Delilah
That memory flashed through my mind as I glanced up when Alex said something. I had totally lost track of the conversation.
My smile seemed to be enough to gloss it over. “So what do you do?” Holly’s question punctured the haze left behind by my old summer memories.
Looking toward her, I replied, “I’m a bartender. I made it through college, but not as fast as I wanted, mostly because I’ve been working the whole time. I’m doing online nursing classes now. Hopefully, I’ll get my nursing degree someday.”
I waited for a hint of disapproval. I was accustomed to people not thinking much of what I did, but my cynical expectation was proven wrong. Holly’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s great. I’m a nurse. That must be hard, trying to do classes online while you’re working. I have nothing but respect for anyone who can pull that off. I’m so glad to be done with nursing school. If you need any pointers, ask away.”
“When it comes time for my nursing exam, I just might take you up on that,” I said.
While I attempted to have some sort of normal social conversation, all the while, Alex’s fingers were brushing back and forth just above the collar of my shirt on my neck. That tiny patch of skin was on fire with streaks radiating through my body. I could feel the wet silk between my thighs. If he kept this up, I was going to tackle him in the elevator. We hadn’t discussed it, but I’d made a decision after that crazy hot kiss earlier.
I might never see Alex after this, but I was going to see things through in the way I’d never been able to before.
I got through dinner with polite conversation and even sat through a round of introductions to a bunch of people Holly, Nate, and Alex knew from Diamond Creek. They were on a friendly basis with the owners of the lodge, the woman who managed the restaurant, and a few others who stopped by to say hello.
By the time we got to the elevator, I was contemplating whether I could actually orgasm merely from sitting beside Alex for that long. Once the elevator doors closed, I reached for Alex’s hand and reeled him closer.
“Okay, here’s the deal. You were such a fucking gentleman back when we were at camp that you never let anything go too far. It’s been over a decade, and now you have no excuses,” I said, lightly tapping my index finger on the center of his chest.
Alex’s gaze darkened, and he ran his tongue across his teeth as his lips kicked up into a half smile. “It sounds like we’re on the same page. Gotta say, though, I never thought I’d get a lecture for being a gentleman. We were young.”
“I guess I can appreciate that. Then, but not now.”
At that, I tugged him closer. He didn’t hesitate to fit his mouth over mine. We dived right back to where our kiss left off before, and Alex took control almost instantly. The not as experienced young man he’d been before had given way to a demanding, commanding man, and I loved it.
Chapter Seven
Alex
Delilah was warm and soft, and her mouth held a lingering plum flavor from the wine. Her scent spun around me like a drug. A drug just for me, and I’d been hooked for years even though I hadn’t seen her in all that time.
Her tongue slicked against mine, and I tightened my grip in her hair as she arched into me. When she let out a little moan, I growled in return.
Delilah stripped away any artifice, taking everything down to a pure, elemental level.
I needed her closer. Now. Stepping back slightly and breaking free from our kiss to gulp in air, I lifted her against me. She didn’t hesitate, winding her legs around my hips as she trailed a fingertip along the stubble on my jaw.
“Just one night,” she murmured.
“Oh, Delilah, there will be far more than just one night.”
We stared at each other. I knew what I felt. Back when I was barely a man, and she was barely a woman, I had no doubt about the way I felt when I was with her. It was just right. Years passed, and I figured I’d never see her again. All along, I occasionally wondered if my memory played tricks on me.
Until I saw her again, then there was no wondering anymore. My memory had been spot-on. Maybe only an evening had passed since our worlds collided again, but it felt as if a missing piece in the puzzle of my life had clicked into place.
Holding her and turning to press her back against the wall, I adjusted her in my arms. I lifted a hand to trace my thumb along the elegant slope of her cheekbone and down around her plump lips. “I know it’s not just me. So let’s not pretend this doesn’t feel the way it does,” I rasped.
The Delilah I remembered had a guarded, careful sense to her. That quality had hardened a bit, and she had an almost harsh quality to her defenses now. While I didn’t know the story of her life, I knew her, the person underneath, the woman who called to me all those years ago and who called to me even more powerfully now.
Vulnerability flickered in her gaze right when I felt the elevator come to a smooth stop. Without ever looking away from her, I reached to the side and jammed my thumb on the center button to keep the doors closed. I wasn’t letting this moment get cut short because it was too important.
“Alex,” she breathed, the husky sound of her voice only serving to spin the lust driving me even tighter. “That’s crazy.”
I shook my head. “No. It’s not. I was half in love with you then, and I never forgot you, Delilah. I know our lives are worlds apart, but I refuse to pretend this is just a quick, hot night. I know you feel it too,” I insisted.
I caught her hand where it rested on my chest between us and flattened her palm over my heart, holding it there. My heart thumped hard and true.
“You don’t really know me,” she said, her voice soft. Her mouth twisted to the side, and sadness shadowed her gaze, dark clouds drifting through.
“Maybe I don’t know all the details, just as you don’t know the details of my life. I’m not asking you to make promises. I just don’t want to go into this under false pretenses.”
The air surrounding us shimmered, weighted with years of desire and brushed with hazy memories colliding with the present and creating sparks. Delilah’s lips parted with a soft breath before she nodded.
As she had aptly pointed out, there was much I didn’t know about her. Yet I knew she was the kind of woman who held her cards so close to her chest, sometimes she didn’t even play the hand. I felt a hint of victory at the flash of desire reflected in her eyes. I leaned forward to catch her lips with mine. We seemed incapable of anything other than hot, wild, and wet kisses because what I meant to be a brief touch instantly morphed when her tongue darted out to tease mine.
The elevator dinged, indicating someone was pushing the buttons on the outside. I tore my lips from hers and eased her down slowly. “Let’s get to the room,” I murmured, reaching for her hand and holding it tight as I tapped the button, and the elevator doors slid open.
We filed out quickly, and a group of skiers spilled in behind us. Our footsteps were muffled along the carpeted hallway as I all but ran to our room. Delilah kept pace with me easily.
The second the door closed behind us, Delilah turned to face me, tugging her hand free and sliding her hands up under my shirt. My breath hissed through my teeth. My girl might be prickly and guarded, but when she decided to throw herself into something, she was all in.