop dancing, so I just held onto him and moved slowly to the music. There was electricity flowing from my fingertips and face and wherever else our bodies made contact. I felt safe, secure, relieved, and altogether breathless.
We stood there, holding each other and gently swaying while the music played. Two songs had passed before I finally spoke. "I don't care if you can't promise me anything," I said.
Daniel didn't reply right away, but I knew he heard me, so I continued.
"I don't need you to make any promises, and I don't need us to give a name to what's going on between us. I just wanted to dance with you. I just wanted to be close to you."
Saying those words to him made me feel vulnerable and tingly inside, and I held onto him a little tighter as I spoke. His chest expanded as he took a slow deep breath, and I rested my face against him, wishing I could stay there forever.
"I have a brother," he said. He stopped swaying to the music, and I pulled back just far enough to look at him, but I didn't let him go.
"I know," I said with a smile. "You have two of them. Owen and Wesley."
Music played in the background, and we could hear some sounds of the city, but I just stood there, staring into his dark eyes. I already knew what he was trying to tell me, and I was nervous because of it.
"It's Owen I'm talking about—my brother Owen."
"What about him?"
I hated pretending that I didn't know, but I also didn't want to get Ivy in trouble for telling me.
"He was in an accident when he was ten years old, and he lost his foot. He lost his right foot and the bottom part of his right leg. He still has his knee and a couple of inches below the knee, but every morning when he wakes up, he has to put it on this prosthetic leg with a fake foot. It's a complicated contraption with a vacuum pump and layers of silicone that fit onto what's left of his leg."
"I'm sorry," I said. I wanted to ask what happened, but I felt bad doing that since I already knew. "I hate to hear that."
"He's also got a big scar down the side of his face." Daniel turned to the side and slowly traced a line with his finger from his eyebrow, all the way down his cheek to the bottom of his jaw.
I could see the pain in Daniel's eyes when he traced the line of that scar, and my heart ached for him. There was so much I wanted to say, but I opted to just stand there and give Daniel time to work out whatever he wanted to tell me.
He sighed. "I guess I've always felt like Owen will be limited in life because of his leg." He paused and gave me a sad smile before continuing. "He's young, and he's got a lot going for him, so I'm sure he'll be able to find someone who loves him for who he is, but it is what it is. Owen is the Bishop brother who has a scar down his face and only one leg."
"Is Owen the reason why you don't date?" I asked.
Daniel was lost in thought as he gave me a slight nod. He still hadn't told me that he was the one responsible for the accident. He vaguely hinted at it, but he hadn't come out and said it. I could honestly tell it was because he thought that piece of information would make me feel differently about him. I wanted to say something to reassure him, but I couldn't. I had to just let him tell me what he wanted to share when he wanted to share it.
I placed my hands on the sides of his face, gently urging him to look straight at me. "Daniel," I said softly. "I'm not going to pretend to know everything about you. I'm not going to pretend to know all of your feelings or past, or what goes into all of the choices you make." I let my hands drop from his face, wrapping them around his waist once again. I took a deep breath as I stared at his handsome, stoic face. "Just know that I honestly don't care what you can promise me," I continued. "I don't need you to tell me that you're going to take me back home to meet your family. Owen doesn't even have to know I exist. I don't need you to promise me anything. I'm not asking anything of you beyond this moment right here. I just want to kiss you, that's all."
He scanned my face, letting his eyes roam over every part of it, taking special interest in my mouth.
"You're giving me no other choice but to do it," he said.
I could tell he wanted to; I could see the primal desire in his eyes.
"Good," I whispered. I was absolutely buzzing with anticipation. I looked from his eyes to his mouth and back to his eyes again, wishing so badly that he would just go ahead and do it.
"You're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life, Courtney. I think you might be the prettiest thing God ever created."
He genuinely meant it, and the sincerity of his words touched my heart. I had been around a lot of famous people during my career. I had seen a lot of handsome faces, and even kissed a few leading men, but Daniel was different. He was a strikingly handsome man, and he wasn't afraid to take control of situations in other aspects of life, but matters of the heart were different. He was innocent and reluctant—I could see the underlying fear in his eyes, waging war with his desire.
"You're not going to kiss me, are you?" I asked. I was desperate for it to happen, and it broke my heart to say that, but I feared it was the truth.
"I can't," he said. "I don't know how."
My heart dropped at his words. "Have you never kissed a woman, Daniel?"
He gave me an almost imperceptible shake of the head as he stared at me.
"No?" I asked.
He shook his head again.
"Never, in your whole life?"
Another slight shake.
"Not even a peck?"
He shook his head again as he stared at me.
"Seriously?"
He nodded.
And there was nothing I could do to stop tears from rising to my eyes. How in the world could a man who looked like this go his whole life without kissing a woman? How was that even possible?
"Why are you crying?" he asked, reaching up to wipe my cheek with his thumb.
I gave him a little shrug because, the truth was, I didn't know exactly why I was crying. I was just so overwhelmed with emotion for Daniel Bishop that tears rose to my eyes.
"Maybe it's because I get to be the first," I said.
He gave me a little grin. "So, they're happy tears?"
I nodded.
"Thank goodness," he said. "I thought maybe you were dreading it now."
"Dreading what? Kissing you?" I asked incredulously.
He gave me a little nod. "You know… because I don't have experience. I might not be very good at it."
"That's the furthest thing from my mind," I said. "If anything, I'm worried I'll disappoint you."
He smiled sweetly at me. "That could never happen."