I gave him a head massage.
He held me when I cried.
But this seemed like a line in the sand.
Too scared. I was too frightened to allow this, but I also couldn’t deny myself any longer either.
Painstakingly slowly, I inched my hand forward, positive that I left a trail of ash on the sand beneath my fingers. I curled my index finger around his, not daring to take it any further.
I was hooked. Whatever this was…drugged me. I wanted more. I wanted everything.
"Fuck. Jade..." Alex whispered, never backing down. Could he see the goosebumps on my skin? The scars on my heart? The fear in my eyes?
He was so close. But this was so wrong.
"Ahem!" A loud noise came from somewhere near the house, making me gasp. I twisted my neck up, my eyes catching sight of the other guy in this whole clusterfuck that was now my life. Fuck me, I’d completely forgotten about him!
Instead of being startled like me, Alex closed his eyes and sighed, deflating into the sand. I pulled back quickly, reluctantly letting go of Alex’s finger.
“Hello!” the blond husband called out as he leisurely descended the steps, his hands in his pockets and his entire body relaxed. He stepped onto the sand, and as if I wasn’t there, he turned to Alex, exaggerating his next words. "May I have a word?"
Something was going on between them—they weren't a consolidated front like before.
"I'll give you some privacy." Not wanting to be part of whatever drama was unfolding—it would be too reminiscent of my first night here—I began to rise, but Alex shot his hand out, stopping me.
"No, no. Stay."
I paused midway to standing up, unsure of what to do, but the blond husband had an answer ready. "You know what? Great idea. I'll wait inside and let you finish your littlerendezvous."
After a glare of death toward me, he scoffed loudly and bolted back up the stairs, slamming the sliding door behind him once inside the house.
It was immediate—both of us burst into laughter at the strange reaction of the blond man. I slumped back on my towel, shaking with joy. It was small, but it was powerful, and it was just as addicting as being beside him.
Alex turned back to me and leaned on one elbow, his wide grin a feast for the eyes. "He doesn't like that I'm here."
Fuck, damn you, Alex, don't look at me like that, my legs will spread involuntarily.
"Why?"
But we both knew, I just wanted to hear him say it.
"Because." Alex's eyes darkened. I sat up on my knees in front of him, enjoying the quiet and unhurried moment. "He thinks it's dangerous. And my death sentence."
His death sentence.I pondered the words, feeling every single nerve ending coming alive at the thought of how much we both stood to lose.
“Mm. So what are you going to do?”
Alex shrugged easily, his gaze slowly taking me in. Yes. He liked to look. “Want to go out for dinner somewhere?”
I paused, not expecting that proposition. “Oh…um…am I allowed?” I batted my eyelashes, purely for effect.
“Yeah,” he said simply. “As long as you’re with me, you’re allowed anything you want,Preziosa. I call the shots.”
A soft chill skittered down my back from his tone. He was gentle. And caring. Andcarefulwith me. But that’s not who he was at his core, was it? And I wanted to see that side too.
“Yeah?AnythingI want?”
“Anything,” he promised, but then he tilted his head, lifting a single finger. “Except going home.”