Until Alex - J. Nathan Page 0,96
the words with her tongue, licking slowly—maddeningly slowly—over my skin. I fucking loved it. “I asked you,” she purred into my shoulder.
“I think I was a stupid kid when I got that tattoo.”
“Oh? So now that you’re so old and mature, what do you think?” She trailed kisses over the length of it.
“If I met you back then, I would’ve screwed it up. I’d still be the same angry idiot.”
She didn’t speak, just trailed a line of kisses from my right shoulder to my left. I couldn’t believe I didn’t tense when her finger traced the outline of the angel. It was so personal. So risky to have done it in the first place. “Do you regret this one?”
“Not a chance.”
“Oh, no? Why’s that?”
I shook my head. She’d gotten enough honesty out of me for a lifetime.
“I think she needs words.”
My smile spread. “Oh, yeah? Like what?”
“I’m sure you’re swell in Italian sounds much sexier.”
“So you think I should get something sexy on me?”
“Oh, babe. You’ve already got something sexy on you.”
I twisted so quickly she had no other option but to straddle my front. “You talking about the angel or you?” I grabbed her face and pulled her down to me.
She smiled against my lips. “Both.” She slipped her hand under my towel and grabbed hold of me right where I wouldn’t resist. “I wonder if they would’ve let me visit you in jail.”
I couldn’t stop the moan in the deep recesses of my throat as her hand slipped up and down, working wonders on my already tense body. “I would’ve snuck you in.”
“Oh, yeah?” she purred.
“Oh, fuck yeah.”
ALEX
Hayden’s pinched eyes, furrowed brows, quiet pants, and moans with my name were something I enjoyed almost as much as the pleasure he’d brought me on my birthday.
When he found his release, I snuggled into his chest, listening to his labored breathing. It was one of the sexiest sounds I’d ever heard.
“You are unbelievable.”
I giggled, knowing I had no idea what I was doing. I listened to what seemed to please him and went with it. “I’m hungry.”
He choked out a laugh. “Is that code for something else?”
“I’m sure it could be. But right now, I’m starving. My lunch got interrupted, and I’m guessing the Five-Os didn’t feed you?”
“Five-Os?”
“I’m hooking up with a criminal. I’ve gotta use the lingo.”
He shook his head, probably alarmed by both my dorkiness and the fact that I’d called him a criminal but hadn’t asked what happened. He had to realize I was trying to make things easier on him. He’d been through hell.
Half an hour later, I sat with my back pressed into Hayden’s side on the sofa, hoping the proximity would settle my nervousness as we ate our pizza.
I did want to know why he’d been arrested. But at the same time, knowing what I did about his job, I knew there could be some truth to the accusations. Hayden worked with Remy. Remy hadn’t been released. It didn’t take a genius to realize Hayden must’ve been there when Remy committed the crime they were holding him for.
Hayden leaned forward, tossing his crust into the box on the coffee table. I took the opportunity to settle into the spot beside him. When he sat back, he turned toward me. “I promised no more secrets. So tell me what you wanna know.”
She paused for a long time, a mix of fear and indecision clouding her eyes. “Why were you arrested?”
He exhaled a long breath. “Two men were killed. Remy’s fingerprints were found at the crime scene.”
“Did he do it?”
Hayden chewed his bottom lip. His eyes searched the ceiling for an answer that wasn’t there. “Next question.”
I huffed out an irritated breath. Why couldn’t he trust me completely? “Did you do it?”
His eyes widened with a mixture of anger, hurt, and surprise. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
He sighed. “No, Alex, I didn’t do it.”
I blew out a breath. It wasn’t like I thought him capable of murder, but the way he evaded my question made me wonder what secrets he still planned to keep from me.
“Why’d they release you?”
“My prints weren’t at the crime scene.”
“Were you there when they were killed?”
He gnawed on his bottom lip, likely drawing blood. “Next question.”
I grabbed the pizza box and jumped to my feet, feeling beyond frustrated. With Hayden. With myself. With the whole stupid situation. I carried the box into the kitchen and tossed our garbage, loaded the dishwasher, and wiped down the countertop.
Having nothing left