Page 26 of What I Like About You

Zara shrugged in response. He was right, there was no way that all of it had been fake. Dalton might be a lot of things, but cunning and conniving were not on that list. But she was still hurt. She wanted to believe what he was saying more than anything. She wanted to believe that he’d wanted her like she’d wanted him. Like she still wanted him. But it was still just too farfetched.

Out of nowhere, a waiter appeared at their table and set down two plates full of food. Zara looked at the young man, shocked, since they hadn’t looked at a menu, much less ordered. Glancing back down at the plate in front of her, she found a large tuna steak, seared lightly, served with Brussels sprouts and glazed sweet potatoes. Her favorite meal.

“Thanks, Mikey,” Dalton said as the young man walked away.

“We didn’t order,” she commented, confused.

“I asked Miller, the head chef, to make it special. Lemon-seared tuna, with garlic Brussels sprouts, and glazed sweet potatoes. Your favorite.”

It was as if Zara could actually feel the walls around her heart crack. She couldn't believe that he remembered something as trivial as her favorite meal. Not after ten years of not being in each other's lives. She looked up at him, catching his eyes as he took in her reaction. The earnest look in his eye told her that this came straight from his heart. This wasn’t a game he was playing. Just one friend trying to make things right with another.

“You remember that?”

“I remember everything about you, Zara.”

She felt the walls crack again. Why did he have to be so fucking sweet? If he kept this up, by the end of dinner she might just be a puddle on the floor of the dining room. She did not want to be a puddle.

She took a bite of the tuna, and the lemon flavor that burst into her mouth was divine. Letting out a little moan, she quickly took another bite.

“You think that’s good, wait ‘til you try the Brussels sprouts. Miller is known for them,” Dalton laughed.

She took a bite of those next and couldn't help but moan again. The smile that spread across Dalton’s face at her reaction was bright enough to light up the entire room. These were exactly the kind of moments they’d shared as teens, and it felt good to be sitting here like this with him again. If only she could trust that he wouldn’t betray her again. I won’t let you hurt me again…

“Do you remember my thirteenth birthday?” he asked, jarring her out of her thoughts.

Zara thought back, recalling the event more easily than she would have liked to admit. It had been his first birthday since his mother’s death and a couple of weeks after his father announced his engagement to BobbiJo, her older sister’s best friend, who’d been hired as a nanny of sorts for the Sutherland kids. Dalton had gone from a happy, mischievous kid to a smart-assed charmer in what seemed like no time, and only Zara knew that his new persona was a mask to hide his pain. Birthdays had always been a big deal when ShariLou was alive, but this year, Dalton wanted nothing to do with the day.

“I do. We had a sleepover in your pool house. Just the two of us.”

Dalton smiled brightly, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the memory itself or that she had remembered. Maybe it was both. “Big D told me I could do whatever I wanted. BJ tried to plan a big party and invite her brother and a bunch of the other guys. I think she wanted to take us go-karting or something. The only thing I wanted was to spend time with you. You were the only friend that mattered.”

“That was before things changed.”

“It was. And I should never have let them change,” he said, his voice turning sorrowful. Drawing in a deep breath, he continued, “What you and I had was special. I don’t care if we were eight and at a lock-in at Archer’s Green, thirteen in my pool house, fifteen curled up under the fireworks on the Fourth of July, or seventeen at prom. It was special. And it was no one else’s business. Especially not Chet and Jonah’s.”

Zara swallowed hard at the memories. There had been so many things between them. Adventures, secrets, and simple moments of just being together.

“I didn’t know how to tell you then, but you were my world. I know I kept you hidden, and I shouldn't have. I was a fucking idiot. I was so proud to have you on my arm that night as my date, but it shouldn't have just been that night. Not a day goes by that I don’t wish that I had been a better man, your man, long before that moment.”

The tears she had fought off earlier returned suddenly, and there was nothing Zara could do to stop them from starting to roll down her cheeks. So much for the walls she’d built around her heart. Fucking Tripp Sutherland. He always knew exactly what to say to her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said, a crestfallen expression washing over him. He stood from the table, picking up his plate. “I just wanted to try to make things okay between us. I’ll let you eat in peace.”

“No,” she choked out. She didn’t want to be alone. She wanted him. It was against her better judgment—she knew she should let him go. But right now her heart was louder than her mind. “Stay. Let’s just talk about something else.”

“Anything,” he responded, sliding back into his chair.

Despite her request for a subject change, the majority of the rest of the meal was spent in silence. Zara was more than a little surprised to find it wasn’t an uncomfortable one either. Instead, it was easy and companionable, like nothing had changed between them and those horrible words had never been spoken. The meal Dalton had special-requested was incredible, and it was going to be tough for anyone to top this rendition of her favorites. She didn’t know what kind of pull he had in the kitchen, but she said a silent thank you anyway.

When they’d finished up and their places had been cleared, Dalton reached across the table and took her hands lightly in his. The touch of his skin to hers sent a spark through her. Their hands seemed to fit together perfectly, and the brief thought about how the rest of them would fit together skittered through her mind, sending a shudder down her body.

“Can I walk you back to your room?” he asked softly.

She nodded in response, afraid that her voice might betray her in this moment. The rush of desire flowing through her was directly contradicting her logical brain that was screaming at her to be careful. She knew from experience that he could tear her to shreds in an instant, yet after all his heartfelt words tonight, there was a part of her willing to give him another chance.

As they exited the dining room, he took hold of her hand once more, intertwining their fingers. He’d held her hand a million times when they were kids, but there was something different about it now. Before, it had been about friendship and comfort, and now, while those things were still there, there was an element of longing attached to it. As if they had both been wanting, waiting, for this moment for so long, and this simple touch was the start to something.

When they reached her room, she was relieved to see there wasn’t anything hanging from the door handle. Either Antwan wasn’t back yet, or he’d struck out. She silently hoped it was the former, so she could slip into her own bed without having to rehash the evening right away. She needed time to fully process everything Dalton had said and her own roller coaster of emotions. Her mind was swimming with Dalton’s words, while her head and her heart warred over what to do with them.

“Thank you again for letting me join you for dinner,” Dalton said quietly.

Zara nodded in response, not sure what to say. Her logical side didn’t want to admit to enjoying the evening with him, but her heart couldn’t let herself be cold toward him either. Turning to slip her key card into the slot, she felt him grab her hand again and spin her around, pulling her into his hard body.

“Just one more thing before you go,” he whispered, as he leaned down and kissed her.

When his lips met hers, Zara let out a slight gasp from surprise. They were soft and gentle as they moved against hers, and her whole body thrummed with excitement. Zara leaned into him, grasping onto his waist, as Dalton wrapped his arms around her, making her feel wanted.

Zara had dreamed about this moment since they were eight years old and Dalton had given her her first kiss. It hadn’t been anything more than an innocent peck on the lips, but at the time, it was more than enough. From then on, she’d always wondered what it would be like if he kissed her for real.

She parted her lips slightly, hoping he would deepen the kiss, and Dalton didn’t disappoint her. He ran his tongue lightly along the inside of her lower lip before his tongue found hers. The moment their tongues connected it was like fireworks went off inside her, and she tightened her grip on him. Zara had no idea that a kiss could be this good. That such simple contact could make her girlie parts tingle with anticipation. His strong arms tightened around her even more, and the warmth radiating off his body was intoxicating. Every part of her came alive with each new movement of his lush lips and strong tongue against hers, causing her to push into him again and again. The feel of her breasts rubbing against his solid chest as they moved made her nipples harden, and the sensation was almost too much. In this moment she felt like the most desired woman on earth rather than the chubby girl in the corner, and she never, ever wanted this to end.

Dalton pulled back slowly, adding in a few small pecks as he did so, drawing out the kiss. After the last one, Zara’s fingers immediately found her lips, lightly running along them, dumbfounded by what just happened. Had Tripp Sutherland really just kissed her?

“What…what was that?”

“Something I should have done a long time ago,” he answered, before leaning in and whispering in her ear, “See you in the morning, beautiful.”