“I’m done with the visit’s, T.A.”
T.A. downed her glass of champagne to numb the stabbing pain in her heart at his answer.
“I’ll take it down to five, but you have to cover Mason’s boarding costs when I visit you.”
“No.” His irrevocable response had her eyes darting for Dax to get her out of the room. She was making a fool of herself. It was obvious that unlike Oceane, Dalton had no problem getting over her.
Pressing her lips together to prevent him from seeing them trembling, she tried one last time.
“We’ll just call it even, and I’ll pay Mason’s boarding fees when I visit you.”
“No.” His voice was getting harsher. Unable to stare at his uncompromising expression any longer, she looked down at her empty glass wishing it were a shot glass of Tequila.
“Okay. You don’t have to fly to Treepoint anymore. I’ll just come visit you anytime you want me to…” Heartsick, she raised her eyes to his. “Please.”
She felt the glass being taking away from her hand and given to a passing waiter. Taking the hand that had been holding the glass, Dalton peremptorily led her from the ballroom. Trying to keep up with him, she was running on her toes.
In the elevator, she clutched the handrail as Dalton pressed the button to close the door.
“Dalton…”
“Shut up.”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “That’s fucking rude! Don’t tell me to shut up! You can let me off at the next floor.” She saw the floor numbers whizzing by. “Stop it on the sixteenth.” When Dalton made no attempt to press the button, she started to put her hand out.
“I wouldn’t if I were you.”
“Fuckwad, you’re not crazy enough to lay a hand on me,” she snapped, relieved the elevator was stopping. She would let him go first and press the Close button. Pretending to submissively go through the doors with him, she tried to take a step back toward the button she wanted.
It was only when he was carrying her over his shoulder that she realized the fucker had tossed her over it. About to throw herself off his shoulder, she caught herself and laid passively as he walked down the corridor.
If Dalton Andrews wanted her in his hotel room badly enough to carry her there, she wasn’t about to run away. She was angry, not stupid.
Disappointment filled her when he placed her on her feet and she wasn’t in his bedroom. The suite was large enough it had a sitting area and a small kitchenette.
She crossed her arms over her chest, attempting to appear pissed, while all she wanted to do was run into his arms.
A shiver ran down her spine when he shrugged out of his black jacket, angrily untying then sliding the slick tie from around his neck.
“You drive me insane, you know that?”
She nodded her head. Not only had he told her, but Dax and Grace had too.
“Why didn’t you just call me instead of enlisting Dax to help you?”
“I didn’t want you to tell me not to come. I didn’t want to miss another New Year’s with you.”
Dalton threw his tie down onto the chair as he strode to her. His hand slid around her neck to tilt her head back.
“I want to spank you.”
Quivering under his touch, she reached out to run her hands over the champagne-colored vest he was wearing.
“I don’t blame you. I acted like a bitch to you. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want your apology. I want an explanation.”
Her hands stilled. She wanted to tell him the truth, but she couldn’t jeopardize Ginny’s safety, no matter how much she loved him. Protecting her sister had been her priority since she’d been thirteen years old. She had sacrificed so much and had never asked for one thing in return.
“T.A…”
Taking a step backward, she moved away from his touch. She couldn’t think when he was so close.
“There are things I haven’t told you. I wish I could, but I can’t…”
She broke off when Dalton placed a finger on her lips.
“T.A., just because my children are older doesn’t mean I don’t protect them any less. I would have never invited you to spend Christmas with my family without having you checked out.”
Fear raced through her veins so fast it was like a lightning strike in the center of her heart.
“I need to go.”
His hands gripped her arms, holding her rooted to the carpet.
“Will you please just fucking trust me as much as you trust your friends? I know that I don’t have the years with you, but I love you just as much.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I do.” The hard-as-stone expression he had treated her to since he saw her with Dax loosened to one that was pleading with her to take a chance on him. Sex Piston told her to take the chance, and she had never steered her wrong.