“Or what?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
I stammered at his question, not sure why the list was so important, only that it was. “I need this.”
“Have you told your brothers and sister about this list?”
“My brothers and sister? Is that a joke? This list is for me!” Maybe I was too tired and tipsy to have this conversation, or maybe I’d taken the list too seriously and was only just realizing it, but suddenly I felt childish needing it to be done. “You don’t get to come here and change all my plans. You and Izzy are … I don’t want any of you in this part of my life. It’s supposed to be for me.”
“Do it with me, then.” He shrugged like his idea wasn’t totally and completely ludicrous.
He didn’t understand that half the reason I was here trying to find myself was because I lost myself to him and the baby in the first place.
“My family … my brothers would kill you.”
He glared at me, and then suddenly his mouth broke into a smile so big it put a dimple in his cheek that made my knees ache to buckle. “You think I’m afraid of your brothers, Lilah?”
“Well, no. There’s nothing to be afraid of. We aren’t doing anything. If we did, though, they’d give you hell.”
Suddenly, Dante’s gaze was dragging up and down my body, so slow I swear I could feel his touch somehow on my hips, my waist, my tits, and my neck.
He paused at my lips and then met my eyes before he said, “So you’re not done playing with men on the island?”
“What?” I whispered. My mind tried to keep up, and it almost responded with a yes just to get him close to me, but I mentally grabbed my answer fast, stomped it out, and then stammered, “No … I’m meeting Troy in a few days and …”
“When you’re done, just know that if that pussy still tastes as good as last night, hell, I intend to take a whole goddamn inferno from your brothers when the time is right.” He shook his head and said, “Lock your door, Lilah.”
And then he slammed it shut.
15
Share Your Secret
Delilah
I didn’t see Dante for two days after that. I worked and so did he. Or so I thought. He made himself scarce.
It was for the best. Us bickering over my date wasn’t what should have been happening. We should have been acting cordial until Izzy was out and they were gone.
I told myself that over and over during those two days. When I passed him in the hall on the third morning in my scrubs, my heart almost stuttered to a stop. My body instantly lit up, and I found myself holding back too much emotion, like I needed to see him, like I’d missed him.
I needed to get more sleep. The long night shifts were making me crazy, especially on not much food and after having to avoid Allan all night.
“Hey, Lamb,” he leaned against the hallway wall instead of sliding his key card into his room slot like he’d been about to do. “Blue looks good on you.”
I rolled my eyes. My scrubs were nothing to write home about.
“And you look good in slacks,” I added.
“You going to breakfast?” He nodded toward the purse I’d slung over my shoulder.
“Just a quick one. I had a long night.” I pointed in the direction of the hotel restaurant.
He hummed. “I heard you get in about an hour ago. Your shift usually ends three hours earlier.”
“Emergency with a big pile-up on the highway.” His eyes scanned my scrubs for evidence. “I showered and changed at work.”
He nodded. “I’ll join you for breakfast, if that’s okay.”
I pursed my lips and waved him on. We walked in silence together down the hallway. This was the Dante I remembered, the quiet appeasing man who smiled and nodded at about five other guests who walked by. He murmured hellos and a thank you to a man who opened the restaurant door for us. Then he put his hand on my lower back, like we were comfortable with each other’s touch but just in a friendly manner.
My body wasn’t. I felt the heat immediately, my nipples tightened, and I gasped. His light eyes met mine, but he didn’t call attention to the spark between us.
That was for the best.
The buffet wasn’t very busy, but families buzzed around with kids, and a couple of pilots ate in the corner, probably only here for a day or two before they had to jet out again. I went to grab some fruit, and two little girls dressed in red-striped pajamas pointed at my scrubs. When I caught them looking, I did a little twirl and they glanced up to find me smiling.