CHAPTER FIVE

Payton

“What the fuck?”

I shoved at his chest again. “You heard me. I’d like to go back inside.”

“Babe, don’t play hard to get.”

I gasped. “Oh my god, Alex, I’m not playing hard to get. I really am hard to get. Let me go!”

He released me immediately and stepped back. I turned to go, but he caught my arm again. “This isn’t over Payton.”

“I beg to differ.”

He chuckled. “You call me Alex, you kiss me like that, and you look the way you do? Babe, I’m puttin’ you on notice. This isn’t fuckin’ over.”

I couldn’t stop the shiver that ran up my spine, but I squared my shoulders and pulled away from his touch. “And I’m putting you on notice, Alex James. I’m not some whore that will melt at the sight of your pretty face, or the sound of your sexy voice. I own my own mind and I don’t fold easily. I’m also unlisted and I know for a fact, there isn’t anyone in that room currently who either knows where I live, or would tell you. So good luck with your pursuits, sir, but you’re going to get nowhere pretty damn fast.”

He laughed.

Laughed!

“Fuck me, you’re hot,” he said, and pushed me against the wall again.

“What are you doing now?” I demanded, and yet, I went with it. I couldn’t seem to help myself. I wanted him to possess me… so much for having my own mind.

He grinned. “I need to explain somethin’ to you, baby. You challenging me only makes me want you more—”

“Well, I have no intention of not challenging you, so it looks like we might be at an impasse.”

“Shit, an impasse.” His grin widened. “That’s just gonna make this all the more fun.”

I blinked. “I’m afraid you’re going to be stuck playing with yourself on this one.”

He cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing along my jaw. “Gorgeous and funny. Baby, you’re just puttin’ the nail in your own coffin.”

“Lovely,” I retorted. “You’re planning on burying me?”

“The only thing I plan to bury is me inside you, so wrap your mind around that, Payton. You need a day to come to terms with that fact, then, I’ll give you the day. But I always get what I want.”

“As romantic and appealing as that sounds, handsome, you’re barking up the wrong tree. But you feel free to fantasize all you want. Day after tomorrow when you still can’t find me, you’ll figure it out.”

Alex lifted my chin, his smile softening from leering to sweet and sexy.

Well, crap!

“When I find you tomorrow, baby, you and I are going to have a very intense conversation before I share those fantasies with you. And as far as hard to get, I’ll be hard when I get you, but you’ll enjoy every minute of it.”

He leaned down and kissed me again. And I let him. There was no way he’d find me tomorrow so I might as well enjoy the hell out of this kiss. I’d kissed a lot of men in my time, and by far, this was the best. After a few seconds, I smiled against his lips and patted his chest. “You can kiss, Alex, I’ll give you that. Hope that holds you over for a while.”

“I think I can wait until tomorrow.”

I chuckled and smiled up at him. “You won’t find me, bub. You can’t.”

“Challenge accepted, beautiful.”

He leaned down to kiss me again, but this time, I stopped him. “I’m going back inside.”

Alex let me go and I walked back to the group. Macey and Dani were in the middle of a heated debate about our favorite zombie show, while Booker watched with amusement at the varying opinions.

“Back me up, Pay,” Macey demanded. “Daryl?”

“Sexy as hell,” I said.

“Ew! No way,” Dani said. “He’s so… I don’t know… just, no.”

“What season are you on?” I asked.

“Just finished the first.”

I giggled. “Wait it out, Dani. You’ll see.”

“I think we’ll stop where we are,” Booker said.

Dani wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist. “Don’t worry, honey, I’ll never find anyone sexier than you.”

He slipped his hand to the back of her neck and kissed her temple, but didn’t comment. From the size of her grin, I figured they’d shared something secret.

“Um, can I confirm something with you?” I asked.

“Of course.” Dani frowned. “Everything okay?”

“You wouldn’t give my information to anyone, would you? Like my number or address?”

“No,” Booker said. “Didn’t matter who asked. You don’t want your info out, we won’t give it out.”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

“You got a problem with someone I need to take care of?”

“No. Thank you,” I rushed to say. “If you don’t share my information with anyone, there’ll be nothing to take care of.”

Booker looked at something over my head and I turned to see Alex watching us. I turned back toward Booker and forced myself not to smile in triumph.

“What have you done, missy?” Macey whispered.

“I haven’t done anything,” I whispered back. “That’s the point.”

She giggled. “Can’t wait to hear the story.”

“I’ll share everything on the way home.”

“Deal.” Macey raised an eyebrow. “Where’s your wine?”

“Hmm. Must have lost it somewhere.” I grinned.

“Well, let’s get you some more.”

“Lead the way,” I said, and Macey grinned and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

“Oh my god, Pay. He said all of that?” Macey asked as I drove home. We’d slipped out when Alex had put Lily to bed. The last thing I wanted him to see was which car I drove. He could trace me through my license plate if he had that ability.

“Yep.” I nodded. “Weird, right?”

“Um, no, not weird necessarily.”

“What?” I glanced at her when we stopped at a red light. “You’re not thinking this is romantic are you?”

She shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. As long as he doesn’t cross the line between romance and creepy stalker dude, then yeah, it’s kind of romantic.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

Macey laughed. “Dallas has reformed me.”

“Remind me to hug him… or hit him next time I see him.”

“You got it,” she said. “So what are you going to do?”

“Nothing.” I drove through the green light and headed to Macey’s. “I don’t have to do anything, right? He can’t find me, so I’ll just see him if I go to another party, which I won’t for a while, by the way. So, it’s all good.”

Macey giggled. “Okay, honey.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” she said, overly sweet and innocent like. “I’m just going to sit back and watch the show.”

“I hate you so much right now.”

“I know. And let me tell you, I’m loving that.”

“Suck it, Mace.”

“I plan to… when Dallas gets home.”

“Ew! Mace! Ew, ew, ew.”

She laughed and I pulled into the parking garage and into her extra space. I watched her as she continued to giggle, but she followed when I got out of the car, so I waited out her mirth which finally stopped once we’d walked into her apartment and poured wine.

The rest of the night was gratefully not on the subject of Alex ‘Hawk’ James.