Until Alex - J. Nathan Page 0,14

She slept after admitting she couldn’t. She smiled.

I scrubbed my hands over my face. What the hell was I doing?

“Fooling yourself,” the voice inside my head answered.

Maybe I had nothing to do with any of it.

Maybe I was just trying to block out all the negativity in my life by latching on to this little angel. I mean, I wasn’t used to being around a girl who wasn’t throwing herself at me. Touching me all over. Whispering dirty thoughts in my ear. Propositioning me with offers of things to come.

Alex was so damn refreshing it almost hurt.

But if I were being honest with myself, I knew I needed to stay away from her. Far away. Someone like Alex had no business hanging out with a guy like me. The people I associated with would eat her alive. And the things I did, and had done, would taint her innocence.

Distant knocking sent my eyes flying to the numbers glowing on my alarm clock. Eleven o’clock. And I’d yet to fall back asleep.

I rolled out of bed and trudged through the living room, scruffing up my messy bed-head. I leaned down and checked the peephole. It probably seemed like a pansy-ass habit. But it was a smart one. I saw what happened when Remy and I went to a house without one.

All hell broke loose.

ALEX

Hayden’s door swung open. He stood before me in nothing but black boxer-briefs low on his hips. Seeing him by the pool was one thing. But having him a foot away looking all sexy with his messy hair, sleepy eyes, and rock hard abs was more than I could handle. Hence, my eyes shamelessly raking over his body.

“See something you like?”

My eyes flew up, catching his slow sexy smile. It took all the restraint I could muster not to nod. “Sorry. I didn’t want to bother you since you said you’d be busy, but I just…I just wanted to thank you.”

He lifted his arms and gripped the top of the door frame.

There go the damn muscles.

“You already did.”

“Right. But I meant…” My pulse hastened, pounding in my temples. “I wanted to do something to thank you.”

His eyes widened, his brows shooting to the center of his forehead. “What’d you have in mind?”

I swallowed hard. He made me so flustered it was ridiculous. “Well, I…Shoot. That’s not what I meant.”

He broke into a deep laugh, one that pulled his lips wide and rumbled in his chest.

Under normal circumstances, I would’ve tried to prolong the moment, enjoying his liveliness way too much. But knowing he laughed at me and not with me embarrassed me. I crossed my arms, the ones that had been uselessly dangling at my sides. “I meant what do people do around here for fun?”

He studied my eyes long and hard, like I’d asked a difficult question. Then, without warning, he dropped his arms and crossed them over his bare chest. “Okay.”

My head shot back. “Okay?”

He nodded, his scheming eyes dancing. “I’ll let you thank me.”

“Good.” I think. “Where am I taking you?”

His lips quirked into a sly smile. “It’s a surprise.”

I tilted my head. “Well, what time am I picking you up?”

His smile remained in place, but I could see the wheels at work. “Seven. Don’t be late.” He stepped back into his apartment and closed the door.

I might’ve been left standing alone. But this time I knew I’d be seeing him again very soon.

* * *

At two minutes to seven I stood outside Hayden’s door, seriously rethinking my decision to ask him out. I lifted my hand to knock, but his door swung open before I touched the surface.

My eyes glided over the faded jeans hanging low on his hips and the navy blue shirt clinging to his chest. His tousled hair screamed he’d just rolled around with one of his one-nighters. But even still, he owned the look.

My eyes weren’t the only ones perusing. Hayden’s made a slow ascent, sweeping leisurely up from my knee-high brown boots over my favorite skinny jeans to my hunter green off-the-shoulder top. The one I’d been told matched my eyes.

I should’ve felt uncomfortable with his unapologetic inspection, but I didn’t. I actually awaited his judgment when his eyes reached mine.

As usual, he gave nothing away.

Why would he? It wasn’t a date.

Still, I wondered if I should have gone with more than the minimal blush, mascara, and pale pink gloss I brushed on. Or if I should have pulled my hair back instead of letting my natural waves hang