Page 36 of Six Nights in Paradise

At seven, I decided to finish off my last drink and head back to my room so I could get an early start in the morning. I called Taylor when I got in, catching her as she was heading home from work. It was her first day on the job and she sounded exhausted.

“After the first couple hours, I was on my own,” she said, sounding overwhelmed but proud. She handled it well and received no complaints from anyone on shift tonight. We ended our call when she pulled up to her house and we promised to talk more tomorrow night.

Saturday came and went in a blur. I worked well into the evening, but I accomplished twice as much as I had any other day. Maybe I’d be home by mid-week, after all. I decided to find out Taylor’s work schedule and surprise her, maybe convince her to spend the night with me. I couldn’t wait.

There was a spring in my step as I walked through the hotel lobby. This disaster was coming to a close faster than I expected.

“Dalton.” The familiar voice stopped me in my tracks and I turned, hoping I was mistaken. Gianna stood from one of the plush couches that peppered the lobby and smoothed out her dress before approaching. She walked slowly toward me as though she feared I would run if she made any sudden movements.

“What are you doing here?” I bit out, my shoulders going from relaxed to tense in a flash.

“I needed to see you.” Her voice and eyes were full of pleading.

“So you just show uphere? In Seattle?” I stood, disbelieving her gall as she took another wary step toward me. She was now within reach and I wanted to shake her. Why the hell did she fly all the way to Seattle?

“It’s important.”

“So important it couldn’t wait until I got back?”

She nodded, her eyes wide and scared. Unease clenched my stomach. This couldn’t be good.

“Come on.” I walked to the bank of elevators and punched the up button. Whatever this was about, it was best to discuss it in my room and not in a crowded lobby with people milling about. She followed, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Each tap sent a bolt of anxiety through my body. I was nearly shaking with nervous energy by the time the doors slid closed.

I threw off my tie and jacket when we entered my room and turned to face her. She looked worried, like she knew I was going to throw her out as soon as she spilled the beans.

“What’s this about, Gianna?” I asked, exasperated. She pulled something from her purse and approached me warily.What the hell?She handed me the square paper and I looked down. My heart dropped, sinking to the pit of my stomach like a lead balloon.

Taylor

I called Dalton when I got off work, hoping to spend the drive home talking to him again, but he didn’t answer. All my texts and calls went unanswered the next day, too. I was starting to worry, thinking maybe something had happened to him. He could be hurt or lying in a hospital somewhere and nobody would even know. I considered asking Aiden if he’d heard from him, but then he’d want to know why I was asking.Shit. This wasn’t good.

I paced my room and agonized over what to do. Maybe I’d try calling him one more time. But if he’d already seen all those missed calls from me, it might send him running for the hills. I finally settled on sending him another text.

Me: Hey, let me know you’re okay. I’m about to have Aiden call you.

My phone dinged two minutes later.About damn time.

Dalton: Hey, sorry. I’ve been busy.

That’s it? Two ignored calls and three missed texts and that’s all I got? I huffed out my frustration. Why was he being so weird? I threw my phone down on the bed and headed for the shower. Now that I knew he was fine, I refused to stay glued to that thing any longer and decided to go about my business. I had to be at work at nine tomorrow morning, so I needed to get ready for bed anyway.

When I returned, I had a few messages. I opened my texting app and read them, then dropped the phone as if it had burned me. Shaking, I picked it back up, hoping I had just read them wrong.

Dalton: I think we need to put the brakes on this thing that’s happening between us. It’s too much too soon. I’m sorry.

My stomach clenched and my chest tightened.No. No, no, no.This couldn’t be happening. I’d finally gotten my chance with him. It couldn’t be over so soon. My eyes greedily searched out the next message, hoping he’d changed his mind.

Dalton: We’re both coming off of bad breakups and neither of us is in a position to get involved with someone else so soon. I don’t want us to rush into something we’re not ready for. And I don’t want us to be each other’s rebounds.

I could agree with that last part, but he wasn’t really my rebound. He was the one I’d been waiting for my whole life. It just took a few bad relationships and a trip to the Caribbean for us to find our way to each other.

Dalton: I still care about you and hope we can remain friends. But for now, we both need to take some time to get over everything that’s happened. Maybe someday we can try this again.

I crumpled onto my bed, clutching my pillow to my chest. I had my shot with Dalton James and blew it. Tears slid down my cheeks. This couldn’t be the end. I just needed to talk to him in person. He needed to see me, to be close to me so he could feel the chemistry between us and know that what was developing between us was real.

Me: Don’t do this.

Me: We can take things slow. You know there’s more between us than friendship. We can’t just ignore that like we’ve been doing for years.

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