Chapter Nineteen
F or the last two days, Samantha and Dex had spent time with her family, sitting around the pool, bringing in lunch and dinner. When she’d suggested she and Dex sneak out for a quick dinner alone, he’d encouraged her to stay at the house. After all, she was here to see her mother and siblings. They could go out for dinner any time. Since he’d made sense, she’d agreed.
The next day, Dex drove them to the house he’d bought in Miami, located across a guard-gated bridge in an ultra-luxury community. Even for her, growing up with incredible wealth and privilege, this island was something beyond her experience.
“So,” he said, as they pulled into the driveway. “You can see it’s a little much.”
She laughed, taking in the massive home, especially for one man living alone.
“To be honest, I bought the place after a huge contract signing, because I could . Only after I moved in and it echoed did I realize what a foolish move it had been.”
“But it’s gorgeous, Dex. Show me around inside?”
He shut the engine to the rental sports car and walked around to open her door. Together, they strode up the walkway lined with red flowering shrubs she thought were bougainvillea because they looked like the plants surrounding her childhood home.
He unlocked the door and once inside, shut off the alarm. “There isn’t much to see furniture-wise since it’s in storage.” There were a few boxes in various rooms, waiting to be picked up and shipped, but mostly he was right. She was touring empty rooms. The place would be on the market soon, which she thought was a shame, since she’d fallen in love on sight. Maybe because the outside reminded her of her childhood home, as did the many rooms which could hold brothers and sisters like she had.
While he was inside making phone calls about the boxes and items that remained, she walked out back to look at the large, kidney-shaped pool and the built-in outdoor grill, refrigerator, and firepit. The place was lacking for nothing, she mused, and again felt a pang of sadness, this time because Dex hadn’t truly loved living here and had felt so alone.
“Ready to go?” Dex asked from the sliding glass door leading out to the pool.
She nodded. “Did you get everything done that you needed to?”
“I did. The boxes will be picked up and shipped by Monday. The company that takes care of the house will come by to open the place and facilitate things.”
“That’s great. What—” Her cell rang from inside her purse. “One sec,” she said and dug out the phone, glancing at it. “My lawyer.”
“Go ahead and take it,” Dex said.
She tapped the screen and put the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Hi, Samantha. Tim here. I’m calling to give you an update from the forensic accountants.”
She placed a supportive hand on the stone surrounding the grill. “Have they found anything off or unusual?” she asked.
She felt Dex’s gaze on her as she listened.
“There are some suspicious transactions that, at a glance, make them want to dig deeper. They don’t recognize the payees as having done business with your company recently and want to check further. I wanted to let you know Jeremy’s lawyers have been notified, so he’s likely aware, as well.”
“Great,” she muttered. “I appreciate the heads-up. Keep me posted.”
“Will do. Take care, Samantha.”
She disconnected the call. “Just what I need. Jeremy having something else to get worked up and angry over,” she muttered.
Dex stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”
She explained what Tim had told her and Dex immediately slipped his hand into hers. “You’ll get through this.”
“I know. It’s just so much more than I ever expected to deal with.”
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “Jeremy will be out of your life before you know it.”
She breathed in deep, inhaling his masculine scent. “You smell good,” she said, tilting her face to his.
He lowered his mouth, capturing her lips with a kiss that quickly turned hotter than the blazing sun above them. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, taking advantage of their time alone. She wasn’t sure how long they stood there but she was certain she’d never enjoyed kissing anyone the way she did Dex. He made it an art form, something equally important as sex in a relationship. And this was truly becoming more than friendship. Even she could admit that to herself.
By the time they came up for air, Samantha’s shirt was damp from the sun and humidity and she was ready to go inside. Slipping his hand into hers, they headed in and he locked the door to the pool.
She glanced back, wishing she’d seen this place with the furniture out back, and the house filled.
“What are you thinking about?” Dex asked.
She turned to face him, smiling at the scruff that had grown on his handsome face. “This house.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”
“You’ll think it’s silly,” she said, shaking her head.
“Not a chance. Tell me.”
“I can see you living here,” she murmured. “Throwing a football in the yard, swimming in the pool, having barbeques out back.”
“Sounds wonderful. It’s a great place. Maybe for another person or family.”
She tipped her head to the side and sighed. He had a point. “Yeah. You’re right. Timing is everything. I hope whoever buys it is happy here.” She paused, then asked, “Were you?”
He hesitated, clearly giving the question thought. “I was lonely. My family was in New York. I’d passed the point of wanting the guys over all the time, so it was a big, empty house. A status symbol.”
“And you never saw it as a place to raise a family?” she finally asked.
His eyes opened wide. He obviously hadn’t realized how deeply she’d been thinking. “When I lived here, I wasn’t at that point in my life. And now, everything I need or want is in New York.” His gaze held hers as he spoke.
Warmth settled inside her because she heard the words he wasn’t saying. She was one of those things he both wanted and needed. And for now, that was enough.
His cell rang, breaking the intimate moment.
Dex let out a curse and stepped back, pulling his phone from his pocket and tapping the screen hard. “This had better be important,” he said, walking away as he spoke.
He headed to the other side of the big space that he’d told her had once been a game room. Watching, she gnawed on the inside of her cheek, wondering why she wasn’t privy to his side of the phone call. It wasn’t the first time since they’d arrived in Florida. Friends called him and he spoke to them in front of her, laughing and joking. Family calls, the same.
She didn’t need to be privy to all his business but this was unusual and after Jeremy’s secrets, it made her uneasy.
“Everything okay?” she asked, when he strode back to her, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“Fine. Austin just wanted to relay a message from the network. Ready to go?”
Since any warm mood had been broken, she nodded, and they headed back to her mother’s house where Emma had invited both her children and Samantha’s half-siblings for dinner.
Dex had gotten along well with her brothers and sisters, having come from a big family himself, and seemed totally comfortable with the large group. The girls accepted him easily and the guys gave him the third degree but once they started talking football, all possible differences disappeared.
The only thing that bothered her was the calls Dex took with Austin. He never spoke in front of her and despite wanting to ask what was wrong, she didn’t want to pry.
If something was going on with his upcoming job or anything else and Dex wanted to talk about it, he would. Until then, she’d mind her own business.