Begin to Begin (18 page)

He pulls back slightly and slides his hands underneath the jacket the rest of the way and pushes it off my shoulders and down my arms, all the while not breaking eye contact. If he’s looking for permission, he’s got it. My body is saying yes, yes,
yes
every time his mouth touches my skin.

I’m leaning back on the palms of my hands as he looks my body over. Even though I am still fully clothed, minus the jacket, he looks me over with such a hunger in his eyes that it makes my heart beat as if I’m naked.

“You are so damn beautiful. Fuck … you’re beyond beautiful. You’re breathtaking.” My breathing hitches at his words.

Leaning back into me, he runs his lips slowly down my neck and over to that spot again on my collarbone.

“God, Dalton. What are you doing to me?” I breathlessly moan.

He softly presses his palm to my chest to lay me flat on the table. I don’t even care that I’m now lying on our dinner plates. And I don’t protest. I’m good with whatever he has planned with me.

I’m letting go.

Throwing my inhibitions to the wind, so they say.

Giving him everything I have to take.

My breathing is heavy now with anticipation, but I can’t stop staring at him.

“So damn sexy.” He groans as he slowly slides my shirt up and over my breast. He doesn’t remove it.

This is the most exposed that I have ever been to anyone other than Benji. No other man has ever brought me to this brink. He leans down and kisses my stomach lightly, moving his way up my side to my ribs and then finally making his way to the peaks of my breasts that are still covered by my white lace bra.

He places a light kiss between my breasts before pulling the cup down to expose me. The heat in his eyes intensifies. He looks into my eyes again and we stare at each other. I want this. I honestly do.

“Dalton,” I breathe out.

He slowly lowers his head to my breast.

And then we are quickly brought to reality by a knock at the door.

Dalton stops, looks up at me, and then moans out. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Dalton, honey? I know you’re in there,” calls a woman’s voice. I look to him in utter shock and his lips quirk with a small smile.

“It’s my aunt Dot. She has impeccable timing,” he says as he straightens my shirt out and lifts me to a standing position.

I grab my jacket and throw it back on and start straightening my hair because I’m sure I have sex hair now even though we weren’t even having sex.

I can’t help but wonder if his aunt showing up like this is a sign that I’m not ready for this step in our relationship yet. He turns to face me, making sure I’m decent, and then opens the door.

“Dalton, sweetheart! You didn’t come to dinner tonight so I brought you some leftovers.” She rushes in on a mission, and I have a feeling it isn’t to bring Dalton dinner. She stops dead in her tracks and gives me a onceover. Then she beams with a smile so bright it’s impossible not to smile right back.

“Hi, I’m Marin,” I introduce myself as I walk toward her with an outstretched hand. She grabs it and shakes it softly while placing her other hand on top of it. It feels like a hand hug. Is that even a term?

“Of course.” She turns to Dalton who now holds a look of amusement, and I could swear that she glares at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know Dalton had company, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she says hopefully, and I can’t help but giggle.

“It’s fine, really. I just stopped by to bring Dalton dinner. I really must be going.” I turn to grab my bag, and when I turn around, I see the disappointment in Dalton’s eyes.

“Will you walk me out, Dalton?”

“Absolutely,” he says before reaching to take my hand in his. I turn back to his aunt.

“It was really nice meeting you. Maybe one afternoon we can get together for coffee, or tea if you prefer. I own Chapter Fifteen. I’m there most days, stop in anytime.”

“Of course, dear. You drive home safe now.”

“Thank you. I will.”

Dalton and I turn and leave the apartment with no words shared between us until we make it to my car.

“I’m sorry,” he says softly as he brushes a flyaway piece of hair behind my ear.

“Don’t be. It’s probably for the best. I don’t think I’m ready for more than what we already have. But … I don’t think I could have stopped you, either.”

He nods sadly. “I understand.” Leaning in, he kisses me on the cheek but I can see the hurt that my words caused. Hell, I don’t even know what this is that we have. One minute I want to take it slow. Slower than slow. And then next I want to rip all his clothes off and just do all the things to him that I can only imagine. “Have a good night, Marin,” he says right before he turns to walk away.

I watch him start to walk back and can’t let him leave like this. Leave, thinking that I don’t want him.

“Dalton, wait!” I call. Turning back around, he looks deep into my eyes and I nod. That’s all he needs before quickly making his way back to me.

His body is flush against mine now. “I’ll never rush you, Marin. But I don’t want you to be afraid, either.”

“I’m not afraid,” I answer as he runs a finger down my throat.

“I think you are. I think you are afraid of what people might think … that it’s too fast. I think you are afraid of letting go. And most of all, I think you are afraid of what you might feel for me.”

A tear rolls down my cheek at his words. He’s right. I am afraid. So I nod.

Bringing his face closer to mine he whispers, “Don’t be afraid, baby. I will always keep you safe.” His lips touch mine softly and he whispers, “I want you so bad, Marin.” He softly kisses me again then pulls away far enough that he can look in my eyes. He pecks me one more time, but before he backs away from me, he whispers, “But I can wait.”

Leave it to Aunt Dot to completely kill the mood. I love her to death, but holy hell.

She knew what she was doing. I would bet any amount of money she was watching out the window to see when I would be leaving the garage and coming to dinner so she would have seen Marin pull up. She timed that perfectly. But I guess it’s a good thing. Marin wasn’t ready for more. She may have thought she was but I don’t want her to regret anything that happens between us.

I make my way back up the stairs to my apartment where my aunt sits at the table awaiting my return. With a quirked brow and a tap of her fingers on the table, she grins.

“Don’t even say it,” I warn.

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” she says as she looks down casually at her fingernails. “Except that she’s beautiful, Dalton.”

A smile creeps onto my lips.

“Yeah. I know. She definitely is. She’s going through a lot right now, though.”

“I would love to get to know her more,” she exclaims, almost as if she is asking for my permission.

“Well, she did invite you for coffee or tea. You should take her up on that offer.” I want my aunt Dot to love her, even though I know she will.

“Yeah, I think I’ll do just that.” Getting to her feet, she pauses and looks around the room casually. “You know, if you are going to have a girlfriend, you might not be able to stay up here anymore.”

“Why? Because we might get interrupted?” I ask, totally calling her out on her intrusion.

“Touché, young nephew.” She winks and I can’t do anything more but shake my head at her.

“You better get your butt back to the house or Uncle Mel will be up here looking for you and we don’t need him climbing these steps.” I sit down and pull the food to me. Marin brought burgers while it appears that my Aunt brought me leftover spaghetti. I’ll probably eat it all.

“OK. I’m going home. I love you, Dalton.” She pauses to look as me.

“Love you too, Aunt Dot,” I say around a mouth full of food. She chuckles and heads out the door.

Now that she’s gone, I have to eat fast. I have a meeting with Sonny to get to.

After inhaling my food, I run back downstairs and grab the burner phone. I text Sonny and he gets back to me within seconds that he needs me to meet him in Pine Hills in the Valero parking lot.

I’m not looking forward to this, but I am looking forward to getting this over with.

I have to fight the urge to call Marin and make sure she got home OK. I hated letting her go like that.

Hopefully, after everything, tomorrow night I will still be going to the party and we can discuss our relationship then. I pray that everything goes as planned. If it doesn’t, I will be letting down quite a few people. Not just Marin.

As I drive, I think about my aunt and uncle and everything they have done for me. I promised Uncle Mel I wouldn’t fuck this up. And I think about Liam. We have really become pretty good friends since I have taken over the garage. He hates Sonny and J.R. so it’s safe to say he would be out of my life.

And Marin. I would lose her. I most likely will anyway but I want to at least give her the one thing she wants more than anything before I lose her. If this doesn’t go according to everything that’s been planned out, I may not be able to even give her that.

My thoughts drift to Marin and the way she looked tonight. The way her skin flushed bright pink when I touched her. The goosebumps that covered her as I placed kisses across the top of her breasts. Her eyes that are normally the color of rich, dark coffee flared and turned to a flaming copper.

But as much as I want to finish what we started and claim every inch of her body as my own, I would back off completely if that was what she wanted.

Running my hands through my hair, I let out a long sigh. “Fuck. I think I’m falling in love with her.”

Driving home after my visit with Dalton was not easy. My body still ached for him but my heart and brain were confused. I didn’t know what to do.

Confusion and doubt crept into my thoughts daily with the more time that I spent with Dalton.
Did I truly love Benji? Of course I did. I don’t doubt my love for him, but am I falling for Dalton or is it just a stupid crush? Do people my age even get crushes?

I need to talk this over with someone.
Amelia
.

Pulling into my driveway, I don’t even get out of my car. I call Amelia, and she answers on the second ring.

“Hey, honey? You OK?”

Sighing, I answer. “Yes … no. Shit, I don’t know, Amelia. Are you home? Can I come over?”

“Absolutely. I will have the wine ready.”

“OK. Be there in fifteen, twenty minutes.” We hang up and I back out of my driveway and drive straight to her condo. We don’t live too far away from each other but she lives in a busier, up and coming part of Orlando and I live in a more family-oriented area. Therefore, I need to get on I4 and traffic is always a bitch. It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is.

******

I pull into the parking lot at Amelia’s condo complex and jump out of my car. I happen to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and gasp. “Shit,” I mutter under my breath. There is no doubt that Amelia will call me out on my outfit. She is used to my sundresses and palazzo pants. Easy, comfy clothes. Not sex kitten get-ups.

Oh, well. Too late now.

When I reach her door, I knock lightly and hear voices inside. Great, Joey’s here too. This isn’t going to be comfortable at all. I wonder if I can convince her to make him go home for the night.

“Hey, baaaaaa … be.” Amelia trails off. “What in god’s name are you wearing?” she, asks shocked.

“Is it that bad?” I look down at myself frowning.

“Um, no. Not bad. But … Holy shit, Marin. I hope you didn’t pass any guys on your way in here. You would have shown up here with a trail of men behind you.” And this is the moment that Joey decides to walk in the room.

“Hey, Mar—” He stops short. “Woah.”

Amelia turns to him sharply. “Now, now. No gawking.” She takes my hand and pulls me to her big comfy coach. “I can only assume that this outfit has something to do with what you want to talk about tonight.” I nod in response and turn my pleading eyes to Joey.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You want some privacy with my girl.”

“Thanks, Joe.”

“You got it.” He makes his way over to the couch where we sit. Leaning down, he places a finger under Amelia’s chin and lifts her face softly to meet his. “I’ll be back later.” Then, leaning in, he places a kiss to her lips.

There is no warning when the vision of Benji kissing me the exact same way flashes into my brain. A quick kiss before he would go to class in the morning, or a peck just to tell me he loves me. It’s so fast that as soon as I see it, it’s gone. But it was enough to make me lose my breath. I clutch at my chest as the tightness slowly eases.

Once Joey is out the door and most likely out of hearing distance, Amelia turns her attention back to me. “So, let’s start out with sexy as hell outfit you have on. I’ll admit, Marin, I was shocked, but damn, it’s hot. If I was a guy, I would want to get in your pants.”

I slap at her arm and laugh at her comment. “Stop it. I don’t know. I just thought I would be able to … But I clearly can’t.”

“Stop right there. You aren’t making any sense. Be able to what?”

“Seduce Dalton,” I blurt out.

She gasps in mock horror. “What! Seduce him! You naughty, naughty girl. You have been hanging out with me too long.” She jumps up from her spot on the couch. “I’m getting some wine for this conversation, you want some?”

“Yeah, I could use a little liquid courage.”

I wait patiently until she comes back with our wine. I don’t even know where to start. Should I start with how I freaked the hell out when my senses came back to me or with how I totally enjoyed the feeling of his mouth on me. Probably more than I have ever enjoyed anything in my entire life. I don’t hear her come back in the room.

“Turn your thinker off, Marin. I can see the smoke rolling from here.” Sighing, I turn and smile as I accept the very large glass of wine she offers me.

“Really, Amelia? I’m gonna have to spend the night if I drink all of this.”

“It’s OK. You can sleep in the spare room.” She takes a sip of her wine. “Now talk,” she commands.