Alex and I exit Stone Holdings to cameras being pushed into our faces and calls for us to, "Look over here."
Thomas grasps my elbow and pulls me through the paparazzi. He has the door to the SUV open and shoves me into the vehicle before I have a chance to wrap my head around what's happening. Thomas is a little rough around the edges, which is just youth and inexperience, but he is picking up on bodyguard procedures very quickly.
Alex turns in his seat and faces me. "Are you okay? I should have known the press would be waiting for us."
I frown, and my mind is racing a thousand miles an hour. "I'm fine, but what's going on?"
A cocky grin hits his face. "Kylie, you're now a very hot item. You haven't seen the press this week, and I didn't want to stress you out with it on top of everything else, but you're headline news. The sexy, brilliant female Perry Mason—at least according to one newspaper—and who am I to argue? On top of that, the press confirmed that you and I are in a relationship and living together. I'm afraid it might be like this for a while."
"Huh." I slowly shake my head. "I guess we've been lucky so far, not having to deal with the press. I didn't even think about them being interested in us."
Alex brushes the hair from my face and gazes into my eyes. "Well, they'll get bored with us and move on, but we might want to stage an outing and let them take some pictures to placate them if you're up for it."
What a strange world Alex lives in. His life is always newsworthy and a topic for conversation and judgment. No wonder he’s guarded about what information he divulges to people. Although, I suspect his unwillingness to share his dark past has less to do with being unsure of my motives and is just a fear of opening up pain he has locked away.
I slide closer, climb onto his lap, and run my fingers through his hair. "As long as it's not tonight," I whisper.
Alex wraps his arms around my waist. His lips are a hair's breath away from mine and he teases me, his hot breath warming me all the way to my core. "Not a chance, baby. Tonight, you're all mine."
"Congratulations, Kylie!"
Loud cheers hit me as soon as I walk into the kitchen. It startles me and I take a step back into Alex. His hands are on my hips, and he encourages me through the door, so he can get into the kitchen, as well.
The family room is filled with guests raising champagne glasses. Patty, her eyes beaming, and a grin on her face, walks towards us carrying two flutes of bubbly. She embraces me, and Alex leans over to kiss her cheek.
"We're so happy for you, Kylie. You were absolutely amazing," she says.
My brain goes fuzzy, and a rush of heat hits my neck and invades my cheeks. "Thanks, Patty." Once again, I'm uncomfortable with the praise.
Will, who has one arm around Leigha's waist, clears his throat. He is a younger version of Alex, but while Alex has piercing blue eyes, Will's are more blue-green. And not nearly as striking. "To Kylie, who redefines a criminal defense attorney as one sexy, smart woman, and Alex, for having the sense to snag her up before someone better took her off the market."
Patty smacks her brother on the back.
Leigha offers a "Hear, hear," and raises her glass to me. She and Will are great together. Both fun, laid-back, but I get the feeling Leigha keeps Will grounded.
"Thanks, Will. That was just...beautiful." I down the entire glass of champagne.
Alex tosses his back, as well, and gives his brother a dirty look. "Fuck off, Will."
Will lets out a howl of laughter. Leigha winks at me and shakes her head.
The breakfast table is overflowing with various appetizers. Patty has gone all out. She seems to be the mother figure for the Stone siblings. She is loving and kind and always cooking or baking, according to Alex. She has such a gentle spirit, easily upset, with a heart of pure gold. I doubt Patty has ever said a bad word against anyone.
Very unlike her mother, Francine. Patty must get her personality from Harold.
Will and Leigha supplied several bottles of champagne. Three empty bottles sit on the kitchen counter. Must've been waiting a while for our arrival. I should feel bad, but I enjoyed the quickie with Alex in his office way too much to regret the time our guests had to wait for us.
Will uncorks another bottle and immediately, and somewhat sloppily, refills my glass.
Roger, Patty's husband, slides up beside me and clinks his champagne glass against mine. "Well done, Kylie."
"Thanks, Roger."
Roger is a quiet guy who seems to be fully incorporated into the Stone family craziness but without the issues reserved for the women who date Stone men.
He leans in and whispers, "I hope you don't mind the invasion. It's sort of Patty's thing. She loves to organize get-togethers—you know, to make people feel special. She tends to go a bit overboard, but she means well."
"No, this is great. I really appreciate all the work she put into this." I smile even though I'm still a little disappointed my plans to be in bed with Alex are now on hold.
Patty joins us, and I drape my arm around her shoulder. "Thank you so much for doing this, Patty. It's fabulous. I can't believe you pulled this off so quickly. You're the one who's amazing."
She smiles broadly, but waves her hands, shooing off the compliment. "It's nothing, but I'm glad you like it. We wanted you to know how much you mean to us and how proud we are of you. Now, go get something to eat."
Alex slips his arms around my waist, his hands clasp in front. His spicy scent burns me when I inhale, like the sharp sting of a hot pepper. Warm and delicious, and it arouses every nerve in my body.
"I will, but I think I'll go change first. I've been dying to get out of this suit and heels all afternoon."
Alex nods, takes hold of my hand, and leads me away before anyone else can corner me. We walk into the bedroom, and Alex closes the door. I strip off my clothes, and by the time I reach the closet, my bra is on the floor, and I'm completely naked.
The closet doors latch, the lock clicks, and we now have some much-needed privacy. I turn to face him, and drape my arms around his neck as he moves his hands to my back, pulling me against his naked body. Our mouths clash as our tongues fervently fight each other for dominance. We are a mass of sexual tension and energy, moving our hands madly over skin, trying to feel every inch of each other before moving on to the next part.
Falling to the floor, we make love. Hard. Fast. Exciting. Alex places his hands at the sides of my face, and we kiss passionately as our bodies complete their climactic dance.
Finally, Alex releases my mouth as we breathe heavily. He places his forehead on mine, and we lie together, eyes closed, enjoying the last moments of our solitude.
"We are definitely picking this back up later," I say.
He lifts his head to look into my eyes, a mischievous smile crosses his face. "You're damn right we are."