“Whether this is just about sex. Let’s test it and take a page from Tori’s book . Let’s spend time getting to know each other again.”
“You mean, we can’t make love for a whole damn year?” she shrieked, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m definitely not saying that.”
“Well, that’s great, because that’s what got you in trouble in the first place.”
“No, what got me in trouble was trying to turn a friend into a housewife.”
Alicia pondered that a few moments before saying, “So now you’re trying to turn a one-night-stand into a relationship.”
“It wasn’t a one-night stand,” he protested. “We were together an evening, a night and a day. In total it was ninety-two days, sixteen hours, and twenty-two minutes. I’d call it a Three-peat.”
They laughed together, but then, Dallas became serious once again. “Let’s take some time and focus on the relationship aspect of this. I want to earn your trust, your respect.”
She pressed a kiss to his lips. “You already have my respect. Please believe that.”
“Well, I guess one out of two isn’t bad.”
She cupped his face in her hands. “I don’t think we know each other well enough to completely trust each other yet,” she said. “But as far as respect, when I left, I kept tabs on you. Well, at least I did up until a year ago,” she said. “I loved your interviews, I loved how you’ve lived up to every single claim that you’ve made. You’ve walked your talk and that alone is admirable. You have my respect.”
“But your trust.”
“Let’s give that time,” she said.
He nodded and then held her in his arms. As she snuggled into his embrace, Alicia thought about how for the past year, no matter where she went, one thing remained constant—how much she missed him. Everything: the deep timbre of his voice, his smile and laughter. The way he felt when he held her. The way he listened to her. The way he loved her.
Not to mention that toe-curling, panty-ripping fantasies about him always left her wanting more. But then, good sense would kick in and shut things down.
Women like her were not supposed to have those type of experiences. Men like Dallas chose the young and beautiful—women who looked good on the arm. Women who were loved by the camera. Women like Tori.
But though she believed that, sometimes, she allowed herself to dream. She’d close her eyes and imagine that he was in the room with her.
She rolled herself away from him. “Dallas, I can be honest with you about anything, right?”
“Definitely,” he said, through half-closed lids.
She took a deep breath. “This relationship right here,” she gestured to him, then to her. “I’m scared as hell.”
“Why?”
“The age thing … are you into some mother complex or something like that?”
For a moment his expression darkened. “You’ll be everything to me,” he replied. “My friend, my lover, my sister, my mother—not because I’m trying to replace my mother’s influence in my life—but it’s about being everything a woman can be to a man. It’s because I want an irreplaceable woman by side. You are that woman.”
Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over.
Dallas sat up, resting on his elbows as he wiped away her tears. “As long as we talk about things. As long as we’re open, we can work through anything.” Dallas pulled her back into his arms. “Give it a chance, Alicia. Don’t run away before you see how good things can be. It’s time for you to have a little slice of happiness.” She could swear his voice broke a little when he added, “Don’t leave me before we get to the good parts of love.”
She nestled her body to his. Dallas was right. She’d damn near lost her husband behind trying to help Tori. She’d made sure everyone was happy—even if it was at her own expense. She was forty-five and it was time that she put herself first. Besides, this had all been Tori’s idea.
“I want that, Dallas.”
“And I want to give it to you,” he said, squeezing her tighter.
Alicia pushed aside the negative thoughts. Hopefully, they could emerge from this arrangement with Tori relatively unscathed, but Alicia’s focus was now on her own happiness. And the man lying next to her, who no doubt could provide exactly the type of happiness that could last a lifetime.
Chapter 20
Saturday, November 24—8:04 A.M.
Alicia was at the stove finishing up the last of breakfast when Dallas came up behind her and planted a kiss on her neck.
“Mmmmm, this feels good,” he said over her shoulder, while pressing himself against her buttocks, causing her to laugh. “So, what’re you going to eat?”
Alicia favored him a startled glance. “Are you serious?”
Dallas slid the platter from her hands and winked. “Yep. This right here … is like appetizers in this camp. Me and good food have always been great friends.”
He pulled up to the kitchen table, said a quick grace, then started making headway on the meal. The food on the platter was enough to feed six people, and he planned to put all that away as though it was the last meal he would ever see.
“Dallas, you can’t possibly eat all of that!”
“Watch me,” he replied around a mouthful of waffles, then moaned when he took another bite. “Did you put vanilla in here? Man, that’s good!”
Alicia shook her head and turned back to the stove, aiming to have something ready for Tori before she went off to the hospital.
She yawned and looked at the clock on the stove and realized that a nap was definitely on tap the moment these two were out the door. She barely got any sleep last night, but she still wandered into the kitchen about an hour ago to hopefully get Dallas and Tori’s day off to a good start.
“Good morning.”
Tori’s voice made both Alicia and Dallas turn her way. “Good morning,” they replied in unison.
She took a seat across from Dallas and raised an eyebrow at the platter on his side of the table and the empty plate on hers.
Alicia moved forward, snagged a waffle and slid it onto Tori’s plate, then lifted the pancake at the top of his stack.
“Hey,” he protested, trying to stab a fork in the food to keep it from making an exit stage left.
She managed to slide three whole ones, along with a few pieces of bacon, and a scoop of eggs. “You’ll have to wait for part two,” Alicia said, nodding toward the items cooking in the skillet. “Tori needs to eat, too.”
“Then Tori should’ve been down at breakfast on time.” Dallas gave her a wide smile that caused Tori‘s frown to deepen.
“Yeah, making out like a short-order cook will be easy to manage since she won’t have anything else to do,” Tori taunted, as she began to tackle her food.
“Oh, she’ll have plenty to do.” Dallas said, his fork pausing a few inches from his lips. “Art class, Salsa dancing, cooking class.” He finished another bite and said, “Trust me, she won’t just be here twiddling her thumbs, waiting for us to come home. She’ll have a life, just like we have one.”
Alicia turned away from the stove. Leave it to Dallas to make sure her days were occupied. “No wonder you asked all of those questions. You didn’t even let me get any sleep last night!”
Dallas finished taking a sip of orange juice and grinned.
“Oh God,” Tori said on a sigh. “That’s way too much information. I don’t ever want to see you all …” Tori hedged, then shuddered before completing her thought.
“You won’t have to,” he said, putting his attention back to his breakfast. “We’re going to hold off on sex for a hot minute.”
Tori frowned. “But I thought that was the whole purpose for this. That you all,” she crooked her fingers as quotes, “couldn’t do without it.”
Dallas’ gaze was intense as he told her, “There are some things a man can do without, and there are other things that he shouldn’t do without.”
“Like what?” sh
e challenged.
“A woman’s touch. A woman’s feel. A woman’s scent. A woman’s … presence.”
In just those four sentences Alicia understood more about Dallas than he told her in their nine-hour conversation last night that didn’t end until just after dawn. He had everything at his disposal, but the thing he longed for most was a woman who sincerely appreciated him and showed him how much she loved him. And for her, that would be no problem. Dallas made her feel “there,” like she mattered. And that was something her husband never managed in all those years. Alicia was more of a conquest to Patrick; something that hid the fact that he was an “underperformer” in several areas of his life. Between Patrick and what she experienced at the hands of some of her male relatives, Alicia had soured on men to the point that she had shut down.
Even the fact that Dallas was already considering her needs—just from things he had gleaned from their conversation last night showed that he understood what it took to please her in something other than the bedroom. Engaging her interests, seeing to her well-being, taking her needs into consideration would make any woman want to see to his needs all the more.
“Wait a minute,” Tori said between bites. “If she’s going to be doing all that, that means she’s going to be out and about. She can’t be with you in public.” Tori’s tone matched her alarmed expression.
“She’s not a child, Tori,” Dallas replied with an intense look in her direction. “I’m not hiding Alicia away like I’m ashamed of her. An open relationship, and open Marriage means open. The sooner you get used to it, the less likely it’s going to be a problem.” He gestured to her plate. “Are you going to finish that?”
She shoved her meal in his direction and frowned at him. Then, she glared at Alicia who swiped Tori’s half-eaten plate for a fresh batch of food for him.
“Well, at least while she’s here she can help with my wedding,” Tori said, giving her aunt a smile that didn’t quite make it to her soft brown eyes.
Alicia slid the plate on the counter, recognizing Tori’s request for the move it was—keep your friends close and foes even closer. This was just another way for Tori to rub it in that Alicia was only temporary. At least, in her mind.
“No, you’ll have to fix that mess on your own,” Dallas said. “I lowered the limit on your American Express card this morning. Substantially.”
Tori gasped and backed away from the table. “You didn’t! But my—”
“You want a higher limit?” he said with a grin. “Then you’ll need to adjust some things on your end.” He lifted his fork as though directing some unseen orchestra. “I see some refunds in your future.”
“Dallas, why are you being so damn cheap?” Tori asked, backing up until her buttocks were pressed against the counter.
“Cheap?” He placed the fork on his plate and pushed back from the table. “Tori, let me tell you something—” his gaze flickered toward Alicia who gestured for him to remain calm. “I don’t want for much,” he continued, lowering back down in the chair. “But I don’t just buy up stuff just to say I have it either. Our cars? Gifts from GM. My clothes and shoes? Mostly from endorsement deals. Jewelry? Not too much. Why? Because a smart man doesn’t blow it all on something that people can walk off with. He invests it in people, in businesses, and—”
“Experiences,” Alicia filled in and he shifted his gaze to her. “And creating a legacy.”
“Experiences and things that create a legacy,” he agreed, smiling at Alicia who had given him that advice when they first met.
She began to clear away the dishes as she said, “Which means, you have been investing your money so that you’ll have passive business income and partnering with people so you have multiple streams of income. Your money is making money while you’re sleeping.”
Tori sighed her impatience. “Well, thank you E-Trade for the finance lesson, but—”
“And that’s my issue, Tori,” he snapped, turning his attention her way. “You’re spending money without any understanding or consideration for what it takes to make it.” His gaze swept the white lab coat hanging on the back of the chair. “If you ask any of the doctors at your hospital, they’ll tell you that they have an investment portfolio—the money you’ll make at the hospital is limited, but investments are unlimited. You need to know that for your own good.”
Tori trained her gaze on her plate, a vein was thrumming at the base of her throat. Dallas reached for her hand, but she stiffened and he pulled back.
“And I want you get something clear in your head,” he said, and this time his tone was softer. “Basketball isn’t just a sport, it’s a business. And I don’t know how long I’ll be able to play. I’ll want to get out while my body’s still able to hold up. So, I’ll need a wife who’ll understand this and will appreciate money, or I’ll be just like some of those other players who don’t have anything to show for all their hard work.”
Tori and Dallas stayed locked in a battle glare so long that Alicia cleared her throat and said, “Soooo, because you all have such crazy busy lives, my contribution to the household is that I’ll maintain the house—”
“And my schedule?” Dallas asked, tearing his gaze away from Tori. “I really, really need your help with that. Please?”
“And your schedule,” she amended and relished his sigh of relief.
“And mine, too,” Tori added, then quickly rattled off an inventory of things related to how she and the maids kept things at their condo.
“She’s not going to replace the maid or the housekeeper,” Dallas said angrily.
“No worries,” Alicia said, giving Tori a knowing smile. “I’m beginning to think you need a wife more than you ever needed a husband.”
Tori’s eyes shot daggers in her direction.
Dallas chuckled as he polished off the rest of what was on his plate. “You know, my mother said that all the time.”
“What?” Alicia asked.
“Every woman needs a wife.”
Alicia turned back to the stove, chuckling as she said, “Well, let the church say Amen.”
Chapter 21
Saturday, December 1—10:01 a.m.
They fell into a comfortable routine that always left Alicia smiling. Sometimes, Dallas would write poetry and leave it on her pillow so the first thing she would know when she woke up was that he would be thinking of her all day. At night, he would lie on her bed stretched out beside her, reading from a novel until her eyelids fluttered and she fell asleep.
True to his word, he made sure that her days were filled with the things she loved to do, and he enrolled her in an art class to encourage her love for creating beautiful oil paintings. A week after she started, he found a “creative” way to join her, without it being obvious they were a “couple.” Dallas hid behind a huge black screen as the bushy-haired art teacher said, “We have a special guest today. You might recognize him, and then again, dressed the way he is right now, you might not.”
Dallas stepped out with only a towel covering the Family Jewels and moseyed over to stand next to the art teacher, who gave him an appreciative once-over.
“Class, NBA Star Dallas Avery is our subject for today. Fresh off a win last night from the Mavericks, he’s joining us for the ultimate experience.”
A sudden hush came over the all-female class. That lasted all of ten seconds. When Dallas turned and walked to the designated spot on the chaise, it set tongues wagging. He heard everything from, “Nice ass,” to “Good Lord, I’d like to squeeze that Charmin.”
Alicia tried to keep a straight face, but the shock she felt came through, and the women talking about him made her blush.
He winked at her, and she gave him the “evil eye.” It had been a pleasant surprise to her when he’d driven her to school that morning. He’d promised to pick her up, so she didn’t expect to see him for two more hours.
But after her initial surprise, she focused, working hard on doing justice to the man that she loved.
; On their way home from the art studio that day, she was silent for a long while. He opened the car door and extended his hand to her. When she stood in front of him, she placed her hand over his prized package and said, “Next time, drop the towel, sweetheart,” and walked into the condo without giving him a backward glance.
Dallas roared with laughter. But then, the next day when she brought the painting of him home, he’d been mesmerized and proud. Alicia had created a piece so life-like and beautiful, he had it framed and hung on her bedroom wall where she would see it the moment she opened her eyes.
They were beginning to build their life together.
* * *
Dallas had a world class chef come to the condo to give him a private cooking class. The chef tried to teach Dallas how to prepare a few of Alicia’s favorite foods. Watching Dallas fumble his way around the kitchen had brought peals of laughter from Alicia, which warmed his heart.
After two hours of torture—where he messed up on simple things like teaspoons and tablespoons; sautéing and simmering, she held her sides, still laughing as she said, “All right Dallas, you’ve made your point.”
Dallas excused the chef, and the moment he cleared the room, Dallas ran over to Alicia and planted a wheat flour laced kiss on her cheek. “I don’t have to cook. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”
Then he looked at his watch. “Great. We have time for a real meal. Your wine-tasting class starts in a few hours.”
“Wine tasting?” she asked. “I didn’t mention anything about wanting to be a wine connoisseur.”
“I’m hoping it’ll help you find an appreciation for something a lot less potent than that swill that’s strong enough to put hairs on the glass,” he said. “I felt like a punk trying to drink that crap in the bar.”
“Oh, so we’re not a grown up,” she teased, planting a hand on his massive chest.
Dallas caught both of her hands in his. “I’m grown enough, woman, don’t play.”
She gave him a sultry look and said, “Show, don’t tell, honey.”
Open Door Marriage Page 13