Chapter 15
“You don’t have to go. I don’t have to go. We don’t have to go.” Dax spoke quietly as they walked down the hall towards the studio. This was the first moment they’d had to themselves since she’d snuck back upstairs to the spare room at six a.m. after the best night of her life.
Dax’s mom and sister waved goodbye to them as they headed to a day of yoga and a “couple’s” massage across the street.
Ginny looked up at him and couldn’t help but smile at the defeated look on his face. All morning he’d been mouthing that he was sorry to her, making apologies for the plans that his mom, who had given herself the title of cruise director, was making for all four of them. Dax might not be enjoying his mom’s self-appointed title but Ginny loved it.
Everything Patty suggested they do actually sounded like fun to her. Tonight they were going to have dinner at The Plate, which would always hold a special place in her heart because Dax owned it and it’s where they met. And after dinner she’d suggested watching Stepmom, which was one of Ginny’s favorite movies. Mainly because it had Julia Roberts in it, who was Ginny’s all-time favorite actress.
Dax had seemed on board with both of those activities but when his mom suggested that they spend Ginny’s day off tomorrow looking at properties for Dax to flip next, he’d abandoned ship.
“I know I don’t have to. I want to,” she called back to their earlier exchanges. He didn’t seem amused so she switched gears and went with sincerity. “Some of the best memories I have growing up was going to open houses with my mom. Looking at homes, even if I’m not going to buy them, is still one of my favorite things to do.”
His facial expression did not hide the fact that he wasn’t buying what she was selling. She could see that he thought she was just trying to be nice.
Lifting up on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear, “But my new favorite thing to do is what we did last night.”
He let out a low moan. “I wish I knew when they were going home.”
While lying in each other’s arms, basking in afterglow this morning, they’d agreed not to fool around again until after his mom and sister left. Dax was worried that they would get the wrong idea. Last night he’d made it clear that he’d never been in a serious relationship, or any relationship for that matter. She knew he cared about her, but like her mom had always said, a zebra can’t change his stripes because he falls in love with a horse. She’d never really understood what she’d meant, but she was beginning to think it meant that people were who they were and love didn’t change that. She’d tried to assure him that she wasn’t looking for anything serious, even though she would walk down the aisle tomorrow if he asked her. But the last thing she wanted was for him to know that. She just wanted to enjoy the time that they had together. Including the time with his mom and sister.
They both stopped in the hallway and he stepped forward, trapping her against the wall. A thrill raced down her spine as goosebumps broke out on her arms. She loved the brief moments when he invaded her personal space since most of the time he kept a professional distance. He was so tall and muscular and whenever he was this close to her she grew overwhelmed with arousal at his sheer mass.
“Do you know how hard it is for me not to kiss you right now?” He glanced down at his pants. “Literally.”
Her head fell back against the wall and she laughed as her phone buzzed. Wanting to ignore it but knowing she couldn’t, she checked it and saw that it was Chase asking her ETA. She’d sent him a text letting him know that she was running a few minutes late, but a few minutes had turned into thirty as they tried to get everyone out the door.
“I’ve got to go in.” Feeling bold and loving the fact that she could, she once again rose up on her tiptoes but this time she pressed a kiss to his cheek. When she lowered down she motioned to his groin area and repeated what he’d told her in the kitchen yesterday morning. “Hold that thought.”
A large grin spread on his face and she was happy that she was the one that put it there. She giggled and turned to head into the studio. As she made her way down the corridor she felt like she was floating. She felt inspired. She felt alive. She hadn’t slept at all but she felt invigorated.
After her first time, they’d lain together and talked for hours. Just like they had the first night they’d spent together, except this time they were both naked. Around five a.m. the conversation turned a little dirty when he asked her if she ever fantasized about him. She’d told him one fantasy about him in the shower and that got things rolling on take two.
Dax started kissing her again and this time he kissed her everywhere, starting with her neck but moving all the way down to her pinky toes. He even flipped her over and kissed her calves, the back of her thighs, her butt cheeks and up her spine. Between kisses he whispered all the things he’d fantasized about doing to her and she’d almost climaxed before he’d even touched her between her legs. But when his hand finally did make it there, the second his fingers grazed her sex she’d exploded. Then he’d taken his time making love to her again.
Just like the first time, when they’d finished he apologized for their surroundings and the fact that they had to be quiet. But she told him she wouldn’t change a thing, and that was the truth. It had been special and perfect and it was because of him.
Just before she reached the door she got a text and she looked down expecting it to be from Chase again, but instead it was from Dax.
It read: I miss you already.
Emotion that she didn’t want to think too much about, since this wasn’t a permanent, thing swelled in her chest. She was still walking on cloud nine as she pushed open the door, still looking at four words that had just made the day she couldn’t have imagined get better, better. “Sorry I’m late.”
When she heard Krista’s voice she lifted her head and saw that Chase was playing their interview on the computer. Her first thought was that it was sweet that he was watching his wife while he waited for her, then out of the corner of her eye she saw that there were other people in the room and she thought he must be showing them.
She turned her head and what she saw caused her to stumble, yes, stumble backwards.
“Hi, I’m sorry if we scared you. I’m Karina and this is Ryan.” Karina Black stood and introduced herself and her husband.
Ginny had only been starstruck one other time in her life. She was in the dressing room minutes away from her first Opry performance when her manager had rushed in and said that someone wanted to meet her. She’d actually been a little annoyed at first because she was nervous about the show and she wanted to use the time she had before going on stage to focus and calm down. But all that irritation flew out the window when the one and only Miss Dolly Parton walked in. That time she didn’t stumble backwards, though. Nope. She’d already been sitting, but when she stood and tried to walk over to the superstar she’d tripped and fallen forward.
Karina and Ryan both exchanged concerned looks when she opened her mouth once more to speak and again nothing came out.
Chase, who knew that she could actually speak, stood and stepped towards her. “Are you okay?”
Hearing his voice snapped her out of her shock. She shook her head no, but thankfully said, “Yes. I’m fine. I was just…Hi, I’m Ginny.” She held up her hand in a small wave. “Sorry, about that. I’m just…I’m a huge fan.”
“Really?” Karina’s eyes widened.