Chapter 11

After spending the entire night with Dante, Azure felt at peace, and she’d slept well. She had enjoyed waking up to a warm body beside her and was pleased to find him still lying in the bed when she came out of the bathroom. With a giggle, she jumped into the bed, straddling him. “I have you at my mercy,” she teased, tickling him.

“Do you?” he asked in a voice as slippery as silk. “Or do I have you at my mercy?” he asked as he flipped her over and sat on top of her. He pinned her wrists above her head and tickled her unmercifully.

“No, stop it, Dante.” She was laughing so hard that she couldn’t control herself. He hit a particularly ticklish spot, and she screamed, laughing that much harder. “I said stop,” she told him when she could gain her breath. She grinned up at him.

The door was thrown open before either one of them could do anything more, and Mathias stood in the doorway. Apparently misinterpreting what he saw, he growled at Dante and pulled him off Azure. “What the hell are you doing?” He punched his brother in the face.

Dante responded with a fist of his own, and they were soon rolling around on the floor, each punching the other. They were equal in physical ability, so they weren’t doing much damage to each other.

Azure got between them and shoved them far enough apart to hear her. “What are you doing, Mathias?”

“I heard you scream, and when I got to the door, I heard you tell him to stop. I was keeping him from raping you,” said Mathias as he dabbed at his bleeding mouth and glared at his brother.

Her mouth fell open into an O of surprise. “He wasn’t raping me. Dante was tickling me, and I was asking him to stop. We were just playing around.”

“I see.” He got to his feet and stared at his brother. Dante held a wad of tissue to his bloody nose, and Mat squirmed. “Um, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Dante shrugged, taking the hand Mathias offered him. “It’s all right. I’m glad you were willing to protect Azure, even if it wasn’t like that.” Leaning closer to his brother, Azure heard him whisper, “Besides, you’ve wanted to do that for days. Do you feel better now?”

Mathias seemed torn between laughing and punching him again. “No. My mouth hurts like hell,” he said with a small grin.

“Get out of my room.” Azure interrupted their bonding moment. “Both of you go make yourselves presentable while I do the same. I don’t want Ava to know about this nonsense.”

They had the good sense to respond to her bossy tone, hanging their heads like recalcitrant children as they left her room. Their act would have been more convincing if they hadn’t started laughing the moment she closed the door.

***

During the next few days, things calmed down a bit around the house. Mathias no longer stomped around like a bear bitten by a scorpion, but Azure still stayed out of his way as much as possible. She spent a lot of time shopping for furniture for her house and was surprised when Dante accompanied her most of the time. He rarely expressed an opinion, but when he did, it was insightful.

After picking out the furnishings and arranging to hold them until she closed escrow, Azure concentrated on buying the little extras such as dishes, curtains, sheets, a trashcan, cleaning supplies, and the stuff she wouldn’t have thought of if Ava hadn’t gone with her—like dryer sheets and a manual can opener as a back-up for her electric one.

They started recording the new album on the Monday they’d scheduled. Azure had somehow found the time to learn most of the words to the songs by the time they were in session, and she liked most of them. Recording the album was totally different from performing in front of a live audience, and she preferred the studio. It was just the band, Mathias, and a few sound engineers watching her sing. She’d grown more comfortable in front of a large crowd, but would never feel completely at home being the center of attention.

They were looking at three months of recording and tweaking. Their next tour wasn’t scheduled for six months, for which she was grateful. She liked singing, but hated touring.

Lois, being a near miracle worker, got the escrow closed in three weeks, and Azure’s furniture was delivered and in place within twenty-four hours. She spent the next few days organizing everything in the perfect place and adding little decorative touches. When she was done, the house was transformed into her home.

She was happily digging through the garden, weeding while listening to an audio book about proper rose care on her iPhone, when the doorbell rang. There was an intercom system throughout the house, and the ringing of the doorbell automatically transmitted through every room and out to the receiver on the patio. Dusting off her hands, Azure stood up and walked through the house after kicking off her dirt-crusted shoes by the back door.

She opened the door to find Dante standing on the other side.

He held a potted plant and wore black pants and a silver T-shirt. “Happy housewarming,” he said with a grin, holding out the plant. He took in her messy hair, dirt streaked nose, filthy hands, and stained clothes. “Looks like this is the right time to give you that,” he teased.

“C’mon in.” Azure was flustered to be seen at her worst. She took the plant and sniffed the yellow blooms. “Thanks.” She moved back so he could come in without brushing against her dirty clothes.

“That wasn’t my only reason for stopping by. I hoped you might want to keep me company tonight.”

“Sure.” She missed being held in his arms.

“Let’s go out for dinner or something.”

Azure’s eyes widened a bit at the suggestion. It wasn’t that they had never gone out anywhere together. After all, he had gone shopping and sightseeing with her, but she’d assumed he wanted to spend the evening in bed.

“Okay, but I have to take a shower and stuff first.”

“Take your time. I’ll make myself at home and dig through all your private places.” He waggled his eyebrows and leered at her.

Rolling her eyes, Azure took the plant into the kitchen before going down the hallway to her bedroom. Grabbing casual clothes, she took a quick shower, thoroughly washing her hands and hair, and dried off and dressed in the yellow scoop-necked sleeveless shirt and blue denim shorts. She put her short hair up into a skimpy ponytail and smeared on some lip-gloss before going into the living room where Dante sat, munching on popcorn he had popped.

“Told you I’d make myself at home,” he said, and she laughed. “You look great.”

“I look thrown together, but you look like you stepped off the cover of Rolling Stone.”

Dante tossed back his head and ran a hand through his carelessly styled black locks. “It’s a gift,” he purred and winked at her.

Azure giggled, and they left the house in her Jag. As Dante monitored her, she navigated through the traffic.

“There’s a carnival going on tonight. You want to do that?”

“Sure.” She had been to a carnival once before, just last year in Denver, but never during her younger years, thanks to Brigette. Following Dante’s directions, they arrived in thirty minutes. After securing the car, they threw themselves into the crowd.

They bought huge bags of cotton candy and a roll of tickets and lined up for several of the rides. The first one they went on was the Gravitron, and Azure wanted to do it again.

Dante groaned. “Let’s try something else, like the rollercoaster.”

They rode the coaster, and Azure couldn’t help screaming a couple of times. The track had several twists and sharp turns, and two plunging drops. When they got off, Dante looked a little sick. “How about the Ferris wheel?”

There was a longer line for the Ferris wheel, and Dante wrapped his arms around her, letting her lean back against him as they waited. “I love your perfume,” he whispered against her ear. “And your shampoo.” He buried his nose in the hair blowing around her face and sniffed.

“Thanks,” said Azure uncertainly. She didn’t know how to deal with this new and tender side of Dante. She was used to him being fast and fun, never slowing down for anything. His compliments, when given, were offhanded remarks and usually came when they were in bed. Something was different about him, and she didn’t know what it was.

The line finally moved enough so they were able to get in a car. Dante put his arm around Azure and pulled her close against him. He kept his arm around her as the wheel turned, taking them closer to the top. When they reached the very top and stopped, he leaned over and kissed her. “To make it more memorable,” he whispered as they looked down at the ground below them. The ride lasted a few more minutes, and they got out before proceeding to the next line.

Azure tried to push her discomfort to the back of her mind and immerse herself in the outing with Dante. She wanted to accept this new side of him without any questions, but couldn’t help wondering what brought it on. She didn’t know what to think of him this way.

To her surprise, after they left the carnival, he took her for dinner at McDonald’s. Over chicken nuggets, soggy fries, and sodas, they rehashed the day’s events. “It was fun,” said Azure. “It was much better than the other one I went to.”

Dante shrugged. “It was okay, but there used to be a permanent amusement park around here. Mat and Finn would take me there almost every afternoon, usually without Mom or Dad’s permission. They thought I was too young to be out with just my brothers, and I was determined to prove them wrong. Nothing ever happened to me, so I guess I proved my point.” He winked at her.

“What happened to your dad?” asked Azure as she trailed a French fry through a pile of ketchup.

“He died of an aneurysm when I was seven,” said Dante with a touch of melancholy. “Why were you living with your grandmother?”

“My parents died when I was four.”

He winced. “It must be hard to remember them. Most of the time, I can’t even recall what my dad’s face looked like unless I see his picture.”

She nodded. “I can sort of remember the RV they used to have. We went everywhere in that thing, even though my mom had lots of money from a trust fund that my grandmother couldn’t touch. There was an accident of some kind—I don’t remember the details anymore—and we crashed. I was asleep in the back, but they were both up front and died instantly. Ruth, my grandmother’s housekeeper, tells me I was pretty banged up when I came to live with them.”

“You don’t remember any of it?” asked Dante.

Azure shook her head, setting down her last nugget because her stomach was rolling. “It’s all pretty vague by now.”

“What do you remember about your parents?” Dante sucked down the rest of his coke.

Azure cocked her head. “Just a little bit about them. I remember my mom used shampoo that smelled like apples, and so do I. She had really long hair, and I think my dad’s was longish too. It was the same shade as mine, and he had a mustache that tickled when he kissed me on the nose. I don’t really know anything about them.”

“Didn’t your grandmother tell you anything?” he asked as she gathered their trash and put it on the tray.

“No. The only time she mentioned my mother’s name was to insult her or compare me to her—in a bad way, of course. She never forgave my mom for leaving her to run off with Richard,” said Azure bitterly. Suddenly, she blurted, “All my life, she told me they were never married, but my birth certificate says differently. I’m so confused, and I don’t know what to believe.”

Dante absently rubbed his goatee. “I’m sure your grandmother had what she thought was a valid reason to lie to you, but it probably was a lie. Granted, I don’t know her very well, but I don’t think she’s above manipulating people for her own ends by any means necessary. It’s no surprise to me that your mother ran away.”

“Me neither.” Azure chuckled. “Knowing my grandmother, Dad was probably chased off with a broom when he came to see my mother.” She stood up from the table, taking the tray, and Dante followed her. She dumped the trash and took the keys from her handbag. “Let’s go see a movie.”

Dante agreed, and they drove to the nearest theater and settled on an action flick after much debate. During the movie, Dante took her hand and kissed it repeatedly before holding it against his chest. Azure laid her head on his shoulder and tried to concentrate on the movie.

As they were leaving the theater to go into the lobby, two girls approached them for autographs. They were both dressed in skimpy outfits and flirted outrageously with Dante. To Azure’s surprise, he ignored their not-so-subtle overtures and took her hand once more when they exited the theater.

When they got back to Azure’s house, Dante came inside with her, and they sat on the couch. He started kissing her on the neck, and she closed her eyes, trying to work up some enthusiasm. Lately, she hadn’t been as receptive to him, and the last two times they had made love, it hadn’t been that enjoyable for her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, drawing away.

“Didn’t you want to be with either one of those girls?” she asked abruptly. “They wanted you, Dante. Weren’t you tempted?”

He shook his head, arching a brow. “I didn’t even notice.” The truth of his statement was in his eyes. “All I could see was you.”

“But why didn’t you want to…have sex with either one of them?” asked Azure, not sure why she pursued the topic. “They were both young and attractive, and so obviously available.”

“So are you, and so much more. You’re talented, smart, funny, and you’re…you.”

“Someday, there will be a girl who catches your attention,” Azure pressed on. “You’ll want to be with her, won’t you?”

“I think I’m with her.” He stared into her eyes. “Do you know what I’m saying to you?”

Azure swallowed and pulled away. “This girl—”

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. “Why are trying to make me seem like a bad guy who will eventually leave you? I’m trying to be honest and upfront with you, but you keep pulling away from me. You’ve been so distant these past few weeks, and I don’t know what’s caused this change.” His eyes narrowed, and his mouth closed with a click of teeth.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Azure grimaced. “I just want to know if there’s going to be someone else who comes along, and you feel the same about her.”

Dante leaned away from her, looking wounded. “I can’t answer for the future, but I can tell you this. When I do fall in love, I won’t ever hurt the girl I love, and I’ll ask the same from her. I don’t think I’m the issue in this conversation though.”

“What do you mean?” asked Azure, bewildered. She had the childish urge to clamp her hands over her ears and shut out his words.

“I think I know how I feel about you, but I’m not going to say anything more until you figure out what you want. Or should I say whom you want? You need to get your head straight and decide if you want me, or my brother. Until you do that, there’s no point in this relationship continuing.”

“Mathias?” she asked stupidly.

Dante stood up. “Go see him and find out what you want. I’ll only wait so long for you to make up your mind.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She blushed.

He sighed. “Yes, you do, and don’t deny it. You certainly won’t resolve anything by avoiding the situation.” He left her with those words, and Azure stared after him in disbelief.

She couldn’t believe Dante was gone so abruptly. What was he talking about with that nonsense about Mathias? What did he want from her? Did he really think she was attracted to Mathias when she was sleeping with him?

Bursting into tears, Azure finally admitted the truth to herself. She was attracted to Mathias, and she was curious about how a relationship with him would be. How could she be so shallow? How could she have done this to Dante and Mathias? What kind of person was she? Most importantly, how was she going to know what she wanted? What was the right thing to do?

Azure swiped the tears from her face and sat there thinking for a long time. In the end, she decided that Dante was right. She had to face her feelings, or she could never be happy. She could go to Dante and tell him she wanted him, but how would she know that was the truth unless she resolved everything first?

With a trembling hand, Azure dialed Mathias’s cell phone number. He answered on the third ring, and she said in a watery voice, “Can you come over?”

“Uh, yeah. It’ll take me a few minutes. What’s up?”

“We’ll talk when you get here.” She laid down the receiver and paced the living room while she waited for him, not knowing what tonight would bring or how her life was going to change. Did she want Mathias or Dante? She hoped she would figure it out soon so they could all get on with their lives.