panic after the incident with Jeff. Not that he had tied me. He had just been forceful.
Alex must see the pain and fear on my face because he strides across the room forcefully, straight toward me, and sinks to his knees in front of me. His hand touches my chin and tilts my face to him until I’m looking into those deep brown, hurt eyes. “It’s not going to happen, baby. Take a deep breath and try to calm down. I’m sorry; that was a stupid thing to say.” He places a kiss on the bridge of my nose. “I didn’t think.”
“It’s fine, honestly. I overreacted.”
“How can you possibly say it’s fine? I saw the look of devastation on your face.”
Why did this get so serious? Me and my bloody mind. This was meant to be time for just the two of us before everyone else gets here. If I don’t change the mood between us right now, this will hang over our heads for the rest of the evening—a disaster waiting to happen.
“Alex.” My voice is low and trembles. I need to give myself a shake or a kick in the ass. I try again. “Alex, what was it you wanted from me? Ah yes, naked on the bed and ready for you. I’m all of those, so what are you waiting for?”
He closes his eyes as he shakes his head at me. He remains like that for what seems like an eternity, deep in thought, before finally letting go and opening his eyes. “You seem to have a rather valid point, Miss Stewart.” The corners of his mouth start to turn, and before I know it, he rises to his feet and takes off his shirt. “Now, where were we?” He trails off as he lunges at me on the bed and starts to tickle me, making me giggle like a schoolgirl.
From hot to cold and then back to hot again. I’m having trouble keeping up.
His onslaught of tickling continues for another few minutes. I twist and turn and wriggle, trying to get away from him, but I don’t. I don’t want to either. He has a fun side to him that I adore, and I don’t see that side of him often enough. He’s a big kid at heart.
“I love hearing you giggle, so relaxed and carefree,” he says as he turns me on the bed so that I’m face-to-face with him.
Our eyes lock, and our connection is made. I’m sure that if I listened closely enough, I would hear the sparks between us. My heart skips a beat as I take in the beauty of the man hovering above me.
“And here I was thinking I was always relaxed and carefree—when I’m around you, at least.”
I throw my arms around his neck and pull him toward me, and in an instant his mouth is on mine, devouring me, consuming me. The feel of his skin against mine is sheer bliss. The heat radiates from his body, sealing my body’s fate.
The wanting.
The needing.
The longing.
My fate was sealed the minute I boarded the plane back home in Glasgow. I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for spending the weekend here.
He breaks our kiss, pulling away, and lets his head fall to the side of my neck. His breath against my neck slowly returns to a somewhat normal pace.
“I’m certain my words earlier today were something along the lines of me wanting to worship your body. Am I correct?”
I nod slowly as an image flashes through my mind, and I grin.
“Ah, I see that pleases you.”
“You always seem to please me. We don’t need to have sex for that.”
“So you don’t want me to do this?” he says, kissing me on my neck. “Or this?” He moves his hand and runs it down the side of my body, softly teasing. “Or what about this?” He brushes his hand lightly against my breast.
“Shit. Okay, okay, I give in. We don’t need sex, but I do want it.” I wriggle beneath him.
He stills and stares. “Oh, baby, I didn’t say anything about sex. Pleasure, yes, and there will be plenty of it.” He raises his eyebrows and his lip-curling smile slowly appears again.
God, I’m done for. All I want is to taste those lips again. Anything else is an added bonus.
“Can we cancel tonight?” I plead.
He laughs. “Feel free
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