Open Door Marriage (7 page)

Chapter 7

9:47 p.m.

“
I had a lot on my mind,
”
Alicia answered, lowering her gaze to her glass.

Dallas hesitated, then slid into a chair across from her and swept a look across her body that sent the ripple of warmth through her that the drink had failed to provide.

“
One question,
”
he said softly.

Her eyes locked on his.

“
Why did you leave me that way?
”
he asked.

Once again, she found an interest in the glass she held.
“
You wanted more than I could give you.
”

“
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
”

“
Dallas, it was a fantasy,
”
she said.
“
You wanted marriage. You wanted children. I can
’
t give you that.
”

“
Can
’
t or won
’
t,
”
he gently said.

“
I
’
m almost twice your age,
”
she shot back, crossing one leg over the other. She quickly wished she hadn
’
t. His leather coat inched open, exposing her thighs. She draped the bottom of the coat over them and sat her hands on her knees to keep it in place.
“
I knew what you wanted. I know my limitations.
”

Dallas signaled for the barmaid.
“
So you just left. Didn
’
t think about talking to me about it or—
”

“
What purpose would that have served?
”
she asked, taking a long sip. He adjusted his long legs for comfort and her gaze lingered on his powerful thighs.
“
It was only supposed to be dinner, Dallas. Then you made it something more. What we had was wonderful, but it couldn
’
t be more than that. Marriage? To me?
”
She shook her head.

The barmaid stepped into the space between them. Dallas took a quick look at her nametag.
“
Jane, I
’
ll have whatever she
’
s having.
”
Then he frowned at the dark amber liquid in Alicia
’
s glass.
“
By the way, what
is
she having?

Jane gave him a toothy grin.
“
Three wise men and their bastard cousin.
”

Dallas slowly shifted his gaze to Alicia, who answered,
“
Jack, Jim, Johnnie, and José.
”

He gave a low, throaty chuckle and leaned back in the seat.
“
You were just waiting for me to come down so I could carry you back to your room.
”

Alicia ignored Jane
’
s grin and Dallas
’
comment by lifting her glass in mock salute and taking another sip. Her husband used to make a similar reference to her choice of liquor. Patrick always said that after one glass, he could have his way with her. That was never the case, though. Not that her much older husband hadn
’
t wanted to, he just couldn
’
t. Unfortunate for him. Even more unfortunate for her.

“
I
’
ll be back with your drink in a sec,
”
Jane said.

When the leggy woman walked away, Alicia stared out at the courtyard of snow-covered trees and glistening stone walkways that twinkled under the bright outdoor lighting.

He mumbled,
“
Never thought I
’
d be spending Thanksgiving in a place like this.
”

She heard the sadness in his tone, and it certainly matched what she felt at the moment. Facing him, she said,
“
That makes two of us.
”
She raised her glass and it was almost to her lips when she asked,
“
Where
’
s Tori?
”

“
It
’
s over,
”
he said simply.
“
We ended it tonight.
”

“
Oh, God, no!
”

Dallas took the glass from her trembling fingers and placed it on the mirrored table between them.

“
You couldn
’
t work it out?
”
she asked, locking a steely gaze on him as he accepted the glass Jane held out to him. Jane looked at Alicia with one penciled eyebrow raised. Alicia nodded that she was all right and Jane sauntered away, but looked over her shoulder one last time for good measure.

Dallas cupped his hand over hers.
“
There are too many issues between us. And would you marry a man if his heart belonged to someone else?
”

She hesitated.
“
Who has your heart?
”
she asked.

His left eyebrow quirked.
“
One guess.
”

Alicia inched her hand from under his and retrieved her drink.
“
You didn
’
t tell her that, right? You wouldn
’
t be that cruel?
”

“
I wasn
’
t trying to be cruel. I promised to tell her the truth,
”
he answered in a tone that showed his irritation, probably more with himself than with her, since in the three months they were together, he rarely got upset. His eyes swept across her face, then traveled down the smooth lines of her body.
“
I didn
’
t give her a blow by blow, I just told her that I wanted you. Bottom line.
I wasn
’
t trying to hurt Tori,
”
he said,
“
but seeing you . . . feeling you, proved a point that I was coming here to make anyway.
”

“
And what point was that?
”

“
That she is not the one.
”
He stared as if he was looking through to her soul.

Alicia closed her eyes, and then opened them, studying his features as though for the first time. She had fallen for tall, dark and handsome when everyone else was into short, suntanned, and sensational. And Dallas was definitely tall, milk chocolate
—
and a rugged kind of handsome. And he was built like a stallion, primed and ready to ride.

She pressed her thighs together trying to quell her desire for him, while at the same time she thanked God that they had come to their senses before something actually happened tonight.
She couldn
’
t afford to fall for him all over again. Leaving him had been the hardest thing she
’
d ever had to do and she couldn
’
t imagine going through that again.

“
I
’
m not the one for you,
”
she said, knowing her words were inadequate, but hoping they would be enough to send him back to her niece.

He looked at her as if he couldn
’
t believe what she
’
d just said.
“
Really?
You must
’
ve forgotten how we were together. You must
’
ve forgotten our connection.
”

She spoke before she thought.
“
I
’
m not likely to forget the man who gave me my first orgasm.
”

Dallas nearly choked on his drink and Alicia smiled as she leaned across to give his back a hearty pat.
He gained his composure, but his eyes were still filled with shock.

She gave him a small nod, then explained,
“
My husband, God rest his soul, was a little short in that area.
He was a lot older than me.
Twenty-five years, to be exact.
”

“
Wow.
You didn
’
t tell me that part, you only said you were married for a long time.
”

“
Twenty-three years.
”

“
And you stayed with him all that time? Even though he didn
’
t satisfy you?
”

“
There
’
s more to marriage than sex,
”
she replied.
“
He was my grandparents
’
attorney, and we fell in love.
He was a decent provider, and he really cared for me.
”

Dallas nodded, though his confused expression said he clearly didn
’
t understand.

Alicia shrugged, though she kept the rest of her memories about her husband to herself.
There was no need to share the other side of Patrick, a miserable man who wavered between insecurities about his inability to perform in bed and asserting himself as a man. Because of his stubbornness and desire to control every situation, she
’
d lost any chance of having the child she desired when he told her that he wasn
’
t going to go through with any of the fertility treatments that he
’
d promised
—
all because she
’
d come home with Tori.

When Dallas looked at her over the rim of his tumbler and gave her a smile that was filled with a world of mystery, Alicia forgot about all thoughts of her dead husband.
Dallas put the glass to his lips, and in that instant she remembered feeling his lips when he
’
d given her breasts his expert attention. Fire spread through her body, and she had to close her eyes, trying to bring herself back on point.

“
So the first time when we made love … that was really your first orgasm?
”

“
Careful, your ego is showing,
”
she teased.

The smile slowly faded from his face.
“
I thought I missed you before, but seeing you again, what I feel right now is stronger than it was a few years ago.
”
He stood, pulled out his wallet and placed sixty dollars on the table.
“
I
’
m going to the front desk; will the weekend be long enough for you?
”
he asked, his brow creased with worry.
“
If you need to extend your stay, I
’
ll—
”

She waved off his concern with a dismissive hand.
“
No need. I
’
ll work on finding another place by Monday. Maybe an apartment until I can get another house since I don
’
t have the strength to fight my brother and his psychotic wife.
”

Dallas removed the drink from her hand and placed it on the table.
“
You
’
ve had enough for tonight,
”
he whispered, holding her gaze for a long moment.

“
I needed something that could numb the parts of me that hurt,
”
she answered.

Dallas reached into his wallet and held out his business card. When she grasped it, he placed his hand over hers, sending a jolt right through her.

“
I know the timing may be off, but this isn
’
t over. I
’
m not letting you get away again. I
’
ll let you rest tonight, but here
’
s my new cell. If you need anything before morning,
”
Dallas whispered, tightening his hold on her hand.

Alicia parted her lips to speak, but was interrupted.

“
Well, it seems that you two get along real well,
”
Tori said dryly, eyeing their clasped hands.
“
I guess this is where people come to drown their sorrows or to relive pleasant memories.
”
She scanned the area, then settled on the seat Dallas had vacated across from Alicia.
“
You don
’
t mind if I join you, right?
”