I tried to catch my breath.
“You guys done fighting yet?” Ian knocked again.
“Yeah.” My voice was husky. “We just signed a peace treaty.”
“Thank God,” he muttered. “I’ll go make popcorn.”
“Peace treaty, hmm?” Lex’s mouth covered mine again, and again, before he finally pulled out of me and helped me grab my clothes.
“Yeah . . .” I whispered sheepishly.
“I have an idea.” Lex handed me my leggings. “Make war every day . . .”
“So we can make love every night?”
“And sign a peace treaty in the morning?” Something about Lex’s smile was different. Like he was allowing me to see past the guarded Lex I’d always witnessed, like he’d let me in.
It was the perfect time to ask him what he meant about Christmas four years ago, but I wasn’t sure my heart could handle it if he laughed it off or said he brought it up in the heat of the moment.
Four years ago, I had fallen in love with Lex and given him my heart.
And I was beginning to think it was his turn to do the same.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Lex
New clients.” I approached the bench near the student union building where Ian and I always did our morning business, only this Monday morning, Ian was not alone.
Gabi was holding her coffee in the air, her usual smile replaced with a distracted frown as she texted someone on her phone. Did I also need to hack her phone records and find out what idiot was making her sad?
I raised my eyebrows at her, but the minute we locked eyes her smile was back, and the text was forgotten as she dropped her phone in her purse.
“Ian.” I tapped my phone against his. “Just sent you the info regarding Caylin.”
Ian glanced down at his phone, a smile spreading across his features. “Looks pretty easy: been in love with her best friend’s brother since she was six and followed him to school. Pretty, smart, and an athlete. I do well with those.”
“We know.” I shook my head. “She’s also on the volleyball team, so I figured we can have Blake help out a bit.”
“Yup.” Ian shoved his phone into his pocket. “And the male client for the week?”
I pulled up his application on my phone and tapped the corner against Gabi’s phone. We had a file-sharing app that made business so easy it was ridiculous.
Her eyes widened.
In shock?
Horror?
A little bit of both?
“Something wrong, Gabs?” I smirked, trying to remember that I wasn’t her boyfriend, I wasn’t her anything, and that if Ian found out about us he’d drown me in the fountain. “Losing your nerve?”
“No, it’s just . . .” Gabi held out her phone to Ian. “Did you know about this?”
“No chance in hell.” Ian stood and faced me. “How did he make it through the screening process?”
“Easy, the program picked him and his stats looked good. How else do you think applicants make it through? I don’t see a problem.”
Ian rolled his eyes. “The problem is that he knows Gab—”
“No problem!” Gabi interrupted and stood. “I’ll make contact and designate the meeting place. Don’t worry, guys, I’ve got this.”
She walked off without another word. I wanted nothing more than to push Ian into the dirt and chase after her, but it would look suspicious, and Gabs and I had already made our own rules for our relationship last night before we left the room to watch the rest of the movie with Ian.
“Everything is fair play, but no bringing up our private moments in public.” Gabi nodded as if I needed reminding again. “Okay, your turn.”
“I can’t believe we’re making rules like we’re five.”
“Most five-year-olds’ rules revolve around no hitting and snack time,” Gabs pointed out.
“I could use a snack.”
“You’ve had three today.” She placed her hand against my chest. “Now, what’s your rule?”
I swallowed down the shock at what I was about to say, then scratched my head in wonderment as I sat on the bed and stared at her. “Exclusivity.”
You’d think I just told Gabi I preferred men.
“Exclusivity?” she repeated. “Between us?”
I bristled. “Why is that so weird?”
“You’re Lex.”
“I know my name. Helps that you shouted it a few minutes ago while I pleasured you, but thanks for the reminder.” I shifted, suddenly uncomfortable, and looked away. Was I that bad? Really?
“Fine,” she agreed quickly. “What happens between us is private, and we’re exclusive.”
I nodded.
“Should we put a time limit on . . . this?”
“No,” I said quickly. “But when it needs to end, it