Chapter 46

After another marathon of a night with Dash, I woke up smiling but unable to believe everything that had happened last night. I was also happy that, for once, we didn't have to worry about who saw him leaving.

By now, at least some of those reporters who had witnessed his apology last night would've run their stories and everyone who'd seen it already knew he was here. It was a novel feeling, knowing we really didn't have to hide anymore.

In the past, we'd said we wouldn't hide, and yet, we'd actively gone out of our way to avoid being seen together. We hadn't wanted to fan the flames, sure, but ultimately, that had been part of why I'd doubted him.

What he'd done last night was to eradicate every last shred of doubt I'd had. He was with me, openly and unashamed. That distance he'd been keeping was gone and everyone knew it. He'd chosen me, loudly and proudly. Although that didn't mean we didn't have any other issues to work through, it'd been a damn big first step to have taken.

He woke up to me staring at him, his eyes opening slowly at first. As my bedroom came into focus, he blinked before his eyes widened as if he'd been sure he was dreaming. Then his gaze dropped to mine and he smiled.

"Good morning," he murmured sleepily, his voice still rough and slightly husky. Lifting his head, he kissed the top of mine before he tightened his grip on me and lay down again. "It was all real, huh?"

"Yep. Are you regretting it yet?" I asked lightly, but I was also genuinely worried that in the harsh light of day, he was going to think differently about what he'd done.

Daytime had a tendency to do that to people. Everything seemed different at night. Easier. Like a better idea. Then the sun came up and you were left thinking, What the hell did I do last night?

Dash looked deep into my eyes and shook his head, though. "No, I don't have any regrets, Serenity. I did what I had to do and I could never regret that. Why, do you have any regrets?"

It was perhaps the most vulnerable he'd ever been, asking that question, and I didn't make him wait for an answer. Scooting up slightly, I kissed him right on the lips and shook my head. "Not a one, but you might change your mind once you realize that you're stuck with my morning breath now."

He chuckled, sliding his hand around the back of my neck and pulling me to him once more. "Nah, I can handle morning breath. I can handle anything you've got, except another breakup."

My heart fluttered. I smiled and groaned softly as I rolled out of his embrace. "We should talk and we're not going to do that if we keep kissing."

Dropping his head back down on the pillow, he scrubbed his hands over his face as he nodded. "We're also not going to do it if we don't get any clothes on. You're naked."

I laughed. "I know. I'm getting a robe. Don't worry. You can look again in a minute."

Darting into my bathroom, I put on the robe that hung on the hook behind the door and wrapped it around me, securing it with the belt. More than anything, I just wanted to fall back into bed with him, but I couldn't.

Last night had been bad enough. Well, no, it wasn't bad. It was amazing, but I can't just keep hooking up with him.

I wanted more, and in order to get more, I needed to keep my legs shut. For, like, an hour. That should be enough.

Snorting softly, I shook my head at myself and walked out of the bathroom to find him covered up as well. The naughty bits, at least. He was still shirtless for the moment.

He smirked when he saw me drinking him in. "Eyes up here, baby cakes. I thought you wanted to talk."

"Want isn't exactly how I would describe it. It's more of a need," I muttered distractedly before I finally forced my eyes away from the washboard abs to look at his face, which wasn't a bad sight either, but damn. That body was going to be my undoing. "Baby cakes? That one isn't going to work for me either."

"I'll keep trying." He shrugged, giving me a smack on the ass as he strode past me to the door. "If we're satisfying the need to talk first, can we do it while also satisfying the need for caffeine?"

"If we have to." I pouted at him. He playfully lunged at me, and I laughed and danced out of his reach.

"Hey, you're the one who said we had to talk!" he called, laughing now too as I jogged out of the room.

He came after me, but we quit messing around once we got to the kitchen. I slid two mugs into their slots in the coffee machine and got them brewing. Cocking my hip against the counter, I turned to face him. Making love was definitely easier than talking, but I pulled in a deep breath and asked the only question that seemed to matter right then.

"What happens now?" I asked. "I appreciate the grand gesture and all, but it doesn't really tell me what we are to each other right now."

He nodded slowly as he sat down on a stool, facing me with nothing but honesty and seriousness reflecting at me from his eyes. "I told my mother about us."

Surprised that he'd have told her, I did a double-take. I'd known they were close, but he hadn't struck me as the type to tell his mommy who he was sleeping with. "Really? Diana knows?"

"Yep. She's our greatest cheerleader, by the way," he said, a fond smile lifting the corners of his lips. "I think she'd have my balls if she knew how many times I've hurt you, but she's going to have to get in line because I'm pretty sure Julie's going to slice them off first."

"Nope, they can't have ‘em. They're mine." I winked at him, but then I smoothed out my expression, needing to know more than just that he'd told his mother about us. "You're going to have to be a little more specific, though. I'm surprised you told her, but it still doesn't really tell me much."

"Would it tell you more if I promised that you're the first girl I've ever told her about?" he asked mildly, but I could see from the intensity in his eyes that it meant something to him. "I never even spoke to her about my first crush, but I've spoken to her and to Richard about you. I want to see where this goes, but not casually. I want it all. The whole nine."

My heart jumped into my throat. "You're not asking me to marry you, are you?"

"Not yet," he said, looking directly into my eyes. "I will, though. One day. When you're ready for marriage again. If you're ever ready for marriage again. I won't ever pressure you and I'll wait as long as I have to, but I'm serious about us, Serenity."

"If we decide to try this again, will you be seeing other people?" I asked bluntly, those pictures of him with all those other women drifting through my mind. "Being serious means being exclusive. Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"I haven't touched anyone else since we met," he said. "I don't want anyone else. I did a stupid thing after I thought you got back together with Ethan, but I only danced with those women to get photographed. Nothing more. I'm yours. I suspect that may be true even if you don't want me."

"I do," I said quickly, my chest aching at the mere thought of losing him again. "I do want you, but things have to be different this time, Dash. I meant it when I said I don't want to be hurt anymore. I know you can't guarantee that you won't hurt me, especially because you've never really meant to do it."

"Except that night when I got photographed with those women," he said honestly. "I was hoping then that it would hurt you at least a little bit."

"I know, but that was spite. Something else I don't want anywhere near us if we're going to be together."

"I can live with that." His alarm went off then and he winced, immediately getting up and striding over to me. "I have to leave."

"What?"

A deep sigh rattled out of him, but he nodded. "I, uh, I ran out on Lance the other day after the chef hurt his hand and I need to make it up to him."

"Ah, you're on the apology tour," I said, smiling even though the timing couldn't have been worse. "Go ahead. He's your best friend. If I ever need to do anything for Julie, I expect the same understanding from you, though."

"You got it." He laid a hard kiss on me. After finally wrenching his mouth away from mine, he dressed the rest of the way as he walked to the door. "I'll call you when I'm done."

"I'll be around." As I watched, he blew me a kiss and then left, still doing up his buttons but clearly on the clock with whatever he was going to do for Lance. I sighed, wondering if anyone had ever done something as romantic for me as he'd done last night and wishing he hadn't had to run out.

Taking my coffee out of the machine when it was ready, I went back upstairs and went through my normal routine to get ready. I'd told Julie we could be late today, but I definitely couldn't play hooky completely.

When I got out of the shower, I had a text from Julie waiting for me.

Jules: CALL ME!!!!!!!!

I chuckled and dried my hair before I followed her instructions. Applying my makeup while I spoke to her, I set the phone down on my dresser and pushed the speaker button just as she answered.

"The internet is exploding already and the pictures are swoon-worthy. What happened?"

My heart swelled at the memories and I told her everything, flat out gushing about Dash without even trying to temper my excitement. She listened patiently, giggling when I finally fell silent. "I should've known we were never going to go to Italy."

"We're going to Italy," I said meaningfully. "We may just have another person joining us, but we'll see. Are you on your way in yet?"

"Almost," she said. "I'm pouring my coffee into my thermos now."

"See you at the office," I said before I hung up, ready for the day.

As I stood, my phone rang again. This time, it was Ethan calling. Not a surprise, since I'd been expecting him to reach out from the moment I'd seen Dash standing on the sidewalk in front of so many reporters. I sighed anyway, really not in the mood to deal with him.

"What do you want?" I said as I answered, not wasting any time with niceties. He sure wasn't going to.

"I can't believe you'd be so brazen," he seethed. "You're a whore, Serenity. A whore who's going to regret dating St. Clair. Mark my words. You're?—"

"Not interested in hearing anything else from you," I said, cutting him off. "I don't care what people think of me anymore, Ethan. I also don't care what you think of me. I'm going to live my life as I see fit and I'm going to do it without you. Leave me alone. For good."

I hung up on him then, shaking my head, and headed to work. While I knew he wasn't just going to let it go, I was done living in fear of his threats. I really couldn't do it anymore. He had to move on, and if he refused to, then it was time he left me out of it.

Focusing on all the good things in my life instead, I walked into my office with a smile, getting to work and somehow managing to concentrate. Later in the afternoon, after a productive day, surprise trickled through me when Dash walked into my office with iced coffees and pastries.

"Have you got a minute? There's something I want to talk to you about."

I nodded, waved him in, and got up to kiss him before sitting back down. "What's up? Please tell me we don't have another problem."

"We don't have another problem." He grinned at me, but then he raked his hands through his hair after setting down the treats he'd brought. "I want to take you on a short trip. Just an overnight, really."

Blinking fast, I smiled at him once the surprise had worn off a little. "That sounds amazing, but why not? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," he said with a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "Can you leave tonight, or do you have any major meetings or anything going on that you can't have someone else handle tomorrow morning?"

"Just some stuff for your mom's wedding, but you can always help me with that on the road."

"Done," he said easily. After a passionate goodbye kiss, he left.

I laughed once he was gone, excited and curious all at the same time. Before I went home to pack and to get ready to leave, I called Julie and asked her to stand in for me in the morning. All the while, I wondered what his surprise was.

What have you got in store for me, Dash St. Clair, and why are you being so mysterious about it?