“Morning,” I say, rolling over. I fire up my phone as he shifts himself upward to meet me against the headboard. He kisses my cheek before resting his head on my shoulder.
“Is that your sister?” he asks.
My home screen features an image of Kelly and I underneath the Hollywood sign, taken during her trip out to LA last summer.
“Yeah,” I say.
“She’s the one getting married, right?” He lifts his head from my shoulder to look at me.
“Unless I have any other siblings I don’t know about, then yes.”
My laugh doesn’t get a response from Alexander.
“I’d like to meet her,” he says, pushing himself upright. “You should both come to my show tonight.” A wide grin appears across his face.
Wait? What?
I know I wanted him to open up more. To be more intimate. But this feels a bit too fast even for me. And, given the MNDA, I thought this needed to be kept a secret from everyone. Even if Kelly is somewhat aware of our relationship.
Alexander must notice the reaction on my face, because he slumps slightly against the headboard.
“Or not.”
“Sorry… I’m just … the MNDA.” I’m still trying to wrap my mind around what he’s asking.
“Do you trust her to keep this a secret?” He waves his finger between us.
“Yes,” I say emphatically.
“Then I trust you,” he says. He puts his hand on my chest, resting it right on my heart.
Damn.
Those four words hit me like a sledgehammer.
I’m trying hard to go slowly. Not to rush in like I did with Ryan. Not to let myself get carried away with what this could be.
But when he says stuff like that, it’s hard not to allow my thoughts to run away with themselves. To picture a future with us together.
“Plus, my parents are flying in today. So, if you are going to meet them while they’re here, then it’s only fair that I get to meet your family too.” He hits my chest twice before pulling his hand back, a smirk on his face.
“Your parents?” There’s mild discomfort rising in my chest, although not from the sting of Alexander’s handprint, which has left a mark on my left breast.
Jesus.
This is all becoming a bit too surreal.
Like someone accidentally sat on the remote and fast-forwarded through all the other initial milestones you’d normally go through before meeting the family.
“Yeah, they’re coming in for the final couple of shows. They’ll be at the show tonight. You can meet them then.” His puppy dog eyes tug at my heartstrings, making it hard to say no.
Of course I want to come and see the show. To see him do his thing.
But am I ready to go all in? To lay all my cards out on the table?
“I’ll have to check with my sister, but I guess this muse should see you perform at some point while you’re in town,” I say, adding a cheeky wink that prompts him to bite his lip.
He leans in to kiss me, the taste of steak still lining his tongue as it slides into my mouth, and I try desperately to not lose myself in him. I’ve got so much work to do today that I really can’t afford to be distracted right now.
