She had to remind him of that kiss. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he simply stared at her, not believing that he was actually letting her stay. Especially when all he wanted to do was cross the room, pull her into his arms and kiss her. He would start slowly, savoring her lips, then he would go for it. By the time he finished with her mouth, she’d know, without a doubt, that she’d been claimed.
“Join me downstairs for breakfast in the morning around eight. I’d like to show you around,” he said.
“I’d like that.”
He nodded and went to walk past her to leave the room, but her scent caught him, and the urge to kiss her became overwhelming. He stepped toward her and she didn’t back up. Instead, she asked, “Is there anything else?”
He smiled. “Yes, this.”
And then he lowered his head to hers and claimed her lips, just the way he’d thought of doing every night since he’d last seen her. Unable to stop himself, he deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her closer to him. The whimper that escaped her throat only fueled his desire. He removed one hand from around her waist, and pushed it through her hair, releasing the band holding her ponytail. He loved seeing her hair loose and flowing around her shoulders.
He wasn’t sure how long they could have stayed that way, but when he skimmed his hands along her back, she broke off the kiss and stepped back, drawing in a deep breath. Her eyes were glassy, and her lips swollen. She wore his kiss well.
“Good night, Dak,” she said, taking another step back.
He smiled. Maybe now she’d realize the dangers of showing up to a man’s house uninvited. “Good night, Amelia. Sleep well.”
And then he left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
THE SOUND OF THE alarm on her phone brought Mellie awake. It was seven o’clock. That would give her an hour to shower and get dressed before meeting Dak downstairs. It had taken a while for her to fall asleep last night. That kiss…. It was no wonder she hadn’t been able to sleep. That kiss had left her revved up and ready to rock. Sitting up in bed, she saw she’d received a text that morning from her grandmother. Mellie had sent her grandmother a message last night, letting her know she’d made it safely to Vermont.
Granny Kay had been out on a date, and so had only sent Mellie a smiley face emoji to let her know she’d gotten her message. This morning, her grandmother had added to her text, telling Mellie about the wonderful time she’d had with Mr. Carlton, and finishing with the hope that Mellie would enjoy her time with Dak. The one thing Mellie appreciated about her grandmother was that she treated her granddaughter like an adult, one who was mature enough to handle her own business. Granny Kay only gave advice when Mellie asked for it.
She sent her grandmother a smiley face emoji, then slid out the bed. She’d only unpacked the things she thought she’d need for today. She would find out from Dak just where they were headed, and then, if she needed to go shopping, she would. No biggie. She liked to shop.
A half hour later, dressed in a pair of khakis and a top, she descended the stairs wondering where Dak’s bedroom was located. Following the scent of coffee, she walked toward the kitchen and found him there, already at the stove. “Good morning, Dak.”
Turning to her, he smiled. “Good morning, Amelia.”
Hopefully, that smile meant he was in a much better mood than he’d been when she’d arrived last night. She knew he hadn’t been happy with her just showing up, but that was too bad. She had her reasons for coming. And it didn’t hurt to keep him on his toes. He was far too used to getting his own way all the time. “Something smells good.”
“I hope you’re hungry,” he said, turning back to the stove.
“I’m starving,” she said honestly. “I haven’t had anything to eat since lunch yesterday.”
He turned back around and gave her a level stare. “Why didn’t you say anything about that last night? I would have fed you.”
“I was more concerned with whether or not you’d kick me out. It was a rough flight, and I was tired. I wouldn’t have had the energy to find a hotel last night even if I’d wanted to.” Not that she’d had any intention of doing that.
“Yet you played a game of pool with me.”
She shrugged. “I’m never too tired to play pool. It’s one of those games that helps me shift my concentration from exhaustion to competition.”
“I see.”
She doubted that he did. Few people did, especially the other doctors she worked with, who knew they could often find her during her lunch hour at the huge pool hall across the street from the hospital. “Anything I can do to help?”
“No. I don’t want you to pass out on me before I can feed you.”
Mellie rolled her eyes. She had never passed out and wasn’t about to start now.
Deciding it was time to bring up the elephant in the room, she asked, “So, if I choose to do that ‘see the world’ thing with you, where will we be going?”
She needed to make sure he understood she hadn’t decided yet, but so far so good. He had respected her wishes and hadn’t tried to seduce her last night. She wasn’t counting that kiss, although it nearly blew her mind, and filled her with sexual awareness every time she thought about it. She had initiated a kiss with him Saturday night, so now they were even—at least with the number of kisses they’d shared. There was no way the one she’d given him was anywhere near as impactful as the one he’d given her last night.
“Bali.”
Wow! She never dreamed she’d ever go there. She knew it was an island located in Indonesia, one known for its volcanic mountains, beaches, coral reefs and rice paddies, and that when her chief of staff and his wife had visited there two years ago for their thirtieth wedding anniversary, they’d come back raving about it. Looking at the photos he’d shared, she’d thought the place was too beautiful for words, but also too extravagant for her budget. Although she didn’t have a student loan, thanks to her scholarships, she didn’t have as much in her savings account as she would have liked…thanks to Ivan. She wanted to open her own practice one day and that took money.
“Bali sounds nice.”
“I believe that it is. The place I plan to stay is one of my most recent acquisitions. I had a few security measures installed and I want to check things out.”
If this was a recent purchase for him, did that mean that he’d never taken a woman there? And why did it please her so much that she would be the first…that is, if that was the case and she decided to go? Still, right now, there were more points in her ‘Go’ column than in her ‘No Go’ one. He hadn’t tried persuading her to sleep with him last night and this morning he was preparing her breakfast. So far, Dakota Navarro had been a perfect gentleman.
Mellie continued to watch him at the stove, trying not to notice how his jeans fit his delectable backside, or the way his t-shirt clung to his broad shoulders. Seeing he didn’t need help in the kitchen, she pulled out her phone and checked her messages. Joy had texted her and so had Whitney. Other than her family, Whitney was the only person she’d told about what she was doing. Her best friend had seen Dak at Stonewall’s wedding and had agreed with Mellie’s estimation of him—he was hot! Whitney’s text only contained two words…Want details.