In my Arms Tonight (NYC Singles Book 2) (36 page)
“I don’t need you to buy me things, Alex.” Running her lips over his jaw, she trailed them all the way down to his neck. “I want you with me. That’s all I need. I want to rest my head against you and listen to your heart.”
He glided his fingers down her auburn curls. “You can do that, but there’s something I have to give you first.”
When she saw the red velvet-covered, heart-shaped box on the table, her expression became wary. “Alex—”
“Relax. It’s not a ring,” he said, revealing a string of silver attached to a pendant with her initials inscribed on it. “I wanted to buy you something for your birthday. Thought this would make a decent gift. Should I put it on you?”
“Definitely.” Bundling up her voluminous hair, her skin became peppered with goosebumps when his fingers met the nape of her neck. “Thank you for this. You didn’t have to, but I’m touched.”
“If you want a ring, you’ll have to wait for your next birthday.” He tapped his finger on the side of her neck playfully. Even small touches like these seemed so precious, so meaningful at times. “I’m kidding. If you want a ring, just ask for it, okay?”
“I don’t want a ring,” she repeated.
“Then ask for whatever you want.”
A throaty laugh drifted out of her, hands tightening over his waist. “When did you become so generous, Mr. Mayor? I thought you were all about budget cuts these days,” she poked, referring to the city budget he’d announced last week.
“You know how I feel about that—”
“Stop. I wasn’t criticizing you. I was trying to be funny. Guess it didn’t work,” she said. Her hands, which had been on his waist, dove south, coming to stop against the bulge in his pants. “Hurry up with the necklace. My mind’s starting to wander into the gutter.”
Having clasped the necklace, Alex closed into her face. “We have all of tonight to get dirty, sweetheart. Tomorrow morning, too. So your mind can swim and do a backstroke in the gutter.”
“You’re staying over?” she squealed like a little girl.
Alex didn’t often sleep over at her place on weekdays because he needed to turn up at work on Fridays and her place was pretty far from Gracie mansion. But tomorrow would be the first Friday in ages when he didn’t have to be somewhere early in the morning.
“I am,” he replied.
“Really? All night?”
“All night and tomorrow night as well.” Kissing the top of her head, he swept her off her feet. “We have some serious things to accomplish in that time.”
“Like what?” The naughty glint in her eye told him that she knew exactly what they were going to do.
“You know what.” Setting her body down on the couch, Alex climbed over her, caging her between his arms. She smiled at him, flushing. It had been two years but sometimes it was hard to believe that he’d found someone so brilliant. “And there’s one more thing I want to do, something we don’t do anymore.”
“Watch news together?”
“Not what I had in mind.” Alex lowered his face to hers until her warm breath fanned his stubble. “After we’re done, I want to hold you in my arms all night.”
Her neck arched up, tears misting her eyes. “I think that’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever said to me. Shit, I’m getting teary-eyed,” Blinking back the tears, she reached up and delivered a peck on his cheek. “I love you, Alex.”
“You say that twenty times a day, darling,” he joked.
“And I mean it every single time,” she murmured. “I love you so much, love is an inadequate word. Sometimes I wonder if what we have is even real, because it feels so surreal.”
He pinched her cheek.
Kat winced. “Ouch. What was that for?”
“It’s real.”
Read other books by Sasha Clinton
The political views presented in this book are not intended to offend and have been infused with a generous dose of fiction. I do not claim that they are factually or politically correct (See the next paragraph.)
Some particular points I’d like to make are: 1. The startup visa bill has not been passed into law yet. 2. The Democratic mayoral debate in New York generally takes place in the beginning of September, not the end of August (as written in the book.) 3. Women voted in municipal elections in Saudi Arabia in February this year, so this is old news, but I wrote the book in February, when it had just happened. Ditto with the peace talks in Syria.
As always, I welcome comments, suggestions and feedback at
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Copyright © 2016 by Sasha Clinton
First edition
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission.
For permission requests, please contact Sasha Clinton at [email protected]
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places or events are entirely coincidental.
Edited by RJ Locksley
Cover design by Sasha Clinton
Interior design and formatting by:
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