CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Shane

I woke up slowly, taking a moment to remember where in the hell I was. Then I smiled and reached for Daniella, only to find her side of the bed empty. And cold. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Jesus, I’d slept like the dead.

I listened for the shower but didn’t hear it. Then I realized the suitcase I’d noticed by the door last night was gone. And so was everything Daniella.

Ten minutes later, Max looked up from his desk to see me walking towards him with purpose.

“Where is Dani? Did she come by here?”

He shook his head. “No, man. Weren’t you with her? When you didn’t come back yesterday, I assumed you two made up.”

“We did, but she left.”

He checked his watch. “Probably for her flight.”

Shit. I’d forgotten about the trip. “Where was she going?”

“Jamaica, mon.”

I didn’t even crack a smile. Instead, I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

“Question to ask is if you’re going after her?”

“To what end?”

He leveled me a look. “That’s the question you need to ask yourself. But if you want my opinion, I’ve never seen you happier than you’ve been the last week with her around.”

“I’d be selfish to keep her in this world.”

He chuckled. “Considering she’s looking at offers to freelance at other clubs, I’d say she’s not in a hurry to leave it.”

“The hell she is.”

He stood up. “Seems to me if you want a right to weigh in on her decision, you’d better get your ass to JFK.”

“And say what? That we’ve known each a little over a week and I might have feelings?” At this point, old insecurities surfaced, stemming from my mother’s decision to disown me. How could a woman like Daniella want to tie herself to man like me? Sure, I had money. But what else could I offer her? Long work hours which included weekends and nights. A parade of women I’d been with in front of others at the club. A tendency to be a dick and to have a tough time apologizing. And what would her family and friends think if they learned the truth about me?

Max sighed. “What if I came to you and said I’d met someone who I wanted to have a relationship with? Would you tell me I wasn’t worthy of it because I owned this club? Would you tell me I didn’t deserve to be happy with someone I could fall in love with?”

“Of course not.”

“Then stop questioning whether or not you deserve it and simply ask her. She’s a big girl who can make her own decisions. Not as though she isn’t aware you can be a moody son-of-a-bitch. Yet she continues to like you.”

I cracked a smile and blew out a breath. “I’m not sure I can do this.”

“You act like you need to choose between this club and her. But what if you can have both? Wouldn’t that be worth it? I know for me it would be.”

My decision came easily. “Can you manage a few days without me?”

***

Daniella

I arrived at the airport exactly one hour after leaving Shane in bed. My first thought while putting my heavy suitcase up on the scale with my muscles screaming from the effort was that I needed a massage. It would be my first order of business once I arrived at the resort. I had every intention of taking a relaxing vacation before returning and figuring out where I’d live and if I wanted to stay in my job. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but for the first time, I did feel the freedom to choose.

Smiling at the desk agent, I handed her my passport.

 “Ms. Trivioli, good news for you today. You’ve been upgraded to first class.”

“Oh. Why?” I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, but it didn’t make sense.

She shrugged. “Don’t know. Could be a full flight, and your airfare made you eligible. Did you not want it?”

“No, no, I do. Thanks.” Considering Eric had sent confirmation about ten minutes ago that he’d wire the rest of my money by the end of the week, perhaps everything was looking up.

After security, I made my way to the lounge where I had a cocktail—okay, maybe three—and tried not to think about Shane. How was it this last week with him was leaving me more broken-hearted than my two years with Eric? I couldn’t be in love with him already, could I? Perhaps it was simply lust. I didn’t want to think about it. Instead, I got up, ready for my flight and an escape via first class.

I took the window seat in the third row. The setup was awesome with the flat screen in front of me and the additional leg room. I didn’t fly much, but this was the way to do it. I couldn’t wait to recline and maybe get some much-needed sleep; last night hadn’t afforded me much. While the plane filled up, I flipped around the movie channels and figured I might end up with an empty seat beside me. Then he sat down.

Despite tired eyes, a dark scruff, and wearing his clothes from last night, Shane still looked devastatingly handsome.

“What are you doing here?” I posed the obvious question.

He put a small bag under the seat before turning to me. “Heading to Jamaica.”

“But why? Wait. Were you the one who upgraded me?”

“Max technically did, but I asked if he could do me the favor while I was busy getting to the airport. I was happy to find out this flight wasn’t completely full, and we could get seats together. I don’t fly much, so the extra room is nice.”

“Uh. Okay, but why are you here?”

For the first time in this little exchange, he appeared nervous.

“When I woke up, you were gone. I realized it’s because I didn’t give you any indication or reason to stay and—”

He was interrupted by the flight attendant asking us for our drink orders.

“To be continued once we get in the air.”

I gripped his arm, impatient for his words. “What? No, say what you were going to.”

But it was too late. The announcement were being made, the flight attendant was back to get our cups, and then came the safety briefing. Finally, after what seemed to take forever, we were airborne.

He quickly reclined both his seat and mine fully and then put up the privacy screen. Once we were both reclined flat, we turned towards one another, our heads propped on our hands, eye to eye.

“Hi.”

I laughed at his greeting. “Hi.”

“Where was I?”

“I believe you were about to answer why you’re on a flight to Jamaica with me.”

“Right.” He exhaled a breath. “I don’t want what we have to stop.”

His words caused a shiver to run up my body. I was about to respond, but he wasn’t done.

“I realize it’s crazy to feel this way after a few days. I mean we hardly know one another. You just got out of an engagement, and I’ve never been in a real relationship. Tell me it’s crazy.”

I smiled. “It is crazy, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same way.”

He scooted closer to me, pulling my hips in line with his. “I’m an owner of a sex club, and I won’t give that up. I can’t change my past, and I won’t apologize for it. My own mother died still disowning me for my choices.”

I reached out, stroking his face where pain was etched in his expression. I fought my own emotion in watching a man like him say such difficult things. “No one should have to feel judged like that.”

He swallowed hard. “No, they shouldn’t. But being involved with me will mean people in your life will judge. I guess what I’m saying is I don’t know what to offer you, Daniella. What I can give to a relationship.”

“The same could be said for me. What am I offering you? Monogamous sex that doesn’t include your show room at the club and the complications of having a girlfriend.”

“You sell yourself short.”

“Right back at you. Now, as for what you give me. You give me honesty. Freedom to be myself.” I hesitated before blurting it out. “But I’ve wondered if you miss the club and performing or being with other women. I know we’ve watched some shows together, and I enjoy it. But I wonder if you prefer to be down there. I even thought about how I’d feel performing with you. I mean I wouldn’t want more than just me and you in a scene, but—”

He was already shaking his head. “Baby, there is no way I’m allowing one other person to see you naked. Your body and your orgasms are for me only. I recognize that makes me a hypocrite considering most of the club has seen me, but there’s no way I want any other man watching you. And as for the other. You make me feel things I never thought I would. And I’ve never felt half as attracted to a woman as I am to you.”

I smiled at his admission.

“Did you mean it when you said you didn’t want to have kids? Because that’s not something I can change either. Even if I wanted to.”

“I’ve never wanted them. Frankly, it’ll be nice to date someone I don’t have to worry about pressuring me later.”

He looked relieved. “I can’t promise you that by the end of the month you won’t be thoroughly sick of me working so many hours or being grumpy or having to apologize for getting this relationship stuff wrong. But it won’t fall apart because I’d ever cheat. That I can promise. I trust you, Dani. The bottom line is I can’t think of anyone I’d rather try this with than you.”

 “Me, neither.” I appreciated that we were being logical about this. We weren’t calling it insta-love or ignoring the fact we each still had a lot to learn about the another. “Would this relationship include kissing?”

He grinned in return. “So much you’ll be wishing for the days I didn’t.”

I shook my head. “Not possible.” And because I could, I leaned in and kissed him. The free license to do so had me anxious to get closer to him.

He pulled back to chuckle. “Easy, or they’ll know exactly what’s going on in seats three A and B.”

“Mm. Don’t tell me you’re shy about the mile-high club?”

He arched a brow. “Are you already a card holder?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Would be my first.”

He went to work unzipping my jeans. “Mine, too. Now kiss me before everyone hears your orgasm on this plane.”

I didn’t have time to relish being his first at something before he had me climaxing around his fingers while he swallowed down my moan. When I opened up my eyes, I watched him taste his fingers with hooded eyes.

“Unbelievable every time.”

Reaching for him, I was surprised when he took my hand in his and kissed my wrist softly. “Not so fast. Next time I come, it’ll be inside of you, so I can watch it drip down your inner thighs and think about how it’s still inside of you when we go to dinner tonight.”

“Jesus,” I muttered, his dirty words doing nothing to quell my hunger for him. “Guess I know how we’ll be spending a good portion of our vacation.”

“Daniella Trivioli. Will you do me the honor of trying a real relationship with me?”

I grinned at his proposal. “A hundred times yes.”