Grace leaned forward. “I’m happy for you both. Sir’s right. It’s been a long time coming.”
Daniel sat and listened to his friends talk, asking questions here and there, but mostly sharing how pleased they were he and Ali had finally ‘taken the plunge.’ Justin’s words. All the time Daniel had thought he’d hidden his feelings for Ali behind the veil of friendship, he’d apparently been hiding nothing.
At eleven o’clock, Daniel instructed Ali to go change. Beth and Drew had left an hour ago, as had Alexander and Grace. Nicole and Jeff had ventured upstairs, leaving him, Ali, Justin, and Kim alone in the seating area.
Justin patted a hand on Kim’s hip. “Go with Ali and change. I want to get you home.”
Both women headed toward the locker room, leaving Daniel and Justin alone.
“I know you care about her,” Justin said out of the blue. “I’m not sure why you dragged your feet for two years, but I’m sure you had your reasons. I just hope whatever they were, you’ve resolved them. If you hurt her, it will upset my girl and I don’t like to see my girl upset.”
The man didn’t mince words and Daniel could appreciate that. He didn’t have a response, however. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Ali. His feelings for her were getting more complicated by the day. Every moment he spent with her had him wanting to entwine her more in his life and never let her go.
Ali and Kim strolled out of the locker room together several minutes later, both dressed in street clothes. Kim walked to Justin and Ali to him.
Daniel took her bag from her and circled an arm around her waist. They said a quick goodbye and headed out.
Later that night, Ali tucked into his side as she slept, Daniel knew he was screwed no matter what he did. If he let her go now, he’d hate himself for not enjoying her while he could. If he let things go on, when she did move on, the pain would probably kill him.
“Everything okay?” she murmured against his chest.
“Everything’s fine, sweetheart.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and tightened his hold on her. “Go back to sleep.”
She hummed and moments later her breathing evened out.
Closing his eyes, he memorized the feel of her in his arms and finally admitted what he’d been avoiding for far too long. He loved her. Had for a long time. And even though it might be easier, better for them both if he ended things now, he couldn’t. He was selfish enough to take what she offered. He’d figure out the rest later.
CHAPTER17
Ali strolledinto Georgio’s at eleven fifty-seven. She’d planned to get there earlier, but Daniel hadn’t let her out of bed until she’d been unable to feel her limbs. And after she’d dragged herself from his bed to shower and dress, he’d pressed her against the wall and given her a toe-curling kiss that had her wanting him to drag her back to bed.
Remembering that kiss had all her woman parts tingling. She had no idea how she could still be horny given how many orgasms he’d given her in the last twenty-four hours, but she couldn’t seem to get enough. Maybe it was her lack of explosive orgasms over the past two years that had her body going haywire.
The hostess escorted Ali to a table in the middle of the restaurant where Kim was already seated. Ali sat down across from her friend and got down to business. “I went to my apartment Wednesday night to get my dress and everything ready for the fundraiser and he brought dinner.”
Kim raised her eyebrows. “Were you the one on the menu?”
Ali snorted. “No.” Then she blushed.
“Un-huh. Spill.”
Luckily, their server appeared, and she was given a momentary reprieve. “What can I get you ladies today?”
“Two orders of fettuccine Alfredo,” Kim said.
Their server nodded and took the menus they hadn’t even glanced at. “I’ll get this put in and be back to check on you shortly.”
As he walked away, Ali shook her head at Kim. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re not a switch.”
“No idea, but I have no interest in finding out.” Then, Kim leaned in. “All the details.”
She didn’t need to clarify which details she was wanting. Ali knew. “I’d left my art supplies on the table, so I gathered them up and went to put them away.”
Kim hadn’t moved. She had one elbow on the table and her chin resting in her palm.
“I was embarrassed about him seeing my paintings. He noticed I was upset, so he followed me.”
“And?”