Page 61 of Finding Lexie
If he’d thought Lexie might let him be in charge of their kiss, he was wrong. She pulled on his hair and tilted her head to a better angle, pushing her tongue deeper into his mouth. Smiling, Midas let her do as she pleased. Her eagerness and enthusiasm turned him on even more.
But as much as he wanted to back Lexie into his room and strip her naked and make long, slow love to her, he didn’t want her to think that’s why he’d invited her to his house. He pulled back, and he loved the small smile on her face and the way she sighed against his lips.
“Thirsty?” he asked gently.
She nodded.
“Water? Lemonade? Coffee? Tea?”
“Water’s fine. Thanks.”
Midas kissed her on the forehead and headed for a cabinet. He got down a plastic cup, opened the freezer and put some ice cubes into it, then filled it from a container in the fridge. He walked back to her and she took it with a small smile.
“No bottled water?” she asked.
Midas shrugged. “It’s not good for the environment,” he told her.
Her smile widened. “No, it’s not.”
They stared at each other for a moment before Midas mentally shook himself. He was seconds away from hauling her into his bedroom after all, and he knew he needed to distract himself. “Come on, the kitchen and living area aren’t terribly exciting, but I know you’ll love my yard.”
He put his hand on her back and guided her to the sliding glass door that led outside. He opened it and waited with bated breath to see her reaction. This was his pride and joy, something he loved.
“Holy crap, Midas. This is…” Her voice trailed off as she gazed around the area.
The fruit trees were lined up near the fence and there was a small patch of grass in the middle of the area. They stood in the shade of the deck, and the breeze that constantly blew off the ocean felt cool against his face.
She walked across the yard to the trees and reached up to touch a mango. Then she did the same to the guava tree. She turned and studied the wooden deck he’d built, then walked back toward him. Lexie put her cup down on the small table between the two deck chairs and gingerly lowered herself onto a cushion. The chair reclined as she leaned back, and she smiled up at him.
Midas returned the grin and pushed the footstool closer so she could put her feet up.
She sighed in contentment. “Just so you know… I’m never leaving.”
He chuckled and sat on the other chair. He had four more chairs just like these in the second bedroom in his house, for when the rest of the team came over. But he supposed he needed to find a couple more since Elodie was now in the picture…and of course for Lexie.
“Seriously, this is…it’s better than Aleck’s balcony,” Lexie said.
Midas snorted. “Right.”
“It is,” she insisted. “I mean, I’ll admit that the double rainbow was pretty impressive, but this feels more intimate. We’re right here next to the grass, I can hear the wind blowing through the trees, and if I get hungry, I can literally go and pick a fresh mango. And this deck…it’s…” Her voice trailed off.
Midas looked over at her…and saw Lexie pressing her lips together as if trying to keep her composure. “Lex?” he asked in alarm.
She waved a hand. “I’m good,” she said in a wavering voice. “It’s just that, whenever I’d dream about having a house of my own, this was the kind of yard I wanted. Nothing huge, because it’s a pain in the ass to mow, but with trees, and a covered deck just like this one. Somewhere I could relax without having to worry about the sun baking me, or a place I could bring a blanket out to a chair and simply enjoy the sounds of nature. It’s perfect, Midas,” she said sincerely, turning her head to look at him.
He wanted to scoop her up and hold her, but Midas forced himself to stay still. “Thanks. This is my favorite place in the world. After a hard mission, I’ll come home and sit out here for hours, grounding myself and getting my equilibrium back. It’s private, so I don’t have to worry about anyone interrupting me, and even if it’s raining, I can still sit here and enjoy it.”
Lexie nodded. “You’re lucky, Midas.”
He was. He knew that. Even more so to be sharing his space with her.
The rest of the afternoon went by way too quickly. Midas and Lexie talked about everything from politics, to the pros and cons of tourists in Hawaii, to his job…what he could tell her, at least. They talked about Food For All, and Midas learned that Lexie had gotten a couple more emails from Magnus Brander. The man was taking more interest in Food For All and wanted to pick up where his brother had left off.
Midas told her more about Baker Rawlins, the reclusive former SEAL who lived up at the North Shore, and who’d helped reassure Mustang and Elodie that she truly was safe from the New York mobster who’d forced her to go on the run in the first place.
Of course, that comment had led to many questions about Baker, and just when Midas was about to get a complex that she seemed more intrigued about the other man than she was with him, she stood up and stepped over to his chair.
“May I?” she asked, gesturing to his lap with her head.
