Fated An Alpha Male Romance - K. Alex Walker Page 0,27

can’t think of a better distraction than you, Alle.”

Her laugh seemed to grow even more nervous and I wanted to know what was making her uneasy. Was Roderick in the other room? Did I make her uncomfortable? Did she think I was lying about the things I had said to her? Because even though they were completely out of character for me, I’d never spoken truer words.

“Do me a favor,” I redirected. “I volunteer in an after school program down at the Ninth Ward Village neighborhood center with high school students interested in science and medicine. I’m doing a food science segment next week. Come with me.”

“And, uh, do what?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just be with me.”

I couldn’t tell if the quick breath of air was an uneasy inhale or an exhale, but the word cute popped up again.

“Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll come.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Alle.”

“You’re welcome, Ethan. Have a wonderful evening.”

“Same to you.”

I hung up just as Kellen popped his head out onto the terrace, the wild look in his eyes a clear indication of his descent into inebriation. Tayler Diaz, another one of our friends who practiced pediatric oncology in North Carolina, grabbed his forearm and tried to pull him back inside. One of her curly dreadlocks had fallen from her updo, evidence of the continuing struggle that she’d had with the man she treated like a little brother.

“Need help?” I asked her, walking over.

“Does it show?”

I wrapped my arm around Kellen’s shoulders, my mood lighter. “Let’s get inside, Kel.”

I steered him back towards the room. All of a sudden, it now felt like the most fulfilling Christmas I’d ever experienced.

Chapter Five

Alexandra

A horde of butterflies incessantly flapped their wings along the inner lining of my stomach as I walked into the community center. After years and years of dormancy, they were resurrected and tormented me to no end whenever I thought about Ethan. Between Christmas and a long business trip, he’d been out of town since the night I’d basically broken into his house — I’d remembered where he kept his spare key after having to pick something up from his office once when he was in Florida — but we’d had lunch together over Skype every day that he was gone.

I tried not to smile too widely as the lady at the front desk pointed me towards a hallway bordered by meeting rooms. A group of young men played a rigorous game of basketball on the polished court on one side, but stopped long enough to watch me as I walked past. I waved and wondered if they knew that I had at least a ten year head-start on them all.

I found Ethan’s room at the end of the long, carpeted walkway. Inside, several rows of white, rectangular plastic tables were covered by newspaper. At each seat was a sealed box.

At the front of the room, already watching me, was Ethan. His rugged features were even more pronounced, his hair was tousled and wild, and he was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a blue sweater. There were no words for how amazing he looked.

“Hi Alle,” he greeted, powerful forearms facing me.

“Hi Ethan. Where are your students?”

“Running behind as usual.”

He was standing behind another plastic table at the front of the room, but maneuvered around it until we were just a few inches apart. His gaze bore directly into mine and my heart galloped so quickly that I was afraid I’d use up the remaining years of energy it had reserved to sustain my life.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, brushing his knuckle over my cheek, then wrapping his arms around me to pull me in for a hug. I sighed and encircled his midsection. He pulled me closer into his body and I squeezed him tighter while he pressed his cheek into my hair. I wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but our Skype lunches hadn’t been enough. I’d still missed him.

“Me too,” I replied.

He smiled, a half-expression that added a bit of sunshine to his overcast irises, and then gestured to the table he’d been standing behind. It was the first time that I’d noticed it was covered in terra cotta pots, small bags of soil, and packets of seeds.

“Food science?” I asked.

He grabbed my hand and walked to the table. “These kids are going to be the future healthcare workers of America. Nurses, doctors, physician assistants, you name it. The only problem is, the majority of them have never seen a