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Tears prick my eyes. “Yes,” I choke out. “Make love to me, please.”

“My pleasure,” he says as he pushes into me, filling me completely. His mouth crashes against mine. My hips rock against his. I tug on the ends of his hair as he makes love to me. And for the first time in weeks, my body relaxes. My heart slows. My brain feels free. This is exactly what I needed. Alec.

I allow myself to close my eyes, to enjoy the moment, to get lost in the feeling, but before I can stop it from happening, flashes from that night surface.

The beach.

The sand.

The rocks.

Hands, not Alec’s, hurting me.

“Lexi,” Alec says, “stay with me, baby.”

I wrench my lids open and my eyes meet his. I focus on Alec, on his warm, chocolate brown eyes that look at me with love and adoration. On his perfect lips that say the sweetest words to me. On the way he feels inside of me, as if I was made just for him.

With Alec’s eyes locked with mine, we both find our release, and I know without a shadow of a doubt, this man is everything I need. He’s my path. My forever. And it’s time I get the help I need, so I can be everything he needs.

Alec

“I’m going to see a therapist,” Lexi says to me when she steps out of the shower from rinsing off. I’m pulling my board shorts up, and I stop, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. There’s a chance I’m never going to know what happened that night, but I need to speak to someone about it. Get my thoughts out and find a way to move past it.”

I finish putting on my shorts and turn around to face her. “I think that sounds like a good idea.”

“Thank you for being patient with me these last few weeks.”

“You never have to thank me for that,” I tell her, drawing her naked body into my arms. “I love you, and we’re in this together.”

She smiles, a soft, genuine smile. One I haven’t seen in a while. “I love you too, and I can’t wait to become your wife.”

“And I can’t wait to become your husband.” I bring her hand up to my mouth and kiss her engagement ring. “Have you thought about where you want to go from here?” Lexi had been hoping to get picked up by Vans, but because she left the competition without even competing, that’s no longer an option. She hasn’t mentioned it, but I’m worried she’s been dwelling on it.

Lexi chews on her bottom lip. “Honestly, I don’t know.” She shrugs as her eyes turn glossy. “Would it be okay if maybe we just focused on us while we’re here?”

I open my mouth to argue, but she adds, “I know I have to deal with it, and I will. But right now I just want to be with you.”

“Okay,” I agree, hating that she’s pushing shit aside, but hopefully when we get home and she meets with a therapist, she’ll start dealing with everything. “What do you say we head out to the beach? Catch some sun, some waves. We can have dinner downtown…”

“Sounds perfect.”

And the next three days are spent just like that. On the beach, in the water, in Lexi. Little by little, day by day, we find our way back to each other. We make love all over the hotel room: in the bed, in the shower, on the balcony. We check out the art galleries and do some shopping downtown. By the time check-out comes around, I consider quitting my job and extending our stay.

But since I kind of need my job, and we can’t actually stay here indefinitely, after we have one last lunch downtown, we head home.

When we walk through the door, there’s yelling and screaming, and Lexi rushes in, worried. I drop our luggage by the door, and we both go in search of where the voices are coming from.

“We have to share a bathroom,” Georgia yells. “Is it too much to ask that you make sure your conquests don’t touch my stuff?”

“I said I was sorry,” Chase says. “I’ll replace your shaver.”

“I could’ve used it!” Georgia shrieks, sounding like she’s ready to cry. “What if she had an STD?”

“I’m sorry,” Chase repeats.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Lexi asks, stepping up next to her sister and glaring at Chase.

“He had some girl over last night and she used my stuff,” Georgia says. “My shampoo and conditioner and my shaver!”

“Ewww…” Lexi thumps Chase on the top of his arm. “Keep your hoochies out of my sister’s stuff.”

“I’ll just…bring my stuff into my room,” Georgia says, stepping out of Chase’s room. “It’s fine,” she mumbles.

“No, it’s not,” Lexi says, shooting me a glare that says this is your friend, you better handle this.


Tags: Nikki Ash Finding Love Romance