Page 44 of The Enemy Plot

“I think I will. I’ll trade drinks for tickets.”

She laughs, and as always, the sound makes my heart soar. “That should be a hit, though I'm sure you don’t have to. Just ask, and Hayley or I can get you tickets.”

I nod. “Right, Hayley is dating your brother.”

She takes a sip of her tea. “Yup. I’m not going to lie, it was a little weird at first, but they seem happy together. Who am I to stand in the way of true love?”

I chuckle. “Still in search of Prince Charming?”

She sighs. “I’ve been taking a break since that New York Shark incident, but I’m not giving up.”

Her response instantly relaxes me. Alice not looking for Prince Charming is exactly where I want her to be.

“What about you?” she asks, cocking her head to the side.

“Oh, I’ve never been big on dating.”

“Not even with Nat?” Alice keeps her eyes on her tea. “The girl we met at the supermarket?”

I furrow my eyebrows, surprised that she caught onto that. “Yeah, briefly. My grandma set me up with her, which is true for the few girlfriends I’ve had.”

“I do love a matchmaking grandma,” she jokes, her eyes sparkling.

I scratch my temple. “Yeah. If she were here, she’d totally set the two of us up.”

“Really?” Alice says in a near whisper, and suddenly, the temperature seems to reach a boiling point.

“Are you kidding? You’re everything she would have liked. Funny, kindhearted, beautiful . . . We’d have had no choice but to date.” I swallow, gauging her reaction. “Not that it would have been hard to convince me.”

I turn to face her, and once again, we’re dangerously close. Her floral perfume mingles with my woodsy cologne, and from this close, I can see into the depths of those gorgeous chocolate eyes.

“Deacon,” she breathes.

“I’m going to kiss you now, Frenchie. Is that okay?”

“Oui.”

“Never been good at French, but I think it’s a positive.”

With a giggle, she places her arms around my neck, drawing me close. Our mouths touch softly, and my world tilts on its axis. Because a kiss from Alice Beaumont is like a balm that soothes your soul. With every touch, everyshiver, she makes my whole world a little better. I glide my hand along her back until I reach her neck. Parting her hair, I drop a kiss on her soft neck, and she lets out a quiet moan.

Her fingers slide up to tangle in my hair, and I strengthen my hold, eager to feel her body against me. Everything fades around us as our kiss becomes more intense, almost desperate. All my senses are honed on Alice. Her smell tormenting me, her touch burning my skin, her ragged breathing matching mine. It’s as if we’ve both been waiting for this for ages. I know I have. Actually, I never even imagined someone could make me feel this way, but being with Alice opens up a world of possibilities and dreams. Dreams I didn’t know I had. Dreams that scare me.

18

Priorities

Alice

My belly now houses a flock of butterflies that take flight every time Deacon enters my thoughts. And every time I remember that kiss. How he held me until I melted into him. The way his rugged fingers brushed against my skin, the softness of his mouth on my neck, the desperation in his eyes.

I’ve been replaying it in my head all night, and the butterflies are still swarming. Just like in the books. Only it’simpossible to really describe the feeling. It takes over your whole body and leaves you in an elated state of joy.

Once I finish packing, I go down for breakfast. Deacon and Lola are already eating at the table.

Deacon and I share a glance, but I’m not going to kiss him in front of Lola, and it seems like he’s thinking the same thing. So I just sit down, and we enjoy our breakfast together.

As soon as Lola goes upstairs to pack, I wheel around to face Deacon and sweep into his lap. I raise my head to kiss him, but the look in his eyes kills all the monarchs in my belly in one fell swoop.

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