A smile lit her face as she thought of her grandmother. “She was spunky. She’d tell you her opinion even if you didn't want to hear it.” Ali’s smile faded and a sadness draped over her features.
Daniel was out of his seat before he knew what he was doing. He closed the distance between them, sat down next to her, and cupped the side of her face.
“What is it?”
She waved one of her hands in dismissal. “I just miss her. She always knew what to do, you know?”
He held her gaze, not missing the extra moisture glinting in her eyes. For some reason, he felt as if this was about more than her simply missing her grandmother. “Is there something you wish you could discuss with your grandmother?” He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I might not be as wise as your grandmother, but I’ll help if I can.”
Ali shook her head. “You can’t help.”
“Try me.”
She held his gaze for a long moment, then she removed his hand from her face and stood. “I think I’m going to go to my room and read. Thank you for humoring me with the game.”
Daniel stood as well. He wanted to reach out to her, but he stopped himself. “Ali?”
“I’m fine. Really. Thank you again. For everything.”
He wanted to make her stay and talk to him, but he knew he had no right. “All right.”
She nodded, then quickly fled down the hall to her room, leaving him standing alone in the living room, trying to figure out what had happened. One minute, they were playing twenty questions. The next, she was rushing off to her room as fast as her feet would carry her.
Had he said something inappropriate? He didn’t think so. They’d been talking about her grandmother. While he understood the sadness in her eyes—he still felt the loss of his own grandmother and it had been more than twenty years since she’d passed—but he didn’t think that was it.
Confused and frustrated, he made his way to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a stiff drink. The alcohol burned as it went down his throat, but he welcomed it. He poured himself another, downed it, and then closed the doors to the cabinet. As appealing as getting drunk might sound, he knew better. He wasn’t twenty anymore and had no desire to deal with a hangover tomorrow.
It was still early, but the thought of staying in the living room without Ali held no appeal. He checked the doors, the security cameras, and then turned off all the lights except for the one at the end of the hall. There was no sound coming from the direction of her room, so he turned and made his way across the house to the master suite.
He sat on the edge of his bed and gazed out the patio doors, watching the moonlight as it reflected off the pool. As much as he replayed the last few minutes of their conversation in his head, he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what had happened.
The muscles in his back were beginning to tense. He rolled his neck and shoulders, but it wasn’t helping. He needed to find a way to relax, and he didn’t have a sub handy to flog.
Well, technically he did have a sub nearby, but she wasn’t an option. So, the hot tub was the next best thing.
He strolled onto his patio, turned on the hot tub, and headed back inside to give it a few minutes to warm up. While the calendar said it was spring, there was still a bite in the air. He hadn’t tested the water in the pool, but if he had to guess, it was probably close to forty or fifty degrees. Still too cold for an evening swim.
Ten minutes later, Daniel stripped out of his clothes and padded naked outside to slip into his hot tub. He lowered himself into the warm water, lining one of the jets up with his lower back. Sighing, he tried to let the warmth work its magic.
CHAPTER6
Ali knewshe couldn’t avoid Daniel. It was his house after all. But she made sure to wait until the last minute before venturing out of her room and heading to the kitchen for breakfast the next morning.
Last night, all the feelings churning inside her had come to the surface. It wasn’t only about her grandmother. It was about Daniel, too. Her feelings for him. The longing to have him hold her, comfort her.
It was difficult enough being around him, knowing he didn’t feel the same way about her that she did him. When he’d touched her...the look in his eyes...it was too much. She’d wanted him to take her in his arms, brush his lips against her skin, and then carry her off to his bedroom.
She hadn’t been able to control the emotions that felt like a weight on her chest and so she’d escaped, running off to her room.
As Ali rounded the corner, Daniel came into view. He was at the cooktop, his back to her. She stood there frozen as she watched him flip several pancakes.
She gritted her teeth and stepped into the kitchen, plastering a smile on her face. “Morning.”
Daniel laid the spatula on the counter, turned, and looked her over from head to toe. His brow creased in concentration. Had he been worried about her?
Of course he had been. He took care of her. That’s what he did. That was who he was.
She sat down at the island, trying to look casual. “Pancakes, huh?”