Page 77 of Forever Flirting

“Did you have a call sign picked out for yourself already?”

“Yup,” he chuckled.

“What was it?”

“Exceedingly dumb,” he grinned. “I’m not sharing either.”

“Ohhh come on,” she laughed. “You have to tell me…”

“No,” he chuckled. “No, I don’t - but maybe someday.”

“Did you say ‘Sunday’?” she teased.

“Someday…” he countered easily, eyes twinkling.

Everly rolled her eyes and got up to clear the table. Alex followed suit behind her as he wiped Caleb’s hands and face with a baby wipe, ignoring the struggle of his son, who hated to have his face cleaned.

“C’mon, buddy. You can play for a little bit before we go see Nana… okay? I’m going to help Everly clean up.”

Caleb nodded and ran into the living room, yelling something unintelligible about his ‘pwane’…

Everly smiled easily, cleaning off the plates, and felt Alex walk up behind her, just as he’d done at his grandmother’s.

“You really like doing that… don’t you?”

“Being close?”

“Standing behind me when I’m at the sink.”

“Because it lets me smell your perfume, or see that gorgeous curve of your neck that I see when I close my eyes,” he whispered, his lips touching a spot under her ear that made her shiver.

“Alex…” Everly whispered, arching slightly as she felt him kiss her neck, and then felt his hand on her abdomen; the warmth of his skin was felt through the material, seemingly searing a path straight to her soul.

“I’ve seen your eyes for so long in my dreams,” he was whispering to her, holding her to him, driving her nuts as he wove this web around her. “Imagined holding you in my arms, hearing you laugh, seeing your smile, and thinking of how much peace it brings to my soul when you are close. Do you know what just you breathing does to me, Everly?”

She couldn’t think and felt his hand slowly move, making contact with the skin of her stomach, only seconds before he jerked away, making a guttural noise. Reeling, she felt her heart pounding as she stood there, taking several breaths before slowly turning to look at him.

Alex was standing there, so very alone, clenching the countertop with his eyes pinched shut, almost like he was in pain. His shoulders were tense, his arms flexing, and she heard him drawing in a breath… as if he was trying to center himself.

“Alex…?”

“Give me a second,” he whispered between gritted teeth.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…”

She touched his shoulder and he shivered, letting his head hang.

“Give me a few minutes and let’s go get your car before heading over to my grandmother’s house, if that’s okay. I think I need someone around us.”

“Are you mad?”

“Only at myself,” he muttered, and then looked at her. “You are temptation incarnate, my beloved Everly. A beautiful, decadent cheesecake that I really want to dive into, taste, and savor for hours on end… and I am not going to make the same mistake with you that I did already in my past,” he said openly, his voice hoarse.

“I love you too much to screw up things with us – and you deserve so much more. I want to get down on one knee, ask you to marry me someday, have a big, beautiful wedding, carry you over the threshold, plan our children, and come home to you every evening… and none of that happens if I give in tothis.”

Everly felt tears touch her eyes at the raw honesty of his words spoken so bluntly, realizing that everything he was saying, everything he was painting for them, for a future, was out of a storybook.

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