I am so holding him to that. I’m kinda in a daze now and after some twists and turns, I see a number of bedrooms that I barely register. They’re all luxurious if not plain with their own bathrooms and huge tubs, but that’s all I remember. Until we finally arrive in the one he tells me is his.
His room isn’t representative of how I think of him at all. It’s barren and bleak with lots of black, white and gray. The only noteworthy thing about it is the biggest bed I’ve ever seen in my life, with large posts in dark wood, facing a fireplace. There’s a balcony that he takes me out to, and from it, you can look down into his backyard paradise...which belongs on MTV. There’s a waterfall, a cave, a rock slide and an in-pool bar with a TV above it. Now, how the hell does that happen in water? And how is the water a deep sapphire blue rather than normal pool blue?
“And there you have it,” I say and he laughs under his breath.
“To the left over there, you can’t see right now, are basketball and tennis courts. No softball field though...yet.” He bumps my shoulder with his playfully.
“Dane, this place is, well, it’s overwhelming. I can’t believe you l-live here,” I stutter shamelessly. This is the part where I’m supposed to act all composed and unimpressed I’m sure, but he had me at the home theater. This place is paradise and I’m flabbergasted.
“I sleep here sometimes, yeah, not a lot of living goes on here, though. It’s just a lot of space.” He answers me with sadness; a sorrow that reminds me I’m not the only one with issues in my life. “So you want me to show you to a room? I know you have school tomorrow, you should probably get to bed.” He turns to lead me back in the house.
“Seriously, Dane, you can just take me back. I’m sure Tate’s gone by now, I’ll be fine. I just lost it for a minute. I’m not going postal or anything, I promise.” I offer him a sheepish smile. “As embarrassed as I am, it actually felt pretty good to get it out for once.”
“I get it, Laney, I promise. Everyone hits their breaking point once in a while. Don’t you dare be embarrassed, okay?” He lifts my chin and catches my eyes with is. “How about this? If you’re not too tired, let’s grab a glass of wine and chill in the grotto; we can talk some more. Sound good?”
I know I can’t fall asleep right now, and talking to Dane somehow puts me at ease. He’s got this soothing effect about him, like he could solve anything that came his way, effortlessly.
“Yeah, that sounds real good right about now.” I take a deep breath and feel even more of the tension leave my body.
He leads me back down the stairs and through the doors that do in fact lead to the backyard. Walking down the cutest little pathway, with in-ground lights and a beautiful floral border, we come to a pool house that could easily be someone’s apartment.
“In that room,” he says, pointing, “should be plenty of bathing suit options. Pick whatever you like, there’s a bathroom to change in. I’ll meet you in the pool.” And with that, he turns to leave.
With a moment to myself, I stop to make sense of my thoughts. Dane is lonely, and comforting, and rich...I mean rich. So why does Tate live in a dorm? How far is this place from school? Why am I selecting from bikinis on a school night? Why is Dane so nice to me? Why do I trust a guy who keeps a bikini selection on hand for his guests?
I don’t know the answer to a single one of those things, and at the moment, I don’t care. The soft sounds of music drift from somewhere as I slip on the beautiful green bikini I’ve selected, praising myself for not being behind on lady upkeep. I try to ignore the price tag I remove, but fail; the price is obscene. I feel strange but alive as I walk out towards the pool, like I’m in an alternate universe. Laney Jo Walker doesn’t do late night swims with sexy, soothing young millionaires—I am sooo out of my element right now.
Chapter Twenty-Four
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WINDOW
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DANE
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“There you are, I thought I was gonna have to come look for you,” I say as I hand her a glass of wine and take a drink of my own. “I see you found something that fits; looks good.”
I take her in from head to toe, suppressing the growl trying to escape. Laney stands shyly before me; arms wrapped low around her stomach, in a bikini. Her stance and the trepidation in her eyes floor me. How in the hell is this girl so unaware of her affect? The moonlight and slight glow from the pool give me just enough light to brazenly look my fill. She is without a doubt the sexiest girl I’ve ever seen.
Her dark blonde hair will no doubt look brown when she gets it wet. Her kind eyes are almost hazel in the daylight, but at night, or when she’s hiding a feeling from me, they turn a deep, rich brown. Her lips are plump and she wets them when she’s nervous or stalling before speaking; just a quick little dart of her tongue.