Distraction (Club Destiny #8)(64)

“So, tell me more about this club Trent wants to open,” Sarah urged, rearranging her silverware.

“It’s along the lines of Devotion, but he’s looking to cater more to the BDSM community.”

Her eyebrows dipped low. “Is that something you’re interested in?”

“Me, personally? No.”

“But you would be working there?”

“He’s looking for someone to manage the club.”

“So you’ll be busy with the mundane tasks most of the time.” Her smile was impish.

“That’s the plan. Doesn’t mean I won’t have time to play.” He winked at her. “You would come to visit the club, wouldn’t you?”

The huge smile that lit up her face warmed something deep in Dylan’s gut.

“If you invited me, I might.” Sarah folded and unfolded her napkin. “So what all does managing a club of that caliber entail?”

“Like anything else. It’s a club, but it’s still a business. There are licenses and permits to maintain, rules to implement. There’re employees, vendors, customers.”

“Only they’re spanking each other,” she said, her tone teasing.

“Probably.”

Sarah giggled and Dylan felt more warmth course through him.

He wasn’t sure what had happened over the course of the past week, but whatever it was, he hoped like hell it was just the beginning.



SARAH HAD NO IDEA WHY she was so nervous. Ever since they stepped off the plane, she’d been fidgeting. Once they had made it to the hotel room, it had gotten worse, hence the reason she suggested food. Right now, eating was the last thing on her mind although her stomach was rumbling.

And that had nothing to do with where they were, either. Sure, she wanted to check out the sights, explore the underbelly of Las Vegas, but her anxiety came from something else. Something deeper. Something better left alone.

As much as Sarah wanted to enjoy this moment, this man, her thoughts were plagued by her past. Dylan’s past. Namely Paul and Meghan. Then again, Paul was never far from her mind. She thought about him constantly. It never seemed to matter how many hours she logged with a counselor, Sarah never felt completely whole. With Dylan, it was easy to pretend, to forget for a little while. Sometimes she could almost believe that love might be in her future.

But would it really?

Was it possible for her to find love twice in her lifetime?

She honestly didn’t know.

Once the food came out, they both ate in silence for a few minutes, a million questions bouncing around on Sarah’s tongue. She tried to swallow them down, but she found she couldn’t.

“Dylan?”

He paused with his fork in the air, his dark brown eyes coming to rest on her face, backlit with curiosity.

Sarah knew she should let this go, but she couldn’t. She had a deep-seated need to know.

“Where do you see this thing between us going?” God, she hated herself for asking that. More so that she sounded so insecure. She had promised Elaine she would take this one day at a time, but it seemed her heart was too curious to do so.

His eyebrows furrowed.

She sighed. “I’m not asking for your undying love or even a marriage proposal,” she blurted. “But I’d like to know if this is going to fizzle out at the end of the weekend.”

Dylan set his fork on his plate, then wiped his mouth with his napkin. Sarah’s stomach churned as she waited for an answer.

“I’m hoping we can have fun,” he answered, his voice low. “I wish I could promise you more than that…”

Yeah. Just what she’d expected.

It bothered her that she cared. But the truth was, she did care. As much as she wanted to pretend she could handle casual sex, Sarah knew it wasn’t in her. Since Paul… Well, since her husband died, Sarah hadn’t been with anyone but Dylan. Before him she hadn’t been with anyone, either. Yes, she had dated before she and Paul met, but nothing had ever progressed to the point that she trusted anyone enough to sleep with them. Then Paul came along and swept her off her feet.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah forced a smile. “I could use some fun in my life.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

Dylan watched her intently and Sarah had to look away. She could tell he was trying to read her expression and she didn’t want him to.

“You finished?”

His question took her off guard, but she glanced down at her plate and realized she’d eaten more than she thought. Sarah nodded, then placed her napkin on her plate while Dylan signaled for the check.

A few minutes later, they were stepping out into the sunshine. It was chilly, but the sun warmed her face. She started to walk, unsure where they were going, but Dylan stopped her suddenly, pulling her in close to him. There were people everywhere, some going away from the casino, others coming toward it. No one seemed to notice that they were standing there.

Sarah stared up into Dylan’s face, her eyes locking with his as she tried to read his mind.

“Nothing has changed,” he said softly, his fingertips pressing gently into her back as though he wanted to ensure she didn’t get away.

Placing her hands on his chest, she nodded. She wasn’t even going to pretend to know what he meant by that.

“Look at me.”