Chapter 12
DALTON
The drive over to Lucia’s house is quiet, though that’s because Sage, Izzy, and Brett are in the car with me, and Rosie, Roman, and Lucia are in Roman’s car.
I peek into the back seat, and Izzy is curled up next to the window, sleeping while Brett scrolls on his phone.
I look over at Sage in the passenger seat, and she looks small and tired.
I know she didn’t want to take Lucia’s offer, but there was no way I would have been comfortable with her staying there.
“How are you feeling?” I ask after a few more moments of silence.
Izzy is still sleeping in the back and lightly snoring, and Brett has his earbuds in, staring at his phone. I can hear the faint sound of music and know he’s letting Sage and me have a private conversation. That’s what I like about Brett—he just gets it.
Sage looks up at me, a hint of a smile on her face as she ponders her response. “I’m not really sure how to answer that question.”
“Maybe just honestly.”
“I’m thinking that I’m in over my head.” She shrugs, and her expression is wry.
She straightens her shoulders and then runs her fingers through her hair and lets out a deep sigh, as if to emphasize that she’s unsure if she’s made the right decision.
“I don’t want to stay at Lucia’s, by the way.
This isn’t the choice I wanted to make. I really don’t want to take advantage of her generosity, of your generosity, of—”
“You’re not taking advantage of anything, and I know you don’t want to stay.”
I make a turn back toward the beach and Santa Capinari. We soon leave the dark, desolate area and are once again driving through fairy lights and palm trees.
“You do?” She sounds surprised. “How would you know?”
“Because I have sight and intuition, and I pay attention to what I see and hear. And even the things that aren’t said.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning, I know you’re doing this for your sister.
” I smile as her eyes open wide with shock, and I wonder if she realizes just how in tune I am with her and her thoughts.
Which is weird because we don’t even know each other that well, but it’s almost like I can read her mind.
Almost like I already know her. “I’m observant, you know.
You may think I’m just this big, sexy man, but I’m so much more than that. ”
“I never said I thought you were big and sexy.”
“Handsome and sexy then.”
“I never said I thought you were handsome and sexy.”
“Gorgeous and sexy?”
“Gorgeous and sexy? I don’t believe those words have ever crossed my lips.”
“Super-alpha male and sexy?”
“No and no.” She bursts out laughing. “I appreciate you helping us, Dalton, but—”
“But what?”
“What I’m going to say may sound rude, and I don’t intend it to be—”
“Let me guess. You’re just using me for my good looks.”
“No.”
“You just want to take me to bed?”
“Be serious.”
“I’m being as serious as I always am, but I guess you don’t know me that well yet.”
“No, I don’t. And that’s the point. Neither one of us really knows each other very well.
And while I’m grateful for the offer of employment and I’m very grateful that you came tonight—yes, I’ll admit again that maybe I am in over my head—I don’t want you to think you are somehow the boss of my life. ”
“I’m not?”
“You are my boss. At work only.”
“I see.”
“And I haven’t even really started working.”
“I’m not really sure what you’re trying to say. You want to quit your job already? You just started.”
“That’s not what I mean. I want you to know that I don’t need you to act as some sort of bodyguard, protector, or knight in shining armor.
I’ve got this. I’ve got this for Rosie and for me.
” Her eyes peer to the back, and when she looks at Brett, she scowls before turning to look at me.
“Just so he knows, Rosie is off-limits.” Her voice rises.
“He’s listening to music,” I say, even though I know Brett is probably listening to every single word.
His eyes do not change. His expression doesn’t change. The music keeps playing, but I know from the way he’s not moving at all that he’s not totally in the quiet to our conversation. The man is an ex–Navy SEAL. He’s never not listening and is always aware of his surroundings.
“I don’t care if he’s listening to music. I don’t care if he can hear me now, but you can, and you can tell him just in case he doesn’t figure it out. Rosie is off-limits.”
“I don’t really think he’s given Rosie any reason to believe that he’s interested in more,” I say honestly.
“She’s flirting around, but she’s my sister. She thinks he’s cute. And, yeah, I’ll admit he hasn’t exactly done anything to say he wants her, but let’s make sure he keeps it that way.”
I press my lips together. It’s interesting, seeing protective-big-sister Sage in action. I respect her, and I admire her for being so open and direct about the way she feels.
“I will let him know, just in case he has any other ideas.”
“Good. Thank you. And you’ll also make sure to back off.”
“I don’t really think I’ve done anything to make you think I’m trying to control your life, Sage.”
“You know exactly what you did, whether or not you want to admit it.” She reaches over and squeezes my arm. “Look, it is appreciated. Truly, it is. And I know you’re a dad, so maybe you have that paternal instinct, but I don’t need another dad.”
“You think I am looking out for you like a dad?” My eyes narrow at her. “Really?”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing?” She gives me the most innocent smile and taps my leg. “Are you hoping I’ll call you Papa?”
“Are you trying to piss me off?”
“What? I mean, it’s obvious you’re older than me.”
“I’m not that much older than you.”
“Well, you look like you’re a lot older than me.”
“How old are you?”
“I’m in my mid-twenties. I mean, not quite mid, but about to be.”
“I’m in my early thirties, so I could not be your father.”
“Oh, dang. I thought you were a lot older than that,” she says.
I scowl at her, and she bursts out laughing.
“You’re such a liar.”
“What? You think you look younger than that?”
“I know exactly what I look like. And I also know exactly what a woman who is attracted to me looks like when she stares at me.”
“Oh, don’t get it twisted, honey. Just because your ex thinks I want you, it’s not true. I absolutely don’t. Not even a teeny-weeny bit. Not even if you were the last man on earth.”
“Wow, so I’m that bad?”
“You’re just not my type.”
“Okay.” I want to tell her I am pretty certain I’m her type.
I want to tell her that I’ve seen the way her eyes follow me around, the way she trembles when I’m near, the way her skin reacts when I tease her, the way her lips almost pop open in a kiss when I’m close.
There’s chemistry between us. And maybe she, like me, doesn’t have the emotional bandwidth to deal with that right now.
That doesn’t mean I like that she’s denying it.
“Did I hurt your feelings, Dalton?”
“Huh?” I say gruffly, pulling into the parking lot of the condos where Lucia lives. “You didn’t hurt my feelings.”
“Okay. Just making sure because you seem to think that no woman can resist you, and I hate to be the one woman on earth who does.”
Brett chuckles from the back seat, and I look at him through the rearview mirror. He shrugs nonchalantly. Sage peers over her shoulder and smirks.
“He’s still listening to music, huh?”
“What can I say? He realized we pulled up. This is Lucia’s place. I guess it’s your place now too.”
Sage looks out of the window. “Wow, it’s beautiful. This is, like, the exact opposite of where I was about to live.” Her eyes widen, and she swallows. “I can’t afford to pay a fourth of the rent here. I’m not saying anything about how much you pay me, but I …”
“You’re not expected to pay anything, please.
” I stare at her. “And don’t even argue with me right now.
I know how much you’re going to make the first month or so because you’ll be in training.
And I know you just moved here, and you put a lot of money into getting your apartment.
We can figure it out once you settle in a bit. ”
“I don’t want you paying for me, Dalton. You don’t even know me.”
“Maybe I’m just a Good Samaritan.”
“Yeah, I somehow doubt it.”
“There’s one thing I want to say to you before we get out of the car.”
“Yeah. What’s that?”
“So, Brett, he’s a bit of an investigator sometimes. He does odd jobs for me here and there.”
“And?”
“And he can help you if you want him to. Maybe try and locate your dad.”
She looks back at Brett again. He’s taken his earbuds out now, and he nods.
“I understand this is a private matter and that Rosie may not know,” he says. “Trust me, she will not hear anything from me if you would like me to pursue this.”
Sage nods slowly and then stares at me, thinking hard. She bites down on her lower lip as she contemplates what to do.
“You don’t have to, but Brett’s the best guy I know for this sort of thing. He can find your dad if that’s what you really want, unless you have some other plans that I don’t know about.”
“I was going to go to Kettle King and maybe ask around and stuff,” she says. “But, yeah, I guess I would like the help.” She looks back at Brett. “How much do you charge?”
“I don’t. It’s on the house,” he says, repeating what I told him to say. His fee is not on the house, but I’m not going to tell her how many thousands he charges me per week. “Just get me as much information as you can.”
“I don’t really have much. Just the story my mom told me, but I can write it all down and give it to you.”
“Yeah, if you could maybe do that tonight or tomorrow, then I’ll see what I can find.”
“Thank you,” she says. She looks over at me and pauses. “It’s weird, you know? That first night I met you at Kettle King, I thought to myself, Now, that’s a man who looks like he has it all. And I was right.”
“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not.”
“I don’t know either,” she says. “But I do want to say that I’m grateful to you. I really am. Hopefully, one day, I can repay you.”
“Yeah? One day or one night?” I ask, teasing.
She rolls her eyes. “I’m serious.”
“I’m serious too.”
“Dalton, don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what?”
“Don’t tease me. Don’t flirt with me.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re my boss and you’re my friend’s brother, and it’s already complicated enough. You have a son, and you’re …” She pauses. “Anyway, I don’t want to talk about it. I just think we shouldn’t flirt. We shouldn’t tease. At all.”
“That’s no fun.”
“I don’t want to make this any more convoluted than it has to be. I’m here for a reason—for two reasons—and I told you those reasons.”
“I know, you’re looking for a husband and you’re looking for your dad. What’s that got to do with me?”
“Because if we continue to flirt, it’s going to make it kind of hard for me to …” She makes a face and pauses.
“You haven’t even started dating yet. Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.”
“So, what are you suggesting?”
“I’m not suggesting anything.” I unbuckle my seat belt and shrug.
I want to tell her that I desire to rip her clothes off.
I want to see her naked. I want to run a feather down the sides of her body and across her nipples.
I want to take her lips and kiss her hard and fast and run my fingers through her silky hair.
I want to slide my fingers down her stomach and between her legs and see how wet I can make her.
I want her to shiver and tremble. I want her to beg me to take her hard and fast and then soft and slow.
And I want to see the way her eyes light up when I finally make her come.
But I’m not going to tell her any of this. I’m not ready to scare her just yet.
“Let’s just take it a day at a time.” I smile and then lean back and tap Izzy on the shoulder. “We’re here,” I say.
“I fell asleep?” She rubs her eyes and moans. “Sorry. I guess I was tired.”
“No worries.” I smile warmly at my sister’s best friend. “You didn’t miss a thing.”
I turn to look back at Sage, and she’s just staring at me, a deep hue of pink on her face.
I wonder if she just had the same thoughts as me.
I wonder if she’s as attracted to me as I am to her.
Unfortunately, tonight is not the night I’m going to find out.
But sometimes, the longer the wait, the sweeter the lovemaking when it happens.