AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I choke back tears. It’s one of the most intense memories of my life, and reliving those moments makes my heart feel lighter than it has in ages. “You took all the blame and even claimed that you talked me into that kiss.” Which, after a single glance at my blissful face, my father didn’t buy for a second.
Dillan’s eyes glide over my face, then sharpen.
With a tilt of his head, he leans in, gently cups my cheeks, and his breath brushes my lips. I’m absolutely certain he’ll kiss me again, and this time, I’m ready for it.
Someone in the immediate vicinity clears their throat. It’s the bartender.
Slowly, Dillan straightens up, with a touch of reluctance in his movement. I notice that he hasn’t drained his glass yet. His eyes meet mine, silently inquiring about my drink preference. Heat has crept into my cheeks, and without a doubt, my face is flushed.
I respond with a smile, “I’d love a glass of wine.”
I’m surprised that after all these years Dillan can still make me blush. Or maybe I’m blushing because we’ve been caught red-handed once again, this time by the bartender instead of my father.
“A glass of red wine for the lady,” Dillan orders. “Bring the best you have.”
The bartender nods curtly. “Another Scotch, signore?”
“No, thank you.”
“Very good, signore.” The bartender sounds like an Italian trying his hand at English butler and has successfully brought us back to the present.
It’s one thing to be on stage in a breath of nothingness and dance a professionally seductive choreography; hoping for another kiss with Dillan while experiencing the skill and artistry of a grown man is something else entirely. Even though I’m fully dressed, I feel like my whole body is on fire. Dillan has always been handsome, but now he’s downright breathtaking.
Just as my eyes wander off to his lips, my phone buzzes. It’s Pippa’s rescue call. Instead of assuring her with an immediate “Oh no, Mum, I’ll be right there,” I find myself chirping “Thanks, I’ll text you later, Mu…I mean, Pippa.”
Just as I hang up, the bartender slides a glass of wine in front of me, saying, “Signorina, here’s your wine. Enjoy.” With a nod, he quietly retreats to the other end of the bar.
“To unexpected reunions,” Dillan proposes and lifts his Scotch.
Only too eagerly, I clink my wine glass against his. “To the twists of fate.”
He quirks a brow, placing his glass to a pair of full, delectable lips I want to kiss again. Worship. Lick. Suck. Okay, my mind has decided to head straight to gutter. Clearing the metaphorical cobwebs from my head, I take a sip before putting the delicious wine back down.
“So, what have you been up to all these years?” I ask.
“Getting a doctorate.”
I smile. “Oh, right. Hence the whole doctor thing.”
“Exactly, fully committed to the medical profession,” he says, a twinkle in his eyes. “What about you? What do you do?”
There’s no way I can drop the “I’m a dancer in a burlesque club that was an infamous strip joint not too long ago” bomb on Dr. Dillan Maxwell.
“I dance,” I say with an innocent shrug.
He nudges me with his elbow. “Hey, that’s great! In the theatre or on Broadway? That’s what you wanted to do, right?”
“That’s right, I did. I can’t believe you remember that.”
I’ve wiggled myself out of telling him the truth. But for a moment, I imagine telling him I’m an exotic dancer with pasties on my nipples, parading around in a glittering thong with ostrich feathers on my naked ass, just to observe the expression on his face. It would be priceless.
But no, now is certainly not the time.
“You’re a hard woman to forget. Wow. A dancer. That’s amazing. I’m not surprised. You were always headstrong and determined.”
That’s what I had to be to become a dancer with a curvy figure like mine. Even as a teenager it was clear to everyone—including me—that I’d never have the boyish figure of a classic prima ballerina. It had been hard not to despair.
“Flatterer,” I say with a playful grin.
