Chapter 43: Chapter 43

LEXI

Lexi’s BMW drove so smoothly it was like cruising on Aladdin’s magic carpet or floating on a light, fluffy cloud. She could barely hear the sound of the engine as she headed to work.

Today’s ensemble was definitely one for the record books: high-waisted, light-washed jeans, tan, chiffon long-sleeve Dior top, and Dolce & Gabbana leopard heels. Lexi made a mental note to send Reece a gift basket for picking out clothes that fit her so well.

“Wow, Lexi, you look amazing,” Marcus said, opening the door to the clinic. “I’m so glad you came. I thought you might skip out on work today, considering you’re a billionaire’s girlfriend and all. Famous people don’t work nine to five jobs.”

Lexi wished he wouldn’t joke about the headlines first thing in the damn morning.

She’d already told Daniel about the emails requesting interviews, and he was very clear that they should stay away from all that. She hadn’t been checking much of anything online, but she promised him she wouldn’t be one of those people who responded to every comment.

Lexi had her own problems anyway…like her birth mother showing up out of the blue.

~I can’t believe she found me now, of all times. Now, when my life is finally okay. Now, when I have someone to lose. Someone I love. Someone who loves me back. Unlike her and whoever my birth father is. ~

~She’s obviously here to ruin my life, and I won’t give her the satisfaction of fucking me over a second time. ~

Between phone calls, emails, patients, and appointments, the day whooshed by all too quickly. By 5 p.m., Lexi’s head was spinning, so when she exited the clinic with her purse in hand, she took a big breath of the fresh air.

She was looking forward to dinner with Daniel. It’d been only eight hours since she saw him last, but she missed him so much already.

~I’m so cliché, but I don’t care. I’m officially obsessed with my boyfriend, and I wish to be by his side all the time.~

As soon as Lexi reached the parking lot, she heard, “Hey beautiful.” Daniel was standing a few feet away, and his Tom Ford cologne hit her nostrils in a way they’d never been hit before. The smell was captivating and inviting... A bit of drool escaped her lips.

~I’m becoming more and more aware of him. His smell, his taste…and the intense hard-for-you way he looks at me.~

Daniel was dressed in a white T-shirt, white jeans, Burberry sneakers, and a Burberry scarf. ~Where’s the paparazzi when you need them?~ He scooped Lexi up in his arms, and she melted.

“How was your first official day as a non-volunteer?” he asked, nuzzling her hair.

“So-so,” Lexi answered softly. She wanted to say, “~When will my day at work away from you ever be a good day? Huh?~” But she guessed that would make her sound too obsessed, so she decided against it.

Daniel gave Lexi feather-light kisses on her neck, and she adjusted herself to give him more access. ~Is it normal to want to have sex with your boyfriend every day? And am I a slut if I tell him that?~

Before Lexi’s over-sensitive emotions could get the better of her, Daniel purred into her ear. “I have a surprise for you,” he said in that voice that made her wet.

Reluctantly, Lexi shifted so she could see his face. He was clearly excited.

“What is it?”

“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise.” Daniel kissed her quickly—too quickly.

~I want more, dammit.~

Her immediate frown made him chuckle. “C’mon, there’ll be plenty of time for that.” He pinched her cheeks lightly.

“Sweetheart,” ~that woman’s~ voice suddenly said behind Lexi, and a cold chill ran up her spine.

She hadn’t had a chance to tell Daniel about her mother’s visit yesterday. Now here she was outside her job.

Ignoring the woman’s attempts to get her attention, Lexi pulled Daniel away. As they walked to her car, he asked, “Who’s that?”

“How should I know? I’m sure crazy people walk up to you all the time.” Lexi hated herself for lying, but it wasn’t the right time to tell him. She would die if he asked to be introduced to her and the paparazzi rushed out to take pictures of her dysfunctional family.

She would say anything to get him away from that awful woman.

~Why the hell won’t she just leave me alone? I’m finally happy, and her reappearance could ruin everything.~

Lexi changed the subject. “I’m ready for my surprise. Will you drive? I’m a little tired.”

Daniel nodded and accepted the keys from her. After she climbed into the car, he strapped her seatbelt on for her.

As they left the parking lot, Lexi couldn’t help but glance in the sideview mirror. That woman was just standing there, staring at their vehicle.

Lexi remembered the last time she stared at her like that—it was right after one of her highs wore off. Her mother looked at her as if she felt sorry for everything, and as a child too eager to be loved, Lexi believed her unspoken apology. Little did she know that her childhood would only get worse. Little did she know her mother would leave her in that dirty house alone…to starve…~to die…~

Daniel reached over and squeezed Lexi’s thigh. “Stop it, Draya.”

She blinked at him and immediately felt the wetness on her cheeks. ~Shit.~ ~When did I start crying?~

With a confused look, he wiped her tears gently. “Stop thinking so much; I can feel you slipping away. I told you not to worry about the media or Camille’s bullshit. She’s just trying to get under our skin. As childhood friends, I know ignoring her is the best thing to do.”

“Sorry,” Lexi apologized, though she doesn’t know why. Maybe it was guilt for lying earlier or guilt for not correcting him about the reason for her breakdown.

~The last thing I need is him questioning me about my thoughts and trying to get inside my head. My head isn’t a safe place right now… I don’t want to talk about this yet. I will, just…not now. I’m not ready.~

As they came to a stop at a red light, Daniel asked, “So, are you going to tell me what you’re thinking about?”

~Crap!~

Lexi stayed silent for a whole minute, waiting for the light to change again.

~What do I say to him?~ ~Oh, hey babe, my bitch of a birth mother came back and wants to talk to me. By the way, I wish it was her who was stuck in that house, who starved and suffered. I wish I never had to see her face again.~

There was just too much to say right now. Too much Lexi wanted to tell him. At the same time, a part of her still didn’t want him to know she was so…~damaged~.

There were about three ways their conversation could’ve gone, but nothing could’ve prepared Lexi for the words that came out of her own mouth next. “Do you miss her?”

Daniel frowned. “Miss who?”

Lexi was afraid to elaborate; his mother was a touchy topic for him as well. Sure, she wasn’t a bitch or a druggy, but she still left him permanently. It wasn’t her choice to die, but she did. And he hadn’t cared for anyone ever since…until recently.

~Maybe if he’s comfortable confiding in me about his feelings about something so sensitive, I’ll feel better about saying what needs to be said as well.~

“Your mom,” Lexi whispered.

Daniel removed his hand from her thigh.

~Noooo! Don’t get mad, please.~

“Why are you asking me about my mom when you never talk about your own family?” he snapped.

~Woah, where did that come from?~

“I-I don’t have a family, you know that. Just Reece.”

He didn’t look at her or say anything further.

~Why can’t I keep my big mouth shut? We are on our way to a date, a surprise he planned for us, and here I am ruining our night before it even starts.~

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Lexi said, hoping to calm Daniel down. “I should know you don’t want to talk about your mom. Let’s just forget I said anything.”

Weirdly, she felt a little better now about keeping her own buried feelings in a box. ~I can’t force him to talk about it if he doesn’t want to, and he can’t force me either.~

Daniel interrupted her mental victory lap. “I’m not the one having problems talking about my past, Lexi.”

~Since when does he call me ‘Lexi’?~

“You keep your old life hidden from me,” he continued. “My past has never been a secret. I was a teenager when my mom passed away, and I remember her frequent hospital visits, the chemo, the surgeries, the turning points, the epic medical failures. I also remember her laugh and her beautiful gray eyes, the way she was always telling me to be brave and trust my instincts. I remember a lot.

“It’s not painful for me to talk about her anymore, so I’ll tell you everything and anything you want to know. Hopefully one day you will trust me enough to tell me the answers to everything and anything I ask too.”

Just when Lexi thought she’d be exempt from explaining anything today.

“Why don’t you just do a background check on me? Didn’t you do one before?” she asked, hoping she wouldn’t have to tell him every embarrassing detail.

“Standard check, yes, when you agreed to go to the fundraiser with me. But nothing too deep. Besides, I want to know more about you from ~you~. When you are ready, you will tell me.”

Daniel sped up past a few cars, and Lexi saw that they’d entered a residential neighborhood. Massive mansions hidden behind lush green hedges caught her eye as they slowed down.

~Whose house are we visiting? Josh’s?~

Lexi looked over at the man she loved. Daniel’s eyes were fixed on the road ahead, and she wanted nothing more than to ease his worry. To tell him everything, despite the fact that it made her uncomfortable. Despite the fact that she hoped their first little conversation about her past was enough.

~What if the paparazzi finds out?~ she wondered. ~What if it ruins his career and reputation? They are already displeased about him dating someone outside of his social class. Someone who isn’t pretty or sexy like the other girls, who isn’t from a prominent family, who would most likely be stuck paying student loans with an average credit score for the next ten years.~

~What if my mother’s reappearance is a dealbreaker? His business partners already expressed their dislike for me. What if they ask him to choose? Could I blame him for resetting his life and walking away from me?~

Lexi couldn’t handle it. She just couldn’t. Not when they’d come this far. Not when she loved him so much.

~Whoever said to let someone go if you love them has probably never felt the way I do. Just the thought of not being with him breaks me in ways I can never recover from. An actual breakup would kill me, literally. And I’m too young to die.~

Daniel drove up to a metal gate and stopped abruptly. He reached out a hand to punch a code into a keypad. Seconds later, the gate opened, and they entered the property.

Lexi’s eyes widened at the beauty of it. Palm trees swayed on either side of the path to the house, and there was a neatly trimmed lawn with grass so green it couldn’t be real. Flowers of almost every kind were arrayed in a formation that could top Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

The house looked about two stories high, but the width of it screamed luxury. There was a three-car on one end, two double doors in the middle, balconies with glass railings, floor-to-ceiling windows and window trim with gold finishings, pristine white paint on the outdoor walls… ~Whose house is this?~

Daniel parked and exited the vehicle, walking around to open Lexi’s door. Her mouth was still open as she looked around, admiring the place.

To regain her attention, he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Lexi froze from the sudden invasion. It took a few seconds for her to remember what to do—and then she was kissing Daniel back.

~He tastes like…like… There’s no damn word for it, okay?~

Lexi let Daniel devour her, giving up control as he led her through the emotional kiss. The wetness she’d felt before returned, and her heart was beating so loud and fast, she was sure he could hear it.

Daniel’s fingers tangled in Lexi’s hair as he held her against his hard body, so close there was no space left between them. The slight pull made her thump and strain in a region only he had claimed.

~Daniel brings me a sense of comfort I’ve never felt anywhere else.~

He kissed her for so long that if he touched her nipples through the fabric of her top, she would surely shatter to pieces.

Lexi didn’t realize she was moaning into his mouth until Daniel returned her lustful sounds. Her hands grabbed him everywhere: his hair, chest, back, crotch. She wanted to get on her knees, pull his pants down, and push her face into his boxers. Her subconscious screamed at her to do it.

Then Daniel pulled back. He looked into Lexi’s eyes and said something she thought he would never say.

“Welcome home, Draya.”

His words settled in her heart, and for the first time, the use of that name didn’t bother her. It felt like hers now.