Page 28 of Daring to Love You
Dorian wondered what they’d think if she lost a potentially large contract. Though she had no intentions of telling Lynix what to do, she hoped he didn’t go with their agency.
As if reading her mind, Lynix said, “Well, Concept Marketing won’t be getting our business, and I’m not sure how I’ll do it yet, but I’m going to make Rodney and Shauna regret the day they ever mistreated you.”
Dorian’s heart softened at the fierceness behind his words. It was sweet of him to take her experience with the company and their employees into consideration. Yet, she didn’t want him to do anything he’d later regret, and that’s what she told him.
“Also, you went beyond the call of duty when you played along with my little charade today,” Dorian assured him. “Seeing their stunned expressions when I walked in was reward enough.”
She pushed her plate aside and propped her arms on the table. “Now, enough about me. Let’s talk about you. Why were you even in a business meeting in the first place? I thought you weren’t a part of the family business.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lynix understood Dorian wanting to change the subject, but every fiber in his body wanted to hunt Rodney and Shauna down and kick their asses. Dorian was one of the sweetest people he’d ever met, and the thought of them mistreating her didn’t sit right with him. Especially when he had the power to do something about it.
He couldn’t let them get away with pushing Dorian out of a job she loved. She might’ve moved on and accepted what led to her resigning, but he couldn’t. He’d come up with some way of making them pay, but for now, he was going to enjoy their time together.
But first, there was something he’d been wanting to do for the last few minutes.
He wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin, laid it on the table, and stood. “Come here so I can give you a hug,” he said, opening his arms to her.
Dorian stared wide-eyed at him, and then her eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to give me a hug?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Just come here for a minute.”
He was relieved when she finally pushed her chair back, then walked into his open arms. Lynix held her close, enjoying thefeel of her softness against him, and her fresh scent that met his nose. When her arms circled his waist, she buried her face against his neck and sighed.
This was nice. Dorian fit so perfectly in his arms that he never wanted to let her go.
“I needed this,” she mumbled, her breath hot against his neck and her body relaxed into him.
Lynix placed a lingering kiss against her temple. “I’m glad, but this hug technically wasn’t for you. It’s for me,” he said with a laugh. “Woman, you took ten years off my life when I thought Rodney had physically abused you. I needed this hug to help settle my nerves and keep me from doing something crazy like finding him so I can give him an old-fashioned beat down.”
She snorted. “I don’t know exactly what that entails but forget it. Forget him. Lynix, I didn’t tell you the story so you could go off and fight my battles. That was a part of my past, and I don’t want you doing anything that will get you in trouble. Neither one of them is worth it.”
Still holding on to him, she lifted her head and met his gaze. “Thank you for being so great today. I appreciate you listening without judging me.”
As he stared into her kind eyes, Lynix ran the back of his fingers down her soft cheek. “Dee, you can always talk to me and tell me anything, and I’ll keep it to myself. I know that conversation wasn’t easy, but I’m glad you trusted me enough to share what happened.”
This was what he’d been wanting—them opening up to one another while getting to know each other better. He wanted Dorian to know she could trust him. Not just with her heart but everything.
Lynix just hadn’t expected to feel some kind of way after all she’d shared earlier. He had already sensed she didn’t have much experience with men. Now, knowing for sure ignited aprotectiveness inside of him. Not in a brotherly kind of way, either, but in a way a man felt when wanting to protect his woman.
Dorian might not be his yet, but that would change one day soon. He didn’t know when or how, but like he told her before, he wasn’t giving up. And now that she had lowered her guard some with him, it was only a matter of time when she’d see how he was different from what she first thought.
“Thanks for the hug,” he said, giving her another squeeze. He wanted to kiss her incredible lips again, but he settled for a kiss against her silky hair before releasing her.
“It’s funny you should ask about me meeting with that marketing agency,” he said after they reclaimed their seats and got back to their meal. “I’m leaving Chicago P.D. in a couple of weeks, and I’ll be officially joining WBM Enterprise, my family’s business.”
Lynix didn’t realize just how excited he was about the change in his career until he was telling Dorian about his new title—Vice President of Operations. It had a nice ring to it, and it came with a significant pay increase and great benefits.
Once he left Chicago P.D., Lynix planned to take a week off before officially starting in his new position. He had only hosted the meeting today at Wes’s request, but he wouldn’t meet with anyone else until after he started the job. After that, Lynix would shadow Wes for a few weeks, or at least until he felt comfortable in the new role.
“When I graduated with my business degree, instead of working in an office at one of our businesses, I opted to join the police force.”
“I’m impressed,” Dorian said between bites. “I didn’t even know you had a college degree.”
“Hey, I’m not just another pretty face. I have brains too,” he joked, and when she laughed, the lyrical sound made him want to keep her laughing.
This moment, of them eating a meal together and talking, felt perfect, and he wanted it to last forever. They had always gotten along well. They’d clowned with each other good-naturedly over the years, except for when he was egotistic and full of himself. Yet, even then, they were able to share some laughs.
