Page 93 of And Then Came You

“Then give me a genuine smile, beautiful. Otherwise, I’ll tickle you until you can’t breathe.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“It would be so much fun.”

“For whom?”

“Me, obviously. Isn’t it always about me?”

There it is. Her real smile lighting her up. “Truer words were never spoken. Try not to have too much fun over there.”

“I’m saving it all up for when I see you. I hope you’re prepared.”

Lexi plants her hands on her hips, sending me a fake scowl. “You don’t scare me, Samuel Bernard. Challenge accepted.”

I chuckle before ending the call.

I can’t wait to go home.

* * *

Iknock on Lexi’s door, smirking at the fact that there’s an empty suite at The Plaza because she refused to overstay her welcome.

Stubbornest woman I’ve ever met, and I love her for it.

Lexi pulls open the door, her jaw slack. “You’re really here.”

“I told you yesterday that I was landing early afternoon.” I glance at my watch. It’s 3:30. I made pretty good time. “Can I come in?”

“Of course.” Lexi pulls open the door and I drop my bags in the foyer. “It’s just that your life is so busy and your plans often change. I wasn’t counting on you being able to make it out here this time.”

In that moment, the truth settles over me. Just like everyone else in her life, I’ve put Lexi second. Made room for her when it was convenient for me. All that changes today.

Pulling her tight against me, I smile when she melts into my arms. I tip her chin up, my gaze moving between those bright amber eyes and that luscious mouth. Tracing my thumb along her lower lip, I bend close, stealing a kiss. “I missed you, Lexi.”

Normally, I’d pull back into my own space. Not this time. I keep my lips against her skin, breathing in the intrinsic scent of the woman who owns my heart. Her hands slide up my chest as she leans back, those orbs locking with mine.

“I missed you, too. You look good. Happy.”

Here’s the thing. I’ve been told I was handsome and sexy since I was barely sixteen. Women throw themselves at me—literally—begging to suck my cock, just for a chance to be near me. They load on compliments, everything from my hair to my mouth to the way I move. But none of those statements ever resonated.

Not until Lexi.

She sees past the wrapping. She always has, right into my heart. My soul. That she hasn’t run from what she sees there is a miracle unto itself.

“You’re looking better.” As usual, Lexi opts for a natural look, her dark hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, her pale skin free of any makeup, wearing a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. She looks adorable. Actually, she looks delicious, and I’m having a hard time persuading my cock to sit down and behave.

“I’m feeling better. At least I don’t look like I moonlight as a boxer.”

I hate having to ask the next question, but I need to know. My buddies in Manhattan have assured me they’re keeping tabs on Damian, but you can’t be too careful. “Have you heard from him?”

She shakes her head, leading me into the living room. “No, thank God. One of your friends stopped by, however, ensuring that he was staying away. Thank you for the unofficial bodyguards.”

“They were filling in until I got back.”

The smile decorating her face is tinged with sadness. A lost hope. It shatters my soul to see the futility lining the edges of her aura now, and I know she wonders if the entire world is against her. Sure, she’s a successful writer, but when it comes to love, her success is strictly on paper.

At least, until this moment.

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