Distraction (Club Destiny #8)(42)

“Wait,” Sarah said, jerking on his hand.

Dylan stopped walking, then peered down at her. Her eyes darted from the lobby to him and back.

“What’s wrong?”

“If they see me with you…”

His forehead creased as he tried to figure out what she was inferring. Then it hit him. He laughed, he couldn’t help it. “What do you care what they think?”

Sarah studied him for a moment, then slapped his arm playfully. “I was here with another guy a couple of hours ago.”

“So?”

“Dylan.” The way she dragged out his name made him want to pull her into his arms.

He didn’t.

“So you want me to leave?” he asked.

Her wide blue eyes locked on his face, and Dylan wondered what she was thinking.

“No,” she said quietly. “I think it’d be best if you stay with me tonight.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“I have double beds,” she added quickly. “So don’t get any ideas, hot shot.”

Double beds? That was strange considering Bill had invited her.

Unable to stop himself, he smiled as he brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. Her skin was so soft, so smooth. He wanted to put his lips where his fingers touched, then he wanted to trail them over every inch of her to see if she was as soft all over.

“Come on,” Sarah said, taking his hand in hers. “Let’s get some coffee.”

Coffee? Well, okay then.

Dylan allowed her to steer him through the massive hotel to a coffee shop that appeared to be open twenty-four hours. Sarah led the way to the counter, her eyes sliding over to him every so often. If he didn’t know better, Dylan would think she was nervous. Funny, considering where they’d been a mere hour ago.

While standing in line, it was obvious she was trying to look interested in the menu on the wall, but Dylan knew better. She was simply trying not to look at him. It gave him a minute to think about where they were and what he was doing. There was a strange sensation in his gut. Was it nerves? Anxiety? Whatever it was, he didn’t like the feeling.

When it was finally their turn and the barista smiled and asked what they’d like, Sarah released his hand and stepped up to the counter. “Just a small coffee, please.”

“Two,” Dylan noted. “Two small coffees.”

“Please,” Sarah tacked on, making Dylan and the woman behind the counter smile.

She was so damn sweet.

The entire time they stood there, she never once turned her head to look at him. When she pulled out her credit card, he beat her to it, handing the woman a twenty-dollar bill and then taking his change. He dumped the change into the tip jar beside the register, then followed Sarah.

“Generous tip,” she muttered.

Dylan didn’t respond.

An ugly part of him wondered if Sarah had come to this exact same coffee shop with Bill earlier. He knew it was a stupid thing to worry about, but he couldn’t help himself. He was getting lost in his own head. It’d been more than a decade since Dylan felt any damn thing at all, much less a possessiveness that he couldn’t explain. When it came to Sarah, he was assaulted with somewhat foreign emotions. He honestly wasn’t sure he liked them all that much. The feelings, that was.

In order to keep his brain occupied, he tried to recall all the things Sarah had said about her and Bill. How they’d met, how long they’d been seeing each other. Why she’d started seeing him in the first place. His thoughts were getting away from him.

“How long have you known this Bill guy?” he found himself asking while the waitress poured their coffee.

Sarah looked up at him for the first time since they’d stepped into the coffee shop, her blue eyes checking him out, probably trying to figure out why he was so curious. Truth was, he didn’t even know.

“About five months.”

Five months was a long damn time. Hell, it was three months longer than they’d dated in high school. Then again, two months was an eternity to a hormonal teenager.

“But you haven’t slept with him?” he asked, taking both cups of coffee the woman handed over before turning toward the small counter holding the various accoutrements for customers to use to fix up their beverage of choice.

“Keep your voice down,” she warned, glancing around.

There was no one else there except for the two of them, but he smiled anyway. “I’ll try.”

“And, no,” she replied, a little too defensively. “I haven’t slept with him.”

“Why not?”

“Are you serious?” she questioned softly.

“As a heart attack.”

“I didn’t like him like that.”

“But you liked him enough to let him surprise you by taking you to a sex club?”

Her eyes narrowed on him and Dylan knew he was pushing too far. Maybe he was the nervous one.

Sarah tore open two packets of Equal, then dumped the contents into her cup. “You really want to get into this now?”

Not really, but for some damn reason, he couldn’t help himself. “Yeah. I do.”

“Why do you care, Dylan?”

Okay, so he’d definitely pushed too far. He’d gone and pissed her off.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, sipping his coffee. It was true. He had no fucking clue why he cared, but he did. He cared a hell of a lot more than he’d ever expected to.