Page 46 of Alluring

"Jack, you—"

Jack brought a finger to her lips. "Shh. I don't want to hear any more lies tonight."

He replaced his finger with his lips. She felt the desperateness behind the kiss. His need.

He rolled her onto her back, broke the kiss, and leaned his forehead against hers. "I want to be consumed by you. Take your beauty and wrap it around myself, so I become a better man. The man you deserve."

Alexis was silent for a moment, collecting her thoughts. She didn't know why he felt this way. To her, he was perfect the way he was. "I don't understand. Why would you want to change? I love you just the way you are. I wouldn't change one thing about you."

"You're good, sweet and gentle." Jack ran the tip of his nose along the line of her jaw. He stopped when he reached her ear and whispered, "Adjectives I would not use to describe myself."

Alexis furrowed her brow. "But, you are good. You're always doing things for me and taking care of me. And sweet, You say the sweetest things to me, making me feel special. And, you're always gentle with me whether it be with your words or your touch."

"I'm afraid the world doesn't see me the way you do, Alexis. Nor do I."

"You are my world, Jack. And that's how I see you. I don't care what anyone else thinks."

"But you do care. Or you should."

"I don't. And no, I shouldn't. And neither should you. You should only care how I feel about you."

"So you shouldn't care what Janet or any other jealous women think about you. All that maters is what I think about you. Right?"

Alexis slapped her hand to her forehead. "Wow, I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"With a little help." He smirked.

"I take it all back. You're a bad, bad man, Jack."

"But you love me anyway. Don't you, sweetheart?"

Alexis sighed in mock defeat. "Yeah, I do."

"Then show me," he said, grinding his hips into her pelvis.

Gladly.

Two weeks had passed since Mase's birthday extravaganza. Alexis stood in front of the full-length mirror in Jack's closet (or should she say their closet?), trying to fasten her diamond choker.

Jack stepped in behind her, breathtaking in his tuxedo. He fastened her choker, leaning over her shoulder to whisper in her ear, "You look good enough to eat. Shall we test that theory?"

Alexis looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a long, red evening dress that Jack had come home with two nights pryer. The gown was strapless and sleek with a long slit up the center to mid-thigh and was super sexy in its simplicity. "We'll be late. This charity is important to your mother." Barbara had worked tirelessly for the past ten years, raising funds and opening women's shelters all over the world. "We don't want to disappoint her."

"As long as I bring you, there's no way I'll disappoint her." He kissed her neck then straighten up. "Speaking of you—"

Alexis laughed, "Were we speaking of me?"

"Hush." He pulled something that Alexis couldn't see out of his front coat pocket. "I have something for you."

"You do too much for me already." She swept her hand down her body. "You bought me this dress."

"That dress was purchased for a function formymother. These are for you." He held two teardrop diamond earrings alongside her ears.

Alexis reached up and fingered one. "They're beautiful."

"Not a fraction as beautiful as you."

Alexis turned and smiled up at him. "Nowthat'syour corniest line yet."

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