Open Door Marriage (15 page)

Dallas shook his head like he had no intention of accepting her words.
But he moved from Alicia, and joined Tori on the sofa. He placed his hand on her shoulder.
“
Before today, I didn
’
t really know there was a difference between
love
and
in love
. And now that I know, I
’
m telling you that you have to believe there
’
s some man out there who will feel the same way about you as I feel about Alicia.
”

Tori shook off his hand, glaring up at him as she snarled,
“
So, I guess this means that you
’
re going to adopt children, right!
”
Her gaze went first to Alicia and back to Dallas.
“
Because her eggs are old enough to scramble their damn selves!!
”

Alicia made tracks toward the door, her hands curled into tight fists.

Tori smiled.

Dallas growled,
“
Apologize right now, Tori. If she walks because of this, you can bet that—
”

Alicia whirled to face him.
“
Don
’
t use me to keep her in line.
”

“
That
’
s not what I
’
m doing!
”

“
Bullshit,
”
Alicia snapped.

Dallas winced at the venom in just that one word.
“
I heard you, Dallas. You
’
re using the threat of being with just me as some sort of tool to control her behavior.
”

“
I apologize,
”
he said, instantly contrite.
“
I
’
ve gone about this all wrong.
”
He paused long enough to sigh, then added,
“
Everybody
’
s saying what they want, so I
’
m going to give you my bottom line. I want you and I want to explore these feelings we have for each other,
”
he said to Alicia. Then he shifted his focus to Tori, who was glaring at her aunt.
“
I need Tori because I do love her. And she
’
ll marry me and give me children. The only one talking about walking is you, and you already know I can
’
t let you go.
”
Dallas pressed a kiss to Alicia
’
s temple and heard Tori
’
s sigh of displeasure. He held his hand out for Tori to come to him, and after a few moments, she did. He kissed her, too, which seemed to pacify her for the moment.

“
No marriage? No children?
”
he asked Alicia, who shook her head and he couldn
’
t help the sense of disappointment that filled him.
“
Then this is the best scenario. I want marriage, I want children and I want you. So?
”

Alicia was thoughtful for a moment.
She looked up at him.
“
We live in separate places.
”

“
I told you why that won
’
t work,
”
Tori countered, taking his other hand.
“
At least try my suggestion before you rule it out.
”

A dark shadow shimmered in the depths of Alicia
’
s eyes and Dallas braced himself for what she was about to say.

“
Since Tori has to share you,
”
Alicia said,
“
does she get to take on lovers as well?
”

Dallas felt the shock build within him before he could tamper it down.

Tori
’
s eyebrow went up, as though warming to the idea. But that wasn
’
t as disconcerting to Dallas as the smile that spread across Alicia
’
s lips. The question was a set-up for what she really wanted to ask about having lovers as well.

Yes, indeed. Game recognized game.

“
I won
’
t like it,
”
he said in the mildest tone he could manage,
“
but if she insists …
”
He let the rest of the answer hang and leveled a stony glare at Alicia.

Dallas couldn
’
t say what he wanted to say. He wouldn
’
t share Alicia with anyone. When they were alone, he would tell her that. He wanted so bad to verbalize that right now. But doing so would just be another dagger in Tori
’
s heart.

“
So that means she won
’
t be sneaking off to India any time soon?
”
Tori asked.

Dallas
’
eyes widened.
“
You were going to leave the country?
”
he asked.
“
Even after…
”

She leveled an icy look at him that spoke to the fact that she wasn
’
t the least bit apologetic for her actions. And it also spoke to the fact that given the chance, Alicia would do it again.

Chapter 17

12:27 p.m.

Dallas peered at Alicia more closely, trying to clear his vision. He gripped her arms and lifted Alicia so they were eye to eye.
“
I would come for you. No matter where you go, I
’
m going to find you.
You know that, right?
”

The small smile on Tori
’
s face vanished the moment Dallas brought Alicia against his chest and held onto her as though even an inch apart was too much.

“
Separate houses,
”
Alicia said after a while had passed.
“
And that
’
s my final answer.
”

“
Fine!
”
Tori threw up her hands.
“
That will be the end result, but for now you
’
ll live with us.
”

Dallas studied Tori for a long while, analyzing the myriad of expressions that she tried to hide.
“
One last time, Tori.
This thing between me and Alicia is not going to end.
So, if you
want
to get out of it now
...
.
”

“
You know what I think?
”
Tori snarled, a single hand riding up on her hip.

Tori
’
s tone made Alicia walk away, turn back to the window.

“
I think your dick
’
s doing a lot of your thinking right now,
”
Tori said.
“
I think once you
’
ve had a few more times with her and the novelty wears off, then you
’
ll realize she isn
’
t so special. She
’
s not going to marry you. She
’
s not going to have your children. So what purpose does she serve other than being someone you can stick your dick into?
”

Alicia stiffened, but Tori kept going.
“
Until we walk down that aisle, she
’
s like the number zero. She
’
s just a placeholder until the real thing comes along.
”

“
Tori,
”
Alicia said, staring at Tori as though seeing her niece for the first time.
“
You keep attacking me like this and you
’
ll see just how gentle I
’
ve been with your mother.
”

Tori did a little hop and hurried from the suite.

* * *

Dallas booked a flight to Texas for Alicia and changed the existing reservations for Tori and himself.
When he hung up from the call, he turned to Alicia.

She said,
“
I need to cancel my flight,
”
she whispered, then froze as though realizing that she shouldn
’
t have brought that subject up.

“
Yes, about that,
”
he said, taking the opening she had reluctantly provided.
“
You were running again, and you weren
’
t even going to say goodbye. Just like last time. Why would you do that to me knowing how I feel about you?
”

“
Because none of this makes any damn sense,
”
she replied, moving back toward the bed.
“
I feel like I
’
m all over the place. I want to be the old me again, where everything was predictable. Normal.
”

“
There
’
s no such thing as normal for us anymore.
”
Dallas gathered her into his arms and placed a kiss on her lips.
“
Are you saying that you wish that we had never shared those moments? Would you have rather lived your life without knowing what real pleasure feels like? What love can feel like?
”

Alicia closed her eyes, and he could only hope she was reliving their time together because those moments walked through his mind more often than he could control.

Dallas lowered his hand to her buttocks, pulled her close and buried his head in the soft curve of her shoulder. Then he trailed his lips up to her ear and whispered,
“
Do you want me to tell you all the reasons I need you?
”

Her eyelids fluttered until they closed, and he continued.
“
Do you want me to bare my soul to get you to understand?
”
Dallas kissed the vein pulsing at the base of her neck, then the smooth skin along her cheek.
“
I meant it when I said I love you.
”
He continued until his lips were at hers.
“
Stay with me. Let me show you how much I care.
”
Then he took the tip of her earlobe between his lips and teased her.
“
I
’
ll take you to India some other time. I promise.
”

Slowly, her arms wrapped around him.
“
Do you know what you
’
re doing, Dallas?
”

“
What do you mean?
”

“
You
’
re accusing Tori of biding her time, but you
’
re biding your time, too.
”

Dallas pulled away.
“
What makes you say that that?
”

“
You don
’
t even try to filter your affection for me when you
’
re in front of her. You think that her seeing us together will be the thing that will make her finally give up.
”

He looked away, and she added,
“
You
’
re going to hurt her into leaving you. And that
’
s not fair. A clean break
—
a
real
clean break, not this wishy-washy bullshit you
’
re doing today
—
would be better all the way around. You
’
re being selfish, Dallas.
”

“
And I
’
m not the only one.
”

Her hands slowly fell by her side.

“
I saw the look you gave Tori when she asked you that question.
”
Dallas watched her expressions, and a slight tint of red flushed her honeyed cheeks.
“
You
do
want me all to yourself.
”

Alicia remained silent for a long time, and she let out a long slow breath.
“
And I feel so bad about that. What
’
s wrong with me? Why can
’
t I think straight when it comes to you?
”

“
Because you
’
re falling
in
love with me.
”
He pushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
“
I can
’
t say the same for Tori. She
’
s not in love with me and she knows that while I love her, I
’
m not in love with her.
”

He kissed her. She tried to resist at first, but soon melted under his touch.
“
Everything that is wonderful about a woman, I see in you,
”
he whispered into her ear.
“
I feel comfort, pleasure. I love bringing out your sensuous side. Watching you submit to me is a powerful thing. It
’
s addictive.
”

Alicia pulled back and glared at him.
“
I
’
m not submissive!
”

Dallas chuckled and tried to guide her back into his arms.

She pushed him away.
“
I
’
m. Not. Weak!
”

He peered at her and realized, this was no laughing matter. That word truly upset her, so he conceded,
“
All right. You
’
re not submissive.
”
Before she protested more, he added,
“
Come on, let
’
s get out of here.
Let
’
s just give this a try and see how it works out. All right?
”

After a moment she nodded.
“
I
’
ll be down in a minute.
”

“
I
’
m not falling for that a second time,
”
he shot back.

“
Dallas, please, give me a moment to be alone and absorb all of this before I step into that madness.
Because it
’
s not just Tori who has to compromise. I had my own plans. I had my own life before you penciled yourself in.
”

Dallas peered at her for a long while, then grabbed her purse and luggage and carted them off, looking at her over his shoulder.

Alicia released a long, slow breath and turned her back to him. His heart skipped a beat when she leaned forward to rest her forehead on the window. He could feel how heavily this weighed on her. But until Alicia changed her mind and decided to marry him, this was the way things would have to be.