“I think it sounds sweet.” He pulled her close, nuzzling her neck and placing open-mouthed kisses along the column of her throat. “I think you’re sweet. My bad girl.”
Alex let out a laugh. One that was big and filled the room and felt freeing. When she was done, she swiped a finger under her eye to catch a tear and looked down between them, her hand resting on her stomach.
“This accessory doesn’t exactly scream bad girl, does it?”
“Speaking of girls,” he said, his voice low and wondrous, his hands covering hers on her stomach.
“Baby Hallowell is of the female persuasion,” she confirmed. “And I think she likes you. Feel this?”
She moved one of his hands low on her stomach, pressing his fingers into her skin, feeling around. He tilted his head to the side, concentrating hard, as if he were listening for something.
It took a second, but it came eventually, that fluttery shift in her lower belly.
Dylan felt it immediately, his entire body stiffening. Instead of jumping back in shock, he leaned into her, into the baby.
With that one gesture, Alex fell for Dylan James. Further than she had with his coffee gesture. Further than she had when he waltzed into her hospital room. Because for the first time, she finally found someone that leaned into her crazy, instead of away from it.
Lexi was nothing short of magnificent, Dylan thought as he looked down at her sleeping form. Tangled in the sheet, her black hair a wild nest under her head, she slept as soundly as a baby. His eyes traveled to the bump that was distinctly noticeable, protruding from her midsection. Not enormous by any means, but she was finally showing physical signs of what she’d been telling him all along.
There was a baby in there.
Dylan felt himself harden and adjusted himself, not wanting to bother her while she slept. They’d made love three times already and after the last one, she’d just fallen asleep. As if a light switch had been turned off, she’d just dropped into a slumber.
He’d been waiting for her to come back to him for weeks. Working behind the scenes to make sure everything went smoothly for her, he’d been hoping she’d see on her own that he wasn’t Grant. He’d never treated her any differently, he hoped. She needed time and space, she’d said, so he’d obliged. Not happily, he’d add, but if that’s what she needed he’d do it.
Not without calling her insurance agent and working out some new numbers on her kitchen renovation. Her insurance covered a pittance of what she’d need to get her kitchen back in working order. He’d written a check and told her agent to tell her it came from the insurance company. If she wouldn’t take it from him, she’d take it from them. Either way, she got what she needed.
He’d talked his partners into having a party to celebrate their fifth year in business together and their most recent success. He’d also talked them into hiring the world-renowned chef Peter Fitch to draw press to the event.
Then, he’d talked Peter Fitch into taking on Lexi, selling her whole casual vibe and social media presence. It hadn’t been hard, Sweet Sisters selling itself, the Bad Girl of Sweets herself a huge draw.
Grant had been the easiest sell of them all, his guilt over what happened with Lexi palpable in the air at the office. Dylan had been furious with him, kicking him and his partners out of his condo that day, not speaking to them for days. Petty, maybe, but they’d become just something in his way of getting to Lexi and he wasn’t going to stand for it. Grant had stormed into his office after a few days, growling out a rough apology, more angry than contrite, and they’d come to a tentative, if shaky, reconciliation.
“You ever going to get some sleep, hotshot, or do big-time, fancy-pants guys like you just live off sex and coffee?”
Her words were even rougher than normal, her usually deep voice pure gravel in the dark. He put his phone and emails away, grabbing her hand and putting it in his lap.
“Sex and coffee,” he said, showing her just how ready he was for more fuel.
Alex groaned, her hand tightening around him. “As much as I like that idea, I need something else.”
She sat up, the sheet tucked to her chest, her dark hair falling over her shoulder.
Dylan raised a brow. “What’s that?”
Her face screwed up into something he’d call chagrin, if that was a word he used.
“A cucumber sandwich.”
He barked out a laugh, not expecting that. “A cucumber sandwich? Want me to cut the crusts off and slice them into tiny little bites?”
Alex shook her head as she slid out of bed, reaching for his dress shirt. He loved when she did that, mostly because he had residual caveman genes and liked feeling like she was wrapped in something of his. Plus, her short, little legs sticking out from under the hem totally did it for him. Then she only buttoned half the buttons, and he just pictured undoing them completely and taking her all over again.
She was looking at him expectantly.
“What?” he asked.
“You were thinking dirty, sex thoughts while I just had a whole conversation,” she accused. “You didn’t hear a word I said.”
He crawled across the bed, grabbing her right off the floor, and laid back until she was on top of him. She let out a funny little squeal, her laughter filling the room around them.
“Tell me again,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck. “I swear I’m listening this time.”
He was listening with half an ear, because now that she was so close and he was tasting her again, he wasn’t sure he could let her go. Not when she was making those little breathy noises against his cheek, and not when she was bare under his shirt. Propped up the way she was, he could feel her breasts sway back and forth against his chest, her heat against his lap.
“Dylan,” she breathed when his hands moved to stroke between her legs, finding her wet and hotter than anything he’d every laid his hands on before. One stroke quickly became two, and then he pushed a finger inside, making her clench around him, and he was sure he’d just walked straight through the pearly gates and into the sweetest heaven. Alex positively melted around his hand, slick and sweet, riding his hand with absolute abandon. She chanted his name like a prayer, over and over again, music to his ears, until she came, shuddering in his arms.
She growled out a breath, panting as she recovered.
“Ready for that sandwich now?” he asked, making her shake with laughter against him.
“How can you go from that to sandwiches so fast?”
“Just trying to take care of my woman,” he told her. “Make sure you’re fed and satisfied.”
“I need a second to savor being satisfied. I’m not sure I can walk just yet.” She sat up, her cheeks flushed pink. “I thought my memory was playing tricks on me, making me remember sex with you as some elevated, earth-shattering orgasmfest. I talked myself into believing that it hadn’t been real, that I was just building it up in my mind because I was totally desperate and have hormones raging through me like a wildfire. They don’t warn you enough about that when you get into this. I mean, they tell you, there’ll be hormones. They don’t tell you you’re going to need sex on your lunch break just to make it through the day.”
Dylan’s laughter built from deep in his soul, way down from that place where Alex just pushed all his buttons. Her rambling was in the top three things he loved about her, right behind her sharp sarcasm and staunch loyalty.
“But there’s been no sex on my lunch break, and none when I get home, and none in the middle of the night when I wake up hot and hungry.”
“Hungry hungry or sex hungry?”
“Both,” she admitted, frustration tinging her words. “And now I’m not even staying in my own house so I don’t have access to my good shower head or a vibrator, and I’ve been dying Dylan. Drying up and dying.”
“You’re not dried up now,” he informed her, taking another quick dip with his finger into the promised land to prove his point. “And as much as I want to shower you with gifts, which
I’m happy to do, I’m sure as hell not buying you anything that does something for you that I want to do myself.”
“But you’re not here in the middle of the day—”
“You’re at work in the middle of the day, not here touching yourself,” he reminded her. “And I can be here at night. Or you can be at my place. I can take care of you, Lexi.”
“That’s my point. I thought my memories were skewed or I was wearing rose-colored glasses, but no. I’ve been remembering right. You do things to me, hotshot. Things I need.”
He probably should have felt objectified by her implication that what they had was all sex, but he wasn’t. He’d let her use him for whatever she needed, whenever she needed, because he knew the truth.
Alexa Walker, his bad girl, was sweet on him. Deep down where it counted, she wanted him in her life.
“Now, I’m going to feed you,” he told her softly, tucking a hair behind her ear. “Then I’m going to tuck you back into bed so you can get some sleep.”
She nodded, her bright eyes sleepy. “I like this plan.”
10
“Mr. James, there’s someone here to see you.”
Dylan looked at the phone on his desk. Tara, the admin that worked the front desk, had used the intercom to let him know about his visitor. He didn’t need to double-check his calendar; he knew he didn’t have an appointment scheduled. He was working in the morning and heading to Freehope for Jenna’s afternoon softball game. He hadn’t scheduled anything important because he didn’t want to run late.
It was still mid-morning though, early enough that he could take a meeting.
As much as he’d like to think it was Lexi surprising him again, he knew she was teaching today after her Bean drop-off that morning.
They’d already talked. Twice. Since they’d gotten back together a few weeks ago, they talked every day, multiple times a day.
“A Mr. Hallowell,” Tara said. “He doesn’t have an appointment.”
“You can bring him back,” Dylan said, standing from his desk and buttoning his coat, readying himself to see Logan Hallowell. He liked to look his best, his suit just as good as a breastplate when going into battle.
He wasn’t sure what Logan wanted, but if it warranted an unannounced visit to his office, it was definitely jacket-worthy. Hugo Boss was made to look cool and intimidating.
Tara preceded Logan, showing him the way, her cheeks pink, eyes wide.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Logan said, his accented words making her blush even more.
“You’re welcome.” She just stood there for a second, ringing her hands and looking between them.
“Tara,” Dylan said from behind his desk. “Thank you.”
She startled. “Sorry. Let me know if you need anything.” On fast feet, she hurried out.
“Logan,” Dylan said, coming out from behind his desk and extending his hand for a shake.
“Dylan. Don’t mean to bother you at work.”
“No bother. What can I do for you?” Dylan pointed to the club chairs in front of his desk and they both sat.
Logan crossed his legs, one ankle on his knee, making his pant leg rise, the glint of metal catching Dylan’s eye. His prosthetic.
Logan knocked on the metal. “It’s not so bad anymore. I’m used to it.”
“Sorry,” Dylan said, feeling like shit for staring. “Lex told me about it.”
Logan nodded. “About that.” He sighed, like he wasn’t sure how to say what he had to say. “This situation we find ourselves in is pretty unique. You know, me and Beth, and you and Alex? Normally, what Alex does is none of my business. Beth, that’s a whole different story because between her and the twins, they’ve got a whole lot of nosey going on. Andy tells Beth and Beth tells Alex, or one of them gets a text and they’re all dying to know who it’s from. They tell each other everything.” Logan’s eyes met Dylan’s. “Alex is keeping this thing with you pretty close to the chest, and like I said, what she does isn’t really my business—”
“But she’s carrying your baby,” Dylan finished for him, cutting to the chase.
“But she’s carrying my baby girl, Dylan,” Logan said, emotion clogging his throat as he choked the words out. “Somehow, I get to raise another generation of Walker girls and I need to know you aren’t a threat to that. I’m going to just get to the point because this is awkward as hell, but this is my future we’re talking about here—everything Beth and I have fought to have for years. She and I almost didn’t make it because she couldn’t have kids. I need to make sure you aren’t going to fuck that up for us.”
“What can I do?” Dylan asked, leaning forward, propping his elbows on his knee. “What do you need from me?”
Logan met his eyes and there was a world of discomfort there but there was determination there too.
“I need to know you’re clean. That when you’re sleeping with Alex you aren’t passing something on that would hurt the baby. Either of them,” Logan said belatedly.
Dylan wanted to be offended. Hell, he was a little, but he got it.
“I’d never do that to Lex and I hope you know that, but if you need to hear it from me, then I’ll tell you straight out, man to man, I’m totally clean. Saw my doctor within the last six months. It’s part of our contract here with my partners that we all submit to a yearly physical. Our attorney has them on file and I can get a copy emailed to you today. What else?”
Logan almost looked startled, like he’d been ready for a fight.
“I want to know that you aren’t just screwing with her. We all know by now who you are and what you’re worth. I know Alex is special—hell we all do, but she’s an acquired taste. She’s going through a lot and it’s not going to get easier.”
“I’m in it. All in,” Dylan confirmed, not even hesitating. “I don’t care where either of us come from, as long as we end up together. The rest will work itself out.”
“You really believe that?”
Dylan nodded. “Absolutely. There’ll always be bumps in the road. It’s like that with everything, but I know where my future lies, and it’s with Lexi.”
“No bullshit?”
“No bullshit,” Dylan confirmed. “What else?”
Logan leaned back, his fingers uncurling from where they’d been gripping the arms of the chair. “I thought this would be harder,” he admitted.
Dylan shook his head. “I don’t like the runaround, not in business and not in life. I know the timing is less than ideal, but Lexi stormed into my life and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her go. I don’t want to make anything harder for any of you, so if this makes you and Beth rest easier, then that’s what we do. You can come by or call me any time.”
Logan assessed him critically. “Beth made your partner sound like the devil incarnate. I’m wondering what you’re doing in business with someone like that when you’re actually a decent guy.”
Decent? It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. He’d just laid his personal life on the line and all Logan could come up with was decent?
“Grant’s fine. He tends to think the worst of people. It’s part of his charm.”
Logan let out a half-chuckle, half-huff. “Charm?”
“You’ll get a chance to meet him and make up your own minds about Grant. We’re having a party in a few weeks and you’ll all be invited.”
When he manned up and admitted to Lexi that the big party she was catering for with Peter was for him. Or his company, as it were. So far, she’d gushed about how fun it was planning everything out with Peter and how great this party was going to be.
He hadn’t told her yet that it was for him. Or that Grant would be there.
He was hoping she wouldn’t be furious once she figured out that he’d orchestrated the entire thing, though he knew her enough to know she’d be pissed.
Logan’s face suddenly went still, a mask coming over his face and hiding everything. It was an uncanny ability, one Dylan had never mastered.
&n
bsp; “That’s funny. Alex has some big fancy party she has to cater in a few weeks. Some opportunity that fell in her lap.”
Dylan steepled his fingers in front of his chest and mimicked Logan’s facial expression. “I heard that.”
This time, Logan let out a full-on chuckle, then he stood.
“I’ll give you a few tips here, Dylan, because I believe you when you say you’re in it with Alex.”
Dylan stood too, ready to glean what wisdom he could. Information was always key.
“Walker women, they don’t like to be maneuvered. Even the little one, who’s not so little anymore. Strong women don’t like to be strong-armed.”
“Noted.”
“Especially by the people that claim to love them. So, I wouldn’t go pulling too many puppet strings, thinking that Alex will be happy when she finds out. And always listen to what she has to say. Don’t assume you know what she’s thinking or hell, that she knows what you’re thinking. Say every damn thing you need to say and let her do the same. Don’t discount her words because you think you already know what they are.” Logan shook his head. “Too much information, I know. I almost lost Beth, and I kick myself every day that we wasted so much time for nothing.”
“I appreciate the words of wisdom,” Dylan admitted. “I’ve never been this serious about a woman before, never really cared this much.”
Logan sent him an approving nod and an outstretched hand. “Thanks for taking the time.”
“You too. Let me show you out.”
Logan waved him off. “No need. I can show myself out.” He stopped before he got to the door and turned around. “One last thing. Always show up. One thing the Walkers have in spades is loyalty. To each other, first and foremost, but it’s a language they understand undeniably. If you say you’re going to be somewhere, make sure you follow through.” He took another step and turned again. “And when she tells you she’s fine, she’s not fine. She’s never fine.”
Delivering History (The Freehope Series Book 4) Page 18