Business and Pleasure (19 page)

Alex starts laughing so hard and so loud, I
have to pull the phone away from my ear for a moment. I smile.
Crazy, crazy man.

“It’s not that funny, Alex.” I reprimand him
for ganging up on me with my sister. As if having him pressuring me
isn’t enough…

His laughter fades to a series of soft
chuckles. I look at Becca and shake my head. The two of them are
going to make me nuts.

“Why don’t you go to bed, talk to Alex, and
tell him yes. I think I’m going to go to bed, myself, and maybe
call Mark to tell him you’re not heartbroken over our
relationship.” Becca gets to her feet, still grinning like a
fool.

“Okay,” I tell her, jumping at the chance to
get her out of the room and out of my conversation. “Tell Mark hi
for me.”

“Will do.”

As Becca leaves, I return my attention to
the phone. “Alex? Are you still there?”

“Yep. So, what’s the verdict? Are you saying
yes?”

I turn once more to look at my dear sister,
who has paused just outside the room, and who is now looking right
at me, nodding frantically, trying to get me to say yes. I don’t
have Alex on speakerphone, so how the hell does she know what he’s
saying? Am I that transparent, or are all men so obvious?

“Yes, Alex.” I sigh, defeated. “I’m saying
yes.”

Alex whoops, practically shattering my
eardrum and my sister echoes his enthusiasm, squealing her
delight.

“Okay, Becca. Get lost, would you?” I get to
my feet and stride past her. “Actually, never mind. I’m going to my
room.”

I make my way upstairs, sprawl out on the
bed, and stare out at the beautiful city and night sky. Officially
in heaven, I sigh and return my attention to the telephone.

“Alex, are you still there?”

“Sure am…just struggling to keep my feet on
the floor. I feel like I’m walking on a cloud, I’m so happy. Do you
want me there now? I can pack up a week’s worth of clothes and come
on over.”

Part of me wants to roll over and go to
sleep, but a bigger part of me wants to roll over and go to sleep,
wrapped in Alex’s arms.

“Sure. Come on over.”

“Be there shortly, my love.”

The line goes silent. Alex has hung up. I
set the phone on the side table and close my eyes. I’ve just
committed to living with a man. What in the hell am I thinking?

* * * * *

I must have drifted off to sleep, because
the next thing I know, the sound of someone knocking on my door
awakens me.

“Mr. Wonderful is here, sleepy head,” Becca
says. “And he brought luggage.”

I sit up in a hurry. I’m still fully
dressed, and the lights are still on. Damn…I must have been
exhausted.

“Thank you, Rebecca.”

Becca skips back out the door, passing Alex
on his way in. He’s looking extremely sexy, as usual, but
distinctly underdressed.

“Did you actually leave your house like
that?” My lips twitch as laughter threatens.

Alex looks down at his outfit. He’s wearing
what have to be designer pajama pants a black t-shirt, and a pair
of Converse sneakers.

“Well, I was already in my pajamas when I
called, and I was too excited to change, so I packed, got in the
car, and here I am. Why? Not sexy?”

Actually, exactly the opposite. He looks
sexy as hell. The giggle I’ve been holding back finally slips
out.

“Sexy? Baby, you look good enough to eat.
Well, you will, once you lose the sneakers and the shirt.”

We both laugh as he places his suitcase
beside the door and walks over to the bed, losing the shirt and
shoes in the process. He crawls up onto the bed until he’s towering
over me, then he leans down and kisses me softly.

“Is this better?”

Suddenly, I can’t breathe. He’s gorgeous.
Way too gorgeous.

“Yes.” I manage to choke out.

What does this man see in me? He rubs his
nose against mine.

“I’m so happy you said yes. I knew you
would, but I thought it’d take days upon days before I heard you
actually say the word. I must send your sister flowers or
something, or maybe I should just offer her a job. Her skills of
persuasion are amazing!”

I let out a loud laugh. “I’m sure she would
love that, considering she’s graduating on Thursday.”

“Really? That’s fantastic! Am I
invited?”

“Yes, Alex; you’re invited.”

“Great. Now, what would you like to do, my
love? Do you want to go back to sleep, or shall I take care of
you?”

“What makes you think I need taken care
of?”

Alex smiles. “Because, my dear, your
breathing became rapid the moment I climbed on top of you, and I
don’t even need to touch you to know your pulse is racing. Even
now, while I am saying this, your heart is beating faster.”

The man can read me too well. I hate
that.

“Your lips are so full and beautiful. They
are begging me to kiss them.”

His hot breath caresses my face as he gets
closer and closer. Yes, my lips are begging him to kiss me, while
the rest of my body begs him to touch me. The man must be a mind
reader; either that or I’m giving off signals he can easily
interpret. He kisses me softly, coaxing me to part my lips, just
enough for his tongue to find mine. My heart is racing, and my head
is fuzzy. All I can think about is how badly I need him. Alex
breaks the kiss, only to trail his lips down my cheek to my
collarbone. He moves my t-shirt down so he can press kisses all
around my neck.

He lifts me up so he can gently slide my
t-shirt over my head, then places his fingers just under the top of
my sweats and panties, and drags them down my legs. He pulls off
each fuzzy sock, one after the other, leaving me completely naked
and exposed. He then sits there for a moment, just looking,
drinking in the sight of me, I’m guessing, since that is exactly
what I’m doing to him.

“You are beautiful, Elizabeth. So
breathtakingly beautiful.”

He crawls back up beside me, but instead of
kissing my lips, he bends his head to lick one of my nipples. He
flicks it with his tongue, then takes it into his mouth and gently
sucks. Just when I think he can’t make me any crazier, he pulls
back and blows lightly. My body catches fire, while chills race
across my skin simultaneously, and I buck my hips and squirm on the
bed. His lips find my other breast, as he caresses my stomach, and
then lower, exploring farther down. He parts my legs enough to get
his hand between them, and his fingers slide along my pussy lips,
spreading my juices. He rubs gently, and then suddenly, he slides
his fingers inside. I gasp at the invasion but lift my ass,
silently begging him to go deeper. A moan escapes me, and Alex
releases my hard nipple, lifts his head and his lips find mine.
Frantic desire spirals through me, a desperate need for him to take
me, for him to make me his. I kiss him with all the passion I feel
inside me right now.

“You are so wet, so ready for me.” He
whispers hoarsely against my cheek.

I can barely breathe. My entire body is on
fire. “Please, Alex. I need you now.”

He kisses me again, runs one hand back up my
body to cup my breast, while he steadies himself with the other,
bracing his weight as he slides deep inside me. Now I feel
complete. He fills me entirely. My pussy opens to him, allowing him
to go deeper, and I moan loudly, lost in a fog of heady
sensation.

“More please.” I groan.

He growls low, a deep rumbling in his chest,
as he begins to move faster. He breaks our kiss, and we both gasp
for air. He thrusts into me repeatedly, going deeper and deeper
with every stroke. My muscles tense. An intense wave of ecstasy
envelopes me from my toes up to my throat, followed by the
explosion of my orgasm releasing throughout my body. I cry out,
vaguely registering Alex’s shout of pleasure as he joins me in
sweet release. Hot cum fills me, coating my channel, and Alex cries
out again. He collapses next to me, his body shuddering, and we
both gasp for breath. Dear God, that was intense. I can totally see
myself living with this man. I can only imagine how much more
wonderful this gets after we’ve been together for a while and
learned what brings each other the most pleasure. As I finally
begin coming back down to Earth, I feel Alex’s arm slide across my
bare stomach.

“Tonight, you have made me the happiest man
in the world. All I want is to be with you, now and forever.”

Hot tears fall down my cheeks. “I love you,
Alex.”

He leans up and kisses my wet cheeks, and
then laps up my tears. “As I love you, Elizabeth.”

He gently coaxes me to roll over onto my
side, until I lay with my back to his chest, and then he pulls the
covers up over us and wraps his arm around me. As I’m drifting off
to sleep, I smile. If this is how life will be, living with Alex,
then I definitely made the right decision.

Chapter Eleven

I awaken to the sound of rain spattering
against my bedroom window. Normally, I hate this kind of weather,
but today, I love it. Why? Because I’m lying in the arms of my
love, plus, I took the day off, since its Thursday, and Becca is
graduating from NYU this evening. I can’t even begin to describe
the joy I’ve experienced these past few days. Having Alex here
every morning and every night is like living in a dream; every day
is a new, special experience. But in a way, we’re also becoming
like an old, married couple. As if we’ve lived together for years,
we’ve even developed somewhat of a routine. We wake up, shower
together, and then he gets out first and gets ready, while I finish
up. Afterward, he dries me off; we get dressed, fix a couple of
“to-go” coffees, and head to work. In the evenings, we’ve been
hanging out with Becca, eating and watching television. Mark has
come over a few times, and I must say, I love seeing the two of
them together. I thought socializing with them as a couple would
take some getting used to, but they’re great together. He really
seems to care for her, and she is entranced by him. They really are
cute. I’m happy to say that my friendship with Mark hasn’t been
affected; we’re as close as ever. He and Alex seem to get along
well, too, which is a huge plus. I’m also glad to be back at work.
But something’s up with Natalie; she’s been up my ass lately, and I
can’t figure out why. Other than Nat’s strange behavior, it’s been
a relatively quiet work week, which has allowed me to accomplish a
lot. The only thing driving me a little crazy is Bryan. He’s a
great guy, but it’s really unnecessary for him to sit around at my
office all day and shadow me around everywhere. I’ve tried telling
Alex the extra security isn’t necessary, but he refuses to set
Bryan loose until either his guys or the police find Bob. So, I’m
stuck with an escort until my stalker is found and put behind bars.
I guess I understand Alex’s fears. I’m just not used to having a
babysitter. I rise up, just enough to see the rain still falling
down my windows, while I’m tucked in nice and warm in my bed with
Alex. As if hearing my thoughts, Alex opens his eyes to peer up at
me.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Alex stretches
out his arms and legs, but then quickly resumes his original
position. Obviously, he’s in no hurry to go anywhere.

“Good morning, sweetie.” I reach over and
wrap my injured arm around him. What a relief I can finally use the
darned thing for something other than a sling-holder now.

Alex shifts until he’s able to nuzzle my
neck. “This is so romantic…waking up to the sound of rain pattering
against the windows, with you nice and warm in my arms. I could
like here like this forever. How about we just stay right here for
the day?”

I can’t help but giggle. “Well, dear, that
sounds like a nice idea, as long as we’re up later in time for
Becca’s graduation.”

“I’ll set the alarm.” Alex reaches over and
fiddles with the clock, then snuggles right back up against me.
“Now, what can we do to kill a few hours?”

Before I can respond, Alex is on top of me,
and as always, he manages to make me forget everything but him. His
smell, his eyes, his body…he overwhelms me, and I can definitely
imagine spending every day and every night with this man, for the
rest of my life.

We spend the next several hours alternating
between sleeping and making love, until finally, the alarm’s
insistent buzzing forces us from the bed. We shower, eat, and get
ready for Becca’s graduation. As I’m dressing, I am filled with a
sense of excitement for my little sister. She’s about to graduate
from college. How awesome for her! My baby sister is all grown
up.

Alex and I make our way downstairs to find
Becca and Mark sitting at the bar in the kitchen. He leans over and
places a kiss on her cheek, and she giggles like a little girl.
She’s acting like someone who’s about to graduate from junior high
school, not college, but I think it’s actually kind of cute. In
marked contrast to how she acts when she’s with Mark, she looks so
grown up in her graduation gown and hat. I promise myself I won’t
cry, but tears sting my eyes, and I don’t think it’s going to be so
easy to keep my word.

Mark and Alex leave for the school before
Becca and me, so we sisters have some time alone. I decide to take
advantage of these few moments.

“Are you excited, Becca?” I ask, crossing to
give her a hug.

She smiles, but I know her well, and I can
tell her expression is more forced than natural.

“I’m not so much excited right now as I am
nervous. I hate these things.” She fidgets in her seat.

“You’ll do great.” I try to be reassuring,
but I’m not sure what else to say. If I were in her shoes, I’d be
nervous, too. I’m not a huge fan of these kinds of events,
either.

I smile as we make our way downstairs to the
waiting black M35. Bryan is, of course, behind the wheel, and after
he assists us into the car, we head off toward the school.