Page 26 of Charm on the Rocks

Madison swallowed, not sure what to say. She took a quick sip of her wine, letting the bubbly settle in.

“I’m sorry,” Alec said, locking eyes with her. “I’m talking a lot, aren’t I? I tend to do that when I’m nervous.”

“You’re nervous?” Madison raised a skeptical brow. “The great Alec Schumacher?”

“You really have no idea how you make me feel, huh?” he said, almost in awe of her denial. “Madison, I don’t know what I have to do to show you that…” He looked down at the table before looking back up at her. “Ken’s death affected me more than I thought it would. It made me realize I hadn’t been prioritizing the important things in life.”

Madison didn't understand that it was possible for her mouth to go dry multiple times in such a short amount of time. The way Alec was looking at her with those midnight blue eyes, there was a deep intensity that she couldn't quite explain. It made her feel all sorts of things. She knew she told herself she wasn't ready to date, especially after breaking up with her high school sweetheart, but that was a lie. At least, when it came to Alec.

"Full disclosure," he said. "You're going to hear about me and a couple of the current Gulls Girls. I hooked up with them, but it meant nothing, I promise you. But you, you're different."

"And why is that?" she asked, somewhat skeptical. "Because I did hear about Faye and I know how popular you are with the Girls. I also know how quick you're willing to break their hearts. I'm not saying you don't feel how you feel about me; I just have my reservations. I want to protect my heart just like the other girls, you know?"

"In my defense," he said, reaching out to grab her hand, almost as though he was afraid she was going to slip away after his confession. "I always tell them upfront that this isn't serious, that were just hooking up for fun and if they want something more, they can leave. I'd prefer it if they did because I don't want to deal with their feelings. As harsh as that sounds." He furrowed his brow. "Wow, I kind of sound like an asshole, huh?"

Madison shook her head and sat back in her chair. "No," she said. "I respect the fact that you're that way. To be honest, if all guys were like that, it would have saved me a lot of time."

"So if I told you all I wanted from you was sex, you would be okay with it?" he asked skeptically.

"I wouldn't judge you," she told him honestly, "but that doesn't mean I want the same things as you. And if what we want doesn't align, it's not going to work from the get go. I mean, yeah, maybe we could have sex and you could be romantic but the sex wouldn't be as great as it could be because my heart wouldn't be in it and our time together wouldn't be as great as it could be because your heart wouldn't be in it. Let's not waste time if what we want differs. Plus, it's not like I wouldn't be able to find someone else who wants what I want and I know for a fact your pool of prospects just gets bigger."

Alec's brow shot straight up. "Are you telling me I have competition, Mads?" he asked, and though it was obvious that he was teasing, there was a slight edge to his tone.

Madison shrugged ominously, a small smile on her face. "I guess we'll see," she replied. "But honestly, there is no competition. When we're ready to be monogamous, we can have that talk." Her eyes softened and she squeezed his hand. "Alec, I like you. I'm drawn to you. I don't exactly know why besides the fact that you're beautiful and you're charming. I don't typically fall for guys like you so if there's even a chance that you don't want to commit, you need to tell me now so we don't waste our time. So we can still be friends."

Alec looked at her directly, not flinching, not hesitating. "I want you, Mads," he told her. "Maybe we should take it slow to be on the safe side, to really enjoy each other, but I want you."

Madison smiled as the waiter delivered their food to the table. "I want you, too, Alec," she told him. "I mean, we'll have to keep things quiet but... I'm open to seeing where this goes."

Without warning, Alec stood up from his seat and walked to Madison, when he got to her, he bent down and kissed her long and slow on the lips. When he finally pulled away, he said, "Good. I've been waiting to do that for a long time."