Page 60 of Finding Lexie
He pulled into the driveway and hopped out to open the garage door. He’d learned never to underestimate the Hawaiian weather. It might be completely sunny without a cloud in the sky now, but in an hour it could be pouring. Midas pulled into the one-car garage and waited for Lexie to come around to his side. He held out his hand and she immediately took it.
“Ready?”
She scrunched her nose. “For what? Do you have a protective pet ostrich or something that’s gonna try to peck out my eyes when we go inside?”
Midas laughed. “No. But I have to warn you, I don’t have a huge balcony like Aleck.”
Lexie shrugged. “So?”
“Right.” He turned to open the door to the house, but Lexie stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“I don’t care what your place looks like, Midas. Seriously. You’ve seen my tiny little closet of an apartment. Besides, I’m not with you because of where you live or what material possessions you might have.”
“Why are you?” The question just popped out, and Midas wished he could call it back the second the words left his lips.
She grinned. It was a sexy and mischievous smile. “Because of your hot body, of course,” she teased.
“Yeah?” Midas asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and lifting her off her feet.
Lexie shrieked with laughter and braced her hands on his shoulders. “Of course. Why else?”
“Well, I was hoping my large…personality had something to do with it.”
She threw back her head and laughed some more, and Midas couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was so beautiful. And it was more than her looks. Her joy for life couldn’t be contained. Her spirit was much like her curly hair, unruly and wild.
She got herself under control and peered at him. “You gonna put me down?” she asked.
“Nope,” Midas informed her as he easily held her against his body and turned the doorknob.
“A girl could get used to this,” she said with a laugh as he carried her into his house. There was a small entryway just off the garage door, but the entire house could be seen at a glance as soon as he stepped into the living area.
The door to his bedroom was open, and Midas was relieved that he’d remembered to make his bed that morning. The second bedroom door was shut, because it was full of junk he’d acquired over the years. A set of weights, a bicycle, a bookcase full of military thrillers, and other odds and ends.
Lexie wiggled against him, and Midas reluctantly leaned over and set her feet on the floor. She put the plastic bag from the ABC Stores on a table as she passed it and headed into the kitchen. Turning in a circle, she examined the four-burner stove, the white fridge that was probably twenty years old, the toaster, blender, air fryer, and coffee maker on the counter, and the cracked tile on the countertop before she met his gaze.
“I like it,” she said.
Midas burst out laughing.
“What?” she asked, her brows furrowing.
“Lex, this kitchen’s older than I am. Nothing matches, there’s no extra space on the counter, there’s no dishwasher and there’s absolutely nothing special about it.”
She shook her head. “You’re wrong. It’s lived in. I can picture you here in the mornings drinking your coffee, thinking about the upcoming day. It doesn’t matter that nothing matches, all that matters is that it works.”
“Come here,” Midas ordered, holding out his hand. He needed to kiss her. Now.
She smiled slyly at him. “Why?”
He couldn’t help but grin. “Because I want to kiss you,” he admitted.
“Oh. Okay,” she said and started for him. When she got within reach, he pulled her into him, careful not to hurt her, and bent his head.
Then he kissed her as he’d been longing to all day.
Every minute he spent with this woman, she snuck deeper and deeper under his skin. She had a way of looking at the world that he never would, if she wasn’t by his side. She admired the kids in the ocean learning to surf, laughed at the antics of crabs in the sand, and watched with rapt admiration the dancers hired to entertain the crowds in the open-air mall. She made everything seem new and shiny, while Midas was more often jaded and skeptical of the motives of the people around him.
She made him a better person, simply by being herself.
