Chasing Love (Dark Love 1)

It pains me that I’ve caused this. He has climbed back into that cold, lonely shell Adriana said he was living in for years before I came back.

“I need a favor,” I ask, trying to lighten the mood. “As you can see my back is burned to a crisp. The girls are out, and well… I don’t want to ask Rocky with his lady hands to help me. Would you mind?”

I hold out the bottle, watching him wrestle with the decision, but eventually, he takes the bottle and pats for me to sit down in front of him. I take a seat, removing my tank top revealing just my bikini top. My skin burns like it’s on fire, and as soon as the cream touches me, I yelp at the coolness.

Closing my eyes, I focus on his touch. “Lex…” I turn around to face him.

He places the lid on the bottle and gazes into my eyes, distant, and I fucking hate myself for making him feel like this.

“Please listen to me. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things. I don’t even mean half of it. I…” I scramble my words, unable to relay what I need to say. “I’m trying so hard here, Lex. Yes, I want you physically, but there’s so much more. You aren’t just someone I picked up off the street and fucked, so no, I don’t only want you for that. I’m sorry that I made you feel that way. I just need—”

“Time, I get it.”

He jumps off the bed and announces he’s going to help Elijah in the kitchen.

***

“Rocky, where on earth do you find these jokes?” Adriana cringes while asking the question.

We are sitting on the beach with a bonfire, and Rocky as usual, is making us all laugh with his crude jokes. Thank God, Will chose to stay at a friend’s house next door because Rocky holds nothing back. Zero filter when it comes to that man.

“I don’t know… somewhere online.”

“Oh, that’s right. The one you put on there the other day was so gross.”

“You liked the status,” he roars, calling Adriana out.

We all laugh, but I can’t help but notice how quiet Lex is.

“Dude, are you on Facebook?” Rocky turns to Lex.

“No, I don’t really have time for that stuff.”

“But what about all the hotties in high school? Ya gotta give Charlie a run for her money.”

I sit here silently waiting for him to respond to Rocky’s question. I’d be surprised if no one else notices the tension between us.

“The girls in my high school were nothing special. The ones in college, no better,” he mumbles.

“Then why did you marry Samantha?” I blurt out.

His stare shifts toward me, smoldering with resentment. This isn’t the discussion to be having at the bonfire in front of everyone, but I never knew the whole story and now I want to know.

He drops his eyes to the group. “I thought I loved her.”

“How long were you guys married?” Nikki questions, her sudden calm demeanor toward him catching me by surprise.

“Married for a year and a half. Together for three years.”

“How did you propose?”

I turn to face Nikki, shooting her daggers for the intrusive questions despite my curiosity piquing. Staring blankly at the fire, Lex remains silent. He isn’t the type of person to open up about his feelings, so I expect him to tell her to mind her own business.

“She loved animals. She wanted to study to be a veterinarian, but her father disagreed, so he made her study business. A friend of mine knew the owner of the San Diego Zoo. We planned a weekend away, and I organized a private viewing. Her favorite animal was the sloth. We went to the area where they were located, and she was in awe with a baby sloth. It was friendly, and the zookeeper allowed her to hold it. She was happy, but asked why the sloth had to wear a collar if it was in a monitored habitat. She undid the collar, and low and behold, the ring box was attached. I got down on my knee, and the rest is history.”

“Dude, that’s one rockin’ proposal,” Rocky cheers.

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