The Redemption(14)

His eyes narrow on me, puzzled. “You want to stay here with him?”

“Beats being the third wheel over there.”

My words shake him, taking him aback like a slap across the face. He leans down, eye-to-eye with me. “You could never be a third wheel. Not to me.” My breath catches from his intensity and he adds, “Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” I reply, believing the truth I see in his eyes.

“I will always treat you how you deserve.” With promises swirling around us, Chad and the other girl are forgotten and our own world seems to form. “I want you to come with me,” Dex says, sincerity on his face and heard in his words.

I take his hand and we leave together not knowing where this will lead to, but knowing that right now, tonight, this is right.





Dex puts two fingers in his mouth and blows, hailing a cab.

“You sure are good at that considering you’re a Cali kid,” I say, giving him a smile. The way his hand is possessively around mine suddenly feels like we’re more than friends. And I like it.

“I’ve spent enough time in the city, enough to learn how to get a cab when I need one,” he says.

The cab pulls up, the door opens, and we climb inside. “The Bowery,” he tells the driver as he sits back. Our hands drop to the space between us.

“Why did you want to leave, Dex?”

He looks at me with all the confidence in the world backing him. “Because I want to be alone with you.” He nods as if that’s all the response needed, and suddenly it is. It’s good enough.

When we arrive, we don’t talk or hold hands. I’m sure we don’t even seem like we’re together as we walk through the lobby of the hotel and take the elevator up. Trying to appear normal to the outside world, like things aren’t about to get heated in a sexual way is harder than it seems. I try to avoid eye contact but we catch each other’s in the trim of the door. “Where are we going?” I ask, whispering though we’re alone.

“My room.”

“Why?” I ask to be clear.

“I already told you. I want to be alone with you.”

“Why?”

A smirk appears. “Good question.”

The elevator doors open and he walks out without further explanation. Reaching back in, he takes my hand again and pulls me out of the vestibule. “Come with me.”

It’s not like I’m going to say no or anything, but still… Why? He holds the hotel room door wide, letting me enter. Looking around, it looks very similar to my room, but larger. The door slams shut and I’m spun around. My face is taken between his hands as his lips meet mine. Two beats pass before I close my eyes, relaxing under his touch, and return the kiss.

“I want you,” he whispers. “All of you this time.”

“I’m yours. With you, Dex,” I reply between kisses and caught breaths.

His hips press against me as my body finds purchase against the wall. Hands move with speed and diligence, finding the backside of my bra as warm breath covers my skin and his lips cover my neck. I slide my fingers up his back and into his hair, holding him there as my body squirms from his touch.

Just when I think we might have sex against this wall, a female voice scares us in the dark. “I wanted to surprise you… guess I’m the one who’s surprised.”

“What the f*ck?” Dex is in front of me, his hand on my hip, holding me protectively behind him.

The lamp on the nightstand is turned on and a woman I recognize not only as one of Dex’s ex-girlfriends, but also as a popular lingerie model, stands next to the bed. I’ve never met her before, but saw the tabloid stories. She’s dressed in a red lace bra and matching g-string, and her hair rivals Bridgette Bardot’s sex kitten do. I try to swallow down the fact that she makes me look like I just got rescued after being stranded on an island for six months with my mismatched underwear and my messy hair.

With her hands on her hips, she looks offended by our intrusion. “Dex? Who is she?” Her accent is thick—Eastern European, I think.

“How’d you get in here, Alexia?” he asks. His tone firm but tinged with an authority that makes me take a step back, closer to the door.

She points at me while looking over his shoulder, making me feel short and unattractive compared to the supermodel standing before me. I’m usually in jeans and my hair is messy most days. She wears skin-tight dresses and her locks always look professionally styled. “I’m here,” she says with a stamp of her high heel. “She can go now.”

I take another step toward the door. “I’m gonna leave.”

“No,” he says with authority, turning to face me. “She’s leaving.” His expression is stern, leaving no room to argue.

I need to escape this fiasco though. “I want to,” I add with a little less strength.

“I don’t want you to.” He lowers his voice and says, “Stay, Rochelle. I want you to stay with me.” He reaches for my hand, but when we hear her demand his attention, he looks back and I reach for the door.

“Dex!” We turn to see her arms crossed over her chest and a look of determination on her face. “You told me to come here, so I’m here.”

“That was when we were together. We’ve been broken up for months. So I want you out, Alexia. I want you to get the f*ck out right now.” When he turns back to me, his tone softens again. “I’ll come to your room after I settle this.”