Now it was my turn to blush.
“Thank you for letting me see that part of your life.” Lexie told me softly.
I looked over at her and knew that I’d undoubtedly made the right choice.
I knew in that very moment that anything involving sharing my life with Lexie was always going to be the right choice.
“I want a relationship where we can act like idiots, talk about the most random stuff, share music, and never get tired of each other.”
-Author unknown
21. Lexie
“Hey, babe, I need to head out for a bit, do you want to come?” Colt called out to me before appearing in the doorway of the living room.
We’d ended up spending all day at the retirement home, rather than the few hours Colt had intended and I’d just sat down on the couch while Colt had gone hunting through the kitchen to assess the options for dinner.
I glanced down at my heart covered flannel pajama bottoms and the black t-shirt of Colt’s that I was currently wearing. My hair was all over the place; I’d just showered and washed it, but hadn’t gotten around to brushing it yet. I wasn’t even wearing a bra. I looked like a total mess.
I scrunched up my nose. “No luck with the food, huh?”
He shook his head. “Not a shot in hell of making a meal out of that.” He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen.
“We could order in if you can’t be bothered cooking tonight?” I suggested.
He shook his head “It’s all good, I may as well get what we need for the next couple of days. You wanna come?”
I gestured to my attire. “I think I’ll stay here.”
He smirked. “Good call.” He grabbed his keys off the side table. “Will you be okay here on your own?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not a baby in a hot car, Colt, I’ll be fine.” I reassured him.
There was no way I was going looking like this, that, and a new episode of Teen Wolf had just come on, so I wouldn’t be moving far from this couch anyway.
He laughed his way to the door. “Tyler Posey has nothing on me, right, babe…”
“Not a thing on you.” I promised with a wink.
It wasn’t until after he’d left that I realized that he’d obviously been doing his research on my favorite show.
That man…
He is something special.
I found the remote, hit record and went in search of the vacuum cleaner. I’d been living here for days, and neither one of us had done any cleaning, the sheets hadn’t been changed, I had no idea how much laundry there was, and the kitchen needed a good once over.
I turned the stereo on full blast as I went past, rolled my sleeves up and got to work.
***
“Oh my god, they’re so beautiful.” I gushed as I accepted the enormous bunch of stunning flowers that Colt had returned with. “What on earth are they for?”
“Do I need a reason?” He asked over his shoulder with his eyebrow raised. He had begun unloading the groceries he’d just bought from the store into the fridge
“In my experience, albeit limited, men don’t usually buy women flowers, just because.” I explained.
“Then you haven’t been spending time with the right man.” He replied without missing a beat.
There is no doubt about that.
I just smiled stupidly at him, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world.
“And I got them because I had a feeling that they would make you smile.” He turned to face me. “Like you are right now… and I’m never going to need more of a reason than that, okay?” He told me, his tone gentle, but insistent.
I nodded, the giant, goofy grin he was referring to, still firmly in place on my face.
“You’re smiling like a loon.” He chuckled.
I just nodded, still grinning.
“Here.” He tossed me small box of refills for my Polaroid camera.
“Oh my gosh.” I swooned.
Just the fact that he knew the make and model of the camera I owned said volumes about how much attention he paid to me.
He laughed and shook his head in amusement at how content I was.
“Thank you.” I told him quietly. “You certainly know how to make a girl feel special.”
It wasn’t even just the gifts, it was the way he looked at me… the way he constantly paid attention to my emotions… it was just him.
I’d never, ever, in my whole life, met someone quite like Colt.
“It’s lucky I did buy them.” He added as he looked around at the now considerably cleaner apartment. “This place looks amazing. You didn’t have to do that.”
“It no big deal.” I insisted. “I’ve been living here too.”
I fished around in the cupboard looking for a vase. I found a big glass jug and decided that it was probably the best I was going to find.
I could feel Colt’s eyes on me as I sat the pink and white arrangement in the jug and placed them on the table.
“There.” I smiled. “Now it’s perfect.”
“You won’t get any argument from me.” He replied, his voice deep and throaty as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.
I knew he wasn’t talking about the flowers at all.
“I got something else too.” He murmured in my ear.
“Oh yeah?” I asked curiously, holding back a shiver from his closeness.
He reached around me into the one remaining bag left on the table, and when he pulled out series one, two and three of Teen Wolf on DVD, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You really are a sucker for punishment huh?”
It was such a sweet, simple gesture. That was Colt down to a tee.
Sweet and uncomplicated.
“I thought I’d better check out my competition.” He replied and I could hear the grin in his voice.
I was fairly certain that there wasn’t a man on the face of this earth that would be competition for Colton Hunt.
***
“Shit, Lex, I can’t get anyone to cover for me.” Colt slid in next to me on the couch, his face a mask of defeat.
I’d listened to him on the phone for the past half hour, calling employee after employee, trying to arrange for someone to take his managers shift at the club this evening. He was having absolutely no luck.
I guess being the boss sucks sometimes.
“That’s okay.” I replied, trying my best to sound like I meant it. “I didn’t expect you to take off work for me.”
I truthfully didn’t expect him to… but a girl could dream.
“You’ve only got two more nights here.” He grumbled. “I don’t want to waste one of them at work.”
“It’s fine.” I reassured him. “I’ll see what El is up to… she might want to go get dinner or catch a movie or something.”
I knew it was pathetic, but I felt a huge sense of disappointment at the thought of having to be apart from him, even just for the night. I’d spent nearly every minute of my time with him these past few days, and I’d loved it. No matter how much time we spent together, I still wanted more.
We’d been here together all last night, and today, just doing nothing – but everything at the same time… and I still wasn’t even a little bit sick of him.
“Or… you could come with me?” He suggested hopefully.
I scrunched up my nose. “I wouldn’t get in the way?” I asked, just as hopeful that he’d tell me it was okay for me to tag along.
“Not even close.” He assured me. “It might even be fun.”
“Can I sit around and get drunk?” I bartered with him.
“I’m pretty sure my job requires me to ensure that people aren’t getting drunk, but I could probably turn a blind eye, for a pretty little thing like you.” He put on a southern drawl and winked at me.
“Well then, Mr. Bar manager, you’ve got yourself a date.”
***
I wasn’t really one to frequent the club scene, but even I could tell
that this place was on fire tonight.
I’d been expecting us to be heading up to the same V.I.P. area where we’d performed on Friday night, but instead, we were down on the main floor, and as the bar staff fondly referred to it, we were ‘mingling with the civilians’.
I liked it better down here. There were more people, with fewer inhibitions for me to watch.
I was a rubber-necker from way back. That’s what my mom always called me. Football games, concerts, movies… I found myself watching other people more than whatever it was my attention should have been focused on.
People tended to let loose when the lights went down – they let their usually more subdued personalities come out to play. A few drinks and a darkened room made for amazing people watching. I’d just about seen it all in the past hour or so… some outrageous dance moves, hookups, fights, even some vomiting.
Right now, I was in a happy place. I was perched at the bar, where my hot as hell boyfriend – because I could call him that now, was mixing drinks like a pro, he had bottles flying in the air like some kind of ninja juggler and to say I was impressed would have been a total understatement.
Is it hot in here?
There was something about seeing him so in his element like this that just had me melting on the inside. It was like foreplay to me and all of a sudden I couldn’t wait to get home and get him alone. I bit down on my lip and willed him to turn around and drag me away from here like some kind of caveman.
“What’s a beautiful woman like you doing down here all alone?”
I groaned internally.
The one downside to sitting here, all by myself was that I’d been hit on more times in the past two hours than I had in the past six years combined.
Apparently sitting alone at a bar meant I had a giant neon sign flashing above my head that read ‘available – hit on me’.
I grimaced as I turned to face my most recent admirer. A tall, dark haired man with bronzed skin and brown eyes. If Colt had to watch me fend off yet another advance I was sure he was going to lose his mind.
I peaked over at the far side of the bar, where Colt was thankfully busy entertaining a group of young patrons with his bottle acrobatic skills.
I cursed myself internally when I turned back and realized I’d given the stranger an opportunity to sit down next to me.
“I, ah… I’m not really interested, but thank you though.” I offered politely.
“Thank you for what?” he chuckled.
My cheeks blazed. “Um… the compliment.”
He laughed again and took a sip of the beer he was holding. “No problem.”
He made absolutely no move to get up and leave me alone and I grew more uncomfortable with each awkward second that passed.
“Get you a drink?” He suggested.
“What do you think?” I replied, indicating to my full drink.
Not interested.
This guy obviously couldn’t take a hint.
“You know…” He smirked, noticing my rising agitation. “I’m surprised that he left you to fend for yourself… anyone could be coming onto you while he’s busy with his circus tricks.” He tisked. “I’ll have to have a hard word with the little twerp.”
I looked at him and gaped, then followed his line of sight to look at Colt, who was now looking in our direction and smirking back at the man next to me.
They know each other, looks like the jokes on me.
“That’s not funny.” I scolded the stranger. “You could have told me that you weren’t just another random, I wouldn’t have been such a bitch.”
“And ruin all my fun?” He shook his head and laughed. “It’s Lexie, right? I’m Angelo, Colton’s cousin.” He offered me his hand and I shook it.
The pieces clicked into place as I remembered Colt telling me about his cousin who worked for him at the club.
I turned towards him. “It’s nice to meet you Angelo, and I swear, I’m not usually such a hard ass.”
He laughed and waved away my apology.
“I just seem to be getting a lot of unwanted attention tonight and I’m pretty sure Colt’s had enough of it.” I explained as I looked back at Colt, who seemed a bit more at ease now that I wasn’t here all alone like a sitting duck.
He shot me a breathtaking smile, momentarily taking my breath away, before turning back towards his work.
“Cue the helpful cousin.” He pointed at himself.
The penny dropped.
“Ahhh.” I nodded in acknowledgment. “He called in the reinforcements.”
“He did.”
I shook my head in amusement as I watched Colt work. “I’m sorry you got stuck with babysitting duty.”
Angelo chuckled. “Hell, don’t be sorry, if he wants to pay me to sit around and have a drink with a beautiful woman, then he can go right ahead.”
I laughed. I had a feeling that Angelo and I were going to get along just fine.
“So what have you been doing down here?” He asked. “Dancing?” He gestured towards the packed dance floor where the Justin Bieber remix of ‘Despacito’ was blasting.
I shook my head in amusement. “I wasn’t brave enough to go in alone. I’ve just been admiring the eye candy.” I tipped my head towards Colt. “And trying to decide if that guy over there is into the guy, the girl, or both.” I mused as I pointed out the people I was referring to.
He nearly spat out a mouthful of beer. “You what?”
I laughed. It was probably weird to other people, but it was something I did like second nature.
“Yeah.” I nodded enthusiastically. “Trying to figure out things about other people’s lives is really fun, you should try it.”
He tipped his head to the side as though he was attempting to figure me out. I took it as an opportunity to show him what I meant.
“Okay, so… see that blonde girl right there?” I pointed towards the dance floor at a girl who was out there shaking what her momma gave her.
He nodded. “I see her.”
“Okay, so… I think she’s something like a preschool teacher by day, but by night she lives out her real passion.”
He chuckled. “And what’s her real passion?”
“Erotic dancing.” I answered. “And the guy in the checkered shirt?”
Angelo nodded again, seemingly amused by my little game. “He has a secret crush on her, he comes here every night, hoping she’ll be here… and for the last thirty minutes he’s been trying to figure out how to approach her without looking like he’s just out for a piece of ass.”
He laughed again. “You’re a strange little thing.”
“Don’t knock it til you try it.” I winked at him as I took a sip of the latest delicious concoction Colt had made for me. I’d only been joking when I’d told him I’d sit here and get drunk, but if he kept making me drinks this delicious, it wouldn’t be long until I was on my ass, they were going down a bit too easy.
“Alright then, I’ll give it a go.” Angelo boasted, glancing around. “Okay… you see that couple over there, late thirties maybe?”
I followed the direction he was pointing. “I see them.” I nodded.
“They’re here for date night – they left the kids at home… two boys and a girl.” He explained.
I giggled; thrilled that he was playing along.
“She’s just told him she likes the idea of bringing another woman into the bedroom.” He continued.
I laughed loudly.
“Obviously he’s ecstatic about the prospect… but he likes blondes and she’d rather a brunette, so they’re having a hard time agreeing on who they should approach.”
“You are far too good at this.” I clutched my side, it was sore from laughing so hard at him.
“You were right you know, this is fun.” He admitted with a grin.
“Told you so.”
The rest of the night passed with laughter, drinks and stolen kisses from Colt. I may have been sitting in a club with a near stranger for co
mpany, waiting for my boyfriend to finish work, but it was one of the most enjoyable nights I’d ever had.
And it’s all because of him.
22. Colt
I whispered in Callum’s ear – one of the guys working the bar with me tonight, and let him know that I’d be back in ten minutes.
There was one thing I needed to do in this club tonight that had absolutely nothing to do with work and everything to do with my girl grinding against me.
That little taste I’d gotten of dancing with Lexie at the karaoke bar had done nothing but add fuel to my fire. I wanted more. One time of anything was never going to be enough when it came to Lexie.
I need more.
I was getting her out on that packed dance floor, just like I should have done that very first night here.
I prowled towards the end of the bar where she was still perched chatting with my cousin Angelo.
They were laughing and joking and I gave myself a mental high five for coming up with the idea of bringing him down here to look out for her. She was clearly enjoying the company, and as another bonus I could finally relax and do my job. I knew if I had to watch another drunk asshole hitting on my girl, I was going to hit the roof. Angelo had been the perfect solution.
Lexie saw me coming and smiled so big I was worried her face might break.
“Hey, beautiful.” I leaned over the bar to kiss her softly. “You doing okay over here?”
She nodded and smiled. “Angelo was just telling me about when you guys were growing up.”
I groaned. My brothers and I had gotten up to all kinds of shit with Angelo and his sisters growing up.
Lexie giggled knowingly. “Yeap… he was just telling me about what happened with the old lady and her cat from down the street.”
I chuckled at the memory. “Hey, that damn cat came down eventually, but old Mrs. Evans held that grudge forever.”
Angelo nodded in agreement, his eyes crinkled with laughter.
“Could you do me a solid, man, watch the bar for ten?” I asked him with a flick of my head.
“Yeah, sure.” He waved his hand dismissively like it was no big deal. “Where are you going?”
Chased (Love like Yours Series Book 4) Page 12
