Dare to Touch (Dare to Love 3)

“Okay.”

He led them to Meg’s room and pushed the curtain aside. Meg’s eyes opened at the sound. “Hey. I have someone I want you to talk to. Do you think you’re up to it?” he asked.

Meg narrowed her gaze. “Who is it?”

“Olivia’s brother Scott is a police officer,” he said, bracing himself for her anger.

“Dylan!”

“Just let him explain your options. That’s all I ask. What you do after that is up to you.”

She leaned her head back on the stretcher the hospital called a bed. “Fine.”

He turned and gestured for the other man to join him.

Scott pushed past the curtain and looked at Meg. If Dylan hadn’t been watching the other man at the time, he’d have missed the complete look of interest on his face.

Meg, too, looked interested and perked up upon seeing the good-looking man.

“We’re going to leave you two to talk,” Dylan said. “Meg, you get some sleep. I’ll come back in the morning to check on you. Let me know when they decide to discharge you. I’ll pick you up and get you home.”

He grasped Olivia’s hand and tugged, leading her out of the room so they could have some time alone.

* * *

To Dylan’s surprise, Olivia didn’t argue when he told her he was driving them back to his place. She seemed more relaxed than he’d expected, and he figured he’d wait until they were in his apartment before bringing up the similarities between her past and Meg’s present. And have yet another conversation that would, in all probability, go nowhere.

“Did you notice that Meg took one look at my brother and she was a goner?” she asked as he drove.

“I noticed the same thing about Scott. If that’s the case, the man’s going to have his hands full.”

Olivia laughed. “Who knows? Meg is pregnant with a problem ex. She’s probably not looking for anything with any man.”

“Not to mention, Meg is drawn to bad boys. Not sure Scott fits the bill.”

Olivia curled into her seat. “Meg needs a decent guy, and that’s Scott. Assuming he’s even into her.”

“Why are we talking about a relationship between two people who don’t even know each other?” Dylan muttered. Besides the obvious reason, that it was easier than discussing the unexpected turn their night had taken and the memories it must have dredged up for Olivia.

He pulled into the parking lot by his building and came around to her side of the car. “Want to walk on the beach?”

She glanced at him, surprised. “Sure.”

They headed across the lot and around the back of the building, strolling down the long sidewalk before reaching the private entrance to the beach. Warm, humid air blew around them, something Dylan was more than used to from living in Florida for his entire life.

Olivia seemed entirely too calm and peaceful, which, in turn, amped up his nerves.

“Want to leave our shoes here?” she asked just as they were about to step on the sand.

“Works for me.”

She pulled off the sandals she’d worn to the concert and rolled up her jeans to mid-calf, and he followed her lead. They walked down the empty beach, the sand soft on his feet. He wanted to be relaxed, but he wasn’t. First there was Meg, a woman he considered family, lying in a hospital bed, hoping to hold on to a baby she wanted, with an ex-boyfriend out there somewhere who’d hurt her.

Just like the night with Wendell, Meg’s situation had reinforced for Dylan what was important in life. Family and having someone you could count on beside you. Those were the things that mattered. Meanwhile, Dylan walked alongside Olivia, a woman he wanted for his future … but she wasn’t willing. And though he’d been telling himself he could hold out until she came around, he was growing more frustrated and tired by the day.

Olivia slipped her hand inside his, and instead of the contentment he usually found, his annoyance and anger grew. What more did he have to do to show her how he felt? What else did she need him to give her?

“Are you okay?” she asked at last.