Read Online Blue Dahlia (The Dahlia Trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series Book 1) by Vivian Winslow - Free Book Online
Authors: Vivian Winslow
Ads: Link
Sebastian wants to tweak one of his big guns before heading out to Cortes.”
“Sure,” Dahlia replies, pursing her lips together, a knot starting to form in her stomach. “On second thought, while you’re in Santa Barbara, maybe it would be a good time for me to go to Miami for a couple of days.”
“What’s in Miami?” he asks.
“Not what, who,” she says in a low voice.
He looks at her curiously.
“Someone who mattered a lot to me before I rediscovered you.”
Chapter 32
“Now or never,” Dahlia mutters to herself as she knocks lightly on the heavy white door. She avoids ringing the doorbell. Obviously, she gets the subconscious reason behind this. She’d rather be anywhere but here.
Dahlia knocks again, secretly hoping he’s not home, although Lily assured her he would be.
Finally, raising her arm for a final knock, a beautiful brunette with dark green eyes answers the door, her nakedness barely concealed beneath a man’s shirt. Dahlia quickly recognizes the blue Prada linen shirt she gave to Rodrigo during her last visit to Miami.
“Who are you?” the woman asks, frowning at Dahlia.
Dahlia swallows her initial surprise and squares her shoulders. “I’m here to see Rodrigo,” she says, her voice calm and cool as steel.
“Who’s at the door?” Dahlia hears him call out.
“Some blond looking for you,” the woman smirks. Dahlia raises an eyebrow at her.
She feels him before she sees him. Every nerve ending becoming alerted to his presence. Her heart races as she hears his footsteps on the white marble floor.
“Oh, wow, Dahlia. Hey,” he says, looking embarrassed. As he leans in to give her the two-kiss Cuban greeting, she closes her eyes and takes in the familiar, heady scent of his aftershave.
“Hi,” she says quietly. “I came by to see if you’re able to do lunch. But I can see you’re busy.” Dahlia takes a step back, bracing herself for his rejection. She hurt him, and she’s prepared to assume responsibility for that, and for keeping her secret from him. It’s only fair that he moved on, considering she’s with Shane. But seeing him there, in the flesh, shows her a small part of her still loves him too. And his being with someone else isn’t sitting well with her. Not entirely.
“Yeah, of course I can.” Rodrigo smiles at Dahlia. Turning to the woman he says, “I’ll call you later. Be sure to lock up when you leave.”
She yells something in Spanish that Dahlia can’t understand and slams the door behind them.
He places his hand lightly on the small of her back, guiding her down the corridor and into a waiting elevator.
Dahlia steps ever so slightly to the right to avoid contact with him. His touch was becoming too much. She is ready to own her life with Shane now.
They walk in awkward silence down Collins until they come to a small café. With every step, she summons the courage to give Rodrigo what he needs—closure.
He pulls out her chair for her and then takes the seat to her right, blocking the sun.
“How’ve you been?” Rodrigo finally asks, breaking the silence.
“I’ve been good,” Dahlia replies, taking a sip of water. “You?”
“Alright.”
She can feel her heart pounding in her chest. The truth is so much harder to face when it’s spoken. Taking a deep breath she starts in, “Look, Rodrigo.”
“Listen, Dahlia,” he interrupts her, “You don’t need to do me any favors. I’m fine. I get there’s someone else in the picture.” Rodrigo waves away the waitress who’s slowly approaching them.
“Yes, but . . .”
“So I’m not sure why you flew all this way to talk. Really, I’m alright.”
But he isn’t. Dahlia can see the hurt in his eyes.
“It’s not that simple, Rodrigo,” she says firmly. Taking another deep breath she says, “When I met you, I was still married.”
Her heart drops into her stomach saying the words aloud to Rodrigo. She had never uttered them to anyone before, except to Lily when Dahlia
“Sure,” Dahlia replies, pursing her lips together, a knot starting to form in her stomach. “On second thought, while you’re in Santa Barbara, maybe it would be a good time for me to go to Miami for a couple of days.”
“What’s in Miami?” he asks.
“Not what, who,” she says in a low voice.
He looks at her curiously.
“Someone who mattered a lot to me before I rediscovered you.”
Chapter 32
“Now or never,” Dahlia mutters to herself as she knocks lightly on the heavy white door. She avoids ringing the doorbell. Obviously, she gets the subconscious reason behind this. She’d rather be anywhere but here.
Dahlia knocks again, secretly hoping he’s not home, although Lily assured her he would be.
Finally, raising her arm for a final knock, a beautiful brunette with dark green eyes answers the door, her nakedness barely concealed beneath a man’s shirt. Dahlia quickly recognizes the blue Prada linen shirt she gave to Rodrigo during her last visit to Miami.
“Who are you?” the woman asks, frowning at Dahlia.
Dahlia swallows her initial surprise and squares her shoulders. “I’m here to see Rodrigo,” she says, her voice calm and cool as steel.
“Who’s at the door?” Dahlia hears him call out.
“Some blond looking for you,” the woman smirks. Dahlia raises an eyebrow at her.
She feels him before she sees him. Every nerve ending becoming alerted to his presence. Her heart races as she hears his footsteps on the white marble floor.
“Oh, wow, Dahlia. Hey,” he says, looking embarrassed. As he leans in to give her the two-kiss Cuban greeting, she closes her eyes and takes in the familiar, heady scent of his aftershave.
“Hi,” she says quietly. “I came by to see if you’re able to do lunch. But I can see you’re busy.” Dahlia takes a step back, bracing herself for his rejection. She hurt him, and she’s prepared to assume responsibility for that, and for keeping her secret from him. It’s only fair that he moved on, considering she’s with Shane. But seeing him there, in the flesh, shows her a small part of her still loves him too. And his being with someone else isn’t sitting well with her. Not entirely.
“Yeah, of course I can.” Rodrigo smiles at Dahlia. Turning to the woman he says, “I’ll call you later. Be sure to lock up when you leave.”
She yells something in Spanish that Dahlia can’t understand and slams the door behind them.
He places his hand lightly on the small of her back, guiding her down the corridor and into a waiting elevator.
Dahlia steps ever so slightly to the right to avoid contact with him. His touch was becoming too much. She is ready to own her life with Shane now.
They walk in awkward silence down Collins until they come to a small café. With every step, she summons the courage to give Rodrigo what he needs—closure.
He pulls out her chair for her and then takes the seat to her right, blocking the sun.
“How’ve you been?” Rodrigo finally asks, breaking the silence.
“I’ve been good,” Dahlia replies, taking a sip of water. “You?”
“Alright.”
She can feel her heart pounding in her chest. The truth is so much harder to face when it’s spoken. Taking a deep breath she starts in, “Look, Rodrigo.”
“Listen, Dahlia,” he interrupts her, “You don’t need to do me any favors. I’m fine. I get there’s someone else in the picture.” Rodrigo waves away the waitress who’s slowly approaching them.
“Yes, but . . .”
“So I’m not sure why you flew all this way to talk. Really, I’m alright.”
But he isn’t. Dahlia can see the hurt in his eyes.
“It’s not that simple, Rodrigo,” she says firmly. Taking another deep breath she says, “When I met you, I was still married.”
Her heart drops into her stomach saying the words aloud to Rodrigo. She had never uttered them to anyone before, except to Lily when Dahlia
Similar Books
