He barks out a laugh. “Still competitive, are we, Vi?”

I grin. “I wouldn’t say I’m competitive. I just don’t like to lose.”

“I can see that. Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if we looked for each other over the years, instead of leaving it to fate?” he asks, changing the subject.

“I thought about it,” I admit. “I just didn’t know…I felt unsure. What would I say? Why didn’t you try and contact me? What if you hadn’t thought about me at all? So many questions, and I didn’t know how you’d react or what you were doing with your life. For all I knew, you were married with children of your own. I think it’s hard, because we were so young, so a part of me thinks—well, what if to you it was just a high school crush or something. Do you know what I mean?”

He nods. “I do. I understand what you mean exactly. I guess I kind of thought you just forgot about me, and if you needed me or wanted me, you’d come to me, you know? I’d go to Max’s gravestone every year and think about him, but about you too.”

I missed Max everyday, even now.

“I’m glad you did that,” I tell him, smiling sadly. “I wish he was here.”

“Me too,” he says. “Who knows, maybe he’d be a professional basketball player.”

“You could have done that if you wanted.”

“I actually got offered a scholarship,” he admits, looking down at his hands. “But I didn’t take it.”

“Why not?” I ask, not understanding why he’d turn down such an amazing opportunity.

“My sisters,” he replies, shrugging. “No one would have been there for them if I left. So I turned it down and stayed.”

“You’re so wonderful, Dash,” I say, feeling emotional. “I wish you could have taken it though, if that’s what you wanted to do with your life.”

“Everything worked out in the end. Honestly, that scholarship should’ve been Max’s.”

Sadness fills me at that comment, because he’s right. Max was definitely heading for huge success. Our eyes hold for a moment. “Everything did work out for you. You’ve done so well for yourself. You should be proud.”

“So should you.”

I lift up my glass of red wine. “Cheers to that.”

We finish up the meal and I help Dash clean up, even though he argues with me about that too. We decide to watch a movie, and I snuggle next to him on the couch, feeling more content than I’ve been in a very long time.

*****

I wake up in the middle of the night, wrapped in strong arms, in a king size bed covered in all white sheets. I must have fallen asleep on the couch, and Dash carried me up here to his room.  I relax, lying back down next to him, letting him spoon me from behind. My jeans are gone, so I’m sleeping in just my top and panties.

“You’re not freaking out,” he says in a soft, sleepy voice, making me smile.

“I’m too warm and comfortable to freak out,” I tell him. “And your spooning skills are very impressive.”

He kisses my shoulder. “There’s a lot more where that came from.”

“Good to know,” I say, yawning. “Your bed is so comfy.”

Another kiss on my shoulder, lingering this time. “Go to sleep, Vi.”

I yawn again. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

Dash chuckles just as I fall asleep.

*****

The next time I wake up, I’m alone in the bed and the sun is up. Stretching lazily, I force myself to get up and head into Dash’s bathroom before sliding on my jeans and making my way downstairs. I find Dash in the kitchen, making breakfast.

“Morning,” I mumble, hugging him from behind. “Something smells good.”

He turns around and smiles. “Good morning. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed.”

“Well, in that case, I think I’ll head straight back to bed,” I say, eyeing the bacon frying in the pan.

“Do you want some coffee?”

“Yes, please,” I say, desperately needing some, glancing around the kitchen. He tells me to have a seat then makes me some coffee. I sip on it as he serves us both breakfast.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this spoiled in my life,” I admit, raising an eyebrow. “Be careful, or I’ll get used to it.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” he says, sitting next to me with his own plate of food. “What time do you have to be at work today?”

I glance at my watch. “In about an hour. I need to leave soon to go home, have a shower, and get ready. What about you?”

He pops a piece of bacon in his mouth. “I’ll probably go in around lunchtime.”

“I want your hours,” I groan.

“Perks of owning your own business,” he says, winking at me. “But it’s also a lot of added pressure and stress involved.”

“You’ll have to take me to see your shop sometime.”

“I think I can manage that,” he says, chewing thoughtfully. “You know, I slept better than I have in a long time last night, even with my raging hard-on.”

I almost choke on a bite of toast. “You probably shouldn’t just say whatever pops into your mind, you know.”

He laughs, violet eyes twinkling. “Are you shy all of a sudden, Vi?”

“I’m just saying,” I reply, shrugging my shoulders, feeling a little amused and embarrassed at his comment. Mainly because I had no idea when we’re going to sleep together. I know there are no rules for things like this, but I don’t want to rush into it with him, even though my body definitely wants to. “And for the record, I slept well, too.”

“Good,” he murmurs.

We finish our breakfast, and then Dash drives me home so I can get ready for work. As soon as I get there, I jump in the shower, brushing my teeth while I’m in there, and then dress in black tailored pants and a white blouse. I put my hair in a high ponytail, and add some light makeup, checking the mirror to make sure I look put together and professional. Happy with my appearance, I slide my feet in my black pumps and get in my car, trying to focus on the day I have ahead of me, instead of the man who I can’t wait to see again.

Chapter Thirteen

“Did you make these sandwiches yourself?” I ask Summer, impressed. They are club sandwiches, and seriously delicious.

“No,” she says, taking a huge bite out of her own. “We have a chef here. The place is a restaurant during the day, although we closed it for a little while to renovate and only just reopened it. It will start getting busy again soon, and we’ll need to hire some more employees.”

“Well, the chef is awesome,” I tell her. “I’ll have to start coming here for lunch every day.”

“Please do,” she says, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Reid always says I come in and work too much, but what am I going to do? Sit at home? I get bored. I’d rather keep busy.”

“I’m the same. I don’t think I could not work.” I pause. “I could use more holiday time though.”

“Yeah, I think everyone could,” Summer agrees then changes the subject. “So have you slept with him yet?”

I shake my head. “Does no one have a filter anymore?”

“We don’t have any boundaries in our group,” she admits, leaning back in the booth. “What are the fun in boundaries anyways?”

“No, we haven’t slept together,” I confess. “We’ve only been on two dates, and I know it’s kind of different circumstances, but I don’t know. I think rushing into everything could be a mistake. Plus, there’s the whole ‘he had a girlfriend just the other day’ thing.”

“Oh, that little chestnut,” she says, waving her hand in the air. “I kind of felt like he was just with her for the sake of being with someone. She was a bitch, after all.”

“Yeah, but that’s exactly my point,” I say, sighing dejectedly. “I don’t want it to be like that with us. If he just wants to be with someone, that’s not exactly a good way to start a relationship.”

She puts her hand up. “Don’t twist my words, Vi. Those circumstances were with Vanessa, not you. You’re the exception to his every rule. You’re the one for him; I just know it.”