sharing the table with me. “Huh?”
Alex didn’t even bother glancing back. She just gazed across the table at me, laying on the enamored eyes big time. “I said my man and I’ll have two bottles of Bud.”
My man? I liked the sound of that. And the feisty way she uttered it, staking claim and taking names.
The waitress blinked hard. “Yeah. Okay.”
“And two tequila shots,” I added.
“Sure. Be right back.”
With the waitress gone, Alex squeezed my hand. “Maybe we should’ve already had the talk.”
I suppressed a smile, wanting her to say the words.
She lifted her chin toward the bar where the waitress awaited our drinks. “No more of that.”
I smiled, loving how possessive she’d become. “No more of what?”
She tilted her head, eyeing me in disbelief. “Don’t give me that innocent act. No more girls.”
My head recoiled. Did she really think I’d want to be with other girls after I’d tasted her?
Misreading my expression, her eyes flared. “Are you joking?”
She looked about ready to take a swing at me or bolt, so I linked my foot around the bottom of her stool and pulled it to me. With only inches separating us, I took her other hand and held both in my lap. I leaned forward, moving my lips to her ear. “Don’t you realize you’ve ruined me for all others?”
Her soft waves brushed my cheek as she shook her head.
I pulled back slightly, needing to see her eyes. Needing her to see my eyes. “I haven’t been with anyone since I met you.”
She cocked her head to the side.
“I swear.”
“Hayden. I’ve seen them.”
I shook my head, determined to make her believe me. Believe the truth. “I’m serious. Anyone you saw was to make you stay away from me. Except Marisol the night of the dance. She was just nursing me back to health.”
“I bet she was.”
ALEX
I didn’t mean to give Hayden a hard time. I did believe him about Marisol. I just couldn’t believe he’d gone to such great lengths to keep me away from him. Or that he so willingly stopped sleeping around after meeting me once. The jury was still out on that one.
The waitress returned with our drinks, placing them down one at a time on the opposite end of the table. Was she trying to pry us apart?
When she finally moved to her next table, Hayden lifted his shot without releasing my other hand. “Happy birthday, beautiful.”
I lifted my shot with a smirk. I didn’t need him to call me beautiful.
Hayden’s eyes jetted around the room, ensuring no one could hear whatever he planned to say. His eyes slid back to mine. “Thank you.”
My forehead creased. “For what?”
His pretty eyes didn’t waver. They held mine. Caressed them. Made sure I believed him. “For coming along when I needed you.”
My lips parted as I struggled to process what he’d said. Hadn’t he just admitted to pushing me away? Why would he if he needed me?
Tears stung the backs of my eyes.
“You turned me into a creepy stalker who just needed to see you,” he admitted, grazing his thumb over my knuckles. “You made me laugh with your smart little mouth.” His candor made his eyes drift from mine for a long moment. When he finally looked back, I could’ve sworn his eyes were glassy. “Bottom line, Alex…you made me feel.”
I didn’t even bother trying to stop the tears sliding down my cheeks. Hayden’s sincerity floored me. “Thank you,” I mouthed.
Though his eyes itched to move away, his gaze showed a warmth he saved only for me.
I tossed back my shot and closed my eyes, needing a second to process the moment. To let his words truly sink in.
Hayden’s arms slipped around my waist, bringing me to the safe place I associated with only him. Tiny shivers zipped through me as he pressed his lips to my cheeks, stopping the tears as they fell. One after the other.
I wrapped my arms around him, letting him hold me for a long moment. A long unspoiled moment in the middle of a noisy, crowded bar. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
“How about a song?” he murmured in my ear.
“What do you want me to sing?”
He pulled me by the hand off my stool. I patted my eyes with the back of my free hand, trying to rid any trace of tears as we moved to the DJ.
Hayden leaned down to speak to him. When his grip on my hand tightened and he led me onto the stage, I did a