The Billionaire's Day Off(3)

"I mean that I have known you long enough, and I call you Dalia anyway."

"Yes you do," she said smiling before taking another bite of her food. "Not that I mind it at all or anything."

"I'm just trying to make sure that you are comfortable with me," he said  and she looked up at him. Right into his eyes. Those words had caught  his attention.

"Comfortable with you?" she asked, unsure of what he had in mind.         

     



 

"You know when HR calls you into the office and breaks news to you … the  not so pleasant news. There is a way they do it," he started.

"Yeah the sandwich news," Dalia said smiling and Kyle frowned.

"Sandwich … what now?" he asked.

"It is when you give bad news but before you do it you give good news  first and then finish with more good news. So that way, you get to … break  the devastating news without actually hurting someone's feelings," she  explained.

"Wait, that actually works?" he asked, smiling.

"Yeah. It was part of the sensitivity training that you ordered the entire office to take."

A smile played on his lips

"I like to ensure that the employees are happy. But I also seem to remember that this was your suggestion."

Dalia shrugged.

"You asked me to find out what the best way to get people to get along at the office so … .there's that."

"Yeah, the wealth of a company is in its employees," he said as he looked into her eyes.

There was a long silence before she finally found the courage to speak again.

"What's going on today, Kyle?" she asked. "You have been asking these  deeply personal questions and I have to wonder what is going on?"

"So you saw it right through me, huh?" Kyle asked.

"Well, it was kind of impossible not to."

"And here I was, thinking I was being so discreet and everything."

"I hate that I am actually uneasy but hey, I can't help what I feel."

Kyle put his chopsticks down and looked at her.

"What are you feeling, exactly?" he asked as he looked at her. His eyes  were looking right into hers. She wanted to say that she felt like there  was more to the story than met the eye. She wanted to tell him that she  felt like he was trying to pick at her past for what reason, she didn't  know.

"I don't know … I'm not very sure … " her words trailed off when he reached  for her hand and gently placed it on hers. Her heart began racing as she  felt the warmth of his hand. She looked at the contrasting colors of  their skin and bit her lower lip. She didn't know it at the moment but  she looked extremely sexy. The noise in the restaurant was drowned by  the own thumping sound of her beating heart.

"I think you already know what you want to say because it is not just  today, Dalia. I have been trying to get through to you for the last few  months," Kyle started. "I just didn't want you to be caught off guard or  even … "

Dalia shook her head. She could see where this conversation was going  and for some reason, she was freaked out. She looked at him her lower  lip quivered.

"Mr. Moody … " she started before he shook his head.

"Dalia, I have asked you for coffee for at least four times and you have  turned me down every single time and I don't know what more you need me  to do before I actually admit that I have feelings for you."

"Mr. Moody," she said again.

He gently tightened his grip around her hand, almost as if he didn't  want her to get away. Her gaze dropped to the food on the table and then  back to his eyes.

"Say something," he said.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered.

"I have just poured my heart out to you, Dalia. I have just admitted  that I have feelings for you … heck, I think I am in love with you," he  whispered. "And you have nothing to say?"

She pulled her hand from him and pushed her chair back.

"I'll let you know if there is a change in the schedule," she said as  she put on her coat and grabbed her iPad. "I think I'd better just find  my way back to the hotel on my own."

"Dalia … you don't know your way around London and it's about to start pouring soon."

She took a long deep breath.

"I think I can find a cab even in a world where they think driving on  the left side is fine," she said before she walked away, all the while  feeling him staring after her.





Chapter 2

Kyle had been right. Dalia was not really familiar around London streets  but eventually, she did manage to get back to the hotel. And when she  did, all she wanted to do was jump into the shower. She could not get  out of her clothes fast enough. At that moment, nothing else was more  important than drowning the reality of what had just happened. She was  still processing the news she had received albeit a little slowly. Her  boss was into her. And not as if it was some kind of joke or anything.  It was clear that the feelings she had been harboring for him were not a  one way traffic. There was more to the story than met the eye and she  had missed every single sign.         

     



 

She closed her eyes as she felt the water running down her scalp and her  face, going right down to her spine. Her heart was still racing. It had  been for the last one hour. She had just stepped out of the shower when  she heard a knock on her door. Almost immediately, she knew who was at  the door. She put on a bathrobe and slowly walked to the door but when  she got there, she just couldn't bring herself to open it. She touched  the door handle and took a long deep breath but somehow she was still  not sure that she should.

"Dalia," she heard Kyle's voice from the other side of the door. "I need to talk to you."

She opened her mouth to talk but for some reason, she just couldn't. Her  throat was dry and her words had failed her. Her mind was totally and  absolutely blank.

"Dalia, I know you are in there. Reception confirmed that you checked in," he said. "I just want to make sure you are okay."

"I am," Dalia finally said when she finally found her voice.

"Let me in," Kyle said.

Dalia leaned against the door and sighed. She wanted to let him in. She  wanted to talk to him. She wanted to give herself to him over and over.  All night if possible but she had her reservations. She had a million  and one reservations.

"Dalia," Kyle called again. "Let me in or I will come in anyway."

The tone in his voice made her realize that he was actually for real. He  was not making empty threats. He was the kind of man that always got  what he wanted and at that moment, he wanted to get into Dalia's room.  She opened it and looked at Kyle who seemed to have been rained on or  something of the sort. His hair was damp and she could see that his  hands were wet.

"Are you okay?" she asked and he nodded.

"What about you? Are you okay?"

She shrugged and sighed.

"I'll get you a towel … or something," she said as she walked into the  bathroom. When she walked back out, she looked at him seated at the edge  of the bed. "What happened? Did you get rained on or something?"

"I took a walk from the restaurant just to clear my head. To figure out  how I should talk to you and by the time it started pouring I was a  couple of blocks away from the taxi rank." She handed him the towel and  patted his hair dry. "Would you mind if I just rushed down the hall and  grabbed a change of clothes or something?"

She took a moment before she nodded.

"You know what? Just come with me."

"To your room?" she asked and he nodded.

"Is that a problem?" he asked. "No … not really but we need to talk and I  need to get out of these wet clothes … and honestly, I am scared that you  will want not open that door once I am out of that door."

"It is not that I don't want to talk … " Dalia started before he shook his head.

"Just come with me, please," he begged and she nodded.

He took her hand in his and began leading her towards the door.

"But I am wearing a bathrobe," she said in a whisper.

"I know and you look beautiful in it," Kyle said, smiling.



After changing into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, Kyle walked back  into the living room area of his suite and looked at a nervous looking  Dalia.

"Can I get you anything? Some water? Wine?" he asked and she shook her  head. She was not really there for a social call. She had only come over  to his room as an extension of courtesy. She suddenly stood up and  looked at him.

"Listen, while you were in there I had a chance to think about what you  said earlier and  … " she put a hand up when she noticed his lips parted,  almost as if he wanted to say something. "No. let me finish. I really  need to say this."

Kyle nodded and looked at her as she went on pacing up and down.

"Would you at least sit down? You are wearing yourself down with all this pacing," he said.