hospital, I had a dream you called me beautiful. It felt so real. I’ve always wanted to ask.”
A sexy smile stretched its way across his lips. “I like you dreaming about me.”
I rolled my eyes. “It was just that once.”
“Well since we’re being so honest,” he said, not buying it at all. “I have something to admit.”
I raised my brows.
“That night. In the hospital. I did call you beautiful. Probably a hundred times when I was begging you to wake up.”
I closed my eyes, loving his honesty, but hating the thought of that night.
“It’s how I see you. A beautiful, innocent angel.”
I opened my eyes, realizing the gravity of his words. He’d gotten a tattoo for God’s sake. I raised my face to his. “Your angel.”
He met me half way. “My angel.”
HAYDEN
I’d never spent a whole day making out with a girl and not getting her naked. I guess I really was changing. Didn’t stop me from needing a cold shower when I left her apartment, though.
I hadn’t spoken to Remy. A couple of the guys called and said he’d been on a major bender. Alcohol, drugs, women, and more drugs. Remy on a normal day was fucked in the head. Add murder to the mix and you had a volatile Remy.
But I wouldn’t let any of my bullshit mess up Alex’s night. She deserved an amazing birthday. The first one without her parents. And I was gonna be the one to give it to her.
When she opened her apartment door, I staggered back, floored by how gorgeous she really was. There was something about her flowing brown hair and gorgeous green eyes that stole my breath away every time I looked at her. And who could ignore her strapless red corset-top, black skirt, and knee high black boots? Hot damn.
With a wide smile, Alex stepped into me, wrapping her arms around my waist like she hadn’t been with me all night and day. She looked up into my eyes, dreamy and content. “Thank you.” She didn’t have to explain. I knew she meant my clean-shaven face and the white button down shirt I wore with a loose blue tie.
“What happened to ‘you’re swell’?”
Her eyes hung on mine. “Oh, you are so much more than swell.”
* * *
I parked outside Ellington’s, the fanciest restaurant in town. I’d never been before. Never had a reason to. I wanted to check if we needed a reservation before bringing Alex in, so I pushed open my door.
Alex grabbed my arm. “We’re not going here, are we?”
My brows furrowed. Every girl wanted to eat there. “That was the plan.”
Alex stuck out her bottom lip. On any other girl the pout would’ve annoyed the hell out of me. But on Alex, I wanted to pull her to me, suck on her bottom lip until she begged me to do dirty things to her, then give her whatever the hell she wanted. “I thought we might be going somewhere else.”
I snorted. “Care to clue me in?”
She shook her head.
I stared out my window watching overpriced cars pull up to the valet as well-dressed couples got out and made their way inside the restaurant. The same restaurant Alex wanted no part of.
But if not something romantic like Ellington’s, where? Had she mentioned it and I didn’t catch on? “Not even a small clue?”
She shook her head with a smile, clearly finding my bewilderment amusing.
When it finally hit me, I smiled, too.
Of course.
* * *
Jake’s was beyond packed, but somehow we snagged a seat in the middle of the room. The place echoed with voices of the groups jammed around high-top tables and those butchering songs on stage. And though we needed to shout to speak, Alex didn’t seem to mind. She’d worn a giant grin since we pulled into the lot.
I glanced around the crowded room. “I can’t believe this is your idea of a good birthday.”
“You thought it was a good idea for a first date,” she challenged.
“Oh, sweetheart, that was never meant to be a date.”
She raised a dubious brow.
“I was trying like hell to keep you away from me.”
She threw back her head and laughed. So carefree. So beautiful. “How’d that work out for you?”
Before I could offer up a smug reply, the waitress slid up beside our table. Her eyes immediately locked onto mine.
Oh shit.
Without missing a beat, Alex’s hand slid across the table, linking our fingers on top of it. “We’ll have two bottles of Bud.”
Only then did the waitress notice Alex