Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(81)

"I love you." Lexi released a small gasp. His smile was radiant at finally speaking the words to her. "I just wanted you to know," he said dropping his head back down to her chest.

Lexi took a big breath. "I love you too," she whispered against his hair.

He wrapped his arms all the way around her waist and hugged her close. "That's the best thing I've ever heard," he breathed into her.

He placed a faint kiss on her cheek before pulling back and striding into the bathroom. Lexi's heart was beating wildly, and not from the sex this time. Her mind was all over the place. With three small words he had forced her body and mind to kick into overdrive.

She couldn't remember loving anyone else but Jack in such a long time that it physically made her heart ache at the thought. Love to her always meant pain and disappointment. She couldn't even remember what it felt like to love someone completely…who also loved her completely. With Jack there had always been complications…other people, infidelity, lies, the list went on and on.

But what she was feeling right now, it was nothing like that. She had never been so scared in her life of what was to come. The possibilities were endless and she had just opened herself up to be in an incredibly vulnerable state. She wasn't sure how to react, and so she just lay still against the now rumpled sheets in a tiny state of panic.

How had she gotten here…to this moment? For years she had left herself guarded and out of reach to everyone around her. She couldn't bear the thought of having someone new in her life…someone to fill the hole in her where she had always thought Jack belonged. Yet, saying out loud that she loved Ramsey didn't feel like that.

He wasn't replacing Jack. That would somehow diminish what she was feeling at this moment to think that he was just a replacement. He was so much more than that to her. He had opened up a new part of her that she didn't even know existed. And though Jack still held up residence in her heart, the thought of him was dulled in comparison.

She sighed contentedly knowing that she had made the right decision in telling him her true feelings. She didn't want to hide from him, because she knew from experience that only made things worse.

"You look like you're thinking real hard," he muttered leaning against the bathroom door frame.

"Just thinking about you," she said rolling over to look at his gorgeous body. "And what you did to me."

"What did I do to you?" he asked striding back over to the bed.

She shivered all over as he came closer. "Made my whole body shake."

"Look what you're doing to me," he groaned hungrily as he pushed himself back against her.

"Again?" she asked her eyes bulging slightly.

He chuckled softly to himself. "I could if you could, but," he said cutting off her response, "I think we have places to be." His voice was wistful as if the last thing he wanted to do was meet up with his friends.

"Oh right," she said running her hands against the contours of his body. She didn't want to have to cover this up.

"You sound as thrilled as I do," he commented forlornly.

She smiled brightly at him. "I think it'll be good for me to spend some time with your friends. You know…get to know the people you spend a lot of time with," she murmured quickly.

"Not a lot of time," he said shrugging it off.

"Well you've known them a long time."

"Now that is a true statement," he said leaning forward to kiss her cheek.

"So where exactly are we going?" she asked hoping to use the weight of his affection as leverage.

"Don't think I'm going to ruin the surprise," he said leaning forward and planting a kiss on her lips. "Come on let's get you dressed again."

Lexi stuck her lip out. "Not something I like to hear from you."

Ramsey leaned back into her burying his face in her wild hair. "Only so I can tear them off of you later," he replied huskily.

Her body trembled all over at the thought of him stripping her clothes off piece by piece and reenacting their earlier escapades. "I…I'd like that."

Ramsey chuckled heartily before striding out to the balcony to pick up the rest of his discarded clothing. Lexi and Ramsey dressed as quickly as they could. After deciding they both looked as put together as they could muster after what had just happened, they headed out the door.

Lexi laced her hand in Ramsey's as they strode down the sidewalk to destination unknown. Expensive cars zoomed past them as they took their time to reach their locale. Lexi was glad that they had decided not to drive. After the events of the evening thus far she really needed some time with the cool breeze blowing in off of the ocean to calm her down. The smell of salt filled her mind and relaxed her body. She had always loved the beach nearly to a fault. She was sure she had missed out on a lot of alternative vacations by always opting for a beach locale. However, she couldn't care about that now since the beach felt so much like coming home.

"Did you want to walk along the beach?" Ramsey asked. "You're kind of staring at it like you do me."

Lexi giggled. "Sorry. I just love it here," she murmured.

"No need to apologize. I love it too. It's even better here with you."

Lexi's smile lit up the night as she stared up at him. "How much farther?"