Open Door Marriage (19 page)

Chapter 20

Saturday, November 24
—
8:04 A.M.

Alicia was at the stove finishing up the last of breakfast when Dallas came up behind her and planted a kiss on her neck.

“
Mmmmm, this feels good,
”
he said over her shoulder, while pressing himself against her buttocks, causing her to laugh.
“
So, what
’
re you going to eat?
”

Alicia favored him a startled glance.
“
Are you serious?
”

Dallas slid the platter from her hands and winked.
“
Yep. This right here … is like appetizers in this camp. Me and good food have always been great friends.
”

He pulled up to the kitchen table, said a quick grace, then started making headway on the meal. The food on the platter was enough to feed six people, and he planned to put all that away as though it was the last meal he would ever see.

“
Dallas, you can
’
t possibl
y
eat all of that!
”

“
Watch me,
”
he replied around a mouthful of waffles, then moaned when he took another bite.
“
Did you put vanilla in here? Man, that
’
s good!
”

Alicia shook her head and turned back to the stove, aiming to have something ready for Tori before she went off to the hospital.

She yawned and looked at the clock on the stove and realized that a nap was definitely on tap the moment these two were out the door.
She barely got any sleep last night, but she still wandered into the kitchen about an hour ago to hopefully get Dallas and Tori
’
s day off to a good start.

“
Good morning.
”

Tori
’
s voice made both Alicia and Dallas turn her way.
“
Good morning,
”
they replied in unison.

She took a seat across from Dallas and raised an eyebrow at the platter on his side of the table and the empty plate on hers.

Alicia moved forward, snagged a waffle and slid it onto Tori
’
s plate, then lifted the pancake at the top of his stack.

“
Hey,
”
he protested, trying to stab a fork in the food to keep it from making an exit stage left.

She managed to slide three whole ones, along with a few pieces of bacon, and a scoop of eggs.
“
You
’
ll have to wait for part two,
”
Alicia said, nodding toward the items cooking in the skillet.
“
Tori needs to eat, too.
”

“
Then Tori should
’
ve been down at breakfast on time.
”
Dallas gave her a wide smile that caused Tori
‘
s frown to deepen.

“
Yeah, making out like a short-order cook will be easy to manage since she won
’
t have anything else to do,
”
Tori taunted, as she began to tackle her food.

“
Oh, she
’
ll have plenty to do.
”
Dallas said, his fork pausing a few inches from his lips.
“
Art class, Salsa dancing, cooking class.
”
He finished another bite and said,
“
Trust me, she won
’
t just be here twiddling her thumbs, waiting for us to come home. She
’
ll have a life, just like we have one.
”

Alicia turned away from the stove. Leave it to Dallas to make sure her days were occupied.
“
No wonder you asked all of those questions. You didn
’
t even let me get any sleep last night!
”

Dallas finished taking a sip of orange juice and grinned.

“
Oh God,
”
Tori said on a sigh.
“
That
’
s way too much information. I don
’
t ever want to see you all …
”
Tori hedged, then shuddered before completing her thought.

“
You won
’
t have to,
”
he said, putting his attention back to his breakfast.
“
We
’
re going to hold off on sex for a hot minute.
”

Tori frowned.
“
But I thought that was the whole purpose for this. That you all,
”
she crooked her fingers as quotes,
“
couldn
’
t do without it.
”

Dallas
’
gaze was intense as he told her,
“
There are some things a man can do without, and there are other things that he
shouldn
’
t
do without.
”

“
Like what?
”
she challenged.

“
A woman
’
s touch. A woman
’
s feel. A woman
’
s scent. A woman
’
s … presence.
”

In just those four sentences Alicia understood more about Dallas than he told her in their nine-hour conversation last night that didn
’
t end until just after dawn. He had everything at his disposal, but the thing he longed for most was a woman who sincerely appreciated him and showed him how much she loved him. And for her, that would be no problem. Dallas made her feel
“
there,
”
like she mattered. And that was something her husband never managed in all those years. Alicia was more of a conquest to Patrick; something that hid the fact that he was an
“
underperformer
”
in several areas of his life.
Between Patrick and what she experienced at the hands of some of her male relatives, Alicia had soured on men to the point that she had shut down
.

Even the fact that Dallas was already considering her needs
—
just from things he had gleaned from their conversation last night showed that he understood what it took to please her in something other than the bedroom. Engaging her interests, seeing to her well-being, taking her needs into consideration would make any woman want to see to his needs all the more.

“
Wait a minute,
”
Tori said between bites.
“
If she
’
s going to be doing all that, that means she
’
s going to be out and about. She can
’
t be with you in public.
”
Tori
’
s tone matched her alarmed expression.

“
She
’
s not a child, Tori,
”
Dallas replied with an intense look in her direction.
“
I
’
m not hiding Alicia away like I
’
m ashamed of her. An open relationship, and open Marriage means open. The sooner you get used to it, the less likely it
’
s going to be a problem.
”
He gestured to her plate.
“
Are you going to finish that?
”

She shoved her meal in his direction and frowned at him. Then, she glared at Alicia who swiped Tori
’
s half-eaten plate for a fresh batch of food for him.

“
Well, at least while she
’
s here she can help with my wedding,
”
Tori said, giving her aunt a smile that didn
’
t quite make it to her soft brown eyes.

Alicia slid the plate on the counter, recognizing Tori
’
s request for the move it was
—
keep your friends close and foes even closer. This was just another way for Tori to rub it in that Alicia was only temporary. At least, in her mind.

“
No, you
’
ll have to fix that mess on your own,
”
Dallas said.
“
I lowered the limit on your American Express card this morning. Substantially.
”

Tori gasped and backed away from the table.
“
You didn
’
t! But my
—
”

“
You want a higher limit?
”
he said with a grin.
“
Then you
’
ll need to adjust some things on your end.
”
He lifted his fork as though directing some unseen orchestra.
“
I see some refunds in your future.
”

“
Dallas, why are you being so damn cheap?
”
Tori asked, backing up until her buttocks were pressed against the counter.

“
Cheap?
”
He placed the fork on his plate and pushed back from the table.
“
Tori, let me tell you something—
”
his gaze flickered toward Alicia who gestured for him to remain calm.
“
I don
’
t want for much,
”
he continued, lowering back down in the chair.
“
But I don
’
t just buy up stuff just to say I have it either. Our cars? Gifts from GM. My clothes and shoes? Mostly from endorsement deals. Jewelry? Not too much. Why? Because a smart man doesn
’
t blow it all on something that people can walk off with. He invests it in people, in businesses, and—
”

“
Experiences,
”
Alicia filled in and he shifted his gaze to her.
“
And creating a legacy.
”

“
Experiences and things that create a legacy,
”
he agreed, smiling at Alicia who had given him that advice when they first met.

She began to clear away the dishes as she said,
“
Which means, you have been investing your money so that you
’
ll have passive business income and partnering with people so you have multiple streams of income. Your money is making money while you
’
re sleeping.
”

Tori sighed her impatience.
“
Well, thank you E-Trade for the finance lesson, but
—
”

“
And that
’
s my issue, Tori,
”
he snapped, turning his attention her way.
“
You
’
re spending money without any understanding or consideration for what it takes to make it.
”
His gaze swept the white lab coat hanging on the back of the chair.
“
If you ask any of the doctors at your hospital, they
’
ll tell you that they have an investment portfolio
—
the money you
’
ll make at the hospital is limited, but investments are unlimited. You need to know that for your own good.
”

Tori trained her gaze on her plate, a vein was thrumming at the base of her throat. Dallas reached for her hand, but she stiffened and he pulled back.

“
And I want you get something clear in your head,
”
he said, and this time his tone was softer.
“
Basketball isn
’
t just a sport, it
’
s a business. And I don
’
t know how long I
’
ll be able to play.
I
’
ll want to get out while my body
’
s still able to hold up.
So, I
’
ll need a wife who
’
ll understand this and will appreciate money, or I
’
ll be just like some of those other players who don
’
t have anything to show for all their hard work.
”