Blindsided (Indigo Love Spectrum) (26 page)

“You can’t punish him for not knowing about you. He wants to know you, Reese. It stands to reason he
would have stepped up to the plate if he had known
about you all along.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. He was a playboy then, and
he’s a playboy now. I honestly don’t know what my
mother saw in him.”

Dahlia grunted to herself. She could list countless rea
sons why Gail would’ve been into Norris. A purely
shallow and very obvious reason, he was drop-dead gor
geous. “You seem to have your mind made up about
him,” she said.

Reese nodded. “Mostly, yes.”

“I really think you should give him another chance.
He was really upset when you ran upstairs.”

“He’s not used to a woman not falling at his feet.”
Reese moved to the couch and sat. “He’ll get over it,” she
said, munching on Dahlia’s chips.

“What are you going to tell your mother?”

“Mom? What do you mean?”

“She left town to give you the opportunity to spend
time with your father, a decision she didn’t reach easily.

A
nd now you’re just giving up without giving Norris a
chance.”

“Dahlia, what do you want me to do?”

“A good start would be not to expect him to be Ward
Cleaver.”

“Who?” Reese asked curiously, digging for more
chips.

Dahlia chuckled to herself. What was she thinking?
“You shouldn’t expect him to be the perfect father,” she
restated in simpler terms. “He’s feeling his way through
this just like you. Just keep that in mind the next time
you see him. And you will see him again, right?”

After some reluctance, Reese nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Good.”

“I think I’ll finish studying now,” Reese said,
traipsing up the stairs with Dahlia’s bag of chips. “I’ll see
you in a couple of hours.”

Dahlia watched with longing as her chips disappeared
behind Reese’s door. She knew she should have bought
another bag.
Mr. Lover Man?
Who was this blonde
Norris had encountered at lunch?

* * *

Norris smiled as the hostess escorted Dahlia to the private room at Martin’s Lakeside Restaurant. He hadn’t
seen her since the day he dropped Reese off after the
luncheon gone wrong over a week ago. After much fast-
talking, he’d managed to get Dahlia to agree to meet him
for a business dinner. Of course, business was the last
thing on his mind, but he needed an excuse to see her, and her audit made one readily available. Seeing her in
the black dress that displayed her every perfect curve and a sexy twist to her stylish hair confirmed he’d done the right thing. She was too gorgeous for words.

He stood when Dahlia approached the table. “I’m
glad you could make it.” Norris excused the hostess and
helped Dahlia into her chair.

“You made it sound important, so I’m here.” Dahlia
looked around the room. “The private dining room at
Martin’s?” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have come.
This isn’t business.”

Norris grabbed her hand before she could get away.
“Dahlia, wait. Look.” He reached under the table and
produced his briefcase, a weak attempt at compensating
for the roses, candlelight, and elegant dinnerware deco
rating the room. “See? This is business,” he said,
returning the case to the floor.

“We could have done this over the phone.”

“I think this calls for a face-to-face meeting.”

“You have an office.”

“Yeah, but Martin’s is so much nicer.”

“Your office is very nice.”

“Yeah, it is. I have great taste.” Norris smiled as she
rolled her eyes. “But this is more . . .”

“Romantic?”

“I guess that’s a word, not that my office hasn’t had
moments of romance.” He shook his head as his gaze swept over her. “You look sensational, but you always
do.”

“Norris.”

“Dahlia, how much longer are we going to keep
doing this tap dancing? I have been trying so hard to do
things your way, but I can’t keep this up. I swear, I put
Mario Andretti to shame when I left your house. Cold
showers have become for me what ripple chips are for
you. I miss the feel of your soft skin against mine. Your
sweet smell. The way you moan when I take you there.”

“Norris . . .”

“I miss all of that. But what I miss most is you. Being
around you. Talking to you. Laughing with you. Cold
showers are a comfort, but they’re also a bitch. I’d much
rather have you keeping me company than thoughts of
you.”

“What’s wrong, Norris? The nameless blonde isn’t taking care of your needs?”

“Blonde?” He smiled. “Reese told you about Tawny.”
“Tawny?” Dahlia drank from the sweating water glass placed before her. “That figures,” she mumbled. “You’re jealous.”

“Of someone I don’t know?” Dahlia scoffed. “You
really think a lot of yourself.”

“Indeed I do, but you’re still jealous.” Anger flashed
in Dahlia’s eyes. Norris laughed. “Okay, I’ll rephrase.
You’re unhappy with the idea of her. I think that’s even
better than jealousy. It’s very sweet, but unnecessary.
Tawny means absolutely nothing to me.”

“That doesn’t surprise me, Norris. She’s like all your women, including me. That’s what I want you to under
stand.”

H
e shook his head. “I can’t understand that, because
it’s a lie. Tawny is one of a string of women I’ve been
with. I’ve had more than my share of lovelies, but none
lovelier than you. Dahlia, you are the one lady I never
believed could exist. The one I fell in love with.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Dahlia winced and lowered her gaze. Norris
couldn’t ignore her discomfort, but he also couldn’t stop.
“I know you don’t want to hear that, but at the same
time, I think you like hearing it. I see your conflict,
Dahlia, and feel your pain. I don’t like seeing my love
hurt you. The love I know you feel.”

Dahlia lifted her head. Tears streamed down her
cheeks. “What do you want me to say, Norris?”

“You know what.” He brushed away her tears. “But
I’m not going to pressure you.” He saw this struggle with
winning Dahlia’s love as the price he’d have to pay for the
hedonistic life he’d lived. So he would suck it up. “I want
to hear the words from those sweet lips, but I see them in
those beautiful eyes every time I look at you, and that’s
enough for me. It will continue to be enough until you’re
ready to speak them.”

Norris chuckled. “When I say these words, I can
barely believe it’s me. Ryan’s been on me for years about
settling down, and telling me one day the love bug would
take a bite out of me, but I never believed it.” Norris set
tled his hand around hers, and to his great happiness,
Dahlia didn’t pull away, shout, or bolt. She looked at
him, quiet but attentive. “Ryan was right. The love bug
has bitten the hell outta me, Dahlia, and I don’t mind
s
aying it to you. I don’t mind saying anything to you. I’m
at ease with you. And I think our beginning is the reason
why. We kinda just happened, and it’s the best thing to
ever happen to me.”

Dahlia’s tears refreshed. She pulled her hand away. “I
need—I need to go,” she stammered.

“Before you run off, I have a couple of things to say.”

“Haven’t you said it all?”

“Not quite. Dahlia, I’m in this for keeps. I’ve not
been with any other woman since I met you, and I don’t
want to be with anyone else . . . ever.”

“What do you mean
ever
?”

Norris thought of the five-carat diamond ring he’d
picked up today and locked away in his home safe, and
the day he could finally present it to Dahlia. “It’s what
you think I mean,” he said. Norris released her hand.
“I’m done.”

After several moments of intense quiet, Dahlia
cleared her throat. “What about my audit?” she said.
“Audit?” he repeated.

“Yes. That appointment with the IRS. What brought
me here.”

“Oh, yeah, that. It’s fine. Everything is going great.
Don’t worry.” The aromas from Martin’s many tanta
lizing dishes wafted into the room. Norris’s mouth
watered. “Are you hungry?”

“No.”

The growl from Dahlia’s stomach brought a smile to
his lips. “It’s a good thing your body always tells me the
truth your mouth won’t. I had the chef prepare some of
y
our favorite foods. He even prepared some ripple chips
for you, loaded with cheese, bacon bits, and a ranch dip.
Delicious.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I like doing things for you. I only wish you would let
me do them more often. You’re hungry, Dahlia. Stay. It’s
just one meal, and we’ve had them before.”

“This feels different.”

“It might be. If you stay, I’m liable to consider it our
first date.”

Dahlia frowned. “It’s not a date, Norris, it’s business.”
Norris couldn’t help smiling at the insincerity he
found in her angry scowl. “Whatever you say,” he said.

* * *

Dahlia and Norris conversed over the decadent
cherry cheesecake that completed their delicious dinner.
She’d have to spend days on her treadmill after the food
she ate, but she didn’t have any regrets. She was having a
good time with Norris, being a sounding board for him.

“And you haven’t talked to your mother since?” she
said.

“Not a word.” He pushed his empty dessert plate to
the middle of the table and drank some water. “I
shouldn’t have been surprised by her reaction, but I was.
Surprised and hurt.”

“I’m sorry, Norris, but I tried to tell you.”

“I know. I’ve had a hard time making headway with
Reese, and to explain her grandmother, and most likely h
er grandfather, have issues with her race . . . I doubt
we’ll ever have the kind of relationship I want for us.”

“Don’t give up on Reese. You two have spent some
time together over the last few days. She hasn’t said much
about it, but I didn’t get the impression it went badly.”

Norris shrugged. “Not bad, but not exactly good.
We’re pleasant with each other. Like we’re interviewing
each other and afraid to say the wrong thing.”

Dahlia finished the cheesecake and lowered her fork to the plate. “It’s only been about two weeks since Gail
left, Norris. Things will get better between you two.” She
laughed. “I think the biggest problem is you’re both so
much alike.”

“I agree with that. Reese is even more beautiful than
I am. She’s very aware of that, and so are the boys who
can’t keep their eyes off her.”

“Did you hear yourself?”

“What?”

“She’s even more beautiful than you are? I find it
amazing I can like two people who are as vain as you and
Reese.”

“You like me?”

“I’ve never denied that.”

“No. You just never say you love me. Then, again,
you haven’t said you don’t.” Norris brushed his thumb
along the corner of her lip. “You missed a bit of topping,”
he said, licking the red glaze from his finger.

Dahlia’s heart pounded furiously in her chest. They’d
enjoyed a delicious dinner and stimulating conversation
mostly free of the “L” word, and then Norris went and a
te food from her face, making things tense again. She
sucked down some water. “You could have used a
napkin.”