by Jacki Kelly
Chapter Thirteen
Dakota watched her first customer of the morning stroll from one row to the next without removing a single book from the shelf.
“Are you looking for something specific?” From the counter, Dakota tried to encourage her to buy a book. If business didn’t turn around, the doors to Bookends would soon close. The renovation would help, but it was still weeks away from beginning.
“No. I’ll know it when I see it. Thanks.”
“When you’re ready, Jennifer will ring your sale.” Dakota nodded to Jennifer before heading back to her office. In the last few days, she’d had plenty of traffic but not many buyers.
She flopped into the padded chair behind her desk and dialed her sister. “Guess what I did this weekend?” she asked when Asa picked up the phone.
“Let me see. You curled up on the sofa with your favorite flavor of hummus and watched old movies while reading letters.”
“Nope. I had a date.”
“With who?”
“That new architect at Harper Enterprise. You know the one, Bishop Contee.”
Asa was quiet for a moment. “I didn’t know you guys were dating.”
“He asked me out and I decided why not? I don’t think you can call it ‘dating’. I think Bishop is more of a rebound fling. It felt good to be able to laugh for a change.” On purpose, she left out the part about the time they’d spent together, or how he was only fooling around with her until the next leggy lady came along.
“So he made you laugh?”
“Yes, he did. I felt like my old self. Why didn’t you tell me I was becoming someone different? Old and dull. I hardly recognized myself.”
“I had no idea you and Brian were in such a bad state. I knew you were moping around, but I thought it was because you missed him.”
“This sounds stupid now, but you and Simeon are so happy. I thought Brian and I could be just as happy. You know—sisters married to brothers,” she sighed. “The whole idea seems so corny now that I’ve said it aloud. What could I have been thinking?”
“Honey, you’re important too. That’s all behind you now. Does Bishop know he’s just your rebound man?”
“I haven’t said those words, but I don’t think that’s necessary. I know he’s not ready to settle down, nor does he want anything too serious.”
There was a long pause.
“Go ahead and say what’s on your mind, Asa. I can feel your negative thoughts, so you might as well voice them.”
“You know relationships that start out that way seldom work. Someone might get hurt and I don’t want it to be my sister.”
Dakota ran her fingers through her hair. Asa should have had this conversation with her weeks ago. It was already too late.
“I thought Bishop was helping you with the renovation?”
“He is. He’s coming over this afternoon to discuss the final plans so we can get started. Instead of focusing on the store, I’m worried about my hair and I’ve checked my lip gloss three times.”
“That’s good, right?”
“No, it’s all wrong. I think I like him more than I should, simply because I’m lonely. I might be coming off as desperate.”
“Wow. Can you put my sister Dakota on the phone? This must be an imposter.”
“Very funny. I can’t help myself, and I don’t like the way I’m behaving. I don’t want to be this girl.”
“Look, you’ve been through a lot. You can enjoy yourself. You’re allowed. Why don’t you come with me to New York? I’m doing a charity benefit next weekend. It can be like old times. We can shop and eat and hangout.”
“I won’t be any fun. You know I’ll try to drag you into all the vintage and eclectic shops, and you’ll try to coerce me into Barney’s and Saks.”
“We’ll compromise. For every time I pull you into a department store, you get to pull me into any store you choose. You can even pick all the restaurants.” Asa sounded excited by the prospects.
“Mmm…” Dakota hesitated. It had been ages since she’d hung out with her sister. The time away might help her sort out her life and get her priorities straight. Obviously, she had some issues. “You’ve got yourself a deal. When do we leave?”
Asa provided the details while she scribbled them down.
Dakota leaned back in the chair. Another pile of books awaited her attention. They seemed to multiply each night. The stories usually brought her so much joy, but not so much in the last week.
“Do you think I deserve a little romance?”
“Of course you do. If you think you stand a chance of happiness, grab hold with two hands and don’t let go. Don’t waste another minute.”
Dakota contemplated her sister’s words. Asa’s advice sounded easy enough. But the churning in her stomach reminded her that relationships were never that straightforward. There was always a gully just waiting to gobble her up, and this one’s name was Bishop.
“For sure Bishop is not that kind of man. He’s not the settling-down type. He’s the have–fun-now-and-run-buck-wild type.”
“Since when have you wanted a man like that?” Asa asked.
“I wasted a year of my life. I’m making up for lost time.” Dakota pulled her hair away from her face.
“I hope you know what you’re doing. That doesn’t sound like you.”
“Have you heard from Melissa?” Dakota didn’t want to hear her sister’s counsel. The damage had already been done. This time she couldn’t point the finger of blame at anyone but herself.
“Yes. She’s coming for the opening of the community center. I’m surprised she can get away.”
“There’s more to her visit than she’s letting on. But you know Melissa. She’ll tell us about it visit when she wants us to know. Look, I better go. Bishop will be here soon and I need to check my lip gloss again.”
Asa laughed before hanging up the phone.
Dakota organized the books and placed them on the shelf by category before running into the bathroom and checking her lips. After a quick glance at her teeth, she walked to the front of the store.
“She bought a book,” Jennifer called from behind the register.
“Our first sale of the day and it’s what, two in the afternoon?” Dakota glanced at the clock. “We won’t get rich that way, will we?”
“I didn’t take this job as a road to wealth.” Jennifer glanced at the door. “Here comes that guy again. The one you’ve been waiting on all morning.”
Bishop opened the door. His eyes went immediately to her sheer white shirt. His face lit up just a bit. Having his attention made her tingle. At least for now, that was enough. She tried to rein in the emotion before it overwhelmed her. Bishop was a playboy. Charm dripped too easily from his tongue to be sincere. Loneliness made her vulnerable, but jumping into the wrong relationship was just as bad.
She couldn’t meet his eyes. The sooner she faced reality, the sooner she could get on with her life.
“Hey, Bishop. Come back to my office so we can go over the plans.” She waved for him to follow.
She hurried behind the desk. Having the large block of wood between them gave her protection. He circled the workspace. With one hand, he cupped her waist to pull her close. The first kiss was quick, just brushing her lips. The second was slow, warm, and soft.
She pressed her palm against his chest, afraid of giving in to all the emotions. The thick muscles under his shirt felt tight. She wanted to peel back the fabric and see his magnificent body.
Dakota pulled away. “We’d better take a look at your ideas or I’ll never get this place done.”
His eyebrow shot up. “Okay.” There was a question in his voice. “Do you want to talk about the other night?”
“No.” There was no way to put into words the battle raging inside her, rehashing the events of the other night wouldn’t provide any answers.
He opened his tablet without taking his eyes off her. His finger scrolled across several pages before landing on somethin
g she recognized.
He used an index finger to show how he would move shelves around and how he’d push walls back. A large window popped up on what used to be a solid wall.
“That’s fantastic. I love these sketches.” Dakota held her hands together. Any one of his designs had to improve business in the store.
“You have to pick one, Dakota.” His tone was patient.
“You’re an expert, which would you recommend?”
He flipped the page back to the first design. “This one. This design will improve the flow of the store and opens up the space. These sitting areas will make customers want to stay and read. Plus, the renovation will only take five weeks.”
Instead of looking at his iPad, she focused on him. The tone of his voice changed from charming to business. She nodded.
“You’re right. I like that one too.” She clapped her hands. “Let’s do it. How soon can we get started?”
He laughed. “It’ll take a little time for me to get the drawing completed, find the right contractors, and get the permits. But I’ll go as fast as I can. Especially if you’ll go on another date with me.”
“Whoa, that sounds like blackmail.” Her heart raced. She wanted to go out with him even though she knew she shouldn’t.
“It is. That’s just to let you know I’m not beyond doing what I have to in order to get what I want.” He pulled her into his arms. His tongue claimed her mouth like no one ever had.
Fine beads of perspiration crawled across her back. The answer to his dating question was no. The word was right there waiting for her to say. Just not today.
§§§
Dakota only took a half moment to accept his kiss, which meant the incident with Sharon had blown over. But any hesitation on her part was like a large neon warning sign. Relationships were complicated. Which explained why his father argued against them.
But the time had come to forget all the preliminary dating steps where he was expected to be only half interested in her and move to the stage where they both accepted the chemistry between them without fighting.
If Adanna could see him chasing after this natural beauty, she’d be surprised. He pulled Dakota tighter, happy to have her in his arms and to smell her fresh scent. Thoughts of getting her out of her jeans and the signature skinny top multiplied in his head. She looked like spring even though the day was overcast, cold, and the trees only had a few stubborn leaves that refused to fall.
“The work will start next week. I’ve got to take a short trip, but I’ll check on the progress while I’m away.”
“Where are you heading?”
“New York. I’ve got to take a look at the set for your sister’s fashion show. I won’t be gone long.”
The color drained from her face. “Asa never mentioned you were going, too.”
Too? Are you joining us?”
“She asked me this morning.” Dakota fidgeted with the tablet, running her fingers across it, trying to move the pages without success.
“Don’t worry. I won’t crash your weekend with your sister. I’m going to inspect the set design to make sure everything is safe and meets her expectations. Then I’m out.” Her left eye twitched.
“Is something wrong, Dakota? What’s going on? You’re acting like you don’t want me to be there.”
“It’s not that,” she paused. “Look, Bishop, I have to be honest with you. I’m the kind of person who wants to put down roots and hang around for a long time, even when I probably shouldn’t. You’re city and I’m country. You’re music and I’m books. You’re fast paced and I’m so slow I’m behind molasses. I said I was going to try something different and I did. But this kind of lifestyle is not for me.”
To get a better look at her eyes, he lifted her chin with his index finger. “I don’t know what that means. You like to have fun don’t you? I thought we had a great time the other night.”
“We did. We do. But…but—”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Her lithe body folded against him, radiating warmth through his suit jacket. After a moment she wrapped her arms around his waist, but her tongue was slow to respond.
But he had no intentions of letting her push him away. Marriage or even forever wasn’t on his agenda, but neither was letting her get away. Not yet. He was still trying to figure out what he wanted. What he needed. And right now he needed time. Women who played hard to get were a novelty. But he was used to getting his way. And he wanted her.
She pulled away from him. The wild-eyed look she gave him told him he needed to slow down. This was going faster than she wanted, too.
“Why did you stop kissing me?” he asked.
Her tongue ran along her bottom lip. The gesture only made it harder to keep a distance between them.
“I’m coming off the heels of a break-up and I’m probably not thinking clearly right now. I’m not being fair to either of us.”
“Since we’ve been seeing each other, Brian has been lurking in the corner of your mind I’m here right now. Maybe you and Brian weren’t meant to be together.” His tone was harsher than he intended, but the sadness that Brian had caused her was hard to accept. She deserved better. “Why do you think you did something wrong? Not every relationship ends in marriage.” He placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Yeah, my head gets that, but my heart doesn’t.”
“Did you love him? Brian?” He steeled himself for the answer.
“No. I know you and I could date for a while and have wild sex, but I’m not a serial dater. I’m looking for longevity.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know if I understand that. But I’ll make you a promise. I’ll be honest with you. You’ll know where I stand at all times. I enjoy being with you. I’d like to see where we can take this.”
“This isn’t an amusement ride. I just told you I put my heart in a relationship and I only want to do that if I think there is a possibility for us to go somewhere.”
“Are you sure this has nothing to do with Sharon?”
“Maybe a little.”
“It shouldn’t. Sharon’s a kook. You and I are going somewhere, if you give us a chance.” He paused.
For a long moment she searched his face without saying anything, as if she had to decipher the comment.
She spread her fingers and ran them through her curls. The simple gesture seemed to relax her. The line of tension along her forehead disappeared.
“Well?” He pressed her against the counter. With his knee between her legs, he kissed her again.
“Give me a little time.”
“Do you like me, Dakota?” He held the back of her neck and wrapped her silky tresses around his fingers.
“Very much.” She leaned her head back, making her lips available.
“That’s what I want to hear.”
Chapter Fourteen
Dakota packed the last things in her overnight bag. She’d ignored Bishop’s calls for the balance of the week, blaming the bookstore renovation and preparing to be away for several days, but she really needed the space. The battle between her head and heart raged on and she still hadn’t chosen the winner. Maybe by now some other woman had crossed his path and he was ready to move on. Her insecurity would send any man running in the opposite direction.
Her stomach knotted with guilt for being such a coward, but she couldn’t see a Dakota that would let him go, no matter how much sense it made.
She let his calls go to the recorder, then she retrieved his messages. Listening to the sound of his deep voice only made her miss him more. She couldn’t pretend she wasn’t falling in love with him.
Every time the door to the bookstore opened, she looked up, hoping he’d found a reason to drop by and see her. The old notion that he should pursue and claim her like a lost item wouldn’t go away.
The cocoon she’d built around her life was her safety net. Right now nothing was going to break through, not even the suave and debonair Bishop Contee. All she had to do was get thro
ugh the weekend in New York with him hanging on the fringes. Asa would be her excuse if her resolve weakened—she wouldn’t leave her sister stranded.
From the double window in her living room, she watched the limousine pull up in front of the townhouse. This trip was supposed to be fun, but she felt herself slipping backwards, like before, hardly daring to enjoy life.
As the driver loaded her bag into the trunk, she climbed in the back-seat. Asa was in the far corner with the mobile phone pushed to her ear, giving instructions on a design. While waiting for Asa to end her call, Dakota ticked off her checklist in her head. All book orders had been placed and Jennifer was in charge of the store, even though she’d frowned when Dakota gave her the list of responsibilities. But Jennifer frowned a lot lately, most often when Bishop was in the store.
In three short weeks, Bishop had shaken her life loose from its moorings. As much as she wanted to ignore him, he popped into her head at the most unexpected times. While eating breakfast, or stacking books, obscene dreams of him fueled a desire in her that simmered liked hot coals. He touched her skin with the knowledge of a lifelong lover. Her body responded to him on sight, like an out-of-control child.
Brian and Bishop were as different as David and Goliath. Brian wanted to take on the challenges of the world. Bishop seemed content to take her on. His soft, easy manner had lured her into his arms without much protest. As much as she liked Bishop, something said to keep him away from her heart. The man was a womanizer. She saw the way women looked at him, like he was a feast for the eyes.
Asa ended her call and squealed. “Sorry about that. There’s a problem with some of the fabric I ordered.” She leaned over and gave Dakota a squeeze. “I’m so glad you agreed to come with me.”
“I didn’t know we were being chauffeured to New York. This is nice.”
“I figured you needed a treat.”
Dakota pressed her hand into the soft leather seat. “I could get used to this kind of treatment.”
“Well don’t. We might catch the train home. It depends how well the show goes.”
“You’re always so modest.” Dakota grabbed her sister’s arm. “You’ve arrived. I’m surprised you’re still resisting it.”