Page 69 of Find Me in the Rain
Leaning in to my addiction to this man, I say, “O-okay.”
“Tsk-tsk,Laura. I have way too many plans, and it would be too easy if I gave in right now. On top of that”—his fingers find their path again, and when they reach the bottom of my jaw, his thumb grabs the other side, and he takes full control of my being, squeezing the perfect amount—“if I remember right, you liked this.” The pressure of his grip tightens, and I swear this dress is fighting to get off my body. “I have a few new tricks up my sleeve now. I’m not sixteen anymore, Lu. And I want to hear my damn name on those lips again.”
The tightness building in my core is begging to be set free. And as his fingers release my jaw, a whimper slips past my lips. I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. I’m hoping it’s enough to make him give in.
I should have known better though. That damn stubbornness of his has not changed.
I flick his chest and dart past him. “Hurry up! Let’s get this over with, so we can get back here.”
I don’t wait for him and head downstairs, grabbing my clutch and heading out the front door. Just in time to see a stretch limo pull into the driveway. Well, this boy has way too much money on his hands. For God’s sake, just get an Uber.
I can’t even convince this stupid smile to get off my face. And I’m not upset in the slightest. Sometimes, I forget that the Alec I knew and the Alec I now know is not the same one that the Nighthawks fans know. I forget that he isn’t just another hockey player in some league. He isthedamn hockey player intheNHL.
Hearing the door close behind me, I turn to see Alec heading toward me with red roses in his hand.
He might be Alec Kostelecky, best center in the NHL, to the rest of the world. But to me, he will always be the first and only boy I’ve ever loved.
I take the roses from his outstretched arm. “Thank you. When did you even have time to get these?”
He waves the driver away and opens the door for me. “I can’t give away my tricks, or it will ruin the magic, Lu. Duh.”
I step into the limo and feel his fingers graze the back of my thigh, reigniting the fire that was burning in my bedroom. Fully getting into the limo, I sit down, and Alec finds a seat right at my side, his hand settling down on my knee.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I ask, “Are you going to tell me where we are going?”
He runs his tongue over his bottom lip, humor dancing in his smirk. “No, I don’t think I will. I like watching you squirm.”
I huff out a breath of defeat and place my hand under my chin. Alec’s fingers begin moving on my knee, eliciting shivers on my skin.
“We’re almost there,” Alec says.
Soon after, the limo pulls to a stop. After a moment, the limo driver opens the door for us. And out of all the places he could’ve picked, I was not expecting him to pick Fireflies.
As we clamber out of the limo, I can see how packed the place is tonight. Part of me wants to clock in and help out. I imagine they are swamped inside. But I can’t. I’m here for me tonight, for us.
A bright flash pulls my attention away from the entrance. A second flash goes off, and my vision finally homes in on its source.
“Over here!” someone shouts, flashes continuing to attack my eyes.
Alec’s hand finds my back, and he pushes, “I’m sorry, Lu. I have no idea how they found out.”
We race into the building, and I finally realize that paparazzi were the ones taking photos of us.Actualpaparazzi.
Once we’re safely inside and security blocks them from coming in, I turn to Alec. “Is that a normal occurrence for you?”
The look of seriousness washes off his face as he drags his hand across his stubbly jaw. “Yeah, unfortunately, it comes with the territory. I’m sorry, babe. They weren’t supposed to ruin tonight.”
My heart skips a beat when I hear him call me babe. I feel like we’re sitting in Al’s Barbeque.
“You just called me babe,” I say, a little dumbfounded.
His brows furrow. “Is that okay?”
I take a step toward him. “Of course. It just caught me by surprise—that’s all.”
He takes my hand and begins pulling me toward the main room. “Good.”
When the doors open, I’m stunned and a little jealous that I’m not working tonight. The place is packed! I mean, I could easily walk out of here tonight with close to a thousand dollars.
