Page 86 of Between Never and Forever

“You know you can’t just go dark when you’re trying to work through something. You’re supposed to share it with the people you’re in a relationship…” My voice faded as I realized what I was saying.

Dex didn’t back away from my statement though. Instead, he smiled at me. “Is that what we’re in now, Kee?”

“Whatever. You know what I mean.” I sighed and crossed my arms as I leaned on the counter to stare up at him. “And we don’t need to go on dates, but it helps our brand to—”

“You think I need to drive my brand up?” Now he chuckled.

“What?” I knew he thought my reasoning was silly and so I turned to rearrange the flowers again. “It always helps.”

“My brand drives itself at this point.” I heard him approach me from behind. Then he moved his mouth near my ear as his hands went to the sides of the counter to cage me in. I felt his length against me as he growled, “The only reason I need to take you on a date is so I can make up for the years I haven’t.”

“Wooing me all of a sudden, Dex?” I couldn’t help but antagonize him now that I had him there.

“Or I’m showing you what you’ve missed.” His mouth skimmed along my neck, and his teeth grazed my skin. “I’ve missed you too. I’ve been warring with myself over how to stop what I’m feeling, but I’m finding I can’t. I can’t have another man touch you. I can’t have his lips on you. I can’t even think about it. I want to kill Ezekiel, Kee. I just might.”

I glanced at the roses. “Enough men have tried to touch me over the years, Dex. It comes with the t—”

“They won’t again,” he ground out.

I shrugged. “For now. But we’ll be apart soon enough, and then someone else will try to woo me again or—”

He hummed. “Should I take you on a date to show all the men who’ve sent you flowers that I should be the only one doing so from now on?”

I turned to see his eyes locked on one of the notes that Ethan had left.

For my girl who’s shined bright with me for years. I know you’ll shine even brighter now.

“None of them wooed me, Dex.”

His hand left the counter to touch one of the flowers. “Do you like peonies, Kee?”

“I like all flowers…except roses.”

“Why?”

“Because Mitchell, Frankie, and Ezekiel send me roses every time. It also seems to be the one flower random men find perfect for—”

He didn’t let me finish. He pushed away from me and rounded the counter as he started grabbing bouquets of roses from their vases. He threw some in the trash. Piles of them. And then he moved to the garbage disposal. He flicked on the switch, and then bouquet after bouquet went down it. When he was done, his phone rang, and he stared at his HEAT watch before silencing it. Then mine went off.

“It’s your record label,” he announced before I could look.

“I should answer,” I said quietly, but before I even took a step in the direction of my phone, he was around the counter and grabbed my hand.

“They’ll wait.” He pulled me toward the door.

“They won’t, Dex.” I wiggled my fingers in his. “Where are we going?”

“You didn’t finish the concert. You didn’t sing me my song. I get that before anything else.”

“Your song?”

“I’ve been alerted that the theater is cleared out.” He held up his wrist to show that his watch obviously gave him security updates. And then his hand grazed over my jaw. “You know, the song you rehearsed for me. I expected it.”

“It has to be perfect, Dex.”

“You’re going on that stage to sing to me tonight.” His hand fell to the strap of my dress. “In this dress.”

“Why?” I whispered, and then I couldn’t stop myself from licking my lips as his hand came up to my jaw and his finger rubbed against my bottom lip. The tip of my tongue brushed against his thumb, and I saw how his jaw worked up and down.