Page 58 of Midnight Wishes

Heels clicked behind him, and a pair of soft, warm hands wrapped around his forearm. ‘Aleksander. People are staring. Aleksander, look at me.’ Sarah crouched beside him, the whites of her eyes showing around those beautiful whiskey-colouredirises. A teardrop lingered halfway down her cheek. ‘He’s not worth it. Let’s go.’

He allowed himself to be led down the street. They didn’t exchange another word until they were in the car.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

‘You’re bleeding.’ Sarah’s voice was hoarse.

He had felt the cut on his lip almost instantly, but only noticed the cracks on his knuckles when he stretched his hand around the steering wheel.

‘I’m fine. Are. You. Okay? I’m not driving until you answer me.’ And if that answer wasn’t a resounding fucking yes, he was going to head right back and do something that might actually end that weasel.

‘He didn’t hurt me,’ Sarah said. ‘He was just being a dick.’ Cold trickled down Alex’s spine when she continued, ‘He’s covering the show forArTime. He said he’d been watching me for the last hour, while you introduced me to important people. Then he saw us kiss, and he— He asked if I’m fucking you to make connections.’ If nothing else, her tone suggested she was coming back to herself, as did her harsh laugh. ‘But he knew exactly where to aim his blows. There were times he suggested I was doing the same with him.’

Alex tightened his hand again, letting the pain chase his anger. ‘It is averygood thing you didn’t tell me that an hour ago.’

‘Just take me home, Aleksander.’

God, he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. ‘Yeah. Abby and Erik are staying there tonight, so you won’t be alone.’

They were staying there because he’d asked them to. Because he’d been anticipating taking Sarah back to his house after a magical evening. Maybe convincing her to talk in front of the fire until they figured out what the hell they were.

‘No,’ she said softly, facing out the window again. ‘Your place. You were defending me. The least I can do is patch you up.’

Thirty minutes later,Sarah stood between Alex’s legs in his kitchen, antiseptic-coated cotton ball in hand. Celine lay on the floor next to him, her head resting on his feet. It was a twisted form of what he’d been desperate for, but he was pathetic enough to be intoxicated by Sarah’s nearness anyway.

He winced when she swiped the ball over his skin.

‘I don’t like violence. And I don’t want you getting hurt for me.’ Her eyes were laser-focused on his hand as she unrolled a bandage over his knuckles.

‘He was asking for it,’ Alex said, with less bite than he’d expected. ‘He called you a—’

‘I know. It’s not like it was the first time.’

Fire licked under every inch of Alex’s skin. ‘I can’t believe that scrawny piece of shit thought he could do better than you.’

‘I mean, the woman modelled for Agent Provocateur. I think most people would say he traded up.’ A wry half smile bloomed as she looked up at him. And quickly faded when she saw his deeply unimpressed face.

‘You know her name?’

Sarah nodded.

‘Show me.’

Brows furrowed, she pulled out her phone and handed it to him after a few taps on the screen. The model’s Instagram was pulled up, and as he’d expected, she had nothing on the woman in front of him. A sample-sized, evenly proportioned body and a pretty face, sure, but generically so.

Alex snorted. ‘Idiot.’

Pausing in her repacking of his first aid kit, Sarah stiffened. ‘I realiseI’mnot exactly a lingerie model, but I haven’t heard any complaints about my body while you’ve been merrily fucking—’

Shooting out his hand, Alex stopped her as she tried to put distance between them. ‘Not you. Him. She doesn’t hold a candle to you.’

That little dent reappeared between her eyebrows.

‘You really have no idea, do you? You act so confident, but you don’t actually see it. You arespectacular.’ He pulled her even closer, sliding his hand around her waist while he buried his face in her neck, letting his hiding spot give him the bravery he needed to open up to her. ‘You are so beautiful. Your body is incredible. Do you want details? I can give you details. Maybe next time we break out the handcuffs, I’ll restrainyouand make you listen while I tell you how much I like every. Single. Part of you.’

Sarah’s whisperedfuckbarely broke through his consciousness as his words flowed freely. Beyond his control.

‘For now I’ll say that I love how fucking soft you are. So soft on the outside, but strong inside. But even with all that toughness, you’re thoughtful. Caring. Every time Abby’s asked for wedding stuff, you’ve dropped whatever you have going on to help. She’s told me other things too. How you’ve been there for her overthe years, even when she wasn’t in a place to be a good friend to you. And you’refunny. I laugh a lot. It’s part of the image. But you…you make me laugh in a way I didn’t know I could anymore. And don’t get me started on how insanely talented you are.’ He let a moment pass, indulging in the flutter of her pulse against his skin, and now hewasready to kill her scumbag ex for allowing her to spend even one second feeling anything less than extraordinary. ‘Drunk confession?’

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