Page 14 of The Maxwell Brothers
“Good to know, Lexi. Good to know.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why, but perhaps I was better off not knowing.
Oh, Lexi. You’re playing with fire.
CHAPTER 5
LEXI
On Friday afternoonone week later, I could sense victory. Saturday and Sunday were going to be completely Tate-free. Last weekend had helped me clear my head, but being near Tate every morning this week muddled it all up again. If being near him didn’t help, then distance should do the trick. I was hoping, at least.
Paisley and I went biking again, but we also stayed on North Avenue Beach, enjoying the sun and swimming in the lake. It was far too hot outside. The water was cold, but neither of us cared; we wanted to cool off, and this was what we needed. I kept a close eye on her, but she was a proficient swimmer. Even so, I was next to her the whole time we were in the water. She liked swimming even more than I did, and I only convinced her to get out of the lake when black clouds rolled in. They’d announced this morning that there would be a storm in the evening, but I honestly didn’t buy it because it was so sunny until now.
“I’m tired and sooooo hungry,” she said once we were back in dry clothes.
“So am I. We can Uber home if you want. I’ll order a big car so the bikes also fit.”
Paisley shook her head. “I can do it. And then Daddy promised veggie curry for dinner. I can’t wait.”
The mention of Tate made my stomach somersault. The bright side was that I had half an hour on the bike to brace myself for seeing him and then probably another hour or so in the house. That was plenty of time to get my act together.
“Okay.”
Uber was still my backup plan, though, in case it started raining. The clouds were dark gray, and the air seemed heavy, the way it usually did before a summer storm.
We were lucky—we only felt a few raindrops on the way, but the thunderstorm rolled in as soon as we got inside the house.
To my dismay, Tate was already home, even though it was only five o’clock. He came toward us, walking slowly. He was wearing a black T-shirt that clung a bit to his torso like his skin was still humid. Clearly he’d just showered. He was also wearing jeans. I’d never seen him dressed so casually, and I could barely keep myself from checking out his abs.
There went my plan to brace myself.
“Daddy, I am hungryyyyyyyyyyyy,” Paisley exclaimed, running right past him and into the kitchen.
“I already made sandwiches until dinner is ready,” he called after her.
Instead of following Paisley, he advanced toward me, blue eyes trained on me. “And you, Lexi? Want to stay until the thunderstorm is over? The rain is pretty damn strong. Even with an umbrella, you’ll get soaked walking to the car.”
That was a great excuse.
I bit my lip, wondering if this was smart. He must have picked up on my hesitation, because he cocked a brow. “I’m not letting you walk out in this storm, Lexi. It’s not safe.”
“You’re notlettingme?”
My God, the alpha vibes rolling off him weakened my knees.
“No.”
“Well, then. Okay.”
I didn't have the willpower to say no, and I could only describe the look in his eyes as triumphant.
Oh, Lexi, what did you do?
The thunderstorm only intensified during dinner. Tate made a veggie curry with basmati rice, and it was utterly delicious.
"Your cooking is amazing," I said.
He winked. "I’ve had lots of practice."
