Dax grimaces, covering his face with one of his hands, but he doesn't try to stop me from telling her.
"It's Dante Alexander…the second."
Saige rolls her eyes and heads for the door. "Okay, great. Well, it's nice to meet you, Dante."
"Nope." Dax closes the door before she can leave the room and then throws her over his shoulder.
"Put me down, Dante!"
"Donotcall me that," he says before tossing her onto the bed.
Dax straddles her and sits on her thighs, and I get to watch her reach for me again before she corrects herself and pulls her hand back. "Get him off me!"
"This is very serious, Saige," Dax says. "You can't call me that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's my dad's name, and it makes my dick sad."
I lie back beside her. "Come on, Saige. Don't make his dick sad. If it makes you feel any better, I'm not allowed to call him that, either."
"No one is allowed to call me that because it's not my fucking name. Don't be mad at me, Ripley."
He leans down and presses his lips to hers, and I watch her melt, breathing him in and fisting his shirt in both hands while she kisses him back.
And when he pulls away, she looks at him the same way I look at him.
Like he's her whole goddamn world.
"I'm sorry I lied about my name. And the next time I need you to inspire me, I'll let you lie on the bed."
"Yeah, no thanks," she says.
"This is still a mutually advantageous situation for us, Ripley. I think you know that."
He lost her there, but he doesn't see it. The smile playing on her lips falls, and her eyes drop the minute he saysmutually advantageous situation. She folds back into herself before he kisses her quickly again and then climbs off the bed.
"I have to get going," he says. "Elias and I are going from the gym straight to a party, so we won't be back until late. Set the alarm."
Well, at least Elias is going out. That makes me feel a little better.
"A party?" Saige asks.
Again, he misses the undertone, but I don't. Saige is tired of staying home. She's told me twice this week.
"Yeah, it's a bunch of people from high school—figured you wouldn't want to go," he says as he packs his bag.
"Yeah, I don't…" She sighs and climbs off the bed. "I have homework, so…I'll see you later."
"Hey, you're not really mad at me, are you?" he asks.
"Why would I be? This is still a mutually advantageous situation."
Dax laughs as she leaves the room, packing his bag, still oblivious to his mistake. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
I shrug. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I wonder what Ripley's middle name is."
