Page 36 of Burning for Alexander
There was no longer a trace of his smile, only his wide eyes, still a little glassy but also glancing at me with curiosity. “When were you in Amsterdam?”
The question took me by surprise. “You know when because you were there, too. Three years ago.”
“Yeah, see, that’s what I keep coming back to. Because I was in Amsterdameightyears ago, and I haven’t been back since.”
I studied his face. He definitely didn’t look like he was lying. Alex Marian wasn’t a good liar.
He shifted on his feet and crossed his arms in front of his chest in a defensive posture. It made his arm muscles pop. “Will you tell me why you think we met and why you’re mad at me for not remembering?”
I blinked at him. “We did meet. I picked you up in the bar and asked you to come back to my room. You agreed. And when I came out of the men’s room, you were leaving with another man.”
Alex’s eyes widened as I told the tale. “But it wasn’t me. I promise. Three years ago, I was here. Scoping out property and starting renovations.”
“I know it was you because I looked down at the receipt on thebar, and the last name on the signature was Marian,” I told him, frustration bubbling through my voice.
He jerked back. “But that can’t be! I… shit. Oh, fucking fuck. Hold on.” He held up his finger and pulled his phone out of his back pocket with his other hand, scrolling until he found what he wanted and then pressing a button.
“Pick up, asshole,” Alex mumbled. After a moment, he snapped into the phone, “You’d better check this voicemail and call me the fuck back. Tell me you were in Amsterdam three years ago and why the fuck you would have blown off the world’s hottest man.” Then he repeated for good measure, “You asshole.”
He ended the call and scrolled through his phone for another moment as if looking for something else.
I felt a glimmer of hope I’d gotten it wrong. “Are you a twin?”
Alex shook his head. “No, but I have a cousin in South Carolina who looks a lot like me. His name is Jett Marian. Here.” He shoved the phone in front of me.
I stared at the picture of five guys at the beach who all appeared to be in their late teens and early twenties. Only two of them looked related, and sure enough, they looked nearly identical.
Except I could tell right away which one was Alex.
“Fuck,” I said, staring at the photo.
“Jett is…” He blew out a breath. “Let’s just say he likes to sleep around. He’s a lover of love. Well, maybe it’s more accurate to say he’s a lover of sex. I’m not sure if there’s a psychological component to it or if he’s just sowing oats, but we’re nothing alike. Don’t get me wrong. I love him. Mostly. He’s great fun, and he makes a killer teammate for beach volleyball, but when it comes to guys… Let’s just say we’re complete opposites.”
I glanced from the photo to his face as I handed the phone back. “How do you mean?”
Alex scraped his lip with his teeth as if unsure how or whether to answer. Finally, he weaved a little on his feet and said, “Jett’s had all the sex. I’ve had none. So, you see? Opposites. And that’s how you know it wasn’t me in Amsterdam.”
Even in the dim light, I could see the red on his cheeks. He was flustered and embarrassed at making the confession, which was crazy. If only he knew how much it had turned me the fuck on.
But it also reminded me of just how much younger he was.
“S-so, anyway,” he murmured. “Just wanted to clear that up. You can go back to Monroe now.”
He turned away, toward the SERA parking lot.
“Wait,” I growled. “You’re not driving.”
He shook his head. “Was thinking I’d sleep it off in the SERA instructor lounge and then drive home whenever I wake up. If I ask someone in my family to run me home, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I’ll drive you,” I said. “You can catch a ride out here tomorrow to pick up your car.”
Alex’s eyes pinned mine as if looking for a catch. “Why?”
“Because I owe you an apology for being an ass when we first met.”
He stuck his chin up, and it was so fucking adorable I wanted to laugh. “So give me one.”
“One what?” I said, just to provoke him.
