Page 12 of Dax (Big Hot Alphas 1)

I turn. My heart swells at the sight of Bailey rushing up to me. She reaches me and smiles as she catches her breath.

“Thank you for everything,” she says.

“It was nothing,” I say.

“No. You saved his life. I doubt my mom or I would have gotten him here so quickly last night.”

“I’d do a hell of a lot more for the guy. Forallof you.”

“That’s really sweet of you.”

I run a hand over my chin. Something has just occurred to me about last night. “Did they see you sneak back into the house?”

Bailey shakes her head. “No. I climbed back in through my bedroom window. And I changed into my own clothes right away. They had no idea.”

“Okay. Good.”

She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “Hey, um…about what you said last night…did you really mean that?”

I smile. “Never been more serious about anything in my life.”

Bailey’s eyes glimmer. “Youreallywant to marry me? Dax, we barely know each other.”

“No, wedoknow each other, sweetness. We just haven’t spent much time together yet. There’s a difference.”

She cocks her head to the side. “But still…”

“I’m in love with you, Bailey,” I say. “And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She draws in a quick breath. Her eyes prick with tears. Then she jumps up to wrap her arms around me and hug me tight.

“I’m in love with you, too,” she whispers into my ear.

We hold each other for a long time. I close my eyes and savor this moment. Then I ease her down to her feet and dip my head to kiss those sweet lips of hers. As we kiss, Bailey rests her hands on my chest, one hand over my pounding heart.

We pull apart and look at each other. Her cheeks are rosy, her eyes shining.

“I thought I was crazy for having feelings like this,” she says. “But it feels right, Dax. And with everything that’s happening with my dad, it makes me realize how important it is to not waste any time in life.”

“I agree, Bailey.”

“I want my parents to know about us, though,” she says.

I can’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” she says, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Nothing. I was just going to tell you the same thing. I don’t want to hide this from them, either.”

She smiles. “Okay. Good. I don’t think I should tell my dad quite yet, though, given his state…but…soon. I’m going to stay up here for a while, by the way. I want to make sure my dad is okay.”

I nod. “Do you want to tell them together?”

She thinks about it for a second. “No. I should tell them on my own. I think they’ll take the news more easily if it just comes from me.”

“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

She smiles. “I do.”

---