I’d spent my whole childhood waiting until I could be an adult and didn’t have to count on anyone, yet I found myself wishing I could count on Alex. But I lived here, and he lived over four thousand miles away. He had a life there and a family—the kind of family anyone would want.
My mother’s comment—Don’t be afraid to take a chance—dashed through my thoughts, so surprising, it was like a nude streaker at a public event.
Even thinking about moving to Alaska scared me because then that meant I was hanging my hopes on something. Or more specifically, on someone—Alex.
“If you want to know annoying things about me, just call Holly. She’ll give you a long list.” He offered a mischievous grin with that comment.
I laughed. “I bet she would, but she’s your sister. She’s biased, both good and bad.”
“I checked prices. I can get you a ticket to Alaska over your break from school. It’s about six weeks out, right?” Alex asked, his tone carefully light.
See, that was exactly what I meant about him. He understood me. He knew this would make me feel squirrely, so he offered it up as casually as if he was mentioning the weather.
I swallowed, willing my heart to calm down. My heart was having none of that and rioted in my chest. It was as if a flock of small birds in a tree took flight together, all calling at once and filling the sky with a cacophony of sounds.
“I don’t know,” I said, nervously catching the edge of the throw blanket draped on the back of the couch and rubbing the soft fabric between my fingers.
“I know you don’t know. Think about it. Please. I know you’ve seen Alaska, but I’d like you to come to Willow Brook. You can see where I grew up and see Holly. She’d love that. Just let me know by next week, okay?”
“Okay.” I was relieved he didn’t press further, yet on the heels of my relief came a twinge of disappointment. See, I wanted him to beg. Good Lord. It wasn’t enough that he was offering to buy me a freaking plane ticket. I knew they weren’t cheap.
After Alex did exactly as I knew he would and took his plate to the dishwasher, he even rinsed the dishes I’d left in the sink. When I was coming out of the bathroom, I saw him turning the dishwasher on. Crossing the kitchen, I leaned my hips against the counter and curled my hands on the edges. “See, you don’t know how to be an asshole.”
Alex turned. Inside of a nanosecond, his eyes darkened, and heat coiled inside me, suffusing me from head to toe. Moving quickly to me, Alex was lifting me and sliding my hips on the counter before I even realized what was happening.
Stepping between my knees, he tugged me against his arousal. I could feel the thick, hard length of him pressing against me. I became acutely aware of the slick heat at the apex of my thighs. I was already wet. Alex made me feel like a ridiculously needy girl. Aside from the muddled confusion I felt at the depth of how much emotion he elicited, I felt even more vulnerable at the shocking force of my desire for him.
The only relief in all of my internal tumult was that I could simply forget myself the moment he kissed me. Thank goodness for that. Before Alex, I was used to having my brain halfway on whenever I had sex.
I wasn’t complaining about other men specifically. It’s just that no one else captured my attention thoroughly enough to wash my thoughts away in the current of passion. I found myself wondering about homework assignments for school, or trying to remember my work schedule, or worrying about bills. The mundane could always puncture what was supposed to be a moment of desire. Except with Alex.
I looked into his dark chocolate eyes, and my heart gave a sweet twist in my chest. My breath hitched when I tried to get some air. I could hear the rush of blood in my ears with the thundering beat of my heart as Alex stared at me. It was hard to look at him because tomorrow he was leaving.
He saved me from myself by dipping his head and pressing a hot, open kiss on my neck, just behind my ear. That spot was so sensitive it sent a shiver through my entire body, my skin prickling with goose bumps and liquid need spreading like lava through my veins.
“Alex.” I gasped when he trailed his tongue along my collarbone.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
His hand snuck under my shirt, cupping one of my breasts and teasing the already hard nipple to an aching peak. “I need…” I couldn’t even cling to a train of thought, and my words ended on a moan. What did I need? I had no idea. I just needed.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured.
He did have me—body, heart, and soul.
Our clothes came off in a rush, and somehow, we stumbled into the bedroom. Something about Alex saying he needed to take his time.
I was naked and restless, my skin dewy. I shifted my legs, feeling the juices of my arousal on the inside of my thighs.
Alex had kicked his jeans off and was standing at the foot of the bed. His hungry gaze swept up and down my body. I literally felt it on my skin, little licks of fire everywhere his eyes landed.
The mattress dipped under his weight when he brought one knee down. Curling his hands around my ankles, he moved his touch upward in a smooth, sure path as he pushed my knees apart. He muttered something. I didn’t even know what it was, but I felt it, dirty and sweet at once. He dropped hot kisses on the insides of my thighs, and my hips rocked into his touch the moment his fingers trailed lightly through my folds.
“So wet,” he murmured.
“Alex,” I pleaded.
He gave me what I needed, sinking two fingers into my channel. When he drew them out, I whimpered in protest. But then he licked the very core of me, and I let out a long moan.
My fingers tangled in his hair, and I gripped the sheets with my other hand. Alex made love to me with his mouth, taking me to the edge and pulling me back again and again. It felt as if I was made of pleasure, every cell tightening and tightening, begging for more.
Finally, he rose, just when I cried his name again. “Sweetheart, I want you to come all over my cock,” he said.
Pulling my eyes open, I looked up to see him fisting his cock. He dragged the head back and forth through my folds, and each time the thick crown teased over my clit, I almost toppled over the edge.
“Alex,” I begged. I had no shame, and this man made me plead like no other.
“Right here, sweetheart,” he murmured, just before notching his cock at my entrance and sinking inside in one slow slide.
Chapter Nineteen
Alex
Delilah’s hot, silky core sheathed me. I nearly came instantly, but I gritted my teeth and clung to my control. Her dark hair was a tangled mess on the pillows, and her eyes held mine.
I eased over her, resting on one elbow as I brushed her hair away from her face. Her legs curled around my hips, and she arched against me. “Alex.”
My heart felt cracked open. I loved it when she said my name. The only time she was this unguarded was when we were having sex. We were so, so good together.
Drawing back, I felt her begin to ripple around my cock when I sank inside her again, her channel clenching me tightly. One more slow slide and her entire body trembled as she cried out.
The heaviness in my balls tightened, and everything sizzled before my release slammed through me. I came so hard I collapsed against her. I practically saw stars. When the edges of my vision cleared, I rolled over, bringing her on top of me. I felt the rapid beat of her heart thundering along with mine.