Page 42 of Silver Foxed

“And if he doesn’t understand?”

“Then I’ll leave it up to you to decide what you want to do. But either way, I’m in this with you, Alex, if you’ll have me. I’ll only walk away if you tell me to.”

A tear drops down her cheek, and I catch it with my thumb.

“You’d really give up all that for me?” she asks after a moment, her voice watery.

I put my other hand on her cheek and rest our foreheads together. “I’d do anything for you, Alex.”

“Then kiss me,” she breathes out. “Show me how much you love me.”

My heart hammers in my ears as I slide my fingers into her hair and grip the back of her head. I bring our lips together, sealing my mouth over hers, capturing the small moan that leaves her. When Alex runs her tongue along the seam of my lips and dives into my mouth, something unlocks inside of us, and we become unleashed.

A month of being apart spills out of us, and I press her back into the railing, her breasts compressing against my chest as her hands find my waist, pulling me into her. Our tongues tangle, and the taste of her mixed with the notes of wine she drank overtakes my senses. I become drunk on her, the way she feels against me, the rose smell of her perfume, the softness of her skin. I don’t know how I lasted a month away from her, but I never want to be without her again.

Alex’s hands grip my ass, and she grinds into me. “Elijah,” she exhales as she breaks our kiss. “Tell me you love me again.”

I suck on the pulse point of her neck then kiss back up her throat. “I love you, Alex. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

She groans a noise that goes straight to my cock, and then she’s crushing her lips over mine, taking control of the kiss. She runs her hands up my back, pulling me closer as we grind against each other and make out like teenagers.

“I missed you, Mr. Serious,” she says as we pull away for air. Her hand slips under the lapel of my suit coat, and then she’s playing with the top of my leather belt.

“I missed you, too, dirty girl.”

She grins wickedly at me, her fingers teasing my lower stomach through my shirt. I look around to see if anyone’s here, but we’re still alone.

Alex nips at my neck, and then I take her lips again. My hand runs down the plush curve of her waist, and when I meet the skin of her thigh, she whimpers into my mouth. She opens to me, and I consume her, her hand slipping under my belt buckle and our bodies moving against each other.

“I need you, Elijah,” she pleads between kisses.

I move my hand to her neck and press my thumb into the column of her throat. “You have me.”

She shakes her head. “No, I—”

“Elijah!” a booming voice yells.

Alex and I naturally jump apart from the scare, but I quickly recover and grab her hand. I turn my body to face who I already know is moving toward us.

“Let me handle him, okay?” Alex asks. We’re both watching Oliver, who is angrily stalking toward us with a sympathetic-looking Stephanie trailing behind him.

I squeeze Alex’s hand. “We’ll handle him together.”

She gives me a weak smile, looking thoroughly kissed and pink-cheeked. I’m fairly certain I’m wearing some of the pink lipstick that’s missing from her lips, which will not help us in the slightest. But I can’t find it within myself to care. I need my friend to understand that I love Alex. That he’s going to have to get used to it.

“Get your hands off my daughter, Astor!” Oliver yells as he meets us.

“Oliver—” I start to say, but Alex steps in front of me and holds a calming hand up to him.

“Stop it, Daddy.” He blinks at her as if her calling him “Daddy” instead of “Dad” has snapped him out of his rage. “Take a breath, and let’s speak like adults,” she warns evenly.

Pride swells in my chest, and I grip Alex’s hand tighter. Oliver glances down at it then looks back up at us, his brow furrowed.

“Tell me what’s going on, Elijah. Tell me why you’re attacking my daughter!”

“Oliver!” Stephanie chides him. “Be reasonable.”

“I am being reasonable! I’m the only sane person here right now!”

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