Like, uber famous.
Like, I’m going to pee my pants when and if Liam Page talks to me.
Like, holy shiiiiit, my heart is beating so fast I feel faint.
Alex parks and the valet helps me out of his truck. The stern look on Alex’s face sends a clear message and the young man whose job it is to help ducks his head and mutters an apology.
“That’s mean,” I tell Alex.
“It’s just—”
I cut him off with a shake of my head. “Go tell that guy you’re sorry. He has a job to do, and he doesn’t need meatheads like you bullying him.”
Alex’s mouth drops open and my eyebrow raises. “Feisty. I like it?” He kisses my forehead and then saunters over to the kid at the stand. Next thing I know, they’re posing for selfies and Alex is signing something.
He motions for me to follow him into the lobby. “Meathead, huh?”
I shrug. “I read it in the story I made an offer on.”
“Have you heard anything back?”
“It’s a lot of back and forth between me, the agent, Kit, and Jonathan. They want more money, which is understandable, but with that comes a lot of responsibility. On both sides.”
We approach a large, semi-round desk. Alex reaches over the counter and shakes the man’s hand. “Hey, Bernard. We’re heading up to the Westbury’s. This is Kelsey Sloane.”
This man doesn’t look like a Bernard. To me, that name says kind, caring, and the statue of a man behind the desk looks anything but. His penetrating gaze speaks volumes. He isn’t someone you mess with, and you definitely don’t mess with the tenants in the building.
“Ms. Sloane.” Bernard’s voice is a deep booming baritone of sound. I feel like I’m being scolded. I swallow hard and nod. “Look here.” He points to the camera sitting next to the monitor.
“Do I need to smile?”
“Only if you want to.”
I smile or at least I think I do. Bernard doesn’t exactly give me a countdown, and I’m nervous. He hands Alex a slip of paper and then goes back to working on his computer. I reach for Alex’s hand while we wait for the elevator. But even his touch isn’t enough to calm the jitters.
“Stop fidgeting.” That’s easy for Alex to say. He’s familiar with everyone we’re about to encounter. He’s not meeting Liam Page. Maybe I’m not either, but knowing he’ll be in the room . . . like, what?
“I can’t help it.”
“Why are you nervous?”
I give him my best, “are you kidding me?” look, staring blankly at him like he should know. He shakes his head and chuckles under his breath. The elevator door opens, but instead of stepping in, he tugs on my hand to follow him.
Alex and I walk down the hallway, although I feel like I’m shuffling my feet in an attempt to keep up. He pushes me into a small alcove. It’s private and odd. Why is there a random alcove down the hallway of an apartment building?
“Take a deep breath.” Alex’s hands are on arms, near my shoulders. He squeezes the muscles there lightly. “Noah’s my teammate. I hang out with him and Peyton a lot. Although, she scares me.”
“What? Why?” I’m so confused. How can a man of his stature be scared of someone like Peyton. I’ve seen her, she looks harmless.
“She could break my career into pieces if she chose to.”
“Really?
Alex nods and his expression turns grim. “Yep. She has this uncanny ability to break down a game and expose a weakness you’re not even aware of. Coach trusts everything she says.”
“Huh.”
Alex gives me a little shake. “So, are you good?”
I shake my head. “You’ve met a lot of famous people, right?”
He shrugs. “I guess.”
“Right. You see, I haven’t met anyone famous at all. In fact, I have blinders on when it comes to celebrities. One could be standing next to me, and I’d have no idea. So, the fact that we’re about to go to a gathering and a famous rockstar is going to be there—I’m freaking out a bit.”
The realization strikes Alex instantly. His mouth drops open and then shuts. “Sorry, I forget sometimes.”
My eyes widen and I give him my best, “duh,” face. “You’re used to it. I’m not.”
“You must know famous authors?”
“Not really,” I tell him. “Most authors are recluses. They prefer to stay behind their computers. And honestly, they’re normal people. You wouldn’t know someone’s an author until you started talking to them. It’s not like Stephen King wears a banner that says ‘Hey, I wrote IT.’ Your friend group is on TV all the time.” And making sexy gyrating music videos. But I don’t say that to Alex.
“Point taken. How can I make this easier?”
“Don’t leave my side?”
“Never.” Alex’s hands drop. One rests on my waist, and the other on my thigh, near my ass. I step closer. Maybe this is what the alcove is for—secret rendezvous and whatnot. hoping the latter hand will move and touch me a bit and move my hands up his chest slowly. I love the feel of his well-defined muscles under my fingertips. I lick my lips in anticipation of us kissing.
“Kiss me,” my words come out in a whisper.
“Stop tempting me,” he says in an equally hushed sound. “When we get home. I promise.”
He said when we get home. Not back to his house or to mine. The nervousness I already feel increases tenfold. I like Alex and I can’t complain about the sex, but I’m nowhere near the level of commitment needed to call his house my home.
It’s way too early in our relationship.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asks. I hadn’t realized my expression or demeanor changed. I shake my head.
“No, not at all.”
“I did,” he says, reading me better than I expected. “It’s the home comment. I get it, but believe me when I say, we can take this as slow as you want. My time is limited because we’re in season, and there will be days when I can’t see you. When I say home, it’s either your place or mine because it’s easier than getting technical.”
Well shit.
“You’re right. You just took me off guard. I apologize.”
Alex kisses me. It’s slow, heated, and full of promise. “We won’t stay long,” he says against my lips. “Because believe me, I want to get you home.” He steps back. “Come on, let’s get upstairs.”
Cue the freakout.
Alex holds my hand and walks us back to the elevator. Someone is getting off when he goes to press the button, making our wait time even less. Inside, he pushes in a code, much like the elevator to my place.
“I think this is the best security feature. I love that my building has it,” Kelsey says as the doors close.
“Me too,” he says. “I asked Barrett about it the other day. I wanted to make sure the codes were different each time otherwise it defeats the purpose.”
I lean my head onto his shoulder. He checked up on me. I think that’s sweet.
Alex is quiet for a couple of floors and then tells me to turn around. I do and my mouth drops open. “Holy . . .” When I stepped into the elevator I didn’t realize the walls were glass until now.