When I Say Yes (Necklace Trilogy 3)

I bury my face in his shoulder. He wraps his arm around my waist, thrusting again, a low, rough, aroused sound sliding from his lips as he quakes beneath me.

Clinging to him, I’m panting and he’s panting as we collapse into each other, our bodies intimately close. As time comes back to me, my mind begins to replay all that happened today and I want him to know everything, and I want him to know now. “I went to see Tyler,” I say, and when I would push back to look at him, he has already reacted.

“Do not say that man’s name while I’m inside you, Allie.” He rolls me to my back, reaches to the end table, and hands me a tissue.

“Dash.”

“I’m serious, Allie. Bad fucking timing. Take it,” he says of the tissue.

He’s angry and I feel horrible. He’s right. I just really blew a special moment I was trying to make more special, but he’s being ultra-sensitive about Tyler as well. I quickly grab the tissue, and stuff it between my legs the best I can. He’s already moving off of me, sitting up and I sit up, too, but I take it one step further. I slide off the couch to my knees in front of him. “Sorry. That was the wrong thing to start with. I was going to say—well, let me backtrack completely. Today I realized that you never asked me to leave New York or my job for you. You were willing to go there for me. I’m leaving because it’s what I want. I’m not going to ask you to leave Nashville for me, even part of the time.”

“I would do anything for you, Allie. You know that.”

Relief washes over me at that remark that says he’s mad, but still present. “Yes,” I say. “I do know. And that you would means the world to me. So back to what I was trying to tell you and did so badly. Tyler said I need to be in or out, with my job and you. That wasn’t bad advice. He was right about that, Dash, but you know my response. I said to him, I’m all in with Dash. I’m all in and I want you to know that. Home is with you.”

He softens his shoulders, his expression, his voice, but I hold up a hand. “Listen, please. I called Mark today. He offered to let me stay on as a contract scout. I told Tyler he either lets me work for Riptide or I won’t work for Hawk Legal anymore at all. He agreed to let me stay on as a member of Riptide. I’m not sure after today how much working at home I can do for this tightly scheduled auction, but after this auction, things change. I’m going to try and make that be a remote job, working from home or with you wherever we need to travel, if you want me to travel with you,” I add quickly.

Dash lifts me back onto his lap, straddling me, his hand pressed between my shoulder blades. “I always want you with me, but are you sure this is what you want?”

“Very, very sure. I’m sorry I said Tyler’s name. I was just excited to tell you everything and for once he said something that felt right.”

“I overreacted. I’m sorry for that and I’m sorry for a lot of things, baby. Everything in New York. That night here. Hell yes, travel with me. Stay with me.”

“That means the good, bad, and ugly, Dash.”

“I know that, baby. I’m all in, just like you, but I don’t promise you I won’t want to fight. I just promise you, this time, I’ll choose you.”

And for the first time, I believe I’ve seen enough for him to let me see the worst. When the time is right, and there will be a right time, we’ll ride out the storm together.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

The next day I meet Millie Roberts from the charity for coffee at her office to discuss the guestlist for the auction, invitations, and much more. It’s near noon when I arrive at the office and as William Shakespeare said, “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” I feel late today, anxious to get things moving.

“Oh my God, Allie,” is how Katie greets me, and does so looking adorable in a polka-dotted blouse and a flared skirt. “The donations keep coming in but we don’t have time to validate them.”

“November fifteenth is the cutoff date for this year,” I say, finally sitting down behind my desk for the first time today, “and even that’s pushing it,” I add. “Let them know that I’ll now be handling year-round auctions for the charity or otherwise. I can personally call everyone who needs one-on-one attention, but try and get me as many details as you can on what they’re looking to auction.”