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Quite frankly, she could do without that personal revelation, but he was determined to speak with her so she’d acquiesced.
Once in the garage, she followed him to his car and slid in when he opened the passenger door of his Ferrari. He got in and started the engine.
Angela didn’t know where they were going, and Daniel was silent as they drove. When nearly a half hour passed by, she asked, “Where are we going?”
“We’ll be there soon.”
“That doesn’t exactly answer my question,” Angela responded, but left it alone.
Eventually, they got off the interstate and after several twists and turns, came to an estate in South Beach. After punching in the code, Daniel drove up the driveway. Shutting off the engine, he came around to open the door, but not before pulling a blanket from his trunk.
Angela stared at the mansion before her. “Daniel, is this one of your clients’ homes?”
He nodded. “I’ve been allowed the use of it for the week while he’s out of town.”
She snorted. “Must be nice. But if you think you can just romance me into bed with all this—” she motioned toward the luxury home “—then you’re mistaken. You can’t just shut me up with sex anymore. It won’t work.”
He stared at her. “I realize that. And that’s not why I brought you here. Now will you come with me?” He held out his hand to her while carrying the blanket underneath his other arm.
Angela glanced down at his large masculine hand. She’d come this far, so she would hear him out. She accepted his hand and when she did, a spark of electricity shot through her just as it always did when they touched. They were connected, and Angela forced herself to breathe and not look in his direction.
Instead of going inside, he led her around the side of the home and keyed in another code, unlocking the side fence. What was on the other side was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a garden oasis far removed from the spice of South Beach, with a luxurious pool and beach house. She would never have known a home like this existed, but then again a lot more doors were open to the wealthy.
She followed Daniel down a pebbled path until eventually they hit the beach. It was secluded and private. She watched Daniel remove his tennis shoes, so she did the same and rolled up her jeans and walked onto the sand.
“I think this is far enough,” Angela said. When they made it to the surf, she let go of his hand. “Say what you have to say.”
“Walk with me, please.”
Angela was torn. If she could, she’d run in the other direction, but another part of her was curious, so she joined him for a walk along the beach.
* * *
Daniel was thankful Angela had come with him. He wasn’t sure she would agree after he’d left her a few nights ago. He’d had to do a lot of soul-searching and he’d come to realize that he had to let go of the past, and part of that process was sharing it with Angela so he could let her in. Into his life, into his heart.
But it wouldn’t be easy. He’d spent years holding on to his hurt like a safety blanket.
Angela walked with him, quietly waiting. It took him several minutes to begin, but eventually he did.
“I met Mia in college,” Daniel began. “She was attending Nilson on scholarship. Initially, we were just best friends, living in the same dormitory and helping each other study, but eventually my feelings grew toward her.”
Angela stopped short and he could see she was anxious to hear more. “Listen, I get it. No one will ever be Mia or take her place in your heart. Is that why you brought me here, to rub salt in the wound?”
“No, I brought you here so I can tell you some realizations I’ve come to. But you have to know the entire story. Can you bear with me with, please?”
“I suppose.”
“Good.”
They walked for a short time until Daniel found a spot between two dunes, out of sight from any beachgoers or onlookers. He placed the blanket on the ground and helped her down before sitting beside her. But they didn’t touch.
She sat facing him and he could see wariness and weariness in her eyes. He’d done that to her, and he hated it. He could only hope that what he had to say would make things right between them.
