My eyes widen in shock, and what air thatisleft in the car thickens between us, causing my lips to part as I attempt with everything in me to breathe normally. By some act of divine intervention, I manage to turn my face away and fight back an embarrassed smile when I see our driver eyeing me with a little grin of her own in the rearview mirror.
Flushing, I peek over shyly at Alexander. He wets his lips, his eyes darting down to mine before turning his attention smoothly to his phone.
He clears his throat, sounding a bit hoarse as he says, “So, I looked up that hostel you were telling me that you had originally booked, and I’m so happy I made you leave that place. Did you see the reviews?" He taps rather hard on his screen. "It’s barely two stars and looks like a place someone takes you tokillyou,” Alexander mutters, pausing on a picture of the resort's pool next to the Pacific Ocean.
“Look, beggars can’t be choosers, and we can’t all have deep pockets, you know? It would have been fine. You just didn’t want to see me in a run-down hotel with yoursnobby self,” I tease, shamelessly flirting while typing out a quick reply to Vanessa.
“You’re damn right about that." Alexander glances over at me for a second before looking back down. "And it wasn’t even amotel; it was a hostel. You were about to share a room with astranger. A potential ax murderer.” He pulls up another picture of a dining room and narrows his eyes, giving it an interestingly close inspection.
He's quiet for a second when a picture of chocolate cake pops up on the screen, and Iswearthat I see his fingers shake ever so slightly.
Grinning, I tilt my head, thinking this guy's really got a thing for food. It's kind of cute because you'd never tell it by looking at him. “Aren’tyoukind of a stranger, though?” I say, purposefully digging at him.
Grinning down at my phone, I ignore him. The sound of my nails tapping lightly on the screen fills the silence while I go back and forth with Vanessa. In my peripheral I see him look at me sharply. He recoils his head slightly in obvious offense.
“See?" I whisper quietly, still concentrating on my phone. "Cancer baby.”
The energy that emits from him shifts slightly, making me burn up even more somehow with a mixture of nervousness and arousal. I'm ashamed to say that it pleases me that I'm able to get under his skin just a little.
“No, noCancer nothing. I am not a stranger, Sarah." The way he says my name makes a shiver roll through my body, but I keep my eyes studiously on my phone in an attempt to appear at ease. "We’ve known each other since you were in grad school, technically,” he continues. His deep voice sounds out harshly across the small space between us, and I can tell I've touched a pretty sensitive nerve.
I turn my face and give him my best smile. That burn deepens when his eyes lower to my mouth before sliding back up to my eyes. I try to keep my gaze from wavering at the intensity because, man, I wonder if he truly knows just how deep his pierces when it's trained on you.
“Nooo, I’ve known your colleagueDavidsince I was in grad school," I correct, twisting my lips at the way his brow lowers. "You know, the psychiatrist who actuallybotheredto give me the time of day?YouI just met. For real.” Not able to help myself, I smile softly, wondering just how deep I can dig.
I don't know how it's possible, but his eyes turn even more stormy.
He narrows them at me before clearing his throat and looking back down at his phone. “Hm. Alright, well, we’ll be seeing about that. Won't we?” he mutters, still shifting through pictures on his phone.
Sarah [3:19p]: No, Vanessa, we didn’t sleep together. He picked me up from my place in an uber. I’ll text you back when I listen to the demo. Can Alex listen to it?
Nessie [3:20a]: Yes. So, are you two sharing a room at the resort?
Nessie [3:20a]: Is it a king bed?
Sarah [3:21a]: Why do I have a feeling you’re trying to get me laid so bad? LOL!
Nessie [3:21a]: Becaauusssseee. It seems like you two have mad chemistry, and I want to know when it finally happens!
Sarah [3:22a]: Vanessa, I’m trying not to. Like so hard. Please don’t tempt me!
I shove my phone back into my purse on a deep exhale and lean my head back on the headrest. I stare out the window, watching the lights whiz by as I lose myself in my thoughts. I know Alexander and I have chemistry; I just don’t know if I have the energy to trust again. I don’t know if Iwantto trust again. It just seems like too much of a risk.
My last relationship cost meeverything.
When we exit the ramp, and the runway lights of the airport shine brightly in the distance, I yawn widely. Alexander chuckles as if amused.
I turn to face him. “Hey, you want to listen to Vanessa’s new demo? It’s the one for B. She just sent it,” I say, plugging in my earphones. I don’t want the driver to hear it in case of some sort of confidentiality rules.
“Oh, man. Why’s she up so early?” Alexander queries, accepting the ear bud and leaning in closer so it’ll reach. His warm, clean scent hits me even harder along with the mintyscent of his toothpaste, and I feel myself slicken between my legs. It surprises me because it's been so long since I've felt desire like this.
“Baby feeding,” I whisper back, hitting play right as we pull into the terminal. We have to wait a bit in line before being dropped off, but not that long because we're pulling up to the curb right when the song ends.
“Damn, I can’t wait to hear that in concert,” Alexander says with a short smile.
He hands back the earphone when our driver comes to a stop to let us out. He unloads our bags, and we stay quiet while we check our bags in and make our way to the gate. In a companionship so comfortable that I'm afraid I've made a monumental mistake agreeing to come on this trip with him, because I feel myself falling.
And the last time I fell like this, the glass shattering wasn't near as loud as my heart splintering to pieces.
