AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He can’t be as long as I’m doing this. I know that. Besides, I’m careful. He won’t find out.”
“I hope you’re right. You know of all the guys Mom has brought through and the ones you’ve been with, I never thought I’d see you with a cop and I would actually, sort of, kind of like him. Who knew?”
“Who knew.” I shrug and sigh heavily trying not to think of everything that could go wrong if I get arrested for doing this or if Noah finds out. “Keep an eye on Axel tonight?”
“Lexi…I’m not judging you, but…I don’t like this.” He looks at me in earnest. “We can find another way to get the money.”
“I know and we will. I promise. But for now, I have to do this for us, Grandpa. By this fall when you guys go back to school, I’ll figure something else out. Right now I need us to be the team we’ve always been for each other. Okay?”
“Fine. For now. And you’re going to have to tell Ryan, too, all of it.”
“I will. Team Us?” I stick my hand out to him. He stares at me intently for a few seconds like he’s trying to find the truth in my words, before taking my hand. With a sigh of relief, I pull him forward into a hug, with a bit more hope than I had before I came down here.
“Team Us.” He hugs me back, it feels great. So freaking relieved. It feels like how we used to be.
When he’s ready to tell me what’s really happening with him, I’ll be here for him with my full support the way he’s supporting me now, even though he doesn’t agree with what I’m doing. The person I’m more worried about now is Noah. Drew’s right. How’s it going to work? He can’t find out. God forbid if something goes wrong and the club gets busted. Even I know that’s not a good look for any cop, even if the cop doesn’t know what the person he’s sleeping with does for money on the side.
* * *
“It’sgood to see you again, Lexi. You look beautiful as always.”
“Thank you,” I say to Thom as he politely pulls my chair out for me to sit at a table in the back of the club farther away from the music.
“Seems like I haven’t seen you in way too long.” He takes a seat next to me.
“You might be exaggerating a little.” I smile. “We saw each other a week and a half ago.”
“Yes, but when a woman is as intelligent, beautiful, and as delightful as you, it can feel like a very long time.”
“Look at you throwing out compliments left and right. Don’t worry, I’m a sure thing. You don’t need to flatter me.”
“I know I don’t, but everything I said is the truth. I thoroughly enjoy being in your company. I’d pay even more to be in your company more often.” He smiles, eyes going over my face, settling on my lips briefly then back up to my eyes.
“Careful, don’t let Celeste hear you. You’re going to regret that,” I say jokingly but mean it.
He chuckles. “No…I don’t think I would. What do you know about me, Lexi?”
“Apart from what we’ve talked about when I’m here, nothing.”
“Would you like to know more?”
“When I come here I like to keep things professional. I don’t ask questions about clients' personal lives. And I don’t go into details about mine. I like to keep conversations on a surface level.” My head tilts to the side, assessing him carefully—trying not to come off as if I don’t care what he does after he pays and leaves. “Like…finding out about your favorite drink, color, thoughts on the city. I even give great directions and advice on things to do and see while here. I think the less we know about each other the better it is. No deep personal dives into anyone's personal life.”
“You’re like a Google map of things to do then. But better to look at.” His lip turns up at the corners, stroking his fingers over the back of my hand, sending a frisson of tingles across my skin.
“Ah, there you go. Think of me in that way and we’ll be fine.” I return his warm inviting smile.
“Lexi, that’s my problem. I think of you in many ways. That’s not one of them,” he says meaningfully. “I like you. And it seems like you like me as well.”
“I do.” He’s charming and nice.
“Good. If you don’t want to know anything about me that’s fine, and I accept you want to keep your personal life separate. I’m going to be upfront with you. Clear on what I’m saying?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m unbelievably attracted to you. I don’t just want to see you in here, with time limits and a thousand hundred different people, music blasting, not able to hear you. I have an offer for you.”
“I don’t want—”
