Military Romance Collection: Contemporary Soldier Alpha Male Romance (48 page)

Chapter 11

When Billie’s alarm went off, Dalton woke up disoriented. He didn’t remember setting an alarm. But then Billie stirred, and her scent hit him. And last night’s poor decisions came rushing back.

Damn.

She stretched beside him and threw the covers off, rolling to sit on the edge of the bed. He took a moment to admire her smooth back and her narrow waist, and then he buried his face in the pillows. He should have gone home, or at least to an empty room. Then again, with the fashion show, there weren’t any empty rooms.

It didn’t matter. He could have slept in his office. On the floor. Anything would have been better than staying the night in Billie’s bed, curled up with her all night. Anything would have kept him from knowing for certain how good it would feel and how nice it would be to wake up with her.

“Are you awake?” she whispered.

Dalton considered pretending he wasn’t, but he couldn’t do it. Turning his head so the pillow wouldn’t muffle his words too much, he said, “I’m awake. Can you come force me out of bed in about fifteen minutes?”

She laughed softly and ran a hand over his back. “I can do that. I’ll set the coffee to brew. The smell should help, too.” He felt the bed shift as she stood, and he peaked with one eye open, taking in her perfect curves, her flawless skin, and the long, dark hair as it swung behind her, reaching all the way to the swell of her ass. His groin tightened, and he closed his eyes. He couldn’t afford the time it would take – or the pleasure he’d get – from indulging in the luxury of calling her back over for another round of sex. He would have to settle for the one bout last night and put an end to it.

He was already having a hard time thinking about what would happen when she left Vegas.

He told himself to get it together. Billie was just another woman, and he had plenty of those lining up to fill the empty side of his bed. There was nothing so special about Billie Roderick, nothing to make him feel such a sense of awe when he looked at her, such a huge amount of respect for her when she spoke. And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

He told himself it was the sex. Sure, they’d had a good time at the clubhouse, and maybe that added to it, but everything he was feeling had to come from the unusually potent lust he had for her. That was the answer. He forced himself to relax and make use of these last few minutes. He turned into a total bastard when he didn’t have enough sleep, and he couldn’t allow that to happen on a day like today.

But then he heard the water turn on in the bathroom, followed by the sound of it spraying. Billie was taking a shower.

Dalton was instantly hard again. He could picture the beads of water rolling down her body, dripping off her taut nipples, streaming down her spine to pool at the small of her back before running over the swell of her ass. He imagined her turning her face up to the water, running her hands through her hair as she washed it. And then, he imagined pressing her against the wall and taking her again from behind as the hot water poured over both of them.

He shouldn’t take it to that level, but it was like his mind took a downhill path and couldn’t stop with the momentum it built. The more he tried to put aside the fantasy, the more potent it became until he found himself jumping out of bed and stalking into the bathroom.

He wasn’t fast enough. The water cut off as he opened the door, and Billie stood there with a towel wrapped around her. With her hair wet and pulled back from her face, he could see her features even better. And she wasn’t wearing any makeup.

Still, she was so incredibly beautiful and sexy that he groaned inwardly. And when she gave him a knowing smile, Dalton couldn’t help himself. He walked over, rested his hands on her hips, and kissed her with all the passion pent up inside him. He wanted to come together again, and he turned her, pinning her against the wall as he took the kiss up a notch. He put a knee between her thighs, lifting it up to put pressure against her center, and she sighed into his mouth.

But then, she pushed him back a few inches, breaking the kiss. She looked at him with so much heat and longing, Dalton thought she was going to insist they take it back to the bed. Instead, she said, “Not now, Dalton. I won’t be able to stop myself once I start, and if I’m demanding that my crew be in the ballroom at eight, I have to be there a few minutes early if I want to keep their respect.”

Frustrated, Dalton wanted to get angry, feel rejected. But that wasn’t fair. He’d tried at the wrong time, and he had to accept that there were things to be done. In fact, he should just learn to accept the fact that he would never touch her again. It wasn’t his place, and he refused to push for anything else. It would only make it harder for both of them when it was time for Billie to go home.

He nodded and moved past her to jump in the shower. He ran the water cold for a minute, shocking his system awake and killing the erection that still threatened to spring forward. Only when he was satisfied that he’d erased any potential for disaster did he heat the spray and practically scald himself with the heat of the water.

When he finished scrubbing himself, he stepped out to find that Billie had hung a towel up for him. Domestication wasn’t something Dalton had craved. His father had been a free spirit, and he’d managed to tie himself down to one woman. But he drove trucks to fulfill the need to be independent. It gave him time away so he could appreciate what he had.

Dalton considered that having a long distance relationship with Billie after returning to New York wouldn’t have to be difficult, as long as there was communication and visits. Neither of them should have problems buying flights back and forth.

And then he shook his head again, hard, to remove the idea. He really was losing his sanity. Vowing to keep things on a professional level after last night, Dalton knew his ability to let Billie go and move on would get easier if he concentrated on business and not a personal attraction or desire for her. He’d lock those in a box deep inside and toss the key off the Hoover Dam.

He showered quickly, yanked on his shirt and jeans, and rushed out the door, mumbling something about seeing Billie in a few on his way out. By the time he got to his office, he was furious, and he slammed his palm against the wall to release some of the violent rage coursing through him. When that wasn’t enough, he kicked his desk, instantly wishing his boots had steal toes. He cursed in pain, yanking his boots off and throwing them across the room. He did the same with his clothes, and then he threw open the door to the tiny closet and started to dress, nearly ripping his shirt and almost ripping the button of his pants.

He was five minutes early striding through the casino and out to the lobby, and he arrived at the ballroom amidst the throngs of others who would be rehearsing today. He spotted Billie across the room, talking to several of her people and immediately turned away. She didn’t look like she’d missed out on any sleep, and in a casual purple dress, she definitely was enticing. Her skin glowed, and Dalton fisted his hands, trying to focus on something else, anything else.

Catching sight of Brock standing in the far back corner, Dalton took the straightest path to him available. He was tempted to quit, turn in his badge, and go for a very long road trip, just to get away. But there was no way Brock would let him do anything like that without grilling him for an explanation.

“Dalton, how’s it going?” he asked with a smile, shaking his hand. It wasn’t a formality, just more of a habit, and something so normal helped restore a little of Dalton’s inner calm.

“Oh, you know. Crazy busy. I’ve had better days.” It was the truth, minus a few fine details.

“Mmm-hmm,” Brock said, crossing his arms and giving Dalton a teasing smile. Dalton frowned at him, trying to figure out what the hell his friend was going to bug him about. “I heard you had a guest at the clubhouse last night.”

Aw, shit. Word spread through the Cobras like some women’s quilting group. Trying to get out of this before anything came out, Dalton told him, “You told me to do whatever it took to make Ms. Roderick happy. She demanded to know my plans for the evening, and when I told her where I was going, she wanted to go with me. So, I told her she needed to change her clothes, so she did, and I took her. She had a good time, so don’t worry. I didn’t upset our special guest.”

Brock stared at him, eyes dancing with mischief. “Dalton, the valet came to me, looking for you because you said you’d be back in a few minutes for your bike. I calld, and you didn’t answer.” Dalton cursed under his breath. He hadn’t even checked his phone yet today. “And your bike was here all night. I know how to do math, bud, and I can add it all up.”

“Add what up?” Dalton asked gruffly, feeling defensive.

With a short laugh, Brock shook his head. “You can’t lie to me, Dalton. We’ve known each other too long. Why don’t you just come clean and tell me if it was good?”

Dalton averted his eyes and crossed his arms, not knowing what else to do with them. “It was a mistake. That’s what it was. Now, can we drop it?”

Suddenly, Brock grew serious and lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. “You know, sometimes, a mistake changes your life, Dalton. That can be a really bad thing. But sometimes, something you think was a mistake actually turns out the be the best thing that ever happened to you.”

Scoffing, Dalton asked, “You don’t really think there’s anything good that could come out of this, do you?” He took a confrontational stance. “I have no inclination to get into a relationship with anyone, Brock. I like my freedom. But I sure as hell don’t need some domineering woman who lives more than halfway across the country holding me down when I could be enjoying myself with any other woman I want.”

But Brock didn’t back down. He never did, which was why the two of them had been friends for so long. If they had any issues with each other, they fought it out, verbally or physically, and whoever was wrong finally copped to it. They made up and moved on. He told Dalton, “You’re lying to yourself. I watched you at lunch yesterday, and I’ve never seen you look at a woman like that before. There’s something about her that brings out the best in you, and that’s not something to toss casually aside.”

Dalton didn’t like how easily Brock read him, and he especially didn’t like hearing what he was already thinking voiced by someone else. Growing belligerent, he argued, “You’re just jealous, Brock. You tied yourself down, and now you think I should, too, because you can’t stand that I still get to play around. You miss the single life, the freedom to take off when you want, do what you want, sleep with who you want. Well, you can get the hell over it. I’m not doing the same stupid thing and locking myself up when I can enjoy my life by myself.”

He stormed away, and Brock let him go. He didn’t call after him or chase after him. He didn’t argue. And all of that only made Dalton angrier because it meant Brock was convinced of his assessment. The problem was, when Brock had such resolute belief, he was usually right, and this time, Dalton was determined to prove him wrong.

Chapter 12

Billie tried several times to catch up to Dalton, but it seemed like their schedules wouldn’t coordinate. Even during the lunch break, when food was catered into the ballroom for everyone, she couldn’t connect with him. She searched the crowd for several minutes but couldn’t locate him anywhere. When he finally appeared, he was directing the stage crew and talking on the phone at the same time.

She made sure she stood near him so that, as soon as he hung up, she could talk to him, but he left with the phone still at his ear and didn’t return until the rehearsal process had started again. She was starting to think he was purposely avoiding her, but it didn’t really make sense. He’d spent the night with her, after a fun and revealing evening.

And it wasn’t like she’d obligated him to anything further. A part of Billie definitely wanted to explore their feelings for each other and the connection they had, but she was sensitive enough to the hesitancy men like Dalton had at the idea of starting a relationship and had no intention of pushing him into anything. Besides, she’d head back to New York in a few days, and she’d never tried a long distance relationship. She didn’t think that would work out, especially since Dalton was one of those loose and fast guys. He’d get anxious and stirred up, and it would all be over anyway.

That didn’t mean they couldn’t take advantage of every opportunity while she was in town to satisfy each other sexually. Last night had been some of the best sex she’d ever had, and she wouldn’t mind repeating the performance. And considering his physical reaction this morning, Billie didn’t think Dalton would mind, either.

So why hadn’t he spoken a word to her or even acknowledged her since he’d left her room this morning? Throughout the afternoon, Billie kept an eye on him, mostly in her peripherals, and she caught him looking at her several times. But she couldn’t read his expression without looking at him directly, and when she did that, he was always focused on something else.

Frustrated, Billie decided she was going to corner him, no matter what it took. The rehearsals ended at five, giving the hotel crew time to set everything up for the evening, and Billie followed Dalton as he hurried out of the ballroom, hanging back just enough that he didn’t notice her. As she’d expected, he cut through the casino and through the employee door where the offices were. At this point, she wasn’t an employee, but she didn’t think anyone would stop her. She waited long enough for him to get to his office, knowing he would notice her in the quiet corridor if she followed too soon. Then, she slipped through the door and hurried down the hall.

His door was closed, and Billie pretty much expected that, too. But she’d never let a closed door stop her before, and she wasn’t going to be weak about it now. Squaring her shoulders, she rapped on it insistently. “Yeah?” Dalton called from inside, sounding irritated. Or maybe just overwhelmed and tired. She couldn’t quite tell, and she didn’t answer. Instead, she knocked again, and she heard movement.

Dalton yanked the door open and froze when he saw her standing there. Billie put her hands on her hips and demanded, “Have you been avoiding me?”

He shook his head. “I’ve been busy. There’s a lot to do to get ready. Last minute things.”

But his clipped tone and the way his eyes cut away from her as he spoke told her otherwise. And that wasn’t even considering that he hadn’t invited her into his office. “I’ve been busy, too, Dalton, but I could have carved out five minutes for a quick ‘hello’. In fact, I tried several times, and it seems to me that you purposely dodged me every time.”

He ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Look, Billie, let’s not do this right now. We’ve both got a lot of other things on our minds, and we need to focus on the task at hand. Business comes first.”

But Billie stood her ground. “Let’s not do what? Say hello? Sneak in a little kiss? Or are you talking about the discussion of how it was just one time and now it’s over because it didn’t mean anything? Please clarify what it is you don’t want to do right now.” She felt indignant anger boiling in her stomach, and it threatened to spread quickly.

“All of it!” he exploded. He reached out, grabbed her arm, and yanked her into his office, slamming the door and shoving her against it. His kiss was fierce, hot, and demanding, and Billie met him with the same passionate and dangerous anger. He ripped away and stalked as far as he could from her, across the small office. Running his fingers through his hair, he said, “I can’t do this.”

“Why not?” she demanded, breathless and aroused, despite her frustration. “Give me one good reason, Dalton. We’re both consenting adults. And neither of us has obligated the other to anything special. We’re damn good together, and it would be a travesty to waste that while we have the chance. And time is running out fast.”

He whirled on her. “That’s just it, Billie. I don’t want to repeat last night’s mistake. Our relationship is supposed to be purely professional. I don’t mind being friendly, but that’s where it ends. You’ll go back to your life in New York, and I’ll stay here and live mine. There’s nothing here, nothing to explore or hang onto. And that’s for the best.”

Billie stared at him, astounded and hurt. “Nothing? You expect me to believe you really feel there’s nothing here? You’re full of shit, Dalton. You know, you’re not the only one who took a risk last night, who went against their better judgment. The difference is, I was ready to face the consequences with a mature outlook, while you’re over here acting like some boy in high school who’s afraid I’ll get clingy, or that – god forbid – you actually feel something for someone. You’d rather believe you’re a mild sociopath and not give yourself any reason to think otherwise.”

She knew she was ranting, but her heart ached. She was hurt that he could even deny how close they’d gotten in just one day, especially when she didn’t inundate him with expectations for the future. She only asked that they enjoy each other’s company for a few more days. Then, it would be time to make hard decisions. For now, it was easy and playful, and he still wouldn’t admit it.

“All women get emotionally involved, Billie,” he said, his voice quiet and resigned. “It doesn’t matter how hard you try. It’s written into your DNA. And even if I wanted to throw caution to the wind and have a fling with you, it would be in poor taste. I have too much respect for you to think of you like that, and I won’t bring you down to the level of some random girl I picked up to have a good time.”

“And that right there should tell you we have something special,” she pointed out. Why was he being so grim?

Dalton shook his head. “Come on, Billie. We hardly know each other. It’s been a day and a half. Yes, we had a good time last night at the clubhouse. We talked and exchanged stories. And all that added up to create some sexual tension that we released. But how can you really think there’s something special when we don’t even know each other?”

Billie’s hopes fell. It didn’t matter what she said; she wouldn’t be able to convince him to stop living in denial. So, she went with her heart and told him, “I told you I read people, Dalton, so I know you better than you think. And I know you read people, too, or you wouldn’t have been a successful con artist. So you know me better than you want to admit. It’s a perfect setup, if you’ll just open your eyes and stop trying to close off your heart.”

He didn’t answer, didn’t even turn to look at her. Billie couldn’t stand there forever. She needed to change, refresh her hair and makeup, and eat a snack. She’d really hoped to steal a few passionate moments with Dalton, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen. Not today, and not for the rest of her stay. She had to admit to herself that it really hurt. She was a little more sprung for him than she’d known up until this point, and she’d really had hope for the two of them.

But this was on Dalton. She’d done all she could, and if he refused to see what was right in front of his eyes and appreciate it, there was no hope. She had to get over it and move on.

“It’s too bad you’re so stubborn. Goodbye, Dalton.” She didn’t care if he ever turned around or not. She opened the door and stalked away, letting it close behind her as she hurried down the corridor. She was going to cry, and she wanted to get up to the penthouse before the tears spilled over.