She went still as his fingers lightly traced over her soft palm. He threaded their hands together, but didn’t look at her. Once he was successful in inputting his contact information, he handed her phone back to her wordlessly and took a step closer. Her phone hung limply in her other hand, forgotten, as she stared up at him.
God, those big blue eyes.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” he softly informed her, drawing her closer by their entwined hands. He saw that same flash of desire in her eyes, but also a vulnerability he wanted to make disappear.
Even though he felt a small tremble in her hand, she breathlessly whispered, “Okay.” That did it for him.
He threaded his free hand through her silky dark hair, his heart pounding in anticipation. The moment his lips touched hers she made a small sound in the back of her throat. And it was sexy as hell.
He groaned when he felt how responsive she was to him. He could easily become addicted to her soft lips and eager mouth. He felt as though he had been kissing her his whole life. It felt so right. So completely right.
But his body was responding quickly and he didn’t want to scare her off again. He ended the kiss reluctantly, pulling back a little to briefly kiss the soft skin of her neck. She didn’t wear any perfume, but her skin smelled like lavender. And flour. Delicious. With his mouth practically watering, he smiled against her neck when he felt the erratic pulse there. He was sure it matched his own.
“I put my number in your phone,” he whispered against her skin. He pulled back so he could see her eyes. They were glazed over, dazed. But his gaze was quickly brought down to her slightly swollen pink lips. Unable to resist, he leaned in and lightly nibbled on her full bottom lip while she gasped. He groaned but he forced himself to pull back again, swearing he felt actual physical pain. “You’re in charge, darling.” His voice sounded rough even to his own ears. “Call me when you want to see me again. But if you don’t call me in the next few days, I just might have to come see you myself.”
Her eyes were so clear they were like mirrors. He could see his outline in them. “Bossy,” she whispered, her sensual lips curving into a small smile.
He had a feeling that this woman had the power to make him beg for her. The connection he felt with her was surreal. It was something he had never felt before. Not even with Julia. Definitely not with Julia.
“Damn straight,” he replied. He kissed her quickly one last time and stepped away before he forgot they were still in public. His hand swung to his side, still warm from hers. “Goodnight, darling.”
She looked a little unsteady at first since he had released her so quickly but she eventually gained her footing. She gave him a smile that weakened his resolve to not kiss her again. “Goodnight, Alex.”
He waited until she disappeared into her building, his eyes intently locked to the sway of her hips.
The woman didn’t know how sexy she was.
But she would. And he planned to show her just how much.
She’ll call. Just be patient, he thought.
Easier said than done. Alex had never been a patient man.
Olivia had wanted to call Alex the second she reached her apartment. She had wanted to hear his deep voice over the phone, wanted to hear his response when she invited him into her bed.
But, of course, she didn’t tell Christie these intimate details when she recounted the entire situation to her the next morning. She also didn’t relay to her dearest friend that she spent the rest of the night staring at his contact information, trying to wrap her mind around the whole evening. Alex Matlock was the name he typed in. It was unreal, yet the proof that the evening had actually transpired was clearly inputted into her phone.
Christie dropped by the shop before it opened. Once Olivia was confident that Sarah and Alice could handle preparations for the next half hour without her, she met the clearly excited woman at her shop’s front door to let her in.
The moment the door opened, her boisterous friend practically shrieked. “All of my wildest dreams are coming true! You’re finally free of that super lame, dirt bag, cheating tyrant and you’re going to get laid—”
Olivia slapped a hand over her overly thrilled friend’s mouth. “Will you keep your voice down? Sarah and Alice are in the back,” she said in a low voice. But Olivia couldn’t help the smile that crept over her features.
“How can I keep my voice down at a time like this? Livy, please, please tell me you’ve Googled him so I can at least see a picture. It would make my morning.”
“How did I get saddled with a nut like you?” Olivia mumbled in exasperation.
Olivia had met Christie during college. Olivia had been taking courses in Business Administration whereas Christie proudly represented the Liberal Arts. But fatefully, they crossed each other’s paths when they both joined their college’s book club the same semester. They bonded over poorly written horror novels and making fun of the group’s president, who made them read an extensive amount of Plato as a hazing method.