“Whoa. You might want to slow down there, lightweight, or you really will be throwing up later.”
I scowl at him. “Don’t tell me what to do. Besides, I can probably hold my liquor better than you can.
He smiles. “Is that so?”
I give him a curt nod. “Absolutely.”
Okay, so maybe I was exaggerating a bit here, but I refuse to let him get the best of me.
“Well, you’ll just have to prove that to me then.” Alexander holds up five fingers to the bartender and then points down to my empty glass before looking back at me. “To make it fair since I’m quite a bit bigger than you, I’ll drink two shots for every one of yours.”
The bartender sets five tequila-filled shots in front of us, and Alexander does two of them immediately and then flips the glasses upside down on the counter before pushing another shot over to me. “Now we’re even. Ready to prove me right? First one to puke, loses.”
“You’re on.” I pick up one of the shots and tip it back with ease. “Hope you’re prepared for that pride of yours to get crushed when I kick your overconfident ass.”
Alexander takes the other two shots, but his eyes stay trained on me the entire time. “And just so you know, I’m not one of those romantic bastards who will hold back your hair when you’re praying to the porcelain god.”
I wrinkle my nose at him. “I don’t plan on doing that anytime soon.”
The sound of bowling pins falling catches Alexander’s attention and his eyes light up. “Come on. Let me kick your ass at bowling too.”
After three games of bowling, I find myself genuinely having a good time hanging out with Alexander. The more we drank, the more fun I had, even though I’ll never admit that to him. He’s actually pretty entertaining when he drops the world’s biggest prick act.
“We need more drinks,” Alexander announces after he bowls the last ball, winning his second game out of the three we played. “I believe I just won our little competition. I’ll be back. Let me know if you want me to kick your ass again when I get back.”
I laugh, staring after him as he walks away to get more drinks. His ass in the dark-washed jeans he’s wearing looks amazing.
I plop down in the chair as I wait on Alexander to bring the drinks, and Yamada appears in front of me. “Looks like someone’s having fun now.”
I shake my head and attempt to scowl, but a smile keeps popping up. “No. I’m having zero fun.”
Yamada’s expression is one of disbelief as he sits down next to me. “Then what was all the laughing Yamada heard over here?”
“Oh, that.” I wave him off dismissively. “That was just Alexander wiggling his ass a little before he took every shot to distract me. It was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help laughing.”
“Shot number seven for the lady and thirteen and fourteen for me,” Alexander says as he approaches Yamada and me with three shots.
Everything around me is a little cloudy and I know all the liquor is messing with me big time, but I’m doing my best to pretend that it’s not.
“The two of you are going to regret this tomorrow,” Yamada says in sympathy as Alexander and I clink our glasses together and down the liquid. “Everyone’s leaving and Yamada is ready to go out on the town. Let’s find another place to party and find trouble.”
“I’m game,” Alexander says as he extends his hand to me.
“Why not,” I answer taking his hand and allowing him to help me up.
The moment I’m on my feet, Alexander wraps his strong arms around me and buries his face in my hair, inhaling deeply. “You smell so fucking good. Are you sure you want to go out? We could just go back to our suite . . .”
Heat instantly pulses through me while my body craves nothing more than to go to our room to go crazy on each other. But even in my drunken state, I know that’s a bad idea.
I press my hand against his chest. “No. We’re going out.”
Alexander sighs and presses his lips to the sensitive flesh just below my ear. “If that’s what you want. But—” he pulls away, but reaches down and threads his large fingers through mine and grins “—I’m not letting go of you tonight. No other man is going to have you if I can’t.”
My heart does a double thump against my ribcage as Alexander leads me out of the penthouse behind Yamada. That might be the nicest and most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me. Who knew Alexander King was capable of that?
THE SOUND OF THE MAIDS running the vacuum somewhere in the hallway wakes me and my head instantly begins to throb. Thank God for heavy hotel curtains that block out the sun, but I still don’t dare open up my eyes.
The bed I’m in bounces a little and I instantly freeze. I pull in a deep breath through my nose to steady myself and peel open one eye to spot a shirtless Alexander King sprawled out next to me.
I grimace and cover my face with my hands.