“Yes, sir.”
We spend the rest of the dinner in silence before we all step into the gardens for drinks while the tables are cleared away. I engage in casual conversation with Tyler, doing my best to keep him away from yet another of Tessa’s bridesmaids.
“Come dance,” he says, dragging me back into the room.
“Your sister has to have her dance first, and I think Aaron would likely kill you.”
“Tomorrow, maybe, and he’s not here right now. Let me steal one.” He winks, his grin oozing boyish charm instead of sexuality, and I find myself giving in.
“Fine. Okay. But I’m not being held responsible for this.”
“I’ll take the blame.”
We stand by the side and watch as Michael takes Tessa in his arms. A smile teases my lips as they move elegantly across the floor, never taking their eyes from the other. Their parents join them on the floor, followed by the wedding party and their dates, and Tyler grabs my hand.
The grip is broken, and Aaron presses himself against the back of me. “Nice try, Ty. Better luck next time.”
He sweeps me away onto the dance floor and envelopes me in his arms. I wrap mine around his neck and look up at him, unable to hide the smile on my lips.
“What? No one is dancing with you tonight except me,” he murmurs, lowering his face to mine.
“I’d be offended if you let them.”
We slowly move around the floor, in perfect sync, our bodies swaying together with ease. Like we’ve always danced together.
“Do you remember the first time we danced together?” Aaron asks quietly, his fingers twitching against my back.
“Do you think I’d forget?”
His mom’s birthday is in the middle of the summer, and his dad threw her a party. Aaron insisted I go along with my parents, and I protested at dancing. I wasn’t a dancer. I never have been, but he made me do it anyway.
“I never wanted that song to end,” he admits. “I could have danced with you all night.”
“You did.” I smile. “I think you would have tried again the next day if I hadn’t have jumped on you to make you stop.”
He laughs. “Yes. I suppose you’re right.” He kisses me softly as the song ends, and I feel his cell vibrate in his pocket between us.
“Aaron!”
He slides it out and glances at the screen. “I have to take this. I’ll be right back.”
He kisses me quickly and disappears out of the large doors behind us. I watch him, shaking my head. Unbelievable. Can he not leave work at home for one night?
“Looks like I get my dance after all.” Tyler appears in front of me.
“Let’s not anger him. How about a drink instead?”
He motions for me to lead the way, and we both take a seat at the bar. I sigh. Fucking phone.
“Have you thought about what I said?”
“About the pictures?”
Tyler nods. “No pressure. I’m just wondering since you leave again in a couple of days.”
“I don’t know. Do you come to Seattle much?”
“I will be now that Aaron lives there. I split my time between here and there.”
“Can we come back to this? There’s still a lot to…work through…before I make any decisions.”
He studies me for a second. “He still doesn’t know?”
I shake my head. “I’m going to figure it out when I get home. Somehow. And no,” I snap when he opens his mouth. “Don’t even go there, Tyler Stone. Don’t you dare.”
He holds up his hands. “Okay. Okay. I’m just throwing it out there though, Day. If.”
“No. This is my problem, and I’m going to deal with it. Now let’s talk about something else.”
“Let’s talk about why Aaron is walking toward you with a face like thunder.”
I spin and stare into angry blue eyes. “Uh-oh. Tyler, what did I do this time?”
“We’re leaving,” Aaron snaps, grabbing my arm. “Tyler, are you back tonight?”
“Nope. Not now, anyway.”
“Excellent. Dayton.” He pulls me from the chair and after him, dropping his hand to mine so it doesn’t look like he’s f**king manhandling me.
Oh f**k. What if he’s found out somehow? What if he knows about Naomi?
I’m too afraid to ask as he deposits me in the car and gets in after me. He orders the driver, whose name I’ve never learned, to take us back to Tyler’s. Then he turns his back on me. I take a deep breath and wring my fingers in my lap. Jesus.
I can feel his annoyance and frustration like it’s my own. It’s an awful feeling, one I want to scrape off my skin and shake away. One that clings to me.
“Inside.” One word. Short. Sharp. Controlled.
I follow him, knowing that a smart answer won’t help me from whatever has him so annoyed.
He opens a cupboard in the front room, pours two fingers of whisky, and drinks them in one. The glass slams against the side and his fingers curl around the side of the bar so tightly that I can see his knuckles whitening.
“Care to explain why three payments to Monique were declined?”
Every bit of tension oozes out of my body. He doesn’t know.
I drop my purse on the sofa and pull off my heels. “I told her to cancel them.”
“She hasn’t had a dollar off of me.”
“That’s the idea of me telling her to cancel them.”
Aaron turns, questions now filling his eyes where his annoyance just was. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“Because I needed to be with you without that.”
“Why the f**k didn’t you tell me, Day? This whole time I’ve thought you’ve been here because you’ve been forced to be. And you haven’t. You’ve been here because, what? You’ve wanted to be?”
I nod slowly and meet his eyes. “I needed to be with you without the obligation that comes with the money to figure out how I feel. I needed to know I could decide what I want without knowing it was there and forcing me to decide. I needed to do this as Dayton the person, not Dayton the call girl.”
“And? Have you decided?”
I cross the room to him and undo his tie. I leave it on the bar next to us and untuck his shirt, sliding my hands beneath it and around to his back as I lay my face against his chest.
He lets out a heavy breath and holds me to him. “You’re not answering my question.”
“I’m going to call Monique when we get back to Seattle.”