Chapter Fourteen
Bethany
Dylan's arms around me, his lips smiling against my own, and that delicious moment that I remembered we'd been there before. The dream flashed back and forth through time; Dylan's wide smile on a freckled young face and then back to the way he'd smiled at me from the door of the inn.
My eyes flew open and then I squeezed them closed tight again.
I couldn't believe how I had acted!
I cringed a little when I thought of Melinda's flippant advice. It felt like she had opened a floodgate inside me and all the pent-up affection I had ever felt for Dylan came rushing out.
And more.
The frantic first passionate encounter we'd had at the inn had just been the start. Our intimacy only got deeper, longer, until finally I had conceded to go back home with him to his loft.
My cheeks blazed when I thought of how we hadn't even made it to his front door before we made love again. Me, on his lap, his hands gripping the leather steering wheel of his favorite sports car. The way the shocks had bounced beneath us and I had never had a better ride.
That night, we had stoked a fire in his wide fireplace and shared a bottle of wine. The hours had flown by, punctuated with long lazy kisses and his arms always around me.
My eyes flew open. I had fallen asleep in Dylan's arms. I was still at his loft!
I sat up alone in Dylan's king-sized bed and couldn't help a contented smile from spreading across my face. I could smell pancakes wafting in from the kitchen. Dylan was cooking me breakfast!
I lay back and wondered what it would feel like to be brought breakfast in bed. It was something none of my other boyfriends had ever thought to do. Just the idea was so ridiculous sweet and indulgent that I stretched and savored the feeling.
All I knew was that Dylan was just a few feet away, muttering to himself as he cooked from what I could hear, and that fact made me deliriously happy. I clutched his sheets to my bare chest and wondered if Dylan and I could actually have a future together?
The ease of conversation had come back from our childhood days. We talked about everything that interested us, our likes often overlapping, and there had not once been an awkward silence.
I had always cited different interests as a reason another relationship had failed. In the past, I had chosen men I thought were good for me; they certainly looked good on paper but as soon as we spent time together, it was obvious we had only polite conversation or very little to say to each other.
The same was not true about Dylan. Besides the information on cars that poured out of him like a spout, we covered movies, art, old game shows, and our views of the world in general. We'd even argued and found ourselves laughing at the end.
I rolled over and sat up, tucking the sheets under my arms in what I hoped was an alluring way. I could still hear Dylan in the kitchen but I combed my fingers through my hair in the hopes that he'd come to check on me soon.
The thought made me smile, my cheeks red with anticipation. My short weekend's worth of experience with Dylan told me that we might forget about the pancakes all together and spend the rest of the morning in bed.
And I didn't mind at all. In fact, I didn't even know what day it was.
Then I frowned. It was early in the morning but what morning? Monday!
I tore the covers off and jumped out of bed. After a few minutes of scrambling, with only a brief time out to slip on my underpants and bra, I finally uncovered my phone in the bathroom. I started to brush my teeth at the same time I listened to my messages. It was early, but the office had already called three times.
I'd completely forgotten about work. It didn't matter that the DA had given me her consent for a wild weekend off. I never forgot about work. Where was my head?
I scrubbed my teeth around a smile. My head was still in bed, wrapped in Dylan's arms while his lips did that teasing little nip that made my body zing with pleasure.
I shook my tangled hair and spit out the toothpaste. As much as I wanted to linger where I was, the real world was calling. Literally. I hit ignore on my phone and knew my assistant was probably on the edge of calling the police.
I was never late for work!
Taylor called right back, and I relented, shutting the bathroom door carefully before I answered. "I'll be on my way soon; there's no need to panic," I said.
"Thank god," Taylor breathed. "If I had to try to explain to her one more time that I couldn't reach you on the phone, I think she might strangle me."
I gulped. "The DA's looking for me?"
Taylor snorted. "That's an understatement. She says that you have new information, information that she needs STAT."
I leaned heavily against Dylan's bathroom sink. I had new insight into the world of high-end cars and buyers but nothing specific. What could I come up with in the next half hour to appease my rampant boss?
In a panic myself now, I rattled off a few of the names that Dylan had mentioned in passing. Taylor took the notes, his mission to research their backgrounds as quickly as possible. At least then I'd have something to hand Melinda when I made it to the office.
"I owe you, Taylor," I told my assistant.
He giggled. "Don't mention it. This is the most excitement I've had in weeks."
I laughed and hung up the phone. At least my uncharacteristic floundering was fun for someone.
I dressed so fast that I had to stop and check my thundering pulse. I was so worried over what the DA would think that I was going to give myself a heart attack before I made it out of Dylan's loft. And I didn't even want to leave!
Suddenly, all my frenetic energy turned to anger. It would serve Melinda Banner right if I never showed up to work again. What terrible advice she had given me!
"Sleep with him, get him out of your system," I mocked her hard, staccato voice.
The problem was I hadn't gotten Dylan out of my system. And it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. Each time our lips had brushed against each other’s, my need for him had seemed to grow. Now it was like a hunger, and I felt certain I would never be full. Maybe I could catch a quick taste of him again before I left…
My stomach rumbled and pulled me back to reality.
It was Monday, I was late for work, and I wanted Dylan more than I had ever in my life. The DA's advice was definitely wrong, and now I had to face her.
I took a deep breath and faced myself in the mirror. I was lying. All the swirling thoughts and worries were just covering my real concern. I held on to the edge of the sink and forced myself to admit it.
I was falling for Dylan Wylde.
Again. If I was going to admit that much, I had to admit the entirety. I had fallen in love with Dylan when we were children. It had been so implausible, especially when he kissed me and then moved away, but I knew now that it was the truth. I had always loved Dylan, and I always would.
There was only one thing to do now. I straightened my neat work suit and opened the bathroom door. I had to get out of Dylan's loft as fast as possible.
Work was the perfect excuse, but I had to make sure that he didn't see the silliness I could hardly contain. It was ridiculous that I was in love with him. He'd think I was some fairytale-addled lovesick girl, and I couldn't stand that.
"Dylan? Have you seen my brown heels?" I called, determined to set the right tone before I even faced him.
I knew seeing him, still rumpled from bed and making me pancakes, would be enough to shake my determination. I had to get out of there without making a scene.
It smelled like maybe the pancakes were burning, and I wondered for a moment when Dylan didn't respond. Was he on the phone? Who was he talking to?
I strode barefoot out to the kitchen. The pancakes were a dark inedible brown and Dylan was rummaging around in the pantry. He popped back out and gave me a bright smile.
"Do you really have to rush off to work?" Dylan asked.
His sheepish glance at the burned pancakes and his sweet offer of a mimosa were almost more than I could stand. Who wanted to be a district attorney anyway? I could just spend my life riding in fast cars with Dylan.
I bit my lip and forced myself to nod. When I looked down I spied my brown heels and slipped them hard onto my feet. I was ready to go.
And then I found myself in Dylan's arms again.
We kissed until he broke it off with a tight smile. "You're going to be late for work, aren't you? And it's all my fault."
"Walk me to the door?" I asked.
Dylan laced his fingers tight through mine. "I'll walk you downstairs. Is your car service on the way?"
I took his hand and hoped he didn't notice how hot my palms were. Dylan was definitely not out of my system. Desire for him pumped through me, and I felt like my blood was super-heated magma.
"You don't have to do that," I said. "We can say goodbye up here."
Dylan looked relieved but also smiled. He caught my chin and looked me square in the eyes. "You're not embarrassed to be seen leaving my place early in the morning?"
"I wish I didn't have to leave at all," I confessed.
We both froze in the doorway of his loft.
Dylan looked as if he had something to tell me, but his lips were pressed tight. There was a clatter back in his kitchen, and I felt a pang of guilt.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't stay for breakfast. That was so sweet of you," I said.
"Don't worry about it. We'll do breakfast another morning, right?"
I wanted to say yes. More than anything, I wanted to say yes and make plans with him. I wanted my day to be only a short interlude away from him but that seemed too desperate even for my newly fallen heart.
"Yes, but I don't know when. Work is crazy. This weekend was an anomaly. I'm so sorry," I said.
Dylan stepped into the hallway and closed his loft door behind him. I think it was his way of closing off himself to me, and I couldn't blame him. I was practically running away when he'd planned a nice lazy morning for us.
"Is everything okay?" He took both my hands and looked at me with real concern. "You don't have to lie to me, Bethany. I don't want to lie to you."
His question was strange but, then again, the whole morning had a tinge of strangeness to it. I didn't know how to articulate what was off, but I felt it coming from him and not just my frantic need to go.
I kissed him. "Thank you for the most wonderful weekend. I really hope we can do it all again soon."
The phrase 'do it' made Dylan chuckle, and I saw the little kid I knew so well come out again.
"Get to work," Dylan said. "You're going to be late."
I ran for the elevator but smiled the whole way down.