His fingers stroked my arms gently. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, look at you two. You fit. Gemma’s beautiful and intelligent. And you two clearly grew up in the same circles. And I am none of those things. I can just see the disaster that would be our two families meeting. My crazy African relatives with their wild gesticulations, your very British and very reserved relatives. In my head, it’s total chaos. I know we don’t make very much sense together.”

He traced his knuckles over my cheek. “Gemma is my friend. Just a friend. I can’t think of anyone else but you. The way you laugh, the way you look at things with wonder, the way you taste. And as far as crazy family goes, don’t forget my Nomean side. That line is littered with coup de tats and assassination attempts. How’s that for crazy? We fit, Abbie. I don’t want you thinking that we don’t.”

His seductive voice rolled over me, and I tried to hold fast, but his hand had transitioned from my cheek to the back of my neck, and he was massaging the knotted muscles there. Coaxing me toward him. “Alexi, I—”

“Abbie, I want to be here with you. More than I want anything else. But I don’t want to push too fast or too hard.”

I shook my head. “You’re not pushing me.”

He pulled me up for a kiss. The brush of his lips against mine was soft and gentle. Completely undemanding. Just pleasant with a hint of electricity.

I drew back a little to meet his gaze, like the night he'd first kissed me. But unlike that night, I went back for more, and I melded my mouth to his. I wanted this, had wanted it since I'd met him. There were still some things to work out, but for once, I wasn’t going to overthink things to death.

Lex slid his tongue into my mouth and stroked mine. The syncopated rhythm had my blood boiling in seconds. He dragged my leg over his lap so that I sat straddling him. The thick ridge of his erection melded against my hot core, and I moaned at the contact.

Oh, Jesus. Need and lust wove a heady blanket around us, leaving us completely oblivious to the surrounding world. The television became a distant memory as soon as his hands stole up my sweatshirt, closing around my breasts through my tank top. His thumb rolled over my nipple, and I shivered as I tried desperately to climb closer to him.

He dragged his lips from mine, and his breath came in ragged gulps. “Shit. Abbie. You are completely undoing me. I can’t think straight.”