Open Door Marriage (11 page)

Chapter 12

10:02 a.m.

Dallas slid into the Grand Suite and held the door open for the stocky, dark-haired man who followed behind him rolling a breakfast trolley. He adjusted the shopping bags in his arms so he could sign the bill and pull out a generous tip. The man grinned and handed the money back, presenting a blank sheet of paper and a pen instead. Dallas took a look at the nametag and autographed the sheet before passing it back with the tip.

“
Thanks, man!
”
Hector said, giving him a toothy grin.
“
You going to take the Mavericks to the top this year?
”

Dallas gave the man a grin.
“
We
’
re
going to take them to the top. It
’
s a team, not just me.
”

“
Sure thing.
”
Hector held up the autograph.
“
Thanks a lot.
”

Tori stepped into the dining room, toweling off her curls as the door closed behind Dallas.
“
I thought I heard something.
”

She surprised him by coming to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He held onto her for a long while before she pulled away to look up at him.

“
I ordered you some breakfast.
”
He pointed to the bags at the other end of the table.
“
And brought you something to wear.
”

She blinked twice and suddenly perked up.
“
New clothes! Nice.
”

Dallas pulled out a chair for her at the dining room table. Tori took a seat and waited as he put her favorites onto a plate. She lowered her head and said grace, then glanced down at the place where his plate should have been.
“
You
’
re not eating?
”

Dallas had already had Alicia feed him from her plate. It had been another first for Alicia, and he enjoyed getting her to open up to him.
“
I
’
ll just have some juice for now.
”

Tori went to the cabinet and returned with a glass. She poured nearly up to the rim, slid it in front of him and then went back to her meal.

“
So, did you go to her last night?
”
she asked matter-of-factly.

Dallas raised a single eyebrow.
“
Are you sure you want the answer to that?
”

She nodded, then shook her head as if the reality of what she
’
d told him to do, what he
’
d done was just hitting her.
She swiped at her tears with the back of a shaky hand.
“
I don
’
t know why I
’
m acting this way.
This is all my idea, right?
”
She groped for a napkin, but her hands were trembling so bad that she couldn
’
t get a handle on a single one of them.

Dallas handed her one of his.

Tori snatched it and dabbed at her face before tossing it on the table. An uncomfortable silence settled around them.

Finally, she looked up and studied him for a few moments.
“
You seem settled right now,
”
she said.
“
I don
’
t think I
’
ve ever seen you this way.
”

“
A good night
’
s sleep can work wonders for a man.
”

Tori flickered a gaze over him, then focused on his eyes. She stabbed her fork into a stack of pancakes, as though they had offended her somehow.

“
I feel so … disconnected. So lost.
”
She looked down at her plate and pushed the eggs off to the side to get to the hash browns.
“
Yesterday I was a woman who was all set to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.
”
She glanced up at him.
“
Now, I
’
m doing something I would not have considered three months ago, three weeks ago.
”
She grimaced, and her perfectly arched eyebrows drew in.
“
Hell, two days ago.
”

“
Tori
—
”

She waved him off.
“
You
’
ve been the best thing that
’
s ever happened to me. And now it all comes down to this one question: what am I willing to accept so that I can have what I want? And what I want is you.
”

Dallas slid his glass to the middle of the table and settled back in his seat.
“
I still don
’
t think this will work.
I don
’
t want to hurt you.
I don
’
t want to see you crying every time
...”
He stopped right there.

She glared at him.
“
It will work. I just have to get used to it being my aunt.
”
She shook her head as if all of this was still unbelievable.
“
I just never thought I
’
d be in this kind of situation with my aunt. She
’
s been the one person in my life who I could trust with all of my secrets.
”

Dallas looked out at the city
’
s snowy skyline, giving her words some thought.
“
She loves you. Nothing can change that, Tori.
”

“
Whatever,
”
she said, then paused before asking,
“
How is Alicia taking all of this?
”

“
She
’
s worried about you.
”

“
But not worried enough to walk away.
”

“
I
’
m not giving her that choice.
”

Tori
’
s eyes registered disbelief.
“
You
’
re really in love with her?
”

“
I am.
But you knew that.
I told you about her when we first met,
”
he replied, hoping she didn
’
t press for anything more. He didn
’
t want to talk about how he loved Alicia, how he loved her in a way that he didn
’
t love Tori.

She nodded.
“
All of this hurts,
”
she said
.
“
But, I
’
m trying to see the big picture here.
”

“
A woman who
’
s been married to a man for years might have a camera lens that wide, Tori,
”
he said.
“
But what you
’
re asking us to do, this isn
’
t a
‘
big picture
’
kind of thing for a woman who
’
s just getting into a marriage.
I
’
m just not sure that you
’
ll be able to handle this.
”

“
How would you know?
”
she shot back, waving her fork at him.
“
You
’
ve never been married. How do you know what I
’
m capable of handling?
”

Dallas shook his head thinking that maybe it wasn
’
t what Tori could handle but what could he handle?
He
’
d had a front row seat to his parents
’
marriage, all of the conflicts, all of the turmoil. His mother always seemed to be in such pain, never happy.
He didn
’
t want to be the man to do that to any woman, but it seemed that he had.
Even before he walked down the aisle.
At least, though, it had happened now
and not after he had taken those vows. What kind of marriage would they have had if he didn
’
t have the kind of love that made a man lose his mind? The kind of love he had for Alicia?

With a softer tone, Tori said,
“
Believe me, I can handle this.
It
’
s better than the alternative, better than losing you.
”
Reaching across the table, she stroked a hand over his arm.
“
Bring her here and let
’
s see how this is supposed to work.
”

When Dallas didn
’
t move, she added,
“
You owe me that much.
”

Dallas sighed heavily.
That was the problem.
He did feel as if he owed Tori
—
in so many way
s
.
He stood, planted a kiss on the crown of her head, then hurried out of the suite.

Chapter 13

10:20 a.m.

Dallas entered the Presidential Suite, rushed toward the bedroom, but stopped at the threshold. He couldn
’
t help but admire the dress embracing Alicia
’
s curves as she turned one way then another to catch her reflection in the full-length mirror. He brushed past her, zipped her up, then took a seat on the leather chaise to get a better view.

“
It fits perfectly,
”
she said, giving him a small smile.

“
Looks like Victor earned his bonus,
”
Dallas said with a grin, relishing the fact that a genuine smile had graced her sensual lips.
“
Might have to put him on the payroll.
”

“
Hush money?
”

Dallas shrugged.
“
I don
’
t think our issues are going to end up in the tabloids. At least not by him. I got him covered.
”

She smoothed the dress along her body. He followed her movements, which ended at the upper part of her thighs.
“
I can
’
t believe that you got everything right. Even the cosmetics.
”

He nodded his appreciation. The dress was both sexy and stylish on her voluptuous form. The high-heeled boots made her legs look as if they could go on forever. She had pinned her hair up into a love knot, leaving a few tendrils of hair cascading about a face graced with just a hint of makeup. The woman was well put together—absolutely sexy, with a huge dash of gorgeous thrown in for good measure. And now, after all this time,
she was his. All his.

He just needed to make sure she didn
’
t run again.

“
How is Tori?
”
she asked, taking his thoughts away from her.

He motioned for her to come to him; she hesitated.
Gently, he patted his legs and kept his eyes on her until she acquiesced.
Still, she moved slowly, until she lowered herself onto his lap and curved her body into his embrace.

When she was settled, he said,
“
She
’
s getting dressed, but she wants to see you.
She wants us all to talk.
”

Alicia
’
s head tilted as she peered up at him.
“
Talk about what?
”

“
Talk about this. About the way this will work out for the three of us. You send me to her. She sends me right back to you.
We
’
ve got to work this out.
”

She turned her face away from him, focusing on their reflection.
“
Dallas,
“
she began, shaking her head.
“
I
’
m not going to do this.
I don
’
t want
any
part of this.
”

“
So, what are you saying?
That I should leave Tori?
”

“
No!
”

“
Well that
’
s what
’
s going to happen because I
’
m not going to leave you.
”

With the tips of her fingers, Alicia massaged her temples.
“
This is impossible.
”

“
I know, but after all Tori
’
s done for me
...
if this is what she wants.
”

“
She doesn
’
t want this.
”

He nodded.
“
You
’
re right. An open relationship, and open marriage is not her first choice, but she understands that my relationship with you is—
”

“
We don
’
t have a relationship!
”
Alicia shot back. She pushed herself up and moved away so she could stand a few feet from him.
“
Don
’
t make this out to be more than it really is. It was lust, pure and simple.
”

“
So after today, what?
”
he snarled, getting to his feet.
“
We go our separate ways and you
’
ll pretend like nothing happened?
”

Alicia met his gaze head on.
“
I think it
’
s best.
”

“
You
’
re not leaving me again,
”
he said firmly.

Her head snapped to him, green eyes flashing red.
“
Tori is the one you want to marry. Go make a life with her.
Build a home.
Have babies
...”

“
I don
’
t love her like I love you,
”
he said.

“
And I can
’
t give you what she can,
”
Alicia said just as pointedly. She gave him a tired half-smile and moved further away from him.
“
Besides, there
’
s another variable we keep forgetting. You
’
re young enough to be my son.
”

Dallas crossed the distance between them, and pulled her body to his.
“
But old enough to please you in every way.
”

Alicia blushed and shifted her focus to take in the cityscape images along the wall.

Dallas brushed his lips across her earlobe.
“
The sound of your voice, the feel of your skin, your taste, your touch. There
’
s a strength about you that
’
s sexy. Class, elegance, warmth—that
’
s just a part of who you are. I want to know more. I need to know more.
”
He splayed a hand across her belly and pressed his growing erection into the swell of her buttocks.
“
I couldn
’
t let you leave even if I wanted to.
”

She locked gazes with him in the mirror. Her eyebrows drew together in a stern line.

“
This cannot be a good idea,
”
she finally whispered.
“
Why get married at all if you
’
re going to sleep with other people?
”

“
Tori said it best. Everyone gets a little of what they want.
”

“
And a lot of what they don
’
t want,
”
Alicia countered.

“
It may end up that way, but while I
’
ll never let you go, I don
’
t want to leave Tori if this is what she really wants.
She
’
s always been there for me when it counted. My mother
’
s illness, the court battles with all of those women, when I was taking a beating in the press. Every single time she
’
s had my back.
And if I marry her, I will be able to have kids and take that issue off the table with us.
”
He paused, turned her around and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“
But the bottom line remains, it
’
s you that I want. That I
need.
I owe her. I love you.
”

“
Do you hear how you sound?
”
Alicia said.
“
Like some spoiled man who wants it all.
”

Dallas
’
chest heaved.
“
Fine. Then, I choose you.
”

Alicia shook her head as she fought back her tears.
“
I can
’
t do that to Tori.
”

Dallas eased toward her.
“
Exactly.
”
He lifted her chin.
“
I don
’
t want to hurt Tori, either.
So, I
’
m going to give her what she wants, the marriage, the fortune, the family. But I want to be happy, too.
”
He stroked her hair, then took her hands.
“
You make me happy.
”

Alicia looked down at their hands joined together and shook her head.

“
Tell me you don
’
t want me,
”
Dallas said.

He nipped her earlobe, causing her to first melt, then stiffen. She struggled to get out of his grasp and then, she put some distance between them.
“
Dallas, we
’
re done,
”
she said, holding her hands in front of her to keep him at bay.
“
I
’
m not doing this.
”

Dallas was on her in the time it took to blink. He pinned her to the wall, placing a bruising kiss on her lips. She steeled herself for what was coming at first, but was trembling with the need for him when he was done. Her face darkened with anger as she glared up at him, but her body had told him everything he needed to know. Silenced hummed for a few moments.

“
We
’
re done?
”
He was unable to conceal his satisfied smile.
“
Are you sure about that?
”

Alicia looked away, but his fingers on her chin turned her to face him again.

“
Shall I show you how far from over we really are?
”

Dallas gripped her waist to hold her in place as he lowered his free hand to her hemline and raised the dress to the top of her thighs. He journeyed upward into the silk panties. Color flushed her cheeks the moment his hand cupped her moistened mound, that telltale sign of her needs betraying her.

He slipped in a single digit, dampening his fingers in her liquid heat. She gasped at the intrusion and barely had time respond to his rhythm. When he removed his finger, he tasted her sweetness, drawing it from his finger while she watched him, her lips parted in wanton expectation.

“
I love you,
”
he said again, as if that was the seal on the deal.
“
So, let
’
s go up and talk to Tori.
”

She lowered her head and hurried to the bathroom, the set of her shoulders radiating shame and defeat.
God help her, but she wanted to do this.
But how?
How could she do this to her niece?

Five minutes later, he found her at the sink, her hands still gripping the vanity to brace herself.

Dallas turned her toward him, and she struggled to keep back her tears.
In her eyes, her saw her vulnerability and the depths of her sensitivities felled him. Sobs tore through her, and she hugged her arms about her body. Dallas knew the reason for her pain—a pain that existed because she was torn about loving him and hurting the woman she considered her daughter.

“
What do you want, baby?
”
he whispered into her ear.
“
Do you really want me to end this with you?
”

When she remained silent, Dallas lifted her chin so that once again, she had to look at him.
“
Say the word, Alicia. I don
’
t ever want you to be this unhappy.
”

Still she wouldn
’
t speak, her sullen expression saying that she was working up the courage to tell him to walk out that door and never see her again.

“
What about Tori?
”
she asked.

“
What about you?
“
Twenty-three years in an unhappy marriage,
”
Dallas said.
“
Where
’
s
your
reward? Where
’
s
your
happy ending?
”