Page 19 of Summer Fling (The Kingston Brothers #5)

Chapter Twelve

Blake

W hen Ashton got back to Dalton, he said to tell her it was his time with Lilliana, and he was okay with her video calling at bedtime, but that was it. I thought that was reasonable and set a good boundary.

But Oakley hadn't responded, and that had us all on edge. What was she planning next? I didn't have a good feeling about it.

Dalton hoped that the pending mediation would solve everything, but I wasn't so sure. Oakley exhibited signs of being unpredictable. Therefore, we couldn't know how she would react in any situation.

I was worried about Dalton and Lilliana.

When Dalton took Lilliana to Oakley on Sunday night, he said she hadn't mentioned the text conversation at all. It felt a little bit too much like the calm before the storm.

Afterward, Dalton insisted on taking me out to dinner. He wanted to forget about the situation for one night, and I was helpless to say no to him.

I enjoyed spending time with him, whether Lilliana was with us or not. This time, he took me to the South Seas Resort at the end of the island. I'd never been to the resort before. But the grounds were beautiful with the large palm trees and ocean views.

The hostess guided us to a table on the outside deck with white railings overlooking the water. When we were seated, I said, "This is gorgeous. Thank you for bringing me here."

"It's my pleasure."

There was something about him saying pleasure that had all my nerve endings tingling.

He reached across the table, brushing my hair off my shoulder. "You wore the earrings."

When we'd gone to the jewelry booth at the craft fair, he'd insisted on buying the blue earrings that I admired. I'd thought he'd done it to show we were girlfriend boyfriend in public, but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "Thank you."

He pulled his hand back, and I immediately missed the easy affection. "You look beautiful tonight. I mean, you look gorgeous all the time?—"

I laughed softly. "I know what you meant."

His gaze traveled slowly over me, as if he didn't have any need to rush; he had all the time in the world to savor me. "You look like you were born on the island."

I wondered if he was referencing the yellow flower I'd placed in my hair, just over my ear to showcase the earrings. "Do I?"

His gaze traveled over my hair. "You have permanent beach waves. Luna was always trying to create those when we were younger. With your blond hair, blue eyes, and tan skin, you look like you've lived here for years."

"I was born in Florida. I'm a Southern girl through and through.

" I gripped the menu, a little unnerved by his perusal.

Ever since we'd danced together by the pool the other night, I'd felt hyperaware of him.

Every time we brushed against each other in the kitchen or in the hallway, I wanted to ask if he felt the same electricity that I did.

He nodded. "That's true."

The waitress appeared, asking for our drink order, and we focused on the menu.

I ordered a fruity cocktail, fully intending to enjoy myself tonight.

For one night, I wasn't a doctoral student or even a nanny.

This was supposed to be one more date to solidify our relationship in public.

I was very aware that lines were being blurred.

At the waitress's recommendation, we ordered the mango chicken lettuce wraps for an appetizer. Then I ordered the blackened redfish for the main entree, and Dalton requested the fresh catch of the day. She took our menus, and I didn't have anything to focus on.

We could have talked about Oakley or Lilliana, but I wanted to talk about something else.

"How do you like working for your family's business?" I asked, wanting to know more about him, what his life was like before Oakley and how it was adjusting to fatherhood.

Dalton's eyes flared with interest. "Our entire family has worked in the business at one time or another.

Marshall was gone in the military for a bit, and Luna eventually left to start her own business, but it's a family company to its core.

Dad wants us to take over so that he can retire.

I think he was waiting for Marshall to come back so that Hudson wouldn't be doing it alone. "

"So you're two older brothers would be in charge?"

"Marshall and Hudson organize the schedule and crew, but technically we're all co-owners.

I think that's what drew Oakley to me to begin with.

She thinks we're rich. Then Island Magazine wrote a piece on me and my brothers as the hottest bachelors on the island. That solidified our status for her, and she didn’t want to let me go. "

"She felt like she got some kind of social status for dating you?" I asked.

"I think so. Although she never admitted that to me. She's had a hard time letting go."

I reached across and held his hand, aware that I was playing a part for the public but also needing to reassure him. "That's why we're here. We'll convince her that we're the real deal and she needs to move on."

He nodded, his expression serious. "That's the plan."

It was a good reminder that this date was part of that plan. I couldn't fall for his vulnerability.

"I’m supposed to be designing a maze for the senior center. I’m meeting with Willow from Peters' Nursery to talk about the best bushes for the project. I'm hoping she knows a topiarist. I researched various maze designs online, and I drafted one that could work."

"I'd love to see it."

"Really?" he asked as if he didn't quite believe me.

"That sounds like a neat project. Why did they ask you to handle it? I thought you did more construction work."

"This is part of the volunteer work that we do for the center.

We've built flower boxes and a gazebo, but we've recently assisted with other projects outside our purview, like creating a butterfly garden and now the maze.

I haven't been able to participate as much as I'd like because of Lilliana.

But things are settling down now, I should have more time, and I'd like to contribute. "

"I love that your family contributes to the community, and I'm sure your family understands why you haven't been able to be as present as you'd like."

The server placed the mango chicken lettuce wraps in front of us. There was no easy way to eat something like this in a nice restaurant, so I attempted to cut them into small pieces, but Dalton picked up the wrap and took a bite out of it.

"How is it?" I asked, lowering my fork and knife.

He nodded as he chewed, and when he swallowed said, "Good. Really good."

I picked up the wrap and took a bite, the mango-lime flavor bursting on my tongue. I chewed and swallowed, sipping my water before I said, "These are good."

I forgot about our surroundings and the fact that we were in a fancy restaurant because we were seated outside, and the view was fabulous. "I feel like I'm on a permanent vacation here."

Dalton nodded, picking up his second wrap. "I grew up here, so it's just normal."

I looked out over the water. "There's something about being here with the ocean view, the palm trees… I feel like I'm in my own world. It makes it harder to consider returning to the classroom."

"You don't have much longer to go to school. Then you'll be done."

I sighed. "True."

Our main course arrived, and I was careful not to bring up Oakley's name. We talked about the silly things that Lilliana did this week. I told him about her progress with painting, and he told me his plans for her to go to preschool when she was two or three.

It sounded like he'd have a hard time sending her anywhere but knew that it would be good for her to socialize with other kids besides Henry.

Lilliana was a safe topic. If we didn't talk about her, then I'd be preoccupied with his forearms that flexed as he spoke or the scruff along his jaw.

Instead, I was impressed with the light in his eyes when he spoke of his daughter.

That only highlighted how good of a father he was and heightened my attraction to him.

He was a good man in a difficult situation, but he was learning to navigate it on his own. It was impressive and incredibly attractive. And for the night, he was mine.

His attention was focused solely on me. He was attentive and kind. It was easy to get lost in him, and forget that this was for show, an act to ensure the locals knew that we were an item. The end goal was a fake engagement, and I shouldn't forget that.

We finished our meal, and I sipped my second drink, feeling lighter from the alcohol. When I felt like this, I didn't worry about my future or what my plans would be. I enjoyed myself in the moment, and right now, I couldn't deny that I wanted Dalton.

There were flashes when I thought he might like me too, but I couldn't trust them. Not when he was invested in making this fake relationship work for his custody case.

We'd ordered the key lime pie, and like last time, we took turns feeding each other portions of the sweet concoction. I wanted to kiss him and see if he tasted like the pie. Suddenly, I felt hot all over, and it had nothing to do with the summer heat.

After he paid the bill, Dalton relaxed into his chair, and his gaze settled on me. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

I looked over the water. "I could sit here all night."

He raised a brow. "I just so happen to have a deck where we can view the water in privacy."

I wanted to ask why we needed privacy, but he'd already stood and held his hand out to me. I placed my hand in his warm palm. He guided me through the restaurant and out to his truck.

The engine rumbled to life. "Thanks for going out with me tonight. I know you could be doing a billion other things, hanging out with friends or doing work."

"It was nice," I said quietly, wishing he wouldn't remind me that this was an arrangement. That none of it was real.