“He’s working,” Zoe sighed. It seemed like she repeated that same thing to someone at least ten times a day. You’d think by now they’d already know the answer before they bothered to ask the question. Josh pulled onto the road, then put a hand on the gearshift. Zoe had been so lost in her thoughts that she jumped in surprise when she felt something on her leg. She looked down in shock to see his hand there, inching up toward the apex of her thighs. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked incredulously as she attempted to pry his fingers lose.
“You don’t have to pretend anymore, baby. We’ve been hot for each other since that night at my party. I know you feel obligated to Dylan because you’re friends, and that’s cool. He’s my buddy too. He doesn’t need to know what we do in our private time. Fuck, he’s probably getting sucked off by that assistant of his right now.”
“Get your hands off me!” she cried as she felt him inches away from her underwear. Why had she worn a dress today of all days? His foot was heavy on the gas pedal and Zoe felt completely out of control as he spewed more insanity about them being together. She made one last attempt to dislodge his hand before he touched her intimately and realized her mistake too late. He was so engrossed in what was happening on the other side of the car that his eyes had left the road. She cried out a warning as she saw the approaching curve, but it was too late. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of weightlessness as the car flew through the air and into the unknown. Dylan.
• • •
It was close to one in the morning when Dylan turned off the light to his office and walked down the hallway to the elevator. The double doors were opening and he was stepping on when his phone rang. What now? he thought wearily. He was tempted to turn the damn thing off, but that was never really an option for him. He stared at it in shock when he saw Vivian’s name on the screen. In a split second, he knew. God, no. Zoe. “Don’t you dare tell me something’s happened to her,” he growled in way of a greeting.
Vivian, as always in times of crisis, was direct and to the point. “Dylan, she’s going to be all right, but you need to get to Southside Hospital right now. I’ll tell you everything when you get here. Make sure you do it in one piece.” With that, she ended the call and he was left staring at the screen. Then he jolted into action and ran into the elevator before frantically punching the button for the parking garage. After that, he had no recollection of driving to the hospital. It was all a blur until he pulled into the fire lane and left his car, along with the keys, there. He couldn’t give a shit if someone stole or towed it away.
“Zoe Hart,” he snapped when he reached the emergency room check-in area.
“Dylan, over here,” Vivian called out, waving him to a small seating area in the corner.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he pushed his shaking hands in his pockets. “Where is she? You said she was all right.”
“Sit down, Dylan,” she snapped, and he automatically complied. “Now get it together. She’s going to need you.”
“Please,” he pleaded, needing to know where the woman he loved more than life was.
Vivian softened, putting a comforting hand on his arm. “She was in a car accident.” When he opened his mouth to respond, she stopped him with a shake of her head. “Let me finish. She’s okay, believe me. I would tell you if she wasn’t.” He nodded his agreement and she continued. “Dylan, the police are involved as well. When Zoe’s tire blew out, she realized she’d left her phone at the shop. But then your friend Josh showed up out of nowhere and offered to give her a ride home. While they were in his car, he put his hand on her leg and tried to touch her . . . in other places. He told her that he knew she wanted him and that they could be together without telling you. She fought him off, and he wasn’t paying attention to the road. The car flipped several times, but ended up in a sandbank, which saved them both from being killed. Zoe took a good lick from the airbag so she’s bruised and scratched up. They’re running tests to make sure there isn’t anything going on internally, but so far it appears that she was damn lucky. They’ll keep her overnight for observation as a safety precaution.”
Dylan was already on his feet, hell-bent on finding the man who he’d called a friend and brother for all of his adult life. “Where in the hell is that fucker? How dare he put his hands on her? I’ll kill him.”
Vivian got to her feet and grabbed his hand before he could storm off. “I feel the same way, trust me. But the police are with him. They’ve already questioned Zoe, and when he’s given the all-clear, he’ll be going to the station. They’re charging him with attempted sexual assault. I want to kick the little weasel’s ass just as bad as you do, but my daughter needs us right now, so get your shit together.”
Taking a deep breath in an attempt to rein his temper in, he asked, “How is she doing with all this? Shit, I feel like I put this directly on her doorstep, then left her to fend for herself.”
“She’s in shock, Dylan, which is probably for the best right now. I know you feel guilty, and this may sound bitchy, but right now, this can’t be about you. She’s been traumatized and she’ll need your support and understanding.”
He felt like a chastised schoolboy, but she was absolutely right. “When can I see her?”
“I’ll go see if she’s in a room yet. If you need to make arrangements for work, you should do that now. I know you usually start pretty early each day.” He also got her meaning there as well. She was telling him that he’d better not be planning to run out of this hospital anytime soon, which was another dig he deserved.
When she’d walked off, he pulled his phone out and dialed Ash. His brother sounded just as alert at two in the morning as he did at nine. Dylan filled him in briefly on what had happened and held the phone away as Asher cursed colorfully. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll make some arrangements. Just take care of your girl.”
“Thanks, man,” he said gratefully. “I’ll touch base with you later on.” He sank back down into one of the chairs and dropped his head in his hand. He couldn’t believe that Josh had attacked Zoe. He knew he’d been hanging around the shop more, but there had been no indication that it was anything other than friendship. He was so enraged at the thought of him touching his woman that he’d tear him apart limb from limb if he could. Fuck, he’d left her to drive home late at night by herself, while he stayed at the office once again. He’d failed her at every turn and he could have well lost her forever tonight. He had no idea where to go from here, but one thing was certain—something had to change. He could no longer pretend that he could handle everything, because tonight proved that he had let the most important thing in his life become last in line, and that was a bitter pill to swallow.
Nineteen
Zoe muttered a thank-you to Dylan as he brought a blanket over to her sofa and tucked it around her legs. She’d been released an hour earlier and he had driven her home. She’d rebuffed his attempts at conversation since he’d shown up at the hospital shortly after the accident. Truthfully, she was still trying to make sense of everything in her head, so she didn’t really know what to say to him. “Would you like something to drink, sweetheart? Maybe some water or coffee?”
Shaking her head, she said softly, “No, nothing right now. I’m just going to rest for a little while. If you need to go to work, I’ll be fine.”
He looked appalled by her words and she wondered why. They both knew the Oceanix came first. He sat down on the edge of the sofa next to her and cupped her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re the most important thing to me, and I’ll be here until I know that you’re okay.”
A few days ago, she’d have been thrilled to hear him say that. But now she was confused and unable to think with him watching her every move. She knew it would hurt him, but right now what she wanted more than anything was to be alone. She’d had someone with her since the accident, which meant there had been no time to process
what had happened. “Dylan,” she began softly, “I really need some space right now. Please don’t think I blame you in any way, because I don’t. But I could use some time to work everything out on my own. I promise I’ll call you, but can you give me that?”
She could see his inner struggle. He wanted to argue. He thought she was angry because Josh was his friend, but that wasn’t the case. Right now she didn’t have the strength to reassure him further, though. If he didn’t leave soon, she was going to crack in front of him, and she very much wanted her privacy for that. “I don’t know,” he murmured hesitantly. “I’m not sure you should be alone so soon.”
Reaching over, she took his hand, saying earnestly, “I need this.” With those words, she knew she had him. He might hate it, but he’d never been good at telling her no.
“All right, sweetheart. But promise me you’ll check in tonight to let me know you’re okay.” She nodded her agreement and he bent to drop a kiss on her forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied. Her love for him had never been the question, but she was starting to realize that possibly it wasn’t enough to build a future on, no matter how much she wanted it, unless something changed.
• • •
“How’s Zoe?” Ash asked as he strolled into the office. Dylan looked up in surprise, having had no idea yet again that he was coming to Florida.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in confusion. When he’d asked his brother to handle things, he hadn’t thought it would be in person. After all, he had a hotel to run as well.
“I caught a flight out after I talked to you. I left Hudson in charge of daily operations at the resort. I can handle anything else remotely.”
Ash had bragged about his new operations manager, and Dylan had to admit he must be good for his perfectionist brother to turn over the helm to him on such short notice. Hell, maybe he needed to recruit him to come here. “Apparently I spoke too soon anyway because my girlfriend doesn’t want me around right now.”
“Ouch.” Ash whistled before dropping into a seat in front of him. “What’s going on? Is she home now?”
“Yeah, I just came from her place. She said she needed some time to think about things.” Running a hand through his hair, he admitted, “I feel as if I’m losing her. And the shit thing is, I can’t blame her at all. I haven’t been there for her. She almost got killed last night because I was here instead of with her. Hell, I didn’t even walk her to the car, Ash. It was late when she left and I let her go into the parking garage alone. What kind of man does that?”
“One with far too much on his plate,” Ash said. “You’re overwhelmed here, and before you think I’m insulting you, hear me out. This location does far more business in a year than the others. You’re sitting on a gold mine and it’s only going to get bigger. Hence the need for an expansion. I can’t believe you made it on your own for this long. None of us could handle all that you do. We’ve discussed it before. We have no idea how you do it.”
“No life and a shitload of antacids,” Dylan deadpanned.
“Well, I’ve got an idea I want to run by you. I think you’ll agree that it’s in your best interest, so I hope you’ll keep an open mind.”
“And what will this big plan of yours do for me exactly?” Dylan asked, intrigued despite himself.
Ash sat forward, putting his hands on the edge of the desk. “It may save your life in more ways than one. Interested?”
“I’m not doing a great job of it on my own, so let’s see what you’ve got.” He didn’t expect a miracle, but at this point, he certainly didn’t have any answers of his own.
Twenty
Zoe was finding out the hard way that avoiding someone who worked in the same building was tricky. Dylan had given her a week, but his calls, texts, and attempts to see her were increasing in frequency and she was almost certain he was watching for her car on the Oceanix surveillance system now. He certainly had a habit of showing up at the coffee shop right after she did. Up until now, she’d managed to always be busy with something, but today she was screwed. The shop had a few people in it, but there was no one at the counter waiting to be served, nor any emergencies she could come up with that she hadn’t already used. No, today she was fresh out of ideas and it was time to face the music—or Dylan. “Good morning.” She forced a smile as he took a seat on a stool in front of her.
He studied her carefully as if looking for a clue as to what she was thinking. “Morning, sweetheart. It’s good to see you.”
“You too,” she replied truthfully. Because even as she’d been avoiding him, she’d missed her friend. There was a hole in her life without him that she didn’t know quite what to do with.
Running a hand through his hair, he asked, “Will you talk to me now? I know you’ve been trying to dodge me for days, but I can’t take it any longer, sweetheart. I need to know what’s going on with you. Hell, I’ve resorted to bribing half the people at the front desk, the concierge, and the cleaning crew to tell me when you get here every morning. I even groveled to Dana, who told me to do something I’m not sure is even possible with my dick.”
Zoe burst out laughing, picturing Dylan lowering his pride for a chance to talk to her. It was a bit of an invasion of her privacy, but the reasoning behind it was sweet. Plus, she hadn’t left him much choice. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you and Dana. I’d say you liked each other since you fight so much, but I don’t think she has any secret feelings for you.”
“Oh, she certainly doesn’t,” he agreed. “She lets me know exactly what she thinks every time she sees me.” They share an amused look before his expression turned serious. “They contacted you about Josh, I heard. I forgot to mention your mother in the list of people I’ve tried bribing for information on you.”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I guess having a rich and powerful daddy helps when you’re in trouble.”
“He won’t be coming anywhere near you again, sweetheart, I promise.” For the first time, she noticed his scraped, discolored, and raw knuckles. Surely he didn’t?
She reached out and picked up one of his hands. He winced slightly, but that was his only reaction. “You went after him, didn’t you?”
He turned his hand until their fingers were threaded together. “What else would you have me do? He almost got you killed, Zoe. There was no way I could let that go. He hurt you and betrayed me. His daddy might have gotten him off with community service, but even he was smart enough to stand back and let me at him. He also told me that Josh will be moving back to Chicago with him indefinitely.”
“Really?” Zoe asked, sagging with relief at the news. She knew that with him here, she’d always be looking over her shoulder, which was no way to live. “Do you believe him?”
“Actually I do. He’s a hard-ass. He won’t tolerate something like this happening in his backyard again. He controls the money, so in a sense, he controls Josh through it.”
“Thank God,” she whispered. “That really gives me some closure.”
“Where are we at, baby?” She’d been expecting a similar question, but found she still wasn’t prepared for it. Yet she could no longer put this off; he deserved more than that.
“I love you, Dylan. I can’t remember a time in my life when I haven’t. I once thought that I could handle anything as long as we were together and you felt the same way.”
“Why do I sense a ‘but’ in all of that?” he asked solemnly.
She gave him a sad smile. “You’re a very busy man and that’s okay. I work a lot of crazy hours too, so I understand that it’s necessary sometimes. As much as I love you, I don’t want to spend my life waiting for you to come home. I want to get married and have a family one day. But I don’t want to do it as a single parent. I was raised by a mother that tried her best to fill both roles for me, but I still felt it when the other kids at school brough
t their dads to special events and mine wasn’t there. I . . . I need something to change, Dylan. I know you have a demanding job, but there has to be a way to have a life outside of the office.”
Zoe was surprised when he sat quietly through her entire speech. She’d expected some interruptions or objections, but he’d said nothing. Wow, doesn’t this bother him at all?
When she was finished, he leaned over the counter and kissed her cheek. “I completely understand what you’re saying. Would you agree to have dinner with me tonight? I’ll send a car for you. That way, if you want to leave afterward, you won’t be dependent on me for a ride home.” When she hesitated, he added, “I think we owe each other that much, don’t we?”
“All right,” she agreed. “I’ll be ready at seven if that works for you?”
Getting to his feet, he said, “It’s perfect. I’ll arrange everything. Thanks for not running from me today.” And with that, he was gone and she was something akin to stunned. Or maybe hurt was a more accurate description of what she was feeling. Did he not care what she’d said? Sure, he’d asked to see her tonight, but he’d given no indication that he had any intentions of trying to meet her halfway.
“So what’s going on with him?” Dana asked as she walked up to stand next to her.
“I have absolutely no idea,” Zoe admitted, “but I think I’m getting a consolation dinner tonight.”
“He broke up with you?” the other woman asked in shock.
“No—that’s the funny thing. I kind of gave him an ultimatum in a roundabout way. But somehow I feel as if I’ve played right into his hands. Almost as if there’s a plan in place that I don’t know about.”
“Huh,” Dana murmured. “I don’t suppose you’d let me come along.”
“Um, no,” Zoe said, laughing, “not a chance. Although you should probably keep your phone handy in case I need to be talked off a ledge.”