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? ”
“ Not at the expense of another woman ’ s pain! My niece ’ s pain! ”
“ Alicia, at least be willing to talk about this. If you still feel the same way after … ” H is voice trailed off because the thought of being without her made his heart tighten the way it had when she ’ d disappeared before. He began again. “ If you feel this way after the three of us talk, then we ’ ll revisit what we should do. All right? ”
He didn ’ t wait for her to answer. Dallas grabbed a towel from the rack and pressed it to her face to stem the flow of her tears.
She lowered her gaze then closed her eyes completely.
“ I love you, Alicia, ” he whispered. “ So please, let ’ s go talk about it. And if we can make this work for everyone. ” He paused. “ There ’ ll be no more talk of you leaving me. All right? ”
Dallas waited several spells before Alicia moved into his arms. He held her close, relishing the sweet feel of her embrace.
One half of his battle was over.
Chapter 14
10:58 a.m.
Thirty minutes later, a portly driver extended his hand to help Alicia from a black sedan. A sudden squeal of tires made her head snap around. The yellow cab tearing down Harper Avenue came to a screeching halt right behind them. She thought it might be Dallas, who was probably angry that she had given him the slip and left the hotel. “ I ’ ll come to Tori ’ s suite in ten minutes, ” she had told him, knowing she wasn ’ t going to go at all. One of them had to show a little common sense.
But it was Tori who jumped out of the back of the cab, tossed some bills to the driver, then broke into an all-out sprint, aiming toward Alicia. “ Wait! ”
Alicia stepped around her niece, knocked the snow from the boots Dallas had bought for her, and walked into the house with Tori fast on her heels.
James looked up from the Chicago Sun-Times he was reading and Bernice froze midway across the threshold between the kitchen and dining room. She almost dropped the plate of leftovers she carried.
Alicia made it to the second floor landing, then paused and looked down at her niece, who stood at the bottom of the stairs. Tori wasn ’ t wearing the same dark slacks and silk blouse as she had been wearing the day before. Evidently, Dallas had made sure both women had what they needed.
“ Give me a few minutes, Tori. Then we ’ ll talk. ”
“
“ 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? ”
“ Not at the expense of another woman ’ s pain! My niece ’ s pain! ”
“ Alicia, at least be willing to talk about this. If you still feel the same way after … ” H is voice trailed off because the thought of being without her made his heart tighten the way it had when she ’ d disappeared before. He began again. “ If you feel this way after the three of us talk, then we ’ ll revisit what we should do. All right? ”
He didn ’ t wait for her to answer. Dallas grabbed a towel from the rack and pressed it to her face to stem the flow of her tears.
She lowered her gaze then closed her eyes completely.
“ I love you, Alicia, ” he whispered. “ So please, let ’ s go talk about it. And if we can make this work for everyone. ” He paused. “ There ’ ll be no more talk of you leaving me. All right? ”
Dallas waited several spells before Alicia moved into his arms. He held her close, relishing the sweet feel of her embrace.
One half of his battle was over.
Chapter 14
10:58 a.m.
Thirty minutes later, a portly driver extended his hand to help Alicia from a black sedan. A sudden squeal of tires made her head snap around. The yellow cab tearing down Harper Avenue came to a screeching halt right behind them. She thought it might be Dallas, who was probably angry that she had given him the slip and left the hotel. “ I ’ ll come to Tori ’ s suite in ten minutes, ” she had told him, knowing she wasn ’ t going to go at all. One of them had to show a little common sense.
But it was Tori who jumped out of the back of the cab, tossed some bills to the driver, then broke into an all-out sprint, aiming toward Alicia. “ Wait! ”
Alicia stepped around her niece, knocked the snow from the boots Dallas had bought for her, and walked into the house with Tori fast on her heels.
James looked up from the Chicago Sun-Times he was reading and Bernice froze midway across the threshold between the kitchen and dining room. She almost dropped the plate of leftovers she carried.
Alicia made it to the second floor landing, then paused and looked down at her niece, who stood at the bottom of the stairs. Tori wasn ’ t wearing the same dark slacks and silk blouse as she had been wearing the day before. Evidently, Dallas had made sure both women had what they needed.
“ Give me a few minutes, Tori. Then we ’ ll talk. ”
“
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