Chapter 10
Lexie was excited about today. Yes, she wanted to experience the famous Waikiki Beach, but she was also looking forward to spending more time with Midas. The longer she spent talking to him and hanging out, the harder she fell.
She knew she was already a goner, and it had only been a few days.
But everything she learned about the man made her respect and like him all the more.
Sure, he was a Navy SEAL, and that alone would garner her admiration, but he was so much more than that.
He was generous, and polite, and obviously a great friend to his teammates.
Elodie had told her that he was super protective of her—as was the rest of the team—simply because she was Mustang’s wife.
He wasn’t afraid to make fun of himself, and he was obviously a hard worker.
He ran every morning, then worked on the Naval base, but still found time to chat and message her throughout the day.
He seemed genuinely interested in her work and how her day was going.
They always found something to talk about, and she never felt as if he was asking about her job just because he thought it was expected.
Yes, it was safe to say Pierce Cagle was a good man.
And that scared the shit out of Lexie. She didn’t want to let him down.
Wanted to be worthy of him, and that was one thing she’d had a hard time with all her life.
Her dad certainly hadn’t made her feel as if she was worthy of his, or anyone’s, attention.
Being with Midas made her happy, sure, but it also made her yearn for a long-term relationship. She wasn’t quite sure if he felt the same.
Consciously putting her worries aside, Lexie vowed to enjoy the day. It was Sunday and she had the day off, and she was going to get to see more of the island.
Her phone rang and, seeing it was Midas, Lexie answered it on the second ring. “Hi,” she said cheerfully
“Hi back,” Midas said. “You sound happy.”
“I am,” she gushed. “I have the day off, it’s a beautiful day, and I get to spend it with you.” She spoke without thinking, and for a second, when Midas didn’t immediately respond, she wondered if she’d been too enthusiastic.
But then he said, “Couldn’t have said it better myself. You ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I’ll be pulling in front of your building in about three minutes.”
“I’ll be there,” Lexie assured him.
“Lex?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m looking forward to today. To spending time with you.”
Lexie swallowed hard. She hadn’t expected Midas to get so serious this early in the morning. “Me too,” she said.
“Good. See you soon.”
“Soon,” she echoed and clicked off the phone. She spun and grabbed her purse, putting the strap over her head and arm and headed for the door.
Three minutes later, she walked outside and saw Midas’s convertible waiting for her at the curb. He climbed out and came around to her side of the car.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hey,” he replied, leaning down.
It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to go up on her tiptoes and put a hand on his chest to balance herself. The kiss was short and sweet. Midas smelled like soap and coffee. She licked her lips, tasting him there.
He groaned.
Lexie couldn’t help but smile. She’d never felt particularly sexy in her life. She was just who she was. But around Midas, her feminine side preened and she couldn’t help but lick her lips again.
This time, Midas smiled and lifted his hand to smooth her hair behind her ear. “Hair tie?” he asked.
Lexie had purposely left her hair down, simply because she knew Midas wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself.
Whenever he was around her, his hands seemed to gravitate to her curls.
She’d never liked anyone playing with her hair in the past, but she craved Midas’s touch.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a scrunchie with a small grin.
“May I?” he asked, nodding to the material in her hand.
“You want to put my hair up?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah.”
His answer seemed odd, but it made Lexie’s belly clench. She nodded, handed him the hair tie, then turned her back to him.
Goose bumps broke out on her arms as she felt Midas’s fingers lightly combing through her curly strands as he gathered them into a ponytail.
He was taking his time, and Lexie knew she’d stand there in the middle of the sidewalk for as long as it took him to finish.
Why having his hands in her hair felt so intimate, she didn’t know.
No one had ever done this for her before.
Not her mom that she could remember, and certainly not her father.
Lexie closed her eyes and felt her nipples tighten as Midas continued to stroke her hair. He expertly wrapped the scrunchie around the locks several times, and gave her one last stroke before putting his hands on her shoulders and leaning down.
“Thank you,” he said huskily into her ear.
His warm breath brushed her skin, making Lexie long to grab his hand, tow him up to her room, throw him down on her bed and have her wicked way with him. Never in her life had she been this turned on, and he hadn’t done anything but touch her hair.
She was a goner.
Lexie opened her eyes and started to turn around to… She wasn’t sure what she planned to do. But right that second, a homeless man walked by and nearly sideswiped her with the oversized bag he was carrying on his shoulder.
Luckily, Midas already had his hands on her, easily pulling her back against him and out of the way, preventing her from being smacked in the face by the man’s belongings.
“What the fuck?” Midas said under his breath, but Lexie recognized the man and had already taken a step toward him.
“Good morning, Theo,” she said gently. He was one of the regulars at the Food For All building.
He was fairly tall at six feet or so, and lanky, with longish brown hair.
Most of the time it was unkempt and greasy, making him seem a little scarier somehow; it looked as if it had been quite a while since he’d had a shower.
She guessed him to be in his mid-forties.
He was also…intense. Had a habit of staring at people, not seeming to know, or care, that he was making them uncomfortable.
Some of that was probably because Theo wasn’t in his right mind. He mumbled under his breath a lot, and Lexie didn’t know the details of his mental illness, but the few times she’d seen him, he didn’t seem to even know where he was.
She couldn’t help but worry about him. She was concerned about all the people she met. It made her job stressful, but she had a driving need to do everything in her power to help those who visited Food For All.
Theo mumbled something under his breath, then turned to meet her gaze. It was one of the first times he’d looked directly at her, and for some reason it startled Lexie, making her take a step back reflexively.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said quite clearly.
“Oh,” Lexie said, not sure how to respond.
“She’s allowed to stand on the sidewalk,” Midas said, shifting her so he was mostly in front of her.
“Food building, not this one,” Theo replied, then lowered his head to stare at the crack in the sidewalk at his feet.
Putting her hand on Midas’s back, she leaned around him and said, “I’m not working today, but Jack and Natalie should be there. They’ll get you some breakfast,” she told him.
“Don’t like waffles,” Theo said robotically.
“There’s lots of other things you can have,” Lexie soothed.
Theo then muttered something else and shuffled down the sidewalk toward the Food For All building without another word.
Lexie felt more than heard Midas sigh in relief.
“He’s harmless,” she said.
“You’ve known him, what, three days?” Midas asked. “You have no idea what he’s capable of.”
“I don’t know what you’re capable of either,” Lexie retorted a little more forcefully than she’d intended. “But you don’t see me being an asshole to you or crossing the street when you’re approaching, do you?”
Midas ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry,” he apologized immediately.
Lexie sighed. “No, I’m sorry. I have a tendency to be protective of the people I serve at work.”
“I’m protective too,” Midas replied. “It’s who I am. I doubt I’ll ever be one hundred percent comfortable with you interacting with people like him.”
“What? People who are hungry and just want something to eat?” she fired back.
Midas didn’t rise to the bait. “No. Mentally ill. They’re unpredictable, and no matter how well you know someone, he could turn on you in a heartbeat.”
Lexie knew he was right. She’d seen it firsthand a time or two throughout the years. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. And you didn’t have to be mentally ill to turn on someone. So-called “normal” people did it every day.
“I would never hurt you. Ever,” Midas said softly, as if he could read her mind. His blue eyes were piercing in their intensity as he stared at her.
Lexie sighed. “I know. I just…there’s no good solution for people like Theo.
He needs assistance, obviously, but there’s no one to facilitate getting him that help.
He has no money, so it’s not like he can pay for meds or a doctor, anyway.
Bringing back the insane asylums of old isn’t the solution.
They were horribly abusive and did more harm than good.
But letting Theo and those like him simply wander the streets to fend for themselves isn’t the answer either.
Neither is arresting him. The prison system is no place for someone with a mental illness.
Sometimes I’m the only friendly face they see all day.
People are cruel, Midas, and I do what I can to mitigate that. ”
He turned abruptly, pulling her against his chest. It startled Lexie, but she melted into him as she rested her forehead on his shoulder.
“You’re right, of course you are. But the thought of someone hurting you literally makes me ill. If I could, I’d put you in a bubble so nothing and no one could ever lay a finger on you.”