“Yes, and you have practically no tan lines to prove it. Come on, baby, go get dressed.”
He saves his work and stands, but he still doesn’t seem convinced as he walks up to me. “Are we sure it’s safe?”
“It’s been three days, Lex. Word spread like wildfire, and no one is coming after Nammota anymore. I promise.”
“Hmm …”
I hold back from rolling my eyes and say, “If it helps, I’m wearing a bulletproof vest under this.”
He’s quicker than I am, tugging at the tie behind my neck and causing the front of my dress to fall. I catch it, but not quickly enough. “Liar,” he says, smiling like an enamored idiot—which he always does when seeing my boobs.
I slap his hand with a huff and turn around. “I’m leaving in twenty minutes. If you want to come along, hurry your pretty little ass, hot stuff.”
It turns out Lex wants to come because he comes back with six minutes to spare, looking dashing in an all-black suit.
“Sir, you look like a snack and a half,” I flirt as he joins me.
“And you look like we might not make it past the door if I get my hands on you, so let’s go, my love.”
When I decided we’d go out, I didn’t really have a plan. I was going crazy being cooped up like this and needed to be outside. But we’re in downtown Seattle, so we stroll around for a bit, and then walk into a tapas restaurant that has us both intrigued. We order a bit of everything, and Lex gets us a bottle of wine to share.
This is so fucking nice. Being out, not having to look over our shoulders and worry someone might be after us. These past few months have been hard despite living in comfort the whole time. It might not apply to Lex, but I’m a gregarious creature, and I need to be around humans to feel whole. People who don’t pin me down to a mattress four times a day.
Not that I’m complaining. And it’s not always a mattress.
We eat, and we talk, and we drink, and we laugh… It’s like I’m recharging batteries that have been depleted since forever, even though I only interact with him the whole time we’re at the restaurant.
When we leave, I’m not ready to go home yet. So, with his jacket on my shoulders and his hand in mine, we explore the city some more. We pass a few bars and pubs, and my desire to linger in one of those grows more intense with each. Eventually, when we walk by a very animated one with a nice interior, I cave in.
“Alright, refueling break,” I say, pulling on Lex to change our course.
“No more strolling through the night?”
“We’ll get back to it when I have a draft beer in me. Haven’t had a proper pint in ages.”
The inside is larger than I thought, and it’s even more crowded than I anticipated. Turning to Lex, I glance up at him. “Is this too much?”
“No, we’re good. We’re not staying long, though.”
“No problem. A couple of drinks and we’re out exploring again.”
“Deal.”
The tables and booths are all taken, but we find two spots by the bar, near the beer pumps. I hang my bag on the hook underneath my spot and look at the beers they have. “Can you get me a pint of Stella Artois?” I ask as he sits down on his stool. “I need to pee real quick.”
He nods, and I give him a quick peck before looking around for a restroom sign. There’s a bit of a line, but it moves fast, so only five minutes have passed by the time I return.
Lex has what looks like a margarita in front of him, and a tall pint of cold brew waits on my side. On my way to him, I’m reminded of how effortlessly handsome this man is. Even in a crowded bar like this, he stands out. It’s like his aura radiates, making everyone around him feel bland in comparison.
And I’m not the only one who notices, it seems, as two women reach him before I do. The surrounding hubbub prevents me from hearing their words, but they’re clearly hitting on him.
Aw, these poor women… Kudos to them for finding the strength to approach this godly man, but that’s a miss. Jealousy never even enters my mind as I witness the disinterested way he looks at them. It doesn’t matter if one of them has an amazing rack on display, and the other endless legs. He’s utterly immune to the charm of the pretty blonde and her redheaded friend.
I arrive back at my seat before he can fend them off, and I decide to take care of it. “Hi,” I greet him with a playful smile. “Is this seat taken?”
Amusement bends his lips. “By all means… take away.”
The two women move to the side so I can sit on the stool, appalled frowns bending their perfect eyebrows. “I’m Alexandra,” I continue, leaning closer to him. “I saw you from the other side of the room and decided I had to have you.”
