Page 47 of Suspicious

Maybe I wanted him to finally step up and show everyone, especially Theo, what I meant to him.

With my eyes flashing all over the ballroom, they finally landed on Alex, standing by the punch bowl. His eyes were dark, his arms crossed over his chest, and he stared directly at me as if he had been in that exact position for hours.

Just watching.

Swallowing hard, the intensity in Alex’s gaze made something shift inside me. I don’t know what it was about the way he was looking at me, but I needed a second to breathe. Slowly pulling back from Jake, I took two steps away from him.

“You okay, Bea?” he asked, full of concern.

“I… I just need some fresh air,” I replied and started to race off.

He began to follow me. “I’ll come with you. Make sure you’re okay.”

I spun back to him and plastered on a fake smile. “I’m okay. I promise. I’m just going to head to the bathroom first. I’ll come back in a minute. Can you grab us some drinks?”

He narrowed his eyes on me while gently rubbing my shoulder. “Yeah, of course. Anything you need, Bea.”

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. But I turned and rushed as far away from Jake as I could, heading straight for the bathrooms. As I turned the corner for the ladies’ room, an arm reached out and grabbed me, pulling me down anotherhall. This one was darker, though the lights from the main room still danced through the air, sporadically illuminating the walls like glistening diamonds. The hall definitely had no other people in there, but someone pressed me up against the wall.

Hard and possessive.

I didn’t scream.

I didn’t fight.

I knew exactly who it was.

And my body was already buzzing as his face came into the light. My heart was pumping, my breathing frantic.

His hand came up, caressing the side of my face. “You having a good night?” Alex asked.

Smirking, I let out a soft giggle. “I am now you’refinallyhere.”

His eyes roamed me up and down, my maroon dress sparkling with the strobe lights. His fingers traced the side of my hips, and he leaned in, pressing his lips to my neck. A soft exhale escaped me while my fingers clenched into the back of his tux. “Dammit, Alex. How am I supposed to go back out there when you’re doing this to me?”

He chuckled, his lips making their way up my neck to my lips, kissing me hard, passionately. His tongue delved into my mouth, claiming me as his. His body pushed hard against mine. I could feel his cock hardening in his black slacks, and all it did was make me pant harder for him as he pulled back, his eyes searching mine. “You really do look beautiful tonight, Bea. You simply sparkle.”

My heart pounded so fast I could hardly breathe. There was no way I could go back to Jake after this. “Let’s blow this joint and go somewhere. Just you and me. Spend the last couple of hours of our prom together. Like it should have always been.”

The smile lighting his face completely melted my insides. “I know just the place. Come with me, Sparkle.” He grabbed my hand and started leading me toward the back exit.

Laughing, I took off with him. “Is that going to be a thing now? Calling me Sparkle?”

He glanced back at me with a wink. “It suits you. C’mon. I might have already set something up for us.”

Raising my brow, I let out a shocked snort. “You did?”

He shrugged. “You didn’t think I was going to let our prom night go by without me spoiling you, did you, Bea? Do you know me at all?” He chuckled.

My stomach fluttered with butterflies, and my heart soared, knowing that Alex was the only guy I was ever going to love.

“Of course you did. Let’s go,” I said, and we took off, not telling our dates and definitely not informing Theo.

He drove us back to my place, which surprised me. I thought we would go somewhere nice. But my parents were out at some wellness retreat, and I guess Theo was still at prom, so it made sense that for us to get some quiet time, here would be the place.

We had spent hours alone together. Countless days, nights, months—hell, a lifetime of time together. But there was something about this night, right now, that felt different. And as he led me up the stairs of my home and into my bedroom, I opened my door to a sight I wasn’t prepared for.

My eyes widened as I stood for a moment, taking it all in. My childhood bedroom had been transformed. Twinkling lights glistened along the ceiling, giving the whole room the feel of a starry night. Flowers of all kinds were spread across various cupboards, along the floor, on the bed, and even on the windowsill. A tray on top of my bed was full to the brim with chocolates, cookies, Mike and Ike sour candies, and then,because he knew how I loved balance, a mix of fruits.

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