Denying Dylan | ✔️

(17) "I'm not wearing a bra!"

It's almost ten at night when Dylan and I arrive in Pittsburgh. We decided it'd be the best place to spend the night so that we can recharge and get in a little more distance tomorrow. I'm not opposed to making stops either though. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind dragging this adventure out for as long as possible. I know that Dyl needs to get back to work though.

"We should go to the Andy Warhol museum tomorrow," I suggested as I set mom on the small desk in front of the hotel window. We'd called ahead and let the reception know that our check in would be late so they left the room unlocked for us. From our suite, we could see the iconic museum and the glow of lights from the windows. Hundreds of windows.

Dylan, who was sitting on the edge of our one double bed, toed off his shoes and nodded. "Yeah. We could. You don't want to get straight back on the road though?"

"We can if you'd prefer. I just thought that we could take advantage of our stops. But you're probably in a hurry to get home, right?"

He shook his head. "Nope. No rush. Cora is covering the position of head chef while I'm gone."

"She'll be loving that," I leaned against the desk and crossed my ankles. Cora loved her job. Loved it. And Dylan loved her passion. The two worked well together but he knew that when her time came, she'd snatch up a position as head chef if the right offer was made. Even if it did mean leaving The Hot Plate. And Dylan understood that.

"Yeah," he smiled. "She is. So like I said, there's no rush. We could go to the Zoo as well?"

"Ooh I could get some photos. That would be fun."

His grin was soft but his gaze was tired. Exhausted in fact. He'd been driving for almost seven hours so I wasn't surprised that he couldn't seem to find the strength to sit upright.

He pinched the back of his shirt and started pulling it over his head. "Yep. But for now, I need some sleep. I'm wiped."

I swallowed and averted my gaze from his smooth defined torso. He looked even more chiselled than he did when we went to New Zealand. Still lean. Slim. But muscular. I wondered if he'd been working out more since we hadn't been talking. He might have had more time now that I wasn't hounding him to hang out with me all the time.

"Yeah I'll snooze too I think."

I wasn't holding onto hope for a full night's rest, it had been over a month since I'd had more than four hours sleep. We chose a hotel with one bed. It wasn't the only option and there was nothing devious about it. Again, it was our norm. It was what we would have done before our lives unfolded and so Dylan didn't even ask, he just booked the room. Because he knew. Besides, I needed him close. He made me feel safe and secure. When his arms wound around me during the night, it was enough to keep my broken bits together so that I had a moment to rest.

After I had changed into a pair of flannel pants and a thin sleep sweater, I climbed in beside Dylan. He had his arm behind his head, staring at the roof with thought. Suddenly, strong and without warning, I was confronted with memories of our beach kiss. The one that had set a series of events in motion. A kiss that made me believe in love after being a skeptic for so long.

I remembered his weight on top of me, his hand holding my face, his hair sliding through my fingertips as he moved his mouth with mine. Soft and slow but with strength that served to express his passion. It was one of those kisses where his tongue would dip and meet mine and then he would soften so our lips grazed in the most sensual way and then he would pick up his speed and slam his mouth down again. I tingled all over just thinking about how our lips had danced together.

"You'll never guess who came into work last week," Dylan said from beside me. We weren't touching but I could still feel him. Feel his arm next to mine. I rolled over so that I was facing him and raised a brow, waiting for him to tell me. "The Lahey twins. Max and Lucas."