“I don’t think it’s anything major. You didn’t have any trouble before last night, right?”
“No. No trouble.” Her head swivels from side to side in search of the ride that will take her away from me.
“If I haven’t called before you finish work, drop by and see how it’s going.” I’m using anything I can think of to prolong this. Not that I have any real control. The second her ride gets here, she’ll disappear into the brightening day and leave me to stew on what went wrong and how to fix it.
“I’m really busy today,” she mutters as she looks at her phone.
“No worries. I’m not going anywhere.” I want her to understand I mean that in every facet of her life. If only she’ll accept me. Declaring my unexpected love for her isn’t a good idea and before last night, evenIwouldn’t have believed anyone who told me I’d fall for a woman in one night.
“Here’s my ride.” She steps away from me, doesn’t bother looking back. “I’ll talk to you later.”
That last bit is a throwaway line. I know it. She knows it.
I wish I could call her on it but she’s too skittish right now, so I let her make her escape. But not before showing her I’ll always take care of her. Moving with her to the curb, I open the back door of her ride when it stops in front of us. “Yeah, talk later.”
Once she’s shut inside and the car pulls away, I don’t move. Instead, I watch as the little Hyundai hatchback disappears down the street. Around the corner. Leaving me on the empty sidewalk, the world around me quiet as the sun rises and baths the road in the early morning light.
I refuse to believe I’ve seen the last of Lexi.
Refuse to think what I felt with her—feelfor her—isn’t the real thing. I might be young compared to her, and I’ll admit, a decade might be a stumbling block, except it’s not a wide enough gap for me to give up on her. On us.
In fact… I’m not even giving her a day to forget about me.
There is something I can do without seeing her. Grinning, I spin on my bare heel and jog over to the door. Letting myself back inside, I take the stairs two at a time. I need my phone. Once I find the information I need, I’ll organize a couple of deliveries to her office.
Ones she might get pissed about, but I don’t care. Even if she’s pissed at me, she’s thinking about me and at this point, I’ll take any attention she’s willing to give me.
I wish I could ask Livi what Lexi’s favorite coffee is, what she likes to eat for lunch, but that would require an explanation I’m not ready to give. Plus, I’m pretty sure I can speak for her as well as myself when I say we don’t need interference from outside quarters.
No, for now, last night and any future nights remain between us.
Make no mistake, there will be future nights. I won’t have it any other way and I’m a determined man when I want something.
And I want Alexandria Carmichael.
I want her with a bone-deep ache that’s only increased since I had her beneath me.
Grinning like a fool, I push through the door at the top of the stairs and search for my phone. I’ve got calls to make and a car to tinker with. As much as the start of the day put a stop to my plans for Lexi, I’m going to look at it as a new direction.
I’ve already proven I can take care of her in bed, now I’ll prove I can take care of her outside of it.
11
ALEXANDRIA
“You have a delivery.”
I don’t bother looking up at my assistant. “Put it wherever. I’ll get to it late?—”
The scent of coffee hits me. Jerking my head up, I stare at Rosalie.
“What is that?” I’m all but drooling at the smell, and I detect a trace of desperate longing in my voice.
“Coffee?” She takes her eyes off me to look at the cup in her hand. “You didn’t order it?”
“Um… No?” Pushing to my feet, I skirt my desk and take the cup and bag that’s in her other hand. Putting the coffee on my desk, I peek into the bag. I’m instantly assaulted with another delicious smell.
Butternut pumpkin muffin.
