Second Chance on Cypress Lane--Includes a Bonus Novella

by Reese Ryan

  “Go.” Dakota laughed. “I don’t want to be the reason you end up on the news for assaulting your clients. Besides, my wardrobe is pretty much set. And it’s not like this is a date weekend. I just need to look presentable.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, sweetie.” Sinclair refilled her glass, then set the pitcher down again. “And since you’re gonna be gone for the weekend, why don’t we do movie night at my place on Thursday before you leave?”

  “Fine,” Dakota agreed, wishing her friend good night as Sin headed for the spare bedroom in Dakota’s third-floor suite, which had been Sin’s second home when they were in high school.

  Dakota was slightly annoyed with her best friend. Mostly because what Sinclair had said was true. Not about Dexter and her still being in love with each other. That was ridiculous.

  But there was lingering attraction and nostalgic memories between them. Nothing as serious as what Sin was intimating, but they’d have to learn to navigate the powerful pull of their shared emotions.

  She and Dexter had a good working relationship and a single purpose for this trip. It was strictly business. Nothing more.

  Dakota repeated the words in her head. Then she grabbed a couple of pretty nightgowns out of her lingerie drawer and slipped them into her bag. Just in case.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Dexter walked through his condo, reviewing his mental checklist. He double-checked that he’d packed everything necessary for his long weekend in Newport, Rhode Island, with Dakota. Then he ran through a mental checklist of all of the work-related items he needed to handle before they left.

  Everything was in order. The slight anxiety he was feeling wasn’t because he’d forgotten something. It stemmed from the fact that he’d be spending the next three days with Dakota.

  This is a business trip, not a lovers’ getaway. Get a hold of yourself, man.

  Dexter had been telling himself that for the past three days. But it hadn’t stopped the quickening of his pulse whenever he thought about spending three days alone with the woman he adored a little more each day. Not just because she was the first woman he’d ever fallen for or because he’d been her first. It was because Dakota was incredibly smart. Full of fire. And more beautiful than ever. She was good with people because she genuinely cared about them. Which also made her easy to talk to. It was no wonder she’d always had a way of getting him to open up to her more than he did with anyone else.

  And God help him, because he still wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted anyone.

  He’d been engaged to Evelyn for six months, and they’d dated for more than two years before that. Yet he’d never loved her the way he’d loved Dakota.

  Dexter had hoped that Dakota’s return to Holly Grove Island would result in one of two things. Either he’d finally realize that his lingering feelings for her were part of a quixotic schoolboy fantasy that he needed to let go of. That he’d put Dakota Jones on an unrealistic pedestal. A part of him hoped that she really had changed, as some of the locals had opined. That she imagined herself too important to make time to return to their little town. A princess attitude would definitely knock the stars out of his eyes.

  Or…he would discover he’d been right all along. That Dakota was the one woman he wanted in his life. Then maybe they could reconcile. Perhaps even pick up where they’d left off all those years ago.

  It was clear now that he was no less enamored with Dakota. But his unexpected promotion to the DOO of the Holly Grove Island Resort had changed his plans to woo Dakota back. The company’s nonfraternization policy was clear. As a member of the resort’s senior executive staff, he had no business getting involved with an employee. It was the same advice he’d given Nick.

  Dexter cursed under his breath for having suggested that Nick hire Dakota in the first place. Something he’d never have done if he’d known he’d had a shot in hell at the position after being turned down for it twice in the past six months.

  He’d been working to get to this level in his field his entire adult life. Was he willing to give that up for a woman who was insistent that she wouldn’t be sticking around? Then what would he have? No Dakota and no job. Which would also mean he’d be forced to leave Holly Grove Island.

  No, it was too big a risk. Too narrow a chance of a reward.

  Stay the course, Dex. Stay the course. Just be grateful she doesn’t hate you anymore.

  In a few months, Dakota would go on to the next big thing in her life, and he wished her the best. Then his life would return to normal. Maybe he’d even let go of his pipe dreams about them resuming their relationship and he could finally move on.

  He was picking her up at her father’s house in little more than an hour so that they could drive to the airport together for their midmorning flight. Which gave him just enough time to make himself breakfast and clean up.

  Dexter was laying out the eggs, bacon, and cheese on the counter when a sudden knock at his door startled him. The sun had yet to rise.

  Who on earth would knock on my door at this hour of the morning?

  He peeked through the peephole, surprised by who was standing on the other side. Dexter took a deep breath and opened the door.

  “Dakota.” He scanned her lovely face. It was before six a.m. Yet this woman managed to look beautiful in a simple T-shirt, a pair of jean shorts, and sandals. Her hair was pulled back in a high, tight ponytail. Dakota smelled like coconut and vanilla, like she was fresh out of the shower. She wore only a hint of pink lip gloss and a dusting of eye shadow. “Did I get our plans mixed up? I thought I was supposed to pick you up at your dad’s place in an hour.”

  “You were, but our movie night went late, and I ended up staying over at Sin’s place. Rather than waking her at this ungodly hour to take me home, it made sense to catch you before you left. We can swing by my dad’s place and pick up my bags, then head to the airport. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course.” He stepped aside and gestured for her to enter his condo. Dex jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I was about to make myself breakfast. You hungry?”

  “Starving.” She rubbed her stomach, and his errant eyeballs went straight for the swell of her breasts and the flesh bared by her V-neck T-shirt. “What’s on the menu?”

  “Bacon, egg, and cheese croissants. Sound good?”

  “Sounds amazing.” Dakota followed him inside. “How can I help?”

  “You’re a guest.” Dexter returned to the kitchen and washed his hands. “Have a seat. Or look around. But you’re not helping me cook. Not on your first—” Dex cleared his throat. Saying that this was her first visit was a bold, presumptuous statement. It implied he expected her to return. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, he was still a bit stunned that she was standing in his home. “I’d give you the penny tour, but time being short and all…” He took out a bowl and started to crack the eggs. “Scrambled okay?”

  “Perfect.” Dakota set her small purse on the counter and walked through the great room, glancing around. “The layout of your place looks a lot like Sin’s, but it’s—”

  “A little smaller,” he confirmed. “When I first bought the place, I thought I’d use it strictly as a rental investment. But I bought another rental property and now this is my primary residence. Eventually I’ll upgrade and buy either a townhome or a house on the beach when the opportunity arises. But for now it’s the perfect—”

  “Bachelor pad?” Her pouty, pink lips curved in a half smile, but her expectant expression indicated that she was hoping he’d deny it.

  “Nothing as exciting as that,” he said truthfully. “But it’s a great setup for a person living alone or an active couple without children.”

  “You don’t have a second bedroom in this unit?”

  “I do, but it’s small. Just big enough for my desk, the built-in bookshelves I built, and a small reading space.” He added a splash of milk to the eggs. “I use it as my office.”

  “You built the bookshelves yo
urself?” Dakota raised an eyebrow. “I’m impressed.”

  “Something else I learned from my grandfather while I was in Texas. Don’t believe me?” He chuckled in response to her incredulous stare. “You’re welcome to take a look for yourself. The office is down that hall. First room on the right.”

  “Not that I don’t believe you,” she said, “but I’d love to see them.” Dakota wandered down the hall in the direction of his office.

  Dex wasn’t sure why, but something about having Dakota in his personal space unnerved him. She’d been in his office and in his truck. Each time his heart had beaten a little faster, heat traveling down his spine because of her close proximity. But he hadn’t experienced this kind of raw vulnerability then. Maybe it was because his mother had always preached that one’s home was an extension of oneself. And it felt like he was baring a little of his soul to her by having her here. Especially by allowing her to venture into his office unaccompanied. The only space more private was his bedroom.

  When several minutes had gone by, her silence while she explored the room gnawed at him. It was a small space. Not much to see. Did she hate the bookshelves or the office itself? Is that why Dakota, who had the gift of gab, was stone silent?

  He put the strips of bacon on a baking sheet and into the oven, then washed his hands. When he turned around, Dakota was standing on the other side of the counter looking as if she’d seen a ghost. She clutched something in her arms.

  “Dakota, what’s wrong?” He walked around the counter, his voice trailing off when he recognized the item she held to her chest.

  Dex swallowed, wiping his slightly damp palms down the front of his jeans. He hadn’t thought of that album when he’d said it was okay for her to go into his office. And since he kept it high on the top shelf, he certainly hadn’t expected her to retrieve it.

  “You still have this?” She held up the black leather photo album with a silver frame on the front, which housed a candid photo, taken by Sinclair, of the two of them kissing on the beach at sunset. Dakota had given him the photo album for Christmas that day.

  The day he’d broken her heart.

  “Why would you keep this after all this time?” Her voice was shaky.

  “Honestly?” Dex ran a hand over his head, the sound of rushing blood filling his ears. “Not keeping it has never been an option.”

  “Not even when you were engaged?”

  She knew. Not that he’d tried to keep it a secret from her. And he should’ve expected that Sin would’ve mentioned it.

  “Even then I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it,” he confessed, the words heavy on his tongue.

  Dakota’s eyes widened. As if she was unsure how she should feel about his inability to part with the final memento she’d given him. “That must’ve gone over well with your fiancée.”

  Dakota set the photo album on the counter and settled onto a barstool.

  He rubbed his jaw, unsure of exactly how honest he should be with her about that. But there were enough secrets between them already. This one wasn’t worth keeping.

  “It didn’t. In fact, that album is kind of the reason I didn’t go through with the marriage.”

  “She was that angry that you’d kept it?” There was hesitance in Dakota’s question. Like she both wanted to know and feared the answer.

  Dexter returned to the stove and set the timer for the bacon. Then he melted butter in a skillet. He poured the eggs into the heated pan and sprinkled the shredded Italian blend cheese over it, stirring the mixture with a wooden spatula.

  Dakota folded her arms on the counter and patiently awaited his response.

  “Evelyn wasn’t necessarily angry that I’d kept the photo album,” he said finally, turning toward her. “But she wanted me to get rid of it, and I just…couldn’t.”

  “You allowed your engagement to end over an old album of photos with your high school girlfriend?” Dakota’s tone was a mixture of wonder and incredulity. “Why? There was no connection between us. We hadn’t seen or spoken to each other in more than a decade. Why would you let this”—she tapped on the book—“destroy your relationship?”

  Dex sucked in a deep breath and met her questioning stare. He’d hoped to skim the surface and give Dakota the basics. But the same inquisitive nature that made her a damned good investigative reporter wouldn’t be satisfied with a superficial response.

  “The relationship didn’t end because I wouldn’t get rid of the album. I wouldn’t let go of the photo album because my future with Evelyn wasn’t as important to me as that book of photos from my past.” He shrugged. “It only confirmed some of the nagging doubts I’d had about us.”

  “Like?” Her warm gaze bored into him, demanding the absolute truth and nothing less.

  He wasn’t sure either of them could handle the unvarnished truth, but this he could give her.

  “I’d started to wonder if Evelyn and I weren’t settling for each other. We’d dated for a few months during our senior year of college. But then we encountered each other at an alumni event and struck up a relationship again.” He turned back to scramble their eggs. “I suspect we were both feeling a little lonely at a time in our lives when our college friends were all settling down and starting families. Then there was the comfort of our familiarity. It was nice reminiscing over the past and tapping into that connection to our younger selves.”

  Dex turned off the gas and moved the pan to another burner on the stove. He put a top over it to keep the eggs warm until the bacon was done, then turned back to Dakota.

  “Neither of which were good reasons for us to commit to a lifetime together. I realized that the engagement was a mistake. We both deserved more. So I ended things and returned the photo album to its designated spot on that shelf. I can’t recall the last time I looked through it. I guess I just find solace in knowing that it’s there, if ever I do want to look back.”

  He opened the container of fresh-baked croissants he’d picked up at the Bakery on Main the afternoon before. “Toasted?”

  “Please.” Her eyes didn’t meet his. After a few beats of silence, she said, “So, indirectly, I’m responsible for the dissolution of your engagement?”

  “This wasn’t about you or your gift, Dakota. It was about me not being ready to move on.”

  “From us?” She huffed, her brows wrinkled with confusion as she studied his face. “Because of a stupid photo album I gave you on the day you ended our relationship so you could move on with someone else?”

  “There wasn’t anyone else, Dakota.” Dexter stalked around the counter, less than two feet separating them. His eyes searched hers. Dakota’s accusation burned deep in his gut. She couldn’t be more wrong about there being someone else. He’d loved her and only her. In fact, he’d loved her so damn much he would’ve done anything to ensure she got the life she deserved. But telling her the truth—all of it—would only cause her more pain.

  Dexter fought back the desire to take Dakota into his arms and kiss her until he’d erased any doubts about how much he cared for her then and now.

  “You said you wanted to see other people.” There was so much pain in her voice. The heartache they’d both suffered that night was obviously as fresh in her mind as it was in his. “That’s why we broke up.”

  “But I didn’t see anyone else,” he assured her. “Not for more than a year.”

  “No. I don’t believe you.” Dakota glared at him as she shook her head angrily, her palm flattened against her collarbone. “Why would you say you wanted to see other people if you weren’t interested in someone specific?”

  “Would you have gone along with it if I’d just said we needed to take a step back? That I loved you, but I didn’t want you to give up your dream of attending NYU for me?” Dexter surprised himself by uttering the words that had gone unspoken between them for nearly two decades.

  He honestly hadn’t intended to say them. But now that he had, he was glad she knew the truth. He’d only been trying to pro
tect her. To stop her from making a grave mistake. A sacrifice that would’ve eventually made her resent her life with him—the way his father did.

  “No,” Dakota whispered, blinking repeatedly, her eyes watery.

  “I couldn’t let you give up everything you’d worked so hard for to be with me. You deserve the world, Dakota. Everything you ever dreamed of.” He forced a pained smile, one hand reaching out to cradle her soft cheek. “I couldn’t be the one to take that away from you.”

  Still seated on the barstool, Dakota grasped his shirt and tugged him down, their faces inches apart. Her watery gaze met his, and Dex held his breath. He should pull out of her grip. Put some space between them. His head was fully aware of what he should do. But when Dakota’s eyes drifted closed, and she pressed her mouth to his, all of the things he should do were forgotten in an instant.

  Dex closed his eyes as he cradled her face in his hands, losing himself in the comfort and release of finally tasting Dakota’s soft, full lips again. Of holding her in his arms. Heat filled his chest as he angled her head, greedily taking control of their unexpected kiss.

  She parted her lips in response with a soft moan. Dex swallowed the sound, savoring the warmth and the sweet cinnamon taste as his tongue glided against hers. He claimed her mouth in the way he’d imagined from the moment he’d laid eyes on her at the Fourth of July Festival. It was everything he’d hoped it would be and more.

  The heat from Dakota’s fingertips seared his skin through his thin cotton shirt as she moved her hands to his back. She leaned into him, and an inadvertent sigh escaped his lips. Dakota’s thighs bracketed his, and she looped her arms around his waist, bringing their bodies as flush as their positions would allow.

  Dexter reveled in the sensation of Dakota’s lush curves cradled against the planes of his chest. She sat on the edge of the barstool, the heat between her thighs pressed to his growing length—straining against his zipper and aching to be buried inside her.

  He removed the band from her hair and it tumbled down around her shoulders. Dex tangled his fingers in the soft, silky strands he’d been aching to touch as he kissed her.