Chapter 10
Hugh
I can’t stop touching Alexi during the drive back to her place. I hate that we’re about to say goodbye, even if it’s only for a few hours. I wish we could have stayed in bed all day—no, all week—but we both have work and responsibilities.
“I’ll talk to you later, okay? And I’ll come by after work. Just let me know what you want, and I can pick up some food,” I say as I park in her driveway.
“Okay, I’ll text you.”
She leans over the center console, kissing me quickly—too quickly for my liking. Before I can grab her and give her a proper kiss goodbye, she’s out of the car and hurrying up to her front door. I watch until she lets herself inside, then reverse and drive the short distance to work.
I can’t stop thinking about her and how close we’ve grown in the last few days. She’s finally let down her walls, and I couldn’t be happier.
I’m in love with Alexi, and I need to tell her. I hate holding this back from her. I know it’s fast, but it’s real. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, never thought I ever would. Not until I met my baby.
My morning is busy with back-to-back patients. I take a quick lunch break and try to call her, but she doesn’t answer.
Probably just busy with work. She’ll call me back or text me in a bit.
Finishing my protein bar, I get back to work.
I check my phone between patients, but Alexi never calls me back or texts me. By the time the clinic closes, I’m starting to panic. I call her again as I update patient charts, but all I get is her voicemail.
“Fuck,” I curse, giving up on work.
I need to see my girl. Something is wrong; I can feel it. We were so happy this morning. What could have changed in the few hours we were apart?
I speed through yellow lights and around corners all the way to Alexi’s house. The lights are on inside, and I relax slightly, knowing she’s home. I leap out of my car and jump onto her front porch.
I knock, then try the handle, bolting inside when I find her door unlocked.
“Alexi? Baby?”
She lifts her head from the couch cushion. Panic slams into me when I see her tear-streaked face.
“What’s happened?” I ask, already reaching to gather her into my arms.
My hands smooth up and down her back, and I rock her in my lap as she cries. I feel so inadequate at comforting her, and I hate it.
“What happened?” I ask again.
She takes a shuddering breath. “We all got laid off today. The paper is folding. It’s silly. I’ve known this was coming for months, but it still hit me hard today.”
“It’s not silly. This was your job, your passion. Of course, it’s hard.”
“What am I going to do now?” she whispers. “I have some savings, but not much. I’ll burn through that fast.”
“You can find another job,” I promise.
She shakes her head. “Not here in Wolf Valley. Not as a journalist.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
She sniffles, and my heart breaks for her.
“I need to find a new job as soon as possible. I don’t want to lose this place.”
“I can pay your mortgage. I can help out.”
“No,” she says stubbornly.
I curse under my breath. “I want to, Alexi.”
“I’m not taking your money,” she says firmly.
I squeeze her hips. “What if it was our money?”
She frowns. “What does that mean?”
“Marry me.”
“Are you insane?” she shouts, jumping up off my lap.
“No.”
“We can’t get married! We’ve known each other for like five minutes!”
“It’s been closer to a week,” I correct.
She glares at me. “A week! You say that like it’s better!”
“It’s enough time for me to know that you’re it for me. I love you, Alexi. I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. I never believed in love at first sight. Not until it happened to me.”
She’s breathing harder now, her eyes indecisive. I know she wants to believe me, but she thinks she shouldn’t. I can’t have that, so I stand, closing the distance between us.
“I love you, baby. More than anything. I want to help you. I want to support you in everything: finding a new job, paying the bills, in sickness and in health. I want to be with you for all of it. I want you to lean on me, and I want to lean on you. I want a life with you.”
Tears swim in her dark blue eyes as I lean down, pressing our foreheads together.
“Let me be there for you. I want to give you whatever you need. Comfort, support, money. All of it.”
“I don’t want you to just give me money,” she says.
I huff out a laugh. “I don’t care about the money. I have more than enough. Take all of it.”
“Hugh—”
“I love you, baby.”
“You’re crazy.”
I grin. “Crazy about you.”
“Oh my god,” she groans.
“I want to be with you. Only ever you. I know it seems fast, but I can feel in my fucking bones that it’s right. This thing between us, this love, it’s so rare. And it’s real. You know it is.”
She stares up at me.
I kiss her forehead, breathing in her sweet scent. “Please, tell me you want all of that too.”
“Of course I do,” she whispers.
I swear to God my heart swells close to bursting in my chest. “Then marry me.”
“Crazy,” she whispers.
“I’m not. I can do a psych evaluation to prove it if you want me to.”
“So, we’re just going to get married? What about your parents?”
“What about them?”
“They won’t be happy,” she warns.
I shrug. “I don’t care about that. I care about your happiness and mine.”
“Where will we live?”
“Here or at my place. Or we can buy a different house if you want.”
“I—”
“We’ll figure it out, Alexi. Together.”
“Together,” she says quietly. She takes a deep breath. “I like the sound of that.”
“Good.” I pull her flush against me.
“And I love you too.”
“Great.”
She laughs.
I lean in, kissing her hard. She opens for me instantly, as greedy for my taste as I am for hers. The tip of her tongue flicks against mine, and my hold on her tightens.
I can feel her stiff nipples through our clothes, and my cock reacts, hardening between us. Alexi squirms against my length, and I bite back a curse. I lick into her mouth, coaxing her tongue to tangle with mine.
“Fuck, I’ve missed kissing you,” I growl against her mouth.
She snorts. “You kissed me this morning. It’s only been nine hours.”
“I know. Too long.”
She laughs softly.
I kiss her again. “Everything is going to be perfect. Just you wait and see,” I promise against her lips.
She smiles. “I think it already is.”
As she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me, I realize that she’s right.