Page 22 of Twenty Years Later

I rolled my eyes at her. "Okay."

"Good. You're free," Alex said, a twinkle in his eye. "Would you have dinner with me?"

Feeling my cheeks burn, I said, "Sure. I'd love to."

"Okay," Kaileen said. "Now that we've got that settled, I'm going to head out. Enjoy your dinner."

She waved as she sashayed away in her own unique style.

Shaking my head, I met Alex's eyes. "She's not very subtle, is she?"

"As subtle as a sledgehammer." He laughed while reaching for my hands and pulling me closer to him. "I thought about youall day long."

My heart skipped a beat at those words from him. "Same," I managed to say.

Drawing me up against him so our bodies were flush together, he said, "Last night was the most incredible night of my life... by far."

My heart fluttered in my chest, and I took a shaky breath. It was hard to believe he really meant that, especially because I knew he'd been such a player and had been with some super hot girls.

He lifted my chin with his finger and stared into my eyes. "I really mean that, Jayda."

Something about the sincere look on his face made me believe him. And now, those flutters took over my whole body. I wanted to say the same thing back, but I couldn't. It just felt... wrong. So instead, I wrapped my arms around his huge chest and inhaled his own unique scent of sun and heat.Alex.

His arms came around me too as he kissed the top of my head. I could feel the steady beat of his heart against my face, and I thought back to the one and only time we had hugged in high school.

Graduation night. I remembered it like it was yesterday. On the football field, after we had all thrown our caps in the air, there'd been a feeling of jubilation that swept through us amongst the cheers from friends and families in the bleachers.

Alex had been sitting near me because our last names were close alphabetically. And between hugs from other friends, suddenly he was in front of me, arms outstretched. And believe me, I didn't hesitate to hug him back.

I still remembered how strong he felt, the amazing way he smelled, the feel of his arms around me. The feeling had been unbelievable. Just like now. Only this was here... in the present. But I wondered, for how long? Would I ever see him or speak to him again after I left tomorrow when the conference was over?

A noise behind us startled me as a few stragglers entered the hallway. I pulled away from his warmth and looked up at him, the tenderness in his eyes making me speechless.

"So," he said, "do you want to go to my place for dinner and relieve my mom from babysitting duties? Maybe get some takeout?"

Wait, what? "You want me to meet your daughter?"

"If that's okay with you."

I smiled. "I'd love that."

And the smile he gave me back melted my soul.

***

The drive to his house didn't take long, and I took delight in teasing Alex about his car.

"You know, as a dad, you should really consider getting something a little more practical."

He narrowed his eyes at me right before he rounded a tight corner. "Hey, my car isverypractical. It's very safe too. I looked into it when Gabby was born."

I laughed and pointed to the back with its small car seat. "Not too long and you'll need a bigger one. And eventually, she'll have to face forward, and despite those little legs, she'll somehow manage to kick you in the backrepeatedlyas you're driving."

He groaned. "I was kind of hoping things would get easier as she got older."

I couldn't hold in my laughter. "Nope. And from what my friends say, it only gets more and more complicated."

"God help me," he said while pulling up to an attractive house shaded by towering palm trees.

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