The door opened and a woman with long, wavy brown hair stood in the doorway. She was petite and thin and as her eyes darted around, Lina got the impression that she was very shy or reserved. “Excuse me? Hi. I’m Sophia. I was looking for my fiancé, Michael. Has he been here?” Lina had met with Michael earlier in the day. He was actually the one that had her consider Colorado when she fled Phoenix. Thanks, Michael.
“I’m Lina. A new hire. It’s nice to meet you. I saw Michael this morning but haven’t seen him lately.”
Sophia waved a hand. “Oh well. He’ll show up soon.” Sophia sat in the empty chair next to Lina’s desk and threw her head back. “I’m exhausted. Do you mind if I just sit with you for a while? I’m trying to plan our wedding as well as create a few art courses for this place when it’s ready. That isn’t to mention the volunteering I do for the Art Foundation. I start new classes in a week. It doesn’t end. What will we do when we have kids?”
“What new classes are you starting?” Lina asked. She liked this woman. Sophia was very pretty and clearly laid back. Lina liked how Sophia got right down to the gist of things. Lina liked how she made herself at home inside the trailer as if it were here forever.
“Nursing. I’m going to school to be a nurse. I’m almost done. When I’m finished, I don’t know where I’m going to work, but for now, Cole wants me to work with you side by side as a non-profit liaison to gather more support from various agencies. He wants me to start making lists and a bunch of other things he asked about a week ago. Which is why I’m here now.”
“He mentioned you’d be stopping by. It will be nice to have someone to work with.”
Sophia leaned forward. “Full disclosure. I know everything about you and Dylan. Well, not everything. But I know you were the one he’s been stuck in Estes with. I’m very impressed with you. None of us ever thought there’d be a woman that could steal his heart.”
Lina’s eyes widened. “You know Dylan? Did he tell you all this?” Lina asked. The idea of Dylan talking about her to other people made her heart do a weird flip inside her chest.
“Are you kidding? No. Let me give you a run down,” Sophia said, before launching into how she’d met Michael, how he and his five friends had started The Francesca Project, and how all of those friends were fire in your belly, toe-curling hot. “But Dylan, he’d sworn off women, according to Michael, for years. Never gets serious with anyone, until you. Then there’s Justin who runs The Hollinsworth Hotels and Zander is an architect, but really is famous for the architectural design app he created.”
Lina laughed and nodded. She hadn’t met Zander or Justin—she’d only seen the picture of Zander in the paper she tore out of the magazine that was currently folded up in her purse—so she could agree with Sophia about all of them except Justin. What were the odds that these people knew Dylan? Her chest ached, reminding her that she was done with Dylan and she was clearly never anything more serious to him than a fun time. “Well, you have one thing wrong. Dylan isn’t into me that way. It was all just a bad judgment call for the time we were together.”
Sophia raised her eyebrow. “You sure about that?
Before Lina could answer, Michael and Cole came into the trailer slash office, and Sophia and Lina weren’t able to finish their girl talk. After that conversation, the day went by fast. She wasn’t working a full forty-hour work week yet and she was grateful for the early days off that she got to explore Denver.
She’d even joined the gym by her house. Baby steps was what she’d told herself. She had enjoyed working out with Dylan and had already felt like she’d come so far. She thought it was prudent to just keep working out with or without him.
Which was why she was currently lying horizontal on bench press equipment, using only the bar to practice. Dylan had repeatedly drilled it into her about good form, so she was really trying her best to practice what he’d said. Even though she was mad at him.
“Here let me help you with that.” A young man came into Lina’s view. He was younger than Dylan, and why did she have to compare that first thing? He grabbed the wobbly bar and steadied it for her.
“It’s okay, I can manage.”
“No doubt you can manage, but I’m happy to assist.” He smiled, showing off his straight teeth. His hair was lighter than Dylan’s, not the deep chestnut color that she’d loved running her hands through.
She set the bar back onto the rack, the metal against metal clinging loudly. She sat up and moved her legs to one side of the bench. “No really. There’s no weights. I’m new. I’d rather not have an audience while I learn.”
The guy cracked a smile. He wasn’t bad looking. Actually, if Lina could block the image of Dylan’s charming smile from her mind for five minutes, gym guy was actually cute. Not in the ruggedly, manly way Dylan was, but not bad either. Like a young Leonardo DiCaprio.
“I mean this as a compliment so don’t take it the wrong way, but you’re gorgeous. You captured an audience the second you walked into the gym.”
Lina glanced around. There were about fifteen guys in the weight lifting area. None of whom she’d paid any attention to upon arrival. But now, all of them stuck out like a sore thumb. Some of them met her eye as she looked around and some glanced away. Lina looked at Gym Guy.
“That’s nice. But really I’m fine.”
Then as if by some weird, ugly twist of fate, she saw Dylan walking toward her with a scowl on his face. What the fuck was he doing here? Her heart did equal parts joy at seeing him looking healthy and…err, not real happy. Instantly her guard went up.
“I can take it from here, Jared.” Dylan stared at Gym Guy looking all alpha and giving off a you-know-what’s-best-for-you-vibe. Lina put a hand on her hip.
Jared looked between Lina and Dylan. “You know Dylan?”
Lina could feel the heat along her cheeks. Dylan’s scowl was gone but his eyes that she’d tried so hard to stop interrupting her dreams, stared back at her, unreadable. “No,” she said. “I don’t know him.”
Dylan didn’t even so much as blink. “Yes, she does.”
She could feel her foot thumping. Her chest heaved with anger. She no longer heard the metal against metal in the gym as everyone else became a blur. Even…err, Gym Guy. Damn it. With Dylan’s green eyes boring into hers, she couldn’t even remember the poor guy’s name who was only trying to help her. She didn’t even notice when he walked away. Stop looking at Dylan! The more she looked, well, the more she liked.
“Look what you did. That poor boy was only trying to help me.”
“You didn’t even notice he left,” Dylan said.
She stepped closer. “That doesn’t matter. We were having a nice conversation. That was none of your business.”
“What happens in my gym is my business.” He folded his arms over his chest showing off his muscles, reminding her of how they felt all snug around her like she was Almond Joy and he was the wrapper.
“Hmph. So you own this place? I didn’t see that you owned it or I wouldn’t have signed up. Is this like how Coca-Cola owns Dasani? Or like how Nestle owns Maybelline?” She shook her head. “And all this time I just thought you liked Dirty Gains.” She picked up her towel and walked to the corner of the room where she pressed the button for the elevator to take her down to the women’s locker room. Mostly because she didn’t want to look at him, and she was sure he wouldn’t follow.
The doors swooshed open.
She walked in and turned, quickly trying to find the button that would close the doors. He stood on the other side looking all broody and mad. Good. Served him right. He was the one that screwed up. Not her.
And she was asking for a refund on her gym membership. Because she had specifically signed up at this gym, knowing Dylan hadn’t owned it. What the hell happened with that? Did he buy it overnight?
Just as the doors began to close, his arm slid out and the doors pushed off, sliding back open. He stepped into the carriage.
She hated the thrill that sho
t through her from his actions.
“You didn’t think I was going to let you walk away again, did you?”
Lina folded her arms across her chest, not liking how close they were in the elevator. He smelled good. Not like the good she was used to from Pine Lake. This was a different kind of good. Cologne. He smelled…she inhaled a deep breath…manly. Yummy. She wanted to inhale that smell close against her as she swept her tongue against his neck.
“It’s Gio something. White bottle.”
“What?” The elevator dinged open, and before she could get off, he hit the button again. This time taking them past the gym floor. “That was my stop.”
“No. We need to talk.”
“About what? You pretending you were someone you weren’t?” she said, looking anywhere but at him.
“No,” he said. “I wasn’t pretending.” He said angrily, and Lina couldn’t understand why he was the one that was so angry. It was her that he’d lied to. She’d been open and honest the time they’d spent together. She’d been herself. Hell, she’d sprouted from boring, workaholic Lina to a pink wildflower blowing in the breeze!
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened into a large office. The first thing she noticed was the view. The entire wall opposite of the elevator was a bank of windows and the Rocky Mountains could be seen in all their wondrous glory. Clearly this was a gym he had owned for some time to have such nice office digs.
She couldn’t help but be awed by the view. “Wow.”
She could feel his body heat behind her. So close. Not touching her. Just enticingly close. “It’s magnificent, right?” She could feel the heat from his breath against her hair.
She stepped away and turned toward him, clearing her mind of the mountains and all the heartache they brought her.
“Don’t try making me forget. I’m mad at you.” She gave him her best glare.
“You have every right to be angry. But will you please hear me out? Please.”
Just as she was about to open her mouth and let him have it, he interrupted.
“The doctor said to take it easy on the stress. You don’t want to get me wound up, do you?” He gave her that lopsided smile of his. She quickly averted her gaze. She missed his smile. His mouth. The feel of his beard. She missed everything about him. And he had her there. She definitely didn’t want to go through what they’d already experienced. Watching him fall the way he had and the ambulance—it was too much. She didn’t need to experience that again.
“That’s a cheap shot.”
“Is it working?”
“Yes.”
He placed his hand along her back and led her to an alcove that she hadn’t noticed before which was situated along the bay of windows. Instead of sitting though, she leaned against the windows.
“Talk. I’m giving you five minutes.”
“Ten.”
She glanced at her watch. “Now four.”
Dylan released a deep breath. Could he get out what he wanted to say in four minutes? How long did it take to confess your love to someone who was so mad at you they didn’t even want to look at you? He was prompted to speak when she tapped her watch face in tempo with her foot.
“You know how there is a stigma about famous people like actors and actresses about not being able to have real lives?”
Lina looked highly annoyed. Maybe he was addressing this the wrong way.
“Yes, that’s because they chose a career that puts them in the spotlight. What did they expect would happen?” she sassed.
He swallowed. Alright, it was going to be tough to win her over. He reached out and grabbed her hand, enveloping it into his.
She glanced at their joined hands. He lightly stroked the top of her hand. She pulled away.
“If I would have arrived at Pine Lake being Dylan Truex, you wouldn’t have been the same. You wouldn’t have been sassy and treated me the way you did. You definitely wouldn’t have fed me Lucky Charms.”
“I would have been the same me, no matter what. You lied to me.”
“It was a lie by omission.” When she reared her shoulders back like a bull ready to charge, he amended himself. “Okay. It was a lie. But I did it because I was tired of being this Dylan Truex. The guy in my gym. The guy on television. The guy everyone expects me to be all the time. When I showed up at the condo, I had already talked myself out of leaving that part off the mountain. I needed a break. You out of all people should understand that.”
Dylan walked away from her. This was harder than he thought it was. Was she really counting down the minutes? With his back to her, he spoke again. “I knew it was wrong and I knew I should have said something to you. When I knew I wanted you outside of Pine Lake and that you were taking a job at The Francesca Project, I knew I needed to come clean. But then this happened, and you found out sooner.”
“You scared me,” Lina said in a small voice.
He turned to her, loving the way she sounded. Like she cared about him. All wasn’t lost yet even if she pretended it was. “I was scared. I hated that I didn’t get to see you. That you left.” Now his voice was low, hurt.
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Me too. My heart is okay physically, but emotionally…it’s not okay. Tell me you understand why I didn’t tell you? Can you honestly say that you wouldn’t have tried harder at looking your best if you’d have known who I was? Or wouldn’t have fed me Lucky Charms? You didn’t even shower for like two days! If you’d have known that I was some fitness guru, would you have still done that?”
He caught the resignation in Lina’s eyes. She shook her head, and he knew it must be killing her to accept the fact that he was right. “I would have still treated you like the cocky son of a bitch you were when you first showed up though.”
He grinned. “You thought that?”
“Yeah. You are.”
“I can’t help I look this good.”
She fought a smile that warmed his insides. “It wasn’t real to you. It was just a game. A break.” She put a hand on her hip.
God, he’d missed that little move of hers. He stepped close to her, in her space. Her freckles looked brighter this close, and he wondered if that was the sun she was getting down here. Not the blizzard weather in Estes Park.
“You know as well as I do that every dirty touch, every look, everything was real. Are you seriously going to voice doubt over that right now? Do you want me to prove you wrong?”
Lina’s eyes darted away from his quickly and then back. “It was the altitude.”
He claimed her sassy mouth in less than a second. She was hot and receptive, giving and taking like she always did. He could fuck her right here. Right against the glass staring at Longs Peak. He pressed his hard body against her. It would only be fitting.
Then her hands came to his chest where she fisted a handful of his shirt prolonging their kiss before pushing him away. What?
“I don’t forgive and forget that easily. Nice try.” She licked her lips. Her eyes though, they disagreed. They looked like they were ready to forgive and forget.
He combed a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. It was real to me. It was the most real thing I’ve ever experienced. Give me another chance to show you that I’m sincere. You’re the first woman that I’ve…” Dylan stopped, unsure of what to say as she narrowed her eyes. On second thought, if she wasn’t going to forgive him, what would it matter? It was easiest to keep his heart tucked in safe and not voice everything he was feeling.
“What?” she asked.
He changed direction. He just couldn’t do it. He thought he could, but he couldn’t. Somehow all of this was beyond the scope of what he could voice. It was harder than he thought.
He shook his head. “Nothing. Do you think we could start over? I lied because I wanted to be around a real person. Not someone who was fake. Not someone who was acting a certain way because they think that’s what I want.”
Lina shrugged. “Alright. I forgive you. Your time is u
p. I have to go.”
She was at his elevator quicker than his brain could catch up. He caught her arm before she pressed the button.
“Where are you going?”
“Home,” she said.
“To Arizona?” His heart felt like it was being squeezed to death.
“No. Here. I live here now. Denver is my new home.”
“And that’s not how I meant that anyway. I meant why are you leaving?”
She folded her arms across her chest. Her eyes blazed with fury. The elevator dinged signaling its arrival. “I’m leaving because you’ve apparently said all you have to say.”
The doors opened, and she stepped on.
“I haven’t said everything.” His chest ached. His heart skipped beats. His palms got clammy.
Lina tilted her head. Her standard, oh yeah look, daring him to say what was on his mind.
The elevator doors started closing and that was the last look from Lina he registered. Her face practically screamed it. Chicken shit.
“I love you,” he said to his empty office space.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Dylan kept reminding himself to take it easy but that was easier said than done. He’d had a mild heart attack. Enough of an issue that he had a stint put in and now he carried around a small little bottle that oddly reminded him of hemlock. Nitroglycerin. In case he felt the symptoms of another attack.
His life had made a drastic change from what he’d been doing twelve days prior. Lina.
His chest ached, and he knew it wasn’t from the heart attack. Well, it was suffering a heart attack, but this one was ongoing. It felt worse than the one that had him in possession of his little hemlock bottle. This one felt like he wasn’t ever going to be able to recover.
Not without Lina.
He came out of that hospital with a whole new outlook on his life. He never got into relationships because he didn’t want to be let down. He didn’t want to love someone who repeatedly hurt him.
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