House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)

Trying my best not to blush, I shrugged. “You know, we’re just watching a movie and having dinner…”

Despite the fact Lexen and I had never been closer, we’d hardly had any alone time since returning from Overworld. Sara and Michael suddenly developed some very real rules, and I was to return home at exactly 5 P.M daily. Since I’d almost lost them, and they in turn thought for days I was dead, I had been indulging their overprotectiveness. We were bonding over the new knowledge of the supernatural we all possessed.

Michael and Sara might have always known there was an “alien” species on Earth, but they never expected it to be what it was. Me and my family’s ties to it, more than anything, astonished them.

Jero interrupted my thoughts with a laugh. “Lexen has the entire house to himself while the rest of us return to Overworld … and you’re just going to watch a movie?”

I shrugged his arm off me, narrowing my eyes on him. “I’m not discussing my sex life with you.” Or lack thereof. A fact that would hopefully be rectified tonight.

Jero hooted with laughter. “Lexen is going to have his hands full with you.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Literally.”

I was just about to break my smacking rule when tall, dark, and deadly entered the hall we were in. I took off as fast as my lazy legs could go. Lexen caught me with ease, lifting me up so that our mouths could meet.

“You know, you’re barely even puffing,” he said when we pulled apart.

I snort-laughed. “Yes, because an evil sadist has been making me go jogging with him.”

Setting me on my feet, he brushed some of my wavy hair back. “You’ve been three times, and I had to promise you ice cream before you’d even get dressed.”

I folded my arms over my chest, tilting my head to the side as I gave a rueful shrug. “It’s never going to be my thing. You should just give up, accept that I have strengths in other areas.”

“Yeah, she did knit you that wicked scarf,” Jero added as he caught up to us.

I wanted to glare at the sarcastic asshole, but he kind of had a point. I was so distracted when I tried to knit around Lexen that I kept missing stitches and loops. My last creation was both holey and lopsided.

But he’d worn it. Inside, at least.

“Jero…” Lexen warned his brother. Apparently he didn’t have a smacking rule, so Jero heeded that warning and held both hands up in surrender, veering to the right, heading toward the moving sidewalk that would take him to the parking lot.

“Have fun tonight, kids,” he called as he jumped on. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

And I was blushing again.

Lexen took pity on me, not calling attention to my pink cheeks. He just held his hand out and I placed mine in it, our fingers linking together.

“Jero stole my books,” I murmured, trying desperately not to think about the fact that Lexen and I would have the entire night together. Our first true alone time in a month.

“He’ll leave them at home. You always do your homework there anyway,” Lexen reminded me. “Have the Finnegans left yet?” he asked after another moment of silence.

I nodded, pulling out my brand new cell phone. Being a member of House of Darken came with some additional perks – on top of Lexen’s abs. And no one took no for an answer. Pushy aliens. “Yep, Sara just texted me and said that they were halfway to California.”

They’d won a weekend away, skillfully set up by the Darkens. They hadn’t wanted to leave me, but I told them I would be perfectly safe with Lexen, and since they loved him to death they eventually agreed it was time for them to loosen the strings. Sara even set me up on birth control, because they were too young to be grandparents to a little humalien baby.

Michael’s word, of course.

Birth control was not something I wanted to discuss with my guardians, but at least it meant they were accepting that Lexen was part of my life – for the long haul.

“Come on, little human. Let’s get out of here.”

We walked hand in hand to the car. Lexen opened the door to his low-slung sports car and I slid inside. We roared out of the parking lot. Daelighters loved to drive fast, and I was slowly acquiring a taste for it. The gates were open to our street when we arrived, no delay for us to enter, and then it was on to Lexen’s mansion. I eyed my shoebox house on the other side of the street, not at all sad that I wouldn’t be sleeping on that rock-like mattress tonight.

While we were waiting for the gate to open, Lexen met my gaze. “Everything okay? You’re quiet.”

As my smile grew, I arched an eyebrow in his direction. “Are you saying I talk a lot?”

“Yes,” came his reply without hesitation. “You talk constantly. And I love it. I never thought I could handle the need humans have to chat constantly, but now, when you’re quiet, I miss your voice.”

I laughed derisively. “There’s still an asshole hidden under your sweet side, I see.”

He didn’t deny it as we traveled down the long driveway. It was kind of nice that he never lied to me or tried to hide who he was. The truth was, Lexen could be cold and lethal, like he was when I first stumbled into his world, but he also cared more deeply than anyone I’d ever met. His heart was huge, and the fact that even a small part of it loved me … that was more than I ever thought I would have.

As soon as Lexen pulled into their underground garage, he was at my side in an instant. My door was open and I was hauled up into his arms before I could blink. “It’s okay if I carry you this once, right?” he said as he hurried inside. “Your human legs are just way too slow, and I want every second we have to be alone.”

Yeah, I was definitely not going to complain. As soon as we were inside the stunning ground level, ocean crashing in the distance outside the window, Lexen crossed into the white kitchen. He sat me down on the island bench, stepping between my legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and then we both took a moment to enjoy the closeness.

“What do you want to do first?” he asked me, leaning in close, his lips skimming across my throat. “Movie? Food?”

Instead of answering, I let out a breathy sigh, digging my fingers into his shirt and pulling him closer. He had ditched the coat and was wearing the school-issued button-down shirt open at the collar, untucked, sexy and disheveled.

“I … I want…” I sucked in another breath, trying to string a sentence together. His lips were on my neck now and I was self combusting. “Room,” I finally got out. “Take me … to … your room.”

Lexen pulled back, fire in his eyes. “Are you sure? There is no rush, melerde. We have an eternity together.”

An actual growl ripped from my throat, and the heat Lexen naturally exuded flared to life, sending hot trickles along my skin. He didn’t move though; he was waiting for me to say the words. “I’m sure, Lex.” I placed my hand on his chest, right above his heart. “I choose you, us, this … always.”

Lexen’s hands went under me as he hauled me up and into his body. My legs wrapped around his waist and our mouths found each other again as he blindly strode away, heading in the direction of the stairs. He stumbled once, but quickly gained his footing, despite the fact that we couldn’t seem to separate ourselves. Not even for a second.

In his room, the extra soft bed cushioned me as Lexen dropped me down onto it. He crawled over the top of me and I drank in the sight of him. I must have ripped a few of the buttons of his shirt – totally didn’t remember doing that – because I was catching delicious glimpses of bronze skin and muscles.

Working my bottom lip between my teeth, I decided I might as well finish the job. Dropping on my back, I gripped his shirt on either side and yanked hard.

Nothing happened.

“Stupid buttons,” I groaned.