Page 17 of Midnight Wishes

More of him, those legs, the artwork covering his skin? It was a resounding yes to all, and she hated herself for it.

A snort had her eyes snapping back up. Her flush was getting warmer.

‘More what?’ Sarah snarled, still taking care to keep her voice quiet. For once, she was glad that the world ceased to exist to Abby when Erik re-entered her orbit.

‘Coffee. Though I’m sure I’m on board with whatever thoughts you were having about my thighs.’

Sure enough, his large hand was already wrapped around the handle of her mug. ‘Yes to the coffee.’

‘And the rest?’

‘In your dreams, Aleksander,’ she crooned.

Alex’s fingers lightly trailed her lower back as he stood to pass her, bringing back memories of the last time his hands had pressed there. She had to suppress a shiver.

‘Trust me, Princess. In my dreams, you’re always in close proximity to my legs.’

Chapter 9

ALEX

I Can See You | Taylor Swift

If she keptputting Sarah within touching distance of him, Abby was quickly going to become Alex’s favourite person.

He’d been good through breakfast the day before, keeping his flirting to a minimum from the moment Abby and Erik had joined them at the table. He’d even put a shirt on before they ate. Although, just once, he had nudged her knee. Quickly enough to smile it away as an accident. She hadn’t bought it. Naturally.

And now she was glaring at him over a table covered in wedding invites and envelopes he had somehow been roped into addressing.

But when she wasn’t directing her annoyance in his direction, she was…happy. Laughing at a joke Erik made, smiling while she made a round of coffee, teasing Zoe—a petite woman with short black hair whom he vaguely recognised from the engagement party—over what sounded like an antagonistic relationship with a co-worker.

And if he’d thought she was attractive when her lips were pursed and her eyes narrowed, it was nothing to how she looked with her mouth flung wide, her face flushed with joy.

It was, by all measures, a thoroughly pleasant evening. The kind of quiet fun Alex hadn’t had nearly enough of in recent years. His friends weren’t exactly the drinks in and board games sort. Or even the corner pub for a pint sort—which was apparently where they were headed to celebrate finishing the invitations.

As they sat nestled in a corner booth, he could envision himself making a home in the small group, the way his brother clearly had. Erik had invited him out with them a few times, but an excuse had always been too near at hand. A surplus of work or a friend’s art show or a need to visit the gym—even he admitted the last was flimsy—or anything else he could think of to avoid the absolutely exhausting exercise of simultaneously being the person the world wanted him to be, without making the two people who’d known him most of his life privy to too much of his bullshit.

But this was…fun. Feeling like he was part of something more substantial than a mess of flashing strobe lights and an aggressively loud beat.

Two whiskeys under the table, he was buzzed enough to find the balance, inserting himself into the conversation more. Making Sarah roll her eyes more. Her pretty, pretty eyes.

When she realised he craved those eyes on him enough to seek her attention no matter the reason, he was screwed.

And they landed on him again in a small, dim passage when she was entering the bathrooms as he left.

‘You know, when I suggested a repeat, I didn’t mean the circumstances had to be identical. But I’m good with this,’ he said, stepping towards her.

‘I thought you were getting another round of drinks,’ Sarah snapped.

‘Did you?’ Alex cocked his head to the side.

‘What are you doing here, Aleksander?’

He was tempted to draw attention to where they were. Instead, for once, he decided not to mess with her. ‘I’m enjoying drinks out with friends. Is that allowed?’

‘We’re not friends.’

‘You hating yourself for wanting to fuck me doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.’

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