His breath comes heavy as he loosens his embrace, and I remain on top of him, my body all limp and warm. “Man.”
“What?” he asks, panting.
“Nothing. I can’t … think straight … right now.”
Alexis pulls out of me and makes us both sit up. Then he moves his legs and picks me up, cradling me in his arms. “And now I’m carrying you into that bed I mentioned you not leaving for at least two days.”
“Shouldn’t we go grab some groceries and stuff first?”
“No need. I can call the grocery store and have them deliver everything we need.”
“Ooh. Okay.”
He carries me up a wide, sweeping staircase, and when we reach his bedroom, I’m impressed all over again. The man owns a gigantic bed, at least king-size, if not bigger. I never want to leave Miami again, let alone this bed, if it proves to be as soft as it looks. Alexis lays me down on the right side, closer to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Then he climbs into bed beside me and pulls me into his arms once again. “Don’t mention the luggage; I’ll bring that up later,” he smirks and nestles against my back.
I lay my head on his arm. “I wasn’t intending on ruining the moment.”
He pulls a thin cover over our bodies, and I’m immediately enveloped in cozy warmth. Then he kisses my ear softly. “I’d say we go sightseeing tomorrow or the day after. We should make the most of it before we have to show up at the Peanuts opening.”
“That is your friend’s new bar?”
“He’s Draven’s brother.”
“Ah, okay.”
“He asked Draven if he could play a gig, and if maybe we could come, too, because he reckoned that would draw more of a crowd.”
“Okay.”
“You’re not that interested, are you?”
“Right now, I have a few other things on my mind,” I admit with a giggle.
Alexis pokes me in the ribs. “And what would those be?”
“Dirty things.” I wiggle my butt against his cock. “Things only you and I can do together.”
“You’re insatiable, aren’t you?”
“Only when I’m with you.” I turn around and nestle against his chest. “And because I think you’re winning one skirmish after another.”
“I haven’t done that much yet,” he answers, sounding confused.
“But I know you’re going to do everything you can to win this fight.”
“Oh yes, and I’ve already got a few things planned.”
I tilt my head back to look at him. “What things?”
“I’m not going to tell you. That would ruin the surprise,” he laughs.
“You’re so mean.”
“Yeah, I’m still the fucked-up asshole you met a few weeks ago,” he points out.
I smirk and close my eyes. “I thought you were Batman.”
“You still cannot prove that. I’d plead the fifth if you asked me in court.”
I laugh out loud. “You’re still a clown, too.”
“I’m a clown?”
“Yeah.”
“I could live with that if I could call you my little nympho.” Then he flinches and yells, “Ouch!”
I pinched him, hard.
“I take that as a no.”
“Smart guy.”
“But I want a pet name for you.”
“Then come up with something sweeter.”
“Alright, Twinkie.” He sounds serious. “Could you live with that?”
“Absolutely, Lex.”
“Tired?”
“A little, yes. I got maybe an hour of sleep on the plane. The rest of the time I snuggled up to you, but I couldn’t sleep,” I confess.
“Then why don’t you sleep a little now?”
“Will you stay here with me?”
“Sure, but only until you’ve fallen asleep. Then I’ll get that grocery order going, and bring up our suitcases.”
“Okay.” I wonder what it will be like, living an almost normal life here with him for a week. Exciting and probably very revealing. And then I wonder whether this man can cook at all. So far, I haven’t seen him lift a single finger in the kitchen.
He strokes me gently as I drift off to sleep.
When I wake up, it’s dark outside. I sit up and register that the lamp on the nightstand is switched on, but dimmed down low. There’s a note next to it with my name on it. I reach for it and start to read.
Honor,
I cooked dinner for us, and have probably been standing in the yard for hours, hoping that you will come out on the balcony and listen to me. Please put on some clothes before you come outside; we have neighbors. I’m waiting in the backyard. Open the balcony door and let me see the woman of my dreams.
I love you,
Lex
Screw putting on clothes. I simply wrap the sheet around my body and shuffle over to the balcony door. I step outside and lean over the railing, and then I spot him.
Alexis is standing in the grass, his acoustic guitar slung over his shoulders, smiling up at me. “Someone couldn’t bother.”
The backyard is illuminated by tiki torches and strings of lights wound around the bushes. It’s a magnificent sight. I squint down at Alexis. “To put on clothes? No, I didn’t bother with that, sorry.”
“No problem.” He blows me a kiss. “Are you ready?”
I nod hectically.
He starts to strum his guitar. His voice is husky when he hums, ‘Mhmmm’.
My lips curve into a wide smile. This is incredibly cute.
Alexis starts to sing. “From the day I first saw you, I knew I wanted to have you by my side. Because of you, I could see the light in the darkness, all around me, didn’t want to let me go. I fell for you, fell in love, but pushed you away from me, because I was a damned fool.”
Tears start forming in my eyes.
“I never knew what love was, had never learned what it means to fall under somebody’s spell completely, until you came into my life. With you by my side, I got to know what love was, but I was scared, so I pushed you away.” A short solo.
I wipe the tears from my cheeks, but they continue to fall, thanks to his soulful voice and the poignant song.
“From that moment on, I knew I had made a fatal mistake. You always were the one, the one for me, the one I wanted. Your tears were breaking my heart, your cold shoulder was my just reward, but then you gave me another chance. I felt like a hero, cause your love keeps me alive, and your kisses make me fly. I swear I will always protect you, cause you’re the love of my life. I swear I’ll be with you till the end of my life.”
I press my lips together to keep myself from crying harder, while he launches into another solo. I seize the moment and slip back into the bedroom. I tear open my suitcase and pull out some underwear and my dressing gown, throwing both on and running down the stairs and out into the yard.
Alexis sets the guitar on the ground. He looks a little dejected, but then his eyes widen as I jump into his arms. He stumbles backwards, but catches himself just in time. “Fuck, I didn’t see that coming,” he blurts, fighting for balance.
I kiss him roughly. “That was beautiful, if a little wonky and hackneyed.”
He laughs. “Hey, I wrote that in about an hour, put a melody to it, and I think it’s pretty good, considering.”
I cut him off with another kiss. “Thank you.” That was a gesture you only ever saw in romantic movies. He acted like a teenager in love, but that is exactly what I adore about him. This surprise is so much better than my impromptu performance in Hong Kong.
“I could have sung ‘This I promise you’ by N’Sync, but I felt that wouldn’t have been creative enough. I’m a songwriter sometimes, after all,” he tells me with a smirk.
“You can still serenade me with N’Sync.”
“Right. But I say we eat first.” He sets me down, takes my hand, and picks up his guitar. Then he leads me back into the house. There’s a fire burning in the open fireplace in the living room, and a d
elicious aroma fills the room.
“So, the man can cook, huh?”
“Uh, yes. Why so surprised?” he asks, smiling.
“I’ve never seen you do it, that’s all.”
“And therefore, you thought I couldn’t cook?”
I shake my head and grin, dropping the question and sitting down at the table.
“I asked you a question,” he insists, though I can hear the amusement in his voice.
“I didn’t think you couldn’t cook, I was just surprised, because I haven’t seen you do anything in the kitchen before, and I remember Ms. Cunnings said that none of you guys can cook,” I explain between giggles.
“Well, it’s nothing special, just my fabulous salmon lasagna,” he smirks as he disappears into the kitchen.
“I love salmon lasagna.”
“Today’s your lucky day then.”
When he returns with the casserole dish, the aroma wafts through the room and makes my mouth water. He fills my plate first, then his, before sitting down opposite me. “Enjoy, Twinkie.”
“Thanks, you too.” I taste the first bite while he looks at me expectantly. I’m surprised by the burst of flavor that tickles my taste buds. “God, this is so good.”
He breathes a sigh of relief. “Phew. I was scared you wouldn’t like it.”
“No, I’m serious. It’s really good, Lex.”
He smiles and starts to eat as well.
We’re still sitting at the dining table, chatting about our lives. I know now that Alexis had originally planned to study medicine, before the guys got their record contract. And before that, he’d wanted to be an astronaut, a dream which I think all boys have at some age. Well, most boys anyway, except for those who want to be rock stars, actors, or professional athletes.
“Now tell me more about your life so far, Twinkie.”
I think for a while before telling him about my childhood in Italy. Until I turned fourteen, I spent all my summers there, and after I finished high school, I lived there again for a year, because I was on the waiting list for Juilliard. I didn’t want to study at a different college, so I used the time to brush up on my Italian. I don’t have any sisters or brothers; I’m an only child just like Alexis. I tell him how I became close with Krys and Micah, how I got the job at Jo’s, and a few things about my college classes. I realize that I have a lot less to talk about than he does. I could listen to his voice for hours, because I love his deep, beautiful bass. “I guess that is all there is to know about me.”
“Interesting.” He smiles at me. “What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?”
“On stage or off?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
I remember and chuckle. “In the middle of my school’s drama production, the seams of my blouse split open, and the audience could see my stuffed bra.”
He laughs out loud. “Really?”
I nod gravely. “Yeah, that really happened. I was fourteen.” I tilt my head and squint at him. “What was your most embarrassing experience?”
Alexis guffaws. “I can’t tell you.”
“You must. I told you mine, now it’s your turn.”
He sighs. “But it’s really embarrassing.”
“That’s the point. Mine wasn’t funny at the time, either.”
Alexis looks into my eyes and puts his hand on mine. “Okay, my worst evening ever: We had our first live gig after signing the record contract in a small club venue. I had a nasty cold, so Azer sang my parts …” He chuckles again. “My dinner didn’t agree with me, so I puked right into the press pit. Unfortunately, Linden’s former fiancée stood there. Ever since that night, Trish hates me.”
I join in his laughter. “Oh god, the poor woman.”
“I just couldn’t hold it back. There was no way to get to the bathroom in time; the place was packed and we were on stage. I couldn’t puke on Azer; he’d have killed me, and I didn’t want to vomit on the photographers either. Nor did I hit Trish on purpose, but she happened to walk through the pit, and stopped at the worst possible moment, trying to yell something at Linden, and that’s when it happened.” He heaves a theatrical sigh. “But, as it turned out a while ago, she fully deserved something awful happening to her.”
“Why?”
“She and our former manager conspired to destroy Linden’s and Thally’s relationship. It took a long time before we found out that Trish had a part in it. Cunningham offered Thally money if she disappeared and kept silent, and he did it in Linden’s name. Thally and Linden got together after Trish had broken up with him, supposedly because he kept looking at Thally as if he was in love with her. She was terribly jealous, even though Linden heard later that Trish had cheated on him with Cunningham, and more than once. When his new relationship with Thally was touted in the press, she wanted him back. Cunningham was her vicarious agent, one might say. In the end, we got rid of both of them,” he tells me.
“Wow. And how did Linden and Thally meet?”
“Also an incredible story. He had disappeared, and we had no idea where he was. He’d said New York was getting on his nerves, and poof, he vanished. Thally found him in a ditch by the roadside, with amnesia and a few bruises. She took him to a hospital, and he was immediately head over heels for her.”
“He had amnesia? Then how did they find out who he is?” I ask.
“Fortunately, Linden could remember my phone number. Thally called me, and I gave her the information she needed to get him admitted. I came down the next morning. For months afterwards, we wondered what might have caused the amnesia. Turned out he was mugged and beaten up. Some people’s subconscious practically deletes your memory of such an event, because it’s traumatic and you need to be protected. They never caught the guys who did it, but I suspect that Linden was acting all bigmouthed and cocky when he was drunk. He is like that; he likes to pick a fight when he’s drunk. Or at least he was like that before it happened.”
“Wow. What a story.” I take a sip of my wine. “And what a bunch of assholes. His ex and your ex-manager, I mean.”
“Yeah, but I guess it’s normal in our job that people try to take advantage of you. Trish used to see Linden as her cash cow. They’d been together since high school, and he kept buying her expensive gifts. After she broke up with him, she missed his generosity and wanted him back.”
“What a bitch.”
“Yep. But now he’s been rid of her for a good while,” he says with a smirk.
I picture him puking on the woman, and can’t stop from bursting into laughter again.
“What?”
“Your puking story is so much better than mine.”
Alexis blushes, but then joins in my laughter. “I know, but at the time everybody seemed to hate me, most of all Trish herself.”
“I haven’t met her, thank god, but that only proves that you knew from the beginning she was a revolting person.”
Still laughing, he shakes his head. “I haven’t seen it from that angle until now.”
“Everything is a matter of perspective.”
“I know that your perspective is always one of informed sarcasm.”
I smile at him. “I wasn’t being sarcastic, just honest.”
Alexis drinks the last sip of his wine. “Let’s go sit on the couch.”
“Okay. Let me clear the table really quick, so it’s taken care of.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You know that that should be my job, right?”
“Maybe. You did the cooking, I’m putting the plates in the dishwasher.” I get up from my chair and start clearing the table. “But you may help me.”
“Yes, ma‘am.” He stands and gives me a hand.
When we’re done, Alexis looks at me. “Would you hold tight just a sec?”
“What does that mean?”
“Until I call you,” he says with a smile.
“Okay.” I sit down on the high stool that matches the bistro table in the corner. “Shush, or I’m coming with you.”
He kisses me on the cheek. “Just a few minutes.” Then he walks out of the kitchen, but as soon as he’s out of sight, I can hear that he’s running.
I grab a fashion catalogue from a stack of magazines and start looking at the women’s clothes. Then I grab the small notepad and pen from the table and write down a few item numbers, because this brand has a lot of gorgeous clothes.
“Twinkie?” he calls out. “Come into the living room, will you?”
“Coming.” I write down the last number and leave the pen between the pages of the catalogue, so I’ll remember where I was. Then I head over into the living room. It has turned into a sea of candles, and I can’t help wondering how much time I spent looking at those dresses and tops. “Wow.”
He comes over to me. “I thought we could watch a movie and cuddle up on the couch.”
“Okay.” He holds out his hand and I take it, and we walk over to the couch.
“Why don’t you shuck your dressing gown?”
I smile and let it drop to the floor.
Alexis lets me go first, so I drop down and lean back against the back rest, making myself comfortable before he joins me. He is wearing nothing but his boxers. He opens his arm and I snuggle up to him. Then he presses a few buttons on his remote, and a large screen is revealed in the opposite wall.
“Wow, that’s what I call high-tech entertainment,” I marvel. I’ve never seen anything like this before.
“Yeah. If anyone breaks into this house, they’re going to have to look real hard for the valuable stuff.”
I look at him. “What else are you hiding?”
“Everything is somehow inserted into the walls,” he explains with a grin.
“Wow, okay.”
“I don’t want you to steal from me, you know.”
I sock him in the ribs, which he comments with a squealed, “Ouch, alright, stop it, I was just kidding!”
I laugh. “I know you were, but you deserved it anyway.”
He kisses the top of my head in appeasement. “I didn’t know the kitty had such sharp claws.”
Alexis: In love with a rockstar (The Hamptons Series Book 2) Page 24