I groaned when I recognized the ringtone was my father. I answered the phone, even though I didn’t really want to. “Hello, Calvin.”
“Shayne. I won’t keep you as I’m sure you have a busy evening.” My father’s voice implied that he wouldn’t approve of my evening activities. If he only knew. “Maxine has been trying to reach Alexa. Her phone is going straight to voicemail. Do you know where she might be?”
I said a small prayer of thanks that I had remembered to grab Lex’s purse and cellphone from the apartment. That would have been a hell of a thing to have to explain when the asshole’s body was found. Lex hadn’t asked about it yet. We had spent the day in our own little cocoon. I wasn’t sure we were quite ready yet to face the real world.
Then I realized that I wouldn’t know if I didn’t start going out on a limb and admitting how I felt about Lex. I wasn’t going to hide her or what was going on between us. “I know exactly where she is, Calvin.” I said it smugly and saw Lex turn around with a mortified look on her face. She shook her head vigorously at me. I knew that she was worried about what my father and her mother would think, but I didn’t want any more obstacles in our relationship. It seemed best to start with the biggest one. “She’s here with me.”
There was a long pause. “Going over some of your finances?”
“In a manner of speaking,” I said. “We were just discussing some investments she’s going to make on my behalf.”
I heard a sigh of relief in stereo. “Oh, good. Please have her call her mother as soon as you’re done then. Maxine was worried.”
“Will do,” I said with a smirk. Lex was motioning at me to hang up. She was adorable in her distress.
“Thank you, Shayne. I’ll talk to you next week.”
“Oh, Calvin? I got the wedding invite in the mail. I wanted to let you know that you don’t need to mark me down for a plus one for your wedding. My date is going to be there already.”
“What? Who?”
I’m sure the idea that I could have a serious relationship of any kind surprised my dad. “Alexa is my plus one. We’re dating. It’s official. I’m going to make sure that Lucy and the crew know tomorrow so that we can make sure it’s spun whatever way makes sense.”
My dad sputtered trying to form a semblance of a response. But I knew that I didn’t need his approval anymore. There was only one person whose opinion mattered, and once the shocked expression on her face faded, I saw a shy smile emerge as what I was saying registered with her.
“Talk to you next week.” I hung up the call.
Another pillow sailed through the air at my head. “I can’t believe you just outed us to your dad!” Lex squealed.
I jumped to my feet and chased her around the living room. I grabbed hold of a corner of her sheet, and just as she lost her balance, I caught her in my arms and pulled her against my chest. She felt as if she barely weighed a thing.
“I didn’t see any reason to hide it,” I said. “We’re two grown adults. Our parents might be getting married, but that has nothing to do with us. I know you’re worried about what people might think, but it doesn’t matter to me Lex.” To prove my point, I let her feet drop to the floor even as I claimed her lips again. My intention was to chase any doubt of that away, and I thought I succeeded when, a short time later, I let her go. She was breathless, and her cheeks were flushed.
“You do tell a convincing argument,” she said. She groaned as she closed her eyes. “My mother is still going to freak, though. That’s one conversation I can wait to have.”
I tugged on the sheet. Just another inch, and I was pretty sure it would fall completely. Which was my end game. “Your mother and my father are halfway across the country right now. Now that it’s out there, they have a couple of months to get used to the idea. We’ll send your mother a basket of vapor salts or something.”
Lex frowned. She pulled the sheet corner away from me. “Are you sure about this Shayne? I mean, you don’t do relationships. You said that in the press more than once.”
I pulled her tightly against me. “I didn’t do relationships. Past tense. I really just think I had to find the right woman. You know, the one who detested me from the moment she met me, thought I was a complete asshole, and couldn’t wait to get rid of me. Believe it or not, those are few and far between.”
She laughed. “Oh, that’s right.”
I swiveled my hips against her. “But we both knew that secretly she lusted after my body the whole time.”
She hit my arm. “I did not.”
“You did too.” My erection was obvious through my jeans. “Why deny it?”
She sighed and then wound her hands up around my neck. “You’re right. Why deny it?” Her eyes twinkled as she smiled up at me.
“So, are you going to lose that sheet or what?” I asked with a smirk.
As she kissed me, I felt the sheet slipping to the ground. There was nothing left standing between us anymore, and, for the first time in my life, I knew that was exactly what I wanted.