“There’s no avoiding me now,” he tells me as he pulls me onto the dance floor. “I meant what I said earlier, Alanna. You made your choice when you came home with me. I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting you get back together with my brother. Not ever.”
I look into his eyes, startled by the passion blazing within them. “I know,” I whisper. “I won’t.”
He nods, looking pleased as he twirls me around, the two of us swaying together, our bodies far closer than appropriate. “Tell me, baby. Why did you bid on me?” he whispers eventually.
“You told me to bid on something on your behalf. I figured I might as well do you a favor. Those ladies seemed really viscous.”
He pulls me closer, the two of us falling into a steady rhythm. “I told you to bid on something you want, my love.” His hand roams over my back, his touch possessive.
“I don’t want you.”
He smiles. “You will by the time the date you just bought wraps up.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Silas
I smile to myself as I knock on Alanna’s bedroom door early in the morning. She won a date with me, so that’s exactly what I’m going to give her. The only reason she’s even considering forgiving Ryan is the memories she shares with him. She has no idea of our shared past, of our history. If I want to compete with Ryan and make her fall for me the way she once did, I’ll have to give her new memories to replace the ones she lost.
“Silas?” she says, surprised. I smirk as I take in her workout gear. As expected, she was going for a morning run, as she always did when I managed to fluster her.
“Oh, good, you’re already dressed. I was about to ask you if you wanted to join me for a morning run.”
She looks at me wide-eyed and starts to shake her head, but I grab her hand and pull her along before she has a chance to decline. “Let’s go. I’ve got the perfect trail in mind.”
“Silas, running is more of a solitary activity for me.”
I know, but not with me. You’ve always loved running with me. “That’s fine. We don’t need to talk.”
I start jogging toward the trail the moment we reach the street, and much to my surprise, Alanna maintains my pace, running alongside me instead of behind me. We remain silent for most of the run, and I don’t try to engage her. Alanna has always hated talking while running, but she’s always loved having me by her side. It’s been years, and in many ways she’s no longer the woman I used to know, yet the essence of her stayed the same. It’s strange feeling like I know her better than she knows herself, yet not knowing her at all.
“Let’s go left here.”
She follows me, and nerves assault me as we get closer to the place I’ve been leading her to. I pause in front of the elaborate picnic setup, complete with a tent behind it for privacy and protection from the rain we’re expecting today.
I turn toward her and smile. “You paid good money for a date with me, so I’d better deliver. Hundred grand, was it?”
Her eyes move from the picnic spread back to me, widening as realization sinks in. “This… you did this?”
I nod and grab her hand as I pull her toward the blanket that’s been spread out on the grass. She can’t remember, but our first real date was a picnic too. She’s the reason I am who I am today. I always intended to regain what I lost, but because of Alanna, I didn’t lose my soul in the process. I always knew that someday, we’d find our way back to each other, and when we did, I wanted to be the person she thought I was. Her Si. Alanna is such an integral part of my life, even in the years we spent apart. Every one of my favorite memories revolves around her, and I know it used to be the same for her.
“Here,” I murmur as I hand her the energy drink she always loved.
She stares at it for a moment and smiles. “Wow, this is my favorite flavor.”
I grin and try my best to act surprised. “Is it?”
I watch her as she empties half the bottle. I’ve always loved the way she looks after a run. It’s not much different from what she looks like after sex. Alanna out of breath is a sight to behold.
She breathes a sigh of relief when I hand her a disinfectant wet wipe for her hands. “Thank you,” she says, taking it from me. She hates touching anything after a run. The first thing she usually does when she gets home is wash her hands. Usually she won’t even grab a drink before that. While I couldn’t provide her with a sink here, this thankfully seems to be good enough for her.