He’d let her push him away, tell him she had issues, but if they wanted a relationship, something real, he needed answers. And she needed to decide whether or not he was worth the risk.
Chapter Six
Following the afternoon at the pool, she and Dylan headed up to the room. She decided to lie down and take a short nap, while he opted to take a quick shower and go explore the resort and check on some things for later in the week.
Once he walked out, she opened her eyes. She hadn’t been able to sleep, but she wasn’t in the mood for either conversation or his curious looks. She’d had a freak reaction to the little boy at the pool, and now she felt ridiculous. Especially since she seemed to have these reactions around Dylan. Apparently, being with him evoked deep feelings and poked at old wounds.
She stared at the ceiling and replayed the incident. The splashing reminded her of her siblings. They’d never been able to behave on vacations their mom took them on, and really, there were too many of them for her to corral everyone into submission alone. Her dad had rarely joined them. In fact, she could barely remember a family vacation that had included him. But her mom had always been able to count on Ian.
As the oldest and the one with the biggest sense of responsibility, he’d always played the man of the house. From too young an age. Another thing that was her father’s fault. But thanks to her mom, who loved them and made sure they had as normal a childhood as possible, and thanks to Ian, who did act like the father figure, they hadn’t grown up like heathens, she thought, grinning.
But she quickly sobered when she remembered that moment in the pool when she’d glanced at the young mom with a toddler, now in her arms. Olivia’s thoughts had turned to herself and her baby. The one she’d lost.
She pulled herself out of the bed, grabbed a sundress, a bra, and panties, and headed for the shower. Though she’d brought her toiletries from home, she liked the fresh scent of the shampoo and conditioner this luxury hotel provided. She lathered up with the matching body wash and rinsed off the sunscreen from today.
She wished her thoughts were on Dylan and how his erection had pulsed against her sex while underneath the water earlier, but instead, she was focused on how she kept pushing him away. He’d wanted to know what was bothering her when she’d fled the pool, and she knew it was time to tell him. She couldn’t keep giving him half stories and asking him to wait. But she also didn’t know if she had the nerve to dig into that time of her life.
After shaving her legs, lathering up with the shampoo, and using the thick conditioner on her hair, she rinsed and stepped from the shower. Next time something came up between them or the time was right, she wouldn’t run. She’d talk. She didn’t doubt he’d listen or understand. That wasn’t her fear.
She feared that after she unloaded all her deepest pain, nothing would change inside her. That she’d still be afraid to move forward. Alone or with Dylan.
* * *
Dylan didn’t return to the room until much later. She hadn’t asked where he’d been, respecting his need for privacy. If they hadn’t been forced to share a room, she wouldn’t know what he did with his time until they met up for dinner. She read a book on the terrace and enjoyed the beauty of the mountain view.
After he returned, he pulled clothing out of the drawers and closet and changed for dinner while she put finishing touches on her makeup.
A few minutes later, he walked out of the changing area, looking handsome in a pair of khaki pants and a pale blue tee shirt. “Ready for dinner?”
She strode over and placed her hands on his waist, determined to bridge the distance she kept inadvertently putting between them. “I am.”
He tipped his head and brushed his lips over hers. “Good. Because you’re going to love this setup.”
“I can’t wait.”
He clasped her hand, and they headed out of the room. This time, he directed them toward the Oasis pool, an adults-only area. Beneath the darkening sky, the sun had begun to set, lighting the mountain with an orange glow.
They approached the pool area, where tents with white tops and gauzy curtains gave each person complete privacy, even more, she assumed, when darkness set in. A tingle of excitement and awareness trickled through her, knowing she and Dylan would be alone behind the sheathed walls.
He led her to a cabana in the far corner. No one seemed to be in the one next to them.
“This is it.” He pushed back the curtain, and she stepped into an area dimly lit wi
th lanterns. A long sofa gave them a place to sit in front of a low table set with an array of tapas and finger foods.
She stepped into their own private world and sighed at how intimate and perfect the setting was. “Dylan, you went all out.”
“Only the best for you,” he said in a husky voice. To her surprise, he pulled on a cord and released the sheeting that dropped down, covering the entry. “Complete privacy. I’ve instructed we not be disturbed.”
They were alone in their own little world.
“Have a seat,” he said with a sweep of his hand toward the lounger.
She lowered herself onto the sofa and crossed her legs beneath her.
He seated himself beside her, his leg touching hers.
“Hungry?” he asked.