“Bye, Josh,” Zoe threw over her shoulder as Dana propelled them across the sand and back through the packed bar. “God, thank you,” Zoe hissed as they got in the car.
“I swear that dude is a real creeper.” Dana shuddered. “I don’t like the way he keeps popping up everywhere now. He’s like your stalker or something.”
Laughing, Zoe said, “We have a lot of people who come into the shop way more than he does. Plus, his best friend owns the resort, so it stands to reason he’d be around some.”
“The guy wants in your pants, sister,” Dana said bluntly. “And he’s not above trashing Dylan to do it.”
Zoe wrinkled her nose in disgust. “That’s gross. There’s no way that’s happening, even if I wasn’t with Dylan.”
“Just be careful around him. I’ve known guys like that before and he’s far from the harmless, good-time boy he tries to make himself out to be.”
Trying to look more confident than she felt, Zoe shrugged. “It’ll be fine.” She’d told Dana about him making her uncomfortable in her office and Dana had warned her not to underestimate him. She was beginning to see that the other woman might be right. She’d avoid Josh until things calmed down with the expansion, then she’d take her concerns to Dylan.
• • •
It was almost midnight when Dylan got to Zoe’s. He let himself in the door quietly, then promptly removed his coat and tie before unbuttoning his shirt. His body was beyond exhausted, but his mind was going a mile a minute as it often did after a long day. He stopped at the hallway closet and kicked his shoes off before going to the kitchen to get a bottle of water.
His life was always hectic, but this last month had been a whole different animal as the new construction moved from the planning to the execution stage. Despite his best intentions, there were still problems, delays, and a shitload of red tape to be dealt with on a daily basis. He had moments when he didn’t know how he was going to manage a project so big. The Oceanix Resorts in Florida were by far the most profitable, and his location did more business than all the others. Without Lisa working equally long hours, he’d probably have sunk long ago. But he knew that, at some point, changes would have to be made. When Lisa eventually decided to start a family, she couldn’t continue to pull the responsibility she was dealing with. Shit, just thinking about it made his head hurt.
All he wanted to do was go curl up with Zoe and enjoy some stolen moments with the woman he adored. Their time together lately had been far too short and he hated himself for letting her down so often. The fact that she was always so gracious about it almost made it worse. Hell, he’d have felt better if she’d cussed him out. No one liked or deserved to be neglected and he knew that’s what he was doing. Truthfully, he’d known all along that he didn’t have time for a relationship. Sex here and there, yeah, most men would find a way to make that happen. But she was so much more than that to him. Even Ash had been sympathetic when he’d mentioned it to him earlier. He’d been frustrated as hell over bailing on their plans yet again, and it had come pouring out after he’d snapped his brother’s head off a few times. “I know you don’t want to hear it, bro, but it’s the nature of the beast,” Ash had said. “I’m not saying it can’t work, because Seth has managed to do it. But you’re going to have to be willing to change the way you’ve always lived your life.”
“I thought I already had,” he’d joked weakly. “I’m in a real relationship for the first time in my adult life.”
“Yeah, you are. But are you prepared to do whatever it takes to keep it? Because if you’re not, then you should throw in the towel now before anyone gets hurt.”
He’d mulled those words over long after he’d ended the call with Ash. He didn’t have any answers or even suggestions at this point, knowing what the construction period at the resort would be like, but he knew that he needed to talk to Zoe. If for no other reason than to let her know he was aware he’d been a shitty boyfriend lately. Together he had to believe that they could come up with a way to make it work. He knew they’d promised to remain friends regardless, but he didn’t want to go back to that because when he’d made that agreement, he hadn’t understood how much he’d come to love having her in his arms at night. The feel of her breath on his chest and the steady thump of her heartbeat lulled him to sleep when nothing else in the world could.
Seventeen
Zoe rolled over, then smiled in sleepy contentment as she felt the warm weight at her back. Dylan had shown up after she’d gone to bed last night. She loved that he’d been doing that so often lately. She knew that he probably had to get up soon, but she didn’t go into the shop until noon today so there was time to enjoy her man.
She pulled out of his arms and grinned when he shifted onto his back, tossing an arm over his head. The sheet was barely covering his obviously hard dick, if the tent around it was any indication. She’d been thrilled to know that the myth of morning wood was actually very much a truth. And today she planned to take advantage of it. So she edged the sheet down slowly, careful not to wake him up. She studied him for a moment, thinking he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. His thick lashes lay against his cheeks like crescents. His full mouth, which brought her so much pleasure, felt as if it was made for hers. And those insane abs—so completely and utterly lickable. On the days he didn’t make it to the gym, he did an insane amount of sit-ups. His thighs were firmly muscled from years of running on the beach. And his dick—oh, how she wished she could write songs and poetry about that delicious body part.
It had been a while since she’d given him her first blowjob, but it certainly never got old. She loved having him in her mouth almost as much as she enjoyed him going down on her. Just the thought of it had moisture pooling between her thighs. Shooting him a quick glance to make sure he was still asleep, she gently closed her hand around his thick length and pumped up and down a few times. His dick jerked in her hold and she held her breath, thinking surely he’d wake up any moment, but so far he was blissfully unaware of what she was doing—well, maybe one part of him was.
She leaned down, running her tongue across his tip before opening wider to take him in. Her hands and mouth worked in sync as he grew impossibly hard. Without thinking, she lowered her other hand and began stroking her clit, needing a release as well. She was completely lost in obtaining pleasure for both of them when a voice said, “Fuck, that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Zoe jerked so hard that she was afraid she’d damn near pulled his dick off as he yelled. “Shit, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? You shouldn’t have scared me like that Dylan, God!”
For a moment, she thought he was crying as his big body shook. Then she got a good look at his face and knew it was laughter. “I’m fine, babe, but if you’d been a bit stronger, this could have ended very differently.”
“You ass.” She rolled her eyes, then found herself giggling as well.
“I wish I’d kept my mouth shut, because I liked what you were doing down there,” he added ruefully.
Feeling bold, Zoe carefully tossed a leg over his legs and moved until she was hovering just inches over his still hard cock. “Let me know how you feel about this, then,” she purred as she lowered herself inch by inch until she’d taken him all. After a clean bill of health for both of them, Zoe had gone on birth control so condoms were no longer necessary. She hadn’t thought she would notice a difference, but the feel of Dylan bare was so much different. He’d never been inside a woman without a condom, so it was a first that made her feel special.
“God damn,” he groaned, “that’s amazing, baby.” She rocked back and forth as he lifted his hips to meet her on each downward stroke. “So good,” he praised as his hands guided her movements. It was a slow and leisurely loving that neither of them appeared to be in a hurry to end. She ground against his root, while he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. The feel of his teeth nipping the sensitive bud had her right on the edge.
“Dylan,” she moaned,
“I’m so close.” He released her other nipple with a pop before sliding his hand between her thighs to rub her clit. Then she was coming apart in his arms as her orgasm worked its way through her entire body. He held her upright and buried himself deep one last time before emptying into her.
They both lay panting beside each other with Dylan drawing lazy circles on her thigh. “I’m pretty sure you’re going to kill me one day, but I’m willing to risk it.” He gently turned her face toward his and kissed her slowly and thoroughly.
“I wish we could stay here forever,” Zoe sighed as she laid her head on his chest.
“Me too, sweetheart,” he murmured. Then, clearing his throat, he surprised her by saying, “I wanted to talk to you and now seems like a good time since we actually have a few minutes to ourselves.”
“Okay,” she replied warily. Surely he wouldn’t break up with me after sex.
“First off, I’m sorry about last night. And I hate that it seems like I’m constantly apologizing now for being late or canceling plans.”
“Honey, I know things are crazy for you right now,” Zoe responded automatically. Shut up and let him talk. Stop panicking.
“They are,” he agreed. “I wish I could say that it’ll be better soon, but you know as well as I do that my life isn’t ever calm for long. With this expansion, it’s going to get much worse before I see anything approaching better.” He turned on his side and she did the same until they were facing each other. “If I wasn’t such a selfish bastard, I’d let you go, but I can’t do that.” She felt some of the fear that had been threatening to choke her dissipate at his words. Thank God. “I’m asking you to please be patient with me while I try to figure something out. I can’t make you any promises because I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m trying, I really am.” Then he added, “I love you, Zoe,” so quietly that she missed it at first.
“Wh-what did you say?” Please don’t let me have heard him wrong.
He trailed a finger down her cheek, then across her parted lips. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. It took me a while to figure out that it hadn’t been as just a friend in a long time.”
“Oh, Dylan, I love you too, and have forever,” she confessed. “I’ve known for a while that it was more than friendship for me. I could only hope that you’d feel the same at some point.”
“I’m sorry I was slow to find my way,” he said tenderly, “but I’m here with you now and I never want to leave.” They both laughed as no sooner had those last words left his mouth than his phone rang. “Shit, I jinxed myself,” he grumbled.
Zoe kissed the corner of his mouth before rolling to the edge of the bed and getting up. “I’m going to take a shower. Go get ’em, tiger.” When she reached the bathroom, she hugged herself as she fought the urge to squeal in happiness. He loves me. She was so close to having everything that she’d ever wanted, it was almost scary. He was also going to work on finding a way for them to have more time together. What more could she ask of him? Regardless of how hectic things got, she couldn’t imagine a circumstance that would make her walk away from him. Little did she know that within days she would come to question everything she’d always thought she wanted.
Eighteen
“Thanks for bringing me dinner again, sweetheart,” Dylan said as he kissed her neck. After the shop had closed at nine, she’d fixed a plate for both of them and took the elevator up to see him. As he’d predicted, things were almost insane with the construction date getting closer and closer. She’d promised to be patient, though, and she was sticking by that. Stolen moments such as these were both precious and necessary to keep the lines of communication open in their relationship.
She was sitting in his lap, dreading going home alone once again. “I’m just glad we got to see each other for a few minutes. You’re staying at your place tonight, right?” She knew he had an early breakfast meeting across town as well as a conference call so it didn’t make sense to drive to her condo at midnight, only to come back here within a few hours.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he answered glumly. “I’ll miss you, though. Sure you don’t want to pack a bag and stay with me?”
“I’m not opening tomorrow so I promised Mom I’d take Dolly to the vet.” Before he could answer, a phone icon on his laptop began buzzing and she knew it was Ash and the rest of the brothers for their daily status update call. She could tell that he was already distracted when she kissed his cheek and got to her feet. “Call me later if you get a moment.”
“I will, babe,” he agreed automatically, before hitting a button on his computer and connecting the call. Zoe sighed and took her purse from the corner of his desk.
It was after ten when she walked through the employee parking lot to her car. She fastened her seat belt and started the engine before backing out of her space and pulling out onto the main road. In another mile she turned off onto a side street that she’d taken to using because it was much quieter than the tourist areas.
She was halfway home when she heard a popping sound before her steering wheel began jerking. Shit, what in the hell? she thought frantically as she fought to keep the car on the road while slowing her speed. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking when she finally managed to pull to the side of the road. She put the car in Park and sat there for a moment, trying to calm herself. The area around here was deserted, with the nearest house probably two miles away. She opened her purse and fumbled through it looking for her phone. No, no. She cried out as she emptied the small bag onto the front seat. Where was her phone? She thought back and remembered having it in the kitchen when she’d called Dylan to see what he wanted for dinner. Dear God, she must have left it there. Maybe she could drive the car far enough to get help. She took her flashlight from the glove box and opened the door. A quick inspection revealed that her front left tire was flat. The rubber was sitting right on the rim, which she knew was a bad thing. She absolutely shouldn’t drive it, but what choice did she have?
Zoe was weighing her options when she saw lights in the distance. Excitedly she ran to the back of the car, thinking she’d flag them down. Then she froze. What if it was some psycho? She was on a deserted street alone. Maybe she should hide instead. Before she could decide, the car was upon her and slowing. She stepped back as they pulled to within inches of her bumper before stopping. She swallowed audibly as their door opened and a tall figure came toward her. “Zoe? Is that you?”
“Josh.” She sagged in relief. What were the odds of it actually being someone she knew? “I’m so glad to see you. My tire blew out and I left my phone at the shop. Could I use yours to call someone?”
He stopped at her side, giving her a concerned look. “Of course, but why don’t I take you home? A friend of mine runs a garage, so I can give him a call and have him come pick your car up and fix it. It’s too deserted for you to be out here any longer than absolutely necessary.”
“That would be great,” she agreed. “I’d love a ride. I don’t live far from here, so I hope it’s not out of your way.”
He opened the passenger-side door of his Porsche for her, then crossed to the other side to get in. “Where’s Dylan at tonight? He shouldn’t let you drive by yourself in this kind of area.”
“He’s working,” Zoe sighed. It seemed like she repeated that same thing to someone at least ten times a day. You’d think by now they’d already know the answer before they bothered to ask the question. Josh pulled onto the road, then put a hand on the gearshift. Zoe had been so lost in her thoughts that she jumped in surprise when she felt something on her leg. She looked down in shock to see his hand there, inching up toward the apex of her thighs. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked incredulously as she attempted to pry his fingers lose.
“You don’t have to pretend anymore, baby. We’ve been hot for each other since that night at my party. I know you feel obligated to Dylan because you’re friends, and that’s cool. He’s my buddy too. He doesn’t need to know what we do
in our private time. Fuck, he’s probably getting sucked off by that assistant of his right now.”
“Get your hands off me!” she cried as she felt him inches away from her underwear. Why had she worn a dress today of all days? His foot was heavy on the gas pedal and Zoe felt completely out of control as he spewed more insanity about them being together. She made one last attempt to dislodge his hand before he touched her intimately and realized her mistake too late. He was so engrossed in what was happening on the other side of the car that his eyes had left the road. She cried out a warning as she saw the approaching curve, but it was too late. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of weightlessness as the car flew through the air and into the unknown. Dylan.
• • •
It was close to one in the morning when Dylan turned off the light to his office and walked down the hallway to the elevator. The double doors were opening and he was stepping on when his phone rang. What now? he thought wearily. He was tempted to turn the damn thing off, but that was never really an option for him. He stared at it in shock when he saw Vivian’s name on the screen. In a split second, he knew. God, no. Zoe. “Don’t you dare tell me something’s happened to her,” he growled in way of a greeting.
Vivian, as always in times of crisis, was direct and to the point. “Dylan, she’s going to be all right, but you need to get to Southside Hospital right now. I’ll tell you everything when you get here. Make sure you do it in one piece.” With that, she ended the call and he was left staring at the screen. Then he jolted into action and ran into the elevator before frantically punching the button for the parking garage. After that, he had no recollection of driving to the hospital. It was all a blur until he pulled into the fire lane and left his car, along with the keys, there. He couldn’t give a shit if someone stole or towed it away.
Keeping It Hot (The Breakfast in Bed #1) Page 18