Chapter Twenty-One
I woke up in a mess of sheets and tangled limbs. Alex was breathing quietly next to me, my body curled up against him. After spending all morning naked and in bed, we ended up passing out before lunch. I had managed to text Chelsea in between to tell her I was taking a personal day. My first personal day in two years. I just hoped she didn't come searching for me.
"Mmm … " Alex rolled toward me and moaned in my ear. "This bed is so much more comfortable when you're in it."
"That's because the mattress isn't used to being worked out that much," I teased, wrapping a leg over his hip.
"Well, let's just hope we don't break it." He smirked and kissed the tip of my nose. "We could try to break our previous record and see?" I felt his lips curl up against me at the memory of doing it three times that first night.
"I'm going to start thinking sex is all you want from me … " I taunted, raising my eyebrows up at him.
"That's the farthest thing from the truth, Mac." I smiled up at him, relieved to hear him say those words.
"So … what do you do all day when I'm at work?" I often wondered but never brought it up.
"Sleep, play video games, order in food." I scowled at him, earning a deep, throaty laugh in response. "I'm kidding."
I sighed. "I hope so. Although that sounds just about right for a spoiled, rich kid," I mocked, crying out in shock as he lowered his body over mine and began tickling me under the arms and down to my hips. "Oh my god … stop it!" I laughed harder, trying to push him away. His hands went down my legs, tickling my thighs and knees. It was a shock of pleasure torture, my legs kicking him away until he stopped. "That was just cruel."
"That'd be a lot more convincing if you weren't smiling." He crawled back over me, placing a gentle kiss on my mouth.
"Well, the least you could do is feed me now. I mean, I'm practically malnourished." He laughed and shook his head at me, kissing me once more before sliding out of bed.
I watched as he threw a pair of shorts on and asked over his shoulder, "The works?" He grinned, remembering all the food we ate at the hotel that morning.
"Of course." I smiled back, admiring his backside as he walked out.
I lay in his bed a moment, breathing in and out slowly as I came to terms with everything. I felt like I was a forty-something-year-old experiencing a mid-life crisis, except I was a twenty-five-year-old woman about to change everything I thought I knew-everything I thought I wanted.
But Alex changed that. He showed me perhaps I wasn't as happy and content with my life as I thought I was. William was great, and he's a wonderful man, but settling for the wrong someone wasn't something I was willing to do anymore. As much as it hurt to say, it was the truth all along.
I quickly hopped in the shower, rinsed off, and pulled on one of his oversized t-shirts. By the time I was done, I could smell the bacon sizzling and the maple syrup heating up.
It smelled perfect.
I walked into the kitchen to a shirtless Alex cooking at the stove-my new favorite sight ever. He was humming along to some tune in his head as he flipped pancakes on the griddle.
"You know … a woman could just get used to this." I stood by the breakfast bar and watched him.
He looked at me over his shoulder and grinned. "I don't know … perhaps you should wait until after you've tried it."
"That's true." I sighed dramatically. "Maybe I should help." I walked up behind him, his arm coming around my shoulders, molding my body to his.
He leaned down and pressed his face into my hair. "Christ, you smell delicious."
"Wild strawberry," I stated and smiled. He kissed the top of my head, flipping pancakes and humming.
I walked over to the coffee maker and poured a cup. He had one sitting out already, so I refilled it for him. He handed me the creamer and I poured us both a generous amount. I reached over and set his cup down next to him, grabbing the loaf of bread in the process. I popped four slices into the toaster and took out two plates from the cupboard in front of me. He opened the fridge door, grabbed the butter, and handed it to me before I could ask. We worked in smooth synchrony until we had a counter filled with food. It was nearly perfect.
"Not bad, Chef Alex. I think with some more training, you could just be a keeper in the kitchen," I teased. We sat at the table across from each other, our knees bumping together as we devoured everything.
"Actually, I had thought about being a chef when I was younger. But once college started, I didn't have as much time to perfect my skills," he said genuinely.
"Really? What happened?"
He shrugged, looking down at his plate. "Not really an ‘acceptable' career for the Lancaster blood."
I narrowed my brows, feeling sad for him. "That's dumb," I spat. "Being a chef is a great position. Think of all the chefs in Manhattan who work in prestigious restaurants with booming careers. Plus, you do look pretty hot in the kitchen … just imagining you wearing a chef's hat and apron has me dripping wet right now." I sucked in my lower lip, playfully messing with him.
"I'd be careful what you wish for, sweetheart … I've been pretty nice so far." He winked, sending a shiver down my spine at the threat of his promise.
"Are you saying I couldn't handle it?"
"I'm saying that was just a warm-up." He locked eyes with mine, the truth of his words evident in his face.
"It's a good thing you fed me then … " I licked my lips, anticipating his next move. He grinned and pushed his chair back as he stood up and walked over to me.
He grabbed my chair and shifted it in front of him so our bodies were facing each other. His eyes remained locked on mine as his lips curled into a devilish grin. He knelt down and spread my legs open, positioning himself right in between. I sat and watched with excitement as his hands roamed up my thighs and stopped at the crease of my thigh. His eyes followed his hands and then he quickly looked up at me with a smirk I knew meant he was up to no good.
"Put your hands behind your back."
"What?" I gasped as he looped a finger in my panties and began circling my clit.
"Behind your back … " he growled, looking up at me with hooded eyes. I complied and locked them behind me. "Good girl."
My body shivered as he touched me again and wrapped a finger in my panties, sliding them down my legs. I watched as he threw them behind him and licked his lips. He gripped my thigh, squeezing with just enough force to make me twitch in anticipation. He leaned down and kissed the soft spot on the inside of my thigh and continued moving up and to my other thigh.
I kept waiting, expecting his mouth on me at any moment, but he continued his delicious torture of touching me everywhere except where I needed him the most.
"Alex … " I pleaded, squirming in the chair. He continued moving my shirt up and over my hips, exposing my pussy right in front of him. He dipped his head, kissing down my stomach and around my belly button. I could feel my body heating up, begging for it-for him to relieve the ache-but his tongue continued its slow agony as he avoided my clit. "Alex … " I said again, warning him. I needed his mouth on me.
"You need it, don't you?"
"Yes … " I panted, arching my hips out to him.
"I can smell you, Mac. Your scent … so fucking incredible." He traced his tongue alongside my pussy, just out of reach of where I needed him. "I can see how wet you are … " He placed a small kiss just above my clit, sending a rush of shivers down to my core. I felt my body tighten, my hips jerking in response as I craved his tongue inside me.
My hands began to unravel behind me, unable to take it anymore. He caught them just before I brought them around me, securing them back behind me. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned. It was the second time he told me that and a part of me wanted to test him … just to see what he'd do. But the intense look in his eyes captivated me and before I could rebel, he was back in between my legs and captured my pussy with his mouth, finally, making me gasp in response to his sudden intrusion.
"God … yes … " I moaned, pushing my hips out to him. He licked up and down my slit, sucked on my clit, and pushed his tongue inside me. Whimpered cries of pleasure escaped my throat as he pushed two fingers inside, curling them deep and hard. I could barely hold on, but his hands held me down. I wanted to rake my hands through his hair, squeeze and pull him closer, but I wasn't about to test him now. I knew if I did, he'd stop, and that was the last thing I wanted him to do right now.