I reach into my wallet, but Alex scoffs. “Sixty for the pair.”
“Eighty,” he counters. I grin over my shoulder at Alex, raising an eyebrow. She nods, satisfied with the offer.
“Alright, eighty,” I agree, pulling out four twenties and handing them to him.
He hands Alex the tickets. “Madam Ball-Buster.” She just grins and gives him a salute. A second later, I hear someone call my name. I turn in a circle, looking for the voice until I spot my sister parked in her car a few yards down.
“Branson! God, you’re so deaf.” Calais rolls her eyes at me as we approach. Alex, still on my back, pats my shoulder as we get close to the car.
“You can put me down now,” Alex says.
“I know I can. I just don’t want to,” I reply. I love the feel of her warm body wrapped around mine, and I know that once I put her down, I’m going to miss it.
“Put me down,” she laughs. Grudgingly, I set her on her feet, but keep an arm wrapped around her waist.
I hunch down so I can see my sister behind the driver’s seat. “Thank you so much for the rescue. This is Alex. Alex, my sister Calais.”
“Like the city in France?” Alex asks.
“The very same,” my sister replies with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you. I hear you need shoes?”
Alex laughs. “Cobblestone is a bitch.”
“That it is,” Calais agrees. She holds up two pairs of black shoes. “He said you broke tall ones.” She jiggles a pair of sky high shiny black heels at Alex. “But I thought you might prefer something less ankle destroying?” She gestures with a pair of short black velvet wedges. I hate that I know the difference, but this is what happens when you grow up with three sisters.
“Ooh! Yes, please!” Alex says excitedly. My sister hands her the velvet wedges, and Alex holds onto my arm as she trades them out for her broken shoes.
“Let me have those,” Calais snags the broken pair. “I have a shoe guy.”
“As in, he fixes shoes, or he’s into shoes?” Alex teases.
“I can’t say for certain about his extra-curricular proclivities, but he’s great at repairing them. Go have fun, I’ll get these back to you.”
“Do you want to join us?” Alex asks with a laugh.
My sister raises an eyebrow, giving me a sly grin. I scowl back. I’m not in the mood to share Alex. It’s taken me weeks to get her undivided attention and so help me God, if my sister crashes our date, there’s going to be hell to pay.
Calais throws her head back and cackles. “Oh, Branson. The look on your face. No, but thank you for the offer, Alex. I have a bath and a book calling my name at home.” She waves and waits for us to step back before pulling away from the curb.
Alex smiles up at me. “I like her.”
“I like you,” I say, cupping her cheeks in my hands. My fingertips graze her hairline. She scans my eyes, the streetlamp casting a soft glow over her features. Leaning down, I press a kiss to her lips, stifling my groan as her mouth, so pliant and sweet, moves against mine.
Her fingers dance over my stomach, tease their way up my chest, and wrap around my neck. I spread my palm over her lower back, pulling her body flush against me. Alex’s breath hitches, her hips canting against mine. I’m about five seconds from tossing her over my shoulder and saying fuck the concert. I just want to get her out of these damn clothes and see if the rest of her is as sweet as her mouth.
A buzz of excitement runs through the crowd nearby and Alex breaks the kiss, looking around as someone jostles us. Everyone is moving toward the wooden gates as they swing open. Little lights jump to life, zigzagging across the alley. Alex looks back up at me, eyes bright with excitement.
Suddenly, the urge to haul her out of here and fuck her until neither of us can walk straight eases up. I’d do anything to see that smile on her gorgeous face. I take her hand and we join the crowd.
A hundred feet down, there’s a pinch point where a woman in head-to-toe black is taking tickets. Alex bounces on the balls of her feet as she peers around. It’s so confusing. One second, she’s this adorable, spunky little thing, and the next she’s a tiger. Challenging, confident, and sexy as all fuck. The urges to make her clap with joy and scream my name are all swirled together and going straight to my head.
Behind the ticket taker, the alley opens up into a brick courtyard surrounded by old factory buildings that look like they’ve been converted to office space. They’re all dark now, though. A stage is set up at the far end of the courtyard, and as the crowd gets closer, a DJ jumps up the steps. Seconds later, a heavy bass line rolls over the courtyard.
“Who is that?” Alex yells over the music.
“No idea!” I call back with a shrug. She dances by my side for a long time, a brilliant smile on her lips. She catches me watching her and scrunches up her nose, giving me a playful shove on the arm.
“What?” she mouths.