Alluring (9 page)

Alexis started roaming the room, being sure to stay away from the windows.  "I should probably go home.  It's really late and I'm tired."

"It's Sunday," he said, cryptically.

She looked over at him, a frown marring her brow.  "Yes."

"You don't work on Sunday.  That means you're mine all day.

"Jack
—
" Alexis started, but he interrupted her.

"I have waited all week for this day.  Patiently, I might add."  He began stalking toward her.  "I have not bothered you at work.  I have not called you because I knew if I heard your voice, I would get in my car and beat your door down until you let me in."

Well, that explained why he didn't call, Alexis thought, feeling something in her stomach unfurl.  She didn't realize that was still bothering her so much.

Jack continued.  "I knew you didn't have time for me, and the little time you did have, you needed your rest, and rest is something you would not get with me around.  So, I patiently waited for my day.  And this, sweetheart, is it."  By the last word, he reached her.  Capturing her face in his hands, he tilted it, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.  "I have waited all week to do that," he said softly, his lips so close they brushed hers as he talked.

Alexis licked her lips, and because his were so close, she licked his as well.  His hands moved into her hair, gripping it and tilting her head farther back.  His next kiss was not gentle, but fierce and all consuming.  He plundered her mouth, and the only thing she could do, was hold on.  And she did, grabbing his shoulders, trying to find purchase, but his suit jacket was pulled too tight.  Feeling her fingers slipping she moved her hands up, one going to his neck, the other tangling in his hair.

He moaned in her mouth and she felt it in the back of her throat, in the tightening of her nipples, the flutter in her stomach, and the clenching of her sex.  She pressed her body closer, rubbing against him, searching for something.

Jack seemed to know what she was searching for.  His hand drifted down, covering her breast, pinching her nipple through her T-shirt and her bra.  His leg moved between hers, grinding against her.  Now she moaned into his mouth, she couldn't help it.  Something was happening.  A mounting pressure was building, growing so close.  She ripped her mouth away from his, tilting her head back farther, panting.  He latched on to her neck, sucking the skin in, rolling it between his teeth, pinching her nipple tighter and grinding harder between her legs.

And then it hit.  She gasped as her body shuddered before it started to tingle.  She slowly became aware of herself and her position and opened her eyes.  Jack's were there, his green eyes staring intensely into hers.  She felt her checks heat, knowing she was turning red. 

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but Jack spoke first, his voice hoarse.  "I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  But, when you come you are magnificent."

Moved by his words, she didn't guard hers.  "I've never felt anything like that before." 

Jack studied her a slight frown forming on his brow.  "You've never had an orgasm or you've never come so hard?"

Embarrassment flamed her cheeks.  She must be as red as a tomato.  Jack, she was learning, was a straight talker.  She
so
did not want to have this conversation.  "The first one."  She tried to pull out of his arms to get some space.  He was having none of that, his arms locked tight.

"What kind of insensitive jerks have you been fucking, and why wouldn't you take care of it yourself?"

Alexis spoke to his chest.  "Well, to answer your second question, I have tried a few times.  It just always felt so clinical.  I don't know, maybe I was trying too hard or not doing it right.  It just never seemed to work."  Alexis took a deep breath.  "And to answer your first question, there have never been any insensitive jerks.  There has never been anybody."

She felt his body stiffen and his arms loosened a little, before they squeezed tight again.  "You're a virgin?"

"It's not as freaky as it sounds," she said, trying to wiggle out of his hold.  Again, he didn't let her go.  "I was a young teenager when my mom got sick, and when we found out, my dad took off."  Jack didn't say anything, but his already tense body, grew more solid.  "I was left to raise my little sister and take care of mom.  I got a job to pay the bills, keep a roof over our heads.  I did graduate from high school, barely, but I didn't have time for social functions or boys. 

"Mom held on for six years.  We acquired a lot of doctor and hospital bills in that time.  I'm paying those off, putting my baby sister through college and supporting myself by working two jobs, again not leaving me a lot of time for social functions or men."

Alexis started whispering and Jack leaned his head down to catch her words.  "I didn't want to simply give it away to a one-night stand, and I know this might sound silly, but I want it to be special, and I want the person I give it to, to be special to me, too."

Jack reached up and caressed her cheek.  He stared at her mouth deep in thought.  A full minute passed before he spoke.  "Let's get you to bed.  I'm sure you're tired." 

Not exactly the words she expected to hear after laying out her life story.  Did he even listen to what she said? 

Jack took her by the hand and started toward the stairs.  She gave the hand holding hers a tug.  "I can't stay here.  You need to take me home."

He stopped, turned, and pulled at her hand, bringing her body flush with his.  He looked down at her and spoke with so much emotion, there was no denying he meant every word.  "If I had the power to go back and change your life, make it better, I would.  But I can't, I don't have that ability.  But, I do have the power to change your future.  Make it so you don't have to work two jobs to pay off bills and send your sister to college.  Make it so you have time to be social and have fun.  Make it so when you fall asleep at night, you can rest peaceful, knowing when you wake up in the morning, all is right in your world."

Alexis stood stunned, moved deeply, by his profound words (guess he did hear everything she said).  But, as beautiful as that life sounded, she couldn't take that from him.  "I don't need you to take care of me, Jack.  I can take care of myself.  I've been doing it a long time."

"I know you can take care of yourself.  Hell, your strength is one of the things I admire most about you.  And, I know you don't need me, but I do
want
you to need me.  I want you to need my strength.  I want you to come to me when you have a problem, knowing I'll help you solve it any way I can. I want you to share with me your hopes and your fears.  I want you to depend on me, rely on me, knowing I'll take care of you.  Do you understand why I
want
all these things?"

Alexis could only manage to shake her head.

Jack leaned in close, captured her face with his hands and rested his forehead against hers.  "I want all that, so I can be that
someone
, you think is special."

CHAPTER EIGHT

Needless to say, after that speech, Alexis ended up in Jack's bed that night.   After he dried her tears, he walked her upstairs to his bedroom.  He grabbed one of his T-shirts from a dresser drawer, handed it to her and told her, her toothbrush was still in the bathroom.

As Alexis exited the bathroom, after washing her face, brushing her teeth, and putting on his T-shirt, Jack brushed a kiss across her forehead as he passed her, to enter. 

She went to the dresser and set her folded clothes atop it before getting in bed.  Jack had turned the covers down, and the sheets were chilly, but soft, as she crawled between them.  She watched, as Jack exited the bathroom, in only a pair of black boxer briefs.  She had never seen him bare chested before, and her mind did not do his muscles justice.  He flicked a switch on the wall, turning off the lights, leaving the room aglow with  moonlight.

He walked to the bed and climbed in.  Alexis was sitting cross legged under the covers.  "I didn't know what side of the bed you sleep on."

"It doesn't matter.  Lay down sweetheart, you need sleep."

Alexis lay down on her side her back facing Jack.  He scooted her close to his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist, and his head resting on her pillow, above her head.  She'd never slept with anyone before, and she found, she liked the feel of Jack surrounding her.

She drifted off feeling the heat of his body, and his soft breaths hitting the top of her head.  But, just before she fell into a deep sleep, she thought she heard him whisper, "I can't believe you've never been touched.  You truly are, all mine."

When Alexis came awake the next morning, the first thing she noticed was the warm, hard body she was draped across.  At some point during the night, they must have changed positions.  Jack was on his back and her head was resting on his chest. Her arm was draped over his abs, and one of her legs was hiked up across his hips.

The second thing she noticed was that Jack wasn't asleep.  She knew this, by the light trail of his fingertips running up and down her back, and the growing hardness developing under her thigh.

And, the last thing she noticed before she slowly opened her eyes, was feeling peaceful and content.

Alexis lifted her head.  Jack's head and shoulders were raised slightly on a stack of pillows.  His free arm was up, his hand tucked under his head.  His eyes were half-mast and drowsy as he looked at her.  Jack in bed, in the morning, was a sexy sight to see. 

A grin slowly curved his lips.  "Good morning, beautiful." 

His hand moved from her back and settled at her nape, his fingers tangling in her hair.  He lifted his upper body slightly, doing a mini ab curl.  His muscles under her hand tightened as he put pressure on the back of her head, bringing their faces closer.  His lips closed over hers, forcing them apart as his tongue invaded her mouth.  She had a moment of panic when she thought about, not having brushed her teeth yet, but it diminished quickly as his kiss forced all thoughts from her head but the feelings it was invoking.  Her toes curled, wetness formed between her thighs, tingles raced along her skin, and a fluttering erupted in her stomach.

He slowly pulled away and whispered in voice still gravelly with sleep, "I want to wake up to your beauty every morning."

As she lay there, looking into his eyes, she wondered if he were feeding her a line.  Who goes from philandering playboy to devoted suitor so quickly?  And what about all the other things he's said to her.  Wanting to keep her and being someone special to her.  Were those just lines too?   All of this, Jack, dating, sex was so new to her.   She didn't want to be one of
those girls
who fell for a smooth talker and ended up with their heart broken. 

"Tell me what's going on in that mysterious brain of yours."  He brushed a curl away from her eye and tucked it behind her ear.

She decided to be honest.  "I don't trust you."

She watched his nostrils flare and his jaw harden before he visibly relaxed.  "Well, I'll have to work on that, won't I."

Alexis sighed, "I don't know, Jack.  I just don't understand any of this.  How can you go from having a different woman every night, to wanting only one, and that
one
being me?  Do you see how unbelievable all that is for me?"

Jack grabbed her under the arms and hauled her up so she was laying flush against his body, and they were eye to eye.  "First of all, I will not tolerate anyone, and that includes yourself, to belittle or criticize you.  I don't know why you see yourself the way you do, that's something we'll work on, but from where I'm looking, what I see is a beautiful woman, with a sexy body I can't wait to possess, who has a gorgeous laugh that makes me happy when I hear it, and is so incredibly sweet that I am fucking thankful I'm close enough to be sharing the same air as her.

"Second, yes, I've had my fair share of women, I won't deny that, but not one of them caught my eye the way you have.  And, because I've had so many women, I should know when the right one comes along, and sweetheart, you are the right one.  Only a fool would let the right one get away, so I am holding on tight because, sweetheart, I am no fool.

"You say you don't trust me, that's okay, I'll get you there.  But in the meantime, know this, I will be holding tight, I will be pushing hard and I will not be letting go.  I know you will dig your ground, push me back and fight for escape, but in the end you will
not
win
. 
And I know this 'cause I
never
lose."

Alexis processed all that for a few minutes, knowing there was no way to absorb everything he just said before coffee.  She knew that pieces of it would slowly filter into her brain until it was all digested but in the meantime, she said the only thing she felt was safe to say, "I'm hungry."

Jack chuckled then gave her a kiss on her lips.  "Well, sweetheart, I guess I'd better feed you than."  He gave her a swat on the ass.  "Get up, get dressed, and I'll take you to breakfast."

Jack kept hold of her hand as they exited the elevator and made their way to the coffee shop.  He was once again in a pair of worn jeans, but this time, had on a navy-blue T-shirt.  Alexis was in the same jeans and baby-pink T-shirt she had changed into, after work the night before.  She halted and gave his hand a tug.  "We can't go there."  She nodded toward the coffee shop.