Oh good. I was going to be able to nip this shit before it started. “Sylvia, get your pencil or turn on your recorder. This is going to be good. You’re not going to want to miss any of it.”
Lex stopped swinging, put down the ax, and walked my way. On the other end of the phone, I heard a flurry of activity. The Twiner sisters lived together and had never married. I swore they took shifts sleeping so they wouldn’t miss anything. I heard Sylvia say, “Oh, dear. Elvira, this is going to be good.” There was more noise, and then she came back on the line. “Go ahead, Drake.”
I stepped closer to Lex, watching her face to make sure she understood how serious I was. “Lex has never been involved with Hollis. And she’s the reason Hollis is here. So the people of Skagway can have a doctor. Raquel and Chazz had nothing to do with it. And I hate to say this, but Irene knows that Hollis and Lex never dated.” And because the Twiner sisters needed something else to focus on, I said, “Rumor has it from a very reliable source that Chazz wants to run for mayor next year. I think that’s probably a better addition to your newsletter than Lex and me dating again, don’t you think?”
I could hear gasps on the other end of the line.
“Oh, this is good stuff. What, Elvira?”
They began to whisper. “Okay. Okay. Give me a second and I’ll ask. Shh… this isn’t my first time, Elvira.” Sylvia cleared her throat. “So, Drake?”
“Yes.”
It was hard not to smile. Lex’s mouth was still a thin line.
There was more commotion on the other end. “Yes, I know. I’m asking. Stop it.” She cleared her throat again. “Tell me, Drake, for the record. Are you and Alexa back together? Like together, together? The people will want closure.”
I got the impression the sisters were going to move onto Raquel if they were talking closure. A-fucking-men. I put my arm around Lex’s waist and brought her to me. Slowly, we walked back toward the wall. So many emotions passed over her face: love, fear, desire, irritation. Once her expression softened a little, I said, “Lex is mine. Always has been. And I plan for her to always be.”
Lex sucked in a breath, and her eyes flared with desire, while the sisters giggled like little schoolgirls. “Oh dear, this is going to be good.” I was pretty sure that was Elvira.
The sisters had enough for another red-hot newsletter. Chat time was over. “Okay, ladies, I need to go kiss my girl now.”
They continued to giggle. “Bye, Drake. Thank you for the tip on Chazz. Do you want to stay anonymous?” they asked in unison.
“Sure.”
With that, I ended the phone call. Lex was leaning against the wall. I braced my hands on the wall on either side of her face, caging her in. Hell, I wanted her bad. But I needed to remember not to rush things until we had some answers. I leaned in closer.
Quietly, she asked, “Always has been?”
I searched her eyes as she licked her lips.
“Yes. And I hope always will be.”
“Me, too.”
That was all it took for me to press my lips against hers. She moaned into my mouth, and instantly my dick hardened. I knew I’d be jacking off to this memory later, wishing things could have gone further. All too soon, Lex pulled back, and I pressed my forehead against hers. Everything just felt right. “I’ve missed you.”
She leaned her head against my chest with a gentle sigh. “Missed you, too.”
Chapter Thirteen
Drake
I lay in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. In the room next to me, Lex was asleep. Outside her room earlier, I hadn’t wanted to stop kissing her, but when she finally opened the door to her room, she hadn’t asked me to follow. With the restraint of a fucking saint, I’d stayed outside. But hell, I wanted to hold her, just have in her my arms. I sounded like a sap, sure, but I missed her lying next to me at night. Kane and Hayden would give me hell if they knew how far gone I was—had always been—for Lex. On more than one occasion, they’d called me pussy, whipped, whatever they could thin
k of. But it had never fazed me. And if they ever met the right person, I was going to give them hell.
The memory of her lips brushing against mine made me hard again. Shit. A cold shower and jacking off twice hadn’t helped. Maybe a third time would do the trick—that or five stiff drinks.
Creak.
I froze.
“Drake?”
I shot up, my dick stiffening further at the sound of her voice. “Yeah, I’m awake. What’s going on?”