I zipped up my jeans and walked across the room to sit on Kelsey’s bed. ‘I heard your dad saying those awful things, and I was upset and scared. The fact that I might never get to have a baby, Alejandro, it’s ...’ I shook my head and started to cry.
He sat beside me on the bed with a sigh. ‘There are plenty of ways to have kids, princess. You need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself to be perfect.’
I looked up at him and he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. ‘I want to be perfect for you though. I want to be everything you need.’
‘You already are, princess. I swear I will die a happy man as long as you are by my side. Now, can we go home?’
I chewed on my lip and he sighed again, running a hand through his hair before shaking his head and frowning at me. ‘The fact that you think I would allow someone to talk about you like that, and not defend you, kills me. How could you think I would do that? Especially about something like this?’
‘Well, it wasn’t just anyone, was it? It was your father. And I know how much you love and respect him. I know how loyal you are to your family, Alejandro.’
He closed his eyes and took a breath. When he opened them again, they were full of fire and emotion. ‘What you say is true. And I would kill for my father, but I would die for you, Alana,’ he breathed and then he leaned closer to me, brushing his lips over mine.
My heart swelled in my chest. I felt like all of the air was being sucked from the room and I took shallow breaths to calm my racing heart. I had been such an idiot.
‘Te quiero, princess. You are everything to me,’ he said softly.
‘I love you too,’ I whispered.
‘I have a plane waiting at JFK, but if I need to, I will stick you in the trunk of the car and drive us all the way back to L.A. It’s your call, princess?’
‘The plane will do just fine,’ I said with a smile.
‘Good,’ he said as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead.
‘Are you going to punish me for running away?’ I whispered.
‘I should,’ he breathed into my hair. ‘I should take my belt to your ass and scar it for life. But, no, I’m not going to punish you, as long as you promise never to take off like this again, and never to assume that you are anything less to me than my whole fucking world. Can you do that?’
‘Yes,’ I whispered.
‘Do you think your friend would mind if I fucked you on her bed?’ he growled.
‘Yes. I think she’d mind a lot,’ I laughed.
‘Damn!’ he said with a grin.
A few moments later, we walked out of the bedroom and back towards the others in the lounge.
‘We may as well eat this food, Kelsey. Those two will be fucking like rabbits,’ I heard Jax saying as we entered the room.
‘Oi!’ Alejandro said as we walked into the room and gave Jax a friendly punch on the arm. ‘Come on. Let’s go.’
‘Hang on a minute,’ Kelsey said as she stood up. ‘You can’t just walk in here and take my best friend like that. It’s the middle of the night. Our food has just arrived. I haven’t seen her for months, and I’ve missed her.’
Alejandro checked his watch. ‘We have a delinquent seventeen year old at home who we need to get back to. And we only have two hours before we’ll miss our slot for take-off.’
‘Sorry, Kels,’ I said.
‘You sure you want to go back with him?’ she asked me. ‘Because I know you guys might be tough and all that, but I am not against kicking some ass or calling the cops if you’re taking my friend here against her will.’
I felt Alejandro tense beside me, unused to Kelsey’s particular brand of humor.
‘Yes, I’m sure,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry I’m running out on you though. I’ve missed you too.’
Alejandro looked between the two of us and rolled his eyes. ‘Why not come with us then, Kelsey?’ he offered.
‘What?’ Kelsey and I said at the same time.