Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“You heard that?” A tiny ember of hope sparked deep inside me.
He stepped so close to me I could have pulled him against me or even kissed him, but the fear of rejection from the one person I cared about above all kept my arms dangling limp at my sides.
“A lot of it.”
Did that mean he knew? My pulse pounded in my throat, nearly choking me. “So did you hear…”
Alex tilted his head as he stared into my eyes. “Did I hear that absolutely nothing happened? That Corvin snuck into your room after you were asleep and tricked me by flaunting his scrawny naked ass around the penthouse at three in the morning?”
Not the words I would have chosen, but I nodded. “Yes.”
“I heard, but it didn’t matter.”
“It didn’t?” Shit. “W-why not?” I asked as a blanket smothered my tiny flame of hope.
Alex wrapped his arms around me, bringing our bodies flush. “Because I already knew. I knew you would never cheat on me. Never hurt me that way. I’d like to blame my doubting you on exhaustion or shock at finding Corvin that way, but, at the end of the day, I doubted you when I shouldn’t have because of my own bullshit insecurities.
“Jesus, Alex—”
He covered my mouth with his large palm. “Let me say this. Please. I thought I was over it, but I guess I still have some lingering worries that you’ll wake up one day and realize how different we are. That you’ll decide someone like Corvin is better for you.”
After all we’d been through?
“So when I saw him, it activated all those fears I thought I’d buried. But that’s my issue, Ryder, not yours. And I promise you I’m not going to let it get between us again. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for doubting you, for leaving, and for making you worry that you hurt me. I should have kicked Corvin’s ass, stormed into the room, and demanded you fuck me like you promised. I’m so sorry.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed his wrist, drawing his hand away from my mouth as a strangled sound left me. “God, Alex, please don’t apologize to me. There’s nothing…” I shook my head. “You did nothing wrong. I’m the one who’s sorry. I can’t even imagine what it felt like to walk in and see him like that. I would have lost my shit.”
He chuckled. “You probably would have.”
“There were so many things I could have done differently, starting with not getting so drunk. I left myself vulnerable and trusted the wrong person. You told me he wasn’t getting the message, but I didn’t listen. At the very least, I should have locked the damn door.” The simplest move I would regret for the rest of my life.
He shook his head. “Why would you? Corvin was someone you trusted.”
I sighed as I rested my forehead against his. “We need to stop apologizing for something someone else did. There is only one person to blame here, and that’s Corvin.” It felt so good to have his arms around me. To feel his heat and strength against me.
“What do you want to do about him?”
“I don’t know. At some point, we probably need to hash it out, but it will be a while before I’m ready to look him in the eye and talk. And I won’t do it without you.”
His dark eyes bore into mine, just an inch away. “Really?”
“Of course. This doesn’t just affect me. Nothing just affects me anymore, Alex. We’re a team.”
“A winning team.” He cringed. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
Chuckling, I squeezed him until he squeaked. “It was pretty cheesy. You know, we’re standing in the middle of the hallway.”
“Then I guess it’s lucky your penthouse takes up the whole damn floor.”
“Mmm, very lucky. It means I can do this,” I said as I brought our lips together in a sweet kiss. It stayed that way, tender and exploring, for about thirty seconds. Then Alex caught my lower lip between his teeth, tugged, and any intentions I had to keep things somewhat PG flew right out the window.
We attacked each other with hands and mouths as we stumbled inside. You’d think after last night’s unhappy adventure, we’d race to lock the door, but I’d rather a football team march through the place than take my hands off Alex long enough to scratch and itch.
“Fuck, I love when you touch me,” he said as I wriggled his shirt up and over his head, making sure to stroke my hands along his abs, chest, and shoulders in the process.
“Same.” I plunged my tongue into his mouth in a sloppy, desperate kiss. I’d have fucking crawled in there if it were a thing. We moved against each other, writhing the way dozens of men had while dancing at Top Shelf the night before, except this was a sure thing. This was as familiar as it was hot, and we each knew it would end in mutually explosive orgasms.