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Dylan nods with a smile, swiping his tongue across his bottom lip after he’s taken a drink. “You make me want to take all four of you on a date.”
I laugh, feeling heat rising to my cheeks.
“And what about you, Winter? What’s the role you play in your group?”
I shake my head, taking in a deep breath. “No. You’ve been asking me questions this entire date. It’s a pleasant change from the norm, trust me, but what aboutyou? It’s my turn to ask questions.”
Dylan shakes his head. “‘Fraid not, Winter. Our first date is all about you. I want to know everything. I’m merely a backdrop.” He laughs. “Don’t worry, on our second date, I’ll only talk about myself. I’ll be relentlessly self-centered, I’ll talk over you and never shut up, I swear. But tonight, I want to get to knowyou.”
And that’s when I realize, Dylan is exactly what I need. What I’veneededto get back into the dating pool. Redemption from all the shit I went through with Brian. I was wrong when I met Dylan; he very well could restore my faith in men. And he’s hot. Mygodis he hot.
Dylan and I spend the next hour deep in conversation, sipping wine, and eating dessert. I even got him to talk about his childhood and his passion for surfing. I told him about working for Black Ink and how my breakup with Brian affected my job because my job is basically to believe in love.
I’m not one to bring up an ex-boyfriend on a date, buthe asked. He asked about everything. No topic was off limits. And talking about Brian didn’t faze him in the slightest. He remained confidently steadfast in his quest to get a passing grade in Winter 101.
It’s been refreshing, actually. To not have to abide by first date traditions. It’s as if Dylan and I have known each other for years and had only recently gone on a date.
I convinced myself that the little prick of annoyance in the back of mind named Aleck Fox is only there because he’s mad at me. It’s only because we left things unresolved. I hate leaving things unresolved. By nature, I feel the need to nurture. But with Aleck Fox, I feel the need to grind my teeth and light things on fire.
“I’d like to walk you up to your suite if that’s okay,” Dylan says as we approach the resort parking lot.
“Sure. That would be fine.”
Dylan finds a parking spot and hurries out to open the car door for me. When we walk through the parking lot to the resort entrance, Dylan reaches between us, slipping his hand into mine. I smile at him and he returns the smile, showing his perfect teeth and deep dimples.
“Can I ask you a question…” He glances at me sideways.
“You’ve asked me many.” I laugh.
“You and the best man…”
My stomach tightens at the mention of Aleck and me. “What about us?”
“You’re involved…”
“That’s not a question.” I smile nervously.
“A statement then,” he says, holding onto his smile. Again, seemingly fazed by nothing. “You two are involved.”
I press the elevator button and take a deep breath, deciding Dylan deserves the truth.
“We’re... complicated.”
The elevator door slides open, and we step inside. The memory of Aleck’s determination when he realized he wanted me, floods my mind. My core tightens when I remember how he slid his hand across my stomach, backing me into the elevator wall, and how he lifted my leg to grind his erection between them.
My breath gets caught in my chest. “It’s nothing.We’renothing…” I assure Dylan.
“Well…” He smiles confidently. “I don’t believe it’s nothing. He was jealous. Men don’t get jealous if it’snothing, trust me on that. And I understand. You’re an amazing catch, Winter. I just hope he’s deserving of catching you.” He swipes his hand through his messy hair, glancing at me with a smile. “I just ask that if anything changes and it’s notnothinganymore, you let me know? You don’toweme that, but I’d like it. I’m not interested in competing with another man, that’s when my dark side comes out.”
I nod, feeling sheepish and small. Dylan may be younger than me, but he’s more mature than I am by years. Here I am playing into this game with Aleck, the most immature, self-centered, arrogant man I’ve ever met.
“Yeah, of course. I wouldn’t string you along. I like you, Dylan. Aleck and I…” My eyes fall to the elevator floor while I search for the words. “We’re…”
“Winter, it’s fine. No need to explain. The human condition is a mysterious traitor, isn’t it?”
The ding of the elevator echoes in our small space, then the door slides open. We step out as my suite door opens and a very beautiful and very blonde woman with legs up to her throat and giant tits steps through the entryway giggling.
“You’re terrible, Aleck,” she purrs. “Thanks, again,” she says, then closes the door behind her. I slow my pace to observe the scene playing out in front of me as she saunters my way in her six-inch nude Louboutin heels.
