A Time for Hope (Lexi, #3)(77)
“If you hadn’t seduced me?” Alex added, his version of events slightly differing from mine. I do seem to remember a rather forceful Alex prying open the elevator doors at the hospital and refusing to let me walk away. Meh, To-ma-to, Tom-ato.
“I don’t remember any resistance on your part.” I smiled at the brazenness I’d shown that day. Once I had entered his room, I knew there was no way I was leaving without at least tasting him first.
“No, there was no resistance on my part. I wanted you Lexi. What man wouldn’t? I wanted you from the minute I walked into that hospital room and saw you. You floored me. Of course initially it was my dick talking but the more I got to know you, the more I knew it wasn’t just a casual attraction. I don’t know if it’s fate or a higher power or the fact that I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive but what I do know Lexi, is you and I belong together. I don’t deal with hypotheticals baby, cause they don’t serve any purpose. What if you weren’t on that road, that night with Mike? It doesn’t matter because you were, and now you’re mine. So I won’t waste a minute of our time thinking about a possibility I can’t imagine. Not now Lexi, not ever.”
I fought back the tears as his words seared me. We belonged together and it didn’t matter how we got there or how long we’d known each other, we would always belong together.
“See you tomorrow Alex. I love you.
“See you tomorrow sweetheart. I love you more.”
Chapter 19 - Reunited
The flight from New York to Memphis was bearable, as was the ride to our hotel. Alex and the band were doing press engagements all morning so Hannah, Noah and I were whisked off to our luxury suites to await their arrival. Ordinarily I would have insisted I be taken to whatever interview they were attending and slip into work mode a.s.a.p. (needing to know what I’d missed), but as I was struggling to remain upright and not lose my stomach contents, I thought it was wise to ix-nay the public event and do something more constructive, like sleep. I was so tired, all the time. I had no idea how I was going to survive a tour.
After my previous consideration on wardrobe, I had opted for a simple wrap dress. This enabled me to keep some semblance of style without being constricted by structured clothes. Even my bra was bugging me and I was glad to be able to kick off my shoes and stretch out on the beautiful, plush mattress. It’s pillowy top was a welcome sight for my aching body.
“Lexi.” The sound of my name tore me from sleep.
I groggily slit open an eye to see Alex sitting beside me. At first I thought I must have been dreaming, my hormonal semi-lucid haze was conjuring a mirage because he looked too good to be true.
Dressed in blue jeans and a bright blue t-shirt, which lovingly clung to every ripple on his chest, he sat on the edge of the bed beside me. His blonde hair was a little longer than when he had left, styled haphazardly in a sexy, just f*cked fashion. The smattering of stubble that played on his jawline was evidence that he hadn’t shaved that morning.
“Alex,” I yawned, stretching out my arms to greet him. I was desperate to touch him, it had been so long since I’d held him.
“Hey baby.” He wrapped his arms around me, enveloping my body in his ginormous frame. He felt so big against me (how had I forgotten what he felt like in such a small amount of time?) and he smelt so good; a mix of body wash, shampoo and his rugged male scent. I breathed in deeply and let it waft through my senses.
“You smell so good.” I had officially hit crazyville as I sniffed him yet again. The calming fragrance invaded my olfactory glands. It was like a drug that I couldn’t get enough of.
“Well thanks, I guess.” Alex eyed me suspiciously as he laid me back on the bed to inspect me.
“Lexi, you’re so thin! How could you have lost so much weight?” His concerned eyes scanned my depleted frame. A caloric deficient diet of crackers and repeated vomiting had seen my weight plummet. I knew I didn’t look great but hadn’t thought I’d looked that bad.
“It wasn’t intentional Alex,” I shuffled up the bed defensively. “I haven’t lost that much.”
“Are you kidding? Baby you look like you lost at least ten pounds. You didn’t have the weight to lose in the first place. You need to make sure if you going to punish your body with exercise that you fuel it accordingly.” Alex wrongly assumed that my weight loss had been due to my overzealous efforts with Manny Ortiz.
“When did you become a dietary expert?” My mouth opened without thinking. Fighting with Alex was the last thing I wanted to do so why was I being so bitchy? I knew why, the same reason I cried at the drop of a hat and couldn’t walk two steps without the aid of a pit crew.
“Baby let’s not fight,” Alex pressed his lips to my forehead as he pulled his Jedi mind-reading trick and seemed to know what I was thinking.
“I agree.” I lifted my mouth to his. “I have missed you so much Alex.” I just wanted to hold him forever. Alex’s lips came crushing down on mine, his kiss passionate and intense. This had been worth the wait.
“I’ve got sound check in an hour, you want to tag along?” Alex pulled away slightly. I still felt the weight of his mouth on my lips even though it was no longer there. “Or are you too cool to hang out with the band?”
“I think I can suffer through a sound check,” I dramatized before batting my eyelids comically. “I happen to enjoy watching the sexy guitarist.”