Blindsided (Indigo Love Spectrum) (34 page)

“She does not hate you. Reese is sixteen. Girls are all over the place at sixteen, and her hormones are a little out
of whack right now. I can talk to her for you.”

“And say what? ‘How can you possibly hate your
father, Reese? I’m madly in love with that man, and he’s
just more wonderful than words can express.’ ” Norris
smiled. “Something like that?”

Dahlia laughed. “Not quite.”

He snapped his fingers. “Darn.”

“Norris, be serious.”

“I am serious.”

“More serious.” Dahlia reached into her purse. “I can
call her right now.”

Norris pulled her hands out of the purse. “Don’t
bother, Dahlia. Thank you, really, but it won’t be neces
sary.”

“I want to do this.”

“Why?”

She shrugged and walked over to the window. “Because.”
“Because why?” Norris followed her to the window,
taking in the breathtaking view it offered of the city.

“Talk to me, Dahlia,” he said, dragging his fingertips
against her arms. Her soft sigh hummed in his ears.
Maybe he’d finally get a confession out of her. “Why do you want to help so much?”

“Because I promised Gail I would.”

“Is that the only reason?” Norris lowered his head,
breathing in her sweet fragrance. She trembled against him. “Why are you so shaky?”

“It’s cold in here.”

“No, Dahlia, it’s hot in here.” Norris brushed his lips
against her neck and clasped his hands around her waist.
Dahlia’s moan grew into a whimper as her backside set
tled against his growing arousal. “What are you
thinking?”

“Maybe we should have gone to the lounge,” she said,
her tone low, words breathy.

“You were about to tell me something before you got
the phone call about your sister.” He continued his
assault of her neck. Her pulse points throbbed wildly against his lips. “What was it?”

Dahlia breathed heavily. “I can’t—I can’t remember.”

“You can’t remember?”

“No.”

“Maybe this will help refresh your memory.” Norris
turned Dahlia around, crushing her body to his, stifling
her gasp of surprise with his fervent kiss. Her lips relaxed
and parted, welcoming his tongue into her mouth.
Norris drew her closer, deepening the kiss. Her muffled
sighs grew deeper. She curled her arms around his shoul
ders, holding him against the soft curves of her body,
d
riving him crazy. Too crazy. He couldn’t lose control. It
wouldn’t help matters. “Dahlia.” Norris slowly, painstak
ingly pulled away. “Dahlia, I’m sorry.” He licked his lips,
holding on to the memory of her sweet mouth. “I
shouldn’t have done that.” He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his slacks, trying to alleviate the pressure in his
groin from pants that suddenly felt too tight.

“You have to stop apologizing when you kiss me.”

“I’d like to. It’s impossible to act like I’m not attracted
to you, or that I don’t want to take you in my arms every
time I see you, but I don’t want to be led by my physical
need for you. Dahlia, what I feel goes so much deeper
than that.”

“As you keep saying.”

“What do you say? And don’t tell me nothing. You
had something on your mind before.”

“Don’t tell me. You saw it in my eyes, right?”

He nodded. “I did, and I felt it in your kiss just now.
You’re not tired of denying it yet?”

“Norris, I—”

Her cell phone rang before she could answer the
question.

Norris rolled his eyes. “This is like déjà vu.”

Dahlia walked over to her purse and fished out the
phone. “Even more than you think,” she said. “It’s my
father.”

Norris returned to the couch and sat.

“Hello, Daddy.” Her eyes brightened. “Really!” she
exclaimed. “That’s great. No, it’s no problem. I’ll be right
back. Bye-bye.”

Norris smiled at her joy. “Good news, I suspect.”

“Great news. Leslie woke up.” Dahlia expelled a
breath. Her expression sobered. “She woke up.” Dahlia
dropped next to him on the couch. “Oh, boy.”

“Stop jumping for joy, Dahlia, I insist,” Norris
quipped.

“I’m happy, I am, it’s just . . .”

“This strife with your sister, right? Seeing her means
you’ll have to deal with it.”

“Yes.” She sighed, wearily. “I don’t know if I’m ready
to deal.”

“Are you ready to tell me about it?”

After several moments of silence she nodded. “Yes, I
am.”

Dahlia looked into caring gray eyes as she searched
her heart for the right words. She didn’t want to sound as
bitter as she’d been feeling for the last two and a half
years, especially with her ill sister back in the conscious world. But finding the right words and then getting them
out without the bitter undertones would be the real chal
lenge. She groaned. This was so hard.

Norris squeezed her hand, providing much-needed
support. “I take it this isn’t about a pair of pumps she borrowed without your permission,” he said.

“No. It’s about a husband she slept with behind my
back. A husband she just had a baby for. The baby I
wanted but Jonah could never give me.”

Several quiet moments passed.

“Maybe Jonah wasn’t meant to be the father of your
children.” Norris pressed his hand to her belly, the look
in his eyes one of love and hope. “I would love nothing
more than to give you a child.” He shook his head, as if
clearing away his wonderful dream and coming back to
reality. “But we can talk about that later. Finish telling me
about Leslie.”

“Leslie.” Dahlia sighed, dismayed. “Leslie and I were
so close. We’re ten years apart, but she was like one of my
baby dolls come to life. I loved her from the moment
Mama brought her home from the hospital.” Tears
blurred her vision. “She was the maid of honor at my
wedding. Twelve years old.” Dahlia sniffled. “That sweet
baby girl, my sister, gave birth to my ex-husband’s baby,
and almost died doing it. She almost died.”

“Hey.” Norris brushed her tears away. “She didn’t die.”

“Thank God.” Dahlia closed her eyes. “I don’t know what I’m going to say to her.”

“What do you want to say?”

“I don’t know. That I’m glad she’s alive, that her baby
is tiny, but beautiful.”

“And what about the not-so-cordial stuff?”

“I can’t be cross. It wouldn’t be good for her.”

“You think pretending you aren’t feeling what you
feel will be? She’s not stupid, Dahlia. You haven’t seen her in years. You think she’s going to expect you to be happy
that she had your ex-husband’s baby? Pretend like
nothing’s happened?”

“She could. I talked to her very briefly a few months
ago. She seemed surprised that I sounded angry.”

“You didn’t tell me about that.”

“You didn’t know about her then. I didn’t see the
point.”

“How did the conversation go?”

“I’d hardly call it a conversation.”

“How do you feel about the baby?”

Dahlia smiled. “I love him. He’s incredible, and so
beautiful. Heartbreakingly so.” The burn of new tears
stung Dahlia’s eyes. She closed them tightly, waiting for the sensation to pass.

“You really love that baby.”

“I do. In spite of his father.” She sighed deeply. “This
situation is so difficult. I love the baby. I love my sister,
and though I can’t stand his guts, a part of me will always
care about Jonah. He was my husband. My first love.”

“But not your last. The last is always the best.
Especially when that love’s name is Norris.” His eyes
twinkled.

Dahlia smiled, appreciating the sincerity cloaked in
levity Norris provided. She didn’t need to comment, and knew he didn’t expect her to. He was just being his won
derful self.

“Seriously, now, talk to me.” Norris squeezed her
thigh, his touch one of concern and caring. “What are you
feeling? Tell me everything you want to tell your sister.”

Dahlia returned to the window. “I can’t do that,” she
said, knowing giving too much thought to those feelings
would open a floodgate of emotions she wouldn’t be able
to control.

Norris followed and closed his hands around her
shoulders, massaging her tense muscles. “If you don’t
want to share this with me, it’s okay. Shout it out to your
self on your way back to the hospital. You need to do what you did a couple of years ago, Dahlia. Shed the
weight that’s holding you down. Deal with this anger
that’s keeping you and your sister apart. This anger that
drives the fear that’s keeping you from admitting your feelings for me.”

Dahlia turned around. The intensity in his eyes all
but dared her to deny his words. She sighed. “Norris.”

“
Shhh.” He pressed his finger to her lips. “Don’t say
anything. You have so much going on right now. You
take care of you, and when that’s done we’ll take care of
us.” He kissed her left cheek, her right cheek, her forehead, and then softly kissed her lips, managing to find a
way to erase all the reasons she had for running from her love for him from her head. “Thanks for listening to me
about Reese and offering to help.”

“I can still call her for you.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m hopeful things will be better in a
couple of days. Julia and Lane are coming for a visit.
Reese will get to meet some family I actually like.” He chuckled. “It should help.”

“Sounds like it.” Dahlia stared at Norris, her heart
full and heavy. She didn’t want him to go, but she
couldn’t ask him to stay. He had to get back to Reese. “Call me when you land.”

“I will.” Norris brushed his finger against her cheek, stirring those always-restless butterflies in her stomach. “I
love you so much, Dahlia.”

Norris brought her into his arms. Dahlia held him
tight, breathing him in, not wanting to let go.
I love you, too.
Would she ever allow herself to say those words to
him without fear of destroying herself in the process?

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Will you come with me?” she heard herself say.
Norris pulled away, gazing into her eyes. “What?”

“Will you come with me to the hospital? I would
really like you there.”

Norris smiled. “With your family and everybody?”

“
My brother is still in Japan, but, yes, with my family
and everybody.” She closed her hands around his. “I want
you with me, Norris.”

“I want me with you, too.” He kissed her hand. “Let’s
go.”

* * *

Norris and Dahlia walked hand in hand into the
entrance of the hospital. Curious glances and stinging
glares came from all sides. Even with the stares, Norris had never felt happier. His hand closed tighter around
hers. Dahlia gave him a smile he readily returned. She
still hadn’t said she loved him, but he was even more con
vinced that she did. They’d reached an unspoken understanding that buoyed his hope for things to come. She’d
extended him an invitation to be with her family, and coming from Dahlia, that was a big step.

The elevator hummed as they rode to the fifth floor.
“Are you okay?” Dahlia asked.

“Never better,” he answered. “You?”

“I’m a little nervous about Leslie.” She whimpered
softly and squeezed his hand. “Maybe I should have
unburdened myself to you like you suggested.”