Tear

Alec cursed. “He’s my brother. It’s my job to protect him. Even if it’s from himself. You don’t understand. It’s complicated.”

“And me? What about me?” I tried to wriggle away from him, but his arms braced my shoulders as he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“I’m pretty sure my only job from here on out is to show you how much I love you.”

Damn him. Leave it to Alec to say the one thing that melted all my defenses and made me want to throw my body at him like some lovesick teenager. Then again if the shoe fit…

“Alec?” My voice cracked. “Was he lying the whole time?”

Cold air met me as Alec threw back the covers and joined me in my bed. “No, Nat. He really did care about you. I think in his own twisted way he thought he was doing us a favor.”

“By being a bastard?”

“Come on, take his age into account, he’s immature.”

“He’s a year younger than you,” I pointed out. “Besides, how is him being a complete ass helping anyone?”

“It’s com—”

“I swear if you say it’s complicated one more time I’m going to throw you out the window.”

Alec laughed and nuzzled my neck. “I’d like to see you try.”

“You doubt me?”

His tongue blazed a trail down my neck. “Absolutely.”

A moan escaped my lips before I could pretend to be totally indifferent to his kisses and his touch.

Alec pulled my body against his then dipped his hands behind my head pulling it so I was resting on his shoulder staring directly at his lips.

“Now what?” I whispered, still focused on the perfect shape of his jaw as his lips broke into a smile.

“I have my way with you?”

I rolled my eyes and pushed away enough to look up at his face. “You’re so romantic. Really, you take my breath away. I almost swooned just now. Good thing I’m lying down.”

Alec chuckled and brought my hand to his lips to kiss it. “Fine, I won’t have my way with you yet… but,” he laced his fingers in between mine, “I’d really like to take you out on a date.”

I wanted to date him. I wanted to do much more than that, but what would people say? I wasn’t normally the type of girl that worried about stuff like that, but after all the media buzz around my and Demetri’s relationship I knew it would blow up in my face if Alec and I were seen out and about.

“People are going to say I’m a whore.”

“Don’t.” Alec’s grip tightened on my hand as he pulled me closer to him. “This is my fault, not yours. I should have stayed away from you.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, both of us searching the other’s eyes, willing the other person to say something, to confess that it’s been like this since our first meeting.

It wasn’t ever just a pen that he picked up off the floor.

It was so much more. And though I tried to be with the guy that Alec kept pushing me toward, my heart wouldn’t ever let go.

“Stupid pen,” I grumbled.

“Huh?”

I giggled. “Never mind. So…” I played with the hair on the back of his head, twisting it between my fingers. “About this date.”

“I’ll do anything. Just don’t stop.” Alec rested his head against my chest and groaned.

“Our date?” I reminded him.

“Uh-huh.” His hands wrapped around my body hugging me close to him as I continued to play with his hair and rub his neck. “I think I may like this better than sex.”

I froze.

“Damn, did I say that out loud?” Alec tensed above me. I burst out laughing.

“At least I know what I need to do to get you to confess to me all your dirty little secrets.”

“That’s bribery and manipulation, a federal offense…” His words trailed off as he moaned again and relaxed against me.

“You were saying,” I whispered as I wrapped my hands around the base of his neck then worked down to his broad shoulders.

“Marry me.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you only asked so you’d have a personal masseuse.”

“I have other reasons.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“Fine, but I’m asking again tomorrow,” Alec grumbled and turned his head so his ear was pressed against my chest.

His admission should have scared me. I mean, he was kidding, but I knew Alec. He didn’t really kid about stuff. He was the serious one, the brooding one, the one who made girls want to pass out when he crooned into the microphone. I shivered.

“You cold?”

Nope, just hot for you and pretty freaked out that you just joked about marrying me. “I’m good.”

“Nat.”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

Holy crap. I froze again. It felt like my heart stopped beating, but I knew I was alive because I was still breathing. He really needed to stop surprising me like that. I mean, I’m young, but a girl can only handle so much.

I took an earth-shattering breath. The type that you need before you say something that you know is going to shift the planes of your universe, the type you take when it’s inevitable that nothing in your life is ever going to be the same.