Page 44 of Summer Fling
Blake
When Ashton got back to Dalton, he said to tell her it was his time with Lilliana, and he was okay with her video calling at bedtime, but that was it. I thought that was reasonable and set a good boundary.
But Oakley hadn't responded, and that had us all on edge. What was she planning next? I didn't have a good feeling about it.
Dalton hoped that the pending mediation would solve everything, but I wasn't so sure. Oakley exhibited signs of being unpredictable. Therefore, we couldn't know how she would react in any situation.
I was worried about Dalton and Lilliana.
When Dalton took Lilliana to Oakley on Sunday night, he said she hadn't mentioned the text conversation at all. It felt a little bit too much like the calm before the storm.
Afterward, Dalton insisted on taking me out to dinner. He wanted to forget about the situation for one night, and I was helpless to say no to him.
I enjoyed spending time with him, whether Lilliana was with us or not. This time, he took me to the South Seas Resort at the end of the island. I'd never been to the resort before. But the grounds were beautiful with the large palm trees and ocean views.
The hostess guided us to a table on the outside deck with white railings overlooking the water. When we were seated, I said, "This is gorgeous. Thank you for bringing me here."
"It's my pleasure."
There was something about him saying pleasure that had all my nerve endings tingling.
He reached across the table, brushing my hair off my shoulder. "You wore the earrings."
When we'd gone to the jewelry booth at the craft fair, he'd insisted on buying the blue earrings that I admired. I'd thought he'd done it to show we were girlfriend boyfriend in public, but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "Thank you."
He pulled his hand back, and I immediately missed the easy affection. "You look beautiful tonight. I mean, you look gorgeous all the time?—"
I laughed softly. "I know what you meant."
His gaze traveled slowly over me, as if he didn't have any need to rush; he had all the time in the world to savor me. "You look like you were born on the island."
I wondered if he was referencing the yellow flower I'd placed in my hair, just over my ear to showcase the earrings. "Do I?"
His gaze traveled over my hair. "You have permanent beach waves. Luna was always trying to create those when we were younger. With your blond hair, blue eyes, and tan skin, you look like you've lived here for years."
"I was born in Florida. I'm a Southern girl through and through." I gripped the menu, a little unnerved by his perusal. Ever since we'd danced together by the pool the other night, I'd felt hyperaware of him. Every time we brushed against each other in the kitchen or in the hallway, I wanted to ask if he felt the same electricity that I did.
He nodded. "That's true."
The waitress appeared, asking for our drink order, and we focused on the menu. I ordered a fruity cocktail, fully intending to enjoy myself tonight. For one night, I wasn't a doctoral student or even a nanny. This was supposed to be one more date to solidify our relationship in public. I was very aware that lines were being blurred.
At the waitress's recommendation, we ordered the mango chicken lettuce wraps for an appetizer. Then I ordered the blackened redfish for the main entree, and Dalton requested the fresh catch of the day. She took our menus, and I didn't have anything to focus on.
We could have talked about Oakley or Lilliana, but I wanted to talk about something else.
"How do you like working for your family's business?" I asked, wanting to know more about him, what his life was like before Oakley and how it was adjusting to fatherhood.
Dalton's eyes flared with interest. "Our entire family has worked in the business at one time or another. Marshall was gone in the military for a bit, and Luna eventually left to start her own business, but it's a family company to its core. Dad wants us to take over so that he can retire. I think he was waiting for Marshall to come back so that Hudson wouldn't be doing it alone."
"So you're two older brothers would be in charge?"
"Marshall and Hudson organize the schedule and crew, but technically we're all co-owners. I think that's what drew Oakley to me to begin with. She thinks we're rich. Then Island Magazine wrote a piece on me and my brothers as the hottest bachelors on the island. That solidified our status for her, and she didn’t want to let me go."
"She felt like she got some kind of social status for dating you?" I asked.
"I think so. Although she never admitted that to me. She's had a hard time letting go."
I reached across and held his hand, aware that I was playing a part for the public but also needing to reassure him. "That's why we're here. We'll convince her that we're the real deal and she needs to move on."
