“Listen, Jonah. Can I please meet Chloe and Sean? I’d like to thank them for their help when I was ill.”
I went still, caught off guard by how much the offer meant, and how much it terrified me. I’d always kept these parts of my life separate, never let anyone I was dating get close to my friends. But with Lexi, that old rule suddenly felt meaningless.
“I’d love for you to meet them.”
Her smile lit up her whole face as she stood on tiptoe to kiss me.
My gaze lingered on her, as I stood there, reluctant to leave.
She was someone I could fall in love with if I didn’t watch out. And that would be bad. She deserved someone younger … with years ahead of them. Many powerful men like me had gone for the younger woman, including my dad. I hated repeating the same mistakes, even if the two of us made perfect sense together otherwise …
I wanted to understand every flicker behind her eyes. I wanted her to trust me with the quiet, dark things she didn’t tell anyone else.
A strange feeling spread out through me as I looked at her. I’d always told her that I didn’t do love. I didn’t do relationships.Yet I was here, spending all my free time with her and Evie. I couldn’t ignore the fact that I was investing my time and emotion in a woman and her child. This, from a man who never wanted a relationship. I was more than just Lexi’s backup for Evie.
And the worst of it was, sex wasn’t even on my mind. All I could think about was that I didn’t want to let her go. I wanted her to be completely mine.
I turned to leave, when I was reminded that there was something nagging at me.
“Why haven’t there been any purchases on the black card I gave you?” I asked as Lexi paused by the door.
She looked up at me, a slight smile playing at her lips. “Because I haven’t needed anything expensive or extravagant,” she answered lightly.
“Well, use it for something silly then, but use it.”
She huffed in indignation before an idea seemed to occur to her. “I might need to purchase a new vibrator,” she informed me solemnly, and I could tell she was baiting me.
“Don’t for a second joke about that, Lexi,” I said, moving closer and bringing my lips close to hers. “I’ve only held back because you’re finally getting better. And I don’t want you worn out.”
“Well,” she said, her fingers running up and down my arm. “I’ve told you more than a few times that I’m ready. I’m back to normal now, and more than ready for—” She turned around to check that Evie wasn’t listening before dropping her voice. “For sex.”
I grinned, and kissed the tip of her nose, and her cheeks before giving her a deep, sensuous kiss. “Alright then. I’ll make it happen next time.”
An hour later, I was on my way back home from Lexi’s apartment, driving my Bugatti, when I made a phone call. Alex answered, a surprised tone in his voice.
“Hello, stranger.”
I understood the hint, and I knew my next words would only make it worse.
“About that skydiving plan for this weekend,” I began.
“It’s already booked. We fly out on—” Alex started, but I cut him off.
“Yeah, I’m not free this weekend anymore.”
“What?” He sounded taken aback.
“I’m staying put in New York this weekend, and it’s going to be a lazy one.”
“You’re kidding me, right? Getting out of the city is the only way we deal with our stress, Jonah.”
“Not anymore. At least not for me.”
“New workout plan?”
“New sex life, more like,” I muttered, remembering Lexi’s request.
“Oh God, not the intern,” Alex groaned.
