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Charm felt him beneath her backside. His erection was poking her. The feel of it emboldened her and when he deepened the kiss, she deepened it even more.
Suddenly his cell phone rang and he broke off the kiss. He leaned in and licked her lips before placing her out of his lap and on the bed. “I need to take this call. It’s Seth.”
A few minutes later, Dylan said, “Elise and Cindy are in my villa. Since it’s close to three in the morning I guess they figured I would be spending the night with you and decided to make their move.”
“Oh,” she said, easing up to sit on the side of the bed.
“There is a question I need to ask you, though. One that has me curious as well as concerned.”
“And what question is that?”
He crouched down in front of her so his face was level with hers. Their mouths were within inches and she wondered if he was going to kiss her again. Instead, he said, “This thing with you falling asleep on a whim after overindulging in wine. I don’t like it.”
She wondered what her sleeping habits had to do with him. “First of all, I don’t fall asleep on a whim after drinking too much. Just with red wine. And when I do it’s only in a place where I feel comfortable and safe. I do it around my brothers, dad and other family members. However, I have enough sense not to do so around someone with an unsavory character. So if you’re concerned about me drinking too much on a date and being taken advantage of, then don’t be, because it won’t happen.”
“You fell asleep with me twice. Does that mean that after ten years, without any contact whatsoever, you feel safe with me?”
Fourteen
Instead of answering him, she switched her gaze from his to study the pattern of the bedspread. As far as Dylan was concerned, his question was simple enough and her response should be easy. So why was she hesitating? If she thought she could ignore him then she was wrong. He wasn’t going anywhere until he got her response. Why it was important to him, he wasn’t sure. He just knew that it was.
Then she met his gaze again as he remained crouched in front of her. He breathed in deeply as their gazes held. Did she realize how he’d felt when she’d awakened in his bed that morning? It hadn’t mattered that she’d slept in it alone. Just the thought that they’d shared such close quarters after ten years had done something to his psyche. Twice he’d gone into the room to check on her and found her sleeping soundly. Each time he’d been captivated.
Then there were the memories of when he had wanted to share every part of himself, his entire life, with her. Had fate brought them back together? Or was his mind playing tricks on him? Setting him up for even more heartbreak if he journeyed down that road?
“Yes, I feel safe with you, Dylan. There was a time we meant a lot to each other.”
Had there really been such a time? If so, what had happened? He wasn’t sure, but what he did know was that she meant something to him. It was as if regardless of how things ended between them, regardless of who shouldered the blame, there was something that hadn’t been lost. Their desire to keep each other out of harm’s way. That had been the reason she had shared with him the conversation she’d overheard, and that was the reason he wanted to protect her from men who could take advantage of her whenever she drank too much wine.
He wanted to say something. Instead, he leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips. It was supposed to be soft, gentle and reassuring, and it would have been if she hadn’t opened her mouth on a luscious moan. The moment he slid his tongue between her lips his body became a frenzy of need.
The next thing he knew he was on the bed with her. It didn’t matter that they were fully clothed. What mattered was that their need for each other was almost out of control. His hand was on her thigh and working its way under her dress when suddenly his phone rang again.
He broke off the kiss and stood. After pulling the phone out his pocket, in an annoyed tone he said, “What?”
There was a pause, and then Seth said, “I just wanted you to know Elise and Cindy are being questioned in your villa.”
“I’m on my way.”
He slipped the phone back into his pants pocket. “Elise and Cindy are being questioned. I’ve got to go.”
She eased off the bed. “I’m coming with you.”
He was surprised she would want to. He was about to tell her that it wasn’t necessary. Elise and Cindy didn’t need to know who’d overheard their plan. “Are you sure you want to get involved?” he asked, trying not to notice how she was straightening her clothes.
She went still for a moment as if thinking about what he’d asked. “I don’t relish my name being plastered across the tabloids as your current lover or anything of that sort,” she said. “But I’ll be fine being with you when you confront Elise. However, truth be told, Dylan, I’ve been involved since the night I told you what those two women were up to.”
Knowing she was right, he nodded, took her hand and they left her villa. It didn’t take long to reach his and he opened the door without knocking. His gaze went to Seth, who was sitting in a chair with his legs stretched out in front of him like he hadn’t a care in the world.
Dylan’s gaze then moved to the two women sitting on the sofa with the federal agent he’d met yesterday. As soon as Elise saw Dylan, she was off the sofa and rushing toward him, nearly pushing Charm out of the way in the process. He held firm to Charm’s hand, refusing to let Elise come between them, and used his other hand to stop her from getting too close.
“Dylan, sweetheart, I’m glad you’re here. There’s been a huge misunderstanding. These men are saying I was not supposed to be in your villa.”
He frowned, wondering what Elise was up to. “You aren’t supposed to be in here, Elise. I told you a couple of days ago that you weren’t welcome here.”
Her expression turned stony. “No, you didn’t say that. In fact, you gave me permission to come here whenever I wanted and gave me a key card, too. Why are you lying in front of these people?”
Now he was aware of what Elise was trying to do. If she could convince them he’d given her permission to come to his villa and had even given her a key, then it would be her word against his. Now more than ever he was glad Charm had recorded the conversation between Elise and Cindy.
