Page 30 of Daring to Love You (Priestly Family #3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

“ D ammit. I’m an idiot!” Lynix ground out and punched the air so hard he felt a twinge in his right shoulder but ignored it.

He ran his hand over his head and down to the back of his neck as he expelled a long breath.

How had things come to a screeching halt so fast?

The last thirty or forty minutes with Dorian had been downright amazing, better than anything he could’ve planned for the evening.

But then, out of nowhere, she sprung the virgin confession on him.

Talk about throwing a curve ball. He’d been caught off guard by her admission and then sat there like a dufus not knowing what to say.

And if that hadn’t been enough, she’d blown him away with her request.

I want you to be my first .

The words blared through his mind as he dropped down on the bed, then fell back and stared at the white ceiling. He could’ve handled that better, but the woman had a way of throwing him off his game.

He was thrilled she wanted him to be her first, but that was a lot of pressure to put on a guy. His first time with a girl, Marisela, hadn’t meant much to his fifteen-year-old horny body. But it had given him bragging rights with his even hornier buddies.

But Dorian?

She was special, and she deserved for her first time to be just as special. The thought of her saving herself for so many years and then asking him to be her first… It should be an honor. Hell, it was an honor, one he wouldn’t take lightly.

First, he had to wrap his brain around everything. Sure, he’d known she wasn’t as experienced as some of the women he’d been with, but a virgin? Mind. Blown. Now a few things made more sense.

“It’s okay, sweet baby. TT Dorian has you.” Dorian’s soothing voice came through the baby monitor that Lynix had forgotten about. He’d heard Zanaya crying but had been distracted.

“ Shhh , it’s okay. We need to be quiet so we don’t wake your brother.” Zanaya quieted as Dorian continued talking softly to her. “Were me and Uncle Lynix too loud? Did we wake you up? Sorry about that, but you need to learn how to sleep as sound as your brother.”

Lynix closed his eyes, picturing Dorian sitting in the rocker holding his goddaughter. She was a natural with them, and he could totally see her with kids of her own.

“I think I messed up with your godfather tonight,” Dorian continued. Lynix’s eyes popped open, and he propped himself up on his elbows.

He should probably turn off the baby monitor since Dorian didn’t realize she had an audience, but he wanted to know what she was thinking. The last thing he wanted was for her to have any regrets when it came to him.

“He’s such a nice guy, and he made me feel things tonight that I’ve never felt with anyone. Ever. And I enjoyed every moment.”

Lynix relaxed, glad he hadn’t totally blown it with her.

“I’ve told myself a hundred times,” she continued, “he’s out of my league, and tonight proved that.

What would he want with a virgin when there are so many beautiful, sexy, experienced women out there?

Have you seen him? He can have any woman he wants.

Yet, he’s doing me a favor by pretending to be my boyfriend. ”

If only she knew. She was the one doing him a favor.

Yes, he was glad to help get her mother to back off, but in turn, he was getting so much more.

He was getting the opportunity to show Dorian a different side of him.

Yes, she’d be helping him out by being his plus-one at the gala and showing his father that he had a woman, but it was so much more than that.

“I might’ve messed up our pretend relationship,” she was saying to the baby.

Lynix could almost picture her looking defeated. He’d seen the expression the first time she’d told him what had transpired between her and Rodney. Which reminded him—Lynix dug his cell phone from his pocket—he needed a direct phone number for the owner of Concept Marketing Agency.

Once he shot off a quick text to Wes, he shoved his cell phone back into his pocket and stood. He needed to fix the mess between him and Dorian. He couldn’t have her thinking he’d ever want any other woman but her.

And she thought she was out of her league?

That’s crazy. He might have more money and connections than her, but that was it.

If anything, it was the other way around.

Dorian was too good for him, and for a while, he feared that if they got together he’d corrupt her in some way.

Steal her innocence—though at the time, he hadn’t known she was a virgin—but he thought he’d somehow taint her moral purity.

Everything about the woman was good and pure and so different from who he was, and he didn’t want her to change. Not because of him.

As for her being a virgin, untouched by another man? Even better. He needed to make it clear that he’d be honored to be her first. He just didn’t want it to happen yet. Not until he knew she was ready to move past this pretend shit that his stupid ass had talked her into.

Lynix left the guest room, and when he made his way to the nursery, he stopped in the doorway. Onyx lifted his head and looked at him, then laid his head back down on his paws.

Dorian hadn’t noticed him yet, giving him a chance to watch her for a moment as she sat in the rocking chair with Zanaya. It was a beautiful sight, and in that moment, he could imagine her rocking their baby.

Lynix wasn’t sure if he’d made a sound, but she glanced up and gave a small smile.

“She’s almost asleep,” she whispered.

He moved quietly into the room and knelt next to the rocker. He could wait and talk to her after Zanaya was back in bed, but he couldn’t have Dorian thinking he didn’t want her. That he didn’t want to be her first.

Her attention went back to the baby whose eyes were drifting closed.

“Listen to me,” Lynix whispered, and Dorian looked at him. “I want you more than I have ever wanted another woman. The fact that you’re a virgin, and you want me to be your first, is an honor. But it also makes me want to know for certain that you’re sure.”

“I am,” she said quickly. “I know we’re just hanging out, pretending and stuff, but I still want to...you know, with you.” She blushed and lowered her gaze.

“Look at me,” he said gently, and she did.

How could he tell her that he wasn’t taking her virginity until he knew she was in love with him? He was sure of his feelings for her—he loved her—but the feelings weren’t mutual… yet.

Instead of saying any of that, he said, “I’m going to make sure your first time is perfect. That you’re not only sure you want me, but you’re ready for what we’re going to share. I don’t want you to have any regrets.”

“I won’t. I know I won’t, and it won’t change our friendship. I promise.”

Lynix nodded. He was disappointed she was still seeing him as a friend, but deep down, he knew she felt something more between them. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have let him touch her so intimately earlier. He knew she cared about him and more importantly, she trusted him.

He could work with that.

“How about I leave you to put Zanaya back to sleep, and I’ll go heat up the food?”

“That’s a great idea because I’m starving.” Dorian glanced down at the baby in her arms who was drifting off. “I’ll be in there shortly.”

“Okay.” Lynix placed a lingering kiss on her lips before leaving the room with Onyx following him into the kitchen.

After giving the dog a treat, Lynix glanced at the food on the counter, and his stomach rumbled.

He’d worked up an appetite and couldn’t wait to dive in.

Instead of putting the dishes in the microwave one at a time, he turned on the oven.

He figured he could heat everything at once, and then by the time Dorian came in there, the food would still be warm.

While he waited, Lynix sat at the table and scrolled through his emails, checked his voicemail, and skimmed through text messages that he’d missed from earlier. When he saw Wes had texted him back, he read the message.

I don’t know the owner of Concept Marketing, but I’ll get my assistant on it. You’ll have contact info by the end of the day tomorrow. BTW, you need an assistant.

Lynix snorted. Yeah, he was going to need more than an assistant. He was going to need a complete brain overhaul to go from a cop mentality to a businessman. He just hoped the learning curve wouldn’t be too hard.

Onyx, who’d been laying at his feet, scrambled up and started barking. That was when Lynix smelled something burning. Then the smoke detector blared.

He leaped from the seat and hurried to the oven. When he opened the door, smoke billowed out. What the hell?

A peek at the stove’s control panel made him realize what he’d done wrong. The oven was on the broiler setting.

“Oh, this is just great,” he ground out and turned off the stove. Then he searched desperately for something he could use to get rid of the smoke. Which in turn would stop the ear-piercing noise.

A dishtowel would work.

He spotted one at the end of the counter and started waving it back and forth beneath the smoke detector. “Everything’s okay,” he called out to Dorian, wanting to assure her that he had it all under control, but seconds later, she rushed into the kitchen.

She looked around frantically. “What happened?”

“Umm, I might’ve burned dinner,” he said, still waving the dish towel until the shrieking noise stopped.

“Really, Lynix? All you had to do was put the food in the microwave.”

“You see, what had happened was, I put everything in the oven. I figured if I turned it down low, the food would slowly warm up and still be warm by the time you came in here.” He told her how he accidentally pushed the broiler button.

Dorian shook her head and laughed. “So much for a delicious, lick-your-lips home cooked meal. Well, I think there are takeout menus in one of these drawers. Get to calling, buddy, because I’m starving. Oh, and before you even think about it, I don’t want pizza or burgers.”

Lynix chuckled and looped his arm around her before she could leave the kitchen. He pulled her against his body and kissed her lips.

“Thanks for one of the most soul-stirring, entertaining, and enlightening nights I’ve had in a while. I can’t think of any place else I’d rather be than here with you.”

I love you was on the tip of his tongue as he stared into her pretty brown eyes, but it was too soon to admit that to her. They were still in a weird place. Somewhere between fake dating and friends getting to know each other intimately.

He might not have ever been in love before, but Lynix knew deep in his heart he was in love with Dorian Priestly.

Now he just had to wait for her to feel the same about him.