The Dahlia Trilogy (The Gilded Flower Series) Read online

  “The best things do, Dahlia. In their own time.”

  Dahlia looks away from him, feeling the intensity of his words.

  “This one’s mine,” he announces.

  Dahlia turns, watching the curl come toward them. She looks up, noticing the sunset for the first time since her arrival in California. Beautiful shades of purple, orange and red coat the sky. She sits on her board, mesmerized by the sinking orange sun.

  Shane interrupts her thoughts as he paddles back out to her. “Feeling alright?”

  She nods.

  He sits up and says, “Being out here, by myself in the water, was healing. It gave me focus after everything went south.”

  Dahlia looks down, running her hand along the rail.

  He continues. “It still hurts, you know. There’s a void that will always be there. But being out here gives me perspective. Surfing is the perfect metaphor for life. Sometimes you get bad breaks, but the good ones are worth coming back for every day. You just have to learn to ride it out.”

  Dahlia lifts her head and stares at Shane. “That’s incredibly corny, you know.”

  He splashes water at her and laughs. “Yeah, but it’s true.”

  Chapter 22

  “The tuna will be ready in a few,” Shane says, walking into the kitchen. Dahlia sets about preparing a salad, the most domestic she’s been in her life. The longest she’s ever in her kitchen is to prepare a martini. She felt lucky that Rodrigo enjoyed cooking so much. She sighs at the sudden thought of him, and puts down the knife. He really deserves better than I can offer right now.

  “You okay, D?” Shane asks, pulling a bottle of Pinot Noir out of the wine fridge.

  Dahlia nods. “Yeah, of course. Mind if we turn the heat lamps on outside? It’s a bit cold,” she says, trying to deflect his attention.

  But he doesn’t drop it. After a few bites of tuna he starts in. “Does he know where you are?”

  Dahlia rolls her eyes. “Just leave well enough alone, Shane.”

  “I can’t. It’s hard for me to believe this man is good enough for you.”

  “Oh, and you are?” She scoffs.

  “I try to be.”

  The sincerity in his words blow her away. Dahlia rubs her temples. “Shane, I told you it wasn’t about that.”

  “Then what, D? Tell me what it will take?”

  “Why don’t you explain why you won’t divorce me?”

  He shakes his head. “I think you know the answer.”

  “I can already see this is going to end in another argument. We’re at an impasse now. Neither one of us will give what the other wants. That’s not a relationship, Shane.”

  Dahlia pushes back her chair. He grabs her wrist. “We still love each other, D. I know it. I can feel it.”

  She shakes her head and pulls back her arm. “It’s not enough, Shane. It’s probably best I leave tomorrow.” Although Dahlia can hardly believe those words as she says them.

  Chapter 23

  Dahlia digs her old sketchbook out of the box. Taking a black pen out of her bag, she tiptoes outside to the deck. A smile spreads on her face as she breathes in the fresh ocean air. It’s her favorite time of day on the coast. In New York, she couldn’t be bothered to get up before noon, since nothing about life before that hour ever inspired her. She wraps a cashmere throw she grabbed from the sitting room around her shoulders and settles on a chaise. Closing her eyes, she recalls the joy she felt being out in the open water. It was a joy she hadn’t experienced in years—pure and untroubled. When she opens them, her hands begin to fly over the paper.

  As the dark sky begins to give way to the light blue of the dawn, Dahlia puts down her pen and shakes her sore hand.

  “Surprised to see you up.”

  Dahlia’s head swings around, the sketchpad and pen falling to the ground. “Jesus, you scared me.”

  “Sorry,” Shane says, bending down to pick up the pad. He pauses to flip through the pages and whistles.

  “You’ve still got it, D.”

  She shrugs. “Yeah, but it’s a bit rough.”

  Shane shakes his head and sits on the end of the chaise. “You always judged yourself so harshly.”

  “What are you doing up so early?” she asks. She’s not in the mood to be analyzed.

  “Dawn patrol, babe,” he smiles seductively at her. Dahlia catches herself staring at his lips. She parts hers instinctively.

  Shane leans in closely, and she closes her eyes, her heart pounding. “You want to join me?”

  Dahlia takes a deep breath, remembering how much she loved surfing the dawn with him—how complete she felt in her life then. Not that he made her whole. Rather, she could be herself fully in his presence, without pretense or expectations. It was absolute freedom and acceptance, something she had never known before him.

  Of course she had come close to it again with Rodrigo, but he didn’t know her this way. She had lost this part of herself, locked it away with the terrible memories that accompanied that time in her life. And here she is, with the one man who could unlock this piece of her fractured life so she could feel whole again.

  Suddenly, her heart is in her throat. It hits her in this moment why she flew here to be with him. She had to heal the experience of losing their baby. But more than that, Dahlia needed to face her love for him.

  She lets out a long exhale, opens her eyes and nods, “Sure.”

  Chapter 24

  Dahlia feels spent as she sits up on her board, watching the early light of day give way to the ever-brightening sun. She only managed to ride a few waves, her arms too sore from the previous day to paddle quickly enough to catch others. Instead, she happily watches the few other surfers, relishing in the heady freedom she’s experiencing being out on the open water.

  “It’s peaceful out here, isn’t it?” Shane interrupts her thoughts as he paddles over to her.

  “I can’t imagine being anywhere else,” she replies wistfully.

  He smiles at her and grabs the side of her board. “Come on, let’s head back in.”

  Dahlia collapses onto the sand as soon as they reach the shore.

  “You used to be a lot tougher, D,” Shane chuckles as he stands over her.

  She shakes her head. “I’m not that young girl anymore.”

  “No, you’re not.” He furs his brow. “You’ve become an incredible woman.”

  Dahlia smiles, his words warming her heart.

  “Now get up. It’s cold. You’ve got to get out of your wetsuit.”

  “I’m too tired,” she sighs.

  He bends down to pull her up by her arms. The touch of his fingers sends electric shockwaves through her body. Her breath hitches, desire for him pooling at her core.

  “Shane,” she whispers.

  He searches her face, waiting, seeking permission. Dahlia bites her lower lip, her eyes mirroring his intensity. Slowly, he lowers himself down and hovers over her until his lips are only inches from hers. Shane pulls back her hood, running his fingers down her cheeks and over her lips.

  Dahlia swallows. After seven long years, she realizes she’s finally where she belongs—in his arms. She closes her eyes.

  His warm, wet lips press against Dahlia’s passionately. She puts her arms around his neck and receives his kiss, allowing his lips to part hers. Shane’s tongue enters her mouth tentatively at first, but quickly gains confidence. They move slowly, enjoying, savoring each touch, each movement, allowing the seven years to unfold between them.

  She grazes his jaw with her teeth and trails kisses down his neck. He lets out a low groan.

  “Not here,” he says in a low voice. Gently, he helps her up and, lacing his fingers with hers, guides her back to the house.

  The pounding of Dahlia’s heart drowns out the roaring waves. Her breathing is ragged as they make it up the path to the deck. There, Shane drops the boards and pulls Dahlia to him.

  Chapter 25

  “Let’s get you out of this wetsuit,” he says in a lo
w voice. Shane leads Dahlia to the double shower to the left of the deck and unzips her suit. Her body sings as he runs his fingers along her naked torso. She closes her eyes, enjoying the hot water washing over her as he kneels down and gently peels the suit off of her. Shane grabs and massages her naked ass with one hand while the other moves up her leg to her inner thigh, teasing and caressing her clit. Looking up at Dahlia he says, “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment.”

  Dahlia peers down at him with lustful eyes. She traces her thumb over his moist lips. Shane takes the thumb into his mouth and sucks hard, sending a lightning bolt of pleasure straight to her pussy. Dahlia throws back her head and gasps, opening her legs for him some more.

  “I still know what gets you, babe,” he chuckles. Shane continues to move his mouth over Dahlia, trailing kisses from her left hip to her stomach, dipping his tongue into her navel. “God, how I worship your body, D,” he murmurs.

  Dahlia is too overwhelmed to respond. Every touch, every breath strikes deeper and deeper in her core. Finally, he reaches her. He flicks his tongue over her clit, and thrusts his fingers inside her soaking cunt, nearly sending her over the edge.

  She arches her back on the wood slats and begins to knead her tits, massaging them in the same rhythm as Shane’s mouth on her snatch. She takes one nipple in her mouth and sucks hard as he pushes her higher and higher. Soon, the pleasure is almost too much.

  “I don’t want to come this way, Shane,” she says panting.

  Shane looks up at her and smiles, her juices around his lips. “This is how I want you, baby,” he says, his fingers continuing their assault. “I’m a patient man. You first.”

  At those words, Dahlia lets herself go. She moans loudly, grabbing his hair while he runs his tongue over her clit. Her muscles begin to close down around Shane’s fingers, waves of sheer bliss washing over her.

  Shane stands, unzipping his wetsuit. Dahlia continues to lean against the shower wall, her tired muscles unable to keep her upright. He bends down and gently runs his lips over hers.

  “Rediscovering you is quite something,” he whispers. “Better than I could’ve ever imagined.”

  Dahlia groans at the intensity of his voice, the smell of her pleasure on his lips. Despite having just come, her body is still calling for him. An insatiable mutual need, just like all those years ago.

  She runs her hands across his chest, tracing the scar below his collarbone, kissing the raised flesh. Her lips continue up his neck and back to his sensuous lips. Together, their mouths move in perfect unison, his lips parting and joining with hers. Dahlia pushes her chest up to his, her hard nipples craving his touch.

  Shane responds quickly, anticipating her every desire. He rolls her nipples between his fingers before clamping his mouth down around the soft tissue. He sucks, then flicks his tongue expertly over one nipple. Pleasure envelopes Dahlia as he moves on to the other nipple, giving it the same attention. Dahlia can feel her pussy yearning for more as her desire seeps down her thigh.

  “I’ve never stopped loving you, D,” Shane whispers into her ear.

  Dahlia closes her eyes, savoring the words she thought she’d never hear again.

  “Love me now,” she says, arching her pelvis to meet his pulsing love pressing against her.

  He groans, lifting her up by her ass and slowly teasing her wet opening with his cock.

  “With pleasure,” he smiles, pushing himself inside of her.

  Dahlia throws back her head, moaning from the sheer ecstasy of having Shane inside her. It used to drive her crazy to have his cock fill her completely, stretching her beyond her limits—and it still does.

  “Goddamn, Dahlia, you feel glorious,” Shane murmurs in her ear.

  Dahlia responds with a low cry of pleasure as he begins to push in and out of her slowly so she can feel every bit of him. After a few more unhurried strokes, Shane starts to thrust his hips with greater intensity, picking up speed and taking Dahlia higher.

  She digs her nails into his muscular back, groaning into his ear as she suckles his ear lobe. “Don’t stop,” she whispers.

  Shane squeezes her ass even tighter and presses against her as he drives deeper and deeper into Dahlia. He pulls her head back by her hair to suck on her neck, leaving a generous love bite.

  The feel of Shane’s lips on her neck takes Dahlia to her limit. He reaches up and devours her with his mouth. She cries into his mouth, loving this moment, wishing there wasn’t so much pain between them.

  Sensing her need, Shane starts to thrust his cock into her even faster. He slams into her again and again as her pussy begins to grip around his engorged cock.

  “That’s right, come for me, baby,” he says through gritted teeth.

  Dahlia can hardly make out his words, her body completely overtaken by their shared pleasure. Her slick love box quivers as he suddenly explodes inside of her.

  They collapse onto the shower floor beneath the hot water, their breathing ragged, bodies entwined. Shane pulls Dahlia close to him, trailing kisses around her neck to her tender lips. He draws her chin up with his hand. Looking into her eyes he says, “Tell me you’ll never leave me again.”

  Chapter 26

  “It’s about time you answered your phone, D,” Lily chides.

  Dahlia sets down her paintbrush and walks outside the art studio where she’s been spending most of her waking hours.

  “What’s the matter, Lil?”

  “What do you mean ‘what’s the matter’? You haven’t returned any of my calls or texts. You’ve been gone almost a month, D. Last time I heard from you, you texted me ‘all good.’ Did you think I wouldn’t worry?”

  Dahlia sighs. “I’m sorry, Lil.”

  “Well, you should be.”

  “Don’t be that way. It’s just things here have been going well. Probably too well, like a dream I don’t want to wake up from, you know.”

  Lily sighs into the phone, remembering her short-lived love affair with Gustavo. It was all a wonderful dream until his wife discovered them together. “Yeah, I get it. But you know reality has a way of getting in the way of your dreams.”

  “I know that all too well, Lil,” Dahlia replies, scanning the horizon for Shane.

  “So what then? Are you planning to stay in California? Where are you anyway?”

  “Near Santa Cruz right now. But he’s got a shop down in Santa Barbara so we’ll be there part of the time too.”

  “You’re speaking in the ‘we’ form, D. Clearly you’ve got it bad,” Lily chuckles.

  Dahlia grins. “Obviously. But Lil . . .”

  “Hmmm?”

  “It’s different this time. Being with Shane, our life here in California, all of it feels right to me. It’s like I’m finally home.”

  “My God, D, you’re all in again, aren’t you?”

  Dahlia nods and giggles. “For sure. Believe me when I say that this has been good for me.”

  “I get it, D. But where does that leave Rodrigo? When I saw him in Miami last week, he tried to act like everything was okay, but I could tell he was a wreck. Alejandro says he’s never seen him this heartbroken over anyone.”

  Dahlia rubs her temple, guilt flooding her and leaving a heavy weight in her chest. “I feel terribly, Lily. He didn’t deserve that.”

  “No, he didn’t,” Lily says matter-of-factly.

  “What do you think I should do?” Dahlia asks, growing defensive. This is why she didn’t want to talk to anyone. She didn’t want to be made to feel guilty for reclaiming her life with Shane.

  “Make it right, D.”

  “How do I make it right?”

  “Talk to him. Explain everything—in person.”

  “You can’t be serious. He probably doesn’t want to see me.”

  “Perhaps, but I think he wants to understand what happened. Why you left him. The not knowing is the worst in a break-up. He blames himself for becoming too serious so quickly. He thinks that he drove you away.”


  “But it wasn’t like that.”

  “You and I know that, but he doesn’t. And he deserves to know, don’t you think, D? That way he can move forward, just like you’re doing.”

  “And are you moving forward with Alejandro?” Dahlia asks, tiring of the lecture. “Will there be wedding bells in your near future.”

  “Nothing like that, D. At least not yet.” Dahlia imagines Lily blushing. “We should at least be living in the same city first.”

  “Miami?”

  “It’s the obvious choice, at least it was when I thought you were moving there.”

  Suddenly it hits Dahlia why she needs to see Rodrigo. If Lily and Alejandro are going to be together, the time will come when they will have to see each other again. Dahlia lets out a long exhale. She has to go to Miami. The sooner the better.

  Dahlia spots Shane coming up from the beach.

  “Lil, I’ve got to go. I promise to call you soon, okay. You and Vi still going on that vacation you talked about?”

  “Eventually. Vi had to postpone, but she didn’t explain why. She isn’t always so forthcoming about stuff.”

  “Mmm, hmmm.” Dahlia can relate. A lot of good it’s done for her.

  “She said her schedule should be clear in a few weeks, but you never know with her. Of course you’re still welcome to join.”

  Dahlia smiles as she watches Shane turn on the shower, memories of their first encounter flooding her thoughts. So much has happened between them since then. Her heart expands as she considers how happy and whole these weeks have made her.

  Shane gives her a knowing look as he unzips his wetsuit.

  “Thanks, Lily. But I’m good here,” Dahlia says, hanging up before throwing the phone on the chaise and joining him in the shower.

  Chapter 27

  “You know, D. You really should start exhibiting your stuff,” Shane says admiringly. He glances at the paintings around the art studio Dahlia has made into her own space.

  Dahlia shrugs shyly. “I’ve only just started up again, Shane.”