uncle, one of us is going to be arrested for conspiracy,” Dallas mused as he settled down on the bed and started removing his shoes.
I grabbed for my robe behind my bathroom door. “He does know quite a few disreputable types. His dinner conversation always tends to be a bit shocking.”
Dallas shook his head. “I have some former bosses at the FBI who would kill to spend five minutes with your uncle and pick his brains about Carl Bordonaro. They’ve been trying to nail that guy for years.”
“ Don’t say that to Uncle Lance. He and Uncle B go way back. He adores that round little man.”
“ Uncle B?” Dallas laughed. “I hope that doesn’t mean he’s going to be invited to the wedding.”
I shrugged. “With Uncle Lance you never know.”
Dallas rubbed the back of his neck and let out a long, heavy sigh.
“ You didn’t seem to eat too much at dinner,” I commented. I walked over to the bed and sat down next to him. “I haven’t seen you put away that much alcohol since we were first thrown together in New York last December.” I ran my fingers over his dark hair. “Care to tell me what’s bothering you?” I softly asked.
He rubbed his face in his hands. “Your father wants me to take you out tomorrow to talk to you about something.”
I quickly pulled my hand away from him and placed it in my lap. “I thought you were going back to Connecticut tomorrow?”
He shook his head. “He asked me to postpone my trip for a few days because he wants you to see someone.”
I leaned slightly away from him. “See who?” I asked warily.
“ There’s a psychologist…”
“ Are you kidding me?” I jumped up from the bed and bolted for the bedroom door.
“ Nicci, hear me out.” He stood up and followed behind me.
He reached the door at the same time I did. And instead of letting me walk out of the room, he held the door closed in front of me with one long, powerful arm.
“ I know you don’t want to go and see any kind of shrink, especially after what happened with Michael,” he said behind me. “But I don’t know what is going on with you anymore. And you’re father is worried as hell about you.”
I turned to meet his cool gaze. “So does everyone think I’m crazy?”
Dallas slammed his fist into the door behind me. “You know what the problem is,” he griped. “I don’t have to spell it out for you.”
He stepped away and ran his hand over the back of his neck.
“ David,” I stated without thinking. “You’re talking about David.”
He nodded slightly. “Ever since the wedding it’s like you’ve become obsessed with him. When we were in Connecticut you never said a word about him, now he creeps into every conversation we have.” He looked down at the oak hardwood floor. “I believed when you moved in with me that you were done with David,” he whispered.
“ I thought you didn’t want to talk about him anymore. When we moved to Connecticut, you made it pretty clear that you wanted me to move on.”
His artic eyes met mine. “I never said that.”
“ You didn’t have to. When you took the portrait he painted for you of Jenny and put it into storage, I got the impression that the subject of David was not open for discussion anymore.”
“ That’s not what I intended. I thought it was a new beginning for us. I wanted to put reminders of the past away. I figured that would be best for both of us.”
I searched his face for a moment. “Are you jealous of David?” I eventually asked him.
He put his hands on his hips. “Do you know how hard it has been for me to be the man that came after David? Wondering all of the time if you were thinking of him? Comparing me to him?” He shook his head. “I’m getting real tired of trying to figure out exactly where I belong in this relationship, Nicci.”
“ That was never my intention.” I took a breath and let it out slowly as I watched his eyes devouring mine. “I’ve always cared—”
“ Don’t give me
I grabbed for my robe behind my bathroom door. “He does know quite a few disreputable types. His dinner conversation always tends to be a bit shocking.”
Dallas shook his head. “I have some former bosses at the FBI who would kill to spend five minutes with your uncle and pick his brains about Carl Bordonaro. They’ve been trying to nail that guy for years.”
“ Don’t say that to Uncle Lance. He and Uncle B go way back. He adores that round little man.”
“ Uncle B?” Dallas laughed. “I hope that doesn’t mean he’s going to be invited to the wedding.”
I shrugged. “With Uncle Lance you never know.”
Dallas rubbed the back of his neck and let out a long, heavy sigh.
“ You didn’t seem to eat too much at dinner,” I commented. I walked over to the bed and sat down next to him. “I haven’t seen you put away that much alcohol since we were first thrown together in New York last December.” I ran my fingers over his dark hair. “Care to tell me what’s bothering you?” I softly asked.
He rubbed his face in his hands. “Your father wants me to take you out tomorrow to talk to you about something.”
I quickly pulled my hand away from him and placed it in my lap. “I thought you were going back to Connecticut tomorrow?”
He shook his head. “He asked me to postpone my trip for a few days because he wants you to see someone.”
I leaned slightly away from him. “See who?” I asked warily.
“ There’s a psychologist…”
“ Are you kidding me?” I jumped up from the bed and bolted for the bedroom door.
“ Nicci, hear me out.” He stood up and followed behind me.
He reached the door at the same time I did. And instead of letting me walk out of the room, he held the door closed in front of me with one long, powerful arm.
“ I know you don’t want to go and see any kind of shrink, especially after what happened with Michael,” he said behind me. “But I don’t know what is going on with you anymore. And you’re father is worried as hell about you.”
I turned to meet his cool gaze. “So does everyone think I’m crazy?”
Dallas slammed his fist into the door behind me. “You know what the problem is,” he griped. “I don’t have to spell it out for you.”
He stepped away and ran his hand over the back of his neck.
“ David,” I stated without thinking. “You’re talking about David.”
He nodded slightly. “Ever since the wedding it’s like you’ve become obsessed with him. When we were in Connecticut you never said a word about him, now he creeps into every conversation we have.” He looked down at the oak hardwood floor. “I believed when you moved in with me that you were done with David,” he whispered.
“ I thought you didn’t want to talk about him anymore. When we moved to Connecticut, you made it pretty clear that you wanted me to move on.”
His artic eyes met mine. “I never said that.”
“ You didn’t have to. When you took the portrait he painted for you of Jenny and put it into storage, I got the impression that the subject of David was not open for discussion anymore.”
“ That’s not what I intended. I thought it was a new beginning for us. I wanted to put reminders of the past away. I figured that would be best for both of us.”
I searched his face for a moment. “Are you jealous of David?” I eventually asked him.
He put his hands on his hips. “Do you know how hard it has been for me to be the man that came after David? Wondering all of the time if you were thinking of him? Comparing me to him?” He shook his head. “I’m getting real tired of trying to figure out exactly where I belong in this relationship, Nicci.”
“ That was never my intention.” I took a breath and let it out slowly as I watched his eyes devouring mine. “I’ve always cared—”
“ Don’t give me
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