Page 48 of What I Like About You

Punching in his code, he led her into his suite, holding his breath slightly for her reaction. She dropped her tote bag by the door as she stepped inside, taking it all in. Prior to this moment, he hadn’t thought twice about his lack of personal items or knickknacks in here, but now that it was under Zara’s scrutiny, he was incredibly self-conscious about it.

“It looks pretty much just like my room,” she commented, poking her head into the bedroom. “Only difference is that there’s only one bedroom.”

“It’s actually a big deal I even have a bedroom,” he told her. “This was Leona’s place for years. I was in a different room up until a few weeks ago when she moved into La Isla Bonita with Cullen. My old room was more like a standard hotel room, although it still had the kitchenette. Not that I’ll complain either way—it’s free.”

“Wow,” was her only response, letting an awkward silence fall between them. Trying to be quick on his feet, Dalton wondered what he could possibly say to fix this. Despite his comment on the boat, he didn’t want her to think that she was only here for sex. As much as he wanted to fuck her, he would be perfectly happy cuddling on the couch and just talking all night. But how on earth did he make her feel comfortable right now?

“Hungry?” he asked, finally settling on the idea of food. Stepping into the kitchen, he opened up the fridge, hoping to God there was something, anything, in there.

“You actually keep food in here?”

“Not usually enough for a full meal, but you know, snacks,” he offered, moving on to the freezer. Pulling out a frozen pizza, he exclaimed, “Aahaa!”

Zara let out another giggle, and he couldn’t help but join her. It was pretty pathetic that at twenty-eight the only thing he had in his fridge was a pizza—one he hadn’t even been sure was in there. He heard his phone ring from somewhere in the bedroom, but continued to work on preheating the oven. Whoever it was could leave a message—he had more pressing matters, like the beautiful brunette standing by his couch.

Walking up to her, he took her in his arms and leaned in for a kiss. Her mouth met his, hard and fast. Gone was the hesitancy from last night, and in its place was an intensity that Dalton had always known was in there. Zara had always met everything head-on and full of passion. He couldn’t imagine why this would be any different.

The trill of his phone plus the beeping of the oven brought them back to the present, and they both groaned a little as they pulled apart.

“If you wouldn’t mind putting the pizza in the oven, let me see who that is. Twice in a few minutes might mean a problem,” he said, heading to his bedroom. Grabbing his phone and looking down at it, he saw his sister’s photo flashing on the screen. With another groan, he answered it. “What is it now, Flick?”

“Now, that’s no way to greet your sister, son,” his father’s booming voice said on the end of the line.

“Sir.”

* * *

Zara heardDalton’s voice tense as he said the word into the phone. She didn’t even need to ask to know who it was. While there were probably any number of people who he addressed as “sir,” including his bosses, there was only one person who could evoke such a reaction.

Dalton Royce Sutherland Junior…aka Big D.

Walking over to the bedroom, she leaned against the doorjamb. Even though the light was off, there was still enough natural light coming in the room from the window she could see him pacing back and forth. Through his T-shirt she could see the muscles in his back contract and release with tension as he listened to whatever it was that Big D was saying to him.

“There isn’t anything to discuss,” he said, his voice laced with emotion. Part of her wanted to walk into the bedroom and wrap her arms around him, like his had just been around her, and comfort him. But another part knew better than to try and insert herself in this without being invited in. He had to want to share.

“I have a real job,” Dalton gritted out, quickly followed by, “Tomcatting? Just because that’s what you’d be doing…”

The ding on the oven drew Zara’s attention away from the one-sided conversation taking place in the bedroom. Walking into the kitchenette, she pulled the pizza out and let it rest on the stove before heading back to the bedroom. Her heart dropped a little when she saw he was still on the phone. She’d hoped that he’d have ended the conversation by now so she could try and distract him. He’d started something before that phone rang, and damn if she didn’t want to see where it was heading.

“I don’t care what you do. This conversation is over,” she heard him say as she walked into the room. It was mostly dark now, but there was no missing the outline of his tall, muscular form. He was tall and lean, but every inch of him was solid muscle. Muscle born from time in the gym as a teenager, but which certainly had been maintained with all the lifting he did on a boat all day long.

Zara longed to run her hands along his chest and feel all the muscle underneath her fingers. The idea of touching him like that excited her in a way she couldn’t put words to, and she hoped that she would be able to return some of the favors from last night.

“Hi,” she whispered as she approached him. They were standing so close that the tips of their toes touched, and yet somehow there was still too much space between them. “Everything okay?”

Dalton exhaled loudly as he ran his hand down his face. “There are few things that can put a damper on a moment like a call from Big D.”

“Can I ask what he wanted?” Looking up at him, she hoped the expression on her face was one of caring and concern, rather than sheer nosiness. As much as she wanted to know what Big D had said, she cared a lot more about how he was feeling about it.

“To discuss my return.” His hands found their way to her hips, his fingers rubbing little circles over her skin. The featherlight touch tickled, but was also incredibly arousing. If he continued this, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stop herself from jumping him.

“You’re coming back to Atlanta?”

“No, he just thinks I am,” he answered with another heavy sigh. He pulled her in closer, so their bodies were now touching. She could feel his erection in his board shorts, and she wiggled her hips a little in appreciation. That earned her a little smirk in response.

“Why does he think that?”

“Haven’t you heard?” he asked, looking at her in mock surprise. “He bought a professional soccer franchise. Thinks I’m gonna run it.”