Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Donovan
Just as I round the corner headed back to Wolf Candy after work, I spot Delia in front of me.
Her ass in a pair of tight faded jeans is a sight for my sore eyes.
I got a perfect view of her flawless face earlier when I was at the store with her brother. I could tell that Delia was uncomfortable, but being the selfish asshole I am, I spit out that I wanted to take her back to bed.
Pacing myself around her is not an easy task.
I’m tempted to call out to her but she’s got red sneakers on her feet and something tells me that if she wanted to bolt from me, she could disappear into the early evening pedestrian foot traffic in no time flat.
Instead, I follow a few feet behind, watching as man after man turns to take another look at her as she passes by.
By the time I’m up to three, I’ve almost had enough.
As soon as I round the corner after her, I notice her duck into a food place. Carolyn has ordered lunch for us from there in the past. They make a great salad, and an even better grilled vegetable sandwich on gluten free bread.
I don’t follow any particular diet trend, but I do try to feed my body what it needs in terms of nourishment, so a sandwich will definitely not only fuel it, but it’ll hit the spot.
I swing the door open less than a minute after Delia does.
A few people glance at me, but she’s not one of them. That’s because she’s at the counter placing an order for what I assume is her dinner.
“You’re number thirty-four today, Delia,” the guy behind the counter tells her before he tallies up what she owes him.
She digs a card out of her bag, but before tapping it against the machine he’s holding out for her, she keys in something that brings a huge smile to her face.
“That’s a very generous tip.”
She laughs. “What can I say? I love your salads. Nikita does, too.”
That tells me that she’s heading back to the store after this. That’s a wrench in the plan I’ve been concocting for the past twenty-seconds. I was about to accidentally bump into her before suggesting we grab one of the few empty tables to enjoy our meals together.
“Next!” The guy yells. “Hey, suit! You’re next!”
I take that to mean me since I slipped my suit jacket on before I left the clinic. I spend half of my days dressed like this and the other half in scrubs. Today was a shirt and pants day since I didn’t have any surgeries scheduled.
Delia glances over her shoulder to sneak a peek.
“Donovan?” Her pretty mouth falls open. “You’re here?”
“In the flesh,” I point out hoping that they’ll conjure up a memory of what I look like when I’m nude because she seemed to like that a hell of a lot.
“Let me test my memory,” the guy behind the counter says as he stares at me. “A number two salad and a quinoa bowl with grilled lamb.”
The way he tosses air quotes around the protein means I’ll be eating something plant based that tastes like lamb. I’m totally on board for that.
“You know it,” I say even though I’ve never stepped foot in here before.
Delia smiles. “You’re a regular?”
“You’re number thirty-five.” The guy steals my attention away from her. “How are you paying?”
I slide a card from my wallet, and take the same path Delia did. I tip well and leave the guy with a smile when he thanks me profusely.
At the very least I’ll come out of this experience with a good meal, and more importantly a few minutes with Delia as we wait for our orders.
As we step to the side to make room for the couple waiting behind me in line, Delia looks at me. “For a minute, I thought you followed me in here.”
I did but admitting to that won’t serve my agenda in any way, shape, or form.
“We need to talk,” I say, not wanting to waste another second I have with her.
“About what you said earlier today?”
I nod. “I want you.”
Her bottom lip trembles. “Donovan, please.”
“Please take you to bed?” I ask in a whisper. “Please make you come again and again? I’ll do it all right now. Fuck the food.”
She smiles slightly. “You know we can’t.”
I shake my head. “I know we can and I don’t think I’m off base saying I know we both want the same thing.”
“We have to go back to our lives before the cruise.” Her eyes close briefly. “I admit it was incredible. It was the best few days of my life, but this is our reality.”
“Is your hesitation all about Matt?”
She shrugs. “Mostly, yes.”
“If he didn’t work for me, you’d let me take you home with me?”
Her gaze searches my face. “Don’t ask me that because if I say yes, you’ll fire him.”
“It has crossed my mind,” I say teasingly, but I instantly see that’s not how she absorbs it.
Her hand jumps to her mouth. “We can’t. We have to go our separate ways now. We already lied to him earlier.”
“We didn’t tell him that we already met,” I make the subtle correction.
“Now you’re splitting hairs.” Her eyes lock on mine. “My brother has championed me for most of my life. He’s stood by me through everything and I can’t jeopardize his job just to have more fun.”
That stings. It fucking stings because I want more than fun from her.
“Order thirty-four!” A voice calls from behind the counter. “Thirty-four is ready!”
I can’t let her walk out of here thinking I’m someone I’m not, so I stop her by grabbing her elbow.
She looks up at me. “Donovan.”
“I get what you’re saying but you need to know that I would never punish your brother for anything that happened or could have happened between us. I consider Matt not only a valuable employee, but a friend.”
I yank one of my business cards out of my jacket pocket. I reach for a pen from the counter to scribble my cell number on the back of it before I shove it at her. “Take this. Use it to contact me day or night, Delia. You need someone to carry you through the city, I’m your guy. You want someone to wash your hair, give me a call, and if you’re lonely at night, I’ll read to you on the phone. I fucking miss you.”
Tears well in her eyes as she accepts it. She presses it against her chest. “Okay.”
I’ll take it. It’s not the response I want, but I’ll accept it, for now.
She races to the counter, picks up her bag of food, and without a single glance back, she leaves.