30. Alex
CHAPTER THIRTY
alex
“Where are we headed?” Chelsi asks, sitting in the passenger seat of my pickup truck, looking like absolute perfection. She’s wearing cutoff jean shorts, a dark burgundy T-shirt, and sandals. Her lips are painted the perfect shade of scarlet, begging to be kissed.
God, I can’t wait to kiss her. It’s taken all my strength to stop myself from saying “screw it” and crashing my lips to hers this past weekend, or when I surprised her before her first day of work. But I want to do this right. Take my time. Show her she’s worth waiting for.
I want everything to be flawless. She deserves the best first date in the world, and I’ve obsessed over every little detail. Pulling every string I could to make this evening unforgettable.
“You’ll have to wait and see,” I tease, keeping my eyes locked on the road. I know one glance at her will distract me even more than I already am.
When I was deciding where to take her, I could’ve gone with an obvious choice, like dinner at one of the bougie restaurants in downtown Nashville.
But that’s not my style. I want her to see the real me.
If this thing between us is going to move forward, she needs to know the parts of me I hide from the rest of the world.
After turning left, my truck bounces down the gravel road, hitting one pothole after another.
“You’re not planning to take me out into the country and murder me, right?” Chelsi teases, further demonstrating her fascination with true crime podcasts.
“I’d never let anything happen to you,” I reply seriously, needing her to know she’s completely safe with me. I’d do anything to protect her. Always.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch her cross her long legs and immediately start imagining what it would be like to have them wrapped around my waist. Her back pressed against a wall. My bare chest brushing her pebbled nipples.
Get a hold of yourself.
When I grip the steering wheel tighter, I hear a muffled laugh come from Chelsi’s direction. That woman knows exactly what she’s doing. Trying to spin me up on purpose.
“Does this mean you’re taking me somewhere private to have your way with me? I’d be on board, jumping from first base straight to home if you are.”
Goddammit.
This woman is going to kill me. Is it possible to die from having an erection that lasts all night? My rock-hard cock isn’t going to calm down anytime soon if she keeps this up.
My dick strains against my jeans, desperately craving the friction I refuse to give it until I’m home alone and can fuck my hand as I fantasize about the gorgeous woman next to me.
After I’ve put the truck into park, I turn to look at Chelsi.
“If you’re a good girl, you might get a good-night kiss.
But that’s as far as things are going to go between us tonight.
I plan on taking my time with you. Wooing you until you can’t imagine life without me. Only then will I take you to my bed.”
Her eyes glaze over as she softly pants. “You’re not like anyone else I’ve ever been with.”
“I know. Based on what you’ve shared about your past relationships, none of those tools knew how to treat a lady. Didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you, let alone date you. It’s about time you experienced what it’s like to be worshipped.”
She closes her eyes as the back of my hand caresses her cheek and down her jawline. A small whimper escapes her mouth, one I don’t think she could control.
Breaking our connection, I open my door and walk around the truck to help her out.
She places her hand in mine, and it’s like an electric spark ignites between us.
Her eyes meet my gaze with mutual hunger.
There’s no hiding how we feel about each other, no matter how much I might want to play it cautious.
“Why are we in the middle of a field, Alex?” she asks, slightly breathless.
“Turn around,” I whisper, gently guiding her in the opposite direction.
She gasps, and I know without a doubt there’s a huge smile on her face. “You took me to a drive-in? I haven’t been to one of these in years.”
With our fingers laced together, I stand next to her, staring at the large movie screen and taking in the emptiness of the space.
Not another car in sight. It took a few favors to convince the owner to open up for us.
Normally, the drive-in is only open on Friday and Saturday evenings, with an occasional Thursday show.
But none of those days work with my tour schedule.
That’s why I moved heaven and earth to make this happen.
It’s not anything extravagant, but it’s exactly where I’d take her if my job allowed me the freedom of going out on the weekends.
The only difference is that we get extra privacy. The ability to cuddle in the back of my truck and eat the numerous snacks I packed for us without being distracted by other guests. Just me and her.
The definition of a perfect evening in my book.
“Let me get things set up for us.” I squeeze her hand and walk toward the back of the truck.
“Do you need any help?” Chelsi asks, glancing at me with joy and awe on her face.
I shake my head. “Not tonight. I have everything handled.”
For the next few minutes, I busy myself, pulling out the blankets and pillows from the backseat, arranging them in the truck bed, hoping I brought enough to make the next few hours comfortable. Then, I take out the assortment of snacks I purchased, all her favorite ones, according to Kate.
At first, I was surprised when Chelsi wanted to keep things between us quiet the first night on tour, avoiding telling Kate and Jake.
It didn’t take long to understand why when Chelsi finally spilled the beans to Kate the next morning.
Jake and Kate accosted me almost immediately after hearing the news, reiterating how excited they were for us while also threatening physical violence if I hurt Chelsi.
When I texted Kate for snack ideas, she sent me more than a dozen follow-up texts with suggestions, wanting her best friend to have the most magical night. Kate’s reaction further proved what I already assumed… Chelsi’s never had a man go above and beyond for her.
I’m hoping to be the first and the last if she’ll let me.
An older gentleman with white hair waves at me from the concession stand, and I give him a nod.
He heads inside the building for a second, quickly returning with a white bag and heading in our direction.
I contemplated a lot of different options for what we could eat.
Thought about grabbing her favorite pasta from a local restaurant.
Considered cooking for her. But I ultimately decided to go with the classic drive-in food—hot dogs and nachos.
“Thanks again for doing this for me,” I say, shaking the owner’s hand.
He smiles. “Must be one hell of a woman if you’re going through all this trouble.”
I glance in her direction as she snaps photos of the truck setup. “She’s one-of-a-kind.”
“I’ll give you about twenty minutes, then I’ll start the movie. Have a good night,” he replies before walking back to the concession stand.
Chelsi’s legs dangle off the edge of the tailgate, her hands gripping the edge with a jubilant smile on her face.
Her eyes brighten when she sees me. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking.
I’m overanalyzing her every word and all her body language, looking for any clue that she feels the same cosmic pull toward me that I have for her.
Praying it’s not one-sided, and I haven’t opened up my heart for the first time in almost twenty years just to have it broken.
“For a man who doesn’t date often, you sure know how to pull out all the stops.” Chelsi holds her hand out for mine.
Taking a step toward her, I intertwine our fingers and gaze at the gorgeous woman in front of me. “Haven’t wanted to date anyone for a long time. Not until you.”
“How long are we talking? A year? Maybe two?”
I clear my throat, garnering the strength to tear down another wall and let her in further. “My last date was when I was eighteen.”
Chelsi’s eyes widen as her mouth drops open. “I don’t understand. You’re… You’re thirty-eight, Alex. That means…”
“I haven’t dated anyone in almost twenty years,” I croak as my chest tightens, wondering what she’ll think of my past. Whether she’ll understand why I’ve made certain decisions once she knows everything.
“Does that mean you haven’t had sex in twenty years? Is that why you don’t want to sleep with me?”
“Oh, Chelsi,” I murmur, dropping my forehead to hers.
“I’m desperate to take you home and do extremely wicked things to you all night long.
Find out what it takes to make you come.
Hear you moan my name. Taste every inch of you.
Bury my cock deep inside you. Show you what it’s like to be fucked by a real man.
Because every guy in the past was a goddamn boy if they were stupid enough to give you up. ”
Her breath hitches as she tightens her grip on my hands.
“Me wanting to take things slow with you physically has nothing to do with how much I want you. I’ve been hard since you got into the truck.”
Her brow crinkles. “Is that so?” She lets go of my hands, hooking her fingers into my belt loops and pulling me between her legs. “Does that mean if I were to touch you…”
“Holy fuck, Chelsi,” I groan. “If your hands go anywhere near my cock, I’m going to come in my pants, and that would ruin the perfectly good date I have planned for us.”
Chelsi chuckles as her fingers dance dangerously close to where my cock strains against my zipper.
“We wouldn’t want that to happen. At least, not yet,” she says with a smirk.
“While I’m glad to know that I’m driving you insane with desire, you didn’t answer my question. When was the last time you had sex?”
I drag a hand down my face, expelling all of the air from my lungs. “It’s been a while…”
Her hands go to my chest as she stares up at me. “You can tell me.”
“I haven’t slept with anyone for almost five years.
I’ve been with a handful of women, and they were all one-night stands.
I hated myself afterward and decided never to be in that position again.
” My face softens, ready to let down another wall for her—only for her.
“No one has made me want until you. Ever since I first saw you standing backstage over a year ago, I’ve been smitten.
I never thought I’d get the opportunity to talk to you.
Let alone take you on a date. I didn’t want any of those things in my life until you.
You’ve captured a piece of my soul, Chelsi, and I don’t ever want to let you go. ”
Chelsi covers her eyes with both hands, letting out a small chuckle before looking at me again. “Damn, you’re good at wooing. You should teach lessons, starting with Jimmy.”
“Ugh. Please don’t mention fucking Jimmy when we’re on what I hope is a romantic date.”
She cups my face with both hands, gazing into my eyes with what feels like a sense of longing. “It’s the most romantic date of my life…because I’m here with you.” She pauses, chewing on the corner of her lip before breaking into a smile. “Now, I was promised dinner and a movie.”
With perfect timing, the screen lights up and casts a glow on Chelsi’s face, making her even more beautiful than I thought was possible. This scene will be embedded in my mind forever, no matter what happens between us.
I’ll always remember the perfect night I got to spend with the most amazing woman in the world.