Chapter 24
Dylan
The next morning, I asked Ian to meet me at the office at seven o’clock. To my astonishment, he was already inside—with two cups from Starbucks and sandwiches—when I arrived.
“Are you a mind reader?” I asked, biting into a sandwich right away. “I didn’t have time to eat at all.”
He grinned, sipping from his coffee, leaning against a wall. “I thought so, considering it’s seven in the fucking morning.”
“I want to ask you for a favor,” I said.
“Need me to go to D.C in your place?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“Intuition.” His grin widened. “And your reactions yesterday. I’ll go.”
I jerked my head back. “You don’t even need convincing? I’m suspicious now.”
Ian’s expression turned serious. “You never ask me for anything. I’m not a dick. I won’t say no.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” We’d always been close and looked after each other, but I had to admit, this degree of loyalty took me by surprise.
“No problem. I’ll book the first available flight. I draw the line at driving. I have my standards.”
“Of course you do.”
“But you have to take over my New York agenda.”
“I’ll be on top of that and the submission. We still have to perfect that and win that damn competition.”
“Amen to that, brother.” Ian tapped his fingers on the cup, watching me intently. “You sure you can be on top of both? Considering everything?”
“I will be. I have to.”
He didn’t reply, just took a long swig of coffee. He was tiptoeing around me, which wasn’t his style.
“Ian, what aren’t you saying?”
“That we can always pull back from the submission and apply next year.”
“Hell no.”
He held up one hand in defense. “It was only a suggestion. We’re in the home stretch for the deadline. It would suck to mess it up.”
“We won’t. I won’t.” Since I was the project manager, I had an overview of every single detail. Pulling out of the competition and reapplying was out of the question. Besides, everyone knew you had one shot only. Repeat submissions weren’t taken as seriously.
“Okay. Don’t get all defensive.” Taking out his phone, he started tapping the screen. “Flight booked. I’m leaving at lunch. It gives me time to wrap up a few things. By the way, Mom heard about your return.”
I waited for him to explain, but when he didn’t, I prompted him. “And?”
“I bet she and Dad are already thinking about names for grandkids. Just thought you should know.”
I burst out laughing before downing the last bite of the sandwich. “Who told them, you or Isabelle?”
“Isabelle. She called them while the police officer spoke to Mel and her dad. What are we going to do about that Elliot guy?” My brother’s jaw was ticking.
The corners of my mouth twitched. “We?”
“Fuck yes. He can’t just pull this shit.”
“For now, let’s see what the police say,” I replied.
Ian stared at me. “You’re serious?”
“I said for now . It’s not smart to do anything while there’s an open investigation. He won’t get away with it. The fucker messed with the wrong people.”
“That’s my brother,” Ian exclaimed.
The next two weeks were intensive, and I had to admit I was more focused on Mel's well-being and that of her father than the office affairs. The police investigation was moving slowly. They’d determined that the fucker had to return the items and pay for the new door or he’d have to serve a short time in jail.
As if that short time would do anyone any good.
Mel didn’t care about the damn TV and table.
She wanted to know Elliot was out of her life, and so did I.
We were going for a restraining order, which meant meetings with lawyers, the police, and a judge.
Josie couldn’t take Mel’s case because this wasn’t her area of expertise.
I would’ve preferred to keep it in the family because there was no one I trusted more than Josie, but I got the best of the best for Mel.
“I can’t believe tomorrow it will finally be over,” Ian exclaimed. We were talking through Zoom. Tomorrow was D-day for submitting project Z for the Innovator of the Year competition. He was still in D.C but returning tomorrow evening.
“We’re going to win this thing,” I said confidently. “But I’m going to log off for the day. I can’t even see straight anymore.” I’d spent the whole day preparing for tomorrow.
“Sure. As soon as I’m back, we’re going to celebrate.”
“I’m not going to be any good tomorrow evening.” Whenever we had a deadline, I operated on adrenaline but crashed as soon as it passed.
“Buzzkill.”
“We can go out and celebrate the day after.”
“Deal. Now, let’s log off before you change your mind about that too.”
Closing the app, I stretched in the chair, feeling on top of the world, at least until Earl, one of our junior project managers, came into my office.
“Are we riding together to the Plaza?” he asked.
“What for?”
“The Solis networking event.”
I groaned. It was six o’clock, and I didn’t give a damn about an evening of cocktails and schmoozing.
“Tell me you didn't forget about it,” he said.
I frowned, pacing the room. I wished I could tell him no, but it completely slipped my mind.
“Go without me. You’ll do fine. I’m not needed.” I was too exhausted to be of any good. The point of networking events was to show people your best side, convincing them you were someone they wanted to work with. But I had zero energy left for that today.
He nodded, looking at me warily. I knew what he was thinking about.
This wasn't like me. Typically I never lost oversight of anything like this, but my mind was elsewhere these days.
I didn't regret it. Mel was important to me.
Her safety and that of her dad trumped everything else, but this did put my team in a weird position.
“I'm sorry, and thank you for filling in for me at the last minute.”
“No problem,” he said. He looked as if he wanted to add something else but didn't; instead, he left my office.
I got out too, heading straight to Genesis.
Mel and I were going to train together. I was surprised to find her in front of the gym’s building with her backpack over her shoulder.
She was already dressed in her training gear, and her ass was too damn round and perfect in those damn pants.
All I wanted was to take her somewhere private and sink inside her.
“Hey, sexy trainer, don't we have an appointment?” I asked.
“We do, but I thought we could do it elsewhere.”
“Why?”
“Well, working out in the open air is a thing. Some people say it's more beneficial than indoors because you're out in the sun at the same time and breathing in fresh air.”
I laughed. “We're in New York. I'm not so sure about the fresh air.”
She pinched me. “Hey, don't knock the city, and besides, we have Central Park. You cannot get better fresh air than that.”
“You can if you're in a small town in Montana,” I replied. “Trust me. I know the difference.”
“Always so direct,” she murmured. “Well, I wanted to surprise you with a romantic outing to help you relax before you submit everything. Montana isn't exactly close by. Will Central Park do, mister?”
I smiled at her, pulling her closer to me. “Yeah, it will. Come on, let's go.”
We Ubered to Central Park. She gave the driver precise instructions as to what entry we needed. When we got out of the car, she took my hand, leading me into the park. She was clasping her phone in her free hand, looking at it closely.
“What are you doing?” I asked her.
“I'm looking at the map of the park. The place I have in mind is somewhat secluded, but it's so secluded that I'm not sure I'm going to find my way to it.”
“Where is it exactly?”
“Not sure, hence the map. Want to help me?” She held the phone in front of my face.
“Babe, your sense of direction sucks. It's the other way.”
She looked over her shoulder, then back at me, grinning. “Oops. You're right. I think I’d manage to get lost in my own apartment.”
I held her close as we walked, one arm around her back, my hand resting on her waist, sliding lower every few steps.
She tilted her head, looking straight at me with an amused smile. “You’re using this opportunity to feel me up, aren’t you?”
“Always. This is a big advantage over the gym, where there are so many prying eyes. I can touch you all I want here.”
“There are people around here too,” she said.
“Yeah, but we don't know these people, so they don't count.”
She laughed. “Dylan logic. I love it.”
We followed the map, and it took twenty minutes to get to the spot she'd marked on it. But I had to admit it was worth it, because it was empty and so deep inside the park, you could be fooled into thinking you were in a forest far from the city if it weren’t for the traffic noises.
“Wow, I guess not many people know about it,” she said.
“Or they get lost on the way.”
“That too. Anyway, look, it's warm, and we can work out here.”
“Babe, there are no weights around here.”
“That doesn't matter. We can improvise. I'm a trainer, and many of my clients don't want to train with anything except their body weight. We can make this work.”
I stepped right in front of her, tilting her head up.
“Or we can not train at all,” I said. “I have a better idea about how we can use this time.”
“Oh really, and what's that?” She was grinning. Next second, I tackled her to the ground, tickling her armpits. She shrieked with laughter, falling on top of me. “You have dangerous ideas, mister.”
“All the time. You were right about being out here. It's relaxing.”
“I can see that. You're already less tense than before,” she said, touching my chest, readjusting her body so she was lying on top of me. Our legs were intertwined on the grass. “You've been burning the candle on both ends over the past few weeks. I thought you might need a little pick-me-up.”
How could she tell? I didn’t say anything, but Mel was paying close attention to me, anticipating my wants and needs in a way that made me fall harder for her.
Gripping the back of her head, I pulled her to me, kissing her hard.
Her mouth was addictive and delicious. She moaned against my lips, riling up my instincts.
Rolling her over, I explored her neck and her chest, kissing along the neckline of her gym shirt.
It was so thin and elastic that I only had to tug at it a few inches and I’d be rewarded with her delicious bare skin.
“Dylan…,” she whispered, pushing her hips into me. “We’re in a park.”
I groaned against her chest. “Think I don’t know that? You drive me crazy.”
She took my face between her hands, bringing it up so we were eye level. “That’s it. No more nipple flashing for you.”
“What?”
“I thought you’d appreciate the view if I wore my training bra since my nipples show easily when I’m turned on.”
I groaned again. “And you thought I’d behave?”
“Yup. Totally misread the situation. Sorry. My bad. Not such a good influence after all.”
“Yes you fucking are. You’ve changed me, Mel. I was so numb to everything before meeting you. I wanted to stay numb.”
“Why?”
“Because it was easier.”
“And now?”
“I like experiencing everything. With you.”
She kissed my neck and chin, wiggling under me. “I like what I’m hearing. Are you happy about the submission tomorrow? Or still stressed?”
“I’ll be relaxed once it’s over. But right now, I’m pissed that there’s a networking event tonight, and I completely forgot about it. But one of my junior project managers is going.”
Her eyes became wary instantly. “I'm so sorry.”
“It's not your fault.”
“Kind of is, though. You're bending over backward to make sure everything's fine with Dad, and you’re neglecting your work.”
I could see her pull into her shell a bit, and I didn't like it at all. “Mel, it's not so bad. Someone else is taking care of it.”
I could tell she was still thinking about it as we lay back in the sun, and I decided not to tell her again. She wasn't used to others thinking of her the way I did and taking care of her. When the going got rough, fucking Elliot ditched her.
“How’s your dad?” I asked.
“Glad to be home again.”
He’d decided a few days ago that he needed to return to his own space.
We’d had the door repaired, and Brayden contacted the company that installed the security system for their new house.
They did a great job on Martin’s place. He stayed with us longer than strictly necessary, and Mel took him home today.
I was sorry to see Martin go because I honestly didn’t mind having him with us. It made Mel feel better.
“So, since we have the apartment all to ourselves, I thought we might take advantage of it,” Mel said.
“How? I have a few ideas.”
She pinched my arm, smiling from ear to ear. “We’ll get to those too, but I have more in mind. We have to be home in forty-five minutes.”
“So specific.”
“My plan is time sensitive. Trust me?”
“Do I have a choice?”
She pinched my arm again. “Hey!”
“Whatever you want, babe.” I skimmed one hand to her waist, gripping it. I cupped her cheek with my other hand possessively. When it came to Mel, I couldn’t be anything but possessive.
“I aim to please.”